The Georgetowner: January 29, 2020 Issue

SINCE 1954

VOLUME 66 NUMBER 8

GEORGETOWNER.COM

JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 11, 2020

COOL

SPACES TAC K L I N G H O M E L E S S N E S S B U S I N E S S I N S & O U T S: PAR T 2 JAC K E VA N S TO R U N F O R O L D S E AT H AU T E & CO O L : FAUX FA B U LO U S F U R S T R E E TC AR TO G E O RG E TOW N D E N I E D

IN THIS ISSUE IN THIS ISSUE

ABOUT THE COVER

The traditional office is getting a makeover. See what’s behind the new aesthetic. Staircase: Nestlé USA building in Arlington, Virginia.

Architect: Gensler. Photo credit: Connie Zhou.

UP & COMING · 4 Events Calendar

PUBLISHER Sonya Bernhardt

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert Devaney

FEATURES EDITORS Ari Post Gary Tischler

COPY EDITOR Richard Selden

FASHION & BEAUTY DIRECTOR Lauretta McCoy

NEWS · 5 - 7

GRAPHIC DESIGN Troy Riemer Dennis Belmont

EDITORIAL/OPINION · 8

PHOTOGRAPHERS Philip Bermingham Jeff Malet

Town Topics

Editorial Letters to the Editor

ADVERTISING Richard Selden Kelly Sullivan

DOWNTOWNER · 9 Downtown News

DIPLOMATIC · 9

A Chat With Iceland’s New Ambassador

KOBE BRYANT’S JOURNEY, CUT SHORT

COVER · 10 - 11

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Peggy Sands CONTRIBUTORS Mary Bird Susan Bodiker Allyson Burkhardt Evan Caplan Jack Evans Donna Evers Michelle Galler Stephanie Green Amos Gelb Wally Greeves Kitty Kelley Rebekah Kelley Jody Kurash Shelia Moses Kate Oczypok Linda Roth Alison Schafer Mary Ann Treger

BY GARY TISC H L ER

Open Spaces

Kobe Bryant in 2014. Photo by Keith Allison.

1050 30th Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 Phone: (202) 338-4833 Fax: (202) 338-4834 www.georgetowner.com

BUSINESS · 12

Top Business Ins & Outs for 2019 - 20: Part 2

‘THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR’: FOR THE FUN OF IT

HAUTE & COOL · 13 Faux Fabolous Fur

BY R OBERT D EVAN EY

ARTS · 14

Regina Aquino and Ami Brabson in the Folger production. Photo by Cameron Whitman.

Courtesy Folger.

Jazzman Jason Moran’s Bandwagon

IN COUNTRY · 15

Quebec City to New York on Queen Mary II

D.C. CELEBRATES CHINESE YEAR OF THE RAT (PHOTOS)

BY JEFF M AL ET

FOOD & WINE · 16 Cocktail of the Month

The Three Princes from Chinese mythology.

Photo by Jeff Malet.

CLASSIFIEDS · 17

The Georgetowner is published every other Wednesday. The opinions of our writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect the editorial and corporate opinions of The Georgetowner newspaper. The Georgetowner accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. The Georgetowner reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse material and is not responsible for errors or omissions. Copyright 2020.

Please send submissions of opinions for consideration to: editorial@georgetowner.com For advertising inquiries email advertising@georgetowner.com or call (202) 338-4833

“The Newspaper Whose Influence Far Exceeds Its Size” — Pierre Cardin

Service Directory

BOOK CLUB · 18

Kitty Kelley Book Club

Photo of the Week

GOOD WORKS & GOOD TIMES · 19

To submit your photos tag #thegeorgetowner on Instagram!

Gala Guide

@feonamulholland

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UP & COMING FEBRUARY 3 AND 4 DANCE TRIBUTE TO MARIAN ANDERSON

The dance company of Dana Tai Soon Burgess, choreographer in residence at the National Portrait Gallery, will premiere a work responding to the exhibition “One Life: Marian Anderson” about the pathbreaking African American singer. For details, visit npg.si.edu. Eighth and F Streets NW.

FEBRUARY 7 RELAXATION AT CAPITAL ONE CAFÉ

Groundhog Day at Dupont Circle.

FEBRUARY 2

GROUNDHOG DAY IN DUPONT CIRCLE Potomac Phil, the National Groundhog, will emerge to offer weather and political predictions at this event, which will also feature accordion music, polka dancers, a puppet show and appearances by local VIPs and celebrities. Admission is free. For details, visit dupontcirclebid.org. Dupont Circle.

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Georgetown’s Capital One Café will host a one-hour Kinstretch session with mobility specialist Kasia Galica, followed by acai bowls from South Block and Everyday Juices. Money coach Sarah Brooks will also be on hand. Admission is free. For details, visit eventbrite.com. 3150 M St. NW.

LOVE SONGS OF RUSSIAN ENTERTAINERS Mezzo-soprano Susanna Poretsky will perform signature love songs of five legendary Russian entertainers of the past with pianist Genadi Zagor and violinist Rafael Javadov at the Embassy of France.

Tickets are $55, including a post-concert reception. For details, visit thercas.com. 4101 Reservoir Road NW.

HOYAS AND SUPER BOWL WATCH PARTY

FEBRUARY 8

Georgetown beer hall and sports bar Church Hall, the official Georgetown University game watch location, will host a Super Bowl watch party following the Hoyas men’s basketball game against St. John’s.

For details, visit churchhalldc.com. 1070 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

Dumbarton House invites area residents to celebrate the joys of female friendship with a fun and festive tea. Participants will decorate their own sassy, sweet or classic mugs to take home. Tickets are $35. For details, visit dumbartonhouse.org. 2715 Q St. NW.

GALENTINE’S DAY TEA

Susanna Poretsky.

FEBRUARY 8

AHMAD JAMAL AT THE KENNEDY CENTER Now 88, jazz pianist and NEA Jazz Master Ahmad Jamal, the recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, will perform in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $29 to $99. For details, visit kennedy-center.org.

FEBRUARY 9

OSCARS PARTY AT SAINT YVES Saint Yves will roll out the red carpet to support Washington Film Institute with an Oscars party. Attire is black-tie or Hollywood cocktail; a best-dressed award will be presented. Tickets, including a glass of champagne, are $30 (early bird), $40 (regular) and $50 (late bird). For details, visit eventbrite.com. 1220 Connecticut Ave. NW.

TOWN TOPICS

Jack Evans Files to Run in Both June Elections

BY PEGGY SA NDS He’s baaack ‌ already.

Just 10 days after leaving the Ward 2 District Council seat that he held for almost 29 years, Jack Evans filed papers with the Board of Elections on Jan. 27 to run for it again in two June elections.

Evans plans to run in the June 16 special election to fill the Ward 2 seat until the end of 2020, as well as in the Democratic primary election on June 2. The general election on Nov. 3 will determine the Ward 2 Council member for the next full term.

On Jan. 10, Evans handed Council Chairman Phil Mendelson his resignation

letter just hours before the Council was to meet to vote — for the second time — to expel him for committing ethics violations.

It would have been the first time in D.C. history that a sitting Council member was expelled.

At the time, rumors were recounted in The Georgetowner that Evans had stepped down in order not to deny himself a chance to run again. But that wasn’t clear. “I know I have made some mistakes during my service to the city, and I’m leaving the Council having learned important lessons that I will carry with

me into the next chapter of my life,� Evans wrote. Some saw that as an end-of-politicalcareer statement. Pro-business advocates, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, said Evans would be missed.

When Evans was first elected in 1991, Washington, D.C., was known for its crime and grave financial problems. He was one of the Council members who pushed for fiscal responsibility, the redevelopment of downtown and the return of Major League Baseball. Evans’s stump speech recalled both downtown’s and Georgetown’s lessthan-stellar situation in the mid-1990s, usually ending with the words: “This is the golden age of Georgetown.�

Meanwhile, after a year of investigations, the Council — having determined that Evans had used his advantages of public office to advance the interests of clients of his consulting firm — made its move for Evans’s expulsion.

The Georgetowner photographed Evans on Jan. 26 at a Lunar New Year celebration in Chinatown, marching alongside Bowser and Mendelson. The inclusion of Evans in the parade lineup raised a few eyebrows.

On Monday, Mendelson said that Evans had told him about his plans to run for his

office again and that he opposes the idea, according to the Washington Post. “It would not serve the Council well, so soon after the Council forced him to resign,� Mendelson told the Post. “It demonstrates to me that he doesn’t take ethics at all seriously,� Council member David Grosso told the Post. “He has not been contrite one bit.�

Other political comebacks for disgraced D.C. politicians include the most famous of them all: the late Mayor Marion Barry, whose last political role was as a Council member. Another former Council member, Michael Brown, has said that he’s considering running for office again, despite serving time in federal prison for bribery.

Evans and six others will vie for the Ward 2 Council seat in the Democratic primary: Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners Patrick Kennedy, John Fanning and Kishan Putta; former Capitol Hill staffer and D.C. government employee Jordan Grossman; and local activists Daniel Hernandez and Yilin Zhang. All plan to run in the special election. Republican Katherine Venice is also running for the Ward 2 seat.

Gwen Parish, 1938-2020 Sunday’s hint: Jack Evans (on right) was seen Jan. 26 in a political lineup at the Chinese New Year Parade in downtown D.C. Photo by Jeff Malet.

AUCTIONS ~ APPRAISALS ~ ART ADVISORY ~ ESTATE SALES

F e b r u a r y 8 Au c t i o n

View Catalogue: www.potomackcompany.com Robert Rauschenberg (American, 1925-2008) Sling-Shots Lit #1 1985, signed, numbered 14/25 Mixed media: 84 1/2 x 38 1/4 in.

Important Daumier Discovery

HonorĂŠ Daumier (French, 1808-1879) Les Buveurs ca. 1860 Wash, pen and ink, watercolor and conte crayon on wove paper: 8 x 9 1/2 in.

