The Georgetowner: June 16, 2021 Issue

SINCE 1954

GEORGETOWNER.COM

VOLUME 67 NUMBER 9

JUNE 16 - JULY 13, 2021

Digital Nomads Working From Anywhere WATE R I N CANAL; BOAT D U E J U LY 8 G U I D E TO STR EATE R I ES KIT T Y KE LLEY: ‘RO B E RT E . LE E AN D M E’

5 G EO RG ETOWN PAR KI N G MY TH S EXCLUS IVE: P O LI CE CH I E F CO NTE E HAPPY 30TH , PEACOCK CAFÉ!

IN THIS ISSUE IN THIS ISSUE

ABOUT THE COVER

The cover image inspires us to find a beautiful summer spot from which to work. Courtesy of Adobe.

NEWS · 5 - 7 Town Topics

PUBLISHER Sonya Bernhardt

FEATURES EDITORS COPY EDITOR Ari Post Richard Selden FASHION & BEAUTY SENIOR DIRECTOR CORRESPONDENT Lauretta McCoy Peggy Sands GRAPHIC DESIGN Troy Riemer

EDITORIAL/OPINION · 8

PHOTOGRAPHERS Philip Bermingham Jeff Malet

The District Gave Us Streateries. Now, We Need Parking.

Transitions Building Back Better, BEST Letter to the Editor

ADVERTISING & MARKETING Kate Oczypok Kate Sprague

THE VILLAGE · 9

Police Chief Robert Contee on Crime Prevention, Security, Police Reform Cynthia Pepper Reed,

Local Couple Travels the World as Digital Nomads

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 2021.

REAL ESTATE · 12

May 2021 Real Estate Sales

BUSINESS · 13 Ins & Outs

IN COUNTRY · 14 ARTS & SOCIAL · 15

On With the Dance! Bowen McCauley Celebrates Final Season at the Kennedy Center The Washington Ballet Kicks Off 45th Season

FOOD & WINE · 16 - 17 Cocktail of the Month Latest Dish Georgetown Streatery Dining Guide

CLASSIFIEDS · 17 Service Directory

BOOK CLUB · 18

Kitty Kelley Book Club

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CONTRIBUTORS Mary Bird Susan Bodiker Allyson Burkhardt Evan Caplan Didi Cutler Donna Evers Michelle Galler Amos Gelb Wally Greeves Christopher Jones Kitty Kelley Rebekah Kelley Jody Kurash Shelia Moses Kate Oczypok Linda Roth Alison Schafer Mary Ann Treger

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

COVER · 10

Summer in the City

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert Devaney

THE GEORGETOWNER 2021 SUMMER PHOTO COMPETITION

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

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THE GEORGETOWNER CALL FOR FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

We invite artists from around the world to capture the landscapes and distinct environments of our nation’s capital. Photographs of our vibrant shops, monuments, unique statues, waterways, parks, and residences all bathed in the spectacular light that fills our city. The winning photograph will be featured on the cover of The Georgetowner in October 2021. Judges: Philip Bermingham, Tony Powell, Jeff Malet with more details to come.

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HAPPY 1ST ANNIVERSARY TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS

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WITH SAFETY IN MIND, FRIENDS OF VOLTA PARK LAUNCH FUNDRAISING AUCTION

Edward Weidenfeld

BY CHRISTO PHER JO NES

EDITORIAL PARTNER Friends of Volta Park • Grayson & Company • Peter Higgins • Lisa Paul Koches • John & Kristen Lever • Penny Farthing & Andrew Miller • Richard Murphy

Darcy Nauman, co-president of the Friends of Volta Park, with her daughter Lily and Anna Dellighatti, past FOVP president and board member by the playground at Volta Park. Photo

by Christopher Jones.

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D.C.’S AG RACINE FILES DELTA PHI EPSILON SUIT

Robyn and Leon Andris • Carp For Success, LLC • Gertraud Hechl • Coleman Jackson • Pamla Moore • Chris Putula • Anne Randolph • Lisa Rossi • Paige and Tim Shirk • Robert Alan Stowers • St. John’s Church

The former Delta Phi Epsilon frat house at 3401 Prospect St. NW, now a private home.

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ADVOCATE Cathleen Clinton • Nelson Cunningham • Paul and Diana Dennett • Diane Eames • Howard & Ellen Eisenberg • Elizabeth Friedman • Kelly Garrett • Georgetown Village • Peter Harkness • Peter Higgins • JAB Holding Company • Jerome Libin • Mapping Georgetown • Jerry McCoy • Skip Moosher • John Rentzepis • Toni Russin • Stephanie Bothwell Urban & Landscape Design • Christopher Wolf

OPEN 2044: HOLY TRINITY’S COVID TIME CAPSULE

BY RO BERT DEVANEY

Rev. Kevin Gillepsie, S.J., Pastor of Holy Trinity Church, starts the burial of the covid time capsule June 6. Georgetowner photo.

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1,727 VIEWS ‘GEORGETOWN,’ A FILM ABOUT MURDER. OR IS IT?

BY PEG G Y SANDS

Christoph Waltz, who plays Albrecht Muth (called Ulrich Mott in the film), and Vanessa Redgrave in the role of Viola Drath (called Elsa Brecht).

MONDAY IS NEWS AND COMMUNITY UPDATES THURSDAY IS WEEKEND WRAP UP WITH FUN THINGS FOR THE WEEKEND

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TOWN TOPICS

NEWS In Mayor’s $17.5 Billion Budget: $30 Million for Jelleff Rec, $3.5 Million for Ellington Field

BY PEGGY SA NDS The word on the budget is out.

Georgetown representatives, parents and youth who use the popular but aging Jelleff Recreation Center, Boys and Girls Club and public outdoor pool at 3265 S St. NW, have cajoled city parks and recreation planners for years to refurbish the facilities. Now, at long last, the mayor’s budget priorities might mean this lobbying effort is about to pay off. On May 26, Mayor Bowser announced a fourfold increase in funding to renovate the center.

The mayor’s 2022 budget proposal adds $21 million to an already budgeted renovation fund of $7 million. With other committed revenue, the final budget to make Jelleff into a community center could be around $30 million. Bowser has also proposed $3.5 million to develop a feasibility study and plan to update the Ellington Field and track at 38th and S Sts.

NW; and $700,000 to fully returf Volta Park at the junction of the 1500 block of 34 St., Volta and Q Sts. NW in Georgetown.

“This is the first step toward creating a vibrant community center for our Georgetown community,” wrote Georgetown/Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners Elizabeth Miller and Kishan Putta in a joint release.

“Our community, unlike most others in D.C., has been lacking vibrant public indoor spaces for community functions, gatherings, performances and the like.”

According to the final feasibility report released by Perkins Eastman on May 25, the Jelleff Center’s highly used maingym will remain in place as well as the lowerlevel Boys and Girls Club that has operated there for decades. But the East side of the existing building will be demolished to make way for a new common atrium area, locker rooms, workout space, practice gym

and a flexible meeting room space. The site work will involve relocating a portion of the existing pool and will include new decking, trellis work and a splash pad. Existing fencing along the playing field will be reworked and the parking lot reconfigured.

The budgeted funds for Ellington Field will initially be spent on a comprehensive feasibility study. The field and allweather track, renovated by Georgetown University, was transferred in 2019 from the Department of Public Schools (DPS) to the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR).

“No decisions have been made (about any changes),” wrote ANC Commissioner Kishan Putta who lives about a block from the park and whose family uses it daily.

“This is the first step toward creating a vibrant community center for Georgetown.”

–Elizabeth Miller and Kishan Putta, ANC2E “DPS told us they would study it and come back to us with options for our input. While we appreciate the proposed investment, we have only just begun the community

engagement process with DPR. A first public meeting was held in April. We expect more, including surveys. We insist that no decisions be made until the community engagement process has concluded and all input has been carefully considered.”

The budgets for renovation of Jelleff and Ellington public recreational facilities in Georgetown are only a miniscule part of the mayor’s $17.5 billion budget for FY 202122 that is to operationalize beginning Oct. 1. The coming weeks will see numerous council and community budget meetings to revise the mayor’s draft budget. Bowser proposes to boost funding in almost every major area — especially public housing — except the police department. The city’s fat budget is due to the District’s receiving more than $2.3 billion from the federal American Rescue Plan for Covid relief projects. Those funds must be used over the next four years.

ANC commissioners Putta and Miller and Ward 2 Councilwoman Brooke Pinto are committed to the full increase of the renovation budget for Jelleff Recreation Center. In various memos and resolutions, ANC2E has made Jelleff a priority. In addition, Pinto has proposed other budget initiatives, including: funding for a new Shaw Middle School, The Dupont DeckOver project, the expansion of violence prevention programs, the expansion of the Great Streets Program to include Ward 2 businesses, and other small business support projects including rent relief.

