The Georgetowner: November 8, 2023 Issue

SINCE 1954

GEORGETOWNER.COM

VOLUME 70 NUMBER 2

NOVEMBER 8 - DECEMBER 5, 2023

Cool Yule Coolidge Foundation in Georgetown Celebrates Silent Cal Centenary

100 years ago, President Calvin Coolidge and first lady Grace Coolidge light the first National Christmas Tree

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IN THIS ISSUE

ON THE COVER On Dec. 24, 1923, President Calvin Coolidge participated in the first National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on the Ellipse. The tree was put up jointly with D.C. public schools, with lights added by an electrical industry trade group. The tree was a gift from Middlebury College, located in Coolidge’s home state of Vermont. Coolidge is photographed alongside first lady Grace Goodhue Coolidge. White House photo.

NEWS · 6 - 9 Town Topics News Bytes ANC Report

EDITORIAL & OPINION · 10 THE VILLAGE · 11 City Tavern

Who is a

COVER · 14 - 15

ARTS · 16 - 19 Holiday Theater Guide Family Friendly Holiday Events

FOOD & WINE · 20 - 21 Cocktail of the Month Latest Dish Georgetown Thanksgiving Options

REAL ESTATE · 22 - 23 IN COUNTRY · 24 Hallmark Movie-like Towns

SOCIAL SCENE · 25 KITTY KELLEY BOOK CLUB · 36 Literary Cocktail Party

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MANAGING EDITOR Christopher Jones

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Peggy Sands FEATURE EDITOR Ari Post FASHION & BEAUTY DIRECTOR Allyson Burkhardt Lauretta McCoy GRAPHIC DESIGN Troy Riemer Laura Argentieri Julie Payne

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

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Stakeholder?

Cool Yule Coolidge Foundation

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert Devaney

PHOTOGRAPHERS Philip Bermingham Bill Starrels

BUSINESS · 12 - 13 Ins & Outs

PUBLISHER Sonya Bernhardt

The Georgetowner is published in print monthly with an online newsletter supplement posted twice per week — On Mondays we highlight news and on Thursdays goings on about town.

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 2023.

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COACH TASHA BUTTS (1982-2023) B Y K AT E OC ZYPOK Former WNBA player and Georgetown University Women’s Basketball Coach Tasha Butts. Courtesy Georgetown University.

VOLTA PARK FALL FEST: BEAUTIFUL DAY OF COMMUNITY FUN, FOOD B Y T H E GEOR GETOWN ER A beautiful Saturday of carnival games, bounce houses, face painting, popcorn and more was had Oct. 21.

WORLD PREMIERE OF ‘GROUNDED’ OPENS WNO SEASON B Y R I C H AR D SEL D EN Emily D’Angelo as Jess in Washington National Opera’s production of “Grounded.” Photo by Scott Suchman. Courtesy WNO.

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TOWN TOPICS

News Bytes

BY KATE OC ZYPOK In addition to the light art installations, Glow programming also includes a cocktail night, shopping night, and over 30 walking tours.

G.U. FOREIGN SERVICE SCHOOL TO KEEP ORIGINAL NAME

Dario Berti, Adam Howley, Andrew Coon, Caroline Ervin and Anabella Arcay de Berti at New to the Neighborhood Small Business Block Party. Photos by Robert Devaney.

The band, Veronneau, with lead vocalist Lynn Veronneau and her English husband guitarist Ken Avis.

CAG Board Member Darcy Nauman is flanked

by N Street residents Tamim Bayoumi and Susan Bernhardt Bayoumi.

GMC Executive Director Kelly Andreae and Spirit of Georgetown awardee Dolores Jackson.

Photo by Evan Cain.

GMC HONORS LONGTIME EMPLOYEE, RAISES $175K

The Georgetown Ministry Center has raised over $175,000 toward the effort to end homelessness. They also honored longtime GMC employee Dolores Jackson with the Spirit of Georgetown Award. GMC Executive Director Kelly Andreae spoke at the event saying: “I am so happy to share that through your generous support we have raised over $175,000 towards ending homelessness one person at a time. Community members like you see beyond the stereotypes, and invest in the dignity, humanity and basic human rights of our unhoused neighbors. In the past year, 85 GMC guests have been matched to housing vouchers.”

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by Caroline Ervin. Chocolatier Director Anabella Arcay de Berti and CEO Director Dario Berti own Arcay Chocolates, which was first set up in Union Market.

CAG members and guests enjoyed finger food and sandwiches and visited the shops for prosecco or wine. The chocolate shop enjoyed extra popularity as it was freely handing its sweet samples. The band, Veronneau, kept things lively with its artful jazz — and even sang “Happy Birthday” to Luis Valle, general manager of Martin’s Tavern, who turned 40 that day.

The CAG Membership Committee and Georgetown Main Street organized the event.

New GU head basketball coach, Ed Cooley.

Courtesy GU.

HOYA BASKETBALL COACH ED COOLEY SEEKS CHANGE, BIG WINS

Citizens Celebrate New O St. Shops If the retail resilience of Georgetown has not caught your eye of late, it was on full display Oct. 26, thanks to the Citizens Association of Georgetown and Georgetown Main Street at their New to the Neighborhood Small Business Block Party.

Picked to display the expanded retail vitality were businesses that recently opened: home decor store, Manse at O 3210 St. NW, Georgetown Garden Shop at 3214 O St. NW and, across the street, Arcay Chocolates at 3211 O St. NW. Andrew Coon and Adam Howley own Manse, which opened its first store in Old Town Alexandria. Georgetown Garden Shop is owned

Georgetown University is not considering renaming their Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service after the late Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. An email from the school’s dean, Joel Hellman, said the school must focus primarily on defining its place in the global, political, social and policy environment of the 21st century before renaming itself. The re-naming idea was first leaked in June, resulting in lots of debate and even student and faculty petitions.

From the 2022 Glow Festival. Courtesy Georgetown BID.

9TH EDITION OF GEORGETOWN GLOW OPENS DEC. 1

Georgetown Glow is returning for its ninth edition from 5-10 p.m. nightly beginning Dec. 1 and running through Jan. 7. The holiday event will feature artists from around the world displaying their illuminated works at outdoor locations throughout Georgetown.

The Georgetown University men’s basketball team opened its season last night, Nov. 7, against LeMoyne at Capital One Arena with its new coach Ed Cooley, who succeeded Patrick Ewing. Cooley has big plans to change the team’s win-loss record this year. Recently, he allowed a reporter to observe a full practice session. It was what the AP called just one of the ways Coach Cooley is planning on continuing the legacy of Coach John Thompson (whom Cooley called an “inspiration” and “mentor.”) Cooley was previously at Providence College as their 15th head coach. He took Providence to the NCAA Tournament 7 times and had a 242153 win-loss record.

TOWN TOPICS

Ghost Cruise costume winners. Courtesy Georgetown Heritage.

Halloween Ghost Canal Cruise: Spirited Fun Before 2 Years of Drydock

BY C HR IS TOP HER J O N E S

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alloween phantoms often mysteriously appear – then disappear – then return to spook again. In Georgetown’s stretch of the C&O Canal, the water upon which Georgetown’s new canal boat floats seems similarly ephemeral.

Last Sunday’s public tours on the canal boat – “The Georgetown Heritage” – will be the final ones until 2025, as the National Park Service (NPS) will be emptying the waterway for extensive and long-anticipated repairs of the historic canal bed, originally opened for boat use in 1831.

The “Georgetown Heritage” canal boat was christened in Georgetown on April 28, 2022, by Mayor Bowser and other dignitaries launching a new era of historic restoration and vibrancy for Georgetown. In October, 2022, however, news from NPS that the canal would need to be drained for two years for repairs came as a shock. Then, in April, 2023, another surprise: Georgetown’s stretch of the canal would open once again with canal boat tours starting up.

Turns out, the NPS’s funding stream for repairs was not yet authorized, so why not leave the water in – despite leakage – until October, 2023, when it would normally be drained for the Winter? But, this time, it appears, the long term repairs will be starting in earnest.

According to Georgetown Heritage, the new canal boat tours “exceeded all expectations” as troves of visitors from around the world delighted in costumed historic reenactments while puttering at a 19th century pace from Thomas Jefferson St. and 30th St. NW under Key Bridge and back.

On the full-moon evening of Friday, Oct. 27, before Halloween, the non-profit organization Georgetown Heritage – which supervises the historical renovation of the C&O Canal in Georgetown and operates the canal boat – hosted a Ghost Cruise, perhaps to appease any restless spirits that might mischievously hamper the waterway’s healthful restoration.

According to Georgetown Heritage, guests on the cruise “took a spooky evening ride as they listened to chilling and true tales

from the canal’s haunted history, delivered by Georgetown Heritage Director of Education and Partnerships Rex Carnegie.” The stories focused on “macabre murders and ghostly sightings that led local police officers to call the canal, the ‘Dead Man’s Beat.’ ” See our story on Rex Carnegie’s impressive historical re-enactment work for Georgetown Heritage here.

Guests on the Ghost Cruise also “enjoyed food and drinks, music, and a lively costume contest.” Proceeds from the event went toward “advancing Georgetown Heritage’s mission of restoring and revitalizing the C&O Canal National Historical Park in Georgetown.”

The Georgetowner spoke with Jasmyn Nash, education specialist for Georgetown Heritage, an historical reenactor aboard “The Georgetown Heritage” during the Ghost Cruise. Nash enjoyed the frightful party, saying that “most people seemed to be enjoying themselves” as hors d’oeuvres, wine and Halloween decorations were presented and “spooky stories” recounted.

Canal Boat tours have been highly successful in the past two years, Nash observed. “Last year, in 2022, we served over 20,000 guests, and in 2023, between [just] May and October, we served over 16,000 passengers.” According to Georgetown Heritage, passengers on the tours in 2022 “represent[ed] 52 U.S. states and territories, and 48 countries.” And WorkBoat Magazine named the “The Georgetown Heritage” on its top-10 list of Significant Boats of 2022, and as a finalist for their ‘Boat of the Year.”

Even though “The Georgetown Heritage” will be in drydock, Nash reassured, the Georgetown Heritage organization will still be providing walking tours for visitors, and hopefully continuing to host school field trips.

“The canal is a really important piece of history for the United States, and the District of Columbia, and Georgetown, specifically,” Nash said. “So anyone who can, should come out and see it.”