Helene McKinsey Herzbrun (Washington DC, 19221984) Stem Christie, 1974, Oil on canvas: 71 x 60 in.

Gwen Burkett Reagan Parish, who helped run the famed Parish Gallery in Canal Square in Georgetown, died on Jan. 6 after suffering from a long illness. She was 81.

Parish, who died in a daughter’s home in Fairfield, Pennsylvania, was born in Clairton, Pennsylvania, on Jan. 25, 1938, the daughter of the late William Eugene and Margaret Apfelthaler Burkett.

Her friends recalled that she dedicated her life to her family and to her late husband Norman Parish Jr., an artist. The Germantown resident co-managed her husband’s art gallery, Parish Gallery, until it closed in 2013, the year that he died. “She was a hell of a lady,� said Richmond Jones, an artist and pioneering advertising executive. “She complemented [Norman Parish].�

The gallery, which attracted many bigname black artists, was founded in 1991.

It became one of the nation’s best-known black-owned art galleries. In November, the gallery’s inventory was completely digitized by the Smithsonian’s Archives of American

Norman and Gwen Parish. Family photo.

Art. More than 10,000 images are on file.

Parish is survived by her children Robyn Miller, Rhett Reagan, Raedene Reagan and Rochelle Frazier. Her daughter Renee Reagan preceded her in death in 1985.

She also was the stepmother of Norman Parish III, Kimberly Parish Perkins and Malcolm Muhammad. She had several grandchildren and was previously married to James Reagan.

A private memorial will be held later this year.

The World Famous

Galt Brothers, Washington, DC, Sterling Silver ThreePiece Repousse Tea Service

Swedish William Hinn Mid-Century Dresser/Credenza

14K White Gold and Three Stone Diamond Ring, Center Diamond Belonging to Singer James Brown

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Meet Potomack’s Native American specialist to estimate your items for our upcoming Auction

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TOWN TOPICS

Streetcar to Georgetown Kaput

Citywide Focus on Homelessness

BY PEGGY SA NDS

BY PEGGY SAN D S

Plans and further studies for a proposed and much discussed DC Streetcar extension to Georgetown, running from downtown to the K Street waterfront, have now been stopped “for the foreseeable future.”

The project was not included in any of the District Department of Transportation’s 2020 budget requests in a 600-plus-page document DDOT submitted to the District Council this week. “There are no active plans to advance the remainder of the 22-mile system,” DDOT officials told the Council.

“It’s a shame,” said Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Joe Gibbons. “A lot of time and effort were invested in the proposed idea over the past few years that resulted in very good, innovative transportation, landscaping and street use ideas. DDOT and the city Council are trying hard to find alternatives to our reliance on cars in the District. A streetcar is such an idea that would have helped commerce and students in Georgetown.”

A DDOT brochure supporting the project in 2018 stated: “Georgetown is a major activity center with limited connectivity to the east due to the natural barrier of Rock Creek Park. Georgetown is not currently

served by a Metrorail station, and a streetcar would offer the first rail service to the neighborhood.”

But there were concerns. Over the years, The Georgetowner has reported on many meetings that brought on heated discussions over placement of the streetcars on K Street, storage of the cars and displacement of private parking and vehicle flow. “People are concerned about bottlenecks and traffic jams,” Gibbons said in 2018.

Then there were the costs, which kept going up.

Still, Gibbons told The Georgetowner: “Never say never. We live in a modern society with a very progressive mayor that is moving away from reliance on cars. Many of the ideas generated with the Georgetown streetcar project can be used in the future.

But for 2020 budget purposes today, of course DDOT has to say they’ve been stopped for the foreseeable future.”

According to budget documents, DDOT is planning to extend the streetcar line east over the Anacostia River along Benning Road NE to the Benning Road Metro station, as well as adding one mile of busonly lanes each way on K Street from 10th to 21st Streets NW.

DC Streecar. Courtesy DDOT.

Standing Room Only at Ellington Field Meeting

BY PEGGY SA NDS It was standing room only in the Georgetown Library meeting room on Wednesday, Jan. 15, when close to 200 residents met with city officials from the Departments of Parks and Recreation, DC Public Schools and the Department of General Services about the future of Ellington Field.

For decades, the facility, managed by DC Public Schools, has been the official playing field and track of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts (formerly Western High School) two blocks away, though the R Street high school has few athletic teams. Georgetown University, which refurbished the track almost a decade ago, uses it for some team practices.

But its biggest use is by the surrounding community of families, children, seniors and dog owners. In December, many users told a visiting reporter from The 6 JANUARY 29, 2020

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Georgetowner that the field has been the center of their community life.

Last October, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced her intention to transfer the administration of Ellington Field from DCPS to DPR, which manages the field at the Jelleff Recreation Center. The idea behind the move is that the Ellington facility will become the priority playing field for athletic teams from Hardy Middle School and School Without Walls.

The controversy sparked by those plans was the reason for holding the town meeting.

“Unfortunately, many don’t fully trust DPR after a 10-year renewal agreement with Maret private school for exclusive primetime use of Jelleff field this summer was signed without full transparency,” said Commissioner Kishan Putta of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E.

A packed meeting about homelessness in Georgetown on Jan. 22, sponsored by the Citizens Association of Georgetown, broke up exactly on time at 8 p.m., in the middle of a lively question-and-answer session involving residents, city officials, experts and activists. Many of them were heading out in the 40-degree night to walk the streets, underpasses and shelters until 1 or 2 in the morning. It was time for the annual Point-in-Time count of the homeless.

The number of homeless individuals in the District in 2019 was about 6,500, substantially down from 2018 for families and slightly up for single men. But there is growing concern about the problem.

On Jan. 23, Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered the permanent removal, for public safety reasons, of a growing encampment of 40 to 50 tents in the 100 block of K Street NE, next to Union Station. The move outraged homeless advocates.

The issue is complicated. “There is no onesize-fits-all solution,” said Lindsay Curtin, policy advisor for the District of Columbia Interagency Council on Homelessness, at the CAG meeting. “The causes and needs of individuals experiencing homelessness are varied and complex as well.”

First, there is the short-term goal of getting people off the streets at night. D.C. is a “shelter rights” city, where anyone who asks for emergency shelter and has nowhere else to go must be provided with it.

D.C. is also a “housing first” city. “A safe, affordable place to call home is universally considered to be a basic human right,” said Nan Roman, president and CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, at “The Right to a Roof,” a panel on Jan. 14.

“Getting a roof comes first. Job, health and social services come after, if the individual wants them.”

In Georgetown, a coalition of some two dozen churches and community In December, Putta told The Georgetowner that he had made a written request to the city for three things: to hold a public meeting; to delay the transfer until after the holidays and the public meeting; and to provide written assurances that no longterm private contracts would be signed, that public school and neighborhood use would be given priority and that neighborhood access would not be restricted.

The first two have been done, according to Putta: the town meeting was held and the public comment period about the transfer extended to Feb. 12. Putta is hopeful that his third request will be met as well, although many who attended on Wednesday evening said they were not happy about the notification process for the meeting.

Despite the full house, many there claimed they had only heard about the meeting at the last minute and by word-ofmouth. Several attendees commented that, at the very least, readable signs could have been posted at the field’s entrance points, since not everyone has access to the internet and checks the DPR website.

A tent on K Street in Georgetown in 2018.

Georgetowner photo. organizations serve the homeless in a variety of ways, from shelters offering food, clothing and a warm bed for the night to expanded counseling and day services, including job placement.

With rising awareness of homelessness and recent changes in the leadership of some of the organizations addressing the issue in Georgetown, new ways of working together are being explored, according to John Wiebenson, vice president of the Georgetown Ministry Center and operations director of the Georgetown Business Improvement District.

“Nothing has been decided, but everything is on the table,” said Wiebenson.

The Ministry Center was founded in 1987 to provide drop-in services, outreach and winter shelter to the chronically homeless.

“One of the ways anyone can help a homeless individual is to greet them when you see them and ask them what their name is,” said Sean Read, chief community solutions manager for Friendship Place, a primary provider of housing services in the Washington region for people experiencing homelessness. “For some, their name might be the only identity they have left.

Acknowledge them kindly as fellow human beings.”

DPR officials agreed to do so.

Many at the meeting also expressed concern about the transfer to DPR. Noting that “Everyone fully supports the concept that schools would have the first priority use for the field,” Burleith Citizens Association President Eric Langenbacher asked, “So why change the jurisdiction?”

Everyone also appeared to strongly support concurrent community use of the field, including a possible enclosed dog run. City officials responded that, because public school fields often are closed when the schools are, DPR is the most inclusive option.

“But Ellington Field under DCPS has always been open year-round,” Putta told The Georgetowner. “The problem is public trust of the DPR after last summer’s Jelleff Field contract was signed without transparent community input. We want assurances in writing that that won’t happen again.”

TOWN TOPICS

Submissions Sought for Georgetown Cookbook

BY PEGGY SA NDS Georgetowners’ favorite recipes are being sought for a “first ever” community cookbook.

“We are looking for all types of recipes from savory snacks and appetizers to main courses and desserts (or even a favorite cocktail…),” wrote Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Elizabeth Miller in an email. “We’d like to see recipes that Georgetowners love from a favorite cookbook (cite the source), an old family favorite, or one of your own creation.”

But she and the other residents behind the cookbook are seeking added spice.

“We would like a personal story to accompany each recipe if possible, a personal touch about why the submitter selected that particular one,” Miller wrote. “We also want comments that can be sprinkled throughout the book.”

Miller suggests some questions that could be a focal point for a recipe comment, including: “Your favorite hostess gift to give?; If you could invite one guest to dinner, living or dead, who would it be? What is the greatest dinner party you ever attended?”

