The Georgetowner's November 30,2011 Issue

Since 1954

THE

georgetowner.com

GEORGETOWNER

NOVEMBER 30 - DECEMBER 6, 2011

VOLUME 58, NUMBER 5

GEORGE STEVENS JR.

THE MAN BEHIND KENNEDY CENTER HONORS

OSS SOCIETY:

"WILD BILL" DONOVAN AWARD

ART WRAP

MEL BOCHNER IN THE TOWER

FOOD & WINE OCCUPY D.C. EATS

IN COUNTRY

CHRISTMAS IN MIDDLEBURG

Photo Credit Here

®

Washington, DC

$1,395,000

Fabulous 1917 6BR/3.5BA home over 10,000 sqft lot in the shadow of the National Cathedral. Period details, large rooms, high ceilings, updated kit and baths. Off-street parking, in-ground pool and much more in this stately property. Judi Levin & Peggy Ferris 202.438.1524/202.354.1300 (O).

Wesley Heights

$1,995,000

Exceptional 7 BR, 5 ½ BA home filled with character & charm. Great sunlight, hardwood floors, and crown moldings marble baths & walk-in closets. Landscaped garden & patio, a great entertaining space.

Miller Spring Valley 202.362.1300.

Bethesda, MD

$2,195,000

Striking, newly constructed Mediterranean style home in close-in Bethesda. Elegant interior boasts 5BR/4.5BA, Great Rm, Library, Rec Rm, Media Rm, Guest Suite, and 3FPs. Almost 6300sf of living space backs Greenwich Park.

Friendship Heights Office 202.364.5200.

Bethesda, MD

$1,100,000

Picture perfect! Open plan, great for entertaining.

Granite Island Kitchen, pantry with Laundry, large deck off Family Room, Den/Library/Office.

Lower level Recreation Room and Au Pair Suite.

Cheryl Kurss 301.346.6615/202.363.9700.

We invite you to tour all of our luxury listings at

Wesley Heights, DC

$2,275,000

Stately sunfilled Tudor, situated on a quiet street offering 4 levels of finished living space perfect for today’s living style. Skylit kitchen with fireplace connected to sun infused family room with access to large deck, screened porch & rear yard. Bethesda All Point Miller 301.229.4000.

Mclean, VA

$1,749,000

Georgetown , DC

Washington, DC

$939,000

Mass. Ave Hgts

$4,125,000

McLean, VA

$1,195,000

$1,645,000 Bright end-unit townhouse with 3BR/4.5BA. Fully finished, 4 levels include large and open living and dining rooms, chef’s kitchen, 3 fireplaces, sauna, third-floor master suite, terrace views of VA & 2-car parking. Scott Polk 202.256.5460/ Tamora Ilasat 202.460.0699/ 202.944.8400 (O).

Close-in with easy access to Tysons, downtown DC, metro & Dulles Corridor. Magnificent views from deck & spacious screened-in porch.

Tradition & refinement combine w/unique features makes this new home An urban retreat.

Florann Audia 703.402.9127/ 703.790.1990 (O).

$2,195,000

The very Best of one level living in a fabulous full service on the Prominent water front of Georgetown. 2BR, 2.5BA plus den complimented by an 860 sq. ft terrace garden.

Miller Spring Valley Office 202.362.1300.

Renovation of a 3200 sq ft Federal Style TH. Grand room proportions, formal DR, spacious LR, gourmet kitchen, stunning master suite & more.

The rear yard offers a special & private patio and deep garden as well as a secure one car garage.

Roby Thompson 202.255.2986/ 202.483.6300 (O).

www.ExtraordinaryProperties.com.

Georgetown

Georgetown, DC

Outstanding! 6 bedroom Fieldstone Colonial offers great flow & proportions, Professionally designed gardens, new pool, fountains, pergola. Impressive Concrete & stone retaining wall defines the property & ensures privacy.

W.C & A.N Miller Chevy Chase South 202.966.0400.

$1,075,000 Stunning lightfilled Georgetown renovation! Topof-the-Line contemporary

Round Hill, VA

$5,500,000

The Middleburg Christmas Tree farm, a unique 127 acre property. The Farm is a turnkey operation in land use & includes a beautiful custom built 400 SF quarry stone home with additional 3000 SF of stunning stone patio overlooking an acre lake.

Nancy Itteilag 202.905.7762/ 202.263.1800 (O).

Finishes that preserve classic Georgetown charm. 2/3 BRs, 2.5 fully renovated Bas, large gourmet kitchen.

Private garden.

Nancy Itteilag 202.905.7762/ 202.3631800 (O).

Washington, DC

$1,700,000

The beauty is in the details of this exceptional 5BR 4 ½ BA, Stucco colonial style with spectacular 2008 additional & renovation by award winning architect. Generously proportional rooms with high end finishes for comfortable living.

Loretta Reed 202.321.2818/ 240.497.1700 (O).

3-level Contemporary nestled on a gorgeous wooded acre. Backs to park-land. Attention to detail throughout with open floor plan , dramatic living room & tree-top balcony off the master suite. Multi-tiered deck w/hot tub & swing.

Lilian Jorgenson 703.407.0766/ 703.890.1990 (O).

All Properties Offered Internationally Follow us on:

www.ExtraordinaryProperties.com 2 November 30, 2011 GMG, Inc.

contents

Vol. 58, No. 5 PUBLISHER Sonya Bernhardt

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

MANAGING EDITOR Samantha Hungerford

ABOUT THE COVER

FEATURES EDITORS Gary Tischler Robert Devaney Ari Post

Featured on the cover of this issue is George Stevens Jr., the man behind the Kennedy Center Honors, photographed in his office at the Center.

This year’s Honors will be held Dec. 4, and the CBS television special of the event will premier Dec. 27. To read more about Stevens and the Honors, turn to page 14.

MARKETING& ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Adra Williams IN COUNTRY & ADVERTISING Evelyn Keyes ADVERTISING Renee Antosh Kelly Sullivan

Photo By Philip Bermingham philipbermingham.com

WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA Charlene Louis CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jen Merino GRAPHIC DESIGN Aaro Keipi Aidah Fontenot PHOTOGRAPHERS Yvonne Taylor Neshan Naltchayan Jeff Malet Aaro Keipi CONTRIBUTORS David Post Jody Kurash Jack Evans Linda Roth Conte Bill Starrels Mary Bird Amos Gelb Stacy Murphy John Blee Lisa Gillespie Donna Evers INTERNS Tori Loven Kirkebø Kyle Lundberg India Olchefske Kristin Sorumshagen Zachariah Weaver

Published by Georgetown Media Group, Inc. 1054 Potomac St., N.W. Washington, DC 20007 Phone: (202) 338-4833 Fax: (202) 338-4834 www.georgetowner.com 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, 2011.

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

A thank you and farewell to two of our wonderful interns.

KYLE LUNDBERG In August, I made the long trek from sunny Southern California, where I am studying journalism at Pont Loma Nazarene University, to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Washington Journalism Center’s fall semester study program. Rainy weather notwithstanding, I have loved my semester in the city: seeing the sights, smelling the smells and eating more cupcakes than I thought was humanly possible. As an intern for Georgetown Media Group, I have enjoyed serving the Georgetown community and am thankful to my co-workers and the people of Georgetown for helping me feel at home.

Since 1954 4 — Up & Coming 6-7 — GT Observer 8-9 — Editorial/Opinion 10 — Featured Property 11 — Education Continuing Education 12 — Gift Guide Corporate Gifts 13 — Community Calendar 14-15 — Cover George Stevens Jr. The Man Behind the Kennedy Center Honors 16-19 — In Country Middleburg Christmas 20-21 — Dining Guide/ Food & Wine Cocktail of the Week: The Zombie Returns 22-23 — Food & Wine The Latest Dish There are Heroes Amongst Us: Occupy D.C. Eats 24 — Classifieds/ Service Directory 25 — Body & Soul Murphy’s Love: Advice on Intimacy and Relationships

ZACHARIAH WEAVER As a current student and active writer from Southern California, Zachariah Weaver has been interning with The Georgetowner for two months and benefiting his experience in and out of the newsroom by writing stories weekly in The Georgetowner newsletters. On the side, he studies at the Washington Journalism Center and is very active in the music industry, playing guitar, singing and managing for a local band, Willbur, back in Calif. He is currently working towards making a life-long career in journalism and found that in Washington, D.C. ,there are endless opportunities to reach that goal.

26 — Art Wrap Mel Bochner in the Tower 27 — DC Scenes 28-30 — Social Scene Georgetowner Holiday Benefit & Bazaar 2011 Declassified: OSS Society Honors Special Ops Chief, Unveils OSS Museum Design De Pizan Honors Hungarian Hurrah at Chez Schott Al Tiramisu Salutes Piedmont Capital City Ball VIP Reception

Holiday Window Decorating Competition! decorate to impress

Get in the festive spirit and decorate your storefront this season! Judging will take place Thursday, December 7th. The winner will be featured on the cover of the December 14th issue of The Georgetowner. Participation is free of charge! For more information, call 202-338-4833 or email megan@georgetowner.com.

GMG, Inc. November 30, 2011 3

UP

DECEMBER 2011

December 1

National Christmas Tree Lighting An American tradition for 89 years, the National Christmas tree Lighting is a chance for people to gather and kick off the holiday season. Per tradition, the President will light a 48 foot fir tree outside the White House. The tree is decorated with 2500 red, white and green electric bulbs. Tickets, dispersed through a raffle, are no longer available, but the tree can be seen from a distance, and the lighting will also be broadcast on TheNationalTree.org. The festivities begin at 4:30 p.m.

22nd Washington Jewish Film Festival

The Washington Jewish Film Festival returns in its 22nd year with films, programs, discussions with filmmakers, other special guests and parties at venues in the Washington, DC area from December 1–11, 2011. An exhibition of international cinema, the Washington Jewish Film Festival brings to life the wonderful diversity of the Jewish experience, culture and history with new and award-winning feature films, documentaries and shorts.

Tickets are $11 and for more information, visit washingtondcjcc.org. 1529 16th Street, NW.

December 2

Andrea Bocelli in Concert

The world-class Italian tenor will perform in DC one night at the Verizon Center. Praised

&

COMING

for his versatile voice, Bocelli has been one of the major faces of Italian operatic music for almost two decades. The concert also features Ana Maria Martinez and Heather Headley. The concert begins at 8 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit VerizonCenter. com

December 3

Chocolate Decadence

Enjoy a buffet of sumptuous chocolate and candy desserts, including a Candy Cane Bar and Champagne cocktails from the Champagne Sommelier in the Lobby CafĂŠ & Bar. Price is $35 per person. Drinks are not included but there will be a dotting Champagne sommelier present so as to assist in a perfect pairing.

(Prices vary from $16-$25 per glass.) December 3, 10, 17, 24, 2011 from 8 to 11 p.m. Located at Ritz Carlton, 1150 22nd Street, N.W.

Swedish Christmas Bazaar

SWEA Washington DC (Swedish Women’s Educational Association) supported by the Embassy of Sweden; holds its annual Christmas Bazaar from 11 am to 5 pm, December 3, at House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW (Georgetown waterfront). Foggy Bottom is the closest metro station. Find Swedish artwork, crafts, crystal, textiles, books and traditional foods for sale. Visit the Swedish CafÊ. There is

also a raffle. Santa Lucia Procession is singing Swedish Christmas carols. Activities room for children. For more information, visit www. swea.org. Located at 2900 K Street NW

Christmas in Middleburg A quaint town in Virginia celebrates the holiday with a day long festival featuring Breakfast with Santa at 8:30am, followed by the Middleburg Hunt Review parade at 11:00am, and the Christmas Parade down Washington Street at 2:00pm. Kids activities all day. Visit www.christmasinmiddleburg.org.

December 4

Remembering Pearl Harbor A Series of Events

In honor of the 70th Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the United States Navy Memorial will host the following series of events. 12:00pm – Book Reading: Pearl Harbor Christmas: A World at War, December 1941 by Stanley Weintraub . 1:00pm – Wreath Laying Ceremony with the U.S. Navy Band and Ceremonial Guard on the Memorial’s outdoor plaza. 2:00pm – Panel Discussion led by historian Paul Stillwell, author of Air Raid: Pearl Harbor! Recollections of a Day of Infamy. For more information, visit www.navymemorial.org.

Located at United States Navy Memorial, Naval Heritage Center, 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

December 7

Book Signing for Harper’s Bazaar Editor in Chief Glenda Bailey

On December 7th, from 5 to 7 p.m., guests

will have the opportunity to purchase the book and meet with Bailey during a special evening reception in her honor. The event is open to the public. Fashion enthusiasts can have Bailey personalize their copy of the book and peruse the newest bags from Coach, including the Pinnacle collection of lady-like leather satchels with 14-karat-gold-plated hardware, and fun sequined and beaded mini-bags perfect for every holiday party. Located at the Coach Store at 3259 M St NW.