For more information on Georgetown Heritage go to Georgetownheritage.org and on social media @gtown_heritage.

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TOWN TOPICS

ANC Tackles Parks, Public Spaces, Crime, Leaf Collection

BY PEGGY SA NDS She tried. She really did. Gwen Lohse, chair of ANC 2E, had timed each item of her lengthy November ANC meeting – held Oct. 29, all remote – to a reasonable time allotment. But the issues outran the schedule.

Of the nearly one-dozen reports by city officials and organizations, one particularly confusing issue – per last year – arose from an unsure report about when, where and how exactly the city’s fall leaf pick-up would begin and when or if residents should bag (plastic or paper?), free-throw into trash pails or freestyle rake their leaves into tree boxes, curbs, streets or their neighbor’s yard (just kidding about the last option, though it was surely thought about). Commissioner Putta begged for “just a simple map” from the city of leaf pick-ups by date and zone.

Putta also dropped a “probably-won’thappen-but-keep-your-eye-on-it” bombshell when he announced that Ward 3 City Council member Matthew Frumin had proposed stopping all further construction at the Georgetown/Palisades area’s new MacArthur High School at 4530 MacArthur Blvd NW. and instead move the entire school to the

now empty, 660,000 square-foot, modern building of the defunct Whittle School at 3400 International Dr. NW, in the former Intelsat building at Van Ness.

Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto’s spokesperson Brian Romanowski (202-7248058) urged residents to be involved in the process of reforming crime response and enforcement measures as envisioned in Pinto’s latest “Secure DC” crime bill. Nov. 8 is a nextstep target date of action, amendments and announcements on the D.C. Council.

The mayor’s office appealed similarly for resident input in reporting crime to help target recidivists for detention under Mayor Bowser’s latest emergency crime bill. A stricter new sexual harassment policy — prohibiting romantic relationships among government employees who work in the same chain of command —was announced for D.C. government workers as well.

Unfortunately, the meeting’s schedule began to fall apart when Tommie Jones, chief of external affairs for DC Parks and Recreation, took more than his allotted time to update the progress of the three major park projects

New ANC 2E Commissioner Daniel Chao (2E07) strongly questioned Tommie Jones of D.C. Parks and Recreation. Georgetowner photo. in Georgetown: the refurbishment of Jelleff Recreation Center and pool at 3265 S St. NW; the rebuilding of the field houses and some track enhancements at Ellington Field on 3500 R St. NW; and, improvements to the baseball field at Volta Park.

All these projects have been undergoing years of studies, town hall meetings, concept designs and planning with constant postponements and rescheduling and changes of meetings to view the final plans and announce construction dates. Yet, once again, Jones announced the department is hard at work to schedule a town meeting. Most of the commissioners politely reminded Jones of hearing the same thing now as last Spring and

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even before. But new commissioner, Daniel Chao, could not hide his impatience. “Have you even read what we have sent you?,” he asked Jones pointedly.

NOTE: A few days after the ANC meeting, Jones announced a community meeting on Wednesday Nov. 8 from 6-7:30 p.m., virtual or in person, at the Georgetown Neighborhood Library at 3260 R. St. NW to “join the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the DC Department of General Services (DGS) to see the updated concept designs, hear about the scope of work and timeline for the Jelleff project and to also provide comments and feedback.” Everyone is invited.

But the ANC still had two sticky issues to get through. One was the public space project that had taken so much time at the last meeting. Mainly, it’s about a contract for the Georgetown BID to study and determine the fate of Georgetown’s popular streateries program and not-so-popular expanded sidewalks projects onto platforms covering mainly former parking places in front of stores and eateries on M St. and Wisconsin Ave. in Georgetown. The platforms had been designed and put up during the pandemic.

But there’s much concern about BID doing the expanded study and its cost as well as what and whom it will benefit, especially in light of complaints and petitioning from the newly-formed Georgetown Coalition for Public Spaces (GCPS). Commissioner Paul Maysak referred to a petition from GCPS in opposition that was first put together by five knowledgeable and highly respected former commissioners. “Are you aware that the petition now has over 1500 signatures?,” Maysak asked. There seemed to be agreement that many of the so-called Jersey barriers marking the streateries and platform were not being maintained and were unsightly.

Again, the fate of the two-year-plus BID contract as well as pending purchases of publicly unvetted street furniture will be continued.

A detailed Georgetown traffic and transportation study being completed by DC DDOT was also discussed at length.

Commissioners and residents who called in are anxious to see the results so far and make sure their input is included. Commissioner Chao and others again expressed concern about the transparency of these government studies.

TOWN TOPICS

Georgetown Village Gets Inside Scoop From ‘60 Minutes’

BY PEG GY SA NDS “We don’t usually do breaking news on ‘60 Minutes,’ rather long form stories that can take weeks or even months or more to prepare,” CBS News “60 Minutes” Executive Producer Bill Owens told a rapt audience at Georgetown Village headquarters on Oct. 11. “But our story last Sunday was too good to miss and we did it in a few days, with Lesley Stahl who flew out to get it on a moment’s notice. Here’s the inside story.”

It was the first in a planned series of personal, deep dive, friendly “Bill Plante conversations” with news makers that Georgetown Village — a service organization at 1801 35th St. NW for 55-plus seniors — will be offering as a regular event.

The series will be planned and moderated by Robin Smith, the documentary film maker and widow of Plante who died last year. She lives in their home on Q Street and was highly active in founding Georgetown Village. Owens has been a close colleague and friend of the Plante family for years.

“Last Saturday,” Owens continued, “we heard about the story of the grandparents who had grabbed their pistols and drove to their kids’ kibbutz that was under fierce attack by

Hamas on the border of Gaza on Oct. 7. On the way, they got involved in several skirmishes and detours to take wounded soldiers and young Israelis to the hospital but ended up saving their trapped children. It was a powerful story,” related Owens. (See The Georgetowner story concerning this incident.)

“I called Lesley — who has been a top reporter for ‘60 Minutes’ for over three decades and had written a book on becoming a joyful grandparent — to see if she was interested.

She was on a plane headed to New York from California. “Yes” she said immediately. I’ll get my assistant to grab some clothes for me and meet me at the airport where I can take off for Israel,” Stahl responded.

“She is such an audacious reporter,” said Owens, “that not only did she get a full firstperson accounting of the rescue and the fighting in the kibbutz, they had to restrain her from going on into Gaza to learn more. That’s the kind of team and professionalism Bill Plante got me into when he invited me to join ‘60 Minutes.’ ” Inaugural speaker of the Bill Plante Conversations series, Owens described Plante as a consummate and ethical journalist who

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Robin Smith and CBS News “60 Minutes” Executive Producer Bill Owens inaugurate the Bill Plante Conversations series. Courtesy Georgetown Village. was always a gentleman, listened to everyone, treated everyone with dignity. He described the ethics of “60 Minutes” to use primary sources and check facts. When challenged – as they often were – Plante would get down to the archived script and script notes to check exactly who said what on air.

“His interviews were so friendly and deep that they turned into conversations,” Smith said. “That is the model for this series for Georgetown Village.”

Founded in 2011, Georgetown Village is now one of the 17 aging-in-place “village” services in the Washington area. Now, they are celebrating and benefitting from their “game-

changing” recent move to their spacious and expertly decorated new headquarters at the former Fillmore School on 35th Street. They have re-invented their mission not only as a service organization to allow members to “age in place” but as a friendly and accessible, isolation-busting gathering place, according to Georgetown Village Executive Director Lynn Golub-Rofrano.

This first “conversations” event filled quickly — with seats added in an adjoining office.

There are no set regular dates for the Bill Plante Conversations series. They will be announced as they are organized. Stay tuned.

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EDITORIAL

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

Freedom of Speech Thousands have been killed and hundreds kidnapped and taken hostage in the declared war between Israel and Palestine/Hamas since Oct. 7. Outrage has been expressed at numerous demonstrations in our largest urban centers and at many elite universities including Georgetown, where Jewish and Muslim advocates feel free to protest under the protection of Freedom of Speech. But is it indeed “free”?

Georgetown University was placed 245 out-of-248 schools in the 2024 College Free Speech Rankings by College Pulse and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), an organization founded by University of Pennsylvania history professor Alan Charles Kors, a conservative, and lawyer Harvey A. Silvergate, a liberal, in 1999, to advocate for students’ free speech on college campuses. FIRE also ranked Georgetown No. 86 out-of-248 in comfort expressing ideas — the measure of how much students feel they have to censor themselves to conform or to avoid retribution from the administration — but ranked No. 208 on openness in conversations about controversial topics.

Troublesome to many observers the first week of the Israeli/Hamas conflict has been the appearance and sudden disappearance of pro-Israeli flyers and signs on the campus’s Red Square — one of four designated areas where flyers can be posted by advocacy groups. On the morning of Oct. 16, photos show dozens of the now ubiquitous red-framed flyers with pictures of kidnapped Israelis on them posted on the allowed walls of Red Square, along with equally dozens of various flyers advocating for medical and other help

for Palestinians caught in the war.

By early afternoon, The Georgetowner observed there were no kidnap or any other proIsraeli posters left on the walls of Red Square.

‘That’s always happened at Georgetown. People always take down the others’ campaign posters and flyers,” one alumna told The Georgetowner. But in fact, it’s a violation of the Student Affairs Speech and Expression policy to prohibit other students from hearing the views of others by removing flyers or other materials or otherwise limiting another’s ability to express a view or perspective on campus.

We’re watching this all in the most heated of times in our city – the Capital of the United States with Georgetown University being amongst the most pre-eminent educator of diplomats in the world.

Let’s look at it as a huge learning experience for everyone. On campus Thursday Nov. 2, there were dozens of flyers posted properly along various walls in Red Square representing a broad range of views of the Israeli/Hamas war. A table with four members of the university’s Jewish Student Association offered snacks and conversation as well as kept a watch on potential flyer tear-downs. A police car sat nearby and occasionally a uniformed officer could be seen. “It’s fine now,” Joe Masssaua a student member of the Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC 2E) told The Georgetowner. Protests as well as at least half a dozen lectures and panel discussions have taken place and are being planned that are passionate but peaceful.

This is what freedom of speech looks like.

Attitude of Gratitude Between wars overseas and unnerving events in our own country, like mass shootings and instances of antisemitism and Islamophobia, it’s hard to feel thankful.