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TOWN TOPICS

C&O Canal Boat Expected to Arrive July 8

BY R OB E RT DEVA NEY The reopening of Georgetown and the city continues apace, and things are speeding up.

Already to the delight of passers-by at the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, Georgetown’s crown jewel, yes, there is water flowing through its locks.

Now, with repairs to Locks 3 and 4 completed and the canal wall near Grace Street and Wisconsin Avenue stabilized, comes word that the long-awaited canal boat will arrive at the canal on July 8 – or thereabouts.

The arrival of the boat will be a dramatic one, as The Georgetowner was told that a crane on Canal Road will lower the boat, likely still in its two halves, onto the surface of the water. No doubt to much applause.

Expect a VIP reception.

“An exact delivery date has not yet been set as there remain several hurdles to cross before we can confirm the delivery, including testing the boat and repairing

the dry dock in the canal.” Georgetown Heritage Executive Director Jeffrey Nichols told The Georgetowner. “However, we do anticipate the boat will arrive this summer [which begins June 20].”

According to Georgetown Heritage, the nonprofit that works with the National Park Service to improve and promote Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, the motorized boat was built at the Roudebush Yacht & Engine Works shipyard outside of Baltimore. It is more that 80 feet long.

Its two halves will be put together after delivery to Georgetown.

Other canal projects await completion.

Those include towpath upgrades and expanded lighting as well as a floating dock near 34th Street for launching kayaks and canoes. The towpath mules are expected to return in 2022 for old-fashioned propulsion of the canal boat.

Driver’s License Deadline Extended to Sept. 9 As the July 1 deadline approached to get their driver’s license updated, residents said appointments were impossible to get in time.

So, the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles extended the deadline for expired driver licenses and identification cards to Sept. 9.

“The previously announced deadline was July 1, 2021,” according to the DMV. “This action, as well as other changes DC DMV is making, will give residents more time to renew driver’s licenses and other ID cards that require an in-person appointment at a

DMV Service Center. This announcement does NOT impact the enforcement of valid inspections and vehicle registrations that took effect on June 1, 2021. In-person service at all DC DMV service centers, adjudication services, and the Deanwood CDL Office is still by appointment only.

DC DMV will continue to offer more appointments and other options to ensure all residents have a chance to be in compliance with their credentials before the September 9, 2021 deadline.”

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The C&O Canal at 31st Street. Georgetowner photo.

Flexible Pavement Dispute ‘Not Resolved’

BY PEGGY SAN D S The decision by the D.C. Department of Transportation to replace sections of Georgetown’s brick sidewalks with a porous flexible pavement product without advising the Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC 2E) was the subject of a discussion at the June 1 ANC meeting. Led by Chairperson Rick Murphy, the ANC passed a resolution demanding more transparency and communications from DDOT. Various commissioners and individuals from other community organizations sent letters of concern that the official community advisory role was being ignored. It was the subject of a Georgetowner editorial as well.

“But DDOT went ahead the next week without community input to lay the PFP material,” Murphy told the Georgetowner last week. “They used it, however, to repair

four of 12 sections of sidewalk instead of the purported 16 or more originally proposed. We can assume DDOT crews did the procedure only where tree roots and other damage made it impractical to repair the walks with old bricks. Of course, safety is the first concern. But still they clearly ignored advising us or seeking our input in any way.”

Murphy and others said they could not understand why the former close communication between DDOT, the ANC and other community groups was not continued. Some suggested that reasons included an acting director, an engineering priority for efficiency and safety, or government officials socially distant from community meetings. Whatever the reason, Murphy fears it will happen again. “This dispute is not resolved,” he said.

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TOWN TOPICS

Busting Myths about Georgetown Parking

BY CH RISTOP HER J ON E S In Georgetown, few issues are as controversial as parking. With the pandemic easing and commercial activity bubbling up, higher numbers of automobile drivers are competing for open spots. Everyone’s got a grievance, but -- in the heat of the moment -- the nuances and complexities of finding a space for your car are often overlooked.

To make sense of Georgetown’s parking dynamics, The Georgetowner spoke with Rick Murphy, Chair of the GeorgetownBurleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC2E), Joe Sternlieb, CEO of the Georgetown Business Improvement District, and Jamie Scott, the BID’s Director for Planning and Economic Development.

Given Georgetown’s unique historic composition of small adjoining shops, narrow streets and a regional draw, they agreed that a delicate “balancing act” is required to meet the variety of commercial, residential and visitor needs in Georgetown, especially during the pandemic. Though they didn’t agree on everything, they did want to debunk certain myths surrounding the issue.

MYTH #1: GEORGETOWN DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH PARKING.

Georgetown actually has plenty of available paid parking, though local residents and car visitors might have to scramble for free spaces. “We have over 7,000 parking spaces in Georgetown between on-street spaces, garages and lots,” Sternlieb said.

Private parking garages and lots account for 3,200 spaces in Georgetown, according to data analyzed by Jamie Scott. “That’s probably about twice the amount of parking available for the Wharf,” Scott said.

“We feel there’s an adequate amount of parking in the garages and lots,” said Scott.

“There are still about 1,100 metered spaces in Georgetown and 4,041 RPP [Residential Parking Permit] spaces in Georgetown and the city regulation allows visitors to park in those spaces for two hours. We’re not encouraging people to come and park in residential spaces, because it’s very important for residents to maintain the ability to park near their home… But I think there’s a lot of parking available in Georgetown.”

“There are a lot of spaces in the parking garages, particularly south of M St. and the BID is trying to encourage the operators to price in such a way as to make it attractive to people who would otherwise try to park on the street to try to park down there,” said Rick Murphy.

As the pandemic eases, ridesharing will also return, lowering demand for curbside parking, and freeing up curbside spaces.

“The parking is there. We got some data from the [D.C.] Department of For-Hire Vehicles which is the city agency that regulates taxis, Ubers and Lyfts,” Scott said. “In 2019, before the pandemic, there were 1.5 million ride-sharing trips to and from Georgetown. Five years prior to that, there were probably none. Ridesharing

has introduced a totally new way for people to get around. And there are many neighborhoods around the District that have popped up as entertainment, dining or retail destinations that, shockingly, don’t have tons of easily available curbside parking.

And yet, people find a way to get there.”

With the pandemic, many Georgetown residents worked from home and kept their cars parked on the street, thereby reducing the number of available spaces. To the extent they return to their pre-pandemic commutes, neighborhood congestion may also be eased.

The BID and the ANC are also considering a program currently in use in Alexandria whereby residents are granted more free parking permits while non-residents are charged for parking on an hourly basis, thereby increasing street circulation as drivers stop trawling for free spaces. The idea is to “price the street parking for more turnover,” said Sternlieb.

Having lived in Georgetown for 18 years, Rick Murphy said he “gets it” when it comes to the complexities of finding residential parking in the neighborhoods. However, some long-term trends might be hopeful.

According to the last D.C. Department of Transportation study on parking in Georgetown, automobile registrations among residents were declining. Given reduced car usage and the return of ridesharing, he said, “there may be less demand for parking as we come out of this.”

MYTH #2: THE STREATERIES AND SIDEWALK WIDENING PROJECTS ARE THE MAIN CAUSE OF PARKING PROBLEMS.

Of the thousands of available parking spaces in Georgetown, only a few hundred have been taken by streateries in response to the pandemic and the BID’s sidewalk widening program launched prior to Covid.

“We’re not losing parking to streateries,” said Murphy.

According to Sternlieb, only 2.5 percent of available parking has been affected by 200 spaces being reassigned out of approximately 6,000 spaces in all of Georgetown. Moreover, these new features have allowed for pick-up and drop-off points critical for the flow of commercial traffic and Georgetown’s vibrancy.

“We have replaced approximately 200 parking spaces with … something like 40 or 50 commercial loading pick-up and drop-off areas,” Sternlieb said. “So, what we’ve done is replaced storing private cars on our most valuable retail streets with places for people to get Uber and Lyft drop-offs and to get picked up, and for commercial loading to take place. For everyone else, we’re saying ‘listen, for the next six months, let’s see what wider sidewalks and outdoor dining can do to transform Georgetown into a more pedestrian focused historic neighborhood.’ ” Read 3 more myths at georgetowner.com...

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EDITORIAL

Transitions

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

The District Gave Us Streateries.

Now, We Need Parking.

Walking the commercial streets of Georgetown these days the relief, even joy, of shoppers, salon, café and restaurant patrons, and even tourists is as visible as the streets active with cars and sidewalks with people.

