The Georgetowner August 8, 2018 Issue

SINCE 1954

VOLUME 64 NUMBER 21

GEORGETOWNER.COM

AUGUST 8-21, 2018

DOG DAYS of Summer ROLLIN’ ON THE RIVER

news

O BAM A, BID EN L U NC H AT D O G T AG MO RE O N BIK E L ANES KI T T Y K EL L EY BO O K C L U B

le decor

L U XE P IC NIC

social

C RUI SE, RO O N EY , SP IC ER, Z V EREV

IN THIS ISSUE IN THIS ISSUE

Up & Coming Town Topics Community Calendar The Village

EDITORIAL/OPINION · 8

BUSINESS · 10

Georgetowner, businessman and philanthropist Bill Dean and his dogs, Shredder (blonde) and Splinter (black), are photographed aboard his 87-foot motor yacht, Moksha, moored at Washington Harbour. Cover photograph by Ricardo Jimenez.

Ins & Outs

FINANCE · 11 REAL ESTATE · 9-10 Featured Property Le Decor Real Estate Sales

COVER · 11-13 ROLLING ON THE RIVER DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

FOOD & WINE · 15 Dining Guide Cocktail of the Month

D.C. Bicyclists Killed in Tajikistan

BY R OBERT D EVAN EY

American bicyclists Jay Austin and Lauren Geoghegan and others at the border of Kyrgyzstan.

Courtesy Simply Cycling.

Georgetown Library Issues Summer Challenge

BY PEGGY SAN D S

ARTS · 16 The Life and Lives of Alice Walker’s Celie DCArtswatch

BOOK CLUB · 18 Kitty Kelley Book Club

GOOD WORKS & GOOD TIMES · 19 Social Scene Events

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert Devaney

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Charlene Louis

COPY EDITOR Richard Selden

FEATURES EDITORS Ari Post Gary Tischler

NEWS · 5-7

Editorials Jack Evans Report

PUBLISHER Sonya Bernhardt

The Georgetown Public Library. Georgetowner photo.

Next Generation on Display at Citi Open (photos)

BY JEFF M AL ET

CONTRIBUTORS CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mary Bird Allyson Burkhardt Aidah Fontenot Evan Caplan FASHION & BEAUTY Jack Evans Donna Evers DIRECTOR Michelle Galler Lauretta McCoy Stephanie Green Amos Gelb GRAPHIC DESIGN Wally Greeves Angie Myers Kitty Kelley Rebekah Kelley PHOTOGRAPHERS Selma Khenissi Philip Bermingham Jody Kurash Jeff Malet Travis Mitchell Neshan Naltchayan Shelia Moses Patrick G. Ryan Stacy Murphy Kate Oczypok ADVERTISING Linda Roth Evelyn Keyes Alison Schafer Richard Selden Kelly Sullivan

1050 30th Street, NW 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 2018.

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

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

Alexander (“Sascha”) Zverev returns a volley to Alex de Minaur in the men’s finals. Photo by Jeff Malet.

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Photo of the Week

To submit your photos tag #thegeorgetowner on Instagram! “@eyagoda: Tender moment captured between father and son on my stroll through Rose Park in Georgetown.”

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UP & COMING

August

Events Calendar

WINE AND FASHION LiLi The First boutique hosts its first wine tasting, introducing Lisa Katic, owner of Altura Wine & Gourmet in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Katic will share selected wines and LiLi The First will share the pre-fall collection.

To RSVP (required), visit lilithefirst.com. 1419 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

AUGUST 14

TYGRESSA JONES AT BLUES ALLEY Born and raised in the Maryland suburbs, Tygressa Jones, affectionately known as ‘Ty,’ auditioned for Showtime at the Apollo and won for three consecutive weeks. At Blues Alley, she will sing R&B and funk from the 1970s backed by an old-school R&B cover band. Tickets are $22. For details, visit bluesalleylive.com. 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

AUGUST 24

‘CAN’T FEEL MY FACE’ DANCE PARTY At “Can’t Feel My Face,” a 2010s dance party with DJs Will Eastman and Ozker, guests will party to music by artists from Adele to Zedd, including Beyoncé, Bruno, Drake, Jay Z, the Justins, Kanye, Katy, Kendrick, Miley, Nicki, Pharrell, Rihanna and Taylor. Tickets are $12, benefiting Project Create DC. For details, visit ticketfly.com. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW.

Mike Bar.

AUGUST 12

Jazz in the Garden.

AUGUST 10

LYLE LOVETT AT WOLF TRAP

JAZZ IN THE GARDEN Jazz flutist Andrea Brachfeld will perform in the free Jazz in the Garden Series in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.

For details, visit nga.gov or call 202-842-6941.

Constitution Avenue and 7th Street NW.

Best known for his high-quality songwriting, filled with wit and charm, as well as occasional acting in films and on television, Lyle Lovett will appear with his Large Band at Wolf Trap.

Tickets are $30 to $65. For details, visit wolftrap. org. 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, Virginia.

AUGUST 25

CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE AND TRUFFLE CLASS

DOLLEY DAY

Milk Bar invites area residents to don their bandanas and learn how to perfectly layer chocolate chip cake and chocolate chip truffles at the Logan Circle location. Tickets are $95.

The class will also be offered Aug. 19. For details, visit milkbarstore.com. 1525 15th St. NW.

As the British marched closer on Aug. 24, 1814, Dolley Madison fled her beloved White House, taking refuge with the Carrolls at Dumbarton House. On Dolley Day, visitors can play historic lawn games, make ice cream, enjoy kids’ activities and meet Dolley herself. Admission is free. For details, visit dumbartonhouse.org.

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TOWN TOPICS

NEWS

BY P EG GY S A N D S

Obama, Biden Do Lunch at Dog Tag Bakery

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Barack Obama and Joe Biden greet surprised lunch-goers on Grace Street. Courtesy Dog Tag Bakery.

Former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden moseyed into Dog Tag Bakery on Grace Street in Georgetown for lunch July 30.

The casually dressed duo greeted and posed for photos with the Dog Tag fellows, who are learning about baking and cooking and how to run a business at the nonprofit bakery, which was created for disabled veterans by the

Rev. Rick Curry, S.J., and Connie Milstein.

Georgetown University helps to coordinate the program.

A crowd gathered on Grace Street in front of the bakery as Secret Service personnel looked on.

Founded in 2015 and the subject of a Georgetowner cover story, Dog Tag Bakery was ecstatic and grateful about the apparently

surprise visit, writing on Twitter: “Look who stopped by @DogTagBakery for lunch today!

Thank you @BarackObama and @JoeBiden for supporting our mission of empowering veterans with service-connected disabilities, military spouses, and military caregivers! #BakingADifference #veterans #milspouses #caregivers.”

D.C.’s 16 Main Streets Share Ideas On Saturday, July 28, DC Main Streets hosted a summit to provide advanced training for the program’s executive directors, board members, staff, partners and volunteers. Washington now has 16 active “Main Streets,” with more to be funded this fall by the District Department of Small and Local Business Development.

The National Main Street Center was first established by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1980, becoming an independent subsidiary in 2013. The aim of the program is to create grassroots, locally grounded organizations of business owners and community members, committed to revitalizing their neighborhood business districts and corridors.

The summit provided a mentor/mentee experience for the newer Main Streets like Georgetown’s — funded in September of 2017 — to learn from the older ones like Shaw’s, funded in May of 2003.

“Having all community members at the table is key,” said Shaw Main Streets Executive Director Alexander Padro. “Listen to what the community wants and make decisions with them about what changes are to be made and how they will deal with them.”

Padro emphasized the need for continual communication; events, such as “A Taste of Shaw”; services, such as the Shaw Clean Team;

and constant visibility through social media, newsletters and advertising. “And give out lots of swag with your logo and web address,” he said with a grin.

To some oohs and ahs, Padro showed workshop participants #LoveShaw T-shirts with red smiling lips, colorful magnets with Shaw images and thick newsletters with articles by local writers and ads from local businesses. Most popular with children and adults, according to Padro, was the large format “Shaw Heritage” coloring book, featuring Shaw buildings and historic figures, many African American.

“You need to be the matchmaker between the Main Street and the sponsors of your events, services and organization,” Padro said.

“Sponsors have something you need and you have something they need — visibility and community support.” For instance, as he told The Georgetowner: “Dino’s Grotto Italian restaurant chose to move from Cleveland Park to Shaw recently, largely because they knew they could rely on a high level of local promotion and visibility from the Shaw Main Street social media and communications network.”

Georgetown’s Main Street has just begun the process of building a community coalition using the patented “Main Street Approach.”

It recently gave out its first round of grants of $3,000 to $5,000 to Georgetown business for projects including exterior and interior renovations and technical assistance. On June 23, the organization hosted its first event: “I Do: A Georgetown Wedding Event.”

Shaw’s impressive incorporation of partners and volunteers may be harder in Georgetown due to the existence of established organizations such as the Citizens Association of Georgetown, the Georgetown Business Improvement District and the Georgetown Business Association, as well as four active friends-of-parks groups. Some are already involved in Main Street-style commercial revitalization. For example, the BID — funded by an obligatory tax on commercial property — oversees a Georgetown Clean Team.

“The idea is not to compete, nor to duplicate services, but to collaborate,” Dionne Baux, the National Main Street Center’s director of urban programs, said at the summit.

The 16 DC Main Streets programs are: Barracks Row Main Street, District Bridges, Destination Congress Heights, Eastern Market Main Street, Georgetown Main Street, Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets (which is applying for its own BID), H Street Main Street, Lower Georgia Avenue Main Street, Minnesota Avenue Main Street, North Capitol Main

Street, Rhode Island Avenue Main Street, Shaw Main Streets, Tenleytown Main Street, Upper 14th Street and Kennedy Street, Van Ness Main Streets and Ward 7 Business Partnership.

The application deadline for eligible D.C.based nonprofits to operate two new Main Streets, for 14th Street (Wards 1 and 2) and Woodley Park (Ward 3), was Aug. 3.

The DC Main Streets grant award can be renewed annually as long as the grantee continues to meet the National Main Street Center’s standards for accreditation. The initial $175,000 grant may be used to fund up to $55,000 for the executive director’s salary and up to $25,000 for administrative costs, including office rental, equipment and services.