As we approach the holidays, you’ll frequently hear how grateful we should be during this festive time. If that’s a challenge, try to feel empathy toward your fellow man.

Most people are struggling to get through their day. If you’re an overworked executive, try to put yourself into the shoes of the frazzled mom with three kids in-tow navigating the bustling streets of Georgetown. If you’re enduring home renovation stresses, think about the person without a house to live in. If you’re wondering why Georgetown University 10 NOVEMBER 8, 2023

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students must be so loud as they wander the streets on their phones, think about how stressed they probably are with their studies, as they’re just trying to let loose a bit.

Finding yourself in such a situation is a great opportunity to practice empathy. Open the door for the mom with the stroller. Give to a shelter or bring a meal to the unhoused person on M Street. Ask the university student how they’re doing as finals loom. Who knows, you may develop a multi-generational friendship.

It may be hard to feel thankful these days, but by spreading a little bit of kindness, you might begin to experience those feelings of gratefulness just a bit more.

Happy holidays, Georgetown.

Our 35th president was assassinated 60 years ago this month.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy: May 29, 1917 to Nov. 22, 1963.

Letters to the Editor Kitty Kelley: A Touch of Class Living in Spring Valley, I have to go out of my way to get the Georgetowners but it’s well worth it to read the splendid book reviews of Kitty Kelley.

Her reviews are stunning — eloquent, intelligent, and frequently very funny — as fine as anything in the New York Times, the Washington Post, or the Wall Street Journal.

Kelley tends to review nonfiction more than fiction, which I suppose makes sense for a writer whose seven biographies have all been number one New York Times best sellers.

Thanks for giving your readers outside Georgetown such a touch of class.

— Andrew A. Henley

Student Voices Important, Too To the Editor: We really think that student voices are also important concerning streateries. We note that students are concerned about aesthetics but care about functionality.

I am the advisory neighborhood commissioner for 2E04. Along with others, I serve with my fellow student commissioner John Pierri (ANC 2E08).

Here’s a comment by a student who attended the Georgetown ANC meeting.

Georgetown University student Jaibin Mathew said that the streateries are important in fostering connection and community between the neighborhood and students. “People talk about Gen Z being the loneliest generation ever,” Mathew told the Hoya newspaper. “I

think streateries represent a callback to this idea of running into a friend at a cafe. Walking around and seeing people, bustling life in the streets, is so important for your sense of wellbeing as a human.”

We love the walkability of Georgetown. We enjoy outdoor dining and economic vitality. We note the halving of pedestrian-vehicle crashes.

We fully support the BID’s application.

Having surveyed my constituents, there is at least 90-percent support for the pilot to continue. We are imagining a future Georgetown, starting now.

For further inquiries, feel free to reach out to John or me.

— Joe Massaua, commissioner, ANC 2E04

THE VILLAGE

The City Tavern at 3206 M St. NW was built in 1796. Georgetowner photo.

The City Tavern: Fascinating Past, Promising Future

BY H AI L E Y W HARRA M The City Tavern Preservation Foundation hosted its Welcome Fall Neighbors Reception on Oct. 25. The tavern’s Bliss Room and adjoining terrace were abuzz with jovial chatter, hors d’oeuvre devouring and a bubbling excitement for the future of the organization.

The City Tavern’s future is bright because of its rich past. Located at 3206 M St. NW and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 3-and a-half-story brick Georgian building is not only one of Washington, D.C.’s oldest, but the sole remaining tavern from the Federal Era of the United States. Built in 1796, this communal gathering space has hosted presidential visitors such as George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Lyndon B. Johnson and Ronald Reagan, just to name a few.

Independent from the City Tavern Club, the

City Tavern Preservation Foundation (CTPF) is dedicated to maintaining the tavern’s facilities and bringing the public into the space by hosting a variety of free educational and social events. Their educational programming includes guided tours and lectures which tackle, according to their website, “the City Tavern’s history, its famous patrons, including our country’s Founding Fathers, its historical relationship with slavery, its 18th-century architecture and interiors, and many other subjects.”

On Dec. 1, the foundation will hold its annual gala that raises funds for the City Tavern’s building and legacy.

“Just like any old house built in 1796, the tavern’s got lots of things that are starting to fray around the edges and some things that are starting to fall apart completely,” said CTPF’s new Executive Director Leslie Maysak. “We

want to be able to preserve the tavern in perpetuity, and there’s going to be a lot of fundraising involved in that.”

Maysak —formerly executive director of the Citizens Association of Georgetown and a commissioner on the Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC 2E) — began her job at the end of August.

While she’s only worked for CTPF for a few months, she’s already found herself impressed by the organization’s steadfast commitment to their mission.

“The space of the tavern is so beautiful, restful, historic and awe-inspiring, but the people I work with are the best part of the job,” Maysak said. “Everyone is so dedicated to what they’re doing. They really care about preserving the tavern itself, and everyone who goes to work is always ready to roll up their sleeves and do what needs to be done on a small staff and a small budget. I really appreciate that start-up kind of feeling.”

The club owns the building. However, the foundation is hoping to purchase it if the club puts it up for sale, according to Maysak.

One individual who’s particularly passionate about CTPF’s mission is Andrus Seferlis.

Though currently serving as CTPF’s vice president, Seferlis will replace Zana Metelski as president after her retirement in the coming months. A licensed D.C. tour guide, Seferlis’s breadth of knowledge on regional history shines through in conversation.

“For the future of the City Tavern during my tenure, I hope we’ll be a lot more focused on community, awareness and programming not only inside the tavern but also outside the tavern. I look at this city as not only my hometown, but also a place that’s so misunderstood and under-explored. One of my goals is to let people know what is here,” Seferlis said.

Kamakshi Bhargava is another member of CTPF’s Board of Directors. A Georgetown University alumna, Bhargava has been a member of the City Tavern Club since 2018 and joined CTPF’s board in January. Since joining the foundation, the tavern’s unique status as a site of “living history” has captivated her.

“I look nothing like the founding fathers of America, and I’m probably nothing like the people who were the initial customers of the tavern. In fact, the tap room was only accessible to men when the building first opened,” Bhargava said. “However, now I’m a part of this building’s history too. Being here makes you feel closer to the story of America in a way I probably would not feel at such a personal level if I went and visited a museum and everything was behind glass doors. The whole living history aspect of this place never fades for me.”

More information about the City Tavern Preservation Foundation (CTPF) and their upcoming events can be found at Citytavern.org.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR SALON SERIES FOR THOUGHT AND DISCUSSION AT CITY TAVERN Nov. 9, 6:30-9:00 p.m.

3206 M St. NW. Discuss, debate, and consider key issues of the day over cocktails and dinner.

VETERANS DAY WREATH-LAYING CEREMONIES AT THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER Nov. 11, 11:00 a.m.

Arlington National Cemetery.

EXHIBITION AT HOUSE OF SWEDEN: JULIA PEIRONE – I AM NOT BLONDE Nov. 11, 18, 25, 26, 12-5:00 p.m.

House of Sweden, 2900 K St. NW. Through her photography, Peirone explores young girls’ search for identity in a world influenced by social media, beauty standards and expectations.

CULTURE POWER BREAKFAST FEATURING HAYLEY FINN, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, THEATER J Nov. 16, Doors open 8:00 a.m.

Hosted by The Georgetowner, Four Seasons Hotel, 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.

MEETING OF THE COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS Nov. 16, 9:00 a.m.

401 F St. NW, Suite 312.

Filing Deadline: Nov. 2.

FALL MAKERS MARKET, DUMBARTON HOUSE Nov. 18, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Dumbarton House, 2715 Q St. NW. Get a jump on your holiday shopping and support local businesses during this shopping extravaganza on the grounds of Dumbarton House.

GEORGETOWN GLOW Dec. 1 – Jan. 7, 5-10:00 p.m.

Georgetown BID, Commercial District.

Experience the magic of light at GLOW in Georgetown, the region’s only curated outdoor public light art experience.

A CELTIC CHRISTMAS Dec. 3, 4-6:00 p.m.

Dumbarton Church, 3133 Dumbarton St. NW. The 40-year Washington favorite returns to celebrate seasonal comfort and joy with the classic sounds of the Barnes and Hampton Celtic Consort.

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NOVEMBER 8, 2023

11

BUSINESS

INS & OUTS

BY R OBERT D EVAN EY

IN: B&B ITALIA

To be or not to be B&B … B&B Italia, the global contemporary design furniture group opened its first Washington, D.C., three-story flagship in Georgetown at 3330 M St NW in the former Baker Furniture store on Oct. 26. Part of the luxe design stores in Cady’s Alley, the 12,809-square-foot space, designed by the brand’s artistic director, Piero Lissoni, has a very contemporary feel that provides a striking contrast with the exterior brownstone building. This marks B&B Italia’s fifth brick and mortar location in the U.S. B&B Italia will show off its four brands: B&B Italia, Maxalto, Azucena and Arclinea. The space offers customers full-home design services, ranging from custom kitchens to closets and lighting that goes beyond furniture.

IN: MANSE ON O

Opened in early October: Manse, “a housewares and lifestyle store focused on carrying unique and artisan-made products” from Old Town Alexandria. It occupies the former Arlandia Floors space — and, before that, the esteemed Antiques of Georgetown at 3210 O St. NW. Stop by and say hello to Adam and Andrew.

IN: B&B ITALIA

To be or not to be B&B … B&B Italia, the global contemporary design furniture group opened its first Washington, D.C., three-story flagship in Georgetown at 3330 M St NW in the former Baker Furniture store on Oct. 26. Part of the luxe design stores in Cady’s Alley, the 12,809-square-foot space, designed by the brand’s artistic director, Piero Lissoni, has a very contemporary feel that provides a striking contrast with the exterior brownstone building. This marks B&B Italia’s fifth brick and mortar location in the U.S. B&B Italia will show off its four brands: B&B Italia, Maxalto, Azucena and Arclinea. The space offers customers full-home design services, ranging from custom kitchens to closets and lighting that goes beyond furniture.

Frame Denim & Clothing.

IN: FRAME ON M

Frame opened its store at 3105 M St. NW, after renovations, in the space left by Michael Kors during the pandemic. Founded in 2010, Frame is an American fashion-retail company that designs and sells high-end clothing for men and women. The company is known for its denim jeans and hand bags sold at retail outlets in the U.S. and has been patronized by models Karlie Kloss, Miranda Kerr and Emily Ratajkowski.