Comments about food logistics include: “Chic dinner in the kitchen or formal in the dining room? Buffet-style service, family style or served? Coffee at the table or in another room? Thank you note, email, text or call?

Why?” The deadline for submissions to elizabethhayesmiller@gmail.com is Feb. 1.

E-Scooters to Be Corralled B Y P E G G Y SAN D S There were more than 5 million dockless bike and scooter rentals in the District in 2019, according to the District Department of Transportation. That also meant that the some 5,000 licensed, convenient and increasingly popular e-vehicles were left by their riders in front of, next to and sometimes on private properties, driveways, gardens and streets adjacent to their destinations.

As usage of e-scooters has increased, so have complaints about safety and, as DDOT puts it, “parking behavior.”

With better behavior in mind, the agency in February will install about 100 offsidewalk parking “corrals” across all eight wards for private and shared dockless scooters and bikes. “These off-sidewalk corrals provide a designated area where both shared dockless vehicles can be stored safely,” said DDOT Director Jeff Marootian.

“DDOT is specifically targeting locations where we can make a difference by ‘daylighting’ intersections for pedestrian safety,” explained Marootian. At these intersections, the corrals will be placed in the area between a stop sign and the start of a parking zone.

Three corral locations in Georgetown are on the list: near the corners of M and Thomas Jefferson Streets, 33rd and M Streets and 26th and P Streets NW. Common-sense regulations already exist, along with some enforcement and requirements for accountability by the 10 companies (8 for scooters) that have contracts with the District to offer and maintain dockless vehicles. These apply

particularly to streets with parking signage.

“All drivers must obey the signs and avoid parking in ‘no parking’ or ‘no standing’ zones approaching intersections. Installing corrals at these locations provides both needed parking infrastructure for dockless vehicles and also prevents dangerous illegal car parking,” according to DDOT. Current DDOT guidelines require scooters to be parked with one wheel on the curb, to allow for the greatest amount of space for pedestrian to walk by. In corridors where there are no off-sidewalk parking corrals, scooters should be parked in the “furniture zone,” that is, within the first five feet of the curb, where there are typically public benches or street trees.

Corrals were first piloted in business improvement districts and commercial areas where higher numbers of dockless vehicles were expected to be parked. The new locations focus on residential areas where sidewalks are narrower and more likely to be blocked by an improperly parked dockless vehicle, based on feedback DDOT received from residents.

There are no penalties planned for riders who do not use the corrals. Residents on impacted blocks will receive notice from DDOT approximately one week before the corrals are installed. Residents can submit a request for an off-sidewalk parking corral.

As of Jan. 1 of this year, eight companies operated electric scooters in the District: Bird, Bolt, Jump, Lime, Lyft, Razor, Skip and Spin. All have permits in effect through March 31, 2020.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3 ANC 2E

The Georgetown-Burleith-Hillandale Advisory Neighborhood Commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. at Georgetown Visitation School, 1524 35th St. NW, second-floor Heritage Room. For details, visit anc2e.com.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5 OLD GEORGETOWN BOARD

The Old Georgetown Board– Commission of Fine Arts will meet at 9 a.m. at 401 F St. NW, Suite 312. For details, visit cfa.gov.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24 CITIZENS ASSOCATION OF GEORGETOWN

CAG will hold a meeting on public safety at the Ritz-Carlton, 3100 South St. NW. The program, from 7 to 8 p.m., will be preceded by a reception at 6:30 p.m. For details, visit cagtown.org.

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EDITORIAL

Letters to the Editor

Send Your Feedback, Questions or Concerns, Tips and Suggestions to editorial@georgetowner.com or call 202-338-4833

We’re Still Kicking, Thanks for Asking “For many, Georgetown is an idyllic centerpiece of the District’s charm. The community in Northwest has cobblestone streets, trendy boutiques and an alluring waterfront that have made it a neighborhood unlike any other in the city. It has been a D.C. tourism mainstay for years.”

This is how our town was summed up in a recent article in the Washington Post Real Estate section. This sunny picture was countered, however, in the comments section, in which some opined that Georgetown is not the way it used to be, and in effect is nearly dead.

That’s not how we at The Georgetowner, the newspaper covering this “centerpiece of the District’s charm” for more than 65 years, would describe the current state of D.C.’s oldest neighborhood. And we know Georgetown better than any of those who choose to deride it.

With a population of about 10,500, Georgetown is a vibrant community with demographics as diverse as Washington, D.C., itself. One trend is the growth in young families with small children, many who attend the modernized Hyde-Addison Elementary School. They want a more urban life in a safe neighborhood with restaurants, shops and cultural attractions nearby.

According to an August 2019 Washingtonian cover story, the definitive desire for this new population is “walkability,” one of Georgetown’s unquestioned strengths. Two gas stations remain in town, but family SUVs make parking so tight that Georgetowners, when not on foot, are making increasing use of taxis, Uber and Lyft, buses, bikes, scooters and boats.

Clearly, the retail shops and services that lie within easy walking distance of

almost all Georgetown residences are changing to meet the demands and needs of an evolving population. New food outlets are everywhere, Georgetown’s formal, invitation-only dinner parties having long since disappeared.

Internet entrepreneurs are opening pop-ups in retail spaces that once housed Georgetown’s oldest stores. Even Amazon, which chased out most of the neighborhood’s bookstores, opened its own brick-andmortar bookstore on M Street, complete with a reading stage for children.

The most popular store for almost everyone in Georgetown seems to be Apple. The neighborhood’s boutiques have survived by emphasizing personal service and offering prosecco, sparkling water, bite-size bits of cake and lots of friendly neighborhood news — along with curated collections of clothing and accessories.

Early mornings and evenings, many Georgetown residents can be seen jogging or walking their dogs. Toward nightfall, they hurry to meetings of a range of community organizations, from Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E and the Citizens Association of Georgetown to park friends’ groups and issue-specific coalitions, not to mention the volunteer corps of historic homes, social service providers and the library.

To be sure, the “cobblestone streets, trendy boutiques and alluring waterfront” are all still here, although there are more Belgian blocks than true cobblestones (rounded river stones). Georgetown remains trendy and alluring in many ways, and the housing market reflects that. Few homes for sale are on the market for even four weeks.

Georgetown is still kicking, thanks for asking.

Taft Mansion Left Abandoned to Crumble “And that’s the real haunted house,” a passerby quips, gesturing to the abandoned mansion that stands before me. Just a few days before Halloween, it’s difficult to distinguish between the other Georgetown homes lining the street, festively decorated for the coming holiday, and the home at 1688 31st St. NW, which more than looks the part. It’s the real deal. The historic house, locally referred to as the Taft Mansion, has been left vacant for over three years, and it’s showing some concerning signs of wear.

Desirably situated between Dumbarton Oaks and Tudor Place, the Taft Mansion is falling apart at the seams. The wrought iron gate out front has toppled over and the stairs leading to the front door have virtually crumbled. Smashed windows peer down at you from the upper levels and the clothes of homeless squatters litter the yard. One neighbor even reported throwing mosquito dunks into the uncovered pool in the backyard, as the property had begun adding tremendously to the mosquito problems in the area.

Not only is the neglect of this home an issue for the neighborhood, it exhibits a blatant disregard for the historic significance of this storied Georgetown home. Built in the late 19th century, the Taft Mansion has been home to some of the most influential Wash-

ingtonians, from Sen. Robert Taft, son of the 27th president, to Joseph Henry Bradley, a prestigious attorney who represented John Surratt, charged with assisting in the murder of Abraham Lincoln.

And if they didn’t call the Taft Mansion home, members of D.C. high society had most likely spent a night or two partying in it. Over the years, the house has lent itself to some decidedly noteworthy celebrations.

From fall soirees featuring Betty Friedan and possibly Andy Warhol to an evening honoring Cathy Hughes, the first black woman to own a publicly traded corporation, the house has been host to some marvelous and momentous occasions.

Unfortunately, the Taft Mansion is currently in no condition to do anything of the sort. Neither the home nor its land has been properly cared for since its sale in 2016, and the property has been abandoned to devolve into a state of disrepair. It is listed for $14 million.

Pressure must be placed on those responsible to start a movement to save this home and restore it to its former glory. To show your support, contact the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs or the D.C. Historic Preservation Office and share your opinion on this issue.

— Cassandra Pendino

A Word From Georgetown Visitation Prep

What do you think of Jack Evans running for his old Council seat?

YOUR OPINION MATTERS. Post your response.

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I have enjoyed reading The Georgetowner for its coverage of local real estate, Georgetown history and current events for many years, but I was disappointed to see several errors in the Jan. 15 article, “Woman Indicted for Threatening Visitation School.”

While the facts of the charges against Sonia Tabizada (a matter of public record) appear correct, your senior correspondent got some basic facts about the school wrong: 1) I have never heard the school referred to as “Visi Prep” in my 30 years at the school.

2) No faculty members live in the Monastery or anywhere else on campus.

3) The sisters do wear “habits,” but they are not the “traditional” ones like that of the late Sr. Anne Marie featured on the “Drive Gently” sign at the school’s entrance.

I can’t help but wonder where the writer found these odd — and inaccurate — facts.

— Christine McGovern, Dean of Faculty, Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School

DOWNTOWNER “American Ninja Warrior” will tape at the Armory this spring.

DIPLOMATIC

A Chat With Iceland’s New Ambassador

BY D ID I C U TL ER

BY KATE OCZ Y P OK

SALON OPERATOR TO CUT BACK

Ratner Companies, based in Vienna, Virginia, is set to close 10 percent of around 850 stores in the District and 16 states. The parent company of Hair Cuttery, Bubbles, Salon Cielo, Salon Plaza and Cibu, Ratner is making the move due to competition and rising operating costs, the Washington Business Journal reported.