A minimum of $35,000 must be spent for sub-grants to business and property owners; a minimum of $45,000 for other programmatic costs, including professional contracts such as accounting, audit and advertising services; and a minimum of $15,000 for technical assistance in learning the Main Street Approach. Up to $1,000 may be spent on professional dues and membership expenses and up to $2,000 on staff and volunteer travel.

In subsequent years, the Main Streets are expected to raise an increasing proportion of their operating and project budgets from local sources.

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BID Modifies K St. Reconfiguration

BY PEGGY SAN D S Sometimes the best of plans looks different once it is implemented. Such is the case with the reconfiguration of K and Water Streets in Georgetown to include a protected bikeway, lane changes and new regulations.

Two years in the making, the plans were implemented in June. Today, July 30, three modifications to address unexpected problems and citizen complaints were announced by Georgetown Business Improvement District CEO Joe Sternlieb.

The original idea was to solve 10 longstanding safety and congestion issues along the corridor and make conditions better for pedestrians, bikes (as many as 4,000 per day), cars and tour buses. “It was intended to make K/Water Street a safe and efficient route for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists alike, so that all the people who come to Georgetown to work, dine, play, shop and commute have a better experience,” Sternlieb wrote.

But while “reconfiguration has improved conditions for some users and in some parts of the K/Water Street corridor, it has also caused unacceptable congestion during evening rush hour — mostly between 29th Street and Cecil Place,” Sternlieb pointed out. “It takes too long to get out of some garages or to drive east to 27th Street.”

As a result, the BID and the District Department of Transportation are making three modifications, effective immediately: • Adding a left-turn pocket lane on eastbound K Street at 31st Street, so that vehicles waiting to turn left onto 31st Street won’t block eastbound through traffic; • Adding a second lane on eastbound K Street at 30th Street by using the center lane and offset lane markings through the intersection, doubling the street space for vehicles turning out of the Washington Harbour and Jefferson Court garages; • Fixing long-standing backups at 27th and K Streets by changing the right-lane designation to “righthand turn only” and adding more signal time for righthand turns from eastbound K Street onto southbound

Georgetown Business Improvement District sign on K Street near 34th Street. Georgetowner photo.

27th Street. This will allow up to twice as many vehicles to turn right during every two-minute light cycle.

“The reconfiguration is scheduled to be completed by the first week of August.

Evaluation of how it is working will begin immediately — followed by regular modifications to address problems for any user group,” Sternlieb wrote. In addition, new signs and roadway markings are being installed along the cycletrack to reduce conflicts between bikes, vehicles and pedestrians.

People are beginning to be socialized to the new configuration, forming safer habits.

“This will take a little time to fully set in,” per the BID. More modifications can be expected. However, nothing has been mentioned about the loss of parking places along K Street, the source of many complaints received by The Georgetowner.

Arlington Boathouse Plans Advance Plans seem be moving forward for a boathouse in Arlington, Virginia. The boathouse — to be built at the base of Rosslyn, a little south of Key Bridge and near Roosevelt Island — will provide greater non-motorized access to the public waterfront near Arlington County and will alleviate pressure on other area boathouses.

This will be Arlington’s first construction along the Potomac River, not without reason.

When the District of Columbia was created, Maryland and D.C. were given ownership over the Potomac shoreline; Virginia was not. Thus, Arlington’s government must work with the National Park Service to construct a boathouse. Questions remain regarding funding for the project and if the boathouse will solely serve local rowing teams or if it will also offer kayak, canoe and paddleboard rentals.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR MON., AUGUST 13 – SUN., AUGUST 19 SUMMER RESTAURANT WEEK

Seven Georgetown restaurants will participate in Summer Restaurant Week, offering three-course, prix-fixe menus.

For details, visit georgetowndc.com.

WED., AUGUST 15

SUNSET FITNESS IN THE PARK Corepower Yoga, 1055 Thomas Jefferson St. NW, will host a free outdoor fitness class at 6 p.m. in Georgetown Waterfront Park. For details, visit georgtowndc.com.

THURS., AUGUST 23 PUBLIC SPACE COMMITTEE

The meeting will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the second floor of the District Department of Transportation Permit Office, 1100 4th St. SW. For details, visit ddot.dc.gov.

WED., SEPTEMBER 5 ANC 2E

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

THURS., SEPTEMBER 6

OLD GEORGETOWN BOARD The Old Georgetown Board will meet at 9 a.m. at 401 F St. NW, Suite 312. The filing deadline is Thursday, Aug. 16. For details, visit cfa.gov.

Send your community event listing to editorial@georgetowner.com or call 202-338-4833.

THE VILLAGE

Big Plans for Jelleff Center B Y P E G GY SAN D S For decades, a Georgetown athletic facility and youth center, complete with community swimming pool, has been almost invisible.

The complex is set back in a quiet corner off Wisconsin Avenue and S Street, with lots of parking and an AstroTurf playing field that can host up to four soccer, baseball or football games simultaneously. Known variously as Jelleff Recreation Center and the Boys and Girls Club, it’s been around since the 1950s.

But few Georgetowners know about it.

There are no noticeable signs marking it as a public facility.

The large pool, with dozens of lounge chairs and a dedicated lap lane, is open free to D.C. residents from 11 a.m. until 6 or 8 p.m. every day except Wednesday. It actually sits in the shell of an older, larger pool that once offered programs for adult and senior swimmers. Now, the Department of Parks and Recreation runs a few swimming programs for children, but the pool is only open 60 days a year. This year, the pool will close Sunday, Aug. 19.

Immediately adjacent to the pool is a twostory brick building built by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington in 1953. A large gym with a single court for basketball and other sports, boys’ lockers and a sports office fill the first floor, accessible by an indoor staircase. The basement houses colorfully painted rooms used by the Boys and Girls Club for ping-pong, billiards, other games and arts-and-crafts projects, a library/study hall, a computer room, a kitchen (where fruit and spinach smoothies were being prepared when The Georgetowner visited), a girls’ locker room, a lounge area, a trophy room and offices.

The fields were built and surfaced by the Maret School under a 10-year contract that ends in 2020. Maret, now located in Cleveland Park, and the International and British Schools in Georgetown have contracted to use the fields most weekdays.

On summer evenings and weekends, the schedule is largely taken up by various soccer and baseball leagues.

Almost year-round, the gym’s schedule is fully packed, with 30-to-45-minute time slots reserved for more than 90 basketball leagues, school teams and formal and informal youth

Bob Stowers of Jelleff Center. Photo by Robert Devaney.

and adult teams. School teams use the gym until about 3:30 p.m. on weekdays; other teams schedule it until 9:30 p.m. or so, and all day on weekends. During the summer camp period, about 350 second-to-12th-grade schoolchildren use the courts every day.

The logistics of moving kids, team leaders, parents and grandparents off and on the one court — and through the 1950s-style dressing rooms and gym — are a constant challenge.

How is it done?

“Through great experience,” said Bob Stowers, club director for more than 25 years.

Stowers has been connected with the club all his life. “My father and uncles were members of the youth club when it was located at the corner of 31st and M Street in the ’40s,” he told The Georgetowner. Stowers pointed to a photo of himself suited up with his basketball team at the new gym in the early 1960s. It was one of many photos in a wall-sized case that also displayed trophies and plaques honoring club founders and supporters.

Now the Jelleff Center’s future is about to become more public. “DPR has budgeted $7 million to remodel and upgrade the building and add some client services that will fit within

that budget,” Peter Nohrden, DPR’s designated project manager, told some 100 attendees at a preliminary information meeting on July 23 at the Georgetown Public Library.

“This is a very exciting opportunity for the community,” said Kishan Putta, a Jelleff Center neighbor and activist. “Two basketball courts are obviously needed, as well as a multi-use athletic center. None of Georgetown’s parks have indoor athletic centers. Only Jelleff.”

Stowers would go further. “I think the old building should be demolished and a new facility built to meet the needs of athletes, seniors and youth groups,” he told The Georgetowner. “Seven million dollars is a tremendous amount of money to spend just on a renovation. It would be more efficient just to rebuild it anew.”

At least four more public meetings will be scheduled to get community input. Nohrden expects the plans to be finalized by the summer of 2019. Construction would take about six to nine months, with the new Jelleff Center opening in the fall or spring of 2020.

JELLEFF RECREATION CENTER 3265 S ST. NW WASHINGTON, DC 20007 202-462-1317 DPR.DC.GOV/PAGE/JELLEF-RECREATION-CENTER MONDAY TO FRIDAY: NOON TO 8 P.M. SATURDAY: 10 A.M. TO 6 P.M. CLOSED SUNDAY AQUATICS 202-671-1289 DPR.DC.GOV/PAGE/JELLEFF-POOL MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY: 11 A.M. TO 8 P.M. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: 11 A.M. TO 6 P.M. CLOSED WEDNESDAY

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EDITORIAL

Letters to the Editor

More on Bike Lanes and Safety

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

A Fund for Community Newspapers?

It’s the dog days of summer and — while we’d love to be able to relax a bit and go rollin’ on the river with our pups — the news doesn’t seem to slow down the way it used to.

Even with Congress and the president away, local news along K Street, M Street and Wisconsin Avenue is buzzing.

Businesses are coming and going. There is construction everywhere and new plans for more (see our story about the Jelleff Center). A population boom is bringing families to Georgetown, along with new enterprises to meet their needs.

Keeping you informed is just half the job of a local newspaper. The other half is reporting your reactions to and engagement with the issues of the day. Our only tool is old-fashioned “gumshoe” journalism based on first-source reporting, something that requires reporters and editors who have deep knowledge of and connections in the community.

It’s an exhilarating but also a scary time for community newspapers. While bizarre attacks on the media from the highest level (you know who we mean) to the lowest (the recent murders at the Capital Gazette) are core-shaking, good local journalism faces a far more existential threat: a scarcity of operational funds.

The cost of everything — especially paper, ink and distribution — is increasing.

Full-time salaries with benefits, and offices with even basic equipment, are luxuries that almost no local newspaper can afford, certainly not in Georgetown. Even the venerable Daily News of New York City cut its staff in half just last month. Digital newsletters and social media blasts can only partially replace the traditional daily and weekly paper editions.