COMING: SPORTS & SOCIAL ON M

The former Ri Ra space at 3125 M St. NW is slated to become a Sports & Social, a sports restaurant big on wide-screen TVs, burgers, tacos, salads — and betting. As the Bethesda version tells it: “Big Screens. Big Eats. Big Bets. Enjoy the exciting addition of FanDuel Sportsbook to enhance your sports watch experience. Make in-person bets and Game Day with us.” Meanwhile, Sports & Social opened at 1314 U St. NW on Oct. 27. The U Street spot does not yet offer onsite gambling as the Bethesda location does. The upcoming Georgetown location plans to offer sports betting as well.

The 2023 Outdoor Collection from B&B Italia.

12 NOVEMBER 8, 2023

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BUSINESS

Stretch Lab.

COMING: NEW BALANCE IN OLD GLORY SPACE

A New Balance store is coming to 3139 M St. NW, the former space for the shortlived America Eats Tavern, which shut down during the pandemic, and Old Glory for 26 years before that. As first noticed by Topher Mathews, “This is a bit of a shame. … True, Old Glory itself closed way back in 2018.

But the relatively short-lived Americas Eats Tavern maintained a lot of the same casual dining spirit (although not quite at the same prices). The two restaurants combined for nearly 30 years of food being served at this address. Now it will be only dad shoes served instead.” No word for the fate of the faded mural on the side of the restaurant exterior that faces the PNC Bank parking lot.

Meanwhile, speaking of a former restaurant owned by Capitol Restaurant Concepts, we hear that the former J. Paul’s space at 3218 M St. NW is about to be leased. We’ll let readers know what things are firmed up.

COMING: STRETCH LAB NEAR SAFEWAY

Along the ground floor retail row under Safeway, a new place will soon open: Stretch Lab at 1855 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite B. Experts do what it sounds like they do — “Don’t just stretch, get stretched. StretchLab’s team of highly trained Flexologists will give you a deeper stretch than you could ever achieve on your own. … A 25- or 50-minute, one-on-one stretch customized to your specific needs, focusing on problem areas or targeting certain muscle groups.”

MOVED: PRINCE & PRINCESS

For years at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and O Street, Prince & Princess, the classic sneakers and sportswear store, has moved next door to 1406 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Steve Madden — which used to be at 3109 M St. NW but closed five years ago — will reopen in Georgetown at that corner. The global shoes and fashion accessories company reported sales in excess of $2 billion last year. Prince & Princess is co-owned by siblings Parviz Mizrahi and Lida Solmen. Meanwhile, the top floors on the corner building are being converted into apartments.

OUT: WELLS FARGO ON WISCONSIN AVE.

The small Wells Fargo Express Center at 1329 Wisconsin Ave. NW will be closing next year, according to retail sources. Larger Wells Fargo banks remain at 2901 M St. NW and 3700 Calvert St. NW.

Brompton - The Foldable City Bike.

COMING: BROMPTON BIKES

Brompton bike company plans to open a shop at 1214 Wisconsin Ave. NW in the former Scotch & Soda clothing store.

Brompton tells us: In 1975, Andrew Ritchie, a young engineer in London, “invented a bike with an ingenious three-part fold. A lightweight vehicle that transformed into a small, locked package in under 20 seconds. A bike that you could take anywhere. A ‘magic carpet for the city.’ ”

OUT: LEGAL SERVICES TO DOWNTOWN

Legal Services Corporation, a longtime tenant at 3333 K St. NW, will leave Georgetown next year. According to Commercial Observer, “Legal Services Corporation, a nonprofit that provides financial support for civil legal aid to lowerincome Americans, has inked a 15.5-year, 37,000-square-foot lease at International Square, a 1.1 million-square-foot, threetower complex in Washington, D.C. LSC, established by Congress in 1974, will occupy the entire eighth floor of the 12-story property beginning in November 2024.”

AD ORN YOUR TR E E WITH

WH I TE H O USE HISTO RY The Official 2023 White House Christmas Ornament is a festive wreath featuring President Gerald R. Ford. On the front of the ornament are cherubs, doves, and stars inspired by the Fords’ White House Christmas decorations. On the back of the ornament are emblems representing President Ford’s legacy of service, the 1976 Bicentennial, and even the family dog, Liberty.

Support the White House Historical Association with your purchase of this collectible holiday keepsake.

SHOP.WHITE H OUSE H ISTORY.ORG

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NOVEMBER 8, 2023

13

COVER

Cool First lady Grace Coolidge and President Calvin Coolidge with one of their white collies, Rob Roy, on the South Lawn. White House photo.

Coolidge Foundation in Georgetown Celebrates Centenary of 30th President

BY CH RISTOP HER J ON E S

W

hat do the following have in common: The Roaring Twenties, Prospect Street in Georgetown, an Aug. 3, 2023, historical re-enactment inside a Vermont barn after midnight, and the future of American laissez-faire? You guessed it — Calvin Coolidge.

One hundred years ago – Aug. 3, 1923, at precisely 2:47 a.m. – our nation’s 30th president, Calvin Coolidge, took the presidential oath of office by the light of a kerosene lamp inside his family’s barn house in the little dirt-road farming village of Plymouth Notch, Vermont, swearing fidelity to the U.S. Constitution on a bible held by his father, John Coolidge, an enterprising farmer, cheesemaker and notary public, in a makeshift ceremony surrounded by family and sundry witnesses. Only two hours earlier, news of President Harding’s death had reached Vice President Coolidge.

As the president said, “So help me, God,” the nation was climbing out of a post-war recession in the early 1920s and the American economy 14 NOVEMBER 8, 2023

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— fueled by the tunes of the Jazz Age — was beginning to roar. It was the Age of Radio, Prohibition, speakeasies, automobiles hot-offthe-assembly-line, the new airline industry, and American ascendancy as a world power.

The “chief business of America is business,” Coolidge wrote in 1925 and the best way to keep the economy humming, he believed, was to keep the books balanced and the federal government small by embracing a laissezfaire, hands-off approach to businesses. And from 1924 to 1929, the nation’s GDP rose 16.2 percent.

With the slogan “Keep Cool with Coolidge,” the Republican, easily won his election in 1924 and presided over four more years of growth, prosperity and peace.

But the president had his detractors at the time. The country “wanted nothing done” while Coolidge was in the White House, someone said, “and he done it!” H.L. Mencken retorted, while also jibing Coolidge for napping excessively in the White House.

The Georgetowner spoke with Matthew Denhart, president of the Coolidge Foundation – headquartered in Plymouth Notch, Vermont – about the group’s expansion to Georgetown and its activities in 2023 to celebrate the centennial of Coolidge’s presidency. In 2018, it purchased the historic Quality Hill house at 3425 Prospect St. NW, formerly the longtime home to Sen. Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island.

As Coolidge was the last American president without an official U.S. memorial library, his son, John Coolidge, along with a “group of fellow Coolidge enthusiasts” established in 1960 in Vermont the Coolidge Foundation dedicated to “perpetuating the memory of Calvin Coolidge,” who lived 1872 to 1933.

By the mid-2000s, Denhart explained, the foundation created a strategic plan “with a real emphasis on expanding more nationally, recognizing the centennial of the Coolidge presidency would be here before [we] knew it.” Then in 2013, the economic historian and biographer of Coolidge, Amity Schlaes, “joined the board and eventually became [its] chair.”

As a champion of Coolidge’s laissez-faire presidency, Schlaes and other conservative economic historians have drawn liberal criticism for their contention that 1930s New Deal programs launched President Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, actually prolonged rather than helped cure the Great Depression.

Other pro-business figures in American life, such as multi-millionaire Steve Forbes, who now sits on the foundation’s board, have also gravitated, unsurprisingly, to the foundation’s messaging.

As part of its strategic plan, the board “developed a number of new programs,” Denhart said. They included full-ride Coolidge Scholarships “modeled after the Rhodes scholarship program.” A related program called the Coolidge Senators also features a select group of the top-100 [students applying] each year. “Maybe you’ve seen them walking around Georgetown. We bring them most years to a sort of Weekend Summit Program in Washington, and they’re based there at the Coolidge House.”

“Each year, thousands apply to the scholarship program,” Denhart said. “This year there were over 4,100 students. It’s a very competitive reward and the applicants are highly qualified. We also gave out five ‘full-ride awards this year,’ [as well as smaller

Yule scholarships] of $1,000 to the top-100. And more important than the scholarship money to them is the opportunity to take part in [our] programs. So, we bring them here to Washington… And, in most years it’s all based out of the Coolidge House here” in Georgetown.

“We thought we really needed a base of operations somewhere more central and Washington, D.C. was the obvious choice as a center of history tourism and the world of policy ideas,” Denhart said. “So, we were able to acquire Quality Hill.” And it’s been “just a wonderful house” in Georgetown “from the era of the founders.” Built by the nephew of George Mason with “his emphasis on federalism, the Bill of Rights,” and other principles Coolidge would have admired, “it seemed like a fitting place.” The architecture is “just beautiful, in the Federal and Classical style – very evocative of Coolidge and his philosophy in a civic arts way… So, we’re really pleased it [all] worked out and very grateful to the Georgetown neighborhood for embracing us.”

Since acquiring the Prospect Street mansion, the Coolidge Foundation has converted the site into a library, research center and museum with a staff of four, plus an occasional intern from Georgetown University, a local high school or elsewhere. A “graphic art exhibit” space, supplemented by Coolidge artifacts designed to “tell the Coolidge story,” was created on the property’s second floor. “I think it’s a wonderful place for folks to come and learn about Coolidge,” Denhart said, “and also a good spot for us to host events and to bring students…. It’s a good place to give Coolidge a presence, I think.”

In addition to publishing the scholarly journal The Coolidge Quarterly, the foundation also runs a student debate program. For their centennial-year prompt, students debated whether “Coolidge Should Be in the TopTen” of American presidents. Following the debates, “the students came away thinking, ‘actually, that’s not an absurd proposition,’ ” Denhart said. Most recently, CSPAN had ranked Coolidge at number 24 all-time.