Everyone is noticing the streateries and expanded sidewalks, running along most sides M Street from about 29th to 33rd Streets and Wisconsin Avenue from Grace to S Streets, and a two small spots on 28th Street and up on up on P. Some shopkeepers display wares on chairs and tables outside.

In the evenings, streateries, lighted up, make Georgetown come alive. “Streateries might be the saviour of Georgetown,” as onlookers have proclaimed.

“The District of Columbia has invested some $460,000 to date for the development of the secure but mobile platforms, protective shielding and landscaping,” according to Georgetown Business Improvement District CEO Joe Sternlieb. “The rest of the project’s total costs estimated to exceed one million dollars is being covered by the BID,” he said.

The expanded sidewalk-streatery project has been a vision of the Georgetown BID. The economic crisis brought on by the pandemic shutdown suddenly accelerated the project as a primary focus for the recovery of Georgetown’s small businesses.

The one known unknown concern was parking. Streateries are taking up more that 200 street parking places, according to BID. That’s a big problem.

Shoppers and diners in Georgetown, used to parking on the street and running into favorite stores or having a quick bite, now cannot during the day. One shopkeeper showed the Georgetowner a text she received from a regular customer from Bethesda the day they were laying the expanded sidewalks on Wisconsin Avenue. “I’ve been looking for 25 minutes for a place to park so I can come into the shop and try on some things,” the customer wrote. “I’m giving up and going home. Sorry.” Almost $1,000 of expected business was lost, according to the upset shop owner, who struggled to stay open, especially after her shop was looted in June 2020.

There are thousands of parking spots in office garages, according to Sternlieb.

Problem is, most are south of M Street and not available during working hours. Many people don’t want to walk uphill to shop and dine on Wisconsin Avenue, and others don’t want to retrieve their cars alone in a big garage. Many don’t want to chance a ticket by parking illegally nor pay extra on for-hire vehicles. BID has been trying to help some businesses negotiate discounts with parking lot owners. Still, the parking businesses have all the leverage.

Places like Bethesda support free and frequent, clean and well lit, easy off and on shuttles for customers from mid-morning to after midnight. Other municipalities subsidize free parking – usually 90 minutes at designated spots. In this regard, the District of Columbia should step up to the plate. After all, the city has spent almost a half million dollars to develop the widened sidewalks so more people might come. But now those eager consumers can’t park. The city should consider subsidizing shuttles, electric go carts and parking in partially used commercial or public lots throughout Georgetown.

It’s not like the city can’t afford it. When Mayor Muriel Bowser introduced her 2021 budget May 26, the Washington Post wrote: “Bowser’s $17.5 billion budget, flush with federal dollars.” “We are using significant federal investments to provide recovery and growth opportunities across all eight wards,” Bowser said. “We have weathered the financial impacts of Covid.”

“We did approach the city early in the pandemic about reducing parking lot taxes in exchange for agreement from operators to lower their rates,” Sternlieb told The Georgetowner. “The city said no. The city has always been reluctant to subsidize parking in private garages… albeit with some exceptions in Adams Morgan and at Union market.”

So, today, it seems reasonable to ask D.C., flush with pandemic savings, to seriously consider the final piece of the streateries project. Subsidize parking for those shopping and dining in Georgetown.

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School’s (almost) out for summer. A statement that would have been unthinkable a year ago given the circumstances that made time seem to stand still.

Thankfully, we’re moving past those dark days. The city is opening up again, the restaurants and retailers that make Georgetown worth a detour are coming back to life and masks are coming off with--to coin a phrase--warp speed. We are thrilled to see the crowded streets and all the “We’re Hiring!” signs. (Far fewer parking spaces, though, not so much.)

But just as we’re beginning to venture forth, others, it seems, have already gotten a jump on adventure. This month, we’re focusing on travel abroad and at home--from digital nomads, who traded the confines

of their daily D.C. routine for more lifeaffirming work-from-anywhere destinations to tips on how to go full-on tourist in your own neighborhood and home town.

From the ancient Greeks to modern times, the authentic hero is one who faces unimaginable challenges and emerges changed or transformed for the better.

Considering the past 15 months, we can all claim to be heroes of a kind.

As we transition from our shared time of troubles to what we hope is a pandemic-free future, let’s say a silent thanks to those who got us here. And a prayer for the 600,000 who perished.

Oh, and to those who’ve transitioned recently or long ago to fatherhood, Happy Father’s Day!

OPINION

Building Back Better, BEST

BY BR OOKE PIN TO This past Friday marked a major milestone in our recovery with the lifting of all capacity restrictions for businesses.

As restaurants fill up with hungry diners, stadiums roar with cheering crowds and residents gather to celebrate Pride, we still have a long way to go on the road to economic recovery from the pandemic.

Throughout the public health emergency, I have fought to ensure that our communities, small and local business owners, and workers have the resources they need to thrive. In the fall, the Council passed emergency legislation that I co-authored to extend our restaurant streateries program by more than one year to give business owners and hospitality workers the assurance and certainty they needed. I also introduced the “Great Streets Amendment Act” to make Ward 2 and Georgetown businesses eligible for grant funding from the Department on Small and Local Business Development as we focus on economic stimulus.

I know more support is needed, which is why last week I introduced the “Business and Entrepreneurship Support to Thrive (BEST) Amendment Act of 2021” to streamline the licensing process for new and existing businesses. Incorporating or starting a business in the District of Columbia has proven exhaustive, unnecessarily complex, and expensive, especially for those entrepreneurs without adequate financial resources. Doing business in D.C. should be accessible, efficient and cost-effective.

Georgetown is a major retail and commercial corridor and hub for education and culture, and we must provide the relief needed to keep our existing businesses in operation and doors open for entrepreneurs across our city.

Building on the funds I secured for the Jelleff Recreation Center feasibility study in last year’s budget, this year’s budget includes a proposed total of $28 million for a full modernization of this centerpiece of the community. I will continue to work with my colleagues to target funding for projects that will improve the overall quality of life in Georgetown. These include a Volta Park re-turf, the Canal Project and Georgetown Visitor Center, a transportation study and an EV charging station. Financing these important projects not only serves Georgetown but our entire city.

With creative strategies and community engagement, I know that we are on the path to recovery. I am grateful for the partnership of the Georgetown Business Improvement District, Georgetown Main Street, Citizens Association of Georgetown and Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E in our efforts to prioritize the needs of Georgetown and direct resources towards projects that will keep Georgetown as a thriving place for families, businesses, and visitors.

Brooke Pinto represents Ward 2, which includes Georgetown, on the Council of the District of Columbia.

Letter to the Editor Dear Editors, Our Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, Ms. Lisa Palmer, is concerned about possible pedestrian fatalities at the new pedestrian crossing on M St. at the intersection with Key Bridge. The problem is vehicles speeding to make left turns from M St. to Key Bridge, often against a red light.

Pedestrians -- many being tourists walking across Key Bridge from the Rosslyn Metro -- may look at the walk signal rather than oncoming vehicle traffic when they cross M Street.

Ms. Palmer has been trying to get speed cameras placed on Key Bridge with no promise of action by the District government as of yet. She is also suggesting special signage to warn pedestrians of the danger.

I don’t know whether she has suggested placement of red light cameras to reduce illegal left turns on red lights from M St. to Key Bridge.

The problem, however, is of direct concern to all stakeholders at Georgetown University.

– Charles Verharen, 35th St Resident

THE VILLAGE

Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. Courtesy MPD.

Police Chief Robert Contee on Crime Prevention, Security, Police Reform

BY C HR ISTOP HER J ON E S “A safe community is important in all the work we do and if people do not feel safe in their community, then we still have important work to do,” said Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, unanimously approved by the District Council on May 4 to be MPD’s 32nd chief.

The Georgetowner interviewed Contee on May 13 to discuss his top priorities, his thoughts on police reform and crime in Georgetown, the recent ransomware attack against MPD, the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot.

Since becoming acting and full-time police chief, the 48-year-old Contee has had to address a unique variety of challenges as he guides the D.C. police force during a tumultuous time in the nation’s capital.

Violent crime has been on the rise in the District since the start of the pandemic.

The threat of domestic terrorism in the nation’s capital was heightened after Jan. 6, when he was on the job for four days.

Contee has had to juggle critical priorities while reassuring the public that the MPD is capable of ensuring safety and security for District residents while also being capable of reform following the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality last year.

A native Washingtonian, the 48-year-old Contee grew up in the Carver-Langston neighborhood of northeast D.C., joined the MPD as a young cadet in 1989, rose swiftly through the ranks and was appointed Acting Chief by Mayor Muriel Bowser on Jan. 2, following the retirement of MPD Chief Peter Newsham.

Contee served more than one tour in Ward 2. “I have very fond memories of Georgetown,” he said, finding residents and businesses there “very supportive.”