DIVERSIFYING DISTRICT STATUARY

BOBCAT CAUGHT ON CAMERA

A bobcat — rarely seen in the D.C. area — was captured on a night camera along the C&O Canal near the Palisades. Daniel Herrera, a field technician for DC Cat Count — a three-year project documenting the lives of feral cats — shared the photos, taken last fall. The last time a local bobcat made the news was when one escaped its National Zoo enclosure a few years ago.

The D.C. Council heard public comments on a bill to create eight new statues, one in each ward, by the end of 2030. The statues would honor women and people of color born or raised in D.C. who made major contributions to the region or the country.

Among the proposed honorees were playwright Mary P. Burrill and medical researcher Charles Drew.

MARCUS GOODWIN ENTERS COUNCIL RACE

Marcus Goodwin joined an already crowded race to become an at-large member of the D.C. Council. Goodwin, 30, a real estate professional, is running as an independent. When at-large Council member David Grosso (I) decided not to seek a third term, it opened up a Council seat for the first time since 2015.

NINJA SHOW TO TAPE AT ARMORY

The popular NBC show “American Ninja Warrior” will be taping in April at the D.C. Armory on East Capitol Street SE. The show — with an indoor obstacle course, unlike most — will tape in the afternoon and early evening, according to WTOP. Tickets to join the live audience are free.

CHRISTMAS TREES PILE UP

Christmas trees have been piling up on D.C. sidewalks since the holidays. When the Department of Public Works changed its tree collection process, it underestimated the demand for pickup. Typically, trees would be put out by a certain time to be picked up, chipped and composted. This year, residents had to call 311 to set a date for pickup.

There was a rare bobcat sighting in D.C. last fall.

Warm and welcoming, Bergdís Ellertsdóttir obviously enjoys her job. In fact, the ambassador of Iceland to the U.S. says with a smile, she has loved every one of her jobs.

Her impressive career led her at a very young age from advisor on foreign affairs to the prime minister of Iceland to director of international trade negotiations, chief negotiator on Iceland-China free trade issues, ambassador to the European Union and the Benelux countries, ambassador to the United Nations and, finally, to her current post in Washington, D.C. The first woman to hold the position, Ambassador Ellertsdóttir presented her credentials to President Donald Trump on Sept. 16, 2019. She is thrilled that her embassy is in Georgetown, “a very special place which doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.“ The ambassador is accompanied by her husband and two sons, aged 13 and 15, who attend the British International School.

The younger boy loves the neighborhood’s parks, she said. Two older daughters, aged 22 and 24, are back home in Iceland.

In addition to her native Icelandic, the ambassador speaks German, Danish and English. She loves to meet people and finds Americans extremely friendly.

She first came to the United States when she was 16 years old as an “au pair” for a family in Maryland. Back then, she remembers, people knew very little about Iceland, not even knowing where it was.

Now, she points out, most people know more. Recently, at a café in Georgetown, she overheard people at a nearby table talking about their trip to Iceland.

Tourism has become Iceland’s most important source of income, its remarkable growth illustrated by the fact that 700,000 U.S. tourists come every year — a stunning statistic given that the country’s population is only 350,000. Whale watching, majestic

waterfalls, geysers, the northern lights and the Maelifell volcano are among the most popular attractions. And, she pointed out, there is a direct flight on Icelandic Air from Dulles to Reykjavik.

The U.S. is Iceland’s biggest trade partner. The export of fish is particularly important. Iceland is proud of its program of environmental sustainability, in which scientists work closely with the government to regulate how much fish can be extracted from any one area. This keeps the fish population stable and healthy.

Iceland also prides itself on its innovations. When I asked the ambassador about Icelandic companies located in the U.S., she proudly mentioned Kerecis.

Located across the Potomac in Arlington, Virginia, Kerecis pioneered the use of fish skin in tissue regeneration. Rich in Omega3 oil, fish skin facilitates the healing of wounds and burns.

Marel, another Icelandic company, develops and manufactures machinery to extract everything that can be taken from a fish, whether for food or medical purposes; almost nothing is wasted.

Ellertsdóttir went on to say that Iceland is a member of the eight-nation Arctic Council and is chairing it this year. The council works to protect the environment, particularly now with global warming and the melting of the Arctic.

As our conversation was coming to a close, the ambassador stressed that the United States was its most important partner and that we share many values: the importance of human rights, the need for global disarmament and the compelling work toward peace.

Leaving the embassy, I was sorely tempted by the lure of a direct six-hour flight to see the country’s spectacular topography, as well as — if Icelanders are as warm and welcoming as the ambassador — to experience its special brand of hospitality.

TRUMP IS 1ST POTUS AT MARCH FOR LIFE

On Jan. 24, President Donald Trump became the first president to speak at the March for Life in person. The annual antiabortion rally on the National Mall, marking the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, typically has presidents call in or appear on video.

RACINE SUES INAUGURATION COMMITTEE

Karl A. Racine, D.C. attorney general, has sued President Trump’s inaugural committee and business. The suit alleges that the president’s committee breached its nonprofit status by spending over a million dollars for event space at the Trump International Hotel.

Icelandic Ambassador Bergdís Ellertsdóttir. Photo by Didi Cutler.

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COO L

For the American Geological Union, Hickok Cole is applying innovative sustainable design techologies. Courtesy Alina Alekeyer.

SPACES

BY SU S A N BODIKE R

The traditional office is getting a makeover. Gone are the cube farms, walledin offices and rigid hierarchies. Today’s workspace embraces collaboration, wellness, sustainability and all the comforts of home.

Almost a century ago, architect and Memphis Group founder Ettore Sottsass declared, “If you have good design, you will have a better society.” Architects and designers are now doing their part to build a better society in the workplace, applying a human-centered approach that makes the office environment a more comfortable, productive and satisfying place to be.

We asked leading D.C.-based architects and designers for their thoughts — what’s driving this new corporate aesthetic, what’s trending and just what does “resimercial” mean, anyway?

matter what you do, you need a place to sit and surface to work on. In a living office, you have everything you need to get the job done in a setting that brings out your best.”

Other firms like Fox Architects would agree. “When you give people what they need to perform at their best and support their well-being, you have happy, healthy people,” according to Fox. And what else makes people happy? For many, working at home would top the list.

Architects are adapting the look and feel of residential design and the hospitality industry to bring a more homelike atmosphere to the commercial space. Hence the term: “resimercial.” Look for more “soft goods,” brighter colors and high-design elements that inspire and delight.

HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN

The best seat in the house may no longer reside in a large corner office. It may sit at a communal table or nestle in a more private, specialized area, like a stylized telephone booth or cocoon-like sofa.

To accommodate a more informal, co-working vibe, designers are now turning away from the conventionally siloed office layouts, offering a variety of social, agile options like shared spaces to

Herman Miller’s “living office” puts the firm’s iconic furnishings, modular office systems and other tools to work in a holistic and personalized way. From sit-to-stand desks to sleek storage solutions and seating arrangements that lend themselves to multiple configurations, the overarching goal of Herman Miller’s design philosophy is to improve the human experience: “No 10 JANUARY 29, 2020

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FLEXIBLE SPACES

spark innovation, relationship building and creativity. So goodbye, assigned seating and inefficient, single-function rooms. Hello, hoteling (sit where you wish, when you wish), privacy on demand and an emphasis on caring, sharing and collaboration.

Another benefit: an open plan encourages people to move around. Whether they’re intentionally counting steps or conversing with colleagues, it gets the blood and ideas flowing. It establishes a barrier-free and inclusive workplace (think: Gallaudet’s DeafSpace project) where all employees can thrive and enjoy a sense of belonging.

SUSTAINABILITY AND WELLNESS

With LEED and the newer WELL certifications in force, protecting health and wellness for the planet and its people, sustainability has become the go-to standard for design.

Collective Architecture is “taking sustainability to the next step by carefully studying materials and crafting strategies that focus on the well-being of employees in a space.”

Hickok Cole is also looking ahead to what’s next on the sustainability front, and that includes climate change. “We look for measurable ways to make a space healthier

and implement best practices in material selection and construction,” says the firm.

“Everything we do focuses on how to enable companies to support their mission as well as their employees’ health, safety and welfare.”

What to look for: more mass timber construction than high-carbon-footprint concrete or steel. More recycled materials and less plastic. Energy-saving smart glass that boosts exposure to healthy natural light.

Even secluded spaces for lockdown rooms, meditation, exercise or power naps(!).

TALENT AND CULTURE

The world turns on talent — recruiting it, retaining it, rewarding it. And, unsurprisingly, design plays an important role in attracting the best. Notes FORM Architects: “In a tight labor market, your office design can be a differential. Younger people have different expectations and values. And your space must be sensitive to that.”

Gensler’s Jordan McGee would agree.

“Design has the power to change the world. And good design leads to better performance, greater productivity and, importantly, results in greater talent retention and loyalty,” she says.

Apparently, in the new work zone, design is more than décor. It can be a deal breaker.

For IT firm Splunk, FORM created a variety of nature-inspired vignettes to keep employees inspired and energize. Courtesy Spielman Studio.

At Dominion Payroll Services, Hickok Cole transformed a dark, closed-off interior into an inviting space. Courtesy Ansel Olson.

Hickcok Cole’s office in Georgetown is a case study in openness, elegance and access to nature.

Courtesy Hickok Cole.

The raw industrial design in FORM’s own office reflects its commitment to sustainability. Courtesy Spielman Studio.

For Candler, Collective reimagined 70,000 SF of public space into an historically inspired interior. Courtesy Max Kun Shang, Iris Photography.

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BUSINESS

Top Business Ins & Outs for 2019-20: Part 2

BY RO BE RT DEVA NEY, S T E P H A N I E G REEN A ND K AT E OCZ Y P O K The retail and restaurant mix of Georgetown and nearby neighborhoods keeps churning, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly and sometimes surprisingly. Here are some of the top business “Outs” of recent note — with a few “Ins” thrown in — along with businesses set to arrive in the early months of 2020.