For the centennial year, the foundation also partnered with the Library of Congress, hosting a two-day national conference – covered by CSPAN – called “Coolidge and the American Project.” A screen debut of a new PBS documentary called “Coolidge:

The National Christmas tree. Photo by Jeff Malet.

The Coolidge Foundation’s Quality Hill site at 3425 Prospect St. NW. Rediscovering an American Presidency,” from executive producers Amity Schlaes and Steve Forbes, highlighted the conference.

On Dec. 5, the foundation will host a gala in New York City with keynote speaker Fred Smith, founder of FedEx. To Georgetowners, Denhart says: “We’re just thrilled to have the space at Quality Hill. We hope that folks will get in touch.

And they’ll bring their kids and grandkids and encourage their schools to visit. We just love to help Georgetown ‘Keep Cool with Coolidge.’ ”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON GEORGETOWNER.COM.

Celebrating 100 Years of the National Christmas Tree, Coolidge’s Gift to the Country On the cover, we celebrate 100 years of The National Christmas Tree. Here are some noteworthy dates throughout the tree’s rich history. Happy Holidays!

1923 President Calvin Coolidge and his wife, First Lady Grace Coolidge, permitted D.C. Public Schools to put a Christmas tree on the Ellipse. The tree then named the “National Christmas Tree.”

1954-1956 A wider celebration called the “Christmas Pageant of Peace” including the tree lighting and a group of smaller trees representing each state, territory and D.C. is created (and still celebrated today!).

1978 Two previous live trees planted on the Ellipse died, so the National Park Service horticulturalists searched for a new National Tree. They found a healthy and robust one (a Colorado blue spruce to be exact) in York, PA.

2020 Due to the pandemic, the lighting ceremony didn’t host a live audience and instead aired a special through a virtual celebration. The lights on the tree were a patriotic red, white, and blue.

1945 President Harry S. Truman lit the tree (which had not been illuminated since 1941 due to the war) and delivered a Christmas message.

1963 After the death of President Kennedy, the lighting ceremony was postponed until after the 30-day mourning period.

On December 22, President Lyndon Johnson, his wife First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and their daughter Luci lit the tree.

2007 LED lights were used on the National Christmas Tree at the request of the White House GE, making the tree more energy-efficient than it had ever been.

2023 This year, the tree will be lit November 30.

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NOVEMBER 8, 2023

15

ARTS

Holiday

Theater Guide

BY RIC HA RD S E L DE N

LAST CHANCE THIS MONTH …

You can put on the Ritz with Dr. Frankenstein (“It’s pronounced Franken-STEEN!”) and his monster, but not for long. The Little Theatre of Alexandria’s production of “Young Frankenstein” — based on the Mel Brooks film and directed by Frank D. Shutts II — closes this Saturday (through Nov. 11).

History buffs may want to spend part of Veterans Day afternoon in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater watching “Defining Courage,” an “immersive DocuTheatre experience” about World War II’s segregated Nisei (second-generation Japanese American) units (Nov. 11).

Another overseas conflict, the Troubles in Northern Ireland, provides the context for Leo McGann’s “The Honey Trap,” set in Belfast in 1979. Matt Torney directs this Solas Nua world premiere at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (through Nov. 19).

Also at the Atlas, resident partner Mosaic Theater Company’s season continues with “Confederates” by Dominique Morisseau,

directed by Stori Ayers, focusing on two women “who stand on the frontlines of freedom,” 160 years apart (through Nov. 19).

Theater J, based at the Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center, is about to mount three one-person plays in a row. First up: the world premiere of “See You Tomorrow” — written, directed and performed by Iris Bahr — in which a mother in Israel and a daughter in L.A. interact on WhatsApp (Nov. 14 to 22).

Joel Ashur and Deidre Staples in “Confederates.”

Photo by Chris Banks. Courtesy Mosaic Theater Company.

Bluey and friends. Courtesy Ludo Studio.

2023 EDITION! ALL-NEW HOLIDAY FUN!

2, 9, & 10,

DECEMBER LINCOLN THEATRE 1215 U STREET NW TICKETS & INFO AT GMCW.ORG ASL TICKETS & GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE, CALL 202-293-1548

16 NOVEMBER 8, 2023

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2023

The U.S. premiere of “Strong Wind,” a surreal one-act play by Norway’s Jon Fosse, is underway at the DC Arts Center. This Scena Theatre production is directed by Scena Artistic Director Robert McNamara (through Nov. 26).

For the kids: Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and

Chilli — the canine stars of an animated TV series from Australia — will be bounding into the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater in puppet form. “Bluey’s Big Play” features new live music by “Bluey” composer Joff Bush (Nov. 21 to 26).

ARTS

OPEN OR OPENING SOON AND PLAYING ON …

Though the ink isn’t quite dry, so to speak, on the Folger Shakespeare Library expansion, its Elizabethan Theatre has reopened for “The Winter’s Tale.” (What do you mean you don’t know that play? Were you raised by shepherds?) The director is Tamilla Woodard, chair of the acting program at Yale’s Geffen School of Drama (through Dec. 17).

Gaelyn D. Smith and Marquis D. Gibson in “Fat Ham.” Photo by Margot Schulman. Courtesy Studio Theatre.

James Ijames had the outlandish idea to set “Hamlet” at a backyard barbecue. The result?

A Pulitzer Prize. Directed by Taylor Reynolds, “Fat Ham” is on the grill at Studio Theatre (through Dec. 17).

Also part of D.C.’s Shakespeare Everywhere festival, the Bard of Avon meets the Maestro from Roncole in “The Promised End,” In Series’ lauded interweaving of Shakespeare’s “King Lear” and Verdi’s Requiem (Nov. 18 to Dec. 10 at Source Theatre; Dec. 15 to 17 at Baltimore Theatre Project).

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is staging Shayok Misha Chowdhury’s “Public Obscenities,” a bilingual — English and Bangla — play about a queer studies student

who brings his Black boyfriend home to Kolkata (Nov. 13 to Dec. 23).

Four versions of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” will haunt area stages this holiday season. First to get clanking (Marley’s Ghost: “I wear the chain I forged in life!”): the 2023 edition of Michael Wilson’s spooky, music-filled Ford’s Theatre adaptation. Craig Wallace first donned Scrooge’s nightcap in 2016 (Nov. 17 to Dec. 31).

A week later and 20 miles due north, Paul Morella will hit the Olney Theatre Center stage playing 50 characters, give or take, for the 14th season of his one-man show, “A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas” (Nov. 24 to Dec. 31).

What about musicals, you say? Now running are productions of two much-honored shows: “Ragtime,” based on E. L. Doctorow’s colorful depiction of the early 20th century, at Signature Theatre (through Jan. 7); and “Fiddler on the Roof,” set about the same time in the “underfed, overworked” Russian village of Anatevka, at Olney (through Dec. 31).

This month, Arena Stage will premiere a musical about a whaling ship that goes down in a storm. Directed by Michael Mayer, with a book by John Logan and choreography (dancing on the raft?) by David Neumann, “Swept Away” features music by roots band the Avett Brothers (Nov. 25 to Dec. 30).

More for the kids: Adventure Theatre at Glen Echo Park will present a dramatization by le Clanché du Rand of C. S. Lewis’s “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” directed

by Tom Story (Nov. 17 to Jan. 7); and the Kennedy Center Family Theater will host “The Dragon King’s Daughter,” directed by Chongren Fan, a world-premiere musical with an original story and songs by Marcus Yi and martial arts-infused choreography by Billy Bustamante. Audience members can converse with the cast and creative team after the opening-afternoon show (Nov. 18 to Dec. 17).

The Folger’s Elizabethan Theatre. Courtesy Folger Shakespeare Library.

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NOVEMBER 8, 2023

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ARTS

Kevin Adams, Josh Adams and Dave Jourdan in “An Irish Carol.” Photo by Mike Kozemchak.

Courtesy Keegan Theatre.

COMING IN DECEMBER …

Two more adaptations of “A Christmas Carol”: Donna Ferragut’s, directed by Jonathan Mulberg, at the Little Theatre of Alexandria (Dec. 2 to 16); and, continuing a Keegan Theatre tradition, “An Irish Carol,” Matthew J. Keenan’s reimagining of Dickens in a Dublin pub with a Scrooge-y owner.

Keegan Founding Director Mark A. Rhea directs (Dec. 2 to 31).

Set not in a Dublin pub but in a New Orleans club is the Black vaudeville-style review “One Mo’ Time” by Vernel Bagneris, bringing the Big Easy of the 1920s to the Anacostia Playhouse (Dec. 2 to 31).

Appearing in “Drag the Halls” at Olney,

MUSEUM SHOP HOLIDAY MARKET Thu–Sat, Nov 9–11, 10am–6pm Make the Mansion your one-stop shop for fabulous finds that make marvelous gifts!

for two wild nights only: Evon Michelle Dior, Tiara Missou and Echinacea Monroe (Dec. 8 and 9).

More Shakespeare Everywhere in December: Daryl Cloran’s Fab Four/flower power adaptation of “As You Like It” in Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Harman Hall (Dec. 2 to 31); and, across town, a threeweek stint in the Kennedy Center Theater Lab by the Chicago-based Improvised Shakespeare Company (Dec. 4 to 23).

A second world-premiere, one-person show, “Moses” by Michele Lowe, directed

by Johanna Gruenhut, will bring one man’s search for “forgiveness, a long-lost dream and himself” to Theater J (Dec. 1 to 24).

In Bethesda, Round House Theatre Artistic Director Ryan Rilette will direct Conor McPherson’s “The Seafarer,” a “mystical journey of redemption” set on the Irish coast on Christmas Eve (Dec. 6 to 31). And in Arlington, Synetic Theater will present adaptations of two beloved Russian stories: “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Golden Fish” (Dec. 8 to Jan. 7); and “Snow Maiden,” created and directed by Synetic Founding Associate Artistic Director Irina Tsikurishvili (Dec. 9 to Jan. 6).

Speaking of snow maidens, Elsa herself,

MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS

BY CHIP DAVIS

Princess (later Queen) of Arendelle, will sing out (“Let the storm rage on!”) at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Disney’s “Frozen” (Dec. 20 to Jan. 21).

The National Theatre’s end-of-year show is “Pretty Woman: The Musical,” with an original score by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance rocking up the Gere-and-Roberts rom-com (Dec. 12 to 17).

