hillrag.com • July 2015
Est. 1981
CAPITOL HILL
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715 G Street, SE 3rd Floor Office Space Stan Bissey 202-841-1433 www.BisseyTeam.com
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165 D Street, SE 4BR/3.5BA 2-Unit House
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JOIN THE 15TH A N N U A bLrateCtheANatP Is T O L H I L L i o n ' B irthday ! Cele F O U R T H O F J U LY PA R A D E Saturday, July 4th Don’t miss: • Marine Color Guard • Naval Lodge No. 4 • The contestants of the Miss United States Pageant • The Fairy Princess Patrol, The Little Superheros • All of your neighbors, friends, their dogs and cats and Grand Marshal Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen The parade will begin at 10 a.m. from the intersection of 8th and I Streets SE and end at the Eastern Market Metro Plaza. Find a spot to watch the fun anywhere along Barracks Row. Proudly sponsored by Phil Guire, Jeanne Harrison, Councilmember Charles Allen, The Hill Rag, Barracks Row Mainstreet, Naval Lodge No. 4. For more information or to register a marching group, email philguire@gmail.com
rate the Nation's Birthday! Celeb rate the Nation's Birthday! Celeb 8 H Hillrag.com
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Call Us to Get Your Home Sold or Find a New One!
“In addition to helping Buyers and Sellers on greater Capitol Hill & DC for over 14 years, we are committed to building community in Arlington, Alexandria & close-in MD.”
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What’s Inside?
Pet Photo Contest
56
Training Your Pet to Visit the Vet
57
Advertisers Index
59
Bulletin Board
66
The District Beat: A Hiring Spree
18 What’s on Washington
68
156 Classified Ads 164 Last Word 166 The Nose
Jonetta Rose Barras
The Numbers: Unpredictable and Ed Lazere and Ari Schwartz
Unsustainable
82 Hill Rag Crossword
Dan Teich, DVM
capitol streets
In every issue: 22 Calendar
37
37
July
Shaun Courtney
70
District Source: Hill East to get Denser
72
Real Property Inspections Move Forward in the District
74
Linda P. Poulson Virginia Avniel Spatz
ANC 6A Report
76
ANC 6B Report
Jonathan Neeley
78
ANC 6C Report
Virginia Avniel Spatz
79
ANC 6D Report
Virginia Avniel Spatz
community life
92
83
E on DC
84
Listening – and Acting – for Peace
E. Ethelbert Miller
86
Father William Whittaker
90
Charnice Milton (1987-2015) The Community
Peter Hawley
Stephanie Deutsch
Andrew Lightman
Reporter
Andrew Lightman
92
Remembering Roberta Weiner
94
Capitol Streets
96
H Street Life
98
South by West
100
Capitol Riverfront: The Effect of DC United Stadium
Sharon Bosworth Elise Bernard William Rich
Michael Stevens
real estate 103
Historic District Designation Still Matters
106
Changing Hands
Don Denton
Drury Tallant
122
on the cover:
The Hunt, Cassie Taggart. Oil on canvas, 30” x 24”, Price request call 202-783-2963. See it at Zenith Gallery: 1429 Iris St, NW. Wash, DC 20012. www.zenithgallery.com. Also at Zenith, Stars & Stripes: Zenith Salutes the Flag! Stars & Stripes–The American Flag in Contemporary Art. July 9-Sept. 5. See Aert in the City on Page 122 for more information.
arts and dining 115
Dining Notes
Celeste McCall
118
The Wine Girl
Lilia Coffin
120
At the Movies
Mike Canning
122
Art and The City
124
The Literary Hill
125
The Poetic Hill
Jim Magner Karen Lyon Karen Lyon
health and fitness 127
Tao Porchon Lynch: Young at 97
Pattie Cinelli Bill Matuszeski
130
Cycling the Trails of the Anacostia
132
Pets Feel Pain Too
133
St. Marks Dance Studio Recital
Dr. Keith de la Cruz Heather Schoell
kids and family 134
Kids & Family Notebook
140
School Notes
Kathleen Donner
Susan Braun Johnson
homes and gardens 149
Hill Gardener: “Can’t” Is Not a Word to
Use
Cheryl Corson, RLA, ASLA
152 Streetlights 154
Catherine Plume
Dear Garden Problem Lady
Wendy Hill
Acute Back Spasm Person came in with acute back spasm and came from PT. The spasm resulted from this person’s poor posture that placed such strain on spinal muscles that they finally gave out. Our treatment included strong cures for the posture and now the person is doing fabulously. We cannot separate posture from our spinal conditions, and many of our health conditions, since the nervous system is the Master System of the body and it lives inside your posture. For the better health and life experience of you and your family Capitol Hill Chiropractic Center 411 East Capitol St., SE | 202.544.6035
Capital Community News, Inc. • 224 7th Street, SE, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20003 202.543.8300 • www.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.
Editorial Staff
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Arts, Dining & Entertainment A��: D�����:
Read More About This Subject On www.capitolhillchiropractic.com Serving The Capitol Hill Community Since 1984
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GUIDE TO CAPITOL HILL
YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
L���������: M�����: M����:
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F A G O N
MIDCITY
Elise Bernard • elise.bernard@gmail.com Ellen Boomer • emboomer@gmail.com Elena Burger • elena96b@gmail.com Stephanie Deutsch • scd@his.com Michelle Phipps-Evans • invisiblecolours@yahoo.com Maggie Hall • whitby@aol.com Mark Johnson • mark@hillrag.com Stephen Lilienthal - stephen_lilienthal@yahoo.com Pleasant Mann • pmann1995@gmail.com Meghan Markey • meghanmarkey@gmail.com Charnice Milton • charnicem@hotmail.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 Roberta Weiner • rweiner_us@yahoo.com Jazzy Wright • wright.jazzy@gmail.com
BEAUTY, Health & Fitness
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
Homes & Gardens
Derek Thomas • derek@thomaslandscapes.com Catherine Plume • caplume@yahoo.com Cheryl Corson • cheryl@cherylcorson.com
COMMENTARY
Ethelbert Miller • emiller698@aol.com T�� N��� • thenose@hillrag.com T�� L��� W��� • editorial@hilllrag.com
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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.
FOR EXISTING & ASPIRING DISTRICT BUSINESSES
Meet One-on-One with a Lawyer for Free! Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2015 Time: 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW, 2nd Floor (Room E-200) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/GQPRT9
Senior Entrepreneurship Program
SmartStart Program The Regulatory Process Integrated Licensing and Money of Starting a Business Smart for Small Business Program Date: Monday, July 20, 2015
Date: Thursday, July 16, 2015 Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Location: 3001 Alabama Avenue SE Washington, D.C. 20011 To Register: http://goo.gl/0VS9sm
Date: Monday, July 20, 2015 Time: 9:00 am – 11:00 am Location: 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (E-268) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/5Oa2sz
Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Location: Lamond-Riggs Library 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE Washington, D.C. 20011 To Register: http://goo.gl/UXw6Xg
How to Open a Small Business by Navigating through DCRA’s Regulatory Process
Navigating Government Contracting with DCPTAC
SBRC’s Navigating through Business Licensing and Corporations Process
Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2015 Time: 9:00 am – 11:00 am Location: 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (Room E-200) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/ootmml
Date: Thursday, July 23, 2015 Time: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 4th Floor (Room E-4302) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://goo.gl/ygP9VU
Date: Monday through Thursday Time: By Appointment between 10:00 am to 2:00 pm Location: 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (E-268) Washington, D.C. 20024 To Register: http://bizdc.ecenterdirect.com
For further information : 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 July 2015 H 17
Brew at the Zoo (Drink Beer–Save Wildlife) On Thursday, July 23, 6-9 p.m., Join the lions in drink and raise a glass to conservation! Join FONZ at the National Zoo’s annual beer fest, where patrons sample beers from more than 70 craft breweries. Guests will also enjoy live entertainment by local band The Bachelor Boys, lawn games, and animal demonstrations. Plus, purchase fare from popular food trucks that will be on site. Proceeds benefit animal care and conservation science at the zoo. So raise a glass and toast to the animals! $65 admission ($30 sober ride admission). Tickets are on sale now at nationalzoo.si.edu.
African Lion Cubs on Exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Photo: Connor Mallon, Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Yoga at the U.S. Botanic Garden
Yogis practice yoga amongst the gardens at the U.S. Botanic Garden’s ongoing Saturday morning free yoga program. Photo: U.S. Botanic Garden
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Stop and smell the roses on Saturday mornings through Aug. 29 (except July 4) on the lawns of the U.S. Botanic Garden (rain location, Conservatory West Gallery). It’s a free, drop-in program and space is available on a first come, first served basis. Participants are encouraged to bring their own mats. The US Botanic Garden is at 100 Maryland Ave. SW. The U.S. Botanic Garden is dedicated to demonstrating the aesthetic, cultural, economic, therapeutic and ecological importance of plants to the well-being of humankind. The USBG fosters the exchange of ideas and information relevant to national and international partnerships. usbg.gov
Photo: Brian J. Terwilliger, courtesy of National Geographic
Living in the Age of Airplanes IMAX at Air and Space Living in the Age of Airplanes is a story about how the airplane has changed the world. Not long ago, traveling between continents was a migration. Now, on any given day, 100,000 flights transport people and things between any two points on Earth in a matter of hours. Filmed in 18 countries across all 7 continents, it explores the countless ways aviation affects human lives (even when people don’t fly). With stunning visuals, the film renews an appreciation for one of the most extraordinary and awe-inspiring aspects of the modern world. The documentary is produced and directed by Brian J. Terwilliger (One Six Right), narrated by Harrison Ford, and features an original score by Academy Award winning composer James Horner (Avatar, Titanic). Shown daily at 12:45 p.m.; 3:25 p.m. and 5:10 p.m. at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. $7.50-$9. airandspace.si.edu
“Nationals at 10: Baseball Makes News” at Newseum In partnership with the Washington Nationals, the Newseum presents “Nats at 10: Baseball Makes News,” a exhibit spotlighting 10 memorable moments of the Nats first decade in the nation’s capital. On display July 31-Nov. 29. “Nats at 10” will bring back memories of some of the most unforgettable moments in Nationals history, with artifacts including the bat and ball from Ryan Zimmerman’s walk-off home run in the inaugural game at Nationals Park in 2008, the pitching rubber and rosin bag used by Stephen Strasburg during his record-breaking 14-strikeout major league debut in 2010, the jersey worn by 19-year-old Bryce Harper in 2012 in his first major league game and the home plate used during Jordan Zimmermann’s no-hitter in the last game of the 2014 regular season. P.S. The Nationals will offer fans who visit “Nats at 10” a special discount of up to 25 percent on select game tickets purchased online. newseum.org
Bryce Harper wearing his Nationals at 10 uniform. Photo: Courtesy of the Washington Nationals
First-Ever Alexandria Live Music Week This summer, music fans can take part in the first-ever Alexandria Live Music Week from July 10-19, with 10 days of live music at more than 30 restaurants and venues hosting musical performances. Live Music Week will feature acts ranging from jazz to bluegrass, folk rock, country and more at venues including the legendary Birchmere music hall, Blackwall Hitch opening soon on the waterfront, plus Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub, the Fish Market, 219 Restaurant and the Old Town Farmers Market. Live Music Week’s kick-off weekend includes the Alexandria Birthday Celebration on Saturday, July 11, featuring performances by the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra and fireworks over the Potomac River, with the second weekend culminating with The Bacon Brothers at the Birchmere on July 16, 17 and 18. visitalexandriava.com
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J U L Y CALENDAR American Root Music Concerts at the Botanic Garden. July 9 and 23, and Aug. 27; 5-7 PM. July 9, Big Daddy Love, Appalachian Rock; July 23, Moonshine Society, American Blues. Concerts are outside but go inside in bad weather.
Big Daddy Love will perform on July 9. Photo: Courtesy of the US Botanic Garden
inDepenDence DaY eventS Music to Celebrate American Independence. July 2, 6 PM. Celebrate the day on which the Continental Congress voted for independence with music that the Founding Fathers knew well. David and Ginger Hildebrand of the Colonial Music Institute perform 18th-century songs—including ballads, marches, dance tunes and theater songs—in costume. Anderson House, 2118 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-785-2040. societyofthecincinnati.org July 4th National Symphony Orchestra Concert Full Dress Rehearsal. July 3, 7:30 PM. US Capitol west lawn. There will be a much smaller crowd at the concert rehearsal. Attendees will be allowed on the Capitol grounds starting at 3 PM. There will be security checkpoints and alcohol may be confiscated. Free. nso.org
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An American Celebration at Mount Vernon. July 4, 8 AM-5 PM. Mount Vernon salutes the first commander in chief with a dazzling display of made-for-daytime fireworks. Visitors will be treated to spectacular smoke fireworks in patriotic colors fired over the Potomac River. The event also includes an inspirational naturalization ceremony for 100 new citizens, military reenactments, a special wreathlaying ceremony, free birthday cake for all (while supplies last), and a visit from the “first” first couple, “General and Mrs. Washington.” An American Celebration at Mount Vernon is included in admission. 703780-2000. mountvernon.org July 4th Fireworks and National Symphony Orchestra Concert. July 4, 8 PM. US Capitol west lawn. Fireworks at about 9:15 PM. No one will be allowed on the Capitol west lawn until 3 PM. Come early with a picnic and a blanket to the grounds of the Capitol for the National Symphony Orchestra Annual Independence Day Concert. The fireworks can be seen from all over the mall, from many rooftops and from across the river. There will be security checkpoints and alcohol may be confiscated. The fireworks and concert go on except in the case of extremely bad weather. The best source for up-to-the-minute information is local TV and radio stations. Free. nso.org “What to the Slave is the 4th of July?”. July 4, 11 AM-noon. On July 5, 1852 Frederick Douglass climbed onto a stage in Rochester, NY and into the history books. His audience that day came to hear just another 4th of July speech. What they got was as brilliant indictment of slavery and of those who would not lift a hand to attack “the accursed system” as the country had ever seen. On July 4th hear the speech ring out from the steps of Frederick
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Douglass’s own home in Washington, DC. Frederick Douglass national Historic Site, 1411 W St. SE, (corner of 15th and W). nps.gov/frdo Annual Independence Day Organ Recital at the National Cathedral. July 4, 11 AM. Free. 202-537-8980. nationalcathedral.org National Archives Celebrates the Fourth of July. July 4. Band performance, 9–9:45 AM; Ceremony, 10-11 AM; Family activities, 11 AM-4 PM. The celebration will include patriotic music, a dramatic reading of the Declaration by historical reenactors, and exciting free family activities and entertainment for all ages. Free. Constitution Ave. and 7th St. NW. 202-357-5400. archives.gov Air Force Memorial Independence Day Celebration. July 4, 8 PM (fireworks over Washington Monument follow). 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 and crowds.) Contemporary and patriotic tunes and spectacular views of the nighttime Washington, DC skyline. Free. airforcememorial.org FOO FIGHTERS 20th Anniversary Blowout at RFK. July 4, noon. Featuring Buddy Guy, Gary Clark Jr., Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, LL Cool J feat. DJ Z-Trip, Trouble Funk, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Fireworks, Motorcycle Rally, BBQ. $78. 930.com
SPECIAL EVENTS
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7:05 vs. Rockies. Fireworks just after the end of game. Games take about 3 hours. washington.nationals.mlb.com Art Walk in the Park at Glen Echo. July 3, Aug. 7, and Sept. 4, 6-8 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 The BEACH at the National Building Museum. Opens July 4. 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 Capital Fringe Festival. July 9-26. Capital Fringe Festival creates a city filled with non-stop theatre, dance, music, visual art, and everything in-between. Audiences enjoy nonstop, creative cultural experiences and artists develop their artistic visions in total freedom without any curatorial barriers from bringing that work to adventurous audiences. capitalfringe.org Truckeroo Food Trucks. July 10, Aug. 21 and Sept. 11, 11 AM-11 PM. Half St. and M St., SE, near Nat’s Park. Truckeroodc.com
Smithsonian Folklife Festival. June 2428 and July 1-5. Festival hours are 11 AM-5:30 PM, with special events taking place most evenings beginning at 7 PM. Theme this year is PERÚ Pachamama. On the National Mall between 3rd and 4th, just north of the National Museum of the American Indian. festival.si.edu
Kenilworth Park Lotus & Water Lily Festival 2015. July 11 (rain or shine), 10 AM-4 PM. The Lotus & Water Lily Festival is an annual event to celebrate the profusion of flowers all around the garden and the cultures around the world that celebrate these flowers. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. nps.gov/keaq
Post-game Fireworks at Nat’s Park. July 3, 6:05 p.m. vs. Giants; Aug. 7,
Alexandria/USA Birthday Celebration. July 11, 7-10 PM. Bring lawn chairs, blan-
The Hill Is Our Home!
Capitol Hill’s Coldwell Banker Agents Support You! • • • • • • • • •
Capitol Hill Cluster School Capitol Hill Community Foundation Capitol Hill Arts Workshop Capitol Hill Day School St. Peter School Barracks Row Main Street Capitol Hill Children’s Baseball League Capitol Hill Children’s Hockey League Brent Elementary
• • • • • • • •
Maury Elementary Capitol Hill Village Hine Jr. High School Eastern High School Capitol Hill Merchants And Professionals Capitol Hill Restoration Society Young Marines Of Capitol Hill St. Coletta’s of Greater Washington
In addition, our individual agents last year alone contributed $50,000+ and literally hundreds of hours to community organizations. While we are proud of what we have accomplished, we know that we couldn’t have done any of this without the support of friends and clients. You won’t see this office on TV. You won’t hear from us on the radio. You won’t even get much mail from us. But, you will see us when you see the growth in our schools. You will see us when you see the growth in our community building blocks! You will see us in the progress of our Capitol Hill neighborhood! We welcome the challenges of the future and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
202.547.3525 - Main Office INFORMATION DEEMED RELIABLE BUT NOT GUARANTEED
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Capitol Hill 4th of July Parade. July 4, kicks off at 10 AM. The parade, which runs north on Eighth St. SE, from I St. to Pennsylvania Ave., features kids on bikes, fire trucks, marching bands, school groups, dogs with their owners, vintage cars and politicians greeting voters. Photo: Andrew Lightman
kets and a picnic and enjoy live music by the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra plus cannon firing, birthday cake, food trucks and a fireworks display. Oronoco Bay Park, 100 Madison St., Alexandria, VA. CHAW presents Gilbert & Sullivan’s Trial by Jury & Selections from Yeoman of the Guard. July 30-Aug. 8. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 PM (and 3 PM on Saturdays). CHAW’s annual summer of Gilbert & Sullivan is back in full--and, as always, slightly twisted--form! Join them for an evening or afternoon of song, wordplay, and fun. $20. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th St. SE. 202-547-6839. chaw.org 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.
oUtDoor SUMMer MUSic anD MovieS Rockin’ the Block at Canal Park. July 1 and Aug. 5, 6:30-8:30 PM. Rockin’ the Block features live music in Canal Park’s Middle Block, food and beverage from the Capitol Riverfront, lawn games, and more. The bands are The Sweater Set on July 1, and Justin Trawick and the Common Good on Aug. 5. Canal Park is at 200 M St. SE. capitolriverfront.org Navy Memorial Concerts on the Avenue. Tuesdays, through Sept. 1, 7:30 PM. 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NE. navyband.navy.mil 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,
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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. Wee nights 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 great movies. NoMa Summer Screen at Storey Park Lot, 1005 First St. NE, which will be temporarily transformed for 2015 into a mural-filled urban park. Here’s the remaining lineup: July 1-Grease; July 8-Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo; July 15-Singing in the Rain; July 22-Save the Last Dance-July 29-Moulin Rouge; Aug. 5-Stomp the Yard; and Aug. 12-Footloose. 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 Capital Riverfront Outdoor Movies. Thursdays through Sept. 3 at sundown. July 9, Bring It On; July 16, LEGO Movie; July 23, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory; July 30, Big Hero 6; Aug. 6, Pitch Perfect; Aug. 13, The Goonies; Aug. 20, Guardians of the Galaxy; Aug. 27; To Kill A Mockingbird; Sept. 3, The Sound of Music. They invite moviegoers to come early, bring a picnic, and enjoy the show. Canal Park, 200 M St. SE. capitolriverfront.org
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Jordan Kaplan as Lathem Prince. Photo: Courtesy of the Hunger & Thirst Theatre Collective
Jazz in the Garden Concerts at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Fridays through Aug. 28, 5-8:30 PM. July 3, Speakers of the House (old school funk, boogaloo, and rock); July 10, Hendrik Meurkens (vibes and harmonica); July 17, Lao Tizer (keyboards); July 24, Sin Miedo (salsa); July 31, Incendio (acoustic guitar); Aug. 7, Miles Stiebel (jazz violin); Aug. 14, Origem (Brazilian jazz); Aug. 21, Seth Kibel (clarinet); Aug. 28, Afro Bop Alliance (Latin jazz). Concerts may be cancelled due to excessive heat or inclement weather. For up-to-date information, visit nga.gov/jazz or call 202-289-3360. 2015 Twilight Tattoo at Fort Myer. Wednesdays (except July 1), through Aug. 19 , 7 PM with preceremony pageantry starting at 6:45 PM. Members of the 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard), the US Army Band “Pershings Own,” Fife and Drum Corps and the US Army Drill Team will perform an hourlong 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
Hunger & Thirst Theatre Collective presents Lathem Prince. July 10-19. Poor Lathem. His dad is dead (but that hasn’t stopped him from visiting). His on-again-off-againgirlfriend is not handling their most recent break-up very well. And don’t get him started on that French-American dude his mom has been sleeping with. Lathem Prince is a zany spin on the greatest drama in the English language. This isn’t a typical Hamlet re-make. Don’t bring a mother along to this show. It will get awkward. $17 Tickets available online at capitalfringe.org or by calling 866-8114111. Atlas Lab Theatre II, 1333 H St. NE. atlasarts.org
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Marine Barracks Row Evening Parades. Fridays through Aug. 28, 8:45-10 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, 6:30-8:30 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 Glen Echo Park Free Summer Concerts. 7:30 PM. July 2, Flutes on the Brink; July 9, QuinTango; July 16, Lilt; July 23, Only Lonesome; July 31, Seth Kibel Quartet; Aug. 6, Trio Caliente, 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 Golden Cinema in Farragut Park. 7:30 PM. Here’s the remaining lineup: July 10, Nine to Five; July 17, Miss Congeniality; July 24, Italian Job; July 31, The Wedding Planner. Farragut Park is at Connecticut Ave. and K St. NW. goldentriangledc.com Hot 5 @ Hill Center: (outdoor) Jazz on a Summer’s Eve. July 19, Rochelle Rice; Aug. 16, Sine Qua Non; Sept. 20, Nasar Abadey; 5 PM. Free concerts on the Hill Center grounds. Performances are preceeded by a short Q&A with the artists. Sponsored by Stella Artois. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. hillcenterdc.org “Tunes in the Triangle” Lunch and Dinner Experiences. July 23, 11:30 AM-1:30 PM and 6-8 PM, Andrea Pais (Soul/R&B/ Pop). The concerts are free and guests are encouraged to pack a picnic, bring a blanket or chair, friends, family, kids and pets. Evening concerts will include popular games--corn hole, hula hoops, bubbles and more--with free lemonade available and food offered for sale by favorite food trucks. Lunchtime concerts at 5th & K St. Plaza, NW. Evening concerts at Milian Park at Massachusetts Ave. and 5th St. NW.
Jazz 101 with Veteran Jazz Broadcaster Rusty Hassan. Tuesdays, July 7-28, 6:30-8 PM. This course will trace the history of the music from its roots in work songs, blues, ragtime and spirituals to the contemporary forms of fusion and avant-garde. $12/session; $40/series. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. hillcenterdc.org Gospel Brunch Concert with Kendall Isadore at Hill Center. July 12, 2-4 PM. Kendall’s arrangements of spirituals, hymns, and contemporary gospel seasoned with fresh vocals and the warmth of her violin will leave attendees inspired, uplifted, and filled with joy. Prior to the concert, guests will sample brunch favorites prepared by Chef Jabari Butler. $25, advance; $30, day of. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. hillcenterdc.org Indian Summer Showcase Concerts at the American Indian Museum. July 18, 3-5 PM features Quetzal; Aug. 7, 8:3010:30 PM features A Tribe Called Red; Aug. 29, 2-4 PM features Dark Water Rising. Free. nmai.si.edu Jazz Night and Blues Night in Southwest. Jazz is every Friday, 6-9 PM. Blues is every Monday, 6-9 PM. Expect a large, fun and friendly crowd. The cover is $5. Children are welcome and free under 16 years old. Reasonably priced meals offered. 202-484-7700. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW (Fourth and I, south side of intersection). westminsterdc.org Church of the Epiphany Weekly Concerts. Every Tuesday, 