ELLA-RUE Celebrates One Year and New Location

Due to the wonderful support over the last year, Ella-Rue is bursting at the seams! On Wednesday December 7th from 6 to 8PM join us at our new location to celebrate our one year Anniversary.

Enjoy bubbly and holiday treats followed by a special dinner party at Peacock CafĂŠ. 10% of proceeds from the evening will go to Washington Humane Society. Located at 3231 P Street NW.

December 9

Merriment in Georgetown Presented and sponsored by the Georgetown Business Improvement District, Georgetown Merriment celebrates the holiday season with 12 days of special store sales and events, seasonal festivities, live entertainment, holiday activities, and more. To view the video from last year’s event, which was a one day festival, click on the link below, or visit www.merrimentingeorgetown.com for more information. Check back here for further updates on specific events and promotions from Dec. 9 through 20.

Honorary Chairs

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Citizens Association of Georgetown Friday, December 2, 2011 Seven until eleven oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock

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GT ANC: WISCONSIN AVENUE WORK IN GLOVER PARK; NEON ANNOYANCE Georgetown and Burleith’s advisory neighborhood commission (ANC 2E) met Nov. 28 to discuss the details of the Wisconsin Avenue streetscape project in Glover Park and its effects on Georgetown to the south. To improve safety and the aesthetics along Wisconsin Avenue from Whitehaven Parkway north to Cathedral Avenue, DDOT will begin March 2012 to spruce up Glover Park’s main drag, sidewalks and lights. Construction is expected to last six months.

Residents expressed concern about traffic tieups as well as cut-through traffic on smaller streets.

There will be medians on this stretch of Wisconsin Avenue, some with left turn lanes. In the works since 2006, plans call for cutting the number of lanes for traffic from three to two during rush hours and from two to one during regular hours as well as widening of sidewalks, some of which do not meet disability access standards. The reduced lanes are intended to slow down traffic and improve pedestrian safety in the neighborhood known to many for Whole Foods, Sushi-Ko and Good Guys. DDOT said: “High numbers of vehicle crashes throughout the corridor are indicative of an environment with higher operating speeds with no provisions for left turning traffic which led to sudden lane changes by motorists.”

“We can’t play Russian roulette anymore,” said Glover Park ANC Chairman Brian Cohen who was invited to the meeting, recalling two deaths a few years ago as well as an Oct. 5 accident, when a police car hit a woman in the

OBSERVER

walkway at Wisconsin Avenue and 35th Street.

Concerning that intersection, commissioners asked DDOT to consider placing a flashing light to slow down cars on the hill. At the same intersection next to Holy Rood Cemetery, there will be a sidewalk bump-out to slow down cars making right turns from the avenue onto 35th Street. (The ANC approved of the plans and asked for regular work updates to the public.)

Also during the meeting, commissioner Bill Starrels said Prince Cafe on lower Wisconsin Avenue could be cited for its neon sign as a fine arts violation along with a shop in the 3200 block of M Street for its signage.

We guess it is the next big, little thing: Macaron Bee, coming to 1669 Wisconsin Avenue, got approval for its tri-fold window from which shopkeepers will sell pricey macaroons (that’s the English spelling) to sidewalk sweets-lovers.

NEW PLAN TO DEVELOP GSA’S WEST HEATING PLANT PROPERTY The Levy Group, a longtime and well-known owner of Georgetown commercial real estate, and The Georgetown Company of New York City, which is working with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc., are proposing a project to build a Four Seasons Private Residences and create an adjacent park on the site of the West Heating Plant. According to the group, “the proposal, which has been developed over the past year and a half, is being made public following the GSA’s recent announcement that it plans to dispose of the underutilized and inaccessible property that sits at the confluence of the C&O Canal and Rock Creek Park at the foot of Georgetown.”

“We and The Georgetown Company have

joined forces with the Four Seasons to bring life to a cordoned-off section of Georgetown,” said the Levy Group’s managing principal Richard Levy. “Our priorities are clear: transform the West Heating Plant into an attractive and contributing building that complements and respects the neighborhood and create a new park that links the Canal and Rock Creek Park with the fabulous Georgetown Waterfront Park. We look forward to working with Four Seasons, Strategic Hotels & Resorts, the National Park Service and the broader Georgetown community to make this vision a reality.”

In another statement from the group, Paul White, vice president of residential for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts noted: “Since opening more than 30 years ago, Four Seasons Hotel, Washington, D.C., has been a vibrant hub for locals and visitors; the premier place to conduct business or to retreat with family in Washington’s only five-diamond hotel. Four Seasons is enthusiastic about the plan developed jointly with The Levy Group and The Georgetown Company and we are confident that working together with the community we can make this a welcomed addition to Georgetown. We have decades of experience in operating wholly-owned residences designed and built to Four Seasons standards, offering the same degree of caring, customized service that discerning hotel guests have come to know and love.”

“Located at 1051 29th Street, N.W., the proposed renovated building will include approximately 80 Four Seasons Private Residences in a LEED-certified building directly across the C&O Canal from Four Seasons Hotel,” according to the group. “The planned low-density residential component with adjacent park would ensure that the area doesn’t become over-

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crowded as it would with high-density towers and the related traffic congestion. A significant part of the property south of the West Heating Plant will be dedicated to parkland which will supplant the coal yard and the four oil storage tanks. By so doing, the area will be returned to its natural environment and linked to the point of confluence of Rock Creek and the Canal. Inspired by the National Capital Planning Commission’s 1986 plan, the new park will connect Rock Creek Park directly to the Georgetown Waterfront via a bridge and provide a powerful reminder of industrial Georgetown and its origins as a port town.”

Beyond creating construction jobs, the group says, “this undertaking would augment the D.C. tax base with taxes from high-income suburban empty nesters moving into D.C. as well as add revenue from an estimated $1.5 million in annual real estate taxes, $5.4 million in real estate transfer and recordation taxes and $1.6 million in construction permit fees.”

HALCYON HOUSE UNDER CONTRACT TO EVERMAY’S OWNERS For sale since August 2008, Halcyon House, one of the more recognizable historic homes of Washington, D.C., went under contract to S&R Foundation two weeks ago. Its present owners – The Dreyfuss family – have held the property longer than anyone else in its 225-year history.

Owners of the Evermay Estate, Ryuji Ueno and his wife Sachiko Kuno, who purchased that east side historic gem for $22 million in July, have signed a contract for S&R Foundation to buy Halcyon House for $11 million, according to tenants’ documents. (There are six rental units

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and a townhouse along with the main house at 3400 Prospect St., N.W.) Purchased by Edmund Dreyfuss and Blake Construction in 1966 from Georgetown University via John Truver, Halcyon House – built by Benjamin Stoddert, first Secretary of the Navy, between 1785 and 1787 – was restored and improved by artist John Dreyfuss, son of Edmund Dreyfuss, and Prospect Associates during parts of the 1980s and ‘90s. Dreyfuss and his team received the top award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Once called Stoddert House, the Prospect Street mansion is a wellknown party and wedding venue around Washington.

“The restoration of Halcyon House … meant a great deal to everyone in the Dreyfuss family,” said John Dreyfuss, who has lived there for many years and is considered a great neighbor to the community. “We were committed to doing the hard work both structurally and in the craftsmanship that this Federal building deserved. Every effort was made to restore both the historic interiors and gardens. It is our hope that the next steward will maintain the standards set for this extraordinary national heritage.”

Founders of Bethesda-based Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, drug researchers Ueno and Kuno – who also own a house on P Street – are not well known to most Washingtonians, but they are known in philanthropic circles, such as the Washington Opera and the Smithsonian. The couple founded S&R Foundation in 2000, a non-profit that encourages scientific research and artistic endeavors among young individuals – and “to recognize talented young scientists and artists for their distinguished work in fields of science and fine arts, especially those who contribute to U.S.-Japanese understanding.”

BERESNIOVAS ELECTED GBA PRESIDENT

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Riyad Said, Karen Ohri and Rokas Beresniovas at F. Scott’s reception.

On Nov. 16, the board of directors of the Georgetown Business Association elected its officers for 2012 and held its networking reception at F. Scott’s restaurant on 36th Street.

Succeeding Joe Giannino as president will be Rokas Beresniovas of HSBC Bank USA. The new vice president will be Riyad Said of Wells Fargo; treasurer, Karen Ohri of Georgetown Floorcoverings; secretary, Janine Schoonover of Serendipity3. They begin their one-year terms Jan. 1.

“Building on great leadership for the past two years, the GBA has new energy and is getting younger members,” Beresniovas said. “We have to sustain that, and we have built better relationships with many community groups.” The GBA – which also acts as a lobbyist for small businesses – works closely with the Georgetown Business Improvement District, which is not allowed to lobby.

The GBA’s Dec. 14 annual meeting on Dumbarton House will elect new members to its board and celebrate the holiday season.

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EDITORIAL/OPINION

A HOUSE DIVIDED . . . AGAIN

By David Post

“A

house divided against itself cannot long endure,” Abraham Lincoln so eloquently said.

More than ever, since then, the country is again divided against itself, and again, it is about values and class warfare and, of course, money.

Historical themes repeat themselves.

In 1992, Ross Perot ran for president arguing that the Reagan and Bush budget deficits were leading the country into bankruptcy and that the U.S. should lock its borders and stop the flow of imported foreign goods.

Sound familiar?

During that 1992 presidential campaign, I was working in the U.S. Senate and had the opportunity to visit 20 high schools, meeting with thousands of students to talk about how Congress works.

To make government come alive, we created a mock Congress with students divided into two groups, half serving as a Senate and half as the House of Representatives. Their job was to pass a law based on whether seniors should be allowed to leave campus during lunch.

Both student chambers individually debated and passed a bill and then elected representatives to a conference committee who were charged with negotiating a compromise. That compromise was then taken back to their separate chambers to see if they would accept the compromise.

Some passed bills allowing seniors to leave campus during lunch, while others allowed both juniors and seniors to leave campus. Some passed bills allowing any student to leave cam-

pus, and some, especially when underclassmen were the majority, passed bills not permitting anyone to leave campus. Rarely were the bills the same.

Of these 20 schools, only one agreed to the same original bill. They probably wanted to go home early.

The other 19 schools elected representatives to meet in conference and negotiate a compromise. Two of those 19 agreed on a compromise.

Seventeen could not reach an agreement. Some failed at the committee level, and others could not get both houses of their congresses to agree to the same bill.

Of course, the students faced strict time constraints, the process was new to them, and they lacked the ability to communicate with each other during the process.

However, they did learn that compromise is difficult -- and had they more time, perhaps they would have figured out how to give a little and get a little to reach a compromise.

Today, Congress is teaching us that the lack of compromise hurts everyone. Its inability to reach a debt ceiling deal until the last minute cost the U.S. its stellar credit rating. Neither party seems willing to accept the fact that the middle is wide and where the majority of the public wants to be.

Last week, the Super Committee -- specifically, The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, 12 members of Congress, six from the House and six from the Senate, evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans -- was scheduled to present a $1.2 trillion deficit reduction plan. It could not agree and failed, just like

85 percent of those students who could not find common ground. To make matters worse, that $1.2 trillion is peanuts. It is spread out over 10 years and equals only 10 percent of projected deficits over that time. Even if they could have reached a deal on that, the really heavy lifting – another $3-4 trillion – still lies ahead.

In addition, if the super committee finds a compromise, that compromise will look like every other deficit reduction proposal, the good ones and the bad ones, out there.

All of them propose formulas based on an amount or percentage of something. The hard work of filling in those blanks is assigned to a future Congress.

Budgets matter. They define policy. Improving schools or not, fixing bridges or not, providing or reducing health care to the elderly, cutting or increasing taxes may or may not be good ideas. The common denominator is that nothing happens without compromise.

During the cold war, the threat of nuclear war was called MAD: mutually assured destruction.

Today, MAD defines the political process. If everyone demands a full loaf and only a full loaf, we all starve.

A century and a half ago, a few weeks before he was killed, President Lincoln reached out to both victor and vanquished alike, a common “us,” stitching together a single nation among enemies who distrusted each other, and said, “Let us strive on to finish the work we are in.”

Today’s leaders need to hear the echoes of Lincoln’s lips. Will they listen?

OCCUPY VACANT SPACES

By Deklan

W

e are a visual society. Our brains are motivated by hundreds of visual stimuli every day. The things we see affect the way we feel and act, how we treat others and how we approach life. With increased foreclosures and street-level businesses closing around us, we are now subconsciously receiving visions of empty storefronts with blank windows that tell stories of success turned to secession.

Hypothetically speaking, let’s say I’m onto something here. We know from sports and NASCAR that advertisers will put their names on anything, so why not vacant window space?

Two reasons are because nobody thinks to organize it and you can’t write a contract on advertising space when the “space” could be purchased or leased at any given time.

But what about regular people like me? I may just be a regular guy compared to some of the rich, intelligent and powerful people in this city, but I have my degrees and moments of brilliance from time to time. So, I should be able to figure this out.

I have only experienced a small part of D.C.’s underground art scene, but I know it exists.