Maybe it’s time to look at government support for struggling but vital local newspapers, including the so-called “for profit” outlets. Other industries have gotten (and are getting) bailouts.

“Given the dire situation for local journalism, government funding has become an increasingly reasonable solution,” Kelly McBride, a senior vice president at Poynter, a nonprofit focused on journalism education and democracy, told the New York Times. “There is deep, deep need across much of the country for local newspapers. If you don’t see media writing about your life that you can trust, it’s very hard to trust any media.”

The New Jersey legislature has just approved a $5-million fund to pay for community journalism. Grants will be handed out by a board of directors. It’s one idea to watch. Finding support for local newspaper outlets is not just about saving journalism. It’s about saving democracy.

We live on Water Street, near the end of the road by Key Bridge. So, I get the pleasure of navigating the length of K/Water Street every day either by bike or by car. Since the new bike lane was added and parking reconfigured, I have seen a number of improvements in what was previously a rather chaotic situation. The separation of pedestrians in the park, from bikes in the new lane, and cars on the road makes for a much safer and relaxed situation on the street. The removal of bus parking is an

added benefit.

When the change was first introduced, it took a few weeks to adapt to the new lanes and parking. The recent addition of signage, planters and flex posts is a big help — and from my perspective the situation is improving with time. It is still difficult during peak weekend and traffic times to drive in and out of the area, but that is not different now than it was in the past.

— Scott Wheeler, Water Street

Putting our very dynamic neighborhood below M Street “back the way it was,” meaning reverse the changes to K/Water Street and keep things familiar, is not a solution to the daily chaos that has become normal in this neighborhood in the past several years. Traffic and its impact on the safety of our community has been the top concern of those who live below M Street. Our advisory neighborhood commissioner Lisa Palmer has done a superb job of seeking input from her constituents and working with city officials to ensure our safety.

The bike lines now will provide a way for emergency vehicles to get to the thousands

of residents living off Water Street who have feared the congestion that clogs our streets would not allow a fire truck or ambulance to get through for a life-threatening situation. Change is possible as people adapt to the new roadway.

The new signs on bike behavior installed by the Georgetown Business Improvement District have had an impact. Twice in the last few days, I have had a biker brake for me in a cross walk. In the 30 years, I have lived in this neighborhood that has never happened!

Thank you to Will Hansfeld [of the GBID].

— Meg Hardon, Papermill

In the July 25th Georgetowner Newspaper, there was a huge disconnect between pages 7 and 9. On page 7, the headline read, “Cyclist Killed in West End.” On page 9, I found letters to the editor about the K Street bike lanes, with complaints about “lost critical parking” and “traffic congestion.”

Lives matter more than parking spaces. Lives matter more than traffic delays. To quote your page 7 article, “In 2015, Mayor Muriel Bowser

announced Vision Zero, a plan to eliminate road deaths in the city by 2024. However, according to the Washington Post, traffic deaths have increased in the past two years.”

Changes, including in road configurations, are needed to protect vulnerable road users and make Vision Zero reality. We all want to get home each night, no matter how we are getting around.

— Claudia Trapp, Q Street

OPINION

Jack Evans Report

A Night at ‘Romeo and Juliet’

BY JAC K EVAN S

What’s your favorite place to spend time along the SUBSCRIBE Potomac River?ONLINE Town Topics Editorial Haute & Cool Social Scene Food & Wine Real Estate Finance Arts & Society Le Decor Business Dining Guide

YOUR OPINION MATTERS.

Post your response to Facebook.com/TheGeorgetowner T HE LAT E S T NE W S . RI G HT I N YOU R IN BOX.

8 AUGUST 8, 2018

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Summer has arrived in the District and that means Ward 2 Night at the Shakespeare Theatre is right around the corner.

Last year, the Shakespeare Theatre Company brought an amazing production of “Othello” to the stage, with Faran Tahir (from “Star Trek,” “Iron Man” and “Elysium”) in the starring role.

Ward 2 Night is a lively occasion for me and my staff to greet constituents, some of whom we talk to regularly. It is also a great opportunity to show that Washington, D.C., has some of the best stage productions in the country. Last year, with the theater filled with Ward 2 residents, I welcomed the audience before the performance and spoke more broadly about the importance of supporting the arts in the District.

During the most recent Council budget process, I once again proposed legislation to secure a dedicated revenue source for the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. I’m proud to say that the dedicated revenue was approved and is in the fiscal year 2019 budget.

This means that the commission can spend more time focusing on providing grants to arts groups and less time in the Council advocating for funding every year.

My kids became involved with arts programs at a young age. They are still working in the arts today, as they near the end of their college careers. I know how important these programs are and I want more District residents to have access to programs, grants, classes and other outlets that inspire us to create.

This year, the Shakespeare classic “Romeo and Juliet” will be the featured play and I look forward to seeing and greeting constituents before the show. Ward 2 Night will be on Tuesday, Aug. 21, at 7:30 p.m. Two tickets per Ward 2 constituent are available. Please call my office at 202-724-8058 to reserve tickets to the show.

Summer is the best time to relax, slow down and take in a concert, a play or an art exhibition.

I encourage everyone to experience what our culturally vibrant city has to offer.

Jack Evans is the District Council member for Ward 2, representing Georgetown and other neighborhoods since 1991.

BUSINESS

INS & OUTS

BY ST E P H A N I E G R EE N A N D RO B E R T D E VA N E Y The sitter usually stays with the pet at home, but sometimes the pet is dropped off with the sitter, based on the agreement between the parties. The site also provides dog walking and day care options. An average rate at a local dog boarding facility like Wagtime DC can cost around $54 a night, whereas the Bed and Biscuits rate is $40. And unlike its closest competitor, Rover.com, there is no booking fee.

Moncton estimates that he has about 350 pet sitters nationwide, all of whom have undergone background checks. The site has the potential to employ many Georgetown University students with the perfect part-time neighborhood job.

Colin Moncton of Bed and Biscuits.

In: Bed and Biscuits Our four-legged friends are getting a bite out of the “on demand” movement. Beginning this month, Bed and Biscuits — bnbiscuits. com — an online service that finds pet sitters for pet owners, is available in Washington, D.C. Already buzzing in Chicago and Boston, and circulating in Europe, the site is expected to do well locally, where the political class is fond of saying that one’s only real friend here is his or her dog.

And the pets in town are sometimes more high-maintenance than their masters. Go to a kennel and be put in a cage while Mummy and Daddy are away? I think not, says the average Dumbarton Street poodle.

Colin Moncton, 30, who created the website with his twin brother Ryan, explains that more and more pet owners are turning away from kennels, which can be expensive and psychologically taxing for pets. That’s where his website comes into play. With just a few clicks, a pet owner can book a prescreened sitter to look after Max or Milo in a simple transaction, complete with insurance.

In: Dough Jar Opens The Dough Jar, a sweet shop that sells funsized cups of cookie dough, opened Aug. 4 at 1332 Wisconsin Ave. NW, formerly the space of cream puff joint Beard Papa’s. The womanowned business has several locations around the city.

In: Roots to Open Aug. 9 Roots — “the open-air lifestyle brand with a rich heritage and portfolio of premium apparel, handcrafted leather goods, footwear, and accessories,” — as the 45-year-old Canadian company describes itself, will open a 3,550-square-foot Roots Cabin store at 3259 M St. NW this Thursday. Another location will open the following day in Pentagon City.

The new store will include a customization workshop for its handcrafted leather bags and jackets, a Salt & Pepper Sweat Bar and fitting rooms featuring D.C.-area scenes and a lounge.

REAL ESTATE

Featured Property

The demise of Key Bridge Exxon at M Street and 36th leaves Georgetown with two gas stations.

Georgetowner photo.

In: Cynthia Rowley on M Street

Out: Key Bridge Exxon

The new Cynthia Rowley location, popping up at 3338 M St. NW, will include its collection, surf and swim, beauty, jewelry, fragrance, shoes and tech accessories. Send a message to georgetown@cynthiarowley.com to be notified when it is open.

Ready for more residences on M Street where gas stations once stood? Longtime Key Bridge Exxon is gone, leaving Georgetown with only two gas stations at Wisconsin Avenue and Q Streets NW: Georgetown Exxon and Georgetown Shell, both operated by Hamood Abutaa, who owns other gas stations in D.C. and in Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia.

Next to the Exorcist Steps and the Car Barn, Altus Realty’s Hillside condos at 3601 M St. NW are set for construction.

Out: Morton’s the Steakhouse As Georgetown Court owner Bob Elliott introduces the next big things for his mixeduse property between N and Prospect Streets, Morton’s the Steakhouse, next to Cafe Milano, has left the complex after decades at 3251 Prospect St. NW. Hakan Ilhan, who owns Mirabelle restaurant downtown, plans to open a French restaurant there — Chanterelle — after renovations in 2019. Ilhan’s 20 eateries include Al Dente and Ottoman Taverna.

The Georgetown Morton’s opened in 1982.

It was the second location outside Chicago, where the steakhouse was founded. The Morton’s downtown, at Connecticut Avenue and L Street, occupies the former site of the legendary Duke Zeibert’s restaurant.

Out: Walking Company, Steve Madden The Walking Company at 3101 M St. NW has departed Georgetown. Founded in 1991 in Chatsworth, California, the footwear retailer is part of Walking Company Holdings, Inc., which filed for bankruptcy in March for a second time. In June, the company closed 23 of its 208 stores.

Nearby, the Steve Madden store at 3109 M St. NW is having a closing sale. The shoe company, which started in 1990 in Queens, has 120 stores in the U.S. and 250 worldwide.

Correction: Patagonia is located at 1048 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

1938 Foxview Circle NW

With over 7,000 square feet of living space, this new Mediterranean-style villa, bordering lush parkland, offers serene privacy and green views. The home has five bedrooms, four and a half baths, three fireplaces, a kitchen with Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances and a wine cellar. More than a dozen doors open to an L-shaped rear terrace, a lower loggia and a huge patio with fountain, providing the ultimate in indoor-outdoor entertaining and outdoor living.

