East of the River Magazine August 2015 by Capital Community News

AUGUST 2015

#EntreeDC2015

Date:

Monday, September 21, 2015

Time:

8:00 am – 1:00 pm

Location:

Walter E. Washington Convention Center 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW Washington D.C. 20001

BREAKOUT SESSIONS:

• D.C. Government Regulatory Processes

To Register: www.EntreeDC2015.com

• Do’s and Don’ts of Operating a Food Industry Business in D.C. • The 5 BIGGEST Business Public Relations (PR) Mistakes

What:

Third Annual Entrée DC: Food Industry Forum 2015

• How to Get Financing to Open a Business

Audience:

Business owners who want to grow their business, get ideas, and have an opportunity to network with other business owners and District leaders.

• Ins and Outs of Food Trucking, Public Markets, and Vending

• Entering into a Building Lease Agreement

Money Smart for Small Business: Financial Management and Credit Reporting

Senior Entrepreneurship Program

The Regulator Process of Starting a Business

Date:

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Date:

Monday, August 17, 2015

Date:

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Time:

11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Time:

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Time:

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Location: Hattie Holmes 324 Kennedy Street NW Washington, D.C. 20011

Location: Northeast Library 330 7th Street NE Washington D.C. 20002

To Register: http://goo.gl/FKcAZ9

To Register: http://goo.gl/kcwZwO

Navigating Government Contracting with DCPTAC

SBRC’s Navigating through Business Licensing and Corporations Process Date:

Monday through Thursday

Time:

By Appointment – between 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Location: 1100 4th Street, SW 4th Floor (E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/61YNXa

Date:

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Money Smart for Small Business Workshop: Banking Services & Insurance

Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Time:

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Date:

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Time: 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Location: 1100 4th Street, SW 4th Floor (E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024

Time:

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

How to Open a Small Business by Navigating through DCRA’s Regulatory Process

Location: 1100 4th Street, SW 2nd Floor (E-200) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/Ffn27K

To Register: http://goo.gl/kvnnS4

Location: 1100 4th Street, SW 4th Floor (E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/xUXgqU

A Comprehensive Guide for Small Business Planning Date:

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Time:

2:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/ky9Yho

Location: 1100 4th Street, SW 2nd Floor (E-268) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://bizdc. ecenterdirect.com

For further information, please contact: Jacqueline Noisette (202) 442-8170 jacqueline.noisette@dc.gov | Claudia Herrera (202) 442-8055 claudia.herrera@dc.gov | Joy Douglas (202) 442-8690 joy.douglas@dc.gov

East of the River Magazine August 2015

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

The Bulletin Board

The Nose

The Numbers

nacostia Com1munity Welcomes A Project Create by Phil Hutinet

Woodlawn Cemetery

E on DC

by Anonymous

by Ed Lazere

by Hayden Wetzel

By E. Ethelbert Miller

In Every Issue What’s on Washington

East of the River Calendar

The Classifieds

The Crossword

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE

F resh Food from Urban Farms and Farmers’ Markets by Annette Nielsen

Second Annual East of the River Book Festival Coming to Anacostia on September 12 by Phil Hutinet

Rik Freeman, Visual Narrator

Eagle Academy Breaking Barriers to Swimming by Candace Y.A. Montague

Jazz Avenues

by Phil Hutinet

by Steve Monroe

KIDS & FAMILY See Education Supplement

REAL ESTATE

ON THE COVER:

Photo: Albert Nimley Story on page 28. O n l in e Da ily, P rin te d Mon th ly

Changing Hands compiled by Don Denton

E as tof th e R iv e r D C News.c om

ATTENTION: Current & Future Trusted Health Plan Members Medicaid and Alliance Benefit Provider

We’re in Your Neighborhood! The Health and Wellness Outreach Center is Open!

SPECIAL UPDATE:

Trusted Health Plan celebrates its 2 year anniversary serving Medicaid & Alliance members in the District of Columbia.

8:30 to 5:00 pm Monday - Friday 10:00 to 2:00 pm Saturday We Offer: • Diabetes Education • Case Management • Glucose, Weight and Blood Pressure Screening • Exercise Classes, Including Yoga and Dance • Computer Library • EPSDT Outreach Coordinators • Member Services • Cooking Demonstrations and Nutrition Education

Free to all Members!

STOP BY OR GIVE US A CALL TODAY!

(202) 821-1090 3732 M innesota a venue ne W ashington , DC 20019 TO ENROLL, CALL (202) 639-4030 WWW.TRUSTEDHP.COM East of the River Magazine August 2015

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READ ALL ABOUT IT!

F A G O N

GUIDE TO CAPITOL HILL

Capital Community News, Inc. 224 7th Street, SE, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20003 • 202.543.8300 • capitalcommunitynews.com Executive Editor: Melissa Ashabranner • melissaashabranner@hillrag.com Publisher: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Copyright © 2015 by Capital Community News. All Rights Reserved.

EastofthERivERDCNEws.com

EDITORIAL STAFF

BEAUTY, HEALTH & FITNESS

Managing Editor: Andrew Lightman • andrew@hillrag.com CFO & Associate Editor: Maria Carolina Lopez • carolina@hillrag.com School Notes Editor: Susan Braun Johnson • schools@hillrag.com Kids & Family Editor: Kathleen Donner • kathleendonner@gmail.com Food Editor: Annette Nielsen • annette@hillrag.com

Patricia Cinelli • fitmiss44@aol.com Jazelle Hunt • jazelle.hunt@gmail.com Candace Y.A. Montague • writeoncm@gmail.com

KIDS & FAMILY Kathleen Donner • kathleendonner@gmail.com Susan Johnson • schools@hillrag.com

ARTS, DINING & ENTERTAINMENT Art: Jim Magner • jjmagner@aol.com Dining: Emily Clark • clapol47@gmail.com Celeste McCall • celeste@us.net Jonathan Bardzik • jonathan.bardzik@gmail.com Literature: Karen Lyon • klyon@folger.edu Movies: Mike Canning • mjcanning@verizon.net Music: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Stephen Monroe • samonroe2004@yahoo.com Theater: Barbara Wells • barchardwells@aol.com Wine Guys: Jon Genderson • jon@cellar.com

HOMES & GARDENS Derek Thomas • derek@thomaslandscapes.com Catherine Plume • caplume@yahoo.com Cheryl Corson • cheryl@cherylcorson.com

COMMENTARY Ethelbert Miller • emiller698@aol.com The Nose • thenose@hillrag.com The Last Word • editorial@hilllrag.com

CALENDAR & BULLETIN BOARD

SEP

sAVE THE DATE Look for Next Issue of East of the River on

SAT. 08.08.15

PRODUCTION/GRAPHIC WEB DESIGN

Calendar Editor: Kathleen Donner • calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com

Art Director: Jason Yen • jay@hillrag.com Graphic Design: Lee Kyungmin • lee@hillrag.com Web Master: Andrew Lightman • andrew@hillrag.com

GENERAL ASSIGNMENT Jonetta Rose Barras • jonetta@jonettarosebarras.com Elise Bernard • elise.bernard@gmail.com Ellen Boomer • emboomer@gmail.com Sharon Bosworth • sharon@barracksrow.org Elena Burger • elena96b@gmail.com Stephanie Deutsch • scd@his.com Michelle Phipps-Evans • invisiblecolours@yahoo.com Stephen Lilienthal - stephen_lilienthal@yahoo.com Pleasant Mann • pmann1995@gmail.com Meghan Markey • meghanmarkey@gmail.com John H. Muller • jmuller.washingtonsyndicate@gmail.com Jonathan Neeley • neeley87@gmail.com Will Rich • will.janks@gmail.com Heather Schoell • schoell@verizon.net Virginia Avniel Spatz • virginia@hillrag.com Michael G. Stevens • michael@capitolriverfront.org Peter J. Waldron • peter@hillrag.com

ADVERTISING & SALES Senior Account Exec: Kira Means, • kira@hillrag.com • 202-400-3508 Account Executive: Laura Vucci • laura@hillrag.com • 202-400-3510 Classified Advertising: Maria Carolina Lopez, 202.543.8300 X12 • Carolina@hillrag.com

DISTRIBUTION Manager: Andrew Lightman Distributors: MediaPoint, LLC Information: distribution@hillrag.com

DEADLINES & CONTACTS Advertising: sales@hillrag.com Display Ads: 15th of each month Classified Ads: 10th of each month Editorial: 15th of each month; editorial@hilllrag.com Bulletin Board & Calendar: 15th of each month; calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com

We welcome suggestions for stories. Send queries to andrew@hillrag.com. We are also interested in your views on community issues which are published in the Last Word. Please limit your comments to 250 words. Letters may be edited for space. Please include your name, address and phone number. Send Last Word submissions to lastword@hillrag.com. For employment opportunities email jobs@hillrag.com.

O n l in e Da ily, P rin te d Mon th ly

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East of the River Magazine August 2015

1812 Overture on the Washington Monument Grounds Each August, the United States Army Band perform s its big summer concert that concludes with Tchaikovsky’s spirited “Overture 1812” complete with the cannons of The 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) Presidential Salute Battery. A favorite among Washingtonians, the annual must-see musical extravaganza offers an enjoyable musical program of traditional band music with vocal highlights and Herald Trumpet fanfare. The concert features classical, popular, and patriotic music for audiences of all ages. The concert this year is Saturday, Aug. 15, 7:30 p.m. at the Sylvan Theater on the Washington Monument Grounds. usarmyband.com An enthusiastic crowd enjoyed unseasonably cool temperatures and a clear sky in Washington. Photo: US Army photo by Sgt. First Class Chris Branagan

Gustave Caillebotte: The Painter’s Eye at the NGA In 1875 Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894) submitted this painting of floor scrapers to the jury of the Salon, the official exhibition of the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris. The work was rejected, but Edgar Degas and Auguste Renoir admired it and encouraged him to exhibit with the impressionists. Caillebotte’s canvas, depicting shirtless laborers finishing a wood floor, became one of the sensations of the second impressionist show in 1876. Gustave Caillebotte: The Painter’s Eye not only includes his most famous cityscapes and interiors, but also shows his artistic range with a selection of portraits, nudes, river scenes, still lifes, and landscapes. It is at the National Gallery of Art through Oct. 4. nga.gov. P.S. Caillebotte is pronounced “Kai-ye-bot.” NGA staff tell us the best way to remember the pronunciation is first syllable of kayak and last syllable of robot and a barely-heard “ye” in the middle. Gustave Caillebotte, The Floor Scrapers, 1875, oil on canvas, overall: 102 147 cm (40 3/16 57 7/8 in.). Musée d’Orsay, Paris, Gift of Caillebotte’s heirs through the intermediary of Auguste Renoir, 1894

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

Self-Guided Georgetown Kennedy Walking Tour Retrace the memories of one of America’s most iconic couples, John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy, through their happiest and most tragic times. Individually and as a couple, John and Jacqueline chose Georgetown as their home time and again. JFK lived in Georgetown, at 3260 N St. NW, as the newly-elected Massachusetts Congressman, when he met, courted and married Jacqueline Bouvier, and during his presidential election. She lived in Georgetown as a new bride, and again after the death of her husband. All nine homes in which the Kennedys lived and the church where they worshiped are on the tour. Find the locations and a map at georgetowndc.com/self-guided-kennedy-walking-tour. The homes on this walking tour are private residences. Please enjoy the tour from the sidewalks and other rights-of-way. John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier pose on the tennis court at the Joseph P. Kennedy residence during the “Engagement Weekend.” Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Photo: Photographer Unknown. Courtesy of John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

DC's Driving Ranges The East Potomac Driving Range features 50 covered and 50 uncovered stalls for year-round golf practice (hours vary by season). Individual stalls on the lower level give you privacy to improve your swing and protection from the elements. Twenty-six of the lower deck stalls are heated for yearround comfort. Upper deck stalls let you enjoy a day in the sun with views of the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial and Reagan National Airport. Lights allow practice until 10 p.m. during the summer months. Balls are $4 for 34; $7 for 68 and $13 for 136. Use of golf clubs is free. East Potomac Golf Course, 972 Ohio Dr. SW. 202-554-7660. You can see the Langston Driving Range when driving along Benning Road, NE. There are 30 hitting areas with synthetic mats and a grass area that can accomodate up to 6 players. The prices are the same as East Potomac but you have an area, not a stall. Langston Driving Range is open 365 days a year, sun up to sun down. Langston Golf Course, 26th St. and Benning Rd. NE. 202-397-8638. golfdc.com East Potomac Golf Course Driving Range

National Book Festival The 15th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival will be held at the Washington Convention Center on Saturday, Sept. 5, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (doors open at 9 a.m.). From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., approximately 150 authors, illustrators and poets will make presentations in pavilions dedicated to children; teens; picture books; biography & memoir; contemporary life; culinary arts; fiction; history; international programs; mysteries, thrillers & science fiction; poetry & prose; science; and special programs. Special evening activities begin at 6 p.m. with a poetry slam, a graphic novels super session, a great books to great movies panel and a first-timeever pavilion dedicated to Romance fiction. Read more at loc.gov/bookfest. Crowds fill the Walter E. Washington Convention Center during the 2014 National Book Festival. Photo: Colena Turner

East of the River Magazine August 2015

ADULT ZUMBA AT THEARC

Instructor Shawna Williams puts Zumba students through their paces. Photo: Courtesy of The Washington Ballet

Saturdays through Aug 29, 9 to 10 AM. Latin Dance-Fitness fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a dynamic fitness program that will blow you away! Drop-ins are $12. If you are a resident of 20020 or 20032 (with a valid ID), $6. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org

calendar AUGUST

SPECIAL EVENTS

Ford’s Theatre History on Foot Walking Tours. Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays through August (except July 4), 6:45 PM. This tour occurs rain or shine and lasts approximately two hours. The distance walked is 1.6 miles from outside of Ford’s Theatre to the White House. Tickets are $17 and can be reserved through Ticketmaster at 800-982-2787 or by visiting fords.org. The BEACH at the National Building Museum. Open through Sept 7. Spanning the Great Hall, the BEACH, created in partnership with Snarkitecture, will cover 10,000 square feet and include an “ocean” of nearly one million recyclable translucent plastic balls. National Building Museum is at 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448. nbm.org Art Walk in the Park at Glen Echo. Sept 4, 6 to 8 PM. Glen Echo invites the public to visit all the Park’s resident visual arts studios in one evening in order to learn about their programs, meet resident artists and instructors, view artists at work in their studios, purchase unique artwork and gifts, and enjoy the beauty of the park. Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD. 301-634-2222. glenechopark.org Truckeroo Food Trucks. Aug 21 and Sept 11, 11 AM to 11 PM. Half St. and M St., SE, near Nat’s Park. Truckeroodc.com

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Shakespeare Theatre Company 25th Anniversary of Free For All! Sept 1 to 13. A Midsummer Nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dream. shakespearetheatre.org Wonderful Washington, DCPaintings by the Washington Society of Landscape Painters. Through September at American Painting Fine Art, 5118 MacArthur Blvd. NW. 202-244-3244. classicamericanpainting.com V-J Day 70th Anniversary Commemoration at WWII Memorial. Sept 2, 10:30 AM. As part of the ceremony, World War II veterans and representatives of the United States and the Pacific Theater Allies will lay wreaths at the Freedom Wall. wwiimemorialfriends.org Atlas Under the Big Top Gala. Oct 16 (save the date), 7 to 11 PM. Not your usual gala, Under the Big Top will be an exhilarating evening of dining, dancing, and performances celebrating the finest in artistic expression. $225, up. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. atlasarts.org

SUMMER MUSIC AND MOVIES Summer Organ Recitals at the National Shrine. Sundays, 6 PM. Aug 9, Benjamin LaPrairie (Washington, DC); Aug 16, Josh Boyd (Ann Arbor, Michigan); Aug 23, John Paul Farahat (Toronto, Ontario); Aug 30, Charles Higgs (Atlanta, Georgia). There is no charge for admission, a free will offering will be accepted. All are welcome to attend these performances. The National Shine is at 400 Michigan Ave. NE. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plenty of parking. nationalshrine.com Screen on the Green. Aug 10, Back to the Future (1985). Movie starts at dusk. National Mall, between Fourth and Seventh Streets. friendsofscreenonthegreen.org Navy Memorial Concerts on the Avenue. Tuesdays, through Sept 1, 7:30 PM. 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NE. navyband.navy.mil Live! Concert Series on the Plaza. Through Oct 2, weekdays, noon to 1:30 PM. Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. itcdc.com

East of the River Magazine August 2015

CALENDAR

Glen Echo Park Free Summer Concerts. 7:30 PM. Aug 13, Terraplane; Aug 20, Quiles & Cloud; and Aug 27, US Air Force Strings. Bumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD. glenechopark.org Hot 5 @ Hill Center: (outdoor) Jazz on a Summer’s Eve. Aug 16, Sine Qua Non; Sept 20, Nasar Abadey; 5 PM. Free concerts on the Hill Center grounds. Performances are preceded by a short Q&A with the artists. Sponsored by Stella Artois. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. hillcenterdc.org American Roots Concerts at the Botanic Garden. Aug 27, 5 to 7 PM, Blue Moon Cowgirls, early country harmonies; Sept 10 3 to 5 PM, Johnny Grave, Blues; Sept 25, 3 to 5 pm, South Rail Band, Americana/Roots. August concert is outside but goes inside in bad weather. September concerts are in the Conservatory Garden Court. usbg.gov Films at the Stone. Thursday, Aug 27, at dusk, Selma (2014). Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, 1964 Independence Ave. SW. nps.gov/mlkm

PUBLIC SKATING AT FORT DUPONT ICE ARENA Aug 8, 9, 15, 22, noon-1:20 PM; Aug 12, 19, 6 to 7:20 PM; Aug 29 and Sept 5, noon to 12:50 PM; Sept 4, noon to 2 PM. Public Skate, $5 for adults (Ages 13 to 64); $4 for seniors and children (5 to 12); $3, skate rental. Fort Dupont Ice Arena, 3779 Ely Pl. SE. 202-584-5007. fdia.org

Harbour Nights Summer Concerts. Wednesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Aug 12, Project Natale; Aug 19, Taylor Carson; Aug 26, Damian Grasso; Sept 2, Justin Trawick and the Common Good; Sept 9, Phil Kominski; Sept 16, The Suitors; Sept 23, Dan Haas Duo; Sept 30, The Bubbas. Washington Harbour, 3050 K St. NW. thewashingtonharbour.com Air Force Band Concerts at the Air Force Memorial. Fridays in summer, 8 PM. Air Force Memorial at One Air Force Memorial Drive in Arlington, VA. (14th St. Bridge into Virginia, merge onto Washington Blvd. and then Columbia Pike in the direction of the Navy Annex. Then follow signs.) Expect a pleasing mix of contemporary and patriotic tunes and spectacular views of the nighttime Washington, DC skyline. airforcememorial.org Military Band Concerts at the Capitol. Weeknights throughout summer, 8 PM. West side of the Capitol. There’s plenty of parking near the Botanic Garden. NoMa Summer Screen. Wednesdays, through Aug 19. Free outdoor film series featuring music, giveaways, food trucks, picnicking and movies. NoMa Summer Screen at Storey Park Lot, 1005 First St. NE, will be temporarily transformed into a mural-filled urban park. Movies start at dark and are screened with subtitles. Coolers, children and friendly (leashed) dogs are welcome. They encourage moviegoers to bring chairs, blankets, Frisbees, and picnic coolers to connect with friends and neighbors starting at 7 PM. nomabid.org 2015 Twilight Tattoo at Fort Myer. Wednesdays, through Aug 19 , 7 PM with pre-ceremony pageantry starting at 6:45 PM. Members

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EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

Photo: Courtesy of the Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena

of the Third US Infantry (The Old Guard), the US Army Band “Pershings Own,” Fife and Drum Corps and the US Army Drill Team will perform an hour-long sunset military Pageant. Over 100 Old Guard soldiers dressed in period uniforms will provide a glimpse of Army history from colonial times to the soldier of the future. The Twilight Tattoo will be performed on Summerall Field from through June, and on Whipple Field, July through August. twilight.mdw.army.mil Capital Riverfront Outdoor Movies. Thursdays through Sept. 3 at sundown. Aug 13, The Goonies; Aug 20, Guardians of the Galaxy; Aug 27; To Kill A Mockingbird; Sept. 3, The Sound of Music. They invite you to come early, bring a picnic, and enjoy the show. Canal Park, 200 M St. SE. capitolriverfront.org Marine Barracks Row Evening Parades. Fridays through Aug 28, 8:45 to 10 PM. Performance features music and precision marching, the Evening Parade features “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, “The Commandant’s Own” The United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, the Marine Corps Color Guard, the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, Ceremonial Marchers, and LCpl. Chesty XIII, the oﬃcial mascot of Marine Barracks Washington. Reservations suggested. barracks.marines.mil Yard’s Park Friday Night Concert Series. Fridays, through Sept 11, 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Come to Yards Park to relax and enjoy the river view, fantastic bands, food and beverage, and a large variety of great restaurants within a 5-minute walk from the park. Family-friendly lyrics and grassy open space make this an enjoyable event for adults and kids alike. The Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. yardspark.org

Indian Summer Showcase Concert at the American Indian Museum. Aug 29, 2-4 PM features Dark Water Rising. Free. nmai.si.edu National Symphony Orchestra Labor Day Concert at the Capitol. Sept 6, 8 PM. Dress rehearsal is 3:30-6 PM. Gates open at 3 PM. In case of inclement weather, the concert will move to the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Call the NSO Summer Concert Hotline at 202-416-8114 after 2 PM.

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD American Moor by Keith Cobb at Anacostia Playhouse. Through Aug 16. Thursdays to Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 3 PM. Fresh oﬀ a run at Phoenix Theatre Ensemble in New York City, Keith brings this powerful, personal piece that is full of both humor and heartbreak as it examines race relations, American theater, actors and acting and the nature of unadulterated love. $25. Anacostia Playhouse. 2020 Shannon Pl. SE. 202-290-2328. anacostiaplayhouse.com 8th Annual East of the River Art Exhibition. Through Aug 28. Artworks range from painting, to photography, to collage and touch on themes ranging from life in East of the River communities, to dreamscapes, to the contemporary Black experience. Honfleur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-365-8392. honfleurgallery.com

East of the River Magazine August 2015

CALENDAR

How the Civil War Changed Washington Exhibition. Through Nov 15. This exhibition examines the social and spatial impact of the Civil War on Washington, DC, and the resulting dramatic changes in social mores, and in the size and ethnic composition of the city’s population. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu Hand of Freedom: The Life and Legacy of the Plummer Family. Through Dec 27. This exhibit looks at the life and legacy of the Plummer family in Prince Georges County, MD in the 19th century. Adam Francis Plummer (1819 - December 13, 1905), enslaved on George Calvert’s Riversdale plantation, began to keep a diary in 1841 and maintained it for over sixty years. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202--633--4820. anacostia.si.edu Solomon and Marion at Anacostia Playhouse. Aug 10, 11, 12 and 16; 7:30 PM. It is an award winning play by South African writer Lara Foot Newton about two people searching for redemption in a fragile, post-apartheid South Africa. Anacostia Playhouse. 2020 Shannon Pl. SE. 202-290-2328. anacostiaplayhouse.com Night Falls on the Blue Planet at Anacostia Playhouse. Sept 3 to 27. Renee has had a rough couple of years. Screw that--a rough life, shaped by alcoholism and estrangement. All that changes when she gets a massage and discovers that her body is a world unto itself. She starts to map and explore a lifetime of trauma: but is she healing, or is she vanishing into her own world? Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Pl. SE. 202-290-2328. anacostiaplayhouse.com Bridging the Americas: Community and Belonging from Panama to Washington, DC. Open indefinitely. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

Free Public Tennis Courts in Wards 7 and 8. Fort Davis Community Center, 1400 41st St. SE; Hillcrest Recreation Center, 3100 Denver St. SE; KenilworthParkside Recreation Center, 4300 Anacostia Ave. NE; Randle Highlands Tennis Courts, 31st St. and Pennsylvania Ave. SE; Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Dr. SE; Bald Eagle Recreation Center, Martin Luther King, Jr Ave. and Joliet St. SW; Congress Heights Recreation Center, Alabama Avenue and Randle Place SE; Fort Stanton Community Center, 1812 Erie St. SE. All courts are open daily, dawn to dusk. Some are lighted for extended evening play. Courts are available on a first- come, first- served basis for onehour intervals; extended use of tennis courts requires a permit. Proper shoes and attire is required. 202-6710314. dpr.dc.gov Barry Farm (indoor) Pool. Open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6:30 AM to 8 PM; and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 AM to 5 PM. Free for DC residents. 1230 Sumner Rd. SE. 202-730-0572. dpr.dc.gov Deanwood (indoor) Pool. Mondays to Fridays, 6:30 AM to 8 PM; Saturdays and Sundays, 9 AM to 5 PM. Free for DC residents. 1350 49th St. NE. 202-6713078. dpr.dc.gov

ket and arts and crafts market open Saturdays and Sundays, 9 AM--6 PM. Eastern Market is Washington’s last continually operated “old world” market. 200 block of 7th St. SE. 202-698--5253. easternmarketdc.com H Street NE Farmer’s Market. Saturdays, through Dec 19, 9 AM to noon. Located at H St. and 13th St. NE. EBT/Food Stamps can be redeemed at the information table. All EBT customers and WIC/Senior coupon customers will receive “Double Dollar” coupons to match their EBT dollars or WIC/Senior coupons redeemed up to $10. freshfarmmarket.org Branch Avenue Pawn Parking Lot Flea Market. Saturdays, year-round (weather permitting). Set up after 10 AM. 3128 Branch Ave., Temple Hills, MD Union Market. Tuesdays to Fridays, 11 AM to 8 PM; Saturdays and Sundays, 8 AM to 8 PM. Union Market is an artisanal, curated, year round food market featuring over 40 local vendors. 1309 5th St. NE. 301-652-7400. unionmarketdc.com

Ferebee Hope (indoor) Pool. Open weekdays, 10 AM--6 PM. Closed weekends. Free for DC residents. 3999 8th St. SE. 202--645--3916. dpr.dc.gov

Georgetown Flea Market. Sundays year around (except in the case of very inclement weather), 8 AM to 4 PM. 1819 35th St. NW. georgetownfleamarket.com

Capitals Announce Home Opener for 2015-16 Season. Saturday, Oct 10, 7 PM, vs. the New Jersey Devils. WashingtonCaps.com

Maine Avenue Fish Market. Open 365 days a year. 7 AM--9 PM. 1100 Maine Ave. SW. 202484-2722.

Escorted Garden Walk Around Kenilworth Park. Daily, 10 to 11 AM. The Ponds at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens are home to beautiful Water Lilies and sacred Lotuses. Join them as they take a stroll through these beautiful gardens. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. nps.gov/keaq

MARKETS

CIVIC LIFE

Creature Feature at Kenilworth Park. Saturdays, 11 AM to noon. Visitors will have a chance to join a Park Ranger for a guided program which will explain the park’s animals as well as give you an opportunity to interact with them. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. nps.gov/keaq

Ward 8 Farmers’ Market. Saturdays, 9 AM to 2 PM. St. Elizabeth’s Gateway Pavilion, 2730 Marlin Luther King Ave. SE. They accept EBT or SNAP. They also accept WIC coupons and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers. ward8farmersmarket.com

Councilmember Alexander’s Constituent Services Office. Open weekdays, 10 AM to 6 PM. 2524 Penn. Ave. SE. 202-581-1560.

SPORTS AND FITNESS

The Farm Stand@THEARC. Saturdays through Nov 14, 3 to 7 PM. The stand features fresh produce grown both locally. It also accepts WIC, SNAP and Produce Plus. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org

Roller Skating at Anacostia Park. Skate weekdays in summer, 11 AM to 5:45 PM and weekends, 11 AM to 6:45 PM. This is a covered, outdoor skating pavilion. Free. One--hour free skate “rental” has started but sizes and supplies are limited. Go east on Penn. Ave. across Anacostia River and make the first right turn onto Fairlawn Ave. and another right onto Nicholson and then into the park. 202--472--3873. nps.gov/anac

Washington Nationals Baseball. Aug 8, 9, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30; Sept 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. washington.nationals.mlb.com Washington Mystics Basketball. Aug 5, 9, 11, 16, 23, 28 and Sept 8. Verizon Center. mystics.wnba.com DC United. Aug 22, 7 PM, vs. San Jose. RFK Stadium. dcunited.com East of the River Outdoor Public Pools. Anacostia Pool at 1800 Anacostia Dr. SE; Barry Farms Pool at 1230 Sumner Rd. SE; Benning Park Pool at Southern Avenue. and Fable Street SE; Douglass Pool at Frederick Douglass Court and Stanton Terrace SE; Fort Stanton Pool at 1800 Erie St. SE; Kelly Miller Pool at 4900 Brooks St. NE.; Oxon Run Pool at Fourth Street and Mississippi Avenue SE. Ft Dupont pool is closed this season for renovations. All DC public pools are free for DC residents. To use them you must have an ID. dpr.dc.gov

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

Market SW “night market”. Aug 28, Sept 25 and Oct 23, 4 to 9 PM. Bills itself as “an evening of arts, food, flea & fun, live music.” Market is at Fourth and M Streets SW. marketswdc.com Dupont Circle Farmer’s Market. Sundays (rain or shine), year round, 10 AM--1 PM. 20th St. and Mass. Ave. NW, 1500 block of 20th St. NW (between Mass. Ave. and Q St. in the adjacent parking lot of PNC Bank). 202--362--8889. freshfarmmarket.org Eastern Market. Daily except Mondays and important holidays. Weekdays, 7 AM--7 PM; Saturdays, 7 AM--5 PM; Sundays, 9 AM--5 PM. Flea mar-

Congresswoman Norton’s SE District Office. Open weekdays, 9 AM to 6 PM. 2041 MLK Ave. SE, Suite 238. 202-678-8900. norton.house.gov Most civic associations and ANC’s do not meet in August. v

East of the River Magazine August 2015

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Nativity. In the spring, the season continues with productions of two classic works presented in repertory: Word Becomes Flesh by Marc Bamuthi Joseph, and For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange. The main stage season concludes with the World Premiere of Good Dancer by Emily Chadick Weiss. All productions will be at the Anacostia Playhouse. Subscriptions and individual tickets can be purchased at theateralliance.com.

________________________________________ EAST OF THE RIVER BOOK FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Photo: Bruce McNeil

The East of the River Book Festival, Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE, is an event for readers of all ages. To meet the demand of culturally diverse books, this event highlights the creative work of authors who are independently published and/or from small presses in the area. This year, their vision has expanded to include the talents of poets and bloggers. If you or your organization would like to volunteer, contact them at info@eastoftheriverbookfestival.com.

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HONORS EVENT INTRODUCES ANACOSTIA WATERFRONT TRUST AND WARDS 7 AND 8 ANC’S

Playhouse to introduce the newly-formed On June 30, the Anacostia Coordinating Council hosted an event at the Anacostia from Wards 7 and 8. Councilmembers Anacostia Waterfront Trust and to honor Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners Economic Opportunity Courtney Greater for Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) and LaRuby May (D-Ward 8), Deputy Mayor Williams (D) were present. Anthony Mayor former and Wells, Snowden, Department of the Environment Director Tommy created to work with the was which Trust nt Waterfro a Anacosti the ed introduc Former Mayor Williams and Doug Siglin ensive improvement of compreh a nt District government, the National Park Service and private interests to plan and impleme the chair of the Trust, is Williams Anthony ities. the Anacostia River, the National Park surrounding it and nearby commun currently living families that noting Siglin, director. executive is Siglin which was initiated by the Federal City Council, and d park, improve and a Anacosti clean a of ts benefi eventual the enjoy to able be should a in neighborhoods near the Anacosti Collabening Strength Family t Southeas presented $1,000 checks on behalf of the Anacostia Waterfront Trust to the Far to strengthen families in Wards 7 and 8. working tions organiza two , Initiative rhood Neighbo Promise DC the and orative

THEATER ALLIANCE ANNOUNCES SEASON 13 Theater Alliance at Anacostia Playhouse announces its 13th season with a lineup of two world premieres by award-winning playwrights, the return of its holiday classic Black Nativity, the fourth annual Hothouse reading series that will develop new pieces from DC-based playwrights, and a fresh production of two evocative classic works. The mission of Theater Alliance is to develop, produce, and present socially conscious thought-provoking work that fully engages with the

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community in active dialogue. The season launches in September with the World Premiere of Night Falls on the Blue Planet by DC-based playwright Kathleen Akerley. Throughout Oct., the Hothouse New Play Development Series will develop several new plays by DC-area playwrights and present them to the public. In the holiday season, the company will reprise its production of Langston Hughes’ Black

11TH STREET BRIDGE PARK AND WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS RECEIVE ARTPLACE AMERICA AWARD 11th Street Bridge Park and Washington Performing Arts are among 38 recipients (from an applicant pool of nearly 1,300) to receive a prestigious grant from ArtPlace America’s 2015 National Grants Program. Their winning proposal, “Bridging DC: Arts and Civic Interventions at the 11th Street Bridge Park,” was awarded $250,000 from ArtPlace, one of the nation’s largest and most celebrated philanthropies dedicated to creative place-making, which seeks to strengthen the social, physical and economic fabric of a community through arts and culture. This grant is an investment in a unique collaboration jointly designed by 11th Street Bridge Park and Washington Performing Arts to support customized, community-driven arts programming east of the Anacostia River and the construction work of transforming an old freeway that spans the Riv-

er into a new civic space, thereby uniting and revitalizing the surrounding neighborhoods. Over the next 18 months, this grant will enable the partners to engage sites and serve constituents across Ward 8 with live performances, workshops and other community-based activities at local schools, arts venues and the National Park Service’s Anacostia Park. Visit artplaceamerica. org for more information.

________________________________ NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY AT KENILWORTH PARK NEEDS 200 VOLUNTEERS

For the Friends of Kenilworth Park’s premiere service event on Sept. 26, 9 a.m. to noon, 200 plus volunteers will assist with the removal of cut lotus from the park’s ponds as well as a variety of other park improvement projects including transplanting perennials, removing invasive species, and picking up litter. SSL credits can be earned. RSVP recommended. Contact Tina O’Connell at tina@friendsofkenilworthgardens.org.

_______________________________ FORT STANTON LATE NIGHT POOL PARTY

There will be a Late Night Pool Party at Fort Stanton Pool, 1800 Erie St. SE, on Saturday, Aug. 29, 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. The party is free, open to all ages and will have a DJ/music. Party goers are not allowed to bring any outside food nor drink onto the pool deck. Registration is not required, and there are no non-resident admission fees, however photo ID is required for entry . All standard pool policies and rules will still apply. For more information, call DC Dept. of Parks and Recreation Aquatics Division at 202-671-1289. dpr. dc.gov

_______________________________ NEW DC GOVERNMENT OFFICE OPENS IN ANACOSTIA

On July 1, Mayor Bowser held an open house at the newest DC government office, 2235 Shannon Pl. SE, in Ward 8. Mayor Bowser will have an office there, as will Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity Courtney R. Snowden. The DC Lottery, DC Taxicab Commission and DDOT Business Opportunity and Workforce Development Center--key agencies in the Administration’s effort to create pathways to the middle class for all District residents--are also housed in the building.

_______________________________ HELP RESTORE SHEPHERD PARKWAY

Volunteer from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, Aug. 18 and Sept. 12. Shepherd Parkway’s 205 acres are home to two Civil War forts, two bald eagle nests, and some of the oldest forests in DC. Help your neighbors remove trash and invasive species from this important but neglected natural area in Ward 8. Meet at the picnic tables near the corner of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X Avenues SE. Gloves, bags, and light refreshments

will be provided. Wear boots and clothes you can get dirty. For more information, contact Nathan Harrington at nbharrington@yahoo.com or 301758-5892. Visit shepherdparkway.blogspot.com

_______________________________ TRINITY AT THEARC INFORMATION SESSION

Whether you need college credit for employment or are working towards a college degree, Trinity’s associate’s degree program at THEARC is an excellent choice. There is an information session on Wednesday, Aug. 19; 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Trinity at THEARC features classes held during the evenings and on weekends; small class sizes for individualized attention; and affordable tuition and financial aid for those who qualify. For more information, contact the Office of Admissions at 202884-9400. trinitydc.edu

________________________________ “CLAIMING OUR SEAT AT THE TABLE” COMMUNITY FORUM AT THE ANACOSTIA COMMUNITY MUSEUM

On Saturday, August 15, 2 to 4 p.m., join a discussion to explore the traditional image of environmentalists. What are the assumptions made about communities of color in regards to environmental and sustainability issues? What is the truth behind such prejudgments? Do minorities feel represented? Is there a lack of trust between traditional environmentalists and communities of color? How do these communities define environmentalism and their relationship to urban waterways and their environs? What steps have been taken to make the table more inclusive? Panelists include Dennis Chesnut, Groundwork Anacostia, and Vernice Miller-Travis, SKEO Solutions and others. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING WITH US? Call Laura Vucci 202-400-3510

or laura@hillrag.com for more information on advertising.

________________________________ ANDREW L. DAVIS NAMED INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT UNITED MEDICAL CENTER

Andrew L. Davis has been selected to serve as the Interim Chief Executive Officer of United Medical Center by the hospital’s Board of Directors, effective July 18, 2015. Davis replaces Interim CEO David Small. Davis comes to United Medical Center after serving as the President of Steward Carney Hospital in Boston, MA, where he managed the operations of a 159bed academic teaching hospital that included an internal medicine residency program and a new family medicine residency program focusing on population health disparities and prevention management. United Medical Center, an acute care hospital, offers community-based professional hospital services to residents of Wards 7 and 8 and bordering Prince George’s County. In the last 12 months, UMC has added over 20 new physicians particularly specialists and primary care physicians focusing on cardiology, oncology, general surgery, and orthopedics. The hospital also continues to enhance the technologies that

Animal Clinic of Anacostia Candace A. Ashley, DVM 20 years of serving Capitol Hill (minutes from Capitol Hill & Southwest via 11th Street Bridge)

2210 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, SE

202.889.8900

American Express, MasterCard, Visa & Discover accepted

East of the River Magazine August 2015

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NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS / BULLETIN BOARD are used to help diagnose and treat illnesses. For more information about the hospital, go to united-medicalcenter.com.

____________________________________ “WHO ON EARTH ARE THE ZONIANS?” COMMUNITY FORUM AT THE ANACOSTIA COMMUNITY MUSEUM

Zonians refers to people from the Panama Canal Zone, the US territory in the country of Panama that was home to many US citizens from the early 1900s until 1999. On Saturday, Aug. 29, 2 to 4 p.m., listen to DC area residents talk about growing up in US society--in a foreign country. Learn how this unique community remains connected today. The panel will be moderated by ACM Curator, Ariana Curtis. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

___________________________________ 2016 ARTIST FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITION

This free exhibition presents some of the District’s finest visual artists applying for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities’ FY16 Artist Fellowship Program (AFP) grant. Through the AFP, District resident artists may be awarded up to $10,000 in unre-

stricted support for FY 2016. Each artist has submitted a piece that represents their body of work and artistic perspective. The gathering of these artworks in the District’s first operated public gallery captures the broad scope of the dynamic art scene and provides an opportunity for artists to express their visions to the public. Many works are available for purchase. Exhibition opening is Friday, Aug. 14, 6 to 8 p.m. at the I Street Galleries, 200 I St. SE. Exhibition closes Sept. 30.

__________________________________ WALMART HIRING APPROXIMATELY 300 ASSOCIATES FOR NEW FORT TOTTEN STORE

Walmart will hire approximately 300 associates to work at the new store at Riggs Rd. and South Dakota Ave. NE, slated to open this fall. Walmart has opened a hiring center, at 7818 Eastern Ave. NW, to recruit and hire new associates. Interested applicants must apply online at careers.walmart.com. The hiring center hours are Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for candidates who need access to computers for the online application. Walmart will offer a job to any eligible U.S. veteran honorably discharged from active duty since the Veterans Welcome Home Commitment launched on Memorial Day

2013. Interested veterans may find out more at walmartcareerswithamission.com.

BALD EAGLES RETURN TO THE NATIONAL ARBORETUM For the first time in over six decades, the bald eagle is nesting at the National Arboretum. The bald eagle’s last known nest site in the city was on the top of the Arboretum’s Mount Hamilton. Remarkably, the current pair selected a site similar to the one volunteer John W. Taylor, Jr. described in his 1947 Arboretum bird list as “on a hill near Bladensburg Road” with “a magnificent view of the city of Washington.” usna.usda.gov

______________________________________ H STREET NE LAUNCHES TWILIGHT FARMERS MARKET AT STARBURST PLAZA

The H Street NE Corridor’s Twilight Farmers Market takes place on Thursdays through mid-September, 3 to 7 p.m., at the Starburst Plaza Intersection. Organized by H Street Main Street, the weekly market will feature 10 to 20 local vendors offering fresh, locally grown seasonal fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers and plants, artisan baked goods, natural meats, food products and food-related products. The Starburst Plaza Intersection is where H St., Bladensburg Road NE, Benning Road NE, Maryland Avenue NE and Florida Avenue NE meet (1500 block of H St. NE). For more information, visit, hstreet.org.

______________________________________ 86 WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES ADDED TO DISTRICT’S TAXICAB FLEET

DC Taxicab Commission has announced that 86 wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) have been added to the District’s taxicab fleet as a result of the requirement set forth in the Taxicab Service Improvement Act that established a benchmark of 6 percent of a taxicab company’s fleet be comprised of WAVs by Dec. 31, 2014.

______________________________________ MAYOR BOWSER KICKS OFF FIRST-EVER “ALLEYPALOOZA” CAMPAIGN

Mayor Bowser has kicked off AlleyPalooza, a campaign that will repair or renovate 64 alleys throughout the District--eight in each of the District’s eight wards over the summer. Alleys for AlleyPalooza were selected based on community feedback, including 311 calls and a review by DDOT engineers.

______________________________________ Rondell Pooler, native Washingtonian and Field Coordinator at Washington Parks & People shares the park’s remarkable transformation.

INTERNATIONAL LEADERS LOOK TO MARVIN GAYE PARK AS MODEL FOR REVITALIZATION In early July, Leaders from 19 countries paid a visit to Marvin Gaye Park in Ward 7, touring the dramatically restored green space. The US Forest Service in collaboration with the University of Montana brought urban forestry experts from Brazil, Israel, Georgia, and several other nations to discover the demonstrated results of grassroots, park-based urban renewal, led by Washington Parks & People. Steve Coleman, Executive Director of Washington Parks & People, guided delegates through the park, comparing the restored and reclaimed green space with the state of the park 15 years ago. In this strikingly short time period, Marvin Gaye Park has blossomed from an almost unrecognizable wooded dumping ground into a vibrant center for neighbors throughout Far Northeast DC. Marvin Gaye Park is Washington’s longest municipal park, spanning 1.6 miles through the far-northeastern DC neighborhoods of Deanwood, Burville, Hillbrook, Lincoln Heights, and Northeast Boundary.

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DC MINIMUM WAGE RISES TO $10.50 As of July 1, all employees working at least 50 percent of the time in the District of Columbia, regardless of where they live, have a right to an hourly wage of $10.50. For tipped workers earning a base rate of $2.77 per hour, employers are required to pay them a final rate equal to at least the current minimum wage, including tips. According to the Urban Institute, this change will benefit 41,000 people who live and work in the District. Additional information can be found via the DC Department of Employment Services at does.dc.gov/ node/107172.

DC DMV OFFERS CUSTOMERS TWO MORE ONLINE SERVICES DC DMV has added two more online services to its website--the ability to apply for a disability placard online and track the mailing status of a driver license or identification card. Those who want to apply for a disability tag are required to visit a DC DMV Service Center. Additionally, District residents can track the mailing status of their driver license or identification online, which will provide them with the printing and mailing status, as credentials are mailed to customers and no longer issued overthe-counter. DC DMV has more than 40 online services, enabling customers to “skip the in-person trip” and complete their DC DMV transaction on their own schedule.

__________________________ HOW TO REQUEST DC PUBLIC LIBRARY HOME SERVICES

Patrons who are unable to visit the library due to a physical or mental limitation have access to the library’s collection through Library Services to At-Home Readers (L-STAR), also know as “Books by Mail.” Once registered, patrons will receive library items through the mail in a reusable mailing bag, and the library will cover the cost of postage. The application for the service may be downloaded at scribd.com/ doc/18496449/Application-for-HomeServices. After you download the application, print it, fill out the top half and have your doctor or otherwise qualified competent authority fill out and sign the bottom. After you have completed the application send it to: L-STAR, Rm. 215, DC Public Library, 901 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20001-4531. If you would like the application sent to you or have any other questions regarding the service, contact Chris Corrigan at 202-727-2143 or by e-mail at christopher.corrigan@dc.gov.

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INCLUSIONARY ZONING LOTTERY OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFFORDABLE PURCHASE AND RENTAL IN DC Looking for an affordable housing option in DC? The DC government now provides incentives to developers to set aside certain units for affordable purchase and rental through the Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) program. The IZ program allows low- to moderate-in-

come households to lease or buy these properties for below market prices through a centralized lottery run by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). You can register for the lottery at dhcd. dc.gov. Find out more about how this program works by attending an Inclusionary Zoning Orientation. Inclusionary Zoning Orientations are every 3rd Wednesday, 6 p.m., at Housing Counseling Services, Inc., 2410 17th St. NW. Reserve your seat at housingetc.org or call 202-667-7006.

__________________________ DMV IMPLEMENTS NEW POLICY FOR OBTAINING A MOTORCYCLE ENDORSEMENT

The District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles no longer issues Motorcycle Learner permits or administers the Motorcycle Demonstration Skills tests to District residents who want to obtain a Motorcycle (M) endorsement. Additionally, motorcycles do not have to physically go through inspection; however, owners are required to display an inspection sticker on their motorcycle. District residents are now required to take and pass the Motorcycle Knowledge Test, as well as successfully complete a Motorcycle Demonstration Course. DC DMV will accept a demonstration certificate from any US jurisdiction, and it must be provided to the agency within six months of issuance in order for residents to be eligible for the Motorcycle (M) endorsement. The Motorcycle Knowledge Test is offered at all DC DMV Service Centers, Tuesday to Saturday, 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit dmv.dc.gov.

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

__________________________ RUGKNOTS END OF THE SUMMER WAREHOUSE SALE

August 14 to 16, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., online and in person, Rugknots in Hagerstown, MD, is having an end of summer rug sale with discounts of up to 75 percent off. RSVP online at rugknots. com/summersale to get a $100 coupon toward purchase. Rugknwots is at 140 Western Maryland Pkwy, D-1, Hagerstown, MD. Reach them at 877-7688490 or rugknots.com. ◆

EastofthERivERDCNEws.com

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East of the River Magazine August 2015

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neighborhood news / The Nose

THE NOSE

Journalism’s Certifiable Future

by Anonymous

he doldrums of August are nearly upon us, Dear Readers. In the evenings, the thwack of bats sound across the Mall as millennial interns engage in gladiatorial contests. A humid haze obscures that patriotic testament to George’s manhood. On Capitol Hill, our Congressional minders stagger through the twilight hours of a spring session. While at the other side of Pennsylvania Ave. NW, The Nose’s favorite cast of characters, the DC Council, is poised to flee the Wilson Building for the August recess. One evening, sipping a delicious, home-made gimlet on his porch, his trusty red-bone ensconced at his feet, The Nose considered the many challenges facing the members of his rapidly dwindling fraternity. The ennui of listening to a long, meandering voice mail. The frustration of the unacknowledged phone call. The panic when a time-sensitive email wanders off into some Internet bone yard. Deadlines hanging over one’s noggin like the proverbial sword of Damocles. In a funk, The Nose took a moment to check his aging Blackberry. Scrolling down through his SPAM-clogged in-box, he discovered a missive from the desk of Michael Czin, the mayor’s director of disinformation. To The Nose’s amazement, the press release announced a program to improve the lives of the District journalists. Any reporter, it stated, could now register with the District Department of Disinformation (DC DDD) as a “Certified Bumbling Essayist” (CBE), not to be confused with a “Certified Business Enterprise.” The new CBE designation conferred a plethora of privileges upon its recipient: • the guarantee of 24-hour returned phone calls from all District agency flacks; • the promise of 48-hour turn-around on properly filed FOIAs; • the honor of quarterly interviews with august deputy mayors;

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

• the grant of an annual exclusive sit-down with Herself, the District’s esteemed mayor. Booting up his creaky laptop, The Nose surfed to the DC DDD website. There, he discovered the online CBE application. Not surprisingly, there were strict stipulations. To obtain a CBE, an enterprising scribbler must: • compose a doggerel in praise of our esteemed lady mayor; • provide a supporting letter of employment from an editor in triplicate attested to by a notary public; • provide a portrait of themselves eating a dog at from Ben’s Chilli Bowl to establish District bonafides. Securing the necessary paperwork from his crotchety editor, composing a haiku to the “Green Team,” making a friend snap a portrait with a chilli dog, and fumbling with his scanner, The Nose successfully submitted his application, which was quickly approved. The experience led him to compose a song for the hardworking flacks of the District government. Set to the tune of “I Don’t Want Your Millions Mister,” here it is: I don’t want to talk to your minions, Mr. Flack, I just want to hear a text on my iPhone ding. All I want is a few facts, Mr. Flack, Just return my call again. Now, I don’t want your press release, Mr. Flack, I don’t want your canned response. All I want’s just a few facts for my readers, Just return my call again. Having been knighted a CBE, The Nose has finally got his “piece of a piece” from the District government. Have a comment for The Nose, email thenose@hillrag.com. u

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neighborhood news / The Numbers

Picking Priorities: How DC Council’s Tax Plan Undermines the City’s Commitments to Schools and Affordable Housing by Wes Rivers

C has a growing population, with residents choosing to stay in the city because of the many services it offers – school choice from having both charter and DC public schools, new libraries and parks, good public transportation, and more. These services are not cheap, and the costs grow ev-

ery year as the population gets bigger. Growth creates other public-services pressures too, like rising housing costs that cause the need to invest in affordable housing, and a stressed and aging transit system. Fortunately the city also enjoys growing tax revenues. Without raising rates the city is taking in more as incomes and property values rise. That means more money to pay for services that can address these needs. Or not. The DC Council recently decided to use every penny of new revenue growth between now and next year and apply it to a list of $147 million worth of tax cuts. This will not only limit the ability of the District government to pay the costs of basic services, it also means that the city may not be able to keep commitments it has made to affordable housing and other services. With a growing income gap, prioritizing tax cuts over services will make it more difficult to provide services that help all residents live and thrive. And given the fact that taxes paid by DC residents are actually the lowest in the region, a plan to put tax cuts at the top of the priority list doesn’t make sense.

Basics of the Tax Package In 2014 the DC Council approved a tax reduction package that was based on recommendations from the D.C. Tax Revision Commission, which was chaired by former Mayor Anthony Williams and included academics, business people, and tax experts. The tax reductions affect residents at virtually every income level – including reductions to income tax rates, increases in deductions and exemptions, modernization of the sales tax, and reductions to business taxes. Because the package has a large cost, the DC Council voted to slowly phase in the tax cuts. Every February, under that plan, the Council would implement parts of the tax reductions if revenues grew more than expected. However, this summer the Council changed course and voted to speed up implementation of the tax cuts. Under the new timeline cuts will

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

automatically go into effect if there is any increase in revenue collections in the projection that the DC Chief Financial Officer will make in September. That means that every dollar of newly projected revenue growth between February and September 2015 will go to tax cuts. The problem with this accelerated timeline is that tax cuts will be implemented before the District knows what it needs to cover the costs of government services in next year’s budget – including naturally growing costs related to healthcare, school enrollment, and Metro. This could make it difficult or impossible to cover the costs of essential services or to address unexpected spending. It’s like buying a car now without knowing whether you will get a pay raise next year, or whether your rent or other expenses will go up. This concern is not hypothetical. The District will make $100 million of investments using money that will not continue into the next fiscal year, including $50 million to build and preserve affordable housing. Growing tax collections from an expanding economy could help fill that gap, but with every penny of new revenue going toward tax cuts, DC may not be able to continue the important progress made on affordable housing in this year’s budget.

How the Choice of Tax Cuts Over Services Will Hurt DC Residents The Council’s plan creates several obstacles to achieving goals and priorities shared by the Council and Mayor Bowser. These include: School Modernization. There was a lot of debate this year over how public schools are selected for modernization and which schools get prioritized. That’s because DC experienced a long period of disinvestment before the recent modernization process began, and because the city has a limited amount that it can borrow to spend on school improvements. A backlog of 24 schools is still waiting for upgraded facilities. Tax cuts will restrict the ability to borrow money to build and repair schools. The Dis-

trict is close to its debt cap, leaving little room to borrow beyond the current plan. The debt cap is tied to the size of the District’s budget, so less revenue due to tax cuts means a smaller budget and thus less ability to borrow for school construction. Combating Chronic Homelessness. The DC Council and the mayor made major commitments to reducing homelessness this year, including funds to replace the shameful DC General shelter and funding for the first phase of a new Strategic Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. As a result more residents will get help paying the rent and supportive services to help them remain stably housed. Unfortunately there is a lot more to be done. The second phase of the strategic plan is supposed to be implemented next year, requiring additional resources. Allocating all new revenues toward tax cuts puts these investments at risk. Closing the Income Gap. Supporters of the tax package say it is “progressive” and provides targeted tax cuts for low-income residents, which is true. But it also includes a lot of tax cuts for very wealthy residents. In fact only a small share of households will face a tax increase. Parts of the tax package primarily benefit low- and moderate-income residents, like an expansion of the earnedincome-tax credit for the working poor. Cuts already adopted have reduced the income tax by 90 percent for a single adult working at the minimum wage. But other parts of the tax package decidedly benefit the wealthy. For example, some of the tax cuts next in line include an income-tax rate cut for people making $350,000 to $1 million a year and a tax reduction for people with estates worth more than $1 mil-

lion. The total tax package will reduce taxes for households up to $500,000, and only those with incomes over $1 million will face a notable tax increase. Prioritizing tax cuts over investments in critical city services, including tax cuts for the wealthy, will widen the income gap in a city that faces stark inequality. The District’s economic recovery has benefited some residents but left many others behind. Wages for the typical low-income household have stagnated at about $10,000 since the recession, while the cost of living continues to climb. Meanwhile spending on city services has actually declined over the same period when adjusted for inflation and population growth. Tax cuts mean fewer residents will get the services needed to live and thrive, from education to affordable housing. The bottom line is that the District needs rising tax collections to meet the needs of a growing population and to address the challenges of growing economic. Cutting taxes now will compromise the ability of policymakers to fulfill the commitments they made this past year – and hinder progress on the city’s most critical issues like housing and schools. The Council and the mayor should take another look at the tax plan to limit its impact on DC’s financial sustainability and the services residents depend on. Wes Rivers is a policy analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www.dcfpi.org), which promotes budget and policy solutions to reduce poverty and inequality in the District of Columbia and increase the opportunity for residents to build a better future. u

East of the River Magazine August 2015

neighborhood news

Anacostia Community Welcomes Project Create Nonprofit Organization Provides Art Classes to Youth and Families article and photos by Phil Hutinet

n Friday, July 24, Project Create officially celebrated the opening of its new home in Anacostia. Located above Mamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pizza at 2028 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE and accessed via an entrance on V Street, the nonprofit has transformed several small offices on the second floor of a historic clapboard building into an open teaching studio. While Project Create began programming at its Anacostia location in February, the long awaited ribbon-cutting ceremo-

ny marked the rooting of the organization east of the river. Founders, community partners, board members, donors, staff, and press attended as the joyous occasion began with a reception and was followed by remarks from keynote speakers. Tarik Davis, aka Konshens the MC, an instructor at Project Create, began the eveningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programming with a poem, rapped a capella, extolling the virtues of learning and pride in oneself. His presentation broke the ice and lit-up the crowd. Davis then introduced Nick Mroczkowski, president of the Project Create board. Mroczkowski discussed how far Project Create had come from its humProject Create Staff: (left to right) Shaymar Higgs, George Burton, Lindsey Vance, Christie Walser, Julie Jacobson, and Aidah Fontenot. Photo: Phil Hutinet

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ble beginnings in 1994 as an outreach program to operating its own space. Said Mroczkowski about Project Create’s physical presence in Anacostia, “This is on mission and in line with what we want to do as an organization.” Following his remarks Mroczkowski introduced Christie Walser, founder and executive director of Project Create, who told the audience that “a dream has been actualized” this year with the opening of Project Create’s new location. Walser also acknowledged Julie Jacobson of the Share Fund, in attendance, for the Fund’s support of Project Create’s operations. After discussing the organization’s recent staff and programming expansion, a tearful Walser read Langston Hughes’ “I Dream a World,” after which the audience rose in applause. Walser intentionally sought a location east of the river to provide immediate access to populations that the organization traditionally serves. Unlike many communitybased arts organizations, Project Create actively seeks out and brings programming to youth and families in at-risk, underserved populations who live either at or below the poverty line. Many of the organization’s students and parents experience homelessness or transitional housing, or must alternate between fixed housing and homelessness. Throughout its 20-year history Project Create has worked in partnership with social service organizations such as So Others Might Eat (SOME), Community of Hope, and Sasha Bruce Youthwork to ensure continuity of instruction with children and families whose housing status fluctuates. It never charges students for instruction and it “envisions a community in which all young people have equitable access to high-quality arts education that contributes to their achievements and their communities.” Project Create’s multidisciplinary arts classes include visual arts such drawing and painting, photography, mixed media collage, and sculpture; performing arts such as dance, theater, stand-up comedy, and spoken-word poetry; and digital media arts such as graphic design, marketing/branding, and videography. Weekly programming runs year-long in a three-semester school-year format as follows: 10 weeks in the fall, 15 weeks in the spring, and 6-8 weeks in the summer. Project Create’s high-quality instruction derives in large part from the caliber of the working artists it employs. One such artist, Shaymar Higgs, has worked extensively east of the river, participated in the LUMEN8ANACOSTIA fes-

Project Create ribbon-cutting: (first row, left to right) Project Create Board President Nick Mroczkowski, Share Fund’s Julie Jacobson, and Executive Director Christie Walser. Photo: Phil Hutinet

tival in 2012, and is also an accomplished chef and entrepreneur. Another teaching artist, Channel Compton, who lives in Anacostia, has exhibited extensively at commercial galleries and museums. She recently drew critical acclaim this spring with work in the group exhibition “Transforming Anew: Reinterpreting Black Male Identity” at the Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center. Higgs and Compton not only provide instruction and mentorship to the youth they engage but serve as role models. As adults who have made careers as artists, they have the ability to lead a new generation. How has the community reacted so far to Project Create’s programming and instruction? Eric, 16, said, “It helps me get involved with the community and helps me explore my artistic ways.” Danessa, also 16, added, “Project Create is fun. It brings me and my friends together.” Carlin, age 7, declared, “I can make pretty much anything here … I never knew I could design anything. It’s awesome!” Nianca, age 10, unequivocally stated, “I like how Project Create lets you express yourself. You can be yourself here. You

meet people who know a little more about art than you do, and you learn the things they know. That way you get better at being an artist.” Jamila, a parent whose son benefits from Project Create’s programs, explained her belief in art as a fundamental component of human growth. “I’m a huge believer in the arts’ impact upon the lives and culture of people. It is essential that expression and creativity be accessible to all people! Age, economic status – none of these should limit the means by which we learn and share and take part in culture with one another.” She continued, “I’ve been delighted that my son has been able to enjoy learning and creating such highquality art and experiences with Project Create. It’s encouraging him to see the world in a broader – and more beautiful – way. Furthermore, it helps me as a parent to find ways to channel his interest in a positive and affirming way. I even like when he comes home paint-stained!” Phil Hutinet is the publisher of East City Art, dedicated to DC’s visual arts. For more information visit www.eastcityart.com. u

East of the River Magazine August 2015

neighborhood news

Woodlawn Cemetery Articles and Photos by Hayden Wetzel

oodlawn Cemetery is the District’s most neglected burial ground. Located on Benning Road SE, just past B Street, it is making another attempt at resurrection, and neighbors and all concerned with the history of our city must wish it well. Woodlawn is the successor to the old Graceland Cemetery, which sat on Benning Road where the Hechinger Mall is now. When the owners of Graceland – a purely commercial venture – sold the land in 1895 they transferred the remains to the new Woodlawn east of the Anacostia. Graceland was a racially integrated site (there is an entire section of Greeks, for example) but burials in Woodlawn were mostly of African-Americans, including a US senator and a representative, and many prominent local figures. Woodlawn has been in serious decline since at least the 1930s. Management sold some land along Benning but the funds from that brought only temporary relief. Anyone peering through the chain-link gate in the 1980s saw only a distant rise of weeds and scrubby trees with perhaps one or two larger monuments. In the 1960s the old commercial management of the cemetery collapsed and, after a legal battle, title was taken by the Woodlawn Cemetery Association, comprised of persons with family buried there. This association then formed the separate Woodlawn Cemetery Perpetual Care Association to care for the grounds. The two groups have been closely intertwined and have suffered decline and turnover as the cemetery’s deterioration grew and the number of active families decreased. There have been no new burials at Woodlawn for at least 20 years. Now a fresh contingent of local activists has stepped forward to take up the challenge. Pastor Edwin Jones, the

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The neglected cemetery in the 1990s.

RIGHT: Pastor Edwin Jones, the new vice-president of the Cemetery Association.

new vice-president of the Cemetery Association and executive director of the Perpetual Care Association, is the most visible booster of this effort. Determined to see improvements and recognition for Woodlawn, Pastor Jones and a dedicated circle of colleagues have contacted a plethora of local organizations for help: the DC National Guard, construction unions, Masonic lodges, the Southeast White House folk, churches, and Ward 7 schools, among others. And help has come. Tyrone Carter spends five days a week cutting grass and bushes on the grounds. Elizabeth of TombGeophysics regularly tests the grounds with ground-penetrating scanning equipment to locate unmarked burials. Volunteers continue to enter the Woodlawn burial records into a database. Perhaps most importantly, Harley Feinstein, a professional cemetery consultant, has joined the effort and is working with the Cemetery Association to develop a long-term plan to find a dignified and sustainable future for the site. Immediate projects include improved signage at the entrance, repair of peripheral fencing and lighting, and further community outreach. A visitor’s center, road repair, and erosion control will require more funds and planning. A proposed columbarium (for cremated remains) would make Woodlawn a viable burial ground again. The DC Preservation League has made an initial grant of $4,500 from its Religious Properties Fund, but further funding depends on development of a feasible preservation plan. Too much money and work has been spent in Woodlawn over the years for cutting weeds that grow back the next season. There has to be a new approach this time. An interesting sign of changing times is that, of 19 members in the Perpetual Care Association, only 10 have family at Woodlawn. None of the volunteers named in this article has that connection. Whether Woodlawn families will ever return actively in large numbers remains to be seen, but the effort is increasingly being carried by community friends who simply love the place and its history and want to see it made better. To contact Woodlawn send an email to Pastor Jones at christianeddirec@aol.com. The published URL for the cemetery’s webpage doesn’t work, a sign of the considerable and very basic work needed there. u

E on DC By E. Ethelbert Miller

In Search of Blessings Everywhere It’s late morning on a Thursday. I’m sitting in Busboys (Takoma Park) waiting for my friend Susan to make the trip into the District from Virginia. Susan teaches at Marymount University, a school I’ve grown closer to over the years as a result of good friendships. In the last innings of life you want to look around at the team you’re on. You want a life filled with rookies and seasoned veterans. I like associating with young artists who are at the beginning of their careers. I try to keep my eyes and ears open to new ideas. At times this can be difficult. Values and beliefs can often turn from flesh into stone. It’s hard for the old to embrace the birth of the new without the realization that one’s own cry has an echo. I look around at the tables in Busboys and Poets and quickly observe that the majority of the people are around my age or older. This is what I’ve always liked about Takoma Park. It’s that place far away from the open mic. This part of the city flows into Maryland and always seems to be carrying a yoga mat. The politics here are liberal and progressive; if you’re from Texas it’s best to tell folks you’re a vegetarian. My friend Susan arrives and has a surprise for me. She digs into her bag and pulls a flag out by its ears. It’s the papal flag – the flag of the Vatican. Now I’m feeling as good as the lamb burger I’m about to order. Susan knows I’m looking forward to Pope Francis coming to Washington in a few weeks. This is the year the Pope should offer a special blessing for the poets. We poets have much

work to do in our city, nation, and world. I fear another long hot summer is just the beginning of a long hot century. Death seems no longer willing to wait for old age. Too many young people are going to sleep with anger. If you find yourself sitting in a cafe or restaurant you are among the blessed. Around the world thousands of homeless migrants are fleeing war zones. Meanwhile in our city men near Metro stations beg for coins, and even the Good Samaritan is cautious when riding the Red or Green Line. The best way to navigate the streets of life is by finding those small quiet moments of light. Call them bright moments or silent times of mindfulness. I take the flag Susan gives me and I place it in my bag filled with newspapers and books. I’m ready for the exploration of goodness. It’s time to get ready for the heat that comes after August. Hatred, racism, and wars seem to always bring the steam. Madness will make you sweat. Hope can be as simple as a cool drink of water. But is this how we want to live? Are we to confine ourselves to our own hospice and simply wait for the air to disappear? I reach across the table to thank Susan; our hands are black and white. It’s a beginning. Soon will we eat, we will bless our food, grateful for friendship and another day of grace. E. Ethelbert Miller is a literary activist. His collected poems edited by Kirsten Porter will be published next spring. In April 2015 Miller was inducted into the Washington Hall of Fame. u

East of the River Magazine August 2015

East washington life

Fresh Food from Urban Farms and Farmers’ Markets by Annette Nielsen

fforts to increase access to affordable and nutritious food can be seen in all parts of Wards 7 and 8 through the work of community-based organizations, not-for-profits, and governmental agencies. We see it in initiatives encouraging good nutrition like the YMCA youth-run farmers’ market, Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture’s Mobile Market, DC Department of Health’s Produce Plus program, and more. The collaborative relationships are key to a more comprehensive and sustainable approach.

Mobile Market Based on the historic grounds of the Woodlawn Estate in Alexandria, Va., five-year-old Arcadia is a nonprofit organization that has been dedicated to creating a more equita-

Violet King, DC Greens education coordinator, runs the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program at the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) on Mississippi Avenue. This is a typical box of weekly vegetables that participants can purchase using checks provided through the DC Department of Health’s Produce Plus program. Photo: Dominique Hazzard

ble and sustainable local food system. Managing its onsite farm using sustainable growing practices, Arcadia distributes fresh and affordable food to underserved DC-area neighborhoods with its vibrant green Mobile Market – a converted school bus that brings great product from their farm and supplements their own harvest with produce, meats, and dairy products from local farms. Arcadia stops at community and recreation centers, parks, and healthcare providers. Arcadia attended eight locations the first year with its Mobile Market, increasing to 19 this year, with more than half (12 total) in Wards 7 and 8. Often you’ll see culinary educator Juju Harris conducting food demonstrations with recipes that are cost-effective and easy to make.

Juju Harris, Arcadia’s culinary educator and SNAP outreach coordinator, and Benjamin Bartley, Arcadia’s food access director, at one of their mobile markets, where Harris teaches how to prepare seasonal produce.

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“We go where the food isn’t,” says executive director Pam Hess. “Arcadia is growing to respond to community needs and the needs of the food system. We’ve added a week of farm camp (for youth), extra field trips, and are launching a program to train veterans to become farmers. We are expanding our farm to grow more food, and continue to look for new locations for our Mobile Market to help more people have access to the best food our region has to offer.”

Produce Plus Administered through DC’s Department of Health, the Produce Plus program is available to any DC resident who is a recipient of SNAP, WIC, Grocery Plus/CSFP, Medicaid, SSI, Medicare, or TANF. Participants may receive $10 to spend on fresh fruit and vegetables with enrolled farmers and producers. By showing a DC-issued photo ID card and program ID card indicating eligibility (such as an EBT or Medicaid insurance card), participants may use the checks at farmers’ markets throughout DC each week from June 1 through Sept. 30. In its sixth year, DC Greens is a not-for-profit that works with government and not-for-profit organizations to build a healthy food system in and around the District. Lillie Rosen, food access director for DC Greens, has tracked data on program participation for Produce Plus. “Approximately 15,000 DC families were reached through the summer of 2014,” she reports. “As soon as someone sees the program in action they understand its impact. It’s not only a health benefit to the residents that are eating great fruits and vegetables, but the program engages farmers’ participation at more markets. It’s beneficial on all fronts,” she says. During FY 2013 the DC Council allocated $40,000, increased in FY 2014 to $150,000, with the Department of Health augmenting the budget by another $50,000. In 2015 the DC Coun-

Top to Bottom: At the Aya farmers’ market on Minnesota Avenue you’ll find a vibrant and popular community market. Photo: Lillie Rosen.

At the kids-run farmers’ market at the Capitol View, the YMCA programming has roles for all from marketing to chef demos. Here youth are assigned the role of chefs for the day and conduct tastetestings. Photo: Kristy McCarron

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cil allocated $100,000 and the Department of Health identified an additional $300,000, allowing for increased participation. Sabrina Lewis, public health advisor for DC Department of Health, says of the incremental increases in the budget, “The good news is that going forward into FY 2016 we have $450K in the budget. We see success when people use the benefit and redeem their checks with the farmers. The program’s positive health outcomes show that DC residents are dedicated to their health and interested in healthful eating.” DC Greens is also looking for volunteers to support the Produce Plus program in their Farmers’ Market Brigade (dcgreens.org/volunteer). Volunteers attend a two-hour training session and sign up for at least five volunteer slots at farmers’ markets where they distribute Produce Plus vouchers and chat with customers. “They are the force that makes the program work,” according to Rosen. “Over 200 DC residents are already supporting the program, and we need another 100 to join us.” Rosen also leads the DC Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program (FVRx). It launched in 2012 when DC Greens collaborated with Unity Health Care and

Wholesome Wave. Since then more than 200 at-risk DC residents have received prescriptions from their doctors that can be filled at participating “farmacies” – expanding access to affordable and nutritious food. “Looking at health results, where a patient might have chronic obesity with a high BMI, we’ve seen at least half of these patients realize a reduction in BMI. And more important, if they’re checking in with their healthcare provider more frequently, the increase in patient retention typically signals greater health outcomes overall.”

Kids Rule at the Market The YMCA is known for creative youth programs, and this year Kristy McCarron, food education specialist at the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington, designed a curriculum around a conversation she had been having with parents: the high price of local food. “We had the idea to purchase food from a local food hub and pass along the reasonable cost. We also knew that in order to get a buy-in from parents it was key to get the kids involved.” The YMCA’s program purchases

East of the River Magazine August 2015

East washington life notes, “There’s more participation week to week. People are really planning their grocery shopping around the markets, and we keep seeing the positive impact with participants addressing health issues starting with good nutrition.”

THEARC’s Organic Garden and CSA

Smiling faces at the kids-run farmers’ market at the Capitol View. As part of the summer YMCA programming, youth are learning about fresh produce – how it’s grown and how to market the product while honing math, science, and customer-service skills. Photo: Albert Nimley

produce from 4P Foods – the “Ps” stand for purpose, people, planet, and profit – a model based on community supported agriculture (CSA) in which participants buy a share of a farm’s output before the beginning of the season. The Y’s program sources food from our local foodshed, most of it from farmers and producers in Virginia and Maryland. For every 10 bags of food it delivers, 4P Foods donates a share to Martha’s Table. The YMCA created its eight-week summer program to teach kids how to run a farm stand at the Capitol View Farmers’ Market (2118 Ridgecrest Court SE, Wednesdays, 3:30 to 6:00 p.m.) – from learning how to set a mission for the farm stand to being a cashier. The students also learn about how the food is grown, what’s in season, the importance of healthful eating, diet-related illness, food cost comparison, food justice, and menu planning. “The great thing about this program is that you can use the market to incorporate math and science skills in a very practical way, through planning and budgeting, and some kids just learn better through this method,” says McCarron. The students, ages 8 to 12, are assigned different roles each week. They might serve as chefs, perform demonstrations or taste-tests, hand out recipes that are relevant to what’s at the market, work as cashiers, or help stock the stand. “You can tell when you walk up to the stand that it’s kid-driven, and the parents enjoy shopping here too.” McCarron says the goal is to keep the market running through the fall and start back up next summer. “The kids take such ownership of the market, and they’re learning the important customer-service piece. If the market looks good, people will want to shop at their stand, and building relationships with their customers carries over into day-to-day interactions with each other too.”

Aya’s Markets Chris Bradshaw, executive director of Dreaming Out Loud Inc., founded Aya Community Markets in 2011 and manages a growing network of farmers’ markets that started in Ward 7 with a location at the Unity Health Care Clinic on Minnesota Avenue. “The markets end up being an economic engine as well as a health engine,” says Bradshaw. “We also partner with UDC to have food demonstrations and hand out recipes with nutritional information.” Bradshaw says some of the nutrition programming started when they were conducting school-based classes and were looking to serve nutritional snacks. “There’s a growing awareness about health in the community,” says Bradshaw. In terms of participation with Produce Plus, Bradshaw

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DC Greens has a new post this year. Violet King, their education coordinator, started a garden at the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) at 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. King has lived in Anacostia since 2011 and has two small children, which really prompted her interest in food access issues. “My children and I are vegetarians and it was difficult to find fresh, healthful food,” she says. King had administered a CSA in Shaw. Originally from Massachusetts, King also knew of a number of good models of low-cost CSAs. “I knew there was a need for this in the community, and now we can offer a discounted rate,” she explains, noting that anyone can pay for the $20 share in part with weekly Produce Plus or SNAP checks. The difference with this CSA model is that it allows flexibility for people to pay on a biweekly basis, not necessarily in full for the entire six-week session. The weekly box provides for approximately 5-10 pounds of a variety of vegetables and fruits like eggplant, cabbage, carrots, peaches, and herbs. Produce from THEARC’s garden is supplemented with fresh vege-

tables at the K Street garden, affiliated with DC Greens. The first session has been popular. Pick-ups take place each Wednesday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. The second session, starting July 29 (running through Sept. 2), will be followed by a final session, Sept. 16 through Oct. 21 (thearcdc.org/garden for further information). King hopes to grow the program at THEARC. A farm stand open on Saturdays from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. offers musical performances, art programs, and cooking demonstrations. King provides recipes so that people can easily use the variety of produce. (See her recipe for summer vegetable soup below.) u

Weekly Farmers’ Markets Updates to changes in the market scene can be found on the websites of DC Greens (dcgreens.org) and Arcadia (arcadiafood.org). Monday • Arcadia’s Mobile Market, United Medical Center, 1310 Southern Ave. SE, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. • Arcadia’s Mobile Market, Riverside Healthy Living Center, 601 Division Ave. NE, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. • Arcadia’s Mobile Market, Edgewood Commons, 601 Edgewood St. NE, 3:00-6:00 p.m. • Arcadia’s Mobile Market, Unity Health Center Parkside, 765 Kenilworth Terrace NE, 3:00-6:00 pm. Tuesday • Arcadia’s Mobile Market, The Overlook at Oxon Run, 3700 9th St. SE, 4:00-6:00 p.m. Wednesday • Aya Community Markets, Unity Health Center, 3924 Minnesota Ave. SE, 3:00-6:00 p.m. • Arcadia’s Mobile Market, Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center, 3500 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE, 9:00-11:00 a.m. • Arcadia’s Mobile Market, Children’s WIC Clinic at THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE, 12:00-2:00 p.m. • CSA pick-up at THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE, 4:00-7:00 p.m.

Summer Vegetable Soup 1 small onion, thinly sliced 1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth 1 cup sliced squash 1 can (15½ oz.) organic kidney beans ½ cup diced and peeled red potatoes ½ cup cut green beans ½ cup chopped and peeled tomato ¼ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon sea salt ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric (to taste) ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste) 2 tablespoons tomato paste (to taste) In a large saucepan sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients except tomato paste and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato paste and add seasoning to taste. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 4 servings.

Thursday • Arcadia’s Mobile Market, Washington Senior Wellness Center, 3001 Alabama Ave. SE, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. • Arcadia’s Mobile Market, Hendley Elementary School, 425 Chesapeake St. SE, 3:00-6:00 p.m. • DC Urban Greens Farm Stand, Fort Dupont Ice Rink, 3779 Ely Place SE, 3:00-5:00 p.m. Friday • Arcadia’s Mobile Market, Deanwood Recreation Center, 4800 Minnesota Ave. NE, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. • Arcadia’s Mobile Market, Providence Hospital, 1150 Varnum St. NE, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. • Arcadia’s Mobile Market, Smothers Elementary School, 4400 Brooks St. NE, 2:00-5:00 p.m. • Arcadia’s Mobile Market, Barry Farm Recreation Center, 1230 Sumner Rd. SE, 2:00-5:00 p.m. Saturday • Farm Stand at THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE, 3:00-7:00 p.m. • Ward 8 Farmers’ Market, St. Elizabeths East Gate Gateway Pavilion, 2730 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE (across from car wash), 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. • Riverside Center Market, Riverside Healthy Living Center, 601 Division Ave. NE, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

District Of Columbia Housing Authority

Partnership Program for Affordable Housing for Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) SOLICITATION NO.: 0031-2015

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY (“DCHA”) invites affordable housing property developers and private owners in the District of Columbia to submit a written proposal demonstrating their project eligibility, qualifications and interest in securing project-based vouchers that will serve homeless veterans or chronically homeless veterans. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available at the Issuing Office at 1133 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 300, Administrative Services/Contracts and Procurement, Washington, DC 20002-7599, between the hours of 9:00am and 4:00pm, Monday through Friday, beginning on Monday, August 3, 2015; and on DCHA web site at www.dchousing.org SEALED PROPOSALS ARE DUE are due to the Issuing Office by 11:00am on Monday, August 17, 2015. Contact the Issuing Office, LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod on (202) 535-1212 or by email at lmmcleod@dchousing.org for additional information.

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Second Annual East of the River Book Festival Coming to Anacostia on September 12 by Phil Hutinet, photos by Courtney Davis

n Saturday, Sept. 12, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the Anacostia Arts Center will host the second annual East of the River Book Festival, organized by Anacostia resident, author, and pedagogue Courtney Davis. She has partnered with River East Emerging Leaders (R.E.E.L.), the American Poetry Museum, the Historic Anacostia Block Association (HABA), and DC Public Library for programming and promotion of this event. The festival, which is free, will host local authors and poets and provide an opportunity for visitors to acquire books and to explore the Anacostia neighborhood. While Davis looks forward to connecting with her community at the festival, she welcomes all bibliophiles from the region to experience this event. Davis traces the origins of the East of the River Book Festival to the first LUMEN8ANCOSTIA festival in April 2012, where she ran a pop-up to showcase her children’s book “A Is for Anacostia.” She also presented a few local authors whose programming included book readings. The impetus for writing a children’s book came to Davis when she saw elementary school students struggling to learn the alphabet. She wanted to provide students with a mnemonic device to learn their ABCs by connecting letters to their community. “I could not find anything like this for children. So, like what most teachers do, I created what I needed for the classroom.” She shared the

2014 East of the River Book Festival at Saint Elizabeths East Pavilion.

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

draft of the book with students and colleagues to refine the content for publication. Davis recounts the story of a grandmother who was reading “A Is for Anacostia” to one of her grandchildren. Her grandchild would shout “B” every time they passed Anacostia’s iconic Big Chair (B is for big chair in the book). Children who do not live in the community have told their parents, “I want to visit Anacostia!” as a result of reading Davis’ book. Subsequently Davis partnered with the Anacostia Smithsonian Community Museum and Stanton Elementary School to lead tours of her neighborhood. Members of the “A Is for Anacostia Tour” boarded chartered buses with newly recruited teachers assigned to schools east of the river and explored the community. In May 2014 Davis expanded her offerings by organizing and operating the first East of the River Book Festival. The event took place at the Saint Elizabeths Pavilion in Congress Heights. Building on the success of last year’s turnout, Davis has expanded programming for this September’s event. At this year’s Book Festival you can expect to meet local authors Dianne Dale, Dr. Barbara Parks-Lee, David Miller, Christine Turner Jackson, Lori Nelson Lee, young authors from Reach Inc., and of course Courtney Davis. The authors will have stage time at the Anacostia Arts Center’s black-box theater, providing a novel format for audience engagement. In addition seasoned story-tellers will offer dramatic narration throughout the event. For those who enjoy poetry and the spoken word, the American Poetry Museum has lined-up a series of poets to recite and perform as part of the day’s programming. Aside from the writers and poets, book sales, and storytelling, the East of the River Book Festival also serves another purpose, one which will have a tremendously beneficial impact on Wards 7 and 8. At the intersection of Alabama and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Academy of Hope Public Charter School specializes in educating adults 18 and over. Programs include coursework in basic litera-

More from the 2014 East of the River Book Festival at Saint Elizabeths East Pavilion.

cy, math skills, and GED (high school diploma equivalency) test-training. Jamie Kamlet, advocacy manager at Academy of Hope, offers staggering statistics which provide a snapshot of the struggle many DC residents face. One-third of adults in DC cannot read a bus schedule, a job application, or a map. Some 60,000 adults do not have a high school diploma, with Wards 7 and 8 hit the hardest at 19 percent and 22 percent respectively. By 2018, according to Kamlet, most jobs in DC will require postsecondary training, increasingly isolating adults with literacy problems. To encourage children and adolescents to read, Davis has partnered with the Anacostia and Bellevue branches of DC Public Library, both located in Ward 8. The Book Festival provides an opportunity for DCPL to showcase its offerings and to remind the community that it is an important public resource for learning. Yvette Davis, branch manager of the Anacostia Library, says that “we are looking forward to it; we can engage with the community and make those great community connections.” She also points out that the festival’s September date co-

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301-702 1401 incides with the return to school and National Library Card Signup Month, making it a fitting occasion for student outreach. In addition, according to Courtney Davis, the festival will engage children by providing them with free book so that they can build home libraries. Observing that many homes in DC do not have any books or magazines for children or parents to read, she explains that “the best way for children to learn how to read is for them to practice.” More importantly she regards the Book Festival as an opportunity to form lessons and build relationships. “We want children and parents to know that we are also in their school. This is a way of getting kids excited about reading and writing.” Courtney Davis reminds people that this festival is a celebration and an opportunity for Anacostia residents to show off their neighborhood. “Come and visit us and see all the cool places and experience the neighborhood’s history,” she says. “There is a signed walking tour in Anacostia like on U Street.” The East of the River Book Festival “is for those who love and cherish the written word.” For more information visit the East of the River Book Fair website at www.eastoftheriverbookfestival.com. The Anacostia Art Center is located at 1231 Good Hope Road SE, Washington, DC 20020.

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Phil Hutinet is the publisher of East City Art, dedicated to DC’s visual arts. For more information visit www.eastcityart.com. u

East of the River Magazine August 2015

East washington life / Art

Rik Freeman, Visual Narrator

Photo: Greg Staley

Deanwood Resident Rik Freeman Wins Fourth Annual East of the River Distinguished Artist Award by Phil Hutinet

ainter and muralist Rik Freeman accepted the East of the River Distinguished Artist Award at a ceremony held at Honfleur Gallery in Anacostia on July 18. Freeman is the fourth recipient of the award, given annually by ARCH Development Corporation. “I was very surprised and happy,” said Freeman. “I had applied three times already so I had prepared myself not to get it. It was a very pleasant surprise to have won!” Freeman confessed that “this was one more thing to scratch off my bucket list.” Winning the award means receiving recognition from Freeman’s community, which is particularly meaningful since he has spent much of his career creating public artwork east of the river. “This is warm and fuzzy commuHis infatuation with visual nity recognition,” he remarked. storytelling led him to pursue a Originally from Athens, Ga., Freeman moved to the DC area in 1985 afdegree in fine art. However, in the ter attending Savannah State University and the University of Georgia by way mid-1970s and early 1980s abof a slight detour in the US Army, where he worked as an illustrator. Freestract art trended heavily, renderman’s earliest recollection of drawing dates to childhood. He drew sketches ing Freeman’s narrative style out on a reversible chalkboard in his great aunt’s kitchen, erasing and restarting of favor. In 1988, after a six-year repeatedly. At school, Freeman admitted, he was “one of those students who hiatus from making art, Freeman sat really quietly in the back of the classroom, trying to look like he was paywas led to reassess his life after a ing attention but drawing in his notebook, which would get me in trouble!” series of events including a breakHe reproduced popular comic book characters and created his own, telling up, a job-loss, and the death of stories with ink on paper. his stepfather, whom Freeman Rik Freeman’s Studio. photo: Photo: Phil Hutinet identified with strongly. To alleviate his grief he plunged back into his work and began a periFreeman rooted himself east of the river in od of deep introspection out of which his artis2003 when he and his wife bought their current tic career would eventually flourish. home in Deanwood. Unassuming from the street, In spring 1989 DC Artworks accepted the fenced property hides an urban oasis, where, Freeman’s application to run a 10-week proover the past 12 years, Freeman and his wife built gram which worked with children to create a two ponds, created a series of gardens, and lovcommunity mural. Encouraged by the proingly restored an old industrial building which gram’s remuneration, Freeman decided to make frames the back of their property. The vine-cova living almost exclusively as an artist. During ered brick building, which freeman uses as his the 1990s he worked as a stage-scenery paintstudio, provides ample work space to produce er for a number of theaters including Gallauand store his large-sized oil paintings. det’s and Studio Theater. He also continued to This bucolic setting provides an inspirationwork on publicly funded murals. Most recently, al backdrop for Freeman to paint his narrativeeast of the river, Freeman painted the following based work. While his style has grown over time, murals: “Knowledge” at the Dorothy I. Height/ Freeman contends it has not strayed far from its Benning Library in 2011, and two murals inoriginal form and aesthetic. side H.D. Woodson High School, “Learn from Freeman holds a profound and personal fasYour Past” and “Honor Yourselves” in 2011 cination with the African diaspora in the Ameriand 2012 respectively. cas, which has heavily influenced his work. In the “Moses Train” from the “Moses Series.” Photo: Greg Staley

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

“Samba na Praia” from the “Bahia Series.” Photo: Kristian Whipple

1990s Freeman began a series depicting the blues, a genre he considers more his father’s and grandmother’s music but for which he has always had the greatest respect. His childhood contact with the blues, in places like his grandmother’s backyard in Georgia, would stoke his imagination in adulthood. He began to weave imagery out of the lyrics he heard, visually depicting the stories sung by blues musicians and, in some instances, even improvising visually just as musicians did instrumentally. Figures depicting stories of struggle and hardship, resilience, and perseverance fill Freeman’s canvases. Freeman has created caricatures using memories of people he knew in his childhood. For example, two of his father’s hunting buddies, who Freeman said quarreled perpetually, live on through his work. These characters, among others, reappear throughout his blues series, playing the same role only in different settings. During a recent residency in Brazil, Freeman had powerful experiences that inspired him to create a new body of work. One experience occurred while listening to an Afro-Brazilian musician sing a song from the 1920s. At that mo-

ment Freeman made a greater connection to the African diaspora in the Americas. While the song may have been sung in Portuguese, Freeman says “it sounded exactly like the blues and out of the African tradition of call and response.” His time in northern Brazil led Freeman to launch his “Bahia Series.” Like the “Blues Series” it connects Brazil’s past to the present through visual storytelling. As an artist who paints from the point of view of his subject matter, Freeman sees a different set of challenges in the “Bahia Series,” since his depictions of Afro-Brazilian culture came from observation rather than personal experience. Freeman has expressed an interest in conducting further research into Afro-Brazilian culture to fully develop the “Bahia Series” and ensure it expresses the same sense of authenticity as his “Blues Series.” For more information about Rik Freeman visit his website at www.rikfreeman.com.

H y p e r L o c a l | hīpər

. lōk(ə)l |

Hyperlocal connotes information oriented around a well defined community with its primary focus directed toward the concerns of its residents. synonym: eastoftheriverdcnews.com Daily online. Monthly in print.

Phil Hutinet is the publisher of East City Art, dedicated to DC’s visual arts. For more information visit www. eastcityart.com. u

East of the River Magazine August 2015

3

East washington life

Eagle Academy Breaking Barriers to Swimming Charter School Defies the Odds to Incorporate Swimming into Its Curriculum By Candace Y.A. Montague

ourth-grader Jaylen Burroughs is a bright young man who enjoys one sport immensely: swimming. He has excelled in the swim program at Eagle Academy in Southeast thanks to the lessons he learned right before he entered the public charter. Jaylen is a member of the first class that completed a school year with swimming as a part of the physical education curriculum. His mother, Onari Burroughs, says swimming gave him the breakout moment he needed. “Swimming has greatly helped his confidence. Jaylen had previous experience with swimming before coming to Eagle Academy. So being able to come to the school and swim really helped him come out of his shell because he was able to help his classmates with swimming.” Burroughs says it was important to her that Jaylen learn swimming fundamentals because she values the skill herself. “I know the importance of swimming,” she says. “I was a lifeguard in Mayor Barry’s summer program for five years. So I felt it was very important to get him swim lessons when possible.” Burroughs and Jaylen represent a small percentage of black families that have embraced swimming as not only a sport but also a critical life skill.

Swim Program The swim program at Eagle Academy (www.eagleacademy.org) follows the American Red Cross structure with an emphasis on water safety. There are safe-

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

ty lessons taught along with actually swimming. Eagle Academy aquatics director Bobby Broome explains that the swim program teaches the basics to students as well as staff members. “Your basic swim lessons are taught with water safety. And then you practice your old skills, learn a new skill and then you have play time. That’s your basic swim lesson,” says Broome. “This time I got in the water and taught staff members so they can have the opportunity to work with me side by side. I wanted them to fully understand the nuances of instruction. I’m trying to make them really good instructors.” It is expected that in succeeding years, the instructors will be able to carry on the class without Broome.

What Hinders Black Children from Swimming? According to USA Swimming, 70 percent of black children do not know how to swim. According to the Centers for Disease Control African-American children between the ages of 5 and 14 are three times more likely to drown than white children in the same age range. Startling numbers like these motivated Cassandra Pinckney, founder and director of Eagle Academy, to add swimming to the curriculum at the Wheeler Road campus. “In the African-American community we do not swim, aren’t interested in swimming, are fearful of swimming for one reason or another.

Water safety for infants is one of the many classes offered at the Barry Farm Aquatic Center. Photo: Department of Parks and Recreation Aquatics Division

This year we emphasized second and third graders swimming. They did well although not all of them participated in the swim program.” What could be a barrier to learning a life-saving skill? Cultural taboos, learned fear, and hair. Culturally many African-Americans regard swimming as a leisure activity even though it is a competitive sport. It is grossly undervalued in some areas, and if parents do not see the importance of it they won’t invest in it. Fear of drowning also plays a role. Broome says parents speak of fear so much that it trickles down to future generations. “There are a lot of parents in the black community who tend to be apprehensive about swimming. You hear their children say ‘I’m gonna drown’ at a very early age. Where did they learn these words? One of those things we deal with [in the program] is peeling back those layers of fear.” Hair presents a problem for girls and women. Black hair care is very time consuming and expensive. Women tend to hesitate getting hair wet after so much time has been invested in styling it. “I’ve had children whose parents [particularly the girls] won’t let them swim because they paid x amount of money for this hairstyle,” declares Pinckney. “I say you can have a beautiful hairstyle and still be dead. I can understand the hair thing, but you aren’t even willing to compromise for a few weeks to learn how to swim? Get the hair done after the swimming lessons are done.”

Swimming East of the River Pool access is least likely to present a barrier east of the river. There are five aquatic centers (indoor pools) and seven outdoor pools in Wards 7 and 8. In December 2014 the newly designed Barry Farm Aquatic Center (BFAC) opened to provide more indoor aquatic exercise, activities, and swim lessons. The center is complete with leisure pool, water slides, and classes for basic swimming skills and aerobics. Patronage has picked up since the beginning of summer,

and 57 residents from wards 7 and 8 have been certified to become lifeguards. Tyrell Lashley, director of aquatics for DC Department of Parks and Recreation, says BFAC has something for everyone. “It’s really great to see large crowds coming out to take part in the center. It’s state of the art. We offer several different classes for ages 18 months to 100 years. It’s great for individuals who have not been exposed to aquatic centers.” There are still a few hurdles to overcome when attempting to go swimming. The Department of Parks and Recreation requires swimwear to be worn on the pool deck. Street clothes are not allowed because they can cause contamination issues. But swimwear can be hard to come by in neighborhoods where there are few clothing retailers. Another hurdle? Groups with small children. When it comes to children under age six, the American Red Cross recommends that the ratio be one adult or guardian for every two children. Lashley says that it can be difficult for parents to monitor small children poolside. “What we find is that when parents bring more than two children their ability to control the children and ensure that they play appropriately in the water is not good. The lifeguards are not there to babysit. They are there to respond to emergencies. We do offer life jackets to help. But if A swim class at Eagle Academyt PCS. we’re going to go away from a Photo: Eagle Academy national standard we have to do everything we can to ensure that they will be safe.” A simmation about DC Parks and Recreation ple solution to the problem is to grab a Swimming Programs visit http://dpr. neighbor or relative to help out with small dc.gov/ or call 202-673-7647. For more children at the pool. information about Eagle Academy visit Confronting fears, pooling resources, www.eagleacademypcs.org. and gaining parental support will help Candace Y.A. Montague is the health reporter for Capital younger generations stay safe and enjoy Community News. u the benefits of swimming. For more inforEast of the River Magazine August 2015

East washington life / JAZZ AVENUES

Jazz Avenues

August Highlights:

by Steve Monroe

Happy 50th to Blues Alley We have heard some memorable music over the years. Remember One Step Down? The Cellar Door? Kilimanjaro? Utopia? Jackie Lee’s? Moore’s Love and Peace? Les Nieces? Mr Y’s? All those and others have passed on to the Venue Hall of Fame in the Sky. Blues Alley in Georgetown lives on, now 50 years and counting, as one of the longest-running and best music venues in the world. For more details on its beginnings and history see Michael J. West’s excellent July 16 Washington Post “Weekend” story. Yours truly has enjoyed many memorable times at the Alley, an appropriately dim-lit space that discourages conversation during the music and also features some fine cuisine … the red beans and rice dish, for example. Congratulations to the Blues Alley founders and the current owner, Harry Schnipper, who have presented great performers all these many years and hopefully many more to come. From personal archives: “Master percussionist Art Blakey had just finished orchestrating a pulsating onehour set of music by his band, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Now, with the applause still coming from Captivating vocalist Akua Allrich, whose recent CD “Soul Singer” has been drawing acclaim, is the featured performer at the DC Jazz Jam on Aug. 16 at The Brixton. Photo: Akua Allrich

Freddie Cole Quartet, Aug. 6-9, Blues Alley … William Hooker Trio, Aug. 7-8, Twins Jazz … DC Jazz Jam Anniversary Jam, Aug. 9, The Brixton … Todd Marcus Orchestra, Aug. 12, Blues Alley … Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Aug. 13, The Birchmere/Alexandria … Peter Muldoon – The Score, Aug. 14, Westminster Presbyterian Church … Tim Whalen, Aug. 14-15, Twins Jazz … Poncho Sanchez & His Latin Jazz Band, Aug. 15, Blues Alley … DC Jazz Jam w/ Akua Allrich, Aug. 16, The Brixton … Lenny Marcus Trio, Aug. 17, Blues Alley … Mike Stern/Dennis Chambers, Aug. 27-30, Blues Alley … Tribute to Nancy Wilson/Lavenia Nesmith, Aug. 28, Westminster Presbyterian Church … Thinking about Jazz/Nancy Wilson, Aug. 29, Westminster Presbyterian Church … Bobby Muncy, Aug. 30, Twins Jazz …

August Birthdays: Big Nick Nicholas 2; Eddie Jefferson 3; Louis Armstrong, Sonny Simmons 4; Lenny Breau 5; Rahsaan Roland Kirk 7; Lucky Millinder, Benny Carter 8; Jack DeJohnnette 9; Claude Thornhill 10; Russell Procope 11; Earl Coleman, Pat Matheny 12; Mulgrew Miller 13; Stuff Smith 14; Oscar Peterson, Mal Waldron, Bill Evans 16; Ike Quebec, Duke Pearson 17; Oscar Brashear 18; Jimmy Rowles 19; Count Basie, Art Farmer 21; Bobby Watson 23, Claude Hopkins 24;Wayne Shorter, Pat Martino 25; Branford Marsalis 26; Lester Young 27; Kenny Drew 28; Charlie Parker, Dinah Washington 29; Kenny Dorham 30. See www.jegnamusic.com for more information and how to help him fund his efforts.

In Review... EJB/“Lessons From the Streets”

the room full of listeners at Blues Alley in Georgetown, Blakey got out from behind his drums and went to the front of the bandstand to take the microphone. ‘We want to thank all of you for coming out tonight,’ said Blakey in his deep, strong, gravelly voice. ‘We want to remind you ladies and gentlemen to please buy an album by us, because we need the money.’”

Speaking of Venues … Among the newer spots to enjoy the music, include the Jazz and Cultural Society sets Wednesday nights on 12th Street in NE. Guitarist Tom Newman led his group through a smoking set there in late June, and saxophonist Ron Pender blew the house down with some jamming sets there in July. (See www.facebook.com/ jazzandculturalcsociety.) There are also now Wednesday night jams with host Herb Scott, the versatile saxophonist, at Mr. Henry’s on Pennsylvania Avenue SE (www.mrhenrysdc.com). And the DC Jazz Jam Sunday sets are now at The Brixton at 901 U St. NW (www.dcjazzjam.com). This month features a sixth-year anniversary jam on Aug. 9 and vocalist Akua Allrich on Aug. 16 (see www.dcjazzjam.com).

Best Wishes, Jegna School of Music Best wishes to trombonist and educator Reginald Cyntje on his new venture, starting the Jegna Music School.

EastoftheRiverDCNews.com

Lessons learned well indeed, Mr. Balbed. That is the takeaway both from saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed’s recent live performances and a listening of his new CD “Lessons from the Streets.” Featuring top bandmates like trumpeter Alex Norris and vibraphonist Warren Wolf, his new CD has many high points, most notably for this listener his originals “Butch Warren” and “From the Streets to the Mansion.” “Butch Warren,” a thoughtful, lively, jamming nod to the late bassist whom Balbed lists as a mentor, features Balbed’s bluesy sax riffs, deep grooving, and melodic work by bassist Romeir Mendez and pianist Mark Meadows, with spicy accents by guitarist Paul Bollenback and Carroll Dashiell III on drums. “From the Streets to the Mansion” rocks and rolls with Balbed and Norris’s swinging frontline work on the horns over Kris Funn’s grooving bass work of his own, and then Balbed and Norris trading hot licks, with Wolf, guitarist Samir Moulay, and pianist Alex Brown exchanging melodic licks of their own as well. Steve Monroe is a Washington, DC, writer who can be reached at steve@jazzavenues.com and followed atwww.twitter.com/jazzavenues. u

rEal EstatE / Changing hands

Anacostia River Realty Become a Real Estate Agent! The Next 8-week Course Starts August 11, 2015 Tues. and Thurs. 6pm-10pm

Changing Hands Changing hands is a list of most residential sales in the District of Columbia from the previous month. A feature of every issue, this list,based on the MRIs, is provided courtesy of Don Denton, manager of the Coldwell Banker office on Capitol Hill. The list includes address, sales price and number of bedrooms.

Sales. Rentals. Property Management. NEIGHBORHOOD

CLOSE PRICE

$310,000 $259,000

4 2

$265,000 $160,000

3 3

$364,000 $285,000 $275,000 $265,000 $264,900 $260,000 $235,000 $229,900 $215,000 $213,000 $205,000 $190,000 $145,000 $135,000 $80,000

4 3 3 4 6 3 3 2 3 2 2 4 2 3 2

$400,000 $390,000 $311,000 $290,000 $277,800 $225,000 $130,000

4 4 3 3 4 2 3

$523,900 $410,000

3 3

$680,625 $470,000 $202,500

5 4 3

$485,000 $250,000 $248,000

4 2 2

$290,000 $269,000 $190,000

4 3 4

$270,000 $265,000 $264,000 $248,000 $240,000 $225,000

3 4 3 4 3 2

FEE SIMPLE ANACOSTIA

1385 MORRIS RD SE 1512 16TH ST SE

CONGRESS HEIGHTS 717 ATLANTIC ST SE 720 CONGRESS ST SE

DEANWOOD

5008 BLAINE ST NE 503 42ND ST NE 5067 JAY ST NE 3914 CAPITOL ST NE 901 46TH ST NE 5055 JAY ST NE 400 DIVISION AVE NE 5097 JUST ST NE 40 35TH ST NE 228 56TH ST NE 4719 MINNESOTA AVE NE 5415 DIX ST NE 338 EASTERN AVE NE 1036 45TH ST NE 715 55TH ST NE

FORT DUPONT PARK 4628 EASY PL SE 4416 ALABAMA AVE SE 1721 FORT DAVIS ST SE 3977 ALABAMA AVE SE 1118 45TH PL SE 4356 GORMAN TER SE 417 BURBANK ST SE

FORT LINCOLN

3246 THEODORE R HAGANS DR NE 2501 PATRICIA ROBERTS HARRIS PL NE

HILL CREST

3656 HIGHWOOD DR SE 1714 25TH ST SE 2812 Q ST SE

LILY PONDS

4239 NASH ST NE 212 33RD ST NE 3350 CLAY PL NE

MARSHALL HEIGHTS 5036 DRAKE PL SE 5301 E ST SE 5017 C ST SE

RANDLE HEIGHTS 3438 21ST ST SE 3208 15TH PL SE 2802 KNOX ST SE 1903 TREMONT ST SE 1609 23RD ST SE 1911 21ST PL SE u

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East of the River Magazine August 2015

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East of the River Magazine August 2015

“Leave out Nothing!”

Crossword Author: Myles Mellor • www.themecrosswords.com • www.mylesmellorconcepts.com

by Myles Mellor and Sally York Across:

1. Afﬂeck’s better half? 7. Tarantino sometimes has this role 12. Hodgepodge 18. Constellation near Cygnus 19. Guanaco’s cousin 20. Labor movement principles 23. Shakespeare play minus zero 25. Tangible 26. Shoot the breeze 27. World War II losers 28. Hawk 29. Fed. warning system 30. Kind of drive 31. Unique, minus zero 35. Aviation acronym 38. Evolutionary trend 41. Comes together, as a plan 42. Idiom advocating risk-taking, minus zero 46. Herbal tea variety 50. Oleﬁn 51. Red ink amount 52. Stop on the way 54. Advanced degree? 55. Intimate 58. Bagel topper 59. Black billiard ball 60. Level 61. Believers 65. Play the siren 66. Biblical saying, minus zero 71. Blood pigment 72. Strip 73. Pinker 74. Drops 76. ___-eyed 77. Kenyan tribesman 78. Fed. property overseer 81. Careless trash discarder 83. Trickster of myth 86. Apprehender 88. Store 89. Bachman-Turner Overdrive title, minus zero 93. Mideast potentate 95. Battle stronghold 96. Parts to tie 97. Mediocre, minus zero 101. Scruffs

104. Axe, in Tokyo 105. Sight in Memphis 106. Bad-tempered 107. Venus or Mars 110. Amino acid 113. Sidney Sheldon novel, minus zero 117. Carries out 118. Poisonous fruit 119. Plagiarist 120. War horses 121. Lots 122. Part of S.W.A.K.

Down:

1. Rank 2. Blue shade 3. Undistinguished throng 4. Fed. agency 5. Spiral-horned antelope 6. Kind of screen 7. Averred 8. Linen robes 9. ___ jacket 10. Big bird 11. Muesli morsel 12. Indian coin 13. Like clocks with hands 14. Fishermen’s equipment 15. Thwack 16. Memorabilia 17. Taunting one 21. Blind segment 22. Interlock 24. Kind of layer 28. Hebrides isle 30. Pigeon’s home 31. Island rings 32. Places to overnight 33. Beautiful people 34. Aggressor 35. Director Reitman 36. Ancient European 37. Egyptian cross 39. Leer at 40. Certain religious adherent 43. “I give in!” 44. Put in a new ﬂoor 45. Plant genus 47. 100-eyed giant

Look for this months answers at labyrinthgameshop.com 48. 1940’s-60’s world leader 49. Had something 53. Bit players 56. Kind of kick 57. Touch and sight related 58. Cover 60. More lovely 61. ___-faced 62. Airline’s home base 63. Chemical ending 64. Shipboard plank 66. Oar pin 67. Restrict 68. Gives off 69. “Maid of Athens, ___ we part”: Byron

70. Poet, Heinrich 75. “Wild Wild West” star, ﬁrst name 77. Series opener? 78. Celtic deity 79. Spring purchase 80. Song and dance, e.g. 82. Light anew 83. Poi party 84. Brewer’s kiln 85. Hobby shop buy 87. Small bills 90. Wind instrument 91. Elastic muscle tensions 92. Devour 94. Fell, in a way 97. Haul

98. Quartz variety 99. Exhausts 100. Grace word 102. Flumps 103. High nest, var. 106. Dance segment 107. Race place 108. Anatomical network 109. Partner of born 111. Natl. Adopt-a-Dog Month 112. Grafton or Lyon 113. ___-di-dah 114. Pitching star 115. Calypso offshoot 116. Prohibition ___

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