“Both Sides Now” at Signature will pay tribute to Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen (Dec. 5 to 17). Another Sixties troubadour inspired “Girl From the North Country” — written and directed by Conor McPherson and orchestrated by Simon Hale — in which Bob Dylan tunes tell a tale of 1930s Duluth, closing out 2023 in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater (Dec. 12 to 31).

One more for the kids: Discovery Theater’s annual “Seasons of Light” will return to the Smithsonian’s Ripley Center, celebrating seasonal holiday festivals from around the world (Dec. 1 to 20).

P.S. Landlady Elizabeth Czerny has been getting murdered above the Georgetown hair salon in the Kennedy Center Theater Lab since the Reagan administration. It’s “Shear Madness,” I tell you!

SEÁN HEELY’S CELTIC CHRISTMAS Fri, Dec 8

Fri, Dec 1

DAVE KOZ AND FRIENDS CHRISTMAS TOUR 2023

FEATURING: JONATHAN BUTLER

THE HIP HOP NUTCRACKER

WITH GUEST MC KURTIS BLOW Tue–Fri, Dec 19–22

With Special Guests: Rebecca Jade and Marcus Anderson Introducing: Justin Lee Schultz Sun, Dec 3

L–R: Museum Shop Holiday Market, Seán Heely by Jordan Koepke, The Hip Hop Nutcracker by Cheryl Mann, Mannheim Steamroller by Sara Hoffman, Dave Koz

STRATHMORE.ORG | 301.581.5100 | 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda 18 NOVEMBER 8, 2023

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ARTS

Family-Friendly Holiday Events

BY KAT E OCZ Y P OK If you’re wondering where to take the family for the best holiday events of the season, look no further than these options.

Have a jolly holiday!

year, with tickets available to the public on Nov. 10 at 5 p.m.

THE DISTRICT’S HOLIDAY BOAT PARADE AT THE WHARF

December 2, 6-9 p.m.

The event that’s become a holiday tradition in the area returns with over 60 boats decorated in their holiday best. The vessels parade through the Washington Channel. There will also be decorating of ornaments, face painting, s’mores and a 45-foot Christmas tree!

GEORGETOWN GLOW

Dec, 1, 2023 through Jan. 7, 2024, 5-10 p.m.

Don’t miss the sparkle of Georgetown GLOW, a free holiday celebration that features public light art installations in outdoor locations.

There are typically walking tours, a shopping night, and many more themed evenings throughout the holiday season.

NATIONAL MENORAH LIGHTING

Dec. 7 The annual event will take place Dec. 7 this

The Washington Ballet’s beloved “Nutcracker” is back for another year of holiday fun.

THE WASHINGTON BALLET’S “THE NUTCRACKER”

Dec. 2 through 30 The Washington version of the famed ballet includes a George Washington nutcracker who leads the battle versus the Rat King. Enjoy nods to the city like the streets of Georgetown and the cherry blossoms.

ENCHANT CHRISTMAS

Nov. 24 through Dec. 31 Kids and kids at heart love this family holiday event that’s become a tradition in recent

years. Held at Nationals Park, there will be ice skating, an all-new light maze, theme nights, and more.

THE NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY

Nov. 30 Celebrating 100 years, The National Christmas Tree Lighting will be Nov. 30 this year. In 1923, then-President Calvin Coolidge lit a 48-foot fir tree decorated with 2,500 red, white, and green holiday lights. A choir and U.S. Marine Band quartet performed.

Today, the lighting typically draws big name performers and the president still heads down from The White House to light the tree.

MOUNT VERNON BY CANDLELIGHT

Nov. 24-25, Dec. 1-2, Dec. 8-9, and Dec. 17 Enjoy a 45-minute candlelit tour of Mount Vernon. There will be themed Christmas trees, concessions, and The Shops at Mount Vernon will be open for holiday shopping.

HEURICH CHRISTMAS MARKET

Dec. 1 through Dec. 3 Enjoy a three-day local artisan market featuring over 50 vendors.

Zoo Lights returns for its 15th year.

Courtesy Smithsonian.

ZOO LIGHTS AT NATIONAL ZOO

Nov. 24 through Dec. 30, 5-9 p.m., Sundays 5-8 p.m.

The National Zoo’s holiday tradition returns with over 500,000 environmentally friendly LED lights. This year marks 15 years of ZooLights.

TUDOR PLACE CANDLELIGHT TOUR

Dec. 8, 6-7 p.m.

View artifacts documented as Christmas gifts in the collection while enjoying seasonal refreshments.

WASHINGTON HARBOUR ICE SKATING

Nov. 17 through Feb. 25, 2024 The Washington Harbour Ice Skating rink returns for holiday fun and lasts into 2024.

Here’s a fun fact for you: the rink is bigger than the iconic one at Rockefeller Center!

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Information & Appointments

Samira Farmer & Reid Dunavant DoyleDC@Doyle.com 301–348–5282 Alexander Archipenko, Flat Torso, polished bronze. Height of bronze 15 inches.

Est. $60,000–80,000. Auction November 15.

New York New Jersey

Beverly Hills Boston Charleston Chicago Connecticut North Carolina Palm Beach Pennsylvania Washington DC

GMG, INC.

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

19

FOOD & WINE

Cocktail of the Month

BY JODY KURA S H

Rum Bunny

Late October was an interesting time in D.C. While the Republicans were mired in a prolonged game of “trick or treat” trying to elect a speaker, a spate of summery weather provided the perfect climate for Malibu Barbies and Kens to strut their stuff at Dupont’s annual Halloween high-heel race.

Meanwhile the White House hosted a lowkeyed State Dinner with the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Also in October, West End’s Blue Duck Tavern unveiled a collection of Autumn cocktails highlighting freshly harvested ingredients. While traditional stone fruits such as apples and plums played an important role in their new menu, the creative bar staff at BDT can always be counted on to push the culinary envelope.

I was intrigued by a carrot-themed cocktail with rum. A staple ingredient in the juice industry, carrots have a natural sweetness that shines brightly when extracted in liquid form.

Carrots have been trending in the last

few years for their health benefits. Longknown for their ability to enhance vision —Have you ever seen a rabbit with glasses? — these nutrient-dense root veggies are packed with beneficial antioxidants, vitamins and beta-carotene. Additional evidence indicates that carrots can boost skin health and cut down the risk of cancer.

And anyone looking for a way to extend their summer beach look into fall will know about one of the latest TikTok crazes. Beauty influencers are touting carrots as a way to get a “sun tan,” recommending three large carrots a day for an orangey glow.

Blue Duck’s Rum Bunny cocktail incorporates carrots in two ways. The first is a carrot shrub harvested from heirloom carrots grown in the restaurant’s rooftop garden and the second is from a house-made carrot-ginger syrup. These two elements play off each other nicely, with the acidity of the shrub rendering a bold tang and the ginger providing an intriguing edge.

The base spirit of Parrot Bay white rum is infused roasted gala apples. Baking the apples slightly caramelizes them and imparts a complex character that avoids becoming too cloying or cliché.

The brainchild of lead bartender Alyssa Steptoe, the Rum Bunny, is served in a tall glass with a cayenne salt rim which starts the drink off with a punch that’s immediately contradicted by bits of sweetness and cool refreshment and finished with earthy tones at the end. Like a crisp Indian summer day, the Rum Bunny cools and warms you at the same time.

Bartender Michael Hillman recommends this cocktail for its sweet, sour and spicy flavors. “It’s the perfect balance,” he said, “It hits all the palate points.”

Elevating its aesthetics, the drink is garnished with a multi-colored ribbon peeled from heirloom carrots. It’s as pretty to look at as the foliage on rock Creek Park.

Blue Duck’s other fall cocktails include a barrel-aged white Negroni, forged from Blue Coat Gin and gran classic bitters, Mancino Secco vermouth, and Cocchi Americano and Hillman’s own creation, And Just Like That, made from green apple-infused Wheatley vodka, Combier orange liqueur, apple brandy, cranberry-clove syrup topped with green

apple foam and a dusting of hibiscus powder.

The restaurant has long been known for its creative approach to cocktails and Hillman credits their success to “supportive leadership.” The fall libations will be available through Dec. 31.

The Rum Bunny Cocktail next to a jog of homemade carrot shrub at Blue Duck Tavern.

Photo by Jody Kurash.

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Juan Olivera (formerly of Lupo Verde, Barcelona Wine Bar, and Napoli Pasta Bar) and his brother Manuel Olivera (formerly of El Secreto de Rosita and Del Mar) opened Ceibo at 2106 18th Street NW in Adams Morgan where Casa Oaxaca used to be. The Uruguay-centric restaurant features asado cuisine (meats grilled over an open fire). It’s named for the South American flowering tree blossom that is the national flower of Uruguay.

The lower-level intimate bar includes a wine list curated by Manuel, featuring Old World and South American varietals.

Founders Table Restaurant Group plans to open its Bay Area burrito concept, Dos Toros Taqueria, in Dupont Circle at 1340 Connecticut Ave. NW and Penn Quarter at 700 7th Street NW this month, with its Capitol Hill location at 215 Pennsylvania Ave. SE following. Bay Area transplants to D.C. – you have been alerted.

George Washington University graduate, Maria Helena Iturralde, and partner Carla Sanchez, opened a take-out operation, Saya Salteña, at 1919 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in Foggy Bottom, near her alma mater, featuring popular Bolivian street food. Salteñas are similar to, but heftier than (like a football), empanadas.

Ch-CH-Changes: Although Ford’s Fish Shack in South Riding closed, it plans to open a new restaurant within a building it now owns at 25411 Eastern Marketplace. Chef/owner

Tony Stafford also has restaurants in Ashburn and Leesburg, and a catering operation in Sterling, VA… Juan Luis Salazar is relocating La Coop coffee shop to the 500 block of Kennedy Street NW, doubling its size.

NewYork City-based cocktail bar, The Dead Rabbit, is slated to open at 910 F Street NW where Pi Pizzeria used to be.

Owner Jack McGarry’s mission is to “decouple the American-Irish pub from inaccurate stereotypes.”