Why aren’t more artists taking advantage of available space? Let me be clear that I am not supporting the uprising of unapproved graffiti, but orchestrated street art would be an amazing tool to bring life into our neighborhoods and positive attention to the District.

Washington, D.C., is a city full messages and empty spaces through which visual messages could easily be delivered to mass audiences — spaces not designed to promote designer products but enlightened ideas — all that is lacking

8 November 30, 2011 GMG, Inc.

is the connection between the two. There are spaces available in up-and-coming neighborhoods that could be brightened and livened with the introduction of color and design. Why haven’t neighborhood associations tapped into this as a community-building project?

Realtors who represent retail and restaurant spaces might consider installing full-size prints in the windows of for-lease buildings. They could even feature promos or ads for other local businesses because, in the end, it’s better for the entire business community if someone leases. Visual advertising will draw attention to the area.

A lot of people are unhappy over the multiple Wal-Mart stores coming to D.C. According to The350Project.com, “For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays [in the community.]” Why aren’t local businesses taking advantage of this low-cost, in-your-face marketing opportunity?

The concept is not limited to real estate agents and business promotion; it can be used to deliver a message about community. Many D.C. neighborhoods are not just separated but also defined by the cultures of those who live there.

To explain it in K Street terms (run-on sentences with no punctuation), I’m talking about the “Utilization of vacant space for the betterment of community enhancement through the installation of vibrant and meaningful art displays that are deemed by a committee of individuals with common sense to be approved as safe for public display.”

I believe it says something about our culture that we, in one of our most ancient of cities — which is an infant when compared to cities in

Europe—have allowed the unused, unwanted, and uninhabited parts of our city go to waste.

Why we would let the negative appearance of these unwanted spaces bring down the value of the homes and businesses around them, and then complain that our local economies are declining and our neighborhoods are deteriorating?

The real answer to why is because there is nobody available to organize the movement. There are not enough Realtors and small business owners to figure out on their own how to occupy random spaces. There is no network on which to build an organization to connect the artists, the spaces, the real estate brokers, the business owners, the neighborhood associations, the press, etc., etc., etc., Bottom line: Somebody has to get paid. And while good ideas can often lead to great nonmonetary revenue, many fail to gain the funding needed to pay someone to own that great idea and to make those non-monetary revenues. In the end, it all comes down to money. But do good intentions count for anything?

The late, great George Carlin once said, “I got a lot of good ideas. Trouble is, most of them suck.” This rings true for most all of us, but what the communities in D.C. need are people willing to think of and implement new ways to improve our lives that benefit us and those around us.

Our society has gone so far into digital interaction that it has now become a challenge for us to interact within our own communities. But maybe, if we all take a moment to conceive a productive thought and give that thought life, we might find a way to occupy not only the empty spaces in our communities but also the empty bonds that connect us as neighbors.

JACK EVANS REPORT

A

subject that is unfortunately getting a lot of press these days is the alleged ethical failures of a number of the District’s elected leaders. No fewer than ten bills have been introduced in recent weeks by members of the Council purporting to provide additional safeguards to campaign rules, use of constituent services funds, and other areas that could present possible conflicts of interest.

On Oct. 26, I attended a hearing of the Committee on Government Operations chaired by Councilmember Muriel Bowser to address these issues and consider the various alternative bills proposed by our colleagues. During that hearing, I expressed my views on the subject. Lack of enforcement is the primary problem that I see -- we have a number of good laws already on the books, but without adequate enforcement, those rules do us no good. I support enhanced disclosure requirements, more rigorous enforcement when violations are discovered, and more meaningful penalties assessed on violators. Current practice is to simply assess a $5,000 penalty a year after an election is already won, for example. Politicians can view a penalty that small as simply a cost of doing business, and it is invariably paid with campaign funds rather than out of an elected official’s own pocket.

The Committee on Government Operations will hold an additional hearing on ethics reform on Nov. 30. Unlike the first hearing, the purpose of which was to discuss a number of general concepts, this hearing will be focused on feedback regarding a specific proposal that Councilmember Bowser released to the public on Nov. 18. The heart of Councilmember Bowser’s approach will be to create an independent Board of Ethics and Government Accountability to enforce a more clearly defined Code of Conduct.

The board would have the power to administer oaths and issue subpoenas. The board, as proposed, would also have access to adequate staffing, partially due to a suggested repurposing of current District employees from agencies, such as the Office of the Attorney General and Office of the Inspector General.

As I am continuing to study this bill and formulate my positions, I would encourage all my constituents also to read the bill (which can be viewed at http://goo.gl/5sFB8) and share their views.

You are welcome either to come to the hearing or to submit written testimony to put your thoughts on the record. I plan to remain very engaged in the ethics reform process and appreciate your thoughts.t Let me end on this note – while Thanksgiving is but one day of the year, I have to say I am truly thankful every day. Thankful for my family and friends and thankful for my colleagues and staff. Thankful to have the opportunity to make a difference every day in what I do. So, don’t let the week go by without a little reflection and hopefully a nice meal with family and friends, too!

EDITORIAL/OPINION

JFK’S NOVEMBER OF MYTHS AND MEMORIES

By Gary Tischler

N

ovember in Washington is winter’s harbinger and the keeper of the bitter flame for one of the nation’s most haunting and shocking tragedies, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22 in 1963.

When Kennedy was a young senator, his wife and daughter Caroline lived in Georgetown so that the memory of November 22 is keenly felt here, every year, by elder statesmen, by longtimers in the village, by what remains of the tribe of New Frontiersmen along with journalists with vivid memories of the day, memories shared by Americans enthralled by Kennedy’s inspirational rhetoric in the early 1960s. We remember the news, Cronkite’s voice, the headlines, the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald on live television, the funeral drums, the heads of state marching on the parade route, John John’s salute, the widow in black. It was — like 9/11 — a sea change event.

Ever since then, people have been writing about that day and the Kennedys — poetry, fiction, stories, biographies, histories, books on conspiracy theories. More than that, though, the event led to a polishing and a continuing retelling of the mystique and stories not only of John F. Kennedy but of the Kennedy family — of the mafia, Monroe, plane crashes and the old man, and tales fraught with so much conspiracy, you could get completely lost. It is an endless roll call of movies, made for television movies, documentaries, music, novels, biographies, essays, musings and histories. Sometimes, the process seems to roll back on itself to the beginning, the place where hero worship and grief still lie

waiting. Our imagination and memories are alive with the faces and voices — friends and foes, lovers and wives and children — of the Kennedy clan and the triumphs they achieved, accompanied by a more than equal number of tragedies which befell them. The Irish gods are not just.

Washington journalist and talk show host Chris Matthews just recently came out with a speculative book about JFK called “Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero,” which he plugged on two of his Sunday talk shows, on the first of which he argued that Barack Obama was, well, no Jack Kennedy. The book, according to reviews, is generally admiring of JFK on his heroic quality, the PT 109 thing, the Cuban Missile Crisis and his inspiring qualities, the most affecting of which was a kind of fiery detachment.

Only recently, the prolific horror and pop culture master novelist Stephen King came out with a massive fantasy novel called “11/22/63,” in which his hero travels back in time to try to prevent JFK’s assassination. Earlier this year, there was yet another in a long series of television mini-series about the Kennedy’s which featured Tom Cruise’s spouse Katie Holmes as Jackie Kennedy. It never ends—the whole pop culture parade of all things JFK, not the miniseries.

We’ll never stop dreaming about the Kennedys. Lots of presidential wanna-bes were inspired by him—certainly Clinton was and to a degree so was Obama, or to put it in reverse, the media sometimes tries to find Kennedyesque qualities in candidates reaching for the gold ring. Ted Kennedy, who died last year as a lion of the Senate, saw something like that

in Obama as did JFK’s daughter Caroline, the only remaining child and star in the Kennedy firmament these days, the keeper of the heritage flame by way of education, schools, trusts and libraries.

At the time, and in retrospect, Jackie Kennedy’s claim that the brief Kennedy era was a kind of modern-day “Camelot” was embraced by many people, and they never quite let go of it. Jackie was thinking of the popular Broadway musical of the time, starring Richard Burton, Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet as Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot. The reality was not quite so charmed, but the idea persists centering around drama, rhetoric, inspiration — and just about the biggest collection of familial romance and tragedy, scandal and lofty ideals you can possibly imagine.

We have come around again, like Matthews, to think of the times and the family in heroic, perhaps Shakespearean and Arthurian terms, in spite of everything. No family ever endured worse scandals, more shattering tragedies and untimely, violent losses than the Kennedys and yet maintained their essential image of political class. The Kennedys were a family full of striding princes and lords, and princesses and brides, a saintly matriarch and perhaps a thwarted king who made it all happen. In this, they did resemble the Arthurian story: think of Arthur, his drugged fling with his cousin that produced an evil offspring, think of the dream of the round table, of Lancelot betraying the king and the spirit of the grail seekers, and yet it happened nonetheless: The lady rose out of the lake and caught the sword, and the quest remained and so did Camelot.

The Kennedys continue to suffer losses, and today resemble nothing less than a gathering of stately trees in our neighborhoods, their brightest foliage stripped, gone with the ongoing wind. Every time a Kennedy suffers a misfortune —Ted’s daughter Kara died relatively young this year; we remember all their misfortunes. In our heads, we remember our “sexiest man alive John F. Kennedy, Jr.,” a plane crashing into the Atlantic, his troubled wife at his side. We remember Robert F. Kennedy facing down angry crowds in Indianapolis on the day Martin Luther King, Jr., died, we remember the brothers together, sad Joan, brittle Ethel, some of the children not surviving the journey, and we remember Marilyn. We remember Ted on his first Senate run, young and green, admitting to a factory worker that he had never worked a day in his life. “You didn’t miss much,” the man told him.

I saw what was left of the New Frontier at a gathering for the funeral of Pierre Salinger in Georgetown at Holy Trinity Church in 2004.

Salinger, who had been JFK’s much put-upon press secretary and had even written columns for the Georgetowner, had delivered on his promise to move to France if George W. Bush was elected in the 2000 elections and now, having died there, he was returning home. Ted Kennedy delivered the eulogy, and there was Ben Bradlee, and George McGovern, and JFK’s speech writer Ted Sorenson and they were much older, their ranks thinned and thinning, but still carried history with them like a blank check.

The ranks are thinner still. And thinking of them now, I can understand Matthew’s yearning for a JFK hero, and King’s desire to rescue the present from the past.

Somewhere, maybe, a hand rises out of a lake holding a sword. I expect it’s just a trailer for the next Spielberg movie.

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EDUCATION

CONTINUING EDUCATION

By Samantha Hungerford

I

n D.C., it seems that no one can hold just one occupation. Slashes abound in everyone’s job titles, as in: “I’m a CEO/mother/philanthropist,” or “I’m a doctor/writer/foremost WWII expert.” This says something not only about the current job market, in which competition is the name of the game, but about the kind of people who live here.

Washingtonians are diverse people with a myriad of interests and even more varied careers. In the District, one career path can carry a person through multiple fields, from one occupation to the next, making continuing education all the more important.

Whether or not you decide to obtain you Master’s or Doctorate, the benefits of continuing your education throughout your life are enormous: the qualifications you receive can help to keep you competitive in the job market; you can learn more about an area of interest that you’ve been curious about; you can receive certification in a new field, expanding your career opportunities.

The District’s universities offer its residents hundreds of educational opportunities, from certification programs to individual classes open to those with curious minds. In Georgetown’s back yard, Georgetown University is a prime example of all that continuing education programs have to offer.

At GU, the School of Continuing Studies offers numerous certificates to supplement the degree or degrees you already might have, including Budget and Finance, Business Administration, Business and Professional English, Corporate Executive Leadership, Digital Media Management, Diversity Strategy, Financial Planning, Forensic Accounting, Franchise Management,

Government Executive Leadership, International Business Management, International Migration Studies, Leadership Coaching, Litigation Technology/Legal Project Management, Marketing, Nonprofit Management, Organizational Consulting and Change Leadership, Project Management, Social Media for Government, Strategy and Performance Management and Paralegal Studies.

Of course, the school also offers full Master of Professional Studies programs, and many of the people who get their Master’s are working and going to school part time, according to Maggie Moore, Communications Officer at the University.

However, if attaining your Master’s isn’t part of your game plan, Georgetown provides at least one certificate in the department of each Master’s program called an Advanced Professional Certificate. For instance, you can obtain an Advanced Professional Certificate in Journalism through the Master of Professional Studies in Journalism department; similarly, you can get certificates in either Diversity and Inclusion Management, International Human Resources Management or Strategic Human Capital Management through the Human Resources Management program.

Georgetown also has more unconventional learning programs such as Mom Congress, hosted in partnership with Parenting magazine, which gives parents the opportunity to hear from education experts while sharing their own concerns and ideas.

Additionally, the university offers a non-degree program to senior citizens in which those ages 65 and up can audit undergraduate level courses.

The School of Continuing Studies can be reached at 202-687-8700. Visit scs.georgetown.edu for more information on these and other programs.