The area is fascinating, he added, with so many differing constituencies —

from Georgetown University and the business community to the residents and homeowners. “Sometimes their likes and dislikes and needs don’t always align. So, you have to be very skilled at threading the needle over there properly.”

On April 1, the 20-member D.C. Police Reform Commission released its final report entitled “Decentering Police to Improve Public Safety,” calling on the D.C. Council to implement major shifts in the MPD’s budgeting, officer deployment, training and response policies in order to reduce policeinvolved violence.

Then, in late April, the MPD fell victim to a severe ransomware attack by Babuk, an extortionist firm with possible Russian ties. Soon, the firm began exposing the department’s top-secret electronic information, including officer personnel files, and highly sensitive information about police informants, witnesses, gang members, raw intelligence on threat information, and even the confidential daily briefings for the police chief.

We began our interview by asking Contee how it feels to become the head of the MPD after serving on the force for more than 30 years.

“It’s such an amazing honor for me,” Contee said. “I wish I could say, quite frankly, that it was a dream come true, but I was not a kid back in those days who dreamed I’d become the Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. It is incredibly humbling and I’m just honored to be able to serve the citizens of the District of Columbia and the men and women of the [MPD]… It’s just been an amazing, amazing journey for a kid from northeast D.C.” Now in his role as chief, Contee has three top priorities for the department. He wants to focus first and foremost on crime prevention in the District with a particular

emphasis on stemming violent and gunrelated crimes. The MPD would be “laser focused” on those crimes that “really scare the heck out of people,” Contee said.

Second, he’ll prioritize enhancing the MPD’s community engagement to meet the needs of all the various types of constituencies in the District. “I want our relationships as police officers in communities to be beyond transactional,” he said, “and to be ones where we’re taking time out and engaging residents and citizens where they are in communities. That’s really important to me.”

Third, he will focus on the mental health of police officers, especially after the traumatizing events of Jan. 6. Indeed, MPD announced June 8 the hiring of Diana Karczmarczyk as the Director of Employee Well-Being Support.

After the ransomware attack against the MPD’s sensitive information, Contee has taken steps to reassure the public that the situation is under control. “Once the breach was identified, we worked with our technology partners and the FBI to make sure the gap was closed and the

vulnerability was taken care of,” Contee said. “I’d like the public to know that as we work with our federal partners, we are as secure as we can possibly be, based upon the vulnerabilities we know are out there.”

The attack was “unfortunate,” he said, “but, it could have been a lot worse.” After the attack, Contee helped MPD officers secure their data and expressed sympathy for their struggles. “We have a lot of personnel information for our officers being leaked out there on the dark web,” Contee said. “I mean, they’re already dealing with a lot of adversity in terms of the day-to-day things they have to deal with, but to have your personal information out there, that’s really impactful to our members.”

Following the assault on the U.S. Capitol, MPD has continued to coordinate with the U.S. Capitol Police and federal agencies, such as the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, to monitor domestic terror threats in the District.

VISIT GEORGETOWNER.COM FOR THE FULL ARTICLE.

Cynthia Pepper Reed, Noted Interior Designer and Georgetown Shop Owner (1948-2021)

BY TH E GEOR GETOWN ER Cynthia Pepper Reed died peacefully surrounded by family and friends on May 13, after a valiant fight against cancer.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia on June 7, 1948 to Virginia “Jennie” Pepper Reed and William “Bill” Marcus Reed, she was raised in Smyrna, Georgia and Vinings, Georgia.

She graduated from The Lovett School in Atlanta in 1966. She attended the University of Georgia, where she was a member of Tri Delta Sorority and majored in Interior Design.

Upon graduation in 1970, she accepted a position in Washington, D.C, as in-house interior designer for the department store chain Woodward & Lothrop. During her several years at “Woodies” she developed a loyal following of clients, most of whom became friends, and then branched out and opened her own firm of Cynthia P. Reed, Ltd. in Georgetown, where she operated for decades.

Her award-winning work won her national and international recognition in magazines like Architectural Digest and Southern Living. Her client base included elite Washingtonians in politics and the arts. She did work for clients all over the world, including New York, Miami, Paris, London, China and Bahrain.

She moved her operations to Coral Gables, Florida, in the early 2000s where she also owned an art gallery. She split her time between Florida and D.C., keeping residences in both locations. She also owned a home in Atlanta during this time, but her clients and friends in D.C., prevailed upon her to move back to D.C as her permanent home.

Even through her final illness, she continued to work right up to the end, finishing her last major project in West Palm Beach, Florida and moving back permanently to D.C. a few weeks before her death.

Called Cyn by her close friends, and Aunt Cyn by her nieces and nephews, she was preceded in death by both her mother and father. She is survived by her brother, Bruce Reed, his wife Katherine, and his two daughters, Laura Reed Thompson (Cecil Thompson), and Paula Reed Yancey (Chas); her brother Mark Reed, his wife Michelle, and their two sons, Lew Reed, and Bill Reed (Christa), and their daughter Henley Reed, her great niece.

Cyn had no children of her own but made it clear that her nieces and nephews were her de facto children, whom she loved completely. The family will be holding private services in her memory. She will be cremated and her ashes will be handled as per her private wishes.

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JUNE 16, 2021

9

Where to go? nomadlist.com

✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

Local Couple Travels the World as Digital Nomads

10 JUNE 16, 2021

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Get unlimited members-only access to cities in 195+ countries and research the best places to live, travel and work remotely.

Get up-to-date COVID-19 travel info from people in the places you want to go (like entry requirements).

Get access to the paid Nomad List Chat on Slack Pro + Discord and find your community on the road (6,739 public messages and 6,653 DMs sent this month).

Learn how to get visas & residence permits from other people who been through the process.

And more.....

BY CH RISTOP HER J ON E S America has always been a nation on the move. Recently, however, the idea of working remotely while travelling far and wide -- the Digital Nomad lifestyle -- seems to have taken hold of the public’s imagination.

After more than a year of pandemicinduced cabin fever, Americans are dreaming of the open road. Not just for vacation, however, but as a sustainable way of life.

A host of recent trends have only added to the fervor. During the pandemic, many employers have seen the benefits of a teleworking labor force, especially as teleconferencing apps such as Zoom, Google Meet and Skype have improved alongside digital connectivity. Gig-economy job training and opportunities have flourished online, while apps such as PayPal and Venmo have made digital payments and money transfers instantaneous. Travelling light to scenic regions with lower costs-of-living has become more affordable, while cheap accommodations such as Airbnb and couchsurfing sites have proliferated worldwide.

Cell phone GPS has simplified navigation.

Savvy “geo-arbitragers” are learning to take advantage of differential currency exchange rates to lower living expenses.

Social media influencers and communities of like-minded fellow travel-bloggers have sprung up around the globe providing eager voyagers with travel tips, recommendations, and bucket list destination goals. Many prime destinations have even begun offering cash or other incentives (such as e-Residency visas for digital nomads) to lure remote workers to contribute to their economies. Hotel chains are offering subscription memberships to encourage travelers to hop from one location to the next.

Many digital nomads have also taken to the open road in pursuit of seasonal work, as economic downturns have restricted their work options, retirement incomes, and home ownership. Customized RVs and travel vans, as well as the parks accommodating them, are more present than ever on the travel landscape.

Even Hollywood has jumped into the

✅

Join a global community of 26,834 remote workers living around the world.

action, as the film “Nomadland” recently garnered three Academy Awards based on its interpretation of the 2017 book by Jessica Bruder, “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century.” Bruder, a Columbia University journalism professor, travelled the country as a “vandweller” to research her book about the “invisible casualties of the Great Recession [who] have taken to the road by the tens of thousands in late-model RVs, travel trailers, and vans, forming a growing community of nomads.”

Several of the people Bruder met during her voyages appeared as cameos in the film.

The term “digital nomad” was first popularized in the 1997 book “Digital Nomad,” by authors Tsugio Makimoto and David Manner, who foresaw the rise of technologies enabling people to become itinerant virtual workers.

According to a recent report by MBO Partners, digital nomadism doubled in the United States from 2018 to 2020, from 4.8 million in 2018 to 10.9 million in 2020. The most common occupational fields for digital nomads, per the report, are information technology (12 percent), followed closely by education and training (11 percent), consulting, coaching and research (11 percent), public relations (9 percent) and creative services (8 percent), along with a “smattering of numerous other professions that can be done with a laptop and a decent Wi-Fi connection,” according to Hal Kos. To find out more about the digital nomad lifestyle, The Georgetowner hopped onto a Google Meet video call to Zagreb, Croatia, to chat with former D.C. residents Mike and Tara Shabbuck about what this way of life has meant to them. Authors of “Create Your Escape: A Practical Guide for Planning Long-Term Travel,” the husband-and-wife team, who met as students at American University, have been travelling the world extensively since 2012 when they set out on an “around the world” honeymoon voyage, visiting 26 countries in more than 14 months -- from Asia to Africa to Europe -- and creating a travel blog about their

experiences at twotravelaholics.com.