IN: BAGELS AT 35TH & O

Call Your Mother, a popular bagel shop on Georgia Avenue NW, will open at 3428 O St. NW, across from Saxby’s in the shuttered Greenworks florist shop — that most pink, Instagramable corner. Co-founder Andrew Dana and his team have moved through the zoning approval process. There was a pushback by some neighbors who feared long lines and increased rodent infestation.

IN: HARPER MACAW ON M

“Bean to bar,” Harper Macaw is a fine chocolate maker, it declares: “with an ambitious yet tangible objective: To turn chocolate into a force for tropical reforestation.” The chocolate factory and cafe at 2920 M St. NW opened last week.

COMING: VERONICA BEARD

The chic sisters-in-law who own Veronica Beard — same first name; married two brothers — will be setting up their women’s clothing shop at 1254 Wisconsin Ave. NW. “Our motto: Look good, feel good, and do what you love,” they say. “We believe in building a collection that is inclusive of women everywhere and makes them feel confident every single day. We are mothers, entrepreneurs, sisters, friends — and we are our customer.”

COMING: DIG (AS IN INN)

At Wisconsin Avenue and N Street NW, the forlorn corner — once a Little Tavern hamburger joint and then part of Paolo’s Ristorante — will become an eatery again.

Originally called Dig Inn, Dig has 32 spots, mostly in New York. This will be its first D.C. location. It is described as a fast-casual restaurant, spooning out grains, cauliflower, kale, chicken, tofu, etc., into bowls. The ghost of Little Tavern is so proud.

COMING: FOXTROT MARKET

BY APRIL

Hailing from Chicago, Foxtrot Market is coming to 1267 Wisconsin Ave. NW. It will set up where the Jonathan Adler store once stood. Foxtrot offers delivery service and carries beer and wine, prepared foods, graband-go sandwiches, ice cream, pastries — and, of course, coffee.

COMING: BOZZELLI’S TO LAND AT WASHINGTON HARBOUR

Next to Bangkok Joe’s, Bozzelli’s Italian delicatessen — with its ample sandwiches (cold cuts, meatball, Reuben) and various pizza pies (plain, Meaty Boy, Boom Boom Chicken and Spicy Hawaiian) — will open at 3000 K St. NW, at the entryway to Washington Harbour. Bozzelli’s began in 1978 in Northern Virginia.

COMING: 38 UNITS BEHIND 2900 M STREET?

The Pierre Gaunoux Rev. Trust is proposing to build 38 add-on units and a four- or five-story building at the back of its properties at 2900-2924 M St. NW. The block’s tenants include Ike Behar, Georgetown Olive Oil Co. and Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. Office units would be at the bottom of the new structure, with residential units on the upper levels, parking garage included. The project is being designed by Hickok Cole Architects.

COMING: STICX UP WISCONSIN

Owner Deborah Kalkstein announced that Contemporaria is moving to Potomac, Maryland, next month. Courtesy Contemporaria.

COMING: ARTISAN CHOCOLATES ON WISCONSIN

The window poster at 1321 Wisconsin Ave. NW announces the arrival of L.A. Burdick, a fancy chocolate candy shop founded in New York in 1987 by Larry Burdick.

OUT: PAPYRUS FLIES AWAY

The popular greeting card shop at 1300 Wisconsin Ave. NW will close in a week or so, as its parent company, Schurman Retail Group, declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Jan. 23 and will close most of its 254 stores across the U.S. and Canada. The brand will live on, the company says.

OUT: RÍ RÁ

Rí Rá, which opened on Dec. 30, 2013, at 3125 M St. NW, the former space of Mie N Yu and, before that, Hamburger Hamlet, announced that it will close at the end of January. Meaning “the king of good times,” Rí Rá was a popular Irish pub that offered live music.

OUT: DYLLAN’S RAW BAR GRILL

Sticx is set to open at 1728 Wisconsin Ave. NW in the former Mail Boxes Etc. space. Aung Myint’s 2,220-square-foot Georgetown restaurant, serving food on sticks, will be open for both lunch and dinner, with 20 seats at a communal table.

Dyllan’s Raw Bar Grill — open for little more than one year — closed suddenly in November. It had replaced Sea Catch, a seafood favorite of many years, in Canal Square at the C&O Canal. The revamped spot, created and owned by Amy and Donald Carlin of Good Apple Hospitality, was at 1054 31st St. NW.

COMING: ORANGETHEORY FITNESS

OUT: TOWN HALL, AFTER 14 YEARS

Yet another gym to arrive. All about highintensity interval training and 60-minute workouts, Orangetheory will open in the former space of men’s clothier Jos. A. Bank at 1815 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

Friends of Town Hall restaurant at 2218 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Glover Park gathered in September for a final salute.

“There have been many fond memories within these walls, and perhaps a few best left to posterity,” wrote the owners. “We want to thank our landlord for all their support over the years.”

OUT: DSW

DSW — Designer Shoe Warehouse — closed its store at 3270 M St. NW in the Georgetown Park retail complex.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, the multibillion-dollar shoe retailer has about 500 locations.

OUT: THE NORTH FACE

Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard, designers of Veronica Beard, which will be opening in Georgetown. Courtesy Veronica Beard.

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The North Face — purveyor of outdoor clothing, footwear and equipment — closed its large store at 3333 M St. NW. The company was founded in 1968 in San Francisco.

OUT: JONATHAN ADLER

The Jonathan Adler store which opened in Georgetown in 2012 closed last spring. The purveyor of ceramics, pillows, accessories and furniture — with a sophisticated design attitude — was located at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and N Street, across from Martin’s Tavern.

OUT: ARTIST’S PROOF

Last month, Artist’s Proof owner Peggy Sparks told her clients and friends: “After seven years in Georgetown, the gallery will be relocating to Bethesda.” The gallery, previously located in Cady’s Alley, opened at 1533 Wisconsin Ave. NW in 2014.

OUT: CROSS MACKENZIE GOES COUNTRY

Cross MacKenzie, the art gallery at 1675 Wisconsin Ave. NW, sold its building and moved to Hillsboro, Virginia.

OUT: MONO DINER

Mono Diner at 1424 Wisconsin Ave. NW opened in March 2019 and closed in August. Amid the financial problems incurred by Mohammad Esfahani and Ebrahim Esfahani, who own All About Burger, are allegations of wage theft from former Mono Diner employees.

OUT: PALISADES SAFEWAY SHUTTERED

The Safeway at 4865 MacArthur Boulevard NW closed in May. Plans for the 64,815-square-foot, mixed-use development at MacArthur Boulevard and 48th Place NW do not include a food store.

OUT: CONDOS FORCE OUT GYPSY SALLY’S, OTHER BUSINESSES

A condominium development planned for 3401 K (Water) St. NW appears to be advancing. And, as expected, commercial renters in the space will be departing. The planned 49-unit condo complex will convert the existing structure and add five stories, with a parking garage beneath, as well as a penthouse and a pool. After some changes to the original designs in 2016, the project — by IBG Partners and Wilco Residential, with designs by architecture firm BBGM — looks set for action this year. The first business to bail officially was live-music venue Gypsy Sally’s, which opened in 2013.

Other businesses on the property include the Popal Group’s Berliner beer hall on the ground floor, an exercise place and a delivery service.

HAUTE & COOL

Faux Fabulous Fur

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BY AL LYS ON BURK H A R D T

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Fashion can’t get enough of faux, fabulous, fur. What once attracted a negative stigma is now seen as a high-fashion fabrication. In the ’90s, supermodels showed us they would rather go naked than wear real fur.

But it has taken 25 years to make the change.

Today, influential retailers are turning away from fur and celebrity has given its stamp of approval.

We are all watching Katie Holmes upping the street-style scene in Max Mara’s iconic teddy coat and Selena Gomez rocking her Zebra stroller. They are making headlines for stepping out in this season’s modernized imitation fur.

Designers continue their initiatives toward sustainability while featuring sophisticated cuts in unexpected patterns and colors. But faux can be flawed. Synthetic may be crueltyfree, but is it eco-friendly?

There are alternatives in making artificial fur. Recycled or vegan materials can also have a luxurious appeal. But these innovations come at a premium. So be prepared to invest in a high-quality piece that will transcend the season.

You can make a statement and have a positive impact in today’s ultrarealistic, fauxtastic, fur.

Allyson Burkhardt is the founder of Let’s Get Dressed! Image & Style Services. Visit her on the web at letsgetdresseddc.com.

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1. MANGO Zebra Belted Coat $299 Mango Stores

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2. SHRIMPS Duke Jacket $670 shrimps.com

8. ROKH Leopard-Print Faux Fur Skirt $495 Italist

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EMMA BREWIN Faux Chinchilla Scarf $995

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MAX MARA Teddy Coat $4,150 Max Mara Stores

9. L.F.MARKEY Graham Vegan Shearling Coat $300 lfmarkey.com

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UNREAL FUR Dream Jacket $295 Farfetch FAZ NOT FUR Oh My Deer Vest $780 Net-a-Porter

JUNYA WATANABE Leopard Coat $2,700 ModeSens

10. EVOLG Grizzly Mittens $92 J.Crew 11.

EUGENIA KIM Leather-Trimmed Trapper Hat $395 Alice + Olivia

12. SOREL Waterproof Snow Boot $249.95 Nordstrom GMG, INC.

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ARTS

Jazzman Jason Moran’s Bandwagon

BY GARY T IS CHL ER When they picked Texas-born Jason Moran to become the Kennedy Center’s artistic director for jazz, they picked the right guy.

When it comes to jazz, Moran — a highly regarded pianist, educator, talker and composer, living a life in music — seems to embody the form, in the sense of its tapestry-like quality. The heritage

“Jazz is a stew of exported and imported. Its nature is exploratory.”

— Jason Moran and future of jazz seems to move through him like a back-and-forth, arms-open-wide wind. In terms of his standing and appeal in the world of jazz, he’s a man of many parts in a way that few practitioners are today.