Offered at $3,995,000 Washington Fine Properties Adam T. Rackliffe 202-567-2700 adam.rackliffe@wfp.com

THOMAS LANDSCAPES 202.322.2322 | www.thomaslandscapes.com

Design with Excellence

Derek Thomas / Principal - Certified Professional Horticulturist, Master Gardener

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

GMG, INC.

AUGUST 8, 2018

9

LE DECOR

Picnic in the Park

BY ELI SA B AY OUMI

August is here, and what better way to celebrate the remaining days of summer than with a picnic? Wow your friends with these classy essentials, emphasizing warm-weather materials like wicker and linen. Up your mood by sporting reds, pinks, oranges and yellows — the colors of a summer sunset. Go beyond the traditional picnic basket with a portable cooler and a fun lantern-speaker combo. Then cap off your afternoon with a game of croquet to, as they say in the Big Easy, laissez les bons temps rouler!

• Wicker Picnic Basket | $244.97 (sale price) | Williams Sonoma • Rolling Cooler | $269 | CB2 • Amish-Made Croquet Set | $229 (plus shipping) | Houzz • Uma Sound Lantern by Pablo Designs | $479 | Design Within Reach

PROV I D E D BY WA S H I N G TO N F I N E PRO PE R T I E S

JULY 2018 SALES

Address 2911 UNIVERSITY TER NW 1536 32ND ST NW 1525 32ND ST NW 1943 FOXVIEW CIRCLE NW 2501 M ST NW #310 4943 ESKRIDGE TER NW 3823 ALBEMARLE ST NW 3632 WHITEHAVEN PKWY NW 4707 RESERVOIR RD NW 3713 S ST NW 2501 M ST NW #501 1177 22ND ST NW #9-A 3319 P ST NW 1314 34TH ST NW 3318 RESERVOIR RD NW 4320 CATHEDRAL AVE NW 3010 Q ST NW 3624 WINFIELD LN NW 3624 DAVIS ST NW 3317 Q ST NW 3273 P ST NW 4911 PALISADE LN NW 2820 39TH ST NW 1616 33RD ST NW 2870 ARIZONA TER NW 5109 UPTON ST NW 3825 BENTON ST NW 3140 DUMBARTON ST NW 2238 39TH PL NW 3208REAR VOLTA PL NW 3301 P ST NW 2933 GMG, UNIVERSITY 10 AUGUST 8, 2018 INC. TER NW 2324 NEBRASKA AVE NW 4711 RESERVOIR RD NW 1535 44TH ST NW 5712 MACARTHUR BLVD NW 1333 27TH ST NW 3823 CALVERT ST NW

Advertised Subdivision Kent Georgetown Georgetown 1801 Foxhall 2501 M Kent Wakefield Burleith Berkley Burleith 2501 M West End Georgetown Georgetown Georgetown Wesley Heights Georgetown Georgetown Observatory Circle Georgetown Georgetown Kent Observatory Circle Georgetown Kent Spring Valley Glover Park Georgetown Glover Park Georgetown Georgetown Kent Palisades Berkley Foxhall Palisades Georgetown Glover Park

• Gardenia Candle | $65 | A Mano, Georgetown • Multicolor Party Fans | $24.95 (set of 8) | Paper Source

Style Villa Colonial Federal Transitional Contemporary Arts & Crafts Colonial Colonial Traditional Federal Contemporary Contemporary Victorian Federal Traditional Tudor Victorian Colonial Farm House Traditional Federal Colonial Colonial Colonial Arts & Crafts Cape Cod Federal Federal Federal Federal Victorian Art Deco Colonial Colonial Tudor Farm House Federal Traditional

Bedrooms Baths Full DOMP List Price Close Price 7 8 112 $7,250,000 $6,800,000 5 5 0 $4,850,000 $4,600,000 4 4 1 $3,599,000 $3,600,000 6 6 52 $3,495,000 $3,525,940 2 2 288 $2,944,000 $2,700,000 6 5 9 $2,750,000 $2,685,000 6 5 115 $2,499,900 $2,450,000 5 4 52 $2,485,000 $2,365,000 5 5 169 $2,250,000 $2,000,000 5 5 13 $1,949,000 $1,875,000 2 2 188 $1,894,000 $1,850,000 2 2 92 $1,929,000 $1,825,000 4 3 127 $1,829,000 $1,800,000 4 3 226 $1,995,000 $1,800,000 4 4 36 $1,899,000 $1,800,000 5 5 4 $1,795,000 $1,800,000 4 3 5 $1,695,000 $1,795,000 4 4 6 $1,650,000 $1,775,000 3 3 0 $1,650,000 $1,650,000 5 4 138 $1,610,000 $1,565,000 2 2 19 $1,595,000 $1,535,000 6 4 474 $1,570,000 $1,525,000 4 4 0 $1,425,000 $1,432,500 4 4 296 $1,550,000 $1,400,000 3 3 0 $1,375,000 $1,375,000 3 2 5 $1,195,000 $1,362,000 4 4 5 $1,250,000 $1,360,500 3 3 152 $1,395,000 $1,350,000 6 4 15 $1,299,000 $1,295,018 1 1 391 $1,395,000 $1,250,000 2 2 5 $1,195,000 $1,250,000 4 3 20 $1,299,000 $1,225,000 4 3 31 $1,244,000 $1,215,000 4 2 4 $985,000 $1,200,000 4 3 18 $1,195,000 $1,195,000 4 3 10 $1,200,000 $1,180,000 3 1 55 $1,195,000 $1,150,000 3 3 5 $1,055,000 $1,090,000

Dog Days of Summer

THE PREACHER’S KID

By Stephanie Green

THE HILTON SISTERS (COVER DOGS)

By Stephanie Green

Shredder and Splinter Dean live the ultimate “ladie who lunch” lifestyle. They have walked the runways s in charity fashion shows, frequently travel by private plane and love frolicking aboard their old man’s yacht — when they’re not idling in Georgetown parks.

They don’t work because they don’t have to, thank you very much.

“They’re like the Hilton sisters,“ says proud dad Bill Dean. “But if they were on Instagram, they would have more followers.”

Shredder and Splinter are Dean’s prized Goldendoodles, weighing in at 60 pounds each.

Despite their affluence and “championship stock,” Bill says they are “very chill and great with kids.”

Shredder, age 9, was a gift to a girlfriend. After the breakup, Bill kept Shredder in the custody negotiations. Splinter came along about a year later.

They reside in Bill’s Dodge Mansion on P Street, but are just as at home splashing around in the Potomac. Bill explains they are a hit with other dogs and party animals, like the ones who frequent his elaborate mansion events.

Laddie Cole, a Labradoodle, is a new Georgetown resident, having been adopted by Timothy and Lorraine Cole as a puppy shortly after their arrival from the UK in 2016. He’s rarely seen without his tartan neckerchief in homage to his Scottish parents.

Laddie gets away with the occasional shenanigan via divine forgiveness: Tim is the rector of Christ Church, Georgetown, where Laddie frequently accompanies his dad to the office.

Most days, Laddie works off his energy bounding up the many staircases in the church rectory on O Street and trying to avoid baths, even with holy water.

“He’s our James Dean doggy, and we love him,” says Tim. Recently, however, Laddie’s rebel rousing has turned dangerous: he broke a window in the rectory, cutting an artery. He would have bled to death but for emergency surgery.

Willoughby is a 23-month-old Bernedoodle. And here are some deets on him: Birthday: Sept. 9, 2016 Breeder: Highfalutin Furry Babies, Florida Link to the Stars: Cousin is owned

by Ian Ziering of “90210” and “Sharknado” Favorite haunts: Georgetown Waterfront Park and shaking paws with friendly people Favorite resting spot: Daddy’s lap Favorite toys: Tennis ball and “Chewbacca” Favorite Playmates: His “P Street Cousins” (Orbit, Sundance and Luna) Favorite Game: Catching “splashes” from and running around his backyard pool Favorite Destination: His beach house in the Outer Banks and running AAAAALLLL over the beach Favorite Snack: CHEESE!!

—Larry Calvert

The Coles have made the difficult decision to try to find Laddie a home in the country where he can run free and be a wild man.

Please call the Christ Church main office with any suggestions.

He never worries about finding a dog sitter, because everybody wants to spend time with his girls.

Martha, 12-week-old Newfoundland puppy and Georgetown resident.

—Joe Findaro

Mattie LOVES paddleboarding and has been known to hop on whatever board happens to be in the water! Shown here at Washington Canoe Club.

—Lisa Enroe

This is Maeve. She loves her toys, many of which she greets visitors with, a sign of special favor. Maeve’s favorite places in Georgetown are Montrose and Rose Parks, especially on Fridays, when there is an end-ofthe-week gathering of owners and their dogs. What makes Maeve special is her disposition — the sweetest dog I’ve ever known.

— Joan Kennan

Daisy and Frango are sweet and crazy Jack Russell Terriers bred by Susan Nixon. [She offered us first pick.] She had already named Daisy (Susan names all her white dogs after flowers), which is Maryanna’s dog. Audrey picked the brown-andwhite dog and named him Frango because he has a big brown spot on his back that looks like a Frango chocolate mint. [They are 10 years old and still super high energy.]

We run into Joe Biden and wife Jill.

Their house is a few blocks from my niece’s house in North Shores.

He likes dogs, even JRs, and is very approachable, and seems to be enjoying the Delaware beach life — tan, rested, and ready to run!

—Colleen Evans; Maryanna above

Andy is a mixed breed — Yorkshire Terrier and Maltese — who was turned into a shelter in Los Angeles with a broken leg and hip and without a name or a collar. He was deemed a “stray.” The Saving K9 Lives Plus rescue organization picked him up and took him to Dr. Andy, pleading: “Please save his leg.” When Dr. Andy finished the successful surgery, the organization said: “We will call him Andy.”

The rescue organization fostered Andy for seven months while his hip and leg healed. Through social media, the organization learned that a family in Washington, D.C., wanted to adopt Andy. So they flew with Andy from the West Coast to the East Coast to his new home.

Andy now lives in a luxury building on the Georgetown waterfront. He has traveled with his parents to many interesting places, including Europe and the Caribbean islands. Andy is a lover, and everyone’s friend whenever he goes. Everyone knows his name (which he loves!), even if they don’t know the names of his parents.