Thrilled by the road life and under the sway of travelaholism, the couple decided to become permanent digital nomads. After five years of intensive preparation, such as lining up their client-bases, living in efficiency apartments to save money, selling their belongings and arranging their credit and finances, they said good-bye to their old ways of life tethered to the Washington area.

In 2019, they took to the road once again -- but this time with the goal of becoming “location independent” for the long term.

“I started picking up free-lance clients in addition to my regular job,” Tara said, and soon realized “we could turn this into something. We could live a more flexible lifestyle… We were reading about people who would sort of travel and work and we just liked the idea...” On her website, she recounts: “We decided that 2019 was the right time to start that transition to becoming digital nomads.”

They had been hopping from Portugal and the delights of the Carnival season on the island of Cabo Verde to a country they had “loved and sworn to return to” -Croatia -- when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March of 2020. Though their international globe-trotting has been halted due to the pandemic, they continue to work virtually from Zagreb: Mike as an IT professional, technical writer and applications trainer and Tara as a marketing consultant, content strategist and freelance writer.

For Mike and Tara, Zagreb has turned out to be a great location to become temporary “slow-mads” (i.e., nomads who slow down their movements) during the pandemic.

The time-zone differences are perfect for working with their U.S. East Coast clients, always giving them the advantage of being a calendar day ahead and allowing them to prep in the morning long before their clients wake up. “When we were first thinking of becoming digital nomads,” Mike said, “we were thinking of going to Bangkok, but with East Coast clients, you’re suddenly doing a lot of work at 3 a.m. or 5 a.m.!”

VISIT GEORGETOWNER.COM FOR THE FULL ARTICLE.

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JUNE 16, 2021

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REAL ESTATE

See the full list at georgetowner.com. Listed from highest to lowest sold.

SUBDIVISION/NEIGHBORHOOD

PROVIDED BY WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES

MAY 2021 REAL ESTATE SALES

ADDRESS 2915 NW O St NW 1692 31st St NW 1155 23rd St NW #PH3E 2163 Dunmore Ln NW 3117 35th St NW 2344 S St NW 5517 Potomac Ave NW 5420 Sherier Pl NW 1242 Potomac St NW 2005 48th St NW 3247 P St NW 1722 13th St NW 3731 48th St NW 925 H St NW #1103 3835 Macomb St NW 1310 Q St NW #6 3020 O St NW 4909 Linnean Ave NW 3234 Reservoir Rd NW 1620 30th St NW 931 M St NW 3314 Ordway St NW 3251 Prospect St NW #PH 406 2660 Connecticut Ave NW #3C 5711 32nd St NW 1155 23rd St NW #5A 2913 Dumbarton St NW 2127 N St NW 1221 28th St NW 5222 42nd St NW 5240 Macomb St NW 1449 S St NW 1557 33rd St NW 1758 Church St NW 5800 Oregon Ave NW 2334 19th St NW 3825 Cathedral Ave NW 3005 32nd St NW 1854 3rd St NW 1509 33rd St NW INDEPENDENT LIVING // ASSISTED 4950 Hillbrook Ln NW 1303 R St NW

LIVING //

GEORGETOWN GEORGETOWN WEST END PHILLIPS PARK CLEVELAND PARK KALORAMA PALISADES PALISADES GEORGETOWN PALISADES GEORGETOWN LOGAN CIRCLE SPRING VALLEY MOUNT VERNON CLEVELAND PARK LOGAN GEORGETOWN FOREST HILLS GEORGETOWN GEORGETOWN SHAW CLEVELAND PARK GEORGETOWN WOODLEY PARK CHEVY CHASE WEST END GEORGETOWN WEST END GEORGETOWN CHEVY CHASE KENT 14TH STREET CORRIDOR GEORGETOWN DUPONT CIRCLE CHEVY CHASE KALORAMA CATHEDRAL HEIGHTS WOODLEY LEDROIT PARK GEORGETOWN MEMORY SUPPORT // SPRING VALLEY LOGAN

BEDS

7 5 3 6 4 6 4 7 3 6 4 5 6 2 4 3 4 7 3 3 5 3 3 2 6 3 4 5 3 5 5 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 3 LONG-TERM 4CARE 4

FULL BATH

//

HALF BATH

7 5 5 5 3 5 4 6 4 5 3 3 5 2 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 2 2 4 3 4 4 3 5 4 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 3 SHORT-TERM 3 3

LIST PRICE

1 $6,995,000 1 $6,150,000 1 $5,999,000 2 $5,250,000 1 $4,550,000 2 $3,699,000 1 $3,249,900 1 $3,250,000 1 $3,295,000 1 $3,197,000 1 $2,950,000 1 $3,000,000 1 $2,750,000 1 $2,850,000 2 $2,595,000 1 $2,695,000 1 $2,745,000 1 $2,495,000 1 $2,375,000 $2,295,000 2 $2,300,000 1 $2,390,000 1 $2,300,000 1 $2,245,500 1 $2,365,000 1 $2,395,000 1 $2,250,000 1 $2,250,000 1 $2,095,000 1 $1,850,000 1 $2,185,000 1 $1,999,500 $1,950,000 1 $1,995,000 1 $2,075,000 1 $1,995,000 1 $1,595,000 $1,650,000 1 $1,749,900 1 $1,995,000 REHABILITATION 1 $1,995,000 1 $1,995,000

CLOSE PRICE $6,995,000 $6,100,000 $5,350,000 $5,125,000 $4,550,000 $3,300,000 $3,200,000 $3,150,000 $3,100,000 $3,050,000 $3,000,000 $3,000,000 $2,750,000 $2,750,000 $2,645,000 $2,600,000 $2,600,000 $2,400,000 $2,400,000 $2,362,500 $2,350,000 $2,325,000 $2,300,000 $2,280,000 $2,250,000 $2,250,000 $2,250,000 $2,165,000 $2,110,000 $2,090,000 $2,090,000 $2,025,000 $2,020,000 $2,000,000 $2,000,000 $2,000,000 $1,985,000 $1,950,000 $1,925,000 $1,912,500 $1,900,000 $1,900,000

AROUND HERE, YOU CAN ALWAYS CHOOSE

Your Own Path

Every day is a new adventure at Ingleside at Rock Creek. Join one of our walking groups for a morning stroll through Rock Creek Park, and then stop by the Marketplace for a coffee and pastry. Feeling creative?

Take a drawing class in our new art studio, and later, lift weights in our fitness center. Spend a leisurely aftenoon with friends and neighbors, followed by a glass of wine on the patio. What will tomorrow bring?

Call us to find out and schedule an in-person tour!

www.ircdc.org 202-933-5347

LIVING AT ITS BEST. MODERN. INSPIRED. ALWAYS ENGAGING.

12 JUNE 16, 2021

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A NOT-FOR-PROFIT LIFE PLAN COMMUNITY

BUSINESS

IN: REVELLE ON BOOK HILL

The Revelle Shop pop-up opened last week at 1626 Wisconsin Ave. NW. The ready-to-wear spot makes its run through Sept. 30.

INS & OUTS

BY RO BE RT DEVA NEY AND KAT E OZ CY P OK

COMING: LE DIPLOMATE’S STEPHEN STARR PLANS ITALIAN RESTAURANT AT FORMER DEAN & DELUCA SPOT

It looks like a star — oh, make that Starr — restaurant will be coming to Georgetown, and it’s kind of a big deal. Stephen Starr, the restaurateur behind the popular French restaurant Le Diplomate on 14th Street plans to open an Italian eatery and market in the former Dean & DeLuca space on 3276 M St. NW. Starr operates Starr Restaurants, a multi-concept and independent restaurant group that includes more than 30 eateries. He shared the news at the Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission’s June 1 online meeting.

The Starr Group has designs for a “mega Italian concept” with lots of pastas and pizzas and a hearth in the middle for baking — “not super expensive,” he said. The market portion will be 1,000-square-foot Italian market with gelato and espresso, breads, baked goods, fresh veggies and more. Eventually, there may be a wine cellar in the basement. He’s working on getting California-based star chef and baker Nancy Silverton of Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza, both in Los Angeles, Starr added.

“Just calling it an Italian restaurant, I don’t think is doing it justice. It’s going to be an event. It’s going to be a festival of food,”

The market building at 3275 M St. NW. Restaurateur Stephen Starr.

Starr told the commissioners and added, “Georgetown I think needs a little bit of a boost, and I think this could be a good little kickstarter.”