Moran is in the midst of a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Bandwagon,

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the trio in which he performs with bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits. The group is noted for its penchant for taking chances, stretching boundaries and searching for new ways to collaborate in a form custom made for it.

The anniversary kicked off in November, when Moran and his Bandwagon partners hooked up with German saxophonist-composer Ingrid Laubrock, playing music from Moran’s groundbreaking “Black Stars.”

Two more presentations to mark the 20th anniversary milestone are ahead: a performance with haunting and charismatic star vocalist Cassandra Wilson and guitarist Marvin Sewell on Feb. 28 and the “Jazz Doodle Jam!” on March 13 with children’s author and illustrator Mo Willems.

It’s notable that these three concerts were assigned to three different Kennedy Center venues. The first was performed in the Family Theater, the Wilson concert is in the larger Eisenhower Theater and “Jazz Doodle Jam!” will be in the Club at Studio K, an intimate space in the center’s new and splendid addition

Jason Moran, Tarus Mateen and Nasheet Waits. Courtesy Jason Moran. called the Reach. The Club at Studio K will also be the site for Moran’s “Fats Waller Dance Party” on April 25.

Taken together, the anniversary performances for the Bandwagon and the new Reach venue speak to the enthusiasm that Moran has for collaboration, pushing the envelope, spreading the word and expanding the audience and the exposure of an army of gifted jazz artists.

“I think that collaboration has always been a part of the history of jazz. It’s a composite, all of the time growing,” said Moran. “Jazz is a stew of exported and imported. Its nature is exploratory.

“I think, too, with the Reach at the Kennedy Center, we have a real opportunity to bring the community, the whole community, into the center, and into our particular world of jazz, of hearing new music, of seeing and hearing all kinds of examples of the form — from our trio to great singers to big bands, from local talent to world talent.”

Jazz is living out a paradox these days.

There have probably never been as many jazz musicians, players, composers, students and performers as are out there today, playing in clubs, recording, on live stages in all sorts of venues and concert halls. Nor has there ever been such an expression of plurality and diversity.

Now more than ever, jazz is a worldwide musical phenomenon, with every note put on paper or given riveting freedom in all of its inventiveness and improvisation. Jazz is as close to a universal language as the world has. The digital age and social media no doubt have had something to do with that.

Not many individuals can embody all that expressiveness in a playground that, while expanding in numbers, lacks the charismatic and admittedly hyper-dramatic legends of the genre’s rich history, whose appeal lies as much in the life stories attached to the talent as it does in performances and recordings.

Moran brings a lot of gifts, knowledge, ambition, vision and memory to his role in

the world of jazz, and it’s not just occupying the prestigious Kennedy Center leadership role. He also has the chops and charisma to go with all that.

He thinks of jazz in a holistic sense.

“A trio can expand,” he said, “but it’s the core of the essential music — three musicians, sharing, sending things to each other. Usually, a trio is not necessarily the core of a bigger group. We started out as sidemen, you know, but also know each other really well.”

And he seems to be everywhere. Take a look at his schedule as a solo artist, working with other artists, the concerts, the lectures.

He also works with his wife, mezzo-soprano and artistic collaborator Alicia Hall, who brings the world of classical music and her own spectacular vocal gifts to jazz. They are the parents of 12-year-old identical twin sons.

Over the phone and in person, Moran seems both familiar and brand new, not exactly a salesman but a knowledgeable, lightly intense enthusiast and carny barker for the promises and the energy of the jazz world.

Better yet, watch him on the wonderful world of YouTube, where you can see him with the Bandwagon, talking about improvising, new jazz and the cores of rhythm, melody and language, sitting at the piano, always with a hat perched jauntily on his head. (“I’ve got around 50,” he says.)

Or better still, listen to him playing clearas-cold-spring-water boogie-woogie piano riffs at the Blue Note at 75 concert at the Kennedy Center several years ago (he is a noted star in the record label’s firmament and history). Or watch and listen to him play Thelonious Monk, an idol of his.

For Moran, it’s clear that jazz in its entirety works like an open door, a twoway door where it’s always windy, inside and outside, taking in and sending out something new.

IN COUNTRY

Quebec City to New York on Queen Mary 2

BY MARY ANN T RE GE R My husband and I needed a recharge.

Not for our computers, for ourselves. Our Rx? An eight-day Queen Mary 2 luxury ocean-liner voyage from Quebec City to New York.

Pre-departure, we spend a few days at Quebec City’s iconic Le Château Frontenac.

The castle-like hotel dominates the skyline, high above the St. Lawrence River and Dufferin Terrace. Rich in history, this Canadian version of Hogwarts, with a myriad of towers and turrets, has welcomed countless celebs from Queen Elizabeth to Celine Dion. It is said to be the most photographed hotel in the world.

Even after 400 years, Old Quebec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is amazingly well-preserved and ideal for strolling. We meander cobblestone streets lined with shops and cafes à la a romantic European town, only this one is easily accessible from D.C. — no need to endure a long flight or jet lag.

While the city boasts dozens of historic sites and world-class museums devoted to every taste, being a foodie I gravitate to the “tasty” Érico Chocolaterie Pâtisserie museum, and learn the history of my favorite indulgence. My husband’s curiosity

is piqued at the fascinating medical museum at Le Monastère des Augustines, housing thousands of medical artifacts. This former convent — dating to 1639 and once the first hospital on the continent north of Mexico — is now a beautifully restored and redesigned health-and-wellness retreat.

Each day we roam, we sightsee, we dine at epicurean restaurants. Restaurant Champlain sates us with scallops from the St. Lawrence, caribou from Lapland and Iceland cod. A short ride down the city’s fun funicular, the elegant yet rustic Chez Muffy at the Auberge Saint-Antoine offers farmhouse-inspired choices. (Please, do not leave without savoring the chocolate soufflé with fresh mint ice cream.)

Delectable dining continues on Queen Mary 2, docked minutes from our hotel.

While we are excited about visiting several Nova Scotia towns, we are equally excited about exploring the ship, considered the grandest liner ever built.

Our days on board are long and languorous. We are never bored. The ship boasts a Canyon Ranch Spa with a full menu of services, including fitness classes, the world’s only onboard planetarium, a 9,000-volume library (the largest of any at

Courtesy Quebec City.

Courtesy Cunard. sea), a Laurent-Perrier Champagne bar with fine caviar offerings, a two-level grand staircase made for photo ops, the world’s largest ballroom at sea and a selection of well-edited shops. And, since there is one staff member for every two guests, we don’t want for attention.

A wide variety of accommodations is available, from a two-level 9,000-squarefoot suite to inside cabins. We opt for a Princess Grill Suite with a large balcony, a walk-in closet and a spacious bathroom.

The best thing about a Grill Suite is access to a tony private dining room with our own table for two for the entire trip. If we decide to dine at 7 or 8 — or whatever time we choose during serving hours — no problem, the table is waiting!

The ship’s size is a paradox. Even though it’s carrying over 2,600 passengers, it feels intimate. We easily set into the rhythm of the place. Most nights we dine in the Grill restaurant, but occasionally we sample the Kings Court’s pan-Asian, Indian or Italian fare before taking in a show or enjoying a spin (or two) around the dance floor.

While the ship is a destination unto itself, we enjoy new sights during shore excursions at each port stop: glass blowers working in Saguenay, a walking tour of Sydney and a charming fishing village near Halifax.

Courtesy Cunard.

Crazy as it sounds, the trip’s end is a high point: our early morning arrival into New York. At 4 a.m., wrapped in thick, warm bathrobes, we wind our way to the top of the ship, where we gladly trade a few hours’ sleep for the exhilaration of seeing the first glimmer of the city against a pitch-black horizon.

We remain silent in the cold, dark morning along with a handful of other romantics as the ship glides under the Verrazzano Bridge. Soon after, the Statue of Liberty, ablaze in light, welcomes us just as she did my grandparents. Straight ahead, New York awakens. No words are necessary. The moment is sublime.

Courtesy Cunard.

Courtesy Quebec City.

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Dining Guide

WASHINGTON DC’S FINEST RESTAURANTS

FOOD & WINE

Cocktail of the Month: Global Warming

BY JOD Y KU R ASH

CLYDE’S OF GEORGETOWN 3236 M ST., NW 202-333-9180 | clydes.com

This animated tavern, in the heart of Georgetown, popularized saloon food and practically invented Sunday brunch. Clyde’s is the People’s Choice for bacon cheeseburgers, steaks, fresh seafood, grilled chicken salads, fresh pastas and desserts.

ENO WINE BAR

2810 PENNSYLVANIA AVE., NW 202–295–2826 | enowinerooms.com HAPPY HOUR: Offered nightly Tuesday - Thursday from 5 - 7 PM & Sunday from 4 - 7 PM. Enjoy select $7 wines on tap. Join us on Wednesday’s for College Nights from 9 - 11 PM and Sunday’s for 30% off bottles. Our delightful wines are best enjoyed with local charcuterie, cheese and small plates.

THE OCEANAIRE SEAFOOD ROOM 1201 F ST., NW 202–347–2277 | theoceanaire.com

The Oceanaire blends a sophisticated atmosphere with simple, seasonal and regionally-inspired cuisine – the result is “the ultra-fresh seafood experience”. From our wines and cocktails to our seafood, steak and desserts, our commitment to sustainable and locally-sourced ingredients is apparent in everything we do. Reserve your table today for an extraordinary dining experience.

FILOMENA RISTORANTE

1063 WISCONSIN AVE., NW 202–338–8800 | filomena.com A Georgetown landmark for over 30 years featuring styles and recipes passed through generations.

Balanced cutting-edge culinary creations of modern Italy using the fresh ingredients and made-from-scratch sauces and pastas. Seen on The Travel Channel, Award-winning Filomena is a favorite of U.S. Presidents, celebrities, sports legends, political leaders. “Don’t miss their bakery’s incredible desserts” - Best in D.C.