Quick Hits: Grand Central Sportsbook H Street is slated to open at 625 H Street NE, joining its sister operation, Grand Central Sportsbook Restaurant & Bar in Adams Morgan. That will make Brian Vasile the only independent restaurant operator with two Class B sports betting licenses in D.C., pending final approval from the Office of Lottery & Gaming…. Sports & Social opened where the Smith used to be at 1314 U Street NW. It joins its sister operation at Pike and Rose in North Bethesda…. Claudio Pirollo of Et Voila! opened Claudio’s Table at 5441 MacArthur Blvd, NW in Palisades. The kitchen is helmed

by Alessandro Pirovano, former executive sous chef at Fiola in Penn Quarter…. Elsa Ethiopian Kitchen opened where Medaterra was, at 2614 Connecticut Ave. NW… Matt Baker opened his third Baker’s Daughter, at 1064 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Georgetown. His first two “daughters” are in Ivy City and at the Eaton Hotel in downtown D.C.

FOOD & WINE

Georgetown Thanksgiving Dining Ideas

BY M AD DIE RENNY S O N Thinking of dining or ordering out this Thanksgiving? Impress your guests with one-ofa-kind dishes from local Georgetown favorites.

Switch it up this year by going out for Thanksgiving at Fiola Mare or 1789; Preorder your dessert table from Call Your Mother; Or, get the in-laws out of the house for Friday brunch at Peacock Cafe.

For lunch or dinner, Fiola Mare and 1789 are two great options for Thanksgiving Day festivities. Fiola Mare will be open on Thanksgiving from 2-8 p.m. with a unique and extensive four-course meal for $150/person. Each guest can curate their menu with an appetizer,

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake from 1789.

pasta, entreé, and dessert. Menu highlights include autumnal Cacio e Pepe, Roasted Turkey with Chestnut and Turkey Confit Stuffing, and Bombolini featuring Ricotta Donuts with Apple Cider and Caramel Budino.

Thanksgiving at 1789 features a three-course chef’s selection menu with an appetizer, entreé, and dessert. Accompaniments can be ordered to share, in addition to the pre-fixe menu, and include Roasted Brussel Sprouts, a crispy potato dish called Pomme Rösti, or Sauteed Haricot Verts. Enjoy an Autumn Salad with pumpkin seeds and butternut squash, fresh Roasted Turkey, and Apple Cider Cheesecake or Spiced Pumpkin Crème Brûlée for dessert.

If you’d rather pick up a specialty dessert, 1789 is hosting a Thanksgiving Bake Sale with a variety of holiday pies and cheesecakes.

Options include Classic Cheesecake, Apple Cider Cheesecake, Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, and Maple Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Place orders on www.1789restaurant.com by 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19 and pick up Nov. 22, from 2-5 p.m. nextdoor at Fitzgerald’s.

While the official Martin’s Tavern Thanksgiving menu has not yet been released, patrons can expect a classic Thanksgiving

meal complete with traditional roasted turkey, variations of mashed and sweet potatoes, seasonal fall vegetables, and fresh cranberry sauce.

For a splendid Thanksgiving Buffet with panoramic views of the Georgetown Waterfront, try Sequoia’s Thanksgiving Feast, a “culinary celebration of the holiday’s rich traditions, offering a bountiful spread of all your favorite classics and more” for $120 per guest. Savor the “taste of roasted turkey and mouthwatering roasted prime rib” and indulge in a “raw bar extravaganza.” But, be sure to save room for pumpkin pie, chocolate fountain treats and cotton candy.

Call Your Mother, the famous one-stopshop for bagels, schmearz, and coffee, will be baking a delectable selection of side dishes and pies to add to your Thanksgiving spread. Catering to both Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving, CYM offers two pre-order

Seafood Bar at Sequoia.

Baked goods from Call Your Mother dates, Nov. 14 and 17. Pies include a tasty Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl, Chocolate Alfajor, and Double Crust Apple Pie. Additionally, CYM will be whipping up specialty sides like Everything Bagel Stuffing, Pesto Babka Muffins, and Latke Platter complete with Apple Jam, Sour Cream, and Smoked Salmon.

A Georgetown staple, Peacock Cafe, is always bustling with business lunches and afternoon coffee dates. While they’ll be closed on Thanksgiving Day, on Friday, Nov, 24 they’ll be celebrating with a festive Friday brunch. Stop in from 10 a.m. -3 p.m. for cocktails, breakfast fare, or a light lunch before heading down to M Street to join in on Black Friday holiday shopping.

Be sure also to keep an eye on Cafe Milano and Kafe Leopold, whose Thanksgiving menus and specials have yet to be revealed and are to be anticipated in the coming weeks. Visit the aforementioned restaurant websites for more ordering details and menu options.

GMG, INC.

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

21

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

PROVIDED BY WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES

NOV. 2023 REAL ESTATE SALES

REAL ESTATE ADDRESS

SUBDIVISION/NEIGHBORHOOD

BEDS

FULL BATH

1155 23rd St NW #5E 5533 Hawthorne Pl NW 3306 Highland Pl NW 1735 19th St NW 1804 45th St NW 1735 19th St NW 3700 Morrison St NW 2660 Connecticut Ave NW #6A 4601 Chesapeake St NW 1303 Corcoran St NW 4066 Chancery Ct NW 3706 Van Ness St NW 4338 Reno Rd NW 1630 19th St NW #C 1336 8th St NW 1244 10th St NW 3833 Windom Pl NW 3815 Benton St NW 2809 O St NW 1920 38th St NW 2727 Unicorn Ln NW 2425 L St NW #808 2220 20th St NW #51 3303 Water St NW #3B 817 25th St NW 1531 31st St NW #1 4100 Cathedral Ave NW #PH4 2555 Pennsylvania Ave NW #711 3031 Sedgwick St NW #502-E 2926 Porter St NW #305 2801 New Mexico Ave NW #906 4740 Connecticut Ave NW #712 2227 20th St NW #107 1855 Calvert St NW #502 1464 Harvard St NW #8 2129 Florida Ave NW #203 3051 Idaho Ave NW #316

WEST END KENT CLEVELAND PARK DUPONT CIRCLE FOXHALL DUPONT CIRCLE CHEVY CHASE WOODLEY PARK AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK OLD CITY #2 BURLEITH NORTH CLEVELAND PARK NORTH CLEVELAND PARK DUPONT CIRCLE SHAW LOGAN/SHAW NORTH CLEVELAND PARK GLOVER PARK GEORGETOWN BURLEITH CHATSWORTH WEST END KALORAMA GEORGETOWN FOGGY BOTTOM GEORGETOWN OBSERVATORY CIRCLE WEST END CLEVELAND PARK CLEVELAND PARK OBSERVATORY CIRCLE WAKEFIELD KALORAMA TRIANGLE ADAMS MORGAN COLUMBIA HEIGHTS KALORAMA CATHEDRAL HEIGHTS

3 6 6 4 5 4 4 3 5 4 4 4 4 4 2 6 4 3 3 3 4 2 3 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1

3 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 4 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1

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REAL ESTATE

Real Estate News Bytes

BY TH E GE ORGETOWN E R

PENDING: JACKIE HOUSE COMPOUND ON N ST. CLOSES AT AUCTION FOR $15.1 MILLION

Georgetown addresses at the former home of Jackie Kennedy in Georgetown — at 3003, 3009, 3017 N St. NW — were auctioned for roughly $15.1 million after originally hitting the market for $26.5 million in March. Because of a few misleading reports (including its own) early this week, The Georgetowner sought clarification from TTR Sotheby’s International Realty and Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions. The winning buyer toured the N Street properties with listing agent Jonathan Taylor of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty on the Monday before the final, live portion of the auction on Tuesday, Oct. 24. During his conversation

H I C KO R Y T R E E FA R M

with The Georgetowner, Taylor added that he could not legally disclose the name of the buyer. Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions announced midweek that “the Newton Baker House — a magnificent compound in the heart of Georgetown and steeped with history by previous owners, including first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Newton Baker and more — is now pending sale after a fiercely competitive auction.” The starting bid began at $9.25 million, and the hammer came down at $15.1 million, the last recorded price.

just blocks from the campus of Georgetown University where she taught for many years, the late Secretary of State enjoyed hosting diplomats, dignitaries and important Washingtonians at the stately home. Big names who visited with Albright at the historic brick townhouse include former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, Colin Powell, and Condoleezza Rice. The home, built in 1853, has original floors and crown mouldings. The kitchen and bathrooms have been updated within the last decade (by D.C. architect Anne Decker, known for “sophisticated simplicity and attention to detail”). The property also includes two features often coveted in a Georgetown home package: a large garden and a two-car garage (repurposed for diplomatic security).

sale in Washington, D.C., history. The home is a sprawling 16,250-square-foot estate that sits majestically on one-and-a-half acres. There are five bedrooms, seven full baths and two half-baths. The home, finished just last year, includes a home gym, cinema, and spa, a golf simulator, 56-foot-long heated pool, a living room with a floor-to-ceiling wine display, and many more luxurious additions. The home’s design was inspired by the Chateau du GrandLucé in France. You’ll notice interior designer Thomas Pheasant’s attention to detail, and the work of developer Michael Banks, architect David Jones, and landscape architect Richard Arentz.

REAL ESTATE: BRET BAIER HOME LISTED FOR A RECORD $32 MILLION MADELEINE ALBRIGHT HOME HITS MARKET

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s home has hit the Georgetown real estate market. Located at 1318 34th St. NW,

The Plains, Virginia • $7,495,000

Leesburg, Virginia •$4,400,000

Middleburg, Virginia • $2,795,000

F U LTO N R U N

1 4 0 9 C A P I TO L S T R E E T S W

304 acres | Main house, stunning guest house with garage, 2 tenant houses, manager’s house, apartment complex, pool, 5 barns, approx 60 stalls, 3/4 mile all weather sand track, pond & extensive paddocks, fencing & sheds | Panoramic views of Bull Run Mountains & the Blue Ridge Mountains | Original home site still surrounded by towering trees, garden & stone walls

Custom built brick home, 6,000 sq ft | 5 BR, 4 ½ BA, 2 FP, 3 car garage | 50.72 acres | 6 stall barn w/tack room, feed room & large hay loft | 3 run-in sheds,7 fenced paddocks, full size riding ring, trails throughout the property | Turn key equestrian facility | Farm office building w/ 2 oversized garage doors | Stone terrace w/fire pit | Spring fed pond

50 sprawling, usable acres w/mountain views | 3 BR, 3 1/2 BA home | 3 approved building sites for custom main house | Carriage house/Barn is prepped for a 2 full bath, full kitchen, apartment or can an artist studio w/full view glass doors for natural light | 40+ fenced in acres, several paddocks

Helen MacMahon

& frontage on Goose Creek.