“I think it’s great for the neighborhood,” said commissioner Lisa Palmer, whose district includes the Italian eatery. “It’s a signal to other restaurateurs.”

The Georgetown Market building is historic and owned by the D.C. government.

Its landlord is Jamestown Properties which also owns Georgetown Park, next to the property. There will be no alterations to the exterior. Approvals still need to be nailed down. Neither opening date nor the name of the restaurant was announced.

IN: FAHERTY COMES TO M

Founded by twin brothers Alex and Mike Faherty, the lifestyle American clothing brand that revolves around the beach has arrived at 3263 M St. NW, just in time for summer. Faherty Brand now has more than ten stores — from Martha’s Vineyard to Malibu — and calls itself “the best boutique for men’s and women’s eco-friendly swimwear and premium casual clothes.”

OUT: ALLSAINTS LEAVES M

London-based fashion retailer AllSaints Spitalfields ended its almost five-year run on 3235 M St. NW. AllSaints sells menswear, womenswear apparel, footwear and accessories in 279 stores across 27 countries.

IN: DESIGNER LIBRARY ON BOOK HILL, TOO

Janine Guerin and Chad Mitchell have opened their first brick-and-mortar location at 1667 Wisconsin Ave. NW. The gallerystyle showroom welcomes clients who are in the market for textiles, wall coverings, lighting, furniture and outdoor fabrics.

Designer Library is open to the trade only.

BACK: CAT CAFE OPENS JUNE 26

Closed during pandemic restrictions, the Crumbs & Whiskers cat cafe at 3109 M St., NW will reopen to the public June 26.

Along with coffee and playtime, patrons may get to adopt kittens or cats, thanks to rescue group Homeward Trails. Check for available times.

PROPOSED: BEER GARDEN AT LATHAM HOTEL SITE

A beer garden has been proposed for 3000 M St. NW, the site of an officially “blighted property,” where Le Madeleine Bakery & Cafe once stood in front of the former Latham Hotel. “Villa Services, a D.C. real estate developer, is pitching a 300+ seat beer garden,” according to UrbanTurf, which added food trucks might also be involved as well as movies projected on the empty walls.

“For far too long the space at 3000 M St. NW has been neglected and been an eyesore in our otherwise historic and beautiful neighborhood,” Villa Services said in a statement to D.C.’s Historic Preservation Office. “We have been in talks with Thor Equities for over a year now to activate this site.”

Happy 30th Anniversary! Maziar and Shahab Farivar. Photo by Philip Bermingham.

ANNIVERSARY: HAPPY 30TH, PEACOCK CAFÉ!

A Georgetown favorite, Peacock Café, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Now at 3251 Prospect Street, the restaurant was opened by brothers Shahab and Maziar Farivar in 1991 as a six-seat restaurantcarryout without a real stove or kitchen, ahead of its time with healthful sandwiches and gourmet coffee, just down the street from its present location near the glitzy likes of Morton’s steak house and Cafe Milano.

The brothers Farivar are a classic American success story. They immigrated to the United States at a young age, sent here from Iran by their parents who would join them later in the wake of the Iranian revolution that toppled the Shah in the 1970s.

Manager Shahab knows and charms his patrons, and chef Maziar continues his award-winning dishes, highlighted at James Beard Foundation Dinners and the U.S. State Department.

Peacock Café offers its contemporary American cuisine with a cosmopolitan twist, along with a varied wine selection in a sleek space with outdoor seating. There’s something for everyone.

And everyone from frontline workers and your neighbors to Hillary Clinton and Gal Gadot have been there, including the entire staff of The Georgetowner, past and present. Happy 30th, Peacock!

Te ar t h e E d ge N EW WO R KS. N EW P L AC ES.

L I V E P ER FOR M A N C ES J U LY 1 4 - 1 7 WITH LIVE MUSIC

CH AMBER DA N C E.O R G

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JUNE 16, 2021

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IN COUNTRY Baltimore Aquarium

SUMMER IN THE CITY GOT PLANS? YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE WASHINGTON TO ENJOY A CHANGE OF SCENE. JUST OPEN YOUR EYES, STRAP ON THAT FANNY PACK, CHARGE UP THE PHONE AND GO FULL-ON TOURIST IN YOUR HOME TOWN.

BY SUS AN BODIKE R And just like that, Covid really did disappear. Or, at least, loosened its grip as more and more of us got the shot. If the great re-opening came too late for you to schedule that long-desired trip, here are nine in-town travel ideas for making this a summer to remember.

1. Hit the Books. Forget Mapquest and buy (or borrow) real hold-in-your-hand travel guides with suggested walking tours, historical facts, not-to-be missed sites and surprising info you never knew about this town. Three great guidebooks are: “DK Eyewitness Travel Guide, Washington, DC,” “Frommer’s EasyGuide to Washington D.C.” and “National Geographic: Walking Washington, D.C.”

2. Parks and Recreation. It’s not for nothing we’re known as the City of Trees.

We could also be known as the City of Parks. From the National Arboretum to Rock Creek, there are hills to climb, trails to forge and acres of grass for games, picnics and napping en plein air. Closer to our neighborhood, there’s the Bishop’s Garden at the National Cathedral, Glover Archbold, Hillwood Estates, Tregoran Conservancy, Book Hill and Dumbarton Oaks. Do your best friend a favor, too, and take along your pandemic pup.

3. Everyone Into the Water. Pools and waterparks are back and as enticing as ever.

Here in Georgetown, there’s the Jelleff Pool on S St. NW, Francis Pool on N St. NW and

Volta Park Pool on 34th St. It’s first-come, first-served and some Covid-safe practices may be in effect so check before you go.

4. Talk to the Animals. Had enough of reality-TV vets? Spend the day at the National Zoo and re-connect with old friends and meet new arrivals. Or take an all-day field trip to the Baltimore Aquarium and hang out with sharks (the fish kind) and other sea creatures.

5. Come Fly with Me. Take a trip without TSA tsuris or bad-tempered passengers.

A visit to Udvar-Hazy is sure to lift your spirits. Free-timed entry passes are required.

6. Applause. The Kennedy Center is back on the boards with a rich schedule of performances and outdoor activities, all presented on the new(ish) REACH campus. Movie theatres are also re-opening -- mostly without popcorn but with Covidsafe precautions in place. For those whose sensibilities are more refined, the Jane Austen Film Festival will be featuring a film per week on Wednesdays in July at Dumbarton House.

7. Art for Art’s Sake. Indulge in the true tourist vibe by spending the day (or days) visiting our museums and galleries.

The Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden is open

(although the galleries are closed). Ditto the newly rebranded National Gallery’s Sculpture Garden and West Building. The Phillips Collection has also opened as has the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visit their websites for timed-entry and other ticketing information and stay in touch with The Georgetowner to keep up with more latebreaking cultural news.

8. Wine, Dine and Shop. Trade in takeout for in-person dining and discover new restos, streateries and cuisines along the way. And get out of your retail rut by exploring new shops and cultural offerings: por ejemplo, La Consecha at Union Market.

9. Villa Vacay. We get it. No matter what you do or where you go, you have a bad case of cabin fever. Consider a local villa, like these Airbnb offerings: Walden Hall Main Manor in Reva, VA; a luxe Potomac estate in Rockville, MD or Monte Ventoso, a Tuscan villa in Madison, VA. The perfect antidote to the past year of increasingly cramped pandemic living.

Take advantage of these days. Fall and the newer normal will be here before we know it.

Walden Hall

The Bishop’s Garden at Washington National Cathedral. Photo by Susan Bodiker 14 JUNE 16, 2021

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Tracking and Data Relay Satellite at Air and Space Udvar-Hazy

ARTS & SOCIAL Diane Rehm and Kevin Chaffee at the Sulgrave Club, one of 26 diplomatic and private dinners held in honor of the Washington Ballet’s 2021 Gala. Photo by Tony Powell.

“Trois Rêves” — Elenaluisa Alvarez and Alison Bartels. Photo by Jeff Malet.

Philanthropist Reginald Van Lee accepts the Lois England Philanthropic Award from Washington Ballet Artistic Director Julie Kent. Van Lee is a former Washington Ballet trustee and played a pivotal role in bringing Kent to TWB. Photo by Tony Powell.

On With the Dance! Bowen McCauley Celebrates Final Season at the Kennedy Center

The Washington Ballet Kicks Off 45th Season

BY J EFF MA L ET In its first performance in over a year, Arlington-based Bowen McCauley Dance Company was granted permission to perform in front of a live audience at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater on May 26. It was an important step for the venue, as the performance was the Kennedy Center’s first event since its closure in 2020, though the invite-only gathering was restricted to just 25 percent of room capacity. The program was also simulcast live. Late last year, BMDC’s founding Artistic Director, Lucy Bowen McCauley announced that this — its 25th Anniversary Season– will be the company’s last. For more information about the Sept. 14 finale performance at the Kennedy Center, or the Dance for PD program, visit www.BMDC.org. See full story and more photos of this event at Georgetowner.com.