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t ’s one of the most nerve-wracking parts of the holiday season: that awkward moment when you hand your coworker another gift card, set of bath salts, “You’re #1” mug, or some other generic gift. While it’s fun and exciting to exchange small gifts around the office – it’s part of the holiday spirit to give to those you spend your time with, after all – sometimes it’s impossible to think of thoughtful gifts that aren’t too personal.

Luckily, Georgetown stores are chock full of perfect gifts that will make you the Secret Santa everyone wanted to get.

Blackberry leather pouch $80 www.katespade.com

Brizard 8 ounce flask in Havana crocodile leather $65.00 www.gttobacco.com/

Woodford Reserve’s Master’s Collection 100% Rye Whiskey, 2-bottle package. $115.99 www.dixieliquordc.com

Lafco Penthouse Champagne Candle $55 www.bluemercury.com

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Green Tropical Tea $4.89 www.spiceandtea.com

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR Friday, Dec. 2

Holiday Ornament Workshop

Holiday Wreath Workshop at Tudor Place

Tudor Place continues its holiday crafting with an ornament-making workshop, where people 12 and up can fashion Victorian-style ornaments from gold leaf, fresh fruit and paper. Tickets are $12 per three ornaments for members and $15 per three ornaments for nonmembers. Go to TudorPlace.org/calendar.html for more information and to register.

Craft holiday wreaths with boughs and holly grown right in the Tudor Place gardens on Dec. 2, 3 and9. All materials will be provided, but hurry to reserve your space! This holiday event is filling up quickly. Limit ages 12 and older, price per wreath is $30 for members and $40 for nonmembers. Call 202-965-0400 extension 116 to register.

Georgetown Gala: Winter Wonderland The wonderland theme of this year’s Gala at the Embassy of the Russian Federation will include Russian vodka and caviar, a dinner, live auction and dancing. Chairs of the event are Nancy Taylor Bubes, Michele Evans and Patrice Miller while honorary chairs are Ambassador and Mrs. Sergey Kislyak. Georgetown residents John Richardson and Franco Nuschese will be honored at the event. The Gala will be held at 2650 Wisconsin Ave. from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Tickets are $200 for CAG members and $250 for nonmembers.

Saturday, Dec. 3 St. John’s Episcopal Church Annual Greens Sale St. John’s Church at 3240 O St. will open its doors to the community to sell Christmas greenery, ornaments and other decorations. A bake sale featuring homemade jams and jellies will be held and a luncheon will also be available.

Call St. John’s at 202-338-1796 for more information.

Holidays Through History: Open House Tours Tudor Place, Dumbarton House, Woodrow Wilson House and Anderson House are decked out for the holidays and inviting Georgetowners into their halls for a joint tour of the historic homes. The event will be held at all four venues from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free for members, $10 for children and $16 for adults for a four-museum pass. For admission to Tudor Place only, tickets are $5 for children and $10 for adults. Go to TudorPlace.org/calendar.html for more information and to register.

Sunday, Dec. 4 Georgetown Visitation Tree Sale Starting this weekend, it’s going to look a lot like Christmas: Georgetown Visitation Prep on 35th Street and Volta Place is selling trees, wreaths and other greens just inside the main gate to benefit the crew team. Stop by with your car for pick-up: Dec. 4, 5 and Dec. 11, 12 – 9 a.m. through 6 p.m. Tree prices range from $50 to $100. Volunteers will be available to help with the trees.

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GEORGE STEVENS JR THE MAN BEHIND KENNEDY CENTER HONORS

By Gary Tischler

T

alking with George Stevens, Jr. in his wonderland office at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on a mid-November afternoon, you’d hardly know it was only two weeks until the annual national cultural fete and red-carpet extravaganza that is called the 34th Annual Kennedy Center Honors.

It was quiet at the Center, sun drenching the Hall of Nations foyer and Stevens ushering me in to his office, a remarkable place full of old movie posters, lots of Emmys and other awards, volumes of scripts and scrapbooks. Casually dressed in a blue sweater and slacks, he immediately takes you on a quick little tour of the walls and turns you into a gawker as you stare at a poster for “Shane,” a drawing of his father, the Oscar-winning film director George Stevens in a poker game with his friends, a poster for “The More the Merrier,” a 1940s more-or-less screwball comedy featuring Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea, a future star of gritty cowboy movies.

The office is best described as a vibrant display of the professional lives of Stevens Senior and Stevens Junior, which, taken together, are examples of lives lived that purposefully made a difference.

And we haven’t even talked about the Kennedy Center Honors, which this year, with all the usual glitz, glitter and presidential presence, will be bestowed upon Actress Meryl Streep, the phenomenal cellist Yo-Yo Ma, legendary Broadway chanteuse Barbara Cook, jazz original Sonny Rollins and singer Neil Diamond on Dec. 4 at the Opera House.

It all began in 1978 with honors to Marian Anderson, Fred Astaire, George Balanchine, Richard Rodgers and Arthur Rubinstein, and Stevens tells you a story about the audience jumping to its feet after seeing 1939 footage of Anderson singing at the Lincoln Memorial, having been denied use of Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

It isn’t just that Stevens is and has been the producer of the Honors, both the live event at the Opera House and the CBS television show that is derived from it (to be aired Dec. 27 at 9 p.m.) It’s that basically, the Honors were his idea, inspired very much by the words of President John F. Kennedy, which can be found carved on the wall of the center.

“Well, it came out of a conversation with Roger Stevens [founding chairman of the Kennedy Center; no relation] back in 1974, and I suggested that the center really needed its own event,” Stevens said. “Roger asked if I had any ideas. And I did. I said that the center should have an event that honored the great figures in the performing arts. A lot had to be done, but that was the basic idea.”

It was more than that of course; it was about the very idea of the Kennedy Center itself and its basic tenets as expressed by Kennedy himself in a 1963 speech at Amherst. “That statement where he said ‘I look forward to an America that is not afraid of grace and beauty . . . I look forward to an America that will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business and statecraft.’”

Stevens allows that he has some influences on the choice—made by the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees but also national cultural figures, previous winners and others. The proceedings are, of course, secret, but Stevens adds, “I like to think I have considerable input.”

Also secret are the surprises that come with the night’s entertainment and special guests, like the outburst of talent that included Oprah

14 November 30, 2011 GMG, Inc.

Winfrey and Beyoncé honoring Tina Turner in 2006, or Jessica Simpson leading a star-studded array of female country superstars honoring Dolly Parton in 2008.

So is Margaret Thatcher coming for the Meryl Streep honors? “I don’t know about that,” Stevens said. “But there will be surprises.”

It’s fair to say that Stevens is a historically serious man. Being the founder of the Kennedy Center Honors is no small thing, but it’s not the only thing. There’s a note of serendipity that runs through his life and career, a kind of story with a theme about the value of culture as a way of moving hearts and minds. The Honors—an occasion for pomp and circumstances and roll-

the Honors show and the “Christmas in Washington” yearly production. “Michael brings his own perspectives to this, his tastes, his knowledge, what he knows about music and the whole world of arts, the people he knows.

“And yes, it is very, very gratifying to work with Michael, for me, as a producer, in terms of the history of this enterprise, but also the family history. It means a lot to me as a father, and I have to tell you how important his contribution is to accomplishing what we do.”

Stevens has become with the years a kind of cultural icon in this city. He, his wife Elizabeth and his family have been Georgetown residents for decades on Avon Place. In interviews, in a

Georgetown resident George Stevens Jr., creator, producer and co-writer of the Kennedy Center Honors. Photo

by Philip Bermingham.

ing of red carpets—are nevertheless a celebration of the lifetime achievements and careers of legendary, giant-sized figures.

He has always said that the Honors are really two shows—the one that is staged in front of a stellar audience of 2,000 or so at the Opera House and the one that’s created to become a television show for the whole world.

“It’s quiet today,” he said. “But the week of the Honors—when the performers and the honorees fly in, the week of the dinners, the rehearsals, the logistics, and all the people you have to deal with, that’s still pretty intense, for me, and everyone else. It’s always thrilling; it’s always exciting, an honor and really hard work.”

For the past several years, Stevens, has worked with his son Michael as co-producer, on

recent roundtable talk on “Creativity in America” at the Aspen Institute, and in person Stevens always comes across as a serious man, without getting within a continent’s distance of becoming pompous or overbearing. He is one of the most accessible of public figures, one of the least “me-me” men you’ll encounter.

He’s led a big life in the big, wide world — son of legendary Hollywood director George Stevens, working on major movie sets, a JFK “New Frontiersman” working to produce documentaries for Edward R. Murrow when he headed the U.S. Information Agency, founder of the American Film Institute, leading film conservation and preservation, founder and co-producer of the Kennedy Center Honors, film director and producer (“A Filmmaker’s Journey,” “The

Murder of Mary Phagan”) playwright (“Thurgood”) and author of “Conversations with the Great Moviemakers of Hollywood’s Golden Age at the American Film Institute”). In October, President Barack Obama named Stevens co-chairman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

That’s by way of roll-the-credits bona fides. In some circles, he’s even been described as “Hollywood royalty.”

“What do I think of that?” he says. “I think it’s mostly B-S.” The truth of the matter is that he came to do what he’s done honestly: lots of hard work, the obvious ability to lead and a passionate, creative urge to be an advocate for culture, not only for its own sake but also for social change and justice.

“We didn’t have anything like the Kennedy Center Honors, and so we have celebrated all sorts of performance excellence,” he said. “And it changed with time, sure. More and more, we all realized the importance of popular culture, and it became a part of the mix: I think Bob Dylan was the first figure of that sort to become an honoree, but not the last.”

Stevens admits working on the Honors enriched him. “I’m a film guy,” he said, “that’s my experience, my comfort zone. So, being around these huge, legendary figures in dance, opera, music, that was an enormously rewarding experience for me.”

That seriousness of purpose, that liberality of spirit and focus, comes in part from his father.

Making the documentary “A Film Directors Journey” set Stevens on his own creative path, much like his father’s two-year experience of World War II turned him into a man with a mission that resulted in the great American trilogy, “Shane,” “A Place in the Sun” and “Giant.”

With Stevens Jr., the documentary on his father was followed by films about “The Murder of Mary Phagan,” “Separate but Equal” and the play “Thurgood” among other projects.

There are rows of scripts for each Kennedy Center Honors in his office, and each fiveminute plus film about each honoree, not to mention scrapbooks and photographs for the AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards, which he has also produced. It’s dangerous being in that office; you get lost in it, so many scenes from movies start running through your head, so many stories.

You can imagine the Stevens spending hours here without ever being alone.

“It’s been 34 years since then,” he said. “I feel more creative, fuller of ideas than ever.”

Proof: he’s about to finish a documentary about the Washington Post editorial cartoonist Herb Block, and a second set of “Conversations with Great American Directors” are coming out.

Of necessity, life and death and all that make for omissions on the Honors list. One obvious one is, of course, George Stevens, Sr., who died in 1975. You don’t ask, but chances are he would have been a cinch.

Speaking in public like the recent Aspen Institute or in interviews, Stevens often tells the story about being with his father after he had won the Oscar for Best Director for “A Place in the Sun.” “He said to me ‘We’ll know how good it really is 20 or 30 years from now.’”

Stevens thinks it holds up, 50 plus years later.

It’s an American classic. But Stevens’ life, adding up the accomplishments and their meaning, also hold up with time. The son, in this case, also rises to the occasion.

KENNEDY CENTER HONOREES It’s star power week in Washington. This is the week of the 34th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, which means that among us will be five of the nation’s finest, most enduring and sparkling legends and stars of the performing arts.

MERYL STREEP

YO-YO MA Yo-Yo Ma’s selection casts him in the shadows of the major classical music performers who formed a large number of the honorees in the early years of the Kennedy Center Honors. But to say he is a classical musician is to miss the pioneer, the genrebender and the passionate cellist which he truly is. He has recorded 75 Sony Albums and has collaborated with the likes of Paquito Rivera, Renee Fleming, Dave Brubeck, Bobby McFerrin and James Taylor.

SONNY ROLLINS Sonny Rollins, the oldest among the honorees at 81, is one of the last of the old giants of bee-bop and improvisatory jazz on the saxophone, or anything else, as well as being a gifted composer. As he put it when he received the National Medal of Arts in March of this year, “I accept on behalf of the gods of our music.”

Meryl Streep, touted as the most awarded and award-nominated actress ever, will be honored again this year. Her record: 45 film roles, 16 Oscar nominations and two wins, 25 Golden Globes and so on.

Photo by Michael O’Neill

BARBARA COOK Photo by Brigitte Lacombe

Photo by John Abbott

NEIL DIAMOND Neil Diamond has been around a long time too, and sometimes we forget that. Sixty-types remember all the big hits, forgetting that he also wrote the score to “Jonathan Livingstone Seagull,” wrote “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” for Barbra Streisand and starred in a version of “The Jazz Singer.” He’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and, according to Paul Simon, was once known as the Jewish Elvis Presley. Go figure.