Paul MacMahon

Brian MacMahon

Paul MacMahon Brian MacMahon

Completely renovated with all new systems & highend touches throughout | Open floor plan and all of the modern conveniences | 2 BR, 2.5 BA, & 2 parking spaces | Located in the heart of the Southwest Waterfront, across from Nationals Park near the shops & restaurants at the Wharf & Capitol Riverfront, just south of Capitol Hill & the National Mall | Access to commuter routes and metro

(540) 454-1930

B A R TO N P L A C E

S O U T H PA W P L A C E

Fox News’ Bret Baier and his wife Amy (who currently serves as chair of the Children’s National Hospital Foundation Board) have listed their home for a record $32 million dollars. If it ends up going for that price, it is set to become the most expensive residential

(703) 609-1905 (703) 609-1868

(703) 609-1905 (703) 609-1868

Washington, DC • $979,900

Brian MacMahon

(703) 609-1868

Arlington, Virginia • $840,000

Leesburg, Virginia • $799,900

HIDDEN POND

S A I N T LO U I S R O A D

L E E D S M A N O R R OA D

3BR, 3.5 BA brick townhouse in the heart of Clarendon | Main level features a half bath, a fireplace, hardwood floors | Second level laundry room | Oversized private outdoor balcony on third level | All exterior maintenance is taken care of by the Condo Association | Easy access to the Courthouse and Clarendon metro stations, Rocky Run Park, shops, restaurants, and major commuting routes

Historic 1798-built farmhouse on 17.5 acres of rolling pastures, features 2 ponds and is surrounded by large tracks of land | The tastefully updated and restored home features 4 bedrooms, 2 updated bathrooms, an updated kitchen, & historical charm | Easy access to area wineries & breweries, downtown Leesburg, Lucketts the Potomac River, the MARC train, & commuting routes. Zoned AR-1

Hard to find 9.58 acres between Middleburg & Purcellville | Mountain views, woods and pasture with frontage on Beaverdam Creek. No HOA

Classic farmhouse on 1 acre, constructed in 1899 | Traditional floor plan | Sitting area, large living room & family room | Galley kitchen extends to the dining room & sunroom w/views of the countryside | Upstairs, there is a primary bedroom, 2 additional bedrooms, a full bath, & a sleeping porch | Basement contains a rec room , ample storage | Spacious backyard, 2 large outbuildings

Brian MacMahon

Brian MacMahon

Paul MacMahon

Marqui Simmons

(703) 609-1868

info@sheridanmacmahon.com www.sheridanmacmahon.com

(703) 609-1868

(540) 687-5588

Purcellville, VA • $600,000

(703) 609-1905

Markham, Virginia • $575,000

(703) 774-6109

110 East Washington Street Middleburg, Virginia 20117

GMG, INC.

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

23

IN COUNTRY

Hallmark Movie-Like Towns Near D.C.

BY KATE OC ZYPOK Sure, they’re formulaic, almost like a Mad Lib: big city [woman or man] meets small town [woman or man] because of [situation] and, after some stumbles, romance ensues.

Hallmark holiday movies began airing in late October and will continue through the holiday season. If you’re a fan of the idyllic, nostalgic TV movies that are perfectly festive for the season, you’ll want to book a long weekend at one of these charming small towns within about three hours from Washington, D.C.

movie — breakfast with Santa, a marketplace and sweets shop, and a parade along Talbot Street (their version of Main Street). Homes in the town decorate so beautifully, there’s a lighted drive-by house tour too!

LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA

HAVRE DE GRACE, MARYLAND

It’s hard not to fall in love with this picturesque town with beautiful views of the Chesapeake Bay. There’s a town Christmas tree that gets lighted in early December, Santa comes to town, and to make things extra cheerful: holiday music fills the streets, free crafts are provided for the kids, plus cookies, and story time. If you’re returning home from the big city in search of small-town love, Havre de Grace over the holidays doesn’t disappoint.

Just two-and-a-half hours outside D.C., In the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Lancaster, Pennsylvania could easily be the setting for a future Hallmark movie. There’s a tree and menorah lighting, a Christmas train at the Strasburg Rail Road, The Christmas Carol performed at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, and so much more. Even the local amusement park, Dutch Wonderland, transforms into Dutch “Winter” Wonderland. It’s hard not to get swept up into the holiday spirit after spending a long weekend exploring the town.

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

ORANGE, VIRGINIA

The quaint simplicity and elegance of Orange, Virginia makes for a wonderful weekend getaway this holiday season. The town, “situated amidst rolling landscapes and spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains,” transforms into an old-fashioned holiday village. There’s live music, family photo backdrops, a Children’s Toyland walkthrough, and more. There’ll be a Christmas Parade Sunday Dec. 5 with the Rotary Club with the theme “Christmas in America.”

ST. MICHAELS, MARYLAND

Mark your calendars for Dec. 8-10 for Christmas in St. Michaels, less than two hours from D.C. Just about every holiday event in St. Michaels has appeared in a Hallmark holiday 24 NOVEMBER 8, 2023

GMG, INC.

Including the “nation’s horse and hunt capital,” Middleburg, on this list is a must — the charming and delightful Virginia town, established in 1787, gets even more festive during its “Christmas in Middleburg” event.

This year, the event takes place the weekend of Dec. 1-3. You’ll feel like you’re in your favorite Hallmark holiday movie with events like a Christmas pageant at a local school, a tree lighting (be sure to brush up on your carols!), and shopping at local places like the women’s boutique Chloe’s of Middleburg.

SOCIAL SCENE

Citizens’ Gala: ‘Timeless — Then and Now’

BY R OBE RT DEVA NEY The theme of the fall cocktail party for the Citizens Association of Georgetown on Oct. 12 was “CAG: Timeless — Then and Now.” Held at the Residence of the Ambassador of Romania, the party attracted new and longtime members of the civic group at the Massachusetts Avenue mansion, which exuded its own timeless elegance.

CAG President Tara Sakraida Parker greeted the lively crowd and said, “Georgetown is known for many things, but one unique characteristic is the social life in Georgetown.

Henry Kissinger observed that ‘The hand that mixes the Georgetown martini, is time and again, the hand that guides the destiny of the Western world.’ So, cheers to you, citizens of Georgetown. You are the real stars of this community. And remember: It’s always in fashion to be a Georgetowner — it’s timeless and never goes out of style.”

With that salute, Parker turned to introduce host Ambassador Andrei Muraru, who welcomed everyone as neighbors and also saluted the crowd.

SEE MORE SOCIAL SCENE AND PHOTOS AT GEORGETOWNER.COM.

OSS Society Salutes CIA’s Burns The OSS Society presented its William J. Donovan Award to CIA Director William Burns on Oct. 21 at the Ritz-Carlton. The award is named in honor of the founder of

the Office of Strategic Services, or OSS, the legendary Gen. William “Wild Bill” Donovan, who was a resident of Georgetown.

Dr. Mike Vickers, CIA Director William Burns, former CIA Director George Tenet, former commander of the US Special Operations Command Admiral Eric Olson and OSS Society President and Georgetown resident Charles Pinck. Courtesy OSS Society.

Council member Brooke Pinto, Ambassador Andrei Muraru with CAG’s Tara Sakraida Parker and Brittany Sawyer. Photo by Bill Starrels.

NSO Gala: ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’

BY R OBE RT DEVA NEY The National Symphony Orchestra’s opening night and gala for its 2023-2024 season make a big splash on Sept. 23 with a storm — but the

notes and tones prevailed under the guidance of Gianandrea Noseda. Magnificent music and a festive gala afterward.

NSO Gala co-chair Ashley Davis, Music Director Gianandrea Noseda, Lucia Noseda, and Gala co-chair Timothy R. Lowery. Photo by Yassine El Mansouri.

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KITTY KELLEY BOOK CLUB

Literary Cocktail Party with Evan Thomas

BY R OBE RT DEVA NEY The Washington Independent Review of held a literary salon at the home of Kitty Kelley on Oct. 29. The guest of honor was journalist, historian and author Evan Thomas, who worked for Time and Newsweek and was seen for years on “Inside Washington.”

“Thank you all for coming today and supporting the Washington Independent Review of Books,” said Jennifer Bort Yacovissi, president

Book lovers enjoyed ample food and drink in Kitty Kelley’s backyard. Georgetowner photo.

of the Independent. “If you’re not familiar with us, and you’re just here because a friend of yours invited you, we’re an online book review site featuring daily reviews, columns, various features, podcasts, and spotlight events at local area independent bookstores. And thanks so much to our gracious hostess, Kitty Kelley, for welcoming us into her garden on this lovely day.”

Thomas’s new book, “Road to Surrender: Three Men and the Countdown to the End of World War II,” tells the tale of those involved in dropping the atomic bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki to force the unconditional surrender of Japan to the Allies. It is, of course, one of the most important events of our age.

The book goes through the dispatches and diaries of Secretary of War Henry Stimson, Gen. Carl “Tooey” Spaatz and Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo. The thinking of Emperor Hirohito is also scrutinized. The Americans discussed where to drop the bomb — and the need to do it.

Thomas vividly puts the reader in a you-are-there position for this valuable history lesson, coming on the heels of “Oppenheimer.”

In his backyard remarks, Thomas recalled

Evan Thomas, author of “Road to Surrender,” with hostess and author Kitty Kelley. Photo by Robert Devaney. that his father was a sailor on an LST, which took part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf and Okinawa. He spoke of the intransigence of the Japanese high command not to surrender.

The biggest question asked by attendees was “Did we have to drop the bomb?” Thomas said he had grappled with the question for years — and knew academia’s position — but concluded: “Yes, we did.”

After the discussion, Thomas happily spoke with attendees and signed copies of his new book.

“Our event with Evan is the Independent’s first literary salon, and we hope that many others

will follow,” Yacovissi said. “We love putting authors together with readers — after all, that’s our day job — and hosting literary salons like this one is a fun and engaging way to make that happen.”

“Given the number of readers and writers and book lovers in and around D.C., Washington Independent Review of Books will be holding fall and spring events so that writers like Evan Thomas can meet and greet their readers and discuss their books over wine and food,” Kelley said. “What could be more civilized than a literary cocktail party?”

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