A L L’ S W E L L FA R M

Marshall, Virginia • $7,800,000

Prime Fauquier County location on the Atoka Road |88.34 acres w/ bold Blue Ridge views | Neoclassical brick home w/state roof completely updated & expanded | 5 BR, 5 full, 2 half baths, 5 fireplaces, gourmet kitchen |10 stall barn with attached indoor arena | Pool, pool house, tenant house |Beautiful gardens | Superb condition.

Paul MacMahon

(703) 609-1905

BY KATE OC ZYPOK Dry clean those dresses and suits, gowns and tuxedos — the D.C. social scene is back! The Washington Ballet kicked off its 45th season post-Covid with its annual gala on June 4. The black-tie event at the Kennedy Center was the first of its kind in over a year. Masks were optional, but everyone in attendance was required to submit a proof of vaccine card or negative Covid test to attend. There were lots of happy smiles, hugs, air kisses and more, according to the Washington Post. Gala co-chair Lisa Barry told the crowd, “The show has indeed gone on!” Cheers to many more parties to come.

The guest list included Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), former House speaker Paul Ryan, NPR’s Diane Rehm, Fox News anchor Bret Baier and his wife Amy and more. Reggie Van Lee, Chief Transformation Officer at the Carlyle Group was presented with the Lois H. England Philanthropy Award. Lee was nominated as the new chairman of DC’s arts commission.

RUTLEDGE

R O U T E 5 0 W E S T V I N E YA R D S

circa 1740 w/addition in 1820 | 6 BR, 5 fireplaces | 113 lush acres, 5 barns | Derby field | 218 x 80 indoor arena | 250 x 150 all-weather outdoor arena | 80’ lunging arena | Polo field (or 2 grand prix fields) | 4 board, double fencing | Guest house | Farm office /3 BR house | Machine shed | Carriage house w/apartment | Stone spring house/office | 3 BR apartment | Pond

Existing farm winery | 38.47 acres | Hilltop setting with magnificent views | 2,500 sq ft wine tasting room, main level consists of tasting room, seating areas, kitchen, restrooms, 2nd story more seating areas and bathroom | Club House of 5,100 sq ft contemporary style, wine tasting bar, seating areas, bathrooms, large deck, terrace & pool | 40 x 60 Butler building, large parking area

Privacy and 107 acres between Middleburg and The Plains | Residential enclave of great character within a rich array of natural resources | Classic Virginia stone and stucco c. 1820 | 4 bedrooms, antique floors and rich pine paneling Two guest houses, stone cottage, farm managers house, 2 stables, machine shed and work shop| Extensive Little River frontage and 2 ponds | Tremendous views.

Paul MacMahon

Helen MacMahon

Helen MacMahon

Middleburg, Virginia • $7,000,000

(703) 609-1905

Middleburg, Virginia • $4,500,000

(540) 454-1930

(540) 454-1930

DEERFIELD

L I G H T R I D G E FA R M

Stately brick manor house c.1844 | 4 bedrooms, lovely kitchen, multiple porches, pine floors, 7 fireplaces, original mantels, large windows and detailed millwork throughout | c. 1810 log cabin used as the pool house & a converted barn now serves as a guest house | 2 ponds, miles of trails, 178 acres | Separate workshop and 5 car garage

20+/- acres in fast growing Loudoun location | Currently zoned TR3UBF | Willowsford, South Riding, Stone Ridge, minutes away | New county high school under construction next to property | Currently improved by 2 residences, 2 ponds | Northstar Blvd around corner

Gorgeous 71 acre parcel in a wonderful location between Middleburg and The Plains | Rolling land with stone walls and 2 ponds | Enchanting property - must drive all the way up to the building site to appreciate the setting and views and privacy | 4 bedroom certification letter from Fauquier County, driveway installed | Property is in conservation easement and may not be divided further

4 bedrooms and 3 full baths on almost 12 private acres with a pond | Hardwood and tile floors throughout the main level | Spacious kitchen and dining area with stainless steel appliances, family room, mud room and primary bedroom with full bath | The upper level features 3 additional bedrooms and 2 full baths | Mostly wooded property includes a fenced rear yard, fire pit and a large storage shed and barn.

Helen MacMahon

Paul MacMahon

Helen MacMahon

Paul MacMahon

Upperville, Virginia • $3,900,000

(540) 454-1930

info@sheridanmacmahon.com www.sheridanmacmahon.com

Aldie, Virginia • $3,462,000

(703) 609-1905

(540) 687-5588

LO N G B R A N C H

H A L F W AY FA R M

The Plains, Virginia • $3,975,000

The Plains, Virginia • $1,950,000

(540) 454-1930

F I S H E L L R OA D

Winchester, Virginia • $564,000

(703) 609-1905

110 East Washington Street Middleburg, Virginia 20117

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FOOD & WINE Medio Pollo Al Carbon at dLeña WoodFire Mexican Cocina & Mezcaleria.

THE LATEST DISH

BY L IN D A R OTH

Cocktail of the Month JUNE BUG

BY JODY KURA S H The celebrated season of summer is upon us. And while many people’s plans may seem rather humdrum, such as seeing an outdoor concert, playing a game of mini-golf at the shore and visiting family and friends, this year these everyday activities will take on a feeling of a joyous “Hallelujah!” after more than a year of isolation.

As more and more Washington area residents are vaccinated, people are gradually venturing freely outside and the light at the end of the Covid tunnel suddenly seems within reach. Even mundane activities, like taking public transportation, making small talk on the street or trying on clothes are no longer stressful propositions.

Women who have gotten their “jabs” are ready to ditch the pajamas, get their hair done in a salon and put on lipstick others may actually see.

Now that people can feel comfortable actually lowering their masks outside their home, it’s time to sip on a celebratory cocktail. This summer is going to feel more like an escape than any summer since you finished school. Even though there’s still a long road ahead, June 2021 may be the most excellent month we’ve had in a long time.

What better way to catch the spirit than an over-the-top tropical libation -- the type of fruity tiki tipple you’d be sipping on the beach in Martinique if it weren’t closed to U.S. travelers. I like to think, however, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one sip. With June being a turning point in the pandemic, what a great idea to toast the month with a June bug cocktail.

The June bug, which gets its moniker from the common insect that emerges in the Eastern U.S. during the first month of summer, is exactly what a coming-out drink should be – bright, sweet and full of sunny flavors. This extra-sweet summer calls for an extra-sweet cocktail.

Forged from melon liqueur, crème de banana liqueur, coconut rum, pineapple and lime juice, this concoction has a vivid green hue that conveys a feeling of renewal 16 JUNE 16, 2021

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JUNE BUG 1.5 oz. Midori melon liqueur 1 oz. coconut rum ½ oz. banana liqueur 1 oz. fresh lime juice 2 oz. fresh pineapple juice Combine all ingredients in a shaker.

Serve in a tall glass.

and the components represent a plethora of sultry fruit goodness. Let’s face it, this summer is not the year for a subdued maxidress with a matching mask, but rather a Carmen Miranda like get-up complete with a visible smile.

Like many frou-frou drinks, the June bug can be overly cloying, but if made with quality ingredients and fresh juices it makes for a jubilant refresher. The key component is melon liqueur, which should be Midori, an emerald-hued Japanese spirit. Cheaper melon elixirs can be found, but they don’t have the complexity and subtle tartness of Midori. Second, many recipes for the June bug call for canned pineapple and bottled sour mix. Going natural with fresh pineapple and lime juice will make the difference between something fun and something resembling a spiked 7-11 Slurpee.

The June bug reached its popularity peak in the late 1990s, before the craft and classic cocktail movement exploded. It was part of a wave of colorful drinks like the woo woo, the cosmopolitan and similarly hued appletini that ruled the bar scene at the end of the century. A popular choice at TGIFridays, it remains so today. While this is hardly a testament to quality, as the pandemic continues to rage around us, the June bug is a nice flashback to the simpler days when our biggest worries were a stained blue dress and the y2k crisis that never materialized.

Restaurants Are Open!

New & opened: The Point, opened

by Greg Casten of Profish, at 2100 2nd Street, SW near Audi Field, where the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers converge.