Barbara Cook may be, as Alistair Macaulay of the Financial Times says, “The greatest singer in the world,” but she’s actually a little more than that. She cut her singing teeth in the 1950s on national tours of “Oklahoma,” and “Carousel” and hit all the notes in the Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide.” Her career almost six decades: it’s so rich that it seems too short.

The Gala Kennedy Center Honors performance will take place Dec. 4, co-produced

by George Stevens Jr. and Michael Stevens, at the Opera House where the honorees will be saluted by performers, their peers, the powerful and the president. The Honors Gala will be broadcast on CBS December 27 at 9 p.m.

Photo by Andreas Terlaak

Photo by Denise Winters

GMG, Inc. November 30, 2011 15

IN

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START OF THE SEASON

Q&A WITH MIDDLEBURG CHRISTMAS PARADE DIRECTOR JIM HERBERT

By Lauren Hodges

N

o matter where you live, the season doesn’t feel complete without tuning in to see that annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade every year on television...or, if you want to be part of the festivities, watching it go by in person. While the spectacle of those high-budget floats, top-tier music and celebrity appearances must be thrilling to experience live (and this writer is especially jealous of those who got to see Tim Burton’s “Bee” balloon make its debut), the body-crushing crowds and merciless winds somehow put the whole experience into the “not worth it” category. Okay, maybe it’ll go onto the “just once” bucket list.

But even with all the chaos, you’ve gotta love a parade. Luckily enough for Washingtonians, Middleburg, Va. keeps one of the holiday’s treasured traditions more relaxing with the Middleburg Christmas Parade. For 33 years, a group of grassroots organizers and selfless volunteers have been keeping this small-town tradition alive and it’s become something of a draw for tourists around Delmarva. With its Christmas

cheer and small town atmosphere, the parade is the perfect backdrop for those one-of-a-kind holiday memories.

The Georgetowner spoke with the parade’s head organizer this year, Jim Herbert, about the parade’s unique personality and how it speaks to the overall feeling of this irresistible historic town.

Georgetowner: What makes the Middleburg Christmas Parade so unique?

Jim Herbert: Honestly, we have everything

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POHICK FARM

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464 acres with postcard valley views ● Recorded in 4 lots ● 4 bedroom home ● Pool ● Pool house ● Rental house ● 3 creeks ● 1 pond ● Great for horses, cattle or vineyard.

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1780 QUAKER BARN

Philomont, Virginia ● $1,495,000

Historic 1780 Quaker stone barn ● 10 acres ● Restored & updated ● 4/5 BR, ● 31/2 BA, ● 3 FP ● Exposed ceiling beams / exposed chestnut log ceilings in basement ● Heart pine floors ● Top of line finishing’s ● Pool.

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but the kitchen sink. And even there, we have something close in that a dog grooming business has someone dress up as a Dalmatian and sit in a bathtub, trying to wash his spots off. Because they make dogs spotless. Get it?

GT: Good one.

JH: Yeah, you gotta have a sense of humor in this parade.

GT: So it’s all local people putting together their own floats?

WOOD HILL

Middleburg, Virginia ● $3,300,000

Circa 1889 manor home ● Completely redesigned and reconstructed ● Exposed beams, solid mahogany doors and windows ● Antique fireplaces ● Reclaimed choice hardwoods and limestone foyer ● Incomparable views ● 15 manicured acres.

3 miles from the quaint village of Middleburg ● 49 acres ● Elegant 1940’s brick colonial home ● Stable ● Cottage ● Apartment ● Pool ● Tennis court ● mature trees and sweeping lawn to Goose Creek which surrounds most of the property.

RECTORTOWN ROAD

THE OLD LINDSEY STORE

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Rectortown, Virginia ● $775,000

Quaint village setting ● First floor master suite ● 2 additional bedrooms ● Charming guest home ● 3 stall barn ● 3 acres ● Lovely setting.

Paul MacMahon

(703) 609-1905

Helen MacMahon

(540) 454-1930

Paris, Virginia ● $485,000 Circa 1890*4,400 sf home ● Unobstructed views of the protected Paris Valley ● 3 bedrooms ● Additional 2 bedroom in-law suite w/second kitchen ● Detached garage ● Unlimited possibilities.

Helen MacMahon Walter Woodson

(540) 454-1930 (703) 499-4961

110 East Washington Street | Middleburg, Virginia 20117 (540) 687-5588

IN

COUNTRY

JH: People and businesses, yes. What makes this parade special, essentially, is that every float or part of the walk represents something that the people of this town really care about.

GT: So what is Middleburg, in a sense? Why should people want to find out what makes this town tick?

JH: Well some might see it as just a part of horse country. It’s an 18th century village and yes, we’ve got a lot of big horse farms. But what we’ve really got here are clauses of care and

concern where people reach out and help each other. For example, we have a lot of animal rescue organizations that come out to be in the parade. We’ve got the Methodist Church hosting a breakfast to help an organization called Seven Loaves, which helps out need families.

They’re the busiest they’ve ever been in this tough economy.

GT: But that horse country atmosphere is a big draw for your town. So will that be a part of the parade too?

Great times.

Good friends.

People who care.

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COUNTRY

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JH: It’s actually one of the most visually stunning parts of the event. The Middleburg Hunt Review, which we’re pretty famous for, has its own event right around this time and we combine it with the parade. They have their biggest meeting of the year, usually about 90 to 100 riders turn out with their hounds on the west end of town. From there, they send a pack of hounds down Main Street and ride through at about 11a.m., when throngs of people are waiting to see them. It’s breathtaking and so significant, a real piece of history. For me, it feels

like when the troops go by in front of the grand stand. It’s really beautiful to see.

GT: What else does the parade have going on?

JH: Oh, so much: polo teams, high school bands, acrobats. I’d like to say I had entries this year from A to Z, but it’s really only A to W. I want to be honest.

GT: It sounds a little like New Orleans.

JH: It is like New Orleans! Only we’re a little more family-friendly.

For a complete schedule of events surrounding the annual Middleburg Christmas Parade, visit www.christmasinmiddleburg.org

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IN COUNTRY CALENDAR Now through Dec. 18 Holiday Market Catch the last days of the Holiday Market, held Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 9 p.m. on American Way at the National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Md. The marketplace features handmade ornaments and decorations, homemade cookies, roasted chestnuts and other seasonal treats. Visit HarborHolidays.com for more information and for directions.

Now through Dec. 31 Gaithersburg Festival

Winter

Lights

Take a drive through Seneca Creek State Park to see 3.5 miles of winter wonderland light displays. Enjoy 350 displays of holiday spirit.

Large capacity are vehicles welcome. 11950 Clopper Rd, Gaithersburg, Md. Festival hours are Sunday and Tuesday - Thursday, 6 to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 6 to 10 p.m. For more information visit GaithersburgMd.gov or call 301 258 6310.

Dec. 1 – 4

es, schools and community groups. On Dec. 1, Fredrick’s annual Scents and Sweets event will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the same venue when a gingerbread house and floral arrangement competition will be held. On the same day at 6 p.m., chef Spike Mendelsohn will be discussing and signing his latest cookbook. For more information, events and details, visit Frederickartscouncil.org or call 301-662-4190.

We are Retiring - Our Store is Closing 1/2 off Armoires Garden items Prints Architectural items Settees & Benches

Dec. 2 – 3 Christmas in Middleburg This special weekend event starts on Friday, December 2nd at 5:30pm with the Christmas tree lighting ceremony and caroling. Then, on Saturday, December 3rd the celebrations starts with Breakfast with Santa at 8:30am, followed by the Middleburg Hunt Review parade at 11:00am, and the Christmas Parade down Washington Street at 2:00pm. These events are wrapped before and after by seasonal activities, specials in stores, and fun things for everyone in the family to do. For more information visit ChristmasInMiddleburg.org

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An English country estate, "Chimneys" exudes charm. Main house, c1790 with later additions, is stucco over log and frame, has heart of pine floors, beamed ceilings, 5 FPs, 6 Bs, 5 FBs, 2 HBs, boxwood and perennial gardens. Stone guest cottage, c1770, is 3 floors with 1B-1FB. Poolhouse has flagstone floors, pickled walls, 2 FPS, 1B-1FB. 2-car garage, barns, sheds, 12.5 acres. $1,595,000

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Your Dining Guide to Washington DC’s Finest

1789 RESTAURANT

1226 36th St, NW With the ambiance of an elegant country inn, 1789 features classically based American cuisine – the finest regional game, fish and produce available.

Open seven nights a week.

Jackets required.

Complimentary valet parking. www.1789restaurant.com

BANGKOK JOE’S

3000 K St NW (One block from Georgetown Lowe’s theatres) Georgetown introduces Washington’s first “Dumpling Bar” featuring more than 12 varieties.

Come and enjoy the new exotic Thai cuisine inspired by French cooking techniques. Bangkok Joe’s is upscale, colorful and refined. Absolutely the perfect place for lunch or dinner or just a private gathering. www.bangkokjoes.com

(202) 965-1789

CHADWICKS

(202) 333-4422

CIRCLE BISTRO

BISTRO FRANCAIS

3124-28 M St NW A friendly French Bistro in the heart of historic Georgetown since 1975. Executive chef and owner Gerard Cabrol came to Washington, D.C. 32 years ago, bringing with him home recipes from southwestern France. Our specialties include our famous Poulet Bistro (tarragon rotisserie chicken); Minute steak Maitre d’Hotel (steak and pomme frit¬es); Steak Tartare, freshly pre¬pared seafood, veal, lamb and duck dishes; and the best Eggs Benedict in town. In addition to varying daily specials. www.bistrofrancaisdc.com

BISTROT LEPIC & WINE BAR

1736 Wisconsin Ave., NW Come and see for yourself why Bistrot Lepic, with its classical, regional and contemporary cuisine, has been voted best bistro in D.C. by the Zagat Guide. And now with its Wine bar, you can enjoy “appeteasers”, full bar service, complimentary wine tasting every Tuesday and a new Private Room. The regular menu is always available.

Open everyday.

Lunch & dinner.

Reservations suggested. www.bistrotlepic.com

(202) 338-3830

(202) 333-0111

CITRONELLE

CLYDE’S OF GEORGETOWN

3205 K St, NW (est.1967) A Georgetown tradition for over 40 years, this friendly neighborhood restaurant/ saloon features fresh seafood, burgers, award-winning ribs, & specialty salads & sandwiches.

Daily lunch & dinner specials.

Late night dining (until midnight Sun.-Thu., 1A.M. Fri-Sat) Champagne brunch served Sat. & Sun. until 4P.M. Open Mon-Thu 11:30A.M.-2A.M. Fri-Sat 11:30A.M.-3A.M.Sun 11A.M.-2A.M.Kids’ Menu Available. Overlooking the new Georgetown Waterfront Park ChadwicksRestaurants.com

One Washington Circle, NW Washington, DC 22037 Circle Bistro presents artful favorites that reflect our adventurous and sophisticated kitchen.

(202) 333-2565

(202) 293-5390

(202) 625-2150

(202) 333-9180

DEGREES BISTRO

DON LOBOS MEXICAN GRILL

FILOMENA RISTORANTE

2311 Wisconsin Avenue, NW

The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C. 3100 South Street, NW, Degrees Bistro features a traditional French bistro menu with an innovative cocktail and wine list. The restaurant design complements the industrial chic style of The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown, and welcomes diners to unwind in the simple, modern comfort of a neighborhood eatery while enjoying a savory lunch or dinner at the hip bar or in one of the stylish banquettes. www.ritzcarlton.com/ georgetown (202) 912-4110

20 November 30, 2011 GMG, Inc.

Featuring Happy Hour weekdays from 5pm-7pm, live music every Saturday from 8pm12midnight, and an a la carte Sunday Brunch from 11:30am-2:30pm.

Open dailyfor breakfast, lunch and dinner.

(The Latham Hotel) 3000 M St, NW Internationally renowned chef and restaurateur Michel Richard creates magic with fresh and innovative American-French Cuisine, an exceptional wine list and stylish ambiance.

Open for Dinner.

Valet parking.

3236 M St, NW 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. www.clydes.com

www.citronelledc.com

CAFE BONAPARTE

1522 Wisconsin Ave Captivating customers since 2003 Café Bonaparte has been dubbed the “quintessential” European café featuring award winning crepes & arguably the “best” coffee in D.C! Other can’t miss attributes are; the famous weekend brunch every Sat and Sun until 3pm, our late night weekend hours serving sweet & savory crepes until 1 am Fri-Sat evenings & the alluring sounds of the Syssi & Marc jazz duo every other Wed. at 7:30. We look forward to calling you a “regular” soon! www.cafebonaparte.com (202) 333-8830

DAILY GRILL

1310 Wisconsin Ave., NW Reminiscent of the classic American Grills, Daily Grill is best known for its large portions of fresh seasonal fare including Steaks & Chops, Cobb Salad, Meatloaf and Warm Berry Cobbler.