— P.L. Skip Singleton Jr., Esq., and Debbie Singleton

GMG, INC.

AUGUST 8, 2018

11

Rollin’

On the River

In the words of John Fogerty: “If you come down to the river, bet you gonna find some people who live.” Writing Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 1968 hit “Proud Mary,” Fogerty was inspired by a 1935 Will Rogers movie, “Steamboat Round the Bend.” Three years later, the song became a hit again in Ike & Tina Turner’s version, which starts out “nice and easy,” then explodes into a “nice and rough” second half, just like Tina said it would.

The 405-mile Potomac isn’t the 2,320mile Mississippi, and Georgetown isn’t New Orleans or Memphis, but if you come down to our partly tidal river — which meets the Chesapeake Bay at Point Lookout, Maryland — you’ll find plenty of people who live, work and play there, especially in the summertime.

And to switch up the order on Tina, though the Georgetown waterfront was “nice and rough” for most of its history, these days it’s mostly “nice and easy.” Where once horses and mules labored, dogs play.

A port for tobacco, slaves, salt, molasses and, later, coal and flour — thanks to the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and the B&O Railroad line known as the Georgetown Spur — for most of its history, Georgetown was all business where it met the water: dirty, seamy and industrial.

In 1949, after Francis Scott Key’s house, among others, was demolished to clear its path, the elevated Whitehurst Freeway opened, putting K/Water Street in shadow and adding air pollution and noise to an enclave already in decline.

NEW RAPPORT WITH THE RIVER The scene changed in a big way in 1986, with the replacement of a cement plant by the Washington Harbour complex of condominiums, shops and restaurants (and a fountain of dancing water) at 3000 and 3050 K St. NW, designed by Arthur Cotton Moore.

When phase two was canceled, Sweden built its new, award-winning embassy on the site next to Rock Creek in 2006.

Georgetown Waterfront Park, completed in 2011 and now a national park, links Washington Harbour to Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge with green space, plantings, walkways, river stairs, a labyrinth and a water feature. Senator Charles H. Percy Plaza, where Wisconsin Avenue terminates in the park, pays tribute to the Illinois senator who supported the group that became the nonprofit Friends of Georgetown Waterfront Park.

The last film in this summer’s Sunset Cinema series, “Footloose,” will be screened in Georgetown Waterfront Park on Tuesday, Aug. 14.

On summer weekends, when the weather is clear, the waterfront is packed with visitors and residents, including those who live in the repurposed mills and new condominium buildings that face the river. Since the incinerator at 31st and South Streets was transformed into condos and a 14-screen movie theater in 2002, the sole unavoidable reminder of the area’s industrial past is the former West Heating Plant on 29th Street. The toaster-shaped structure is to become the Levy Group’s Four Seasons Residences, designed

by David Adjaye, with its onetime coal yard reborn as a Laurie Olin-planned public park linked to the C&O Canal and Rock Creek.

TRAVELING ON THE RIVER At Washington Harbour, opposite Fabio and Maria Trabocchi’s Fiola Mare and the outdoor seating for Nick’s Riverside Grill and Tony and Joe’s Seafood Place, hourly sightseeing cruises are offered by Capitol River Cruises on the Nightingale, by National River Tours on the George Washington and by Boomerang Boat Tours on the Boomerang Pirate Ship. The Potomac Riverboat Company runs water taxis between Washington Harbour and the Wharf, Nationals Stadium, Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, and MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

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Also out on the water, between Key Bridge and Arlington Memorial Bridge and beyond, are kayakers, canoeists and paddleboarders.

As a National Park Service concessioner, Boating in DC operates Key Bridge Boathouse, Thompson Boat Center (east of Washington Harbour) and six others. Rental rates are $16 an hour for kayaks, $22 an hour for double kayaks and paddleboards and $25 an hour for canoes. Season passes are $229 for adults, $329 for families and $99 for seniors and students.

BY R I CHARD SELDEN

The Wharf in Southwest can be accessed from Georgetown by water taxi at Washington Harbour.

Courtesy the Wharf.

DOWN AT THE RIVER As you head west along Georgetown Waterfront Park toward Key Bridge Boathouse, K Street turns to Water Street, the buildings get older and the natural setting becomes more … natural. Gypsy Sally’s, a link to Georgetown’s earlier honky-tonk and club scenes, and French café Malmaison occupy a white warehouse due to be demolished for a residential development.

On the river side, flying a red flag, is the green and white boathouse of the oldest rowing club in the D.C. area, the Potomac Boat Club, founded in 1869. Senior membership is limited to 300. Those looking to join are advised that “typical waiting periods can run up to two years.” The club runs the Charlie Butt Scullers’ Head of the Potomac Regatta. This year’s regatta, the 38th, will take place Sunday, Sept. 23.

Farther west, behind a chain-link fence on National Park Service land, is the Washington Canoe Club’s compound. Lifelong club member and four-time Olympian Frank Havens died July 22 at age 93. The 200-member club is in the midst of an effort to restore its wooden boathouse, parts of which date to 1905.

At Key Bridge is the trail head for the Capital Crescent Trail, which runs along the Georgetown Spur freight rail line, discontinued in 1985. Hikers and bikers can also pick up the C&O Canal towpath here. The Park Service has several visitor centers along the 184.5 mile canal, which connects Georgetown (the mile-zero marker is just past Thompson Boat Center) with Cumberland, Maryland. Sections, including Locks 3 and 4, are currently being restored.

The Great Falls of the Potomac River.

CARING FOR THE RIVER — AND CANAL The Potomac Boat Club.

Senator Charles H. Percy Plaza.

T & T_Georgetowner_8.2018_Layout 1 8/2/18 3:33 PM Page 1

Founded as a land trust, using conservation easements to protect healthy rural land upstream, Potomac Conservancy is focusing on urban runoff — “the real battle going forward,” according to Melissa Diemand, senior director of communications. The conservancy is also looking to make residents, particularly young professionals, “aware of their hometown river.”

To that end, Potomac Conservancy is running a Paddle the Potomac “alternative happy hour” series at Key Bridge Boathouse. An Aug. 15 paddle is scheduled and another may be added in September due to demand. Cleanups are on the calendar at Jones Point Park on Sept. 15 and at Theodore Roosevelt Island on Sept. 22.

Finally, a save-the-date: on Thursday, Nov. 1, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., president of Waterkeeper Alliance, will be the keynote speaker at Potomac Riverkeeper Network’s fourth annual Law & Water Gala at the Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. According to PRKN, Law & Water “honors those who protect and defend our Nation’s River and the watershed that provides clean drinking water to 6 million people.”

The nonprofit Georgetown Heritage, a spinoff of the Georgetown Business Improvement District, is in the process of reimagining the portion of the canal within Georgetown and contracting for a new canal barge, pulled by two mules. In the 19th century, the complete trip took several days, with a shift change for the mules.

For those looking to support the canal’s restoration for recreational and educational purposes, the C&O Canal Trust will hold its eighth annual Park After Dark gala fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 15, at Historic Great Falls Tavern in Potomac, Maryland.

The good news about the Potomac is that it’s getting cleaner. Beginning with efforts in the Johnson administration and the Clear Water Act, passed in the Nixon years, pointsource pollution — discharges from factories, treatment plants and the like — has largely been eliminated. Though the river’s heath got a D in 2011, its 2016 grade in Potomac Conservancy’s State of the Nation’s River report was B minus.

In the most recent report, the river got a B.

P r o P e rt i e s i n V i r G i n i A H u n t C o u n t ry CLEREMONT FARM

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Upperville ~ The impressive, historic and award winning 1511 Acre Estate and Cattle Farm offers hardwood forest on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mtn, 33 verdant pastures, wildlife habitat and the largest flatland timber stand in Loudoun Cty. Residences include a historic manor house, a 2nd manor house, the original patent house and 3 tenant houses. $19,750,000

The Plains~This 83 acre farm is well designed and was extensively remodeled to include every amenity. Main house has 4 BD, 7 BA, 4 fireplaces, gourmet kitchen & gracious entertaining spaces. A 3BD, 1 1⁄2 BA tenant house, charming guest house, swimming pool,outdoor kitchen, 4 ponds and extensive landscaping. 4 stall barn, 2 stall shed row barn, equip. shed, 3 run in sheds. Protected by a conservation easement. Paved road. 3 car garage. Security Gate. $4,495,000

Millwood ~ This 121 acre farm is an important piece of the Blue Ridge Hunt country. The historic house was completed in 1885 to highlight intricately carved crown moldings & cabinetry. There are 7 bedrooms and 5 1⁄2l baths near the library.The farm has many fenced pastures, 2 alfalfa fields, a schooling ring and center aisle stable and 2 additional cottages and dog kennel. EZ access to Dulles Int’l Airport. Winchester is 15 minutes away. $2,998,000

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Attached garage. In pristine condtion.

Hardwood floors. Huge walkout level opens to new decks and brillant gardens, towering trees on 1.2 acres. $449,000

Middleburg ~ Desire a Middleburg address? Then build your dream home on one of 3 parcels available on 3 or 4+ acre parcels just East of town.

Settings offer cleared home sites with pastoral views. Ideal commuter location w/EZ access to both Dulles Int'l Airport & downtown DC. All parcels have permitted septics, private access easements & covenants. $285,000- $299,000

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Middleburg~Stunning antique colonial, circa 1790, on beautifully landscaped grounds. Approx.4,400 sq. ft. of elegant living space with hardwood floors, antique fireplaces, charming sun filled rooms, all in excellent condition! French doors lead to flagstone terraces. Also includes a separate 1 Bedroom apartment. Commercial zoning allows multiple uses for this fabulous property. $849,000

Orange ~The 3 bedroom house on 26 acres offers a professional Kitchen w/ “Wolf ” stove, ceramic country sink, SS appliances.