ROCKLANDS BARBEQUE

2418 WISCONSIN AVE., NW 202-333-2558 | rocklands.com This original location has served barbecue since 1990. We now have more space for you to sit down with family and friends at our new dining room Driving or walking up Wisconsin Avenue, you ask “mmmm, what’s that aroma??” That’s pork, beef and chicken coming out of our wood-only smoker, falling off the bone and ready for a dousing with our Original Barbeque Sauce.

MARTIN’S TAVERN

1264 WISCONSIN AVE., NW 202-333-7370 | martinstavern.com Fifth generation Lauren Martin learns the family business from her dad, Billy Martin, Jr. Since 1933, the warm atmosphere of Martin’s Tavern has welcomed neighbors and travelers looking for great food, service and years of history within it’s walls. Fourth generation owner Billy Martin.

Jr. continues the tradition of Washington’s oldest family-owned restaurant.

JOIN THE DINING GUIDE! EMAIL ADVERTISE@GEORGETOWNER.COM OR CALL 202-338-4833

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Ice, ice, baby … winter has arrived and has already brought freezing temperatures and a January snowfall. Will there be another snowmageddon, snowpocalypse or snowzilla this year? Only time will tell.

For those who love the snow and ice, it’s the most wonderful time of the year — a few inches of the white stuff, the federal government shuts down and the National Mall turns into a winter wonderland.

While building snowmen and making snow angels can make for a delightful day, where is the ideal place for chionophiles (people who love cold winter conditions) to go for a night on the town?

The DMV has a choice of bars with outdoor spaces open through the chilly season. They often come with heat lamps, blankets or fire pits to ward off the chill.

A recent trend has been heated faux igloos, which popped up at the Watergate and the Georgetown Four Seasons in 2018.

But for the extremists, a visit to a bar actually crafted from ice, top to bottom, would be their cup of (iced) tea. Adorned with ice sculptures, these establishments, part lounge, part gallery, are like frozen dreams, with ice walls, furniture and glasses.

The world’s first ice bar pooped up in a logical place, above the Arctic Circle in Jukkasjãrvi, in the far north of Sweden.

Icebar was launched in 1994 as an extension of Icehotel, which opened its doors in 1989.

Designed by a different artist each year, they are both rebuilt annually from snow and ice from a nearby river.

For obvious reasons, the concept spread first in colder climates such as Lapland, Finland and Quebec. It’s easier to keep the ice stable in frigid temperatures and avoid a Frosty the Snowman meltdown. But thanks to modern refrigeration, ice bars began to spread farther south in Europe to Prague, London, Amsterdam and Paris.

These frosty taverns became a novelty and started attracting tourists. Today you can find them worldwide year-round — in Boston, Hong Kong, Las Vegas and even in the bustling Middle Eastern hub of Dubai, the home of the world’s first indoor ski resort.

The thought of drinking in an ice bar has always made me cringe. It brings back college memories of going out at Syracuse University, located in the snow capital of the U.S. But last summer, during a holiday in Budapest, I walked by an ice bar on a particularly sweaty day. I had spent the previous day at a beer spa bathing in a lagerfilled bath with a personal tap, followed by a hoppy body scrub. So why not a stop inside for a quick cool down?

Entry was free with the purchase of drink tickets. I was first led into an interior hallway, where I was told to enter a room with thick plastic panels, like the ones at the entrance to a beer distributor’s cooler. Here, I was given a floor-length hooded poncho with thermos insulation and a pair of gloves.

Global Warming 1 oz. vodka 1 oz. triple sec 1 oz. lemon juice ½ oz. raspberry syrup Serve in an ice glass.

The weight of the coat felt heavy on my shoulders as I slipped it over my summery sleeveless top.

Next, I was directed through another passage to a room glowing with pink and purple lights — their gleam dancing across the glistening ice that coated everything in sight. According to the bar’s website, the sculptures are forged from 35,000 liters of water.

The atmosphere was rather psychedelic, with sculptures of leafless trees and rock musicians. I found myself sitting next to an icy bust of Jim Morrison.

I looked around to see other tourists mingling among the elaborate carvings. A group of backpackers were doing shots that were poured down an ice luge in the shape of a woman’s bust.

The menu consisted mainly of shooters, most with vodka and fruit juices and a few with pálinka, a native Hungarian spirit.

Many had cutesy names such as “Reindeer Viagra,” “Eskimo Kiss” and “Don’t Touch My Snowball.”

Perhaps the most unique gimmick was that all the drinks were served in glasses molded from ice. There was absolutely no chance of your drink getting tepid. As my entrance fee came with four drink tickets, I decided to start sampling (I was already feeling nippy from admiring the ice art).

I started with a concoction called “Ice Flower Drops,” featuring vodka and passion fruit. It was definitely on the sweet side, reminding me of an adult version of a frozen treat from D.C.’s Pleasant Pops. Next came “Melted By Love,” with flavors of elderflower liqueur, orange and raspberry.

The taste was potent, but it didn’t melt my heart or anything else in my body, which was starting to get the chills.

I moved on to one called “Global Warming,” also with vodka and raspberry; it certainly didn’t heat up any of my globes.

By the time I got around to the fourth shot, I was shivering, so it seemed appropriate to chug down a “My Frozen Ice Balls.”

This vodka, cherry, watermelon and lychee combo was as cloying as a Jolly Rancher.

It was time to make a run for the thick summer air.

It would be quite impractical to replicate this experience at home, but you could enjoy some of the fun. Molds to make ice shot glasses can be found online and ice luges can be ordered from companies in the Washington area. Of the four libations I sampled, I was partial to the “Global Warming,” which had a tart taste like raspberry lemonade.

CLASSIFIEDS / SERVICE DIRECTORY

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Polishing, buffing, and waxing to preserve and protect your fine wood floors, using old-fashioned paste wax.

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SERVICE PRIVATE TENNIS LESSONS

$25 for one hour private lesson in Georgetown and NW DC 202-333-3484 -Mark Harmonjacqueline47@yahoo.com

EXPERIENCED HOUSE KEEPER AVAILABLE

A live out house keeper available 5 days week and includes light cooking. English Portuguese speaking.

Experienced and references available upon request. Please call (202) 966 -8465 and feel free to leave a message.

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Fall yard maintenance, general hauling, and can sell and deliver seasoned firewood.

For all your household needs please call Robert (240) 477-2158.

BUILD IT BETTER • Kitchens • Bathrooms • Counter-Tops • Carpentry • Windows/Doors • Plumbing • Electrical • Tile • Shower Doors • General Repairs 301-779-8837 www.iBuildItBetter.com Licensed DC 3661- MD 41353 Servicing DC/MD for over 25 years

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Over 30 years our craftsmen do quality work: remodeling building or restoring

SELLING CARS

HAIR SALON

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Small hair studio has a licensed hairstylist chair for rent in Georgetown.

Contact # 703 465-2744

The Georgetowner is mailed to all 7,700 RESIDENTS & BUSINESS in Georgetown.

CALL TO LEARN MORE 202-338-4833

The historic Oak Hill Cemetery seeks a person to fill a part time (14 hours) position to assist with social media postings and other duties. Commercial social media experience required. $30 to $35 per hour. Send cover letter and resume to loisbrown@oakhillcemeterydc. org . No phone calls please.

Joel Truitt Builders, Inc. 734 7th St. S.E. (202) 547-2707 QUALITY SINCE 1972

Four government vehicles must be sold. Please contact by phone 202-298-8568 or email: r.abushaikha@gmail.com

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Member of the MD Nursery and Landscape Association & the Association of Professional Landscape Designers

A Cleaning Service Inc Since 1985

Residential & Commercial Insured, Bonded, Licenced - Serving DC, VA, MD

703.892.8648 - www.acleaningserviceinc.com

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17

KITTY KELLEY BOOK CLUB

‘She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement’ UNTANGLING HARVEY WEINSTEIN’S WEB OF DECEIT R EVIEWE D BY KIT T Y K E LLE Y

“She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement,” by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, landed with its red title blazing like lipstick smeared on the cracked mirror of a truck stop. Yet, as much as I respect the two Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporters who bolstered and tracked the #MeToo movement, I hesitated opening their book.

Having watched the bruising Brett Kavanagh hearings, plus nonstop coverage of the sexual plunders of Donald Trump and Harvey Weinstein, I didn’t think I could stomach one more word about their depravities.

In addition, I’d read Ronan Farrow’s three-part series in the New Yorker about Black Cube, the private Israeli investigation firm hired by Weinstein’s lawyer, David Boies, to dig up dirt on Weinstein’s accusers, itself serialized in Farrow’s book “Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators.” This came on the heels

of James B. Stewart’s excellent reportage in “Deep State: Trump, the FBI, and the Rule of Law.” What more did I need to know about the fetid pathology of men hell-bent on sexually abusing women?

The answer lies in Kantor and Twohey’s spectacular book, which takes its title from the futile disputes of “he said, she said,” where there’s no corroborating evidence for either side and, consequently, no bona fide winner. In point of fact, the winner is usually “he” and the loser “she,” because “she” has no leverage in the powerful world of “he.”

That finally may be changing, thanks in large part to these investigative journalists, who devoted two years to giving abused women — 80 to date — a voice, helping them crawl out of the emotional cages where most had been cowering, terrified of their powerful predator.

The book provides a platinum primer on investigative reporting. It’s a tale of lawyers

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who vet, editors who edit and researchers who check and recheck facts while the reporters write and rewrite and rewrite again.

They spend days, weeks and months searching for contact information — finding relatives, friends, neighbors and work associates to lead to sources who, initially, balk at being contacted. A few agree to talk off the record, but refuse to be quoted by name for fear of retaliation.