Open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.Visit our other locations at 18th & M Sts NW and Tysons Corner. www.dailygrill.com

www.circlebistro.com

2811 M Street NW Serving Washington since 1992, Don Lobos offers authentic Mexican cuisine. We use only the finest and freshest ingredients when making our traditional menu items. Famous for our Mole, and adored for our tamales. We also offer a wide range of tequila and the best margarita in Georgetown. Now serving Brunch Saturday and Sunday from 10-2.

Hours: Mon-Thu 11am-10pm Fri-Sat 11am-11pm Sun 10am- 10pm (202) 333-0137

1063 Wisconsin Ave., NW Filomena is a Georgetown landmark that has endured the test of time for almost a quarter of a century. Our old-world cooking styles & recipes brought to America by the early Italian immigrants, alongside the culinary cutting edge creations of Italy’s foods of today, executed by our award winning Italian Chef. Try our spectacular Lunch buffet on Fri. & Saturdays or our Sunday Brunch, Open 7 days a week for lunch & dinner. www.filomena.com (202) 338-8800

GOOD GUYS Fine Dining & Exotic Entertainment in Glover Park since 1966.

Monday-Thursday 11am-2am Friday-Saturday 11am-3am Sunday 4pm-2am The kitchen is always open!

A GENTLEMAN’S CLUB ONLY 21 AND OVER, PLEASE www.goodguysclub.com (202) 333-8128

(202) 337-4900

MAI THAI

3251 Prospect St. NW Authentic Thai food in the heart of Georgetown. The warm atmosphere, attentive service, and variety of wines and cocktails in this contemporary establishment only add to the rich culture and authentic cuisine inspired by Thailand.

With an array of authentic dishes, from Lahb Gai (spicy chicken salad) and Pad Thai, to contemporary dishes like Panang soft shell crab and papaya salad, the dynamic menu and spectacular drinks will have you coming back time and time again.

HAPPY HOUR 3:30 - 6PM www.maithai.com (202) 337-1010

FOOD

&

WINE

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK: THE ZOMBIE RETURNS

By Miss Dixie

J

ust the name of the Zombie cocktail is enough to scare many imbibers away. Like the daiquiri and the margarita, this timeless cocktail has been imitated and mutated far beyond its original form. But this legendary tipple has quite a history behind it.

The Zombie was created around 1934 by Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt, who is considered is the founding father of tiki bars.

According to Wayne Curtis, author of “And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails,” Gantt, who had spent much of his youth rambling about, arrived in Los Angeles just as Prohibition was drawing to an end. He rented a small bar and decorated it with items he’d gathered in the South Pacific, along with driftwood, old nets and parts of wrecked boats he scavenged from the beach.

Gantt stocked his bar with inexpensive rums, which were available in abundance after prohibition, and invented an array of faux-tropical drinks, using fruit juices and exotic liqueurs.

Gantt called his place Don the Beachcomber’s. It became incredibly fashionable, attracting celebrities and eventually expanded to multiple locations. The joint became so much part

3251 Prospect St. NW Established in 1991, Peacock Cafe is a tradition in Georgetown life.

The tremendous popularity of The Peacock Happy Day Brunch in Washington DC is legendary.

The breakfast and brunch selections offer wonderful variety and there is a new selection of fresh, spectacular desserts everyday.

The Peacock Café in Georgetown, DC - a fabulous menu for the entire family.

Monday - Thursday: 11:30am - 10:30pm Friday: 11:30am - 12:00am Saturday: 9:00am - 12:00am Sunday: 9:00am - 10:30pm (202) 625-2740

Despite the kitschy gimmicks, Gantt was actually a talented mixologist. He pioneered the use of multiple rums in cocktails, resulting is a rich and layered flavor. His recipes were closely guarded secrets – they were published in code or contained secret formulas.

Jeff “Beach Bum” Berry, author of several books on tiki culture including “Sippin’ Safari,” “Grog Log” and “Intoxica,” spent years tacking down Gantt’s Zombie recipe. Berry Zombie Punch actually turned up three from Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s “Sippin’ Safari” different recipes from varying years - appar.75 oz Lime Juice ently Gantt modified the .5 oz Don’s Mix . (2 parts grapefruit juice, 1 ingredients over time. part cinnamon-infused sugar syrup) The original formula, 5 oz Falernum Berry believes, comes 1.5 oz Jamaican Rum from the1934 recipe for 1.5 oz Gold Puerto Rican Rum Zombie Punch in a little 1 oz 151 Demerara Rum black book belonging to 1 dash Angostura Bitters a former waiter at Don 1/8th tsp Herbsaint or Pernod the Beachcomber’s. The 1 tsp Grenadine recipe called for an in.75 cup crushed ice gredient called “Don’s Put everything into a blender, saving ice for Mix” which Berry decilast. Blend at high speed for no more than 5 phered to be a mixture of seconds. Pour into a chimney glass and fill with grapefruit juice and cinice. Garnish with fresh mint. namon syrup.

The ingredient list for Ingredients to make the Zombie may be purthe Zombie is lengthy chased at Dixie Liquor in Georgetown. compared many of today’s highballs, but it reguarded his recipe closely, but rival mixologists sults in a cocktail with a rich palette of flavor. It made their own versions and inferior cocktails tastes both tart and sweet yet refreshing. But do flooded the bar scene. While the tiki trend has beware: This drink’s smooth fruity flavor covfaded, versions of the Zombie can be found in ers up the fact that it contains three shots of rum retro bars and Asian restaurants. Many of them – so enjoying too many zombies could easily bare little resemblance to the original. turn you into one.

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1201 F St, NW Ranked one of the most popular seafood restaurants in , DC, “this cosmopolitan”send-up of a vintage supper club that’s styled after a ‘40’s-era ocean liner is appointed with cherry wood and red leather booths, infused with a “clubby, old money” atmosphere. The menu showcases “intelligently” prepared fish dishes that “recall an earlier time of elegant” dining. What’s more, “nothing” is snobbish here.

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Dining Guide

PEACOCK CAFE

of his personality that Gantt legally renamed himself Donn Beach. According to the museum of the American cocktail, the first Zombie was whipped one morning to revive a hungover customer around 1934. His verdict: “I feel like the living dead; it made a zombie out of me.” It was later said that Gantt limited his customers to two zombies apiece.

The drink became wildly popular. Donn

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GMG, Inc. November 30, 2011 21

FOOD

&

WINE

THE LATEST DISH

By Linda Roth Conte

B

ryan Voltaggio, chef/owner of Volt in Frederick, Md., is in high gear. In addition to his new North Market Kitchen in downtown Frederick as well as his new bistro Range (as in “down on the … ”) in Chevy Chase, he also plans to open a soup-andsandwich concept on Frederick’s Carroll Creek Promenade, where La Dolce Vita used to be, called Lunchbox. The casual 30-seat restaurant is slated to be open before the end of the year.

In the first quarter of 2012, Volt will introduce a prix-fixe $80 per person menu that changes each month, to replace the a la carte menu.

Lunch service will be offered only on the weekends. Bryan also has an idea for a diner, yet to be named, that he wants to open on East Street in Frederick in what used to be a car dealership. He hopes for an early second quarter 2012 opening.

And speaking of Bryan/Brian(s), Brian McBride has joined forces with Robert Wiedmaier (Marcel’s, Brasserie Beck, Brabo and Mussel Bar) to create a model for restaurants he and Wiedmaier hope to open together. He’s currently headquartered at Brasserie Beck, creating protocols and menus. They have just hired a new chef de cuisine, Will Morris, formerly of Bourbon Steak. It was time for new challenges and new horizons, as Brian had been at Park Hyatt for 25 years.

Mike Isabella is moving at warp speed, it seems. Graffiato has been open only a few months and now has plans to open a Mexican

to every-week dining, not just special occasions. This more casual concept has worked well for Michel Richard’s Central and Fabio Trabocchi’s Fiola.

Stephen Starr is to Philadelphia what Danny Meyer is to New York. Now, he’s set his scope in D.C. and plans to open a French bistro at 14th Brian McBride (left) and Robert Wiedmaier (right) have joined forces and Q Streets, N.W., restaurant in early 2012 in Georgetown where before the 2012 fall session of Congress starts.

Hook was, until it caught fire – literally. BanHis big hit concepts in Philly include: Buddadolero will serve modern Mexican small plates. kan, Continental (love the martinis), MorimThe frequently-changing menu will feature oto and El Vez. ceviche, tacos, vegetables and “carbons,” which are Mike’s version of fajitas. Jonathan Umbel remains owner of the space.

Pie Sisters plans to open this month on M Street in Georgetown near Key Bridge. It appears the parent company is O’B Sweet, created by the Blakely sisters: Alli, Erin and Cat, who announce on their website that “Homemade pies are and have always been a staple in our family tradition … ” Falls Church restaurant landmark, 2941, will close the first two weeks of 2012 to undergo renovations – from the décor to the menu. It will become more casual and more appealing

Todd Thrasher is opening a new bar in Arlington

Renowned mixologist (PX/Restaurant Eve) Todd Thrasher plans to open a new bar called TNT, named for his son Tristan Noah Thrasher. It will accompany Eamonn’s: A Dublin Chipper on Columbia Pike in Arlington. A March or April opening is planned. He will offer two cocktail menus – one of old favorites, and one that’s brand new.

Quick Hits: Matchbox Management Group signed a deal to open a Ted’s Bulletin at 14th and S Streets, just a block from the next Matchbox to open, at 14th and T Streets, NW. Geoff Tracy signed a lease to open in Rockville, where Againn and Houston’s used to be. He has his sights on a second-quarter 2012 opening. SoHo, aka Southern Hospitality, serving American food, will open at 1813 Adams Mill Road, N.W., where Adams Mill Bar and Grill used to be, by the end of the year. Teaism plans to open in Old Town Alexandria in March. Plans to open in the U Street Corridor are on hold for now. Hawthorne Homemade Organic Juice Bar & Market plans to open on Macomb St, N.W., where River House used to be. Maddy’s Tap Room inked a deal to occupy 1100 13th Street, N.W. Cava Mezze Grill has leased a 2,100-square-foot space for its next location in the Mosaic District (Merrifield, Va.) now under development. They have locations in Rockville, Bethesda, Capitol Hill, Clarendon and, soon, Tysons Corner.

More Quick Hits:

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22 November 30, 2011 GMG, Inc.

Look for a new bakery concept from Mark Furstenberg, formerly of Bread Line. Maranon Café will open in the old Tegeste location on 14th Street, N.W. This new Latino

full-service restaurant plans to serve Mexican, Salvadorian, and Dominican food. BlackFinn American Grille signed a deal to open in Halstead Square in Merrifield, Va. It plans to open in summer of 2012. Jason McCarther plans to open Box Bar & Grill in Bethesda, featuring 15 televisions with all sports all the time and burgers and wings. Although Chidogo’s at 14th and U Streets, N.W., has closed -- as have several other retail operations there due to building renovation – Chidogo’s Robert Hisaoka continues to move forward, planning to open in College Park before end of year and at National Harbor

by Spring 2012.

Steak and Cheese, the new concept from restaurateur Michael Landrum, created of Ray’s The Steaks dynasty, stealthly opened in Rosslyn where Hell-Burger II (also his place) was.

They slice the beef – not shave it. One of several reasons why they do not claim to be an authentic cheesesteak place, hence the name.

Openings Update: Nick’s Riverside Grill and Tony & Joe’s are now slated to re-open in April, in Georgetown Harbour. Nick’s will expand into the former Cabanas space and will offer an expanded menu for lunch, dinner and brunch. Ray’s The Steaks in East River (Anacostia) plans to be open in January, with no menu changes planned. New York-based Boqueria now plans to be open in January at their downtown D.C. spot at 19th and M Streets, N.W. Cathal and Meshelle Armstrong’s “epicurean emporium,” Society Fair, is expected to open by Christmas. It will include a bakery, butchery, wine shop, bar and demo kitchen.

Four Fields (Ireland’s 4Ps) in Cleveland Park negotiated with its new owners to stay open until March 2012.

Chef Update: Duane Keller is the new executive chef for the Hamilton Crown Plaza Hotel and 14K Restaurant. Keller was most recently executive chef at the Mason Inn and Conference Center Hotel in Fairfax, and before that at Capital Grill in Chevy Chase. Mio is getting a new chef Giovanna Huyke, who is apparently the Julia Child of Puerto Rico. Zentan sushi chef Jason Zheng will be working for The Hamilton, the newest venue from Clyde’s Restaurant Group, when it opens this month. Alexander Zeppos is the new chef at Logan Tavern. Before that, he was the executive chef and director of operations for Growlers of Gaithersburg. Chef Robert Weland recently of Poste at the Hotel Monaco is now at Cork Wine Bar at Logan Circle. And chef Ron Tanaka of Cork Wine Bar is now at New Heights in Woodley Park.