Horse facility offers a Center Aisle 4 stall stable with wash stall & tack room. 2 large pastures, 3 run-in sheds. Just minutes from Lake Anna,Orange & Culpeper. Commuter train available from Spotsylvania. $629,000

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Leesburg ~ The extraordinary Birchwood Estate boasts 38 acres with the most beautiful private arboretum in Virginia! The English Country manor is a masterpiece of the finest quality & design, elegant & charming with incredible mountain views, brilliant gardens & a simply "magical setting". Exquisite stone, slate roofing, fieldstone terraces, a luxurious pool & spa, wine cellar. BANK OWNED $2,900,000

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Offers subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdraw without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.

THOMAS AND TALBOT REAL ESTATE LAND AND ESTATE AGENTS SINCE 1967 A STAUNCH ADVOCATE OF LAND EASEMENTS

Telephone (540) 687-6500

P. O. Box 500 s No.2 South Madison Street Middleburg sVirginia 20118 GMG, INC.

AUGUST 8, 2018

13

BODY & SOUL

Rock Therapy:

The Power of Stones

BY R EB E K A H KE L L E Y We are familiar with the need to eat enough fruits and vegetables. The right nutrition not only keeps us well, but can help heal our bodies when they are out of balance. But I want to discuss another source of energy from the earth: rocks. Yes, you heard that right ... rocks. Minerals and crystals are seen by many as having tremendous conducting and healing power.

Energy Power-Up If crystals and stones absorb, repel and transmit energy, wearing certain crystals can help balance energy throughout the day. To start, ask yourself: “What do I want to bring into my life?” It helps to identify a challenge you’re currently facing. Each crystal has a healing property.

Everyday Use of Crystals Crystals as “energy sources” sounds like hooey, you say? Well, you might not realize it, but crystals and minerals are being used in everyday and scientific applications. Crystals are conductors of energy, so why wouldn’t they be useful for energetic healing? Quartz is used in radios, computers and smartphones, along with other tech and industrial applications.

Some rocks and minerals are also used in pharmaceuticals, as well as in makeup.

Mineral Makeup Humans have used minerals to paint their faces for ages. Painting the body with images was believed to infuse the individual with powers. Mica, iron oxide, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are from stones that come straight from the earth, crushed and pulverized to create fine powders. Many of these are rich in color and shiny from silicate mineral, free of toxic ingredients like talc. Known to be safe, gentle and nontoxic, these minerals won’t irritate the skin, so sensitive skin types can wear them without a negative reaction.

Here are a few of the many crystals with different colors, hues and shades: Amethyst:

Inner Balance Carnelian: Brings Creativity Citrine: Allows Abundance Hematite: Grounding Jade: Prosperity and Harmony Moonstone: Balances Emotions Rose Quartz: Love and Healing Tiger’s Eye: Releases Fear and Anxiety

Fashion-Forward Crystal Power The Row clothing line, founded and designed by the Olsen twins, gave all the Fall 2018 Fashion Week guests goody bags containing one of two stones, a black tourmaline for “protection” or a clear quartz crystal for “universal harmony.”

Kendra Scott’s fashion jewelry and home collection uses colored stones, shells, minerals and glass. She also provides cut-to-fit jewelry design templates, allowing customization at the color bar.

Rock Your Healing To harness the power of stones, plan to attend the “Rock Your Healing” event at Kendra Scott Georgetown, 1249 Wisconsin Ave. NW, on Wednesday, Aug. 8, from 5 to 8 p.m., where you can take a quick quiz to help you sort yourself into the right stone — or just choose a stone and enjoy the energetic mystery.

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LEASE/RENT FOR RENT

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$2,150/MONTH One year lease available 6/18 ICONIC Georgetown available June 1st/2018 1 BR/1BATH 900sq/ft. Perfect condition, W/D, walk-in closet, built in bookcases Easy to see call or text 202-386-1719

No. 2 South Madison Street Middleburg, Virginia 20118 (540) 687-6500

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14 AUGUST 8, 2018

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Writer’s retreat/artist studio Warrenton virginia Fully equipped with patio And private. $1,500 per month One person/ one year lease Call or text: 202 256-2787 judithtart49@gmail.com

SERVICE REAL ESTATE

A Smart choice. Call Julia Baca of Weichert Realtors. Your real estate agent in DC and MD if you are renting/buying/ selling. I will make your transaction an enjoyable experience (240)644-2197

LESSONS TENNIS LESSONS

$25 for a private, 1-hour lesson in Foggy Bottom and Georgetown. Excellent with beginners, intermediate, and children.

Mark 202-333-3484

Rebekah Kelley is the creator and founder of Virtue Skinfood, a wholistic luxury skin care line. For details, visit virtueskinfood. com or Aveda Georgetown at 1325 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 2C MONTHLY MEETING MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 2018 AT 6:30 P.M. 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Room G 9 Washington DC

FOR SALE BLACK RANGE ROVER SPORT 2012 Great Condition 60K Miles Located In Georgetown For Price Call or Text 202-640-9135

WASHINGTON DC’S FINEST RESTAURANTS

Cocktail of the Month ENO WINE BAR

CLYDE’S OF GEORGETOWN

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

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.

2810 PENNSYLVANIA AVE., NW 202–295–2826 | enowinerooms.com

THE OCEANAIRE SEAFOOD ROOM

3236 M ST., NW 202-333-9180 | clydes.com

TOWN HALL

1201 F ST., NW 202–347–2277 | theoceanaire.com

2340 WISCONSIN AVE., NW 202-333-5640 | townhalldc.com

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

Situated just north of Georgetown on Wisconsin Ave, Town Hall has been a neighborhood mainstay in Glover Park since 2005. Whether you’re popping in for dinner, drinks, or weekend brunch, Town Hall is the spot you’ll want to call home to Gulp, Gather & Grub. Free parking is available nightly after 7 p.m., and, our outdoor courtyard is one of DC’s best kept secrets.

MALMAISON

FILOMENA RISTORANTE

Malmaison opened in June 2013 and features elegant French dining in Washington D.C’s historic Georgetown waterfront. Housed in a majestically refurbished industrial warehouse reminiscent of NYC’s Meatpacking District, the modern restaurant, pastry shop and event lounge features the culinary talents of legendary 2 Michelin Starred French Chef Gerard Pangaud and Pastry Chef Serge Torres (Le Cirque NYC).

A Georgetown landmark for over 30 years featuring styles and recipes passed through generations. Balanced cutting-edge culinary creations of modern Italy using the fresh ingredients and made-from-scratch sauces and pastas. Seen on The Travel Channel, Award-winning Filomena is a favorite of U.S. Presidents, celebrities, sports legends, political leaders.

“Don’t miss their bakery’s incredible desserts” - Best in D.C.

MARTIN’S TAVERN

CAFE BONAPARTE

Fifth generation Lauren Martin learns the family business from her dad, Billy Martin, Jr. Since 1933, the warm atmosphere of Martin’s Tavern has welcomed neighbors and travelers looking for great food, service and years of history within it’s walls. Fourth generation owner Billy Martin. Jr. continues the tradition of Washington’s oldest family-owned restaurant.

Captivating customers since 2003, Cafe Bonaparte has been dubbed the “quintessential” European café, featuring awardwinning crepes and arguably the “best” coffee in D.C.! Other can't-miss attractions are the famous weekend brunch every Saturday and Sunday until 3 p.m. and our late-night weekend hours serving sweet and savory crepes until 1 a.m.

3401 K ST., NW 202-817-3340 | malmaisondc.com

1264 WISCONSIN AVE., NW 202-333-7370 | martinstavern.com

1063 WISCONSIN AVE., NW 202–338–8800 | filomena.com

1522 WISCONSIN AVE., NW 202–333–8830 | cafebonaparte.com

ROCKLANDS BARBEQUE

2418 WISCONSIN AVE., NW 202-333-2558 | rocklands.com This original location has served barbecue since 1990.

We now have more space for you to sit down with family and friends at our new dining room Driving or walking up Wisconsin Avenue, you ask “mmmm, what’s that aroma??”

That’s pork, beef and chicken coming out of our wood-only smoker, falling off the bone and ready for a dousing with our Original Barbeque Sauce.

BY JOD Y KU R ASH The late afternoon sun hangs lazily in the sky as I watch the water gently lap past me from the porch of my bamboo bungalow. I’m kicking back in the remote Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world, where I’ve come on a tiger spotting expedition.

As I prop my feet up, I hear unaccompanied echoes from the wilderness. The only thing lacking is a refreshing cocktail, but the ecolodge — where I’m the only guest at the moment — doesn’t have a bar or even a cold beer to serve with dinner.

Why? Because I’m in Bangladesh, where alcohol is forbidden to locals without a permit.

There are provisions for foreigners, a handful of bars and shops, but they are few and far between.

The only option is to plan ahead and BYOB (which, luckily, I did). However, buying liquor in the duty-free was an odd experience. After landing in the capital, Dhaka, I passed what looked like a discount luggage shop or perhaps a Kmart circa 1976. Taking a closer glance, I noticed two circular shelves with bottles amid some cosmetics, tobacco and travel items.

The half-barren displays contained a spattering of random, mostly dusty bottles — some with torn or scruffy labels and unfamiliar names. There were even a few scotch-taped caps. I was desperately scanning for something fit to drink from this curious collection when I spied an immaculate bottle of aged Havana Club rum.

The purchase transaction was equally strange. Since the clerks were unable to take credit cards or American dollars, I suggested Singapore dollars. I was haphazardly given a somewhat high price and then told to hide the bottle in my backpack. I wasn’t even given a bag. They added that if I were asked by customs about it, to say that I bought it somewhere else. (Fortunately, I wasn’t.)

So now, after a day of boating through the jungle and trekking in knee-deep waters, I have a refreshing tipple in my hand. But procuring the alcohol wasn’t the only obstacle I faced. Simple mixers are not available — no soda, no soft drinks, no tonic. I’m left to work with tea and water. I desperately need something to add some zing.

Good news: in addition to tigers, the Sundarbans is also world-famous for its honey.

SUNDARBANS HONEYBEE 2 oz. aged rum (Havana Club or Flor de Caña 7 Year) 1/2 oz. Sundarbans honey (can be purchased online) ½ ounce hot water or tea ½ ounce lime juice Combine the honey with the hot water or tea to dissolve. Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

The locals bravely venture into the wilderness to collect this golden treasure despite the risks of pythons, king cobras, crocodiles and maneating Bengals.