After years of terrified silence, most of the women who had lost or left jobs with career hopes dashed — especially those who had signed nondisclosure agreements — saw nothing to be gained by speaking out. Just like cowboys in old TV Westerns: Everyone wanted cover.

Perhaps being women themselves, the two journalists understood why so many victims felt they were somehow at fault for being assaulted by Weinstein. With sensitivity, Kantor and Twohey did not push; they listened quietly, responded gently. Finally, they earned the trust they needed to pursue the story.

That’s when the saga becomes frightening, with dark, back-alley skulks.

Black Cube begins a campaign to intimidate the reporters, trying to push them off their story. The reporters start receiving strange emails and texts from an actoragent identifying herself as being from an organization in London who wants to talk about gender equality in the corporate sphere. Their executive editor at the Times, Dean Baquet, warns them to assume their communications are being monitored, their tracks followed.

In a sweet aside, the reporters mention a detail about their editor, who insisted their investigation be irreproachable. He had told them that, at the start of his newspaper career, he’d written about a small-time actor who posed as a talent scout to lure aspiring actresses as young as 14 into private meetings and then raped them. Baquet felt his “sensationalized and melodramatic” stories convicted the man in print without a fair defense. “I always felt like everyone in the courtroom lost a little respect for me, including the prosecution.”

Following Baquet’s lead, Kantor and Twohey low-key everything, even the most lurid details of their investigation. They write with restraint about Weinstein’s young female assistant tasked with procuring and organizing his “personal supply of an erectile dysfunction drug called Caverject, administered through injection into the penis … [She] had to keep a supply of those shots at her desk, hand them off to him in brown paper bags, and sometimes run the drugs to hotels and elsewhere, just before his meetings with women.”

Threads of the Weinstein story had appeared in the New York Times since 2017, but not with the full wallop of this book, which reads like a John le Carré thriller, detailing egregious crimes, a tangled web of clues, frightened witnesses, cover-ups, bribes, threats, double-dealing lawyers and cash payments in exchange for nondisclosure agreements. “She Said” makes “All the President’s Men” look like “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

When David Boies, who charges $2,000 an hour to be David Boies, tells the reporters he was “unaware” of the Black Cube tactics used against them, you may roll your eyes; when he adds his regret for not paying closer attention, you’ll want to throw up.

But there’s a comeuppance: Because the law firm of Boies Schiller Flexner also represented the Times on certain matters, when the newspaper learned of Boies’s actions, they fired the firm for “grave betrayal.” Boies then threw Weinstein, his Hollywood red-carpet friend and client of many years, under the bus.

Weinstein shrewdly surrounded himself with a highly credentialed crew of female attorneys to protect him, including Linda Fairstein, once renowned in the field of sexcrimes prosecution, and Lisa Bloom, who, upon publication of this book, should have packed a go bag and headed for the Azores — where they might not have read the damning memos she wrote to Weinstein, all reprinted in “She Said.”

Bloom is the daughter of Gloria Allred, supposed defender of abused women, who hovers at their side on cable television and then takes 40 percent of every settlement she negotiates. Kantor and Twohey report that they “didn’t realize, and would never have suspected, that Allred’s firm was sitting on separate records about Weinstein’s [financial settlements], ones that had never come to the attention of the government or the public.” Bloom better pack a bag for Mom, too.

Then there’s Lanny Davis, Weinstein’s crisis manager, who starts his spin by bragging to the reporters about his close friendship with Hillary Clinton, his classmate from Yale Law School. Kantor and Twohey ask him about the sexual assault allegations against Weinstein, which he paid millions to conceal.

“Do you think that’s normal for men to make so many payoffs?” “I do,” said Davis, very matter-of-factly.

Memo to Bloom: Make that three go bags.

Georgetown resident Kitty Kelley has written several number-one New York Times best-sellers, including “The Family: The Real Story Behind the Bush Dynasty.”

Her most recent books include “Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the Kennedys” and “Let Freedom Ring: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the March on Washington.”

GOOD WORKS & GOOD TIMES

GALA GUIDE FEBRUARY 4

AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART

The Women’s Board of the American Heart Association, Greater Washington Region, will host the 72nd annual luncheon and fashion show, featuring the best of Bloomingdale’s. Proceeds go toward research projects that treat and prevent heart disease. Marriott Marquis. Visit affairoftheheartdc.com.

ALVIN AILEY OPENING NIGHT GALA

FEBRUARY 26

TEACH FOR AMERICA GALA

Carol and John Boochever and Olga and Scott Jaeckel are chairing the Leadership Changing Lives gala to support Teach For America leaders, whose efforts pave the way for educational equity for all children.

Ritz-Carlton. Email Cierra Hinton at cierra. hinton@teachforamerica.org.

MARCH 7

The evening’s festivities will begin with a performance in the Kennedy Center Opera House, followed by dinner and dancing on the Roof Terrace level. The event raises funds for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s D.C. programs, including scholarships to attend the Ailey School in New York. Contact Charlotte Constan at cconstan@alvinailey.org or 212-405-9029.

FEBRUARY 13

ROMANCING THE STONE

“Natural Beauties: Exquisite Works of Minerals and Gems.” Proceeds support the museum’s work to engage visitors with Marjorie Merriweather Post’s collections, gardens and estate. Contact Allison Kingery at akingery@hillwoodmuseum.org or 202243-3974.

Hillwood’s annual Valentine’s benefit will feature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, art, a silent auction and a preview of the exhibition

CHILDREN’S NATIONAL’S A VINTAGE AFFAIR

The Board of Visitors of Children’s National Health System will host this opportunity for wine lovers to taste fine wines and enjoy elegant cuisine while bidding on fine wines and experiences.

Proceeds support the board’s annual grants and major gifts programs. Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. Contact Kathie Williams at kwilliams@boardofvisitors. com or 202-660-1428.

MARCH 10

N STREET VILLAGE GALA

Join Our Gala on February 29th!

Daphne Daphne is a sweet hound about 5-6 years old and has been with us for two years. She longs for a life of soft beds and full bowls of food. Daphne would prefer to be a single dog or to live with other dogs that are lower key. Mostly, she just wants the attention of a loving owner and the comfort of a soft bed. She would make a great companion for someone who likes to take walks and then come home and snuggle on the couch.

Sammie This is Sammie! He is 10 years old but you’d never know it because he’s still got so much spunk in him. He loves children, he does well with other dogs after being acquainted, but doesn’t do well with cats. He loves to be outside where he can run.

He’s incredibly sweet and would make a wonderful, devoted and loving companion.

However, recently Sammy has undergone surgery for a torn cruciate ligament. He is doing much better and is out playing with dogs again!

The chairs of the gala are Hillary and Tom Baltimore and Erika and A. Scott Bolden. N Street Village is a nonprofit that empowers homeless and low-income women to claim their highest quality of life through shelter and a variety of programming. Marriott Marquis. Contact Stuart Allen at sallen@ nstretvillage.org or 202-939-2085.

MARCH 11

VITAL VOICES GLOBAL LEADERSHIP AWARDS

The awards program honors women leaders standing on the frontlines of change, building and amplifying local solutions to global issues. Kennedy Center. Email mariadavis@vitalvoices.org.

MARCH 12

LATINO STUDENT FUND GALA

The evening begins with cocktails, Latin music and a silent auction, followed by dinner and a live auction. LSF provides opportunities for underserved students of Hispanic descent in pre-K to 12th grade to get a strong academic foundation.

Washington National Cathedral. Visit latinostudentfund.org.

MARCH 15

DAFFODILS & DIAMONDS LUNCHEON

The 39th Daffodils & Diamonds event — a fashion show provided by Lord + Taylor and

a luncheon emceed by WJLA-TV Anchor Alison Starling — supports the National Foundation for Cancer Research, focusing specifically on breast and ovarian cancers.

Columbia Country Club. Visit nfcr.org.

LEVINE’S GALA

The evening begins with cocktails and includes a performance and a seated dinner.

Proceeds support Levine Music’s outreach program and scholarship fund, which last year provided more than $500,000 worth of music instruction to more than 650 children.

Arena Stage. Visit levinemusic.org.

MARCH 28

SIBLEY CELEBRATION OF HOPE AND PROGRESS

Sibley Memorial Hospital relies on the support of the community to maintain a standard of excellence in public health services, including cancer research, maternal services and joint replacement care. Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium.

Contact Kristen Pruski at kpruski@jhmi. edu or 202-660-6814.

CYSTIC FIBROSIS BREWER’S BALL

The event will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which funds research and drug development, promotes individualized treatments and ensures access to highquality specialized care. National Building Museum. Contact Chelsea Director at director@cff.org or 301-657-8444.

Charlie & Pepper Charlie (left) and Pepper (right) are two lovely girls who were brought to The Chance Foundation after they were found guarding their deceased owner in his home by police. They have been here since May. We believe they are seven-year-old lab mixes. Pepper can be very shy, especially with new people, but once she meets you, she becomes a sweetheart. Charlie is still learning to be comfortable around other dogs, so for now we think she would do best in a home as a single dog or with her sister Pepper. Both girls love to get belly rubs and play with toys.

Country Club Kennels 10739 Bristersburg Rd Catlett, VA 20119 540-788-3559 countryclubkennels.com

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BLOOMINGDALE $1,049,900 68 R St NW, Washington, DC Nathan Guggenheim 202-333-5905

WESLEY HEIGHTS $849,900 4287 Embassy Park Rd NW, Washington, DC Heidi Hatfield 202-258-1919 Anne Hatfield Weir 202-255-2490

ECKINGTON $789,900 117 Quincy Pl NE #2, Washington, DC Nathan Guggenheim 202-333-5905

U ST CORRIDOR $750,000 2039 New Hampshire Ave NW #406, Washington, DC Nathan Guggenheim 202-333-5905

SHAW $545,000 2030 8th St NW, Washington, DC Tammy Gale 202-297-0169 Andrea Hatfield 202-487-4294

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