Mari Vanna is a Russian home-cooking themed restaurant planning to open on Connecticut Ave., N.W., in Dupont Circle next fall. It will be three stories and will have décor that is noticeably Russian-grandmother-esque (think tchotchkes). It will have a club-like atmosphere (think Mansion on O). It’s owned by The Ginza Group, which owns Mari Vanna locations in Moscow, New York and London as well as more than 70 other concepts in Russia. Menu varies from beef stroganoff to blinis topped with caviar. And vodka.

Just like Jose Andres’ minibar within Café Atlantico (now America Eats Tavern), Amy Brandwein will offer a seasonal 12-course menu at Tavola 12, a 12-seat restaurant within Casa Nonna on Connecticut Ave, N.W., near Dupont Circle.

FOOD

&

WINE

THERE ARE HEROES AMONGST US: OCCUPY D.C. EATS

By Ariell Kirylo. Photos by Nile Mansky.

Vasant Khalsa, 29, Leader of Occupy DC Kitchen McPherson Square

H

aving witnessed the Occupy D.C. movement only on television or the occasional downtown drive-by spy, I felt it necessary to visit the steadfast soldiers of the 99% in order to ask them a very important question: What are you eating?

The beauty of being a food writer visiting the active volcano of political statements currently erupting at McPherson Square was that my presence remained neutral. I was Switzerland and was not there to indulge in dogmatic banter or critique the functioning of their operation or lack thereof; I was there to uncover what it was these people, camped out in the dead of noon and night, were noshing for nutrients.

The members of Occupy D.C. are of all shapes, sizes, colors, ages and financial statuses. Arriving around lunchtime, I walked amongst them searching for a place to call kitchen. My first encounters were a homeless man asking for a hug (which I quickly side-stepped,) a group of young Occupy drifters swigging vodka-lemonade and an older woman, self-named, Mother Jones asking for help to unload food from her car. This was my cue.

I followed Mother Jones and another group of volunteers to a white beat-up Subaru station wagon filled to the brim with containers of fresh fruit, cookies and other goods labeled mostly 7-Eleven and Trader Joes.

“Where did you get this from?” I asked. “Where do you think I got them from?” Replied Jones: “People!”

Mother Jones lives in Glen Echo and is one of a handful of “runners,” who are hooked up to a network and called upon to transport donations made from various sources. It appears many local people and businesses prefer to remain anonymous in their donations. This made it difficult to pull specific names out of Mother Jones for this story. For her, it was irrelevant who donated. For her, it only meant fulfilling a desire to be participant in movement she believes in. Later that day, I saw her standing proudly aside one of the founding members of Occupy McPherson who was loudly rattling off missions for that afternoon to dwellers, visitors and mostly anyone who was listening.

While unloading Mother Jones’s car, I met Ralph Dantley, an articulate middle-aged man who was simultaneously unloading his own beat-up Subaru station wagon parked next to us. Dantley is the President of Good Success Servant Services, a small nonprofit organization operating in D.C., I assume, only thanks to the good will and hard work of its very president.

Occupy volunteers wash dishes

Dantley has also offered himself as donation runner for Occupy and was, in that moment, unpacking a large amount of doughnuts from who knows where, and bags of chips that had “fallen off the Utz truck.” He led me to a nearby tent to unload the donation boxes.

The donated food was placed upon a table situated outside of a large blue and well constructed tent near the corner of 15th and K. Surrounding the tent was a mausoleum of half-clean, halfdirty pots, a collection of wires ducked taped together -- the skeleton of what appeared to be the previous kitchen structure -- and a makeshift stove onto which a large pot of water was boiling for dishwashing. As witnessed at any workplace, within minutes the food Mother Jones and Dantley had delivered was readily torn through by the surrounding crowd.

I spoke with a smiling young man, 25, from Silver Spring, who had snatched up some of Mother Jones’s packaged cantaloupe from 7-Eleven. He told me he had the money to pur-

originally for the Martin Luther King ceremony and surrounding events in October. While checking out the Occupy movement for the first time in person, he noticed a desperate need for leadership in the kitchen department. McPherson Square needed someone to spearhead the building of a proper and hygienic tent to store and organize edible donations and cook “hot” meals. Not only was Vasant up to the task but what he has been able to accomplish with what he was given is remarkable. Dantley confirmed that within one night, Vasant had rebuilt the kitchen tent, found shelving and single-handily arranged everything into what it looks like today.

Learning to cook simply from being “on his own at home,” Vasant was prepared to whip up a lamb stew that evening for his fellow Occupiers. He spoke to us without hesitation of his self-assigned kitchen duties but was occasionally interrupted by people asking for his help with this or that. I stepped aside, while he poured hot water into plastic containers outside the tent for dishwashing. When I returned to the tent For her, it was irrelevant who donated. For only minutes later, Vasant’s laptop had been her, it only meant fulfilling a desire to be stolen. He sat on his prepping table slumped participant in movement she believes in. over in disappointment while Dantley comforted him, “You didn’t deserve that, son.”

Having yet to pose for a picture displaying his hard work and dedicated community efchase a sandwich from the Pot Belly across fort, Vasant was reluctant to smile for the camthe street, yet preferred to stick it out with the era and I was reluctant to force him. “Someone group he marches and sleeps through the night will return it,” I said. “You should wreak havoc with. Though he said if things did get desperate until they do.” “What for?” he replied. “It won’t enough, he would slip away and use his debit matter anyway. It’s just what happens the seccard. ond I turn my back.” Shortly after and within Catching my attention, Dantely asked if I the safety of his orderly kitchen, he sat emowanted to meet the “hero” in the kitchen. Cleartionless on his prepping table facing the openly, this is what I came for. Unlike the chaotic ing flap. We snapped the shot needed for this front yard of the blue kitchen tent, the inside article, shook his hand and uneasily reassured surpassed all expectations. The shelves were him good would eventually return. stocked carefully with loads of canned and What I learned that day in McPherson Square dry products like rice and pasta and even taco was more than what I set out for. Amongst the shells. There were organized plastic containbedlam of tents, improvised solar panels and ers of onions and potatoes lining the walls, a rivers of people passing through with signs table positioned up front and cutting boards for of discontent, there exists the voices of those prepping. Amazed at the neatness of the space individuals who have dedicated their days to and, quite frankly, humbled at the thought of make this movement possible. The District has my own disorganized kitchen, I spun around to extended Occupy’s lease at McPherson until meet Vasant Khalsa, the hero.

February 2012. As the bitter cold approaches, How on earth? I asked. How did you? Who my thoughts will be with Mother Jones, Presihelped you? Where did you come from? The dent Dantely and Vasant. And just maybe, bequestions were stuttering from my mouth. Not sides another round of Lamb Stew, the universe at all flattered by the attention, yet unconsciousmight bring Vasant an opportunity to exist sufly charming, Vasant, 29, recounted his threeficiently in the world of the 99% or at the very minute story. He came to D.C. from Oakland, minimum, bring back his laptop.

Ralph Dantley, President of Good Success Servant Services

Mother Jones of Glen Echo

GMG, Inc. November 30, 2011 23

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MURPHY’S LOVE:

ADVICE ON INTIMACY AND RELATIONSHIPS

By Stacy Notaras Murphy Dear Stacy, My younger sister just announced that she is pregnant, following a short relationship with a guy she is no longer dating. She lives across the country, while the rest of our family is in the D.C. area. My parents and I were shocked by this turn of events but are starting to get excited about the idea. I know it will be hard for her to raise a baby alone so far away from us, but she has not said she wants to move home yet. I’m getting a lot of questions from our extended family like “What is she thinking?” and “Why aren’t you making her move back?” While I see their point and definitely agree that it could be easier on her if she lived near us, that’s not my decision to make. I don’t know how to respond when people ask me so many questions. I know they wouldn’t dream of being so blunt with her directly. What to do?

-Auntie to Be in D.C. Dear Auntie, Congratulations! Not just on your soon-tobe aunt status, but also on your restraint about telling Sister what she “should do” next. It can be hard to keep your mouth shut when you see someone making choices you wouldn’t have made – just look at all those dear extended family members who can’t seem to exercise the same self-control.

You are right, it will be hard for her to raise a baby alone, and she might decide to move close

for some extra support and babysitters. But she won’t make that decision any faster if she’s pressured to do so. In fact, your extended family knows this as well, which is why they aren’t pressuring her to move, they’re pressuring you to get her to move. When some of us are faced with a “crisis” (whatever the definition may be) we move into fix-it mode in order to manage our own anxiety about the situation, usually without being asked. It sounds like the extended family is trying to fix it for Sister, hoping that you will be the messenger. That’s a particularly challenging position – you might feel like Sister’s mouthpiece, Grandma’s confidant, and Uncle’s sounding board all at the same time. It’s a narrow space: On one side you are the press secretary, on the other you are at risk of being pulled into the sticky business of family gossip.

If you can tolerate the extended family’s good intentions (there are good intentions under there, I promise) and hold the anxiety, keeping it away from Sister, fantastic. If you can’t, or don’t want to, or notice that the price is too much to bear (hair falling out, nail biting, road rage, the usual signs), set your own limits with those good intentions. For example, “Thanks for your input, but I’m not talking about this anymore,” or the like, is a short, to-the-point way of saying, “Keep me out of this.” Even if she never knows about it, Sister will benefit from your boundaries. And she’s going to need you on her side.

&

SOUL Dear Stacy, My wife routinely falls asleep in our 5-year-old daughter’s bed. When this happens – about five nights a week – she usually crawls into our bed sometime in the night and we wake up together. It frustrates me that she thinks this is okay. How can I get her to understand that this is not okay behavior?

-Sleeping in a King Bed Alone Dear Sleeping King, Well, I don’t have a lot to go on here, but let’s summarize. You want help in getting her to understand that falling asleep in your daughter’s room is not okay. But see, it might actually be okay.

It might be okay if there is a compelling reason for your daughter to need mom in her room at night (e.g., a medical condition). It might be okay if you and Wife are able to have alone time, intimacy, and connection, elsewhere. It might be okay if everything is going well in your relationship already. It might be okay for this behavior to continue if these conditions are met. But from what you’ve said, and more so what you haven’t said, I’m going to surmise that you are unconvinced by her reasons, and that you might be feeling neglected yourself. As one with two small kids at home, I know from personal experience that the blessed time between their bedtime and ours is precious, fleeting and crucial to a happy partnership.

Does she know how you feel? What I mean by “feel” is how you feel, not how you judge her behavior, or what you believe about her decision-making. How you feel might be aban-

doned, lonely, sad, embarrassed or worried about what this means for your relationship.

When we start the conversation by naming how someone’s actions make us feel in this way, it often makes it easier for the other person to really hear our concerns, and not get caught up in defending her behavior. If she knows that you are missing the connected feeling of being next to her when you fall asleep, she might realize that she is missing that as well, and make more of an effort to resume your bedtime routine.

Stacy Notaras Murphy is a licensed professional counselor and certified Imago Relationship therapist practicing in Georgetown. Her website is www.therapygeorgetown.com. This column is meant for entertainment only, and it should not be considered a substitute for professional counseling. We really do want your questions. Send them confidentially to stacy@ georgetowner.com.

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ART

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AMAZING! MEL BOCHNER IN THE TOWER

By Ari Post

A

n art professor once gave me a great piece of advice: “Whenever you look at a work of art,” he said, “always ask yourself one question: What is it?” It is with this unimpressive mantra that I walk into every museum and approach every exhibit. For whether I am looking at a Titian mural (a portrait) or one of David Smith’s twisting metal sculptures (an abstract), this process helps me define the parameters of the artwork and experience things evenly and honestly. But entering the Tower of the National Gallery of Art to see the recent exhibition of Mel Bochner, I was at a loss for definition. Ironically enough, it was a room full of words.

In the mid- to late 1960s, Bochner created a series of portraits of friends and colleagues using only words written on paper, assembled and organized largely through studying Roget’s Thesaurus. One of the founding fathers of conceptual art, Bochner has spent his career questioning the nature of the art object, focusing on process, perception and idea over—and often in lieu of—the usual conclusion of artistic practice: a physical work of art.

For example, his Measurement series used black tape to make measurements directly onto walls, effectively making large-scale diagrams of the rooms in which they were installed. But through making and compiling words, Bochner found a depth, eloquence and historical context uniquely suited to his palette—and what he perhaps never found in the standard definition of painting. Bochner would not paint a portrait. He

Left: Master of the Universe, 2010. Mel Bochner, oil and acrylic on two canvases. Courtesy Peter Freeman Inc., New York© Mel Bochner 2011. Right: Mel Bochner.

would paint: “Portrait, Depiction, Archetype, Likeness, Model, Effigy.”

“The thing about English that’s so fascinating as a language is its ultimate flexibility,” Bochner says. “One thing about the thesaurus is that they always add words but rarely eliminate things. So you get an archeology of language.”

This is the foundation of Bochner’s recent work, a rather idiosyncratic history of English.

Love, passion, and the perils of courtship Photo: Kate Cook & Michael Brusasco. Courtesy of Utah Shakespeare Festival, photo by Karl Hugh.

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His earlier words-based works were meant to be portraits, as well as erudite studies in the flaws, redundant coextensions and contradictions of English. His new work, the primary focus of this exhibition, has taken the form of borderline social activism, revealing an ever-evolving lexicon where “Amazing” is replaced by “OMG,” and “Screw the Pooch” has eclipsed “Perish.” It also reveals more than a few of the artist’s bugbears, philosophical and moral uncertainties, and the result is a remarkably naked, honest and fulfilling experience.

It had been over 30 years since Bochner made—or even looked at—his initial thesaurus series. But when he reexamined the drawings for a retrospective of his work at Yale in 1995, “My response was, there’s probably more juice in that lemon—probably worth another squeeze.”

The first new word-works he made were revisited portraits of Eva Hesse and Robert Smithson (both the originals and the revisited portraits are on view in the exhibition). “The earlier ones have the certitude of my youth—black ink, no mistakes,” Bochner says. “And I couldn’t go back to that anymore, it’s not my attitude toward life. So I redid them with charcoal and kept erasing and reworking and it formed a kind of bridge.”

But, as it seems, Bochner’s “attitude toward life” rapidly took to the forefront of his new work, evolving it from portraiture of the individual to portraiture of time, place and sentiment. The headlining diptychs of the exhibition, “Master of the Universe,” “Oh Well,” “Amazing!” and “Babble” are monumental paintings over eight feet tall, painted in crass neon hues with a bubbly Comic Sans-type font.

“These paintings are my response to everything I see around me,” he says. “They address the disillusion of language in terms of contemporary discourse. I look at this as basically an inarticulate expression of the underlying contradictions of the systems we live in, with a lack of articulate consciousness. And maybe it’s an educational deficit.”

The political edge of these pieces is hard to ignore. “It was very important to me to have that painting, ‘Master of the Universe,’ in Washington,” he says. “And I hope that people get, without my having to explain, the sociocultural undertones of that painting next to the other painting, ‘Oh Well.’”

“I long ago gave up on the idea that art can change capitalism,” Bochner says. “But anything that can bring people to greater consciousness about their own experience is positive and, I believe, a step in the right direction.

For instance, it is no coincidence that his painting “Amazing” begins with the words Amazing and Awesome—biblical words with which the Old Testament denoted God’s power—and then runs through the chronology of evermore contemporary exclamations, until concluding like a fart with OMG. The Awesome becomes more of a self-involved hyperbole than anything worthy of real rejoice.

“I want the paintings to be part of a conversation, a discourse,” he says. “Otherwise, why use language? The best quote I know about this is from Nietzsche: ‘We write not only to be understood, but also to be misunderstood.’ And that’s really it. To be misunderstood is to carry forth the conversation. It’s to raise questions, create arguments and disagreements. That’s basically what philosophy is. People misunderstanding each other.”

For a lifelong conceptual artist, Bochner’s new work is uncharacteristically ubiquitous, and it dances oddly around abstract expressionism and pop art. On the one hand, in answer to my self-imposed question, What is it? the answer could not be more tangible or concrete. It is words. Just like Warhol’s soup cans or Van Gogh’s purple irises, the work is inert. But a series of words cannot help but be read and, just as in abstraction, the interpretations can spin out endlessly and wildly. To quote theorist and critic Frederic Jameson, “The work…is taken as a clue or symptom for some vaster reality which replaces it as its ultimate truth.” The beauty of Bochner’s exhibition runs synonymous to the crudity of daily American life: we are free to pay as much or as little attention as we please, but there’s no denying the harsh reality before us, displayed in bold bright colors across the walls of our consciousness.

Mel Bochner’s Thesaurus Works are on view at the National Gallery through April 8, 2012.

For more information visit Nga.gov/Exhibitions

Performance Exclusive Read our Theater Round-Up by Gary Tischler online at www.Georgetowner.com

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More than ten thousand people participated in the 24th and final Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walkathon on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 19. 2. Alia and Olivia enjoy skating at the Ice Rink at the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden during its opening weekend. 3. The first man to walk on the moon, Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong, delivers an acceptance speech during the ceremony where space legends Armstrong, John Glenn, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were awarded Congressional Gold Medals, the nation’s highest civilian honor, on Wednesday, Nov. 16.

The first American to orbit the Earth, former Senator John Glenn (D-Ohio) delivers his acceptance speech for the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor, on Wednesday, Nov. 16. In background,

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). 5. Hundreds of protestors from the Occupy D.C. movement entered Georgetown on M Street during rush hour on Thursday, Nov. 17. 6. The equestrian statue of General Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans provides a magnificent subject for the bright gold autumn foliage of Lafayette Park on Nov. 19.

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Photos and text by Jeff Malet, www.MaletPhoto.com.

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HUNGARIAN HURRAH AT CHEZ SCHOTT

AL TIRAMISU SALUTES PIEDMONT

Italian Pied Piper Luigi Diotaiuti, the chef and owner of the Dupont Circle restaurant that celebrates the best of Italian cuisine, held another cooking class and luncheon on Nov. 19, celebrating Piedmont in the series honoring the 150th anniversary of Italy’s unification and his 15 years on P Street. The star attraction were the famous white truffles which Luigi abundantly shaved over stirred-to-perfection Acquerello Arborio rice.

The lesson began with bagna cauda and concluded with beef stewed in Barolo wine. Given the generous pouring of the region’s signature wines, the participants were also pleasantly “stewed” as they ventured into the sunlight.

- Mary Bird

Ambassador of Hungary Gyorgy Szapary, a grandson of a former prime minister and descendant of a distinguished 16th century family, was feted by Nash and Aniko Gaal Schott at their elegant Wesley Heights residence Nov. 18.

The former Deputy Governor of the Hungarian National Bank, and later Monetary Adviser to Hungary’s present Prime Minister Victor Orban, mingled with prominent Washingtonians including Georgetown’s Ed and Dale Mattias of the Carlyle Group, art and music patrons Jane and Calvin Cafritz, art collectors Ricardo and Isabel Ernst, Ambassador Lloyd and famed jewelry designer Ann Hand, Ximena and Gonzalo Sanchez de Losada, former President of Bolivia, Prince Ermias Sahle Selassi and Princess Mahisente H. Mariam and other glamorous attendees and ambassadors. The ambassador clearly has a stellar embassy guest list in order.

-Mary Bird Hostess Aniko Gaal Schott

Jane and Calvin Cafritz, Ximena and Gonzalo Sanchez de Losada

Hagar and Julien Chemali

Bill and Janet Prutting, Isabel and Ricardo Ernst

Al Dahya, Beth Farrelly, Iain Crawford

De PIZAN HONORS

The National Women’s History Museum presented the de Pizan Honors in a gala celebration at the Ronald Reagan Building Nov. 16. Catherine de Pizan was born in Venice and the first Western woman to write about women’s history in 1405. The evening celebrated the legend of pioneering women by showcasing their achievements alongside the contributions of their modern inheritors. Marissa Mayer, Cathy Hughes and Helen Greiner were the honorees. Actress Meryl Streep, the museum’s spokesperson, served as host of the gala before departing directly for China. Retired Sen. John Warner, recipient of the Henry Blackwell Award, advised women to “always sleep with one eye open.”

- Mary Bird

Annie Totah, Meryl Streep and Gloria Herndon Photo by Amy Sievers

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Radio One, Inc. Founder and Chairperson, Cathy Hughes and son, Alfred Liggins lll Photo by Neshan H. Naltchayan

Museum president and CEO Joan Wages, Sen. John Warner, recipient of the Henry Blackwell Award Photo by Amy Sievers

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DECLASSIFIED: OSS SOCIETY HONORS SPECIAL OPS CHIEF, UNVEILS OSS MUSEUM DESIGN If one could have spied on a singular event illuminating America’s awesome firepower in intelligence, surely it was the OSS Society’s annual awards dinner last month. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel was electric with civilian and military leaders, young soldiers, sailors and marines, old spies, patriots and a trace of media. The main event: The 50th anniversary presentation of the William J. Donovan Award to Adm. Eric Olson and an off-the-record speech by CIA Director David Petraeus.

Olson, retired commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, whose last big mission was taking out Osama bin Laden, and the popular Gen. Petraeus, newly appointed U.S. spymaster, joined 600 others and the likes of such soldiers as the Masson brothers, Sgt. Thomas Costello, wounded in Afghanistan, and his wife Jennifer.

Led by Maj. Gen. Victor Hugo, who served as master of ceremonies, they saluted those hold and have held America’s tip of the spear against her enemies. All rose to toast the U.S.A., the commander-in-chief, allies, the OSS, Bill Donovan, lost and missing comrades -- and the ladies.

Maj. Gen. John Singlaub, who received the Donovan award in 2007, presented it to Olson, who spoke of the OSS Manual #3 (It’s about sabotage. Good read; check it out). The man of the night -- who had been the longest serving SEAL on active duty, “a bull frog” -- took part in Desert Storm and Somalia. His actions during the Battle of Mogadishu, recounted in “Black Hawk Down,” earned Olson a Silver Star. The admiral said the “New Normal” required clever people and solutions. He certainly was in the right place to find them.

The OSS Society is dedicated to those who served during World War II in the Office of Strategic Services, predecessor to the Central

Donovan awardee Adm. Eric Olson with Maj. Gen. John Singlaub.

Sergeants Mike Masson and John Masson.

Intelligence Agency and U.S. Special Operations and honors the memory of legendary Gen. “Wild Bill” Donovan, OSS founder. Tributes to Donovan are not overstated: “What a man! We have lost the last hero,” said President Dwight Eisenhower. Donovan’s OSS men have been described as “PhDs who could win a bar fight.” The OSS’s influence on today’s spies and special ops also cannot overstated. Other awarded the Donovan prize include Presidents Eisenhower, Reagan and George H.W. Bush as well as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Lord Mountbatten, William Casey, William Colby, William Webster, Ross Perot -- and Petraeus two years ago.

The society works to continue that influence, as it educates the public on “the continuing importance of strategic intelligence and special operations to the preservation of freedom in this country and around the world.” During the Oct. 15 gala, the non-profit debuted designs for the National OSS Museum -- “telling America’s greatest untold story.” The OSS Society is hunting for locations -- especially in Northern Virginia. Says its serious president Charles Pinck, tongue not entirely in cheek: “I’m responsible for a group of very dangerous senior citizens.”

Oh, and Petraeus’s speech? Not to worry: he basically thanked everyone and . . . well, the rest is off the record.

- Robert Devaney

Charles Pinck of the OSS Society, displaying one of the non-profit’s slogans: “Old Spies. Smell like an old man, man.”

William Webster, former FBI Director and CIA Director, with the current CIA Director David Petraeus.

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GEORGETOWNER HOLIDAY BENEFIT & BAZAAR 2011

On November 17, The Georgetowner hosted its 2nd Annual Holiday Benefit and Bazaar presented

by EagleBank. Residents, readers, and friends of The Georgetowner flocked to the beautiful George Town Club to shop at the bazaar and bet on silent auction items benefiting­ three community stars; Hyde-Addison Elementary, CAG, and Hope for the Warriors. Guests savored the George Town Club’s hors d’ oeuvres and the caviar/potato bar and enjoyed signature cocktails provided by Beam Global Spirits.

Brian Armstrong, general manager of the George Town Club, Sonya Bernhardt, Georgetowner publisher, and Joe Clarke of EagleBank.

Natalie Schlitt, Bob Pincus, chairman of EagleBank, and Michele Conley.

Renee Antosh of The Georgetowner.

Jean Luc, Derborah Kalkstein and Jessica Bobrow of Alessi.

Aaro Keipi, Ari Post and Samantha Hungerford all of The Georgetowner.

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Lolly Amons, Liana Vassilla and Krista Johnson of Ella Rue.

Andrew Peters of EagleBank Georgetown and Alison Brooks of Queen Bee Designs.

Happy shopper Karen Murphy.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

and thanks to all that made this event very special as we honor and give back to three shining stars of our community:

The Citizens Association of Georgetown Hope For The Warriors Hyde-Addison Elementary School And a special thanks to: Applachian Spring | Aveda | Bai | Beam Global Spirits | Bennetton | Bistro Francais | Cafe Bonaparte | Center for Wine Origins | Choral Arts Society | Dr. Claudia Cotca Evind and Hans | Fitness Together | Food and Wine Company | Ford's Theatre | Georgetown BID | Georgetown Spice and Tea | Hela Salon and Spa at The Collection | J. Chocolatier | Joelle Skincare | Kafe Leopold | Michael Kors | Mustique Wear | Phillip Birmingham Photography | Pie Sisters | Pink Palm Bethesda | Restoration Hardware | Saks Fifth Avenue Chevy Chase | The Dermatology Center &Rockledge MedSpa | The National Sporting Library |The Phoenix | Urban Country | Whole Foods Bazaar Shops: Smathers & Branson LLC | Linens of Provence | Queen Bee Designs | alexandera beth designs | MIJA Jewelry | Ibhana Creation | Ella Rue | Dandelion Patch | Three Sisters | Skincando | Aidiah | Dean and Deluca | Alessi | Tashia Senn

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