Chef Benjamin Lambert masterfully orchestrates the menu. What a sunset view at the 140-seat outdoor patio (280 seats indoors)…Richard Sandoval’s latest venture, dLeña Wood-Fire Mexican Cocina & Mezcaleria, at 476 K Street NW with executive chef Carlos Camacho at the helm…Truluck’s Ocean’s Finest Seafood & Crab at 700 K Street, NW across from the DC Convention Center, with Chef Laurence Cohen leading the kitchen. …Dauphine’s with Chef Kristen Essig bringing her New Orleans delicious flair to Midtown Center at 1100 15th Street, NW….the latest from Jose Andres: Spanish Diner at 7271 Woodmont Ave in Bethesda, where Jaleo was…. Luca Giovannini, Cesar Varela (both beverage gurus from Fabio Trabocchi Restaurants) and Noe Landini, are the powers behind a high-end cocktail bar, Donahue, at 1338 Wisconsin Ave., NW in Georgetown where Smith Point used to be.

Re-opened: Georgetown’s Green Almond Pantry, a café and market, emerges like a phoenix from the fire with an expanded menu and increased seating at its 3210 Grace Street, NW site with Chef/ owner Cagla Onal at the helm… Art & Soul restaurant within the Yotel (formerly Liaison Hotel) on Capitol Hill re-opened with a new chef, Danny Chavez, serving weekday lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.

Mike Friedman, with partners Colin McDonough, Gareth Croke and Mike O’Malley, plan to open Aventino restaurant and AP Pizza Shop at 4747 Bethesda Ave, where JBG Smith is headquartered.

Aventino will be a full-service, 120-seat, Italian restaurant focused on Roman-style cuisine featuring dishes from Rome’s Jewish ghetto. It’s named after Aventine Hill, which is where Rome’s Jewish community had been based. AP Pizza Ship will be a casual takeout-centric version of All-Purpose. A 2022 opening is targeted.

Quick Hits: Harvest Tide Steakhouse, a Lewes, DE operation led by chef/

owner Danio Somoza, will open where Acqua al 2 was on 8th Street SE on Capitol Hill. He plans to turn the former upstairs speakeasy, into a new concept as well…. Compass Coffee at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center is now a La Colombe… Robert Maher plans to open Maison Cheryl in Clarendon at 2900 Wilson Boulevard , in Q3 2021….

Chef Jeremiah Langhorne and business partner Alex Zink plan to open Petite Cerise (“little cherry”), an all-day, Frenchinspired restaurant in Q4 2021 at 7th and L Streets, NW in Shaw…. Glory Days Grill sports-themed restaurant chain celebrates its 25th anniversary.

New York-based Drive Shack, which operates indoor-outdoor golf driving ranges similar to Topgolf, will open a mini-golf concept called Puttery at 800 F Street, NW in Penn Quarter where the Spy Museum was. The 20,000-sq-ft space will include an upscale food and beverage menu, which will include several bars and lounges, and music. Puttery will include three 9-hole golf courses with electronic auto-scoring technology. A Q3 opening is slated.

Taqueria Xochi, on U Street NW, plans to open a second location in Adams Morgan on 18th Street, NW. It will include outdoor seating (that I can see from my window). The plan is to offer a wider range of sweets from chef-owner Teresa Padilla, a trained pastry chef. The timing is perfect for an heladería, or ice cream parlor, and a market offering fresh tortillas, salsas, and Mexican ingredients.

Silver Diner will open in DC next to Nationals Park at Half and N Streets, SE

by Q2 2022. Plans include an outdoor terrace and an upstairs Bar Silver, offering drinks and small plates. Silver Diner, the company, operates Silver — its upscale version of Silver Diner -- in DC’s Cathedral Heights neighborhood in NW. Linda Roth is Founder & CEO of Linda Roth Associates (LRA), a DC-based public relations & marketing firm that specializes in the foodservice and hospitality industries. Follow her at: @LindaRothPR #LindaRothPR or www.lindarothpr.com

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KITTY KELLEY BOOK CLUB

Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause WITH SEARING HONESTY, A RETIRED SOLDIER/PROFESSOR COMES TO TERMS WITH HIS LIFELONG WORSHIP OF A TRAITOR R EVIEWE D BY KIT T Y K E LLE Y Early in the Civil War, the Union Army seized “Arlington” — Robert E. Lee’s 1,100-acre estate across the Potomac from Washington, DC — and used it to headquarter federal troops. Lee never returned to his home, but he sued his country for damages after the war and collected more than $4 million.

When debate about the property seizure reached the U.S. Senate, Charles Sumner, who led that body’s anti-slavery forces, railed against the slaveholding Confederate general, saying: “I hand him over to the avenging pen of history.” That pen has now been wielded to dazzling effect by Ty Seidule in “Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause.”

Few others could write this book with such sterling credibility. Only a man of the South, a Virginian, and a soldier with a Ph.D. in history could so persuasively mount the case against a national hero, and label him a traitor. For even today, the image of Lee, who fought against his country to preserve slavery, is revered with monuments, parks, military bases, counties, roads, schools, ships, and universities named in his honor.

Yet, armed with years of documented research, Seidule demonstrates that Lee, like Judas, was guilty of base betrayal.

“It’s an easy call,” he writes at the end of his stunning book, “because Lee resigned his commission, fought against his country, killed U.S. Army soldiers, and violated Article III, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution. Lee committed treason.”

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It wasn’t always an easy call for Seidule, a retired U.S. Army brigadier general who taught at West Point for 16 years and spent many of those years trying to understand why America’s premier service academy had so many monuments honoring Lee. “I went to the archives and spent years studying…that process changed me. The history changed me. The archives changed me. The facts changed me.”

As a boy, Seidule read “Meet Robert E. Lee,” “my childhood bible.” And “growing up in Virginia I worshipped Lee, the Confederate general.” Seidule attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington City, Virginia, where Lee Chapel features a statue of the general lying on the altar, but nothing else: no hymnals, no Book of Common Prayer, and no Ten Commandments (as the first one is: “I Am the Lord Thy God and Thou Shalt Not Have False Gods Before Me.”) “My school worshipped Robert E. Lee, literally,” Seidule writes. “[He] was God, and his Confederate cause was the one true religion.” He admits, somewhat shamefully, that he, too, once believed “all the lies and tropes.”

Lee’s body lies in a white marble sarcophagus under Lee Chapel alongside the remains of his faithful steed, Traveller.

Visitors place carrots and apples on the horse’s grave, along with pennies — “Always heads down. No one wanted to have the hated Lincoln’s face visible to Lee’s grave.”

While slavery was abolished in 1863, Seidule learned that slaveholders continue to be honored to this day. He reports that Confederate monuments at 34 cemeteries in the U.S. are kept up by the government at taxpayer expense. “Over the last ten years federal and state governments have paid more than $40 million to maintain memorials to Confederate treason and racism with only a pittance going to African American cemeteries from the slave era.” As an Army officer, he’s particularly irate about the monument at Arlington National Cemetery: “That angers me the most because every year the President of the U.S. sends a wreath ensuring the Confederate monument there receives all the prestige of the U.S. government…among the 400,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines buried on those hallowed grounds are my friends, colleagues and family.”

Most Confederate monuments, including those honoring Lee, were erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in the early 20th century to preserve the glorious myth of the Lost Cause — a Southern

euphemism for inglorious defeat: “[Those monuments have] the same purpose as lynching: to enforce white supremacy.

It is no coincidence that most Confederate monuments went up between 1890-1920, the same period that lynching peaked in the South. Lynching and Confederate monuments served to tell African Americans they were second-class citizens.”

The United Daughters of the Confederacy sprayed perfume on the stench of slavery and fluttered swan’s-down fans as they fashioned the Civil War as “the war of Northern aggression.” Seidule rightly calls it the war over slavery, and most responsible historians agree. But the author admits that while the South lost the war, they won the battle for the narrative.

No one did more to promote that narrative — moonbeams and magnolias, happy slaves and beloved masters — than Margaret Mitchell, who wrote “Gone with the Wind,” which has sold over 30 million copies to become the second most-popular book in America, next to the Bible. As the poet Melvin Tolson (1895-1966) wrote, “[That book] is such a subtle lie that it will be swallowed as the truth by millions of whites and blacks alike.”

The most damning indictment against Robert E. Lee is found in his own letters, which refer to the Emancipation Proclamation as “a savage and brutal policy,” words that aptly describe Lee’s treatment of his slaves, as verified in testimony given by one enslaved worker who had tried to escape from “Arlington” with his sisters.

They were captured and punished: “[Lee] ordered his constable to lay [the whip] on well with fifty lashes for [the man] and twenty for his sisters. After the whippings on their bare backs, Lee ordered salt water poured over their lacerated flesh.”

Ty Seidule writes with the passion of a convert who’s seen the light and needs to shine it for others to save them from “the lies and tropes” that blinded him for so many years. “Robert E. Lee and Me” is a cri de coeur, one man’s journey to humanity and his salvation from the pernicious lies of white supremacy.

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

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