The honey has an amber color and a unique flavor that comes from Khalisa flowers on black mangrove trees. Harvested once a year, around April, after the Khalisa’s blooming period, it is among the preeminent honeys in the world, also valued for its benefits to the immune system.

While exploring earlier on our canoe, my guide spied a local honey hunter paddling down a small channel out of the forest and made a purchase. The seller lifted a large metal urn and slowly poured the fresh, unfiltered amber liquid into a water bottle for transport back to the lodge.

I now have the makings for a Honeybee cocktail. It’s a simple drink, requiring nothing more than honey, hot water, rum and lemon or lime juice. Opportunely, I have limes growing just outside my veranda.

This classic cocktail is a variation of a Prohibition-era favorite called the Bee’s Knees. The first mention of the Honeybee, back in 1948, comes from David Embry’s “The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks.”

I find that the caramel-like taste of Havana Club mingles well with the raw and earthy flavor of the wild honey. The lime adds a bit of tang to this untamed concoction, capturing the spirit of adventure.

Before I know it, my jungle time is up.

While I didn’t see any tigers, I created a delightful souvenir to take with me.

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ARTS

The Life and Lives of Alice Walker’s Celie

BY GARY T IS CHL ER One is amazed by the life and lives Celie has led and embodied.

She was born in triumph, often accompanied by controversy, the aura of which sometimes still remains. Writer Alice Walker, herself the focus of controversy over the years, gave Celie birth as the central character in her 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Color Purple.”

Celie began literary life on the page as a 14-year-old African American girl living a dark, often brutally victimized life in the 1930s American South, married off to the abusive man named “Mr.” who beat and raped her regularly. But Celie is a survivor, through her children, her family and her friendships with strong women.

Given the often graphic, unvarnished, violent nature of the life she endures during the course of the novel, it’s remarkable how Celie has endured in the imaginations of readers and of subsequent audiences for later incarnations of “The Color Purple.”

The novel re-emerged in 1985 as a critically acclaimed and popular film directed by Stephen Spielberg. It featured the comic actress and now icon Whoopi Goldberg as Celie and Oprah Winfrey — simply Oprah now — as the spirited and suffering Sofia (neither had had film experience), as well as Danny Glover as “Mr.” and Margaret Avery as the charismatic Shug Avery.

Critic Roger Ebert named it the best movie of the year, although not everyone agreed. The movie was nominated for 11 Oscars, failing to win any, and netted over $142 million in worldwide box office returns.

It was a triumph for Spielberg — in spite of his more sentimental approach to Walker’s gritty material — and the net result was to give “The Color Purple” a permanent kind of literary appeal, even as school librarians, especially in the South, made continual efforts to ban the

Adrianna Hicks, N’Jameh Camara and the North American tour cast of “The Color Purple.” Photo by Matthew Murphy. Courtesy Kennedy Center. novel. The book was a difference maker.

“The Color Purple” next appeared on the radar as a Broadway musical that first appeared in 2005 and ran through 2008, with music and lyrics by Stephen Bray, Brenda Russell and Allee Willis and a book by noted playwright Marsha Norman (“’Nite Mother”). La Chanze starred as Celie and won a Tony Award. There were three national tours and, eventually, a Broadway revival that opened in 2015 and won a best-revival Tony.

And now the national tour, directed by John Doyle of “Sweeney Todd” and “Company” fame, is booked into the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater through Aug. 26.

Celie has come a long way, more in triumph than as a matter of endurance.

Twenty-nine-year old Adrianna Hicks wasn’t even alive when “The Color Purple” first appeared as a novel or when the Spielberg movie emerged. But the McKinney, Texas, native is starring as Celie in the current tour.

“It’s much more focused on the music, the story and the characters, less so on spectacle,” Hicks said.

Hicks came to become Celie in a somewhat roundabout way, but in a journey that in the end had its inevitable and highly focused aspects.

“To me, it’s about redemption and forgiveness, and that makes it important today, as well as when it first came to the stage, or when it was written,” she said.

Hicks saw her first musical in high school — it was “Guys and Dolls,” a far cry from the

wrenching dramatics of “The Color Purple.”

She also saw “The Color Purple” when she was in high school, where she had already set her sights on musical theater. As a theater student, she went on a school trip to New York, where “Purple” was the last musical she saw.

She also met Whoopi Goldberg in a visit to New York. After winning a scholarship from the Congressional Black Caucus, she earned a B.F.A at the University of Oklahoma.

“I had to make a choice, whether to try to go to New York, but I was offered a chance to perform in touring companies of musicals in Europe, in Germany and Austria,” where she performed in “Sister Act” and “Legally Blonde.”

When she returned, she landed a “swing” role on the revival of “The Color Purple.”

“I did about seven of the nine roles in the show, including Celie,” she said. “When the opportunity came for the national tour, I was eventually offered the role … Every day, I feel blessed just to be able to do this.”

She commented: “It’s funny, with this tour.

I’ve lived in Europe, but I’ve never really seen my own country, and now I am … It’s different everywhere you go. Some audiences you can tell they’re really in the play, others are quieter.

It’s just an awesome experience, every time out.

You can really tell at the curtain call.”

On the phone, Hicks comes across as very much her own Celie. Her voice in conversation is rangy, high-spirited, in the moment, willing to laugh or show emotion.

“I think everyone that has done this part is her own Celie,” she says. “You truly bring yourself to it.”

In that way, Hicks moves Celie’s life, her plight and courage into the present, where she’s very much pertinent, alive, where the color purple glows in the klieg lights.

DCArtswatch C O M PI L E D BY R I C H A R D S E L D E N

Rendering Courtesy Howard+Revis Design

UKEFEST FINALE

NEW G.U. GALLERY

DC SHORTS FESTIVAL

TUTTLE AT THE PHILLIPS

WOLF TRAP BALL

The 10th annual UkeFest at Strathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland, will culminate in a free “Live from the Lawn” performance by ukulele superstars Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer, Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel on Aug. 15 at 7 p.m.

Attendees can bring their own ukuleles for a strum-along at 6:30 p.m.

Rob Pruitt’s “Flea Market” will kick off a performance-art series and open Georgetown University’s new 4,000-square-foot Maria & Alberto de la Cruz Art Gallery at 36th and Prospect Streets NW on Aug. 29 and 30. Al Miner, associate professor in the M.A. program in art and museum studies, was named director and chief curator last year.

More than 130 films will be screened from Sept. 6 to 16 at the 2018 DC Shorts Film Festival.

Festival venues are E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW, and Miracle Theater, 535 8th St. SE. An all-access pass is $125 or tickets may be purchased for individual 90-minute showcases (“Animation Domination,” “I Am Woman,” “O Canada,” etc.).

On Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m., postminimalist Richard Tuttle, whose work is in the collections of major museums worldwide, will give a free “Artist’s Perspective” talk at the Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW, providing insight into his Intersections installation, “It Seems Like It’s Going to Be.” Seating is first come, first serve.

This year’s black-tie Wolf Trap Ball will be held Saturday, Sept.

15, on Wolf Trap’s Filene Center stage in Vienna, Virginia. British Ambassador Kim Darroch and Lady Darroch are honorary hosts for the event, which supports Wolf Trap Foundation’s educational and artsaccess programs. Individual patron reservations are $750.

16 AUGUST 8, 2018

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freersackler.si.edu @freersackler

Summer happenings For Love of Place

Japanese Screens

The Peacock Encountering Room Comes the Buddha Art and Practice across Asia to America

Encountering the Buddha received Federal support from the Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. The Freer|Sackler is grateful for the contributions of University of Michigan Humanities Collaboratory and the Multidisciplinary Design Program.

Lead Sponsor

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17

KITTY KELLEY BOOK CLUB

‘The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency’ R EVIEW E D BY KIT T Y K E LLE Y Meet the powerful men behind the powerful man. Political junkies will cartwheel into line to grab copies of “The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency” by Chris Whipple.

They might not be as mesmerized as they were with “The Making of the President” by Theodore H. White or “What It Takes” by Richard Ben Cramer, but they’ll have in hand a bible on presidential sons-of-bitches. That’s how H.R. Haldeman defined the position before he had to resign and go to prison as one of 48 people who served time for serving Richard M. Nixon.

The White House chief of staff is considered the most powerful unelected person in Washington, D.C., because he — there’s never been a she — controls access to the leader of the free world. As the president’s main adviser and closest confidant, the chief of staff determines the administration’s legislative agenda and communicates with Congress and the Cabinet. He is the spear catcher who protects the president from all incoming flak.

“The White House chief of staff has more power than the vice president,” said Dick Cheney, who should know. At 34, he served as chief of staff to Gerald Ford. By the time he turned 70, Cheney was vice president to George W. Bush and knew how to mow down chiefs of staff Andrew Card and Joshua Bolten. Known by some as “Darth Vader,” Cheney controlled foreign policy in the Bush years and seemed to assume as much power as “the decider” himself.

“Every president reveals himself by the presidential portraits he hangs in the Roosevelt Room,” said historian Richard Norton Smith, “and by the person he picks as his chief of staff.”

By that definition, Whipple could have produced an intriguing analysis of Ronald Reagan, who chose the smooth-talking Texan James Baker III as his first chief of staff, followed by the bullheaded Donald Regan, who compared his job to the man in the circus, sweeping up elephant droppings.

Unmentioned by Whipple was John Roy Steelman, the first and longest-serving chief of staff, described in his New York Times obituary as a “onetime hobo from Arkansas.”

Serving from 1946 to 1953, Harry Truman’s chief of staff was as basic as the man he served. Eschewing his powerful title, Steelman preferred to be called “the president’s chief chore boy.” His biggest chore was his role in ending a 52-day strike by steelworkers, one of the most damaging stoppages in U.S. history.

“The Gatekeepers” promises to offer “shrewd analysis and never-before-reported details,” but there appears to be little of either in the book.

Perhaps Whipple was too grateful for his access to cast a critical eye and dig beneath the glossy surface.

All those interviewed protected their presidents from incriminating revelations, but each agreed that being White House chief of staff was the toughest job he ever tackled. The pressure is so great that few last beyond 18 to 18 AUGUST 8, 2018

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24 months.

The major takeaway from Whipple’s book is not unlike Cardinal Cushing’s advice to John F. Kennedy when he first ran for office in Massachusetts: “A little more Irish … a little less Harvard.”

The most successful sons-ofbitches are a little more staff … a little less chief. In fact, certain chiefs — Gov. Sherman Adams, who served Dwight Eisenhower; Gov. John Sununu, who served George Herbert Walker Bush; and the aforementioned Don Regan, who was CEO of Merrill Lynch — harmed their presidents by their inability to shed their arrogant prerogatives of self-entitlement. All had previously held chief executive positions, but each was fired from his role as White House chief of staff.

Usually, an author writes a book and hopes to sell television rights after publication, but Whipple, an awardwinning producer at “60 Minutes” and “Prime Time,” did it the other way around. He provided the interviews for the four-hour documentary “About the Presidents’ Gatekeepers” that aired on the Discovery Channel in 2013. The interviews he did with the 17 chiefs of staff alive at the time became the basis of “The Gatekeepers,” his first book.

Whipple’s text hardly inspires, but his chapter notes pique interest. Many of those cited (again, mostly men) hiss and spit at each other like cats being hosed. Ed Meese III dumps on Jim Baker III for leaking to the press.

Donald Rumsfeld, chief of staff to President Ford, disses White House speechwriter Robert Hartmann as an alcoholic, and says Ford’s vice president, Nelson Rockefeller, “wasn’t qualified to be vice president of anything.”

Leon Panetta, chief of staff to Bill Clinton, confides that the president wanted to fire George Stephanopoulos. This was seconded by Erskine Bowles, who followed Panetta: “Of course, George was cut out by the President.” Colin Powell and Brent Scowcroft slam Cheney, who, in turn, stomps on the claim of CIA Director George Tenet about bringing the danger of al-Qaeda to White House attention. “I do not recall George coming in with his hair on fire.”

The most intriguing chapter note cites an interview with Stuart Spencer, the Republican political consultant, who speculates about how President Reagan might have unwittingly approved the Iran-Contra operation to secretly sell arms to Iran and funnel the money to support the Contras in Nicaragua.

“I can see those three guys [National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane; National Security Council Deputy Director Oliver North; and CIA Director William J. Casey, who, according to Spencer, was called Mumbles]. They knew that Reagan was in favor of the contras; he was really upset about the American hostages; and they said, ‘We’ll take

advantage of that.’ And they sent Mumbles over to tell him about it. And Reagan didn’t have his hearing aid on! I believe all this could have happened.”

Stuart Spencer was extraordinarily close to the Reagans for years. He ran Reagan’s successful campaigns for governor of California in 1966 and 1970, as well as his campaigns for president in 1980 and 1984. He counseled both Ronald and Nancy Reagan throughout their eight years in Washington, and was one of the few people invited to accompany them on their return flight to California upon leaving the White House in 1985. So his speculation about Iran-Contra deserves more scrutiny, especially because the first lady was terrified the matter would lead to her husband’s impeachment.

Did Whipple ask Spencer whether he discussed Iran-Contra with either Reagan? If he didn’t, why not? How did the subject of Iran-Contra come up in his interviews with Spencer? Did Spencer advise the Reagans about Iran-Contra? What was his recollection of how they coped with the matter personally? Did Spencer share his theory with the first lady or anyone else?

Note to Whipple: a little more time with Stu Spencer … a little less time with the chiefs.

Georgetown resident Kitty Kelley has written several number-one New York Times best-sellers, including “The Family: The Real Story Behind the Bush Dynasty.” Her most recent books include “Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the Kennedys” and “Let Freedom Ring: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the March on Washington.”

Read more Kitty Reviews online at

georgetowner.com

*View more photos & events online at Georgetowner.com

GOOD WORKS & GOOD TIMES

Fans Schmooze Cruise at Air & Space

Sean Spicer Book Party Lights Up Trump Hotel

PH OTOS B Y PAT RICK G . RYA N .

Exuberant movie fans got up close with the cast of “Mission Impossible: Fallout” at its North American premiere at the National Air and Space Museum July 22 — especially with Tom Cruise — during the red carpet step-and-repeat.

Actor Tom Cruise poses with the fans at the Air & Space Museum.

BY STEPHANIE G REEN PHO TO S BY PATRICK G . RYAN

Actor Henry Cavill.

Actress Angela Bassett at the Air & Space Museum.

D.C. United Takes Over Peacock Cafe PH OTOS B Y PAT RICK G . RYA N .

Peacock Cafe on Prospect Street got taken over by the members of the D.C. United Major League Soccer team Aug. 1, as it celebrated summer and Washington’s newest import, Wayne Rooney, who also picked up the tab for the gregarious gang of footballers.

Past and present White House aides turned out on July 26 to fete Sean Spicer’s memoir, “The Briefing.” Kellyanne Conway and Sarah Huckabee Sanders were among those huddled together in the packed and noisy atrium of the Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue. Spicer, who served a tumultuous and brief tenure as White House Press Secretary last year, stood by a step-and-repeat to pose for photos with fans and to sign copies of his new book. His former boss, Reince Priebus, who served as White House chief of staff, made his way through the crowd comprised mostly of journalists and GOP faithful. Donald Trump, Jr., and girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle stopped by ever so briefly. Among those also spotted were Roger Stone and Jeffrey Lord.

Sanders was besieged with selfie requests and Conway, still fresh and vibrant despite an early morning Fox News segment, glad handed too. White House Social Secretary Rickie Niceta, carrying three copies of the book to be signed, was seen standing in line like everyone else.

Peacock Cafe’s executive chef Maziar Farivar, new D.C. United star Wayne Rooney, Peacock co-owner Shabab Farivar and Steven Birnbaum of D.C. United and the U.S. national soccer team.

Players, Chefs Mingle at Citi Taste of Tennis

BY EVAN CA P L AN Tennis stars and celebrity chefs alike traded racquets for skillets — and Kobe beef sliders — on July 30, for the inaugural Citi Taste of Tennis in Washington, D.C. Held at Hamilton Live, the event brought together fans, players, chefs and mixologists for a night of good fun, cooking demos and plenty of spectacle.

After players strutted the “blue” carpet (per Citi colors), chef Edward Lee, culinary director at Succotash, took to the stage to headline the event. He served up a gamewinning cooking demonstration featuring Hyeon Chung, ranked world No. 22, and Naomi Osaka, ranked world No. 17, making a barbecue brisket over spicy rice cakes.

Later, Osaka displayed her music skills, going behind the DJ booth to drop killer beats instead of killer drop shots.

Other tennis celebs on hand included Wimbledon doubles champion Mike Bryan, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Alexander “Sascha” Zverev (whose brother also competed) and Francis Tiafoe, a rising tennis superstar and Maryland native who learned the game at the side of his father, maintenance man for the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park.

Throughout the night, the players sported flashy neon-blue bracelets to showcase their star status. They strolled among the crowd, taking photos with adoring fans and oversized tennis balls. On her Instagram, sporting a shock of pink hair, Mattek-Sands noted that, thanks to the event, “friends don’t let friends get #Hangry … Or leave the selfie wall without taking a pic.”

When not cooking for the crowd, Lee took over the entire upstairs space with a book-signing table and a tasting buffet. Other standout D.C. chefs who participated included Amy Brandwein of Centrolina, who offered creamy burrata-pesto cups; Alex McCoy of Lucky Buns, who plated a feisty Indonesian-inspired dish; and Erik BrunerYang of Maketto, who made eggplant toasts.

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer talks with Carrie Sheffield, who was among the hundreds of guests.

Chef Edward Lee of Succotash (center) with tennis players Hyeon Chung and Naomi Osaka. Photo by Deney Lam.

Citi Open winner Alexander “Sascha” Zverev and Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Photo by Deney Lam.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckebee Sanders.

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CHEVY CHASE VILLAGE, MARYLAND Fabulous porch front on amazing block near Metro and shops! Gorgeous formal rooms, kitchen open to family room, screen porch. 5BR, 3BA up. Fantastic lower level. Beautiful yard! $2,175,000 Liz Lavette Shorb 301-785-6300

KALORAMA, WASHINGTON, DC NEW LISTING! Gorgeous Victorian townhouse near Dupont Metro. 5BR, 3.5BA include sep. LL Apt. Updated kitchen and BAs. Garden & garage! $2,000,000 Robert Hryniewicki Christopher R. Leary 202-243-1620

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WESLEY HEIGHTS, WASHINGTON, DC 2 bedroom + den, 2.5 bath apt with wrap around terrace at tree top level, renov. full service lux bldg, indoor pool, tennis, gym, 2 car parking. $1,669,900 Eileen McGrath 202-253-2226 Kay McGrath 202-276-1235

SHAW, WASHINGTON, DC NEW LISTING! 4BR, 4BA renov. with open floor plan, southern exposure, parking, terrace in ideal location 2 blocks to Metro! Open Sun 2-4. $1,395,000 Eileen McGrath 202-253-2226 Kay McGrath 202-276-1235

BURLEITH, WASHINGTON, DC NEW LISTING! Renov. 4BR, 3.5BA w/ open concept kit. Smart home w/ security, locks, thermostat. 2nd level w/ fam room/office. MBR with built-in closets.

LL with BR/FBA, rec rm,, sep. entrance. $1,250,000 Kathy Kiernan 301 523-7926

WESLEY HEIGHTS, WASHINGTON, DC Elevator to all levels. Private garden, gracious LR with fireplace, expansive Owners’ suite with sun deck, 2 add. BRs w/ adjn. BA, HW floors. $1,024,500 Eileen McGrath 202-253-2226 Kay McGrath 202-276-1235

GEORGETOWN, WASHINGTON, DC Sunny and cheerful 1,400 SF 2BR/2BA awash in sunlight. Tree top and garden views on quiet side with high ceilings, hardwood floors. Sunroom, washer/dryer, and generous entry hall. $849,000 Eileen McGrath 202-253-2226

WEST END, WASHINGTON, DC Designer 1-3BR lux rentals at highly sought Westlight Apartments! Building amenities including rooftop pool, fitness center, & 24-hr concierge!

Ellen Morrell 202-365-0196 Ben Roth 202-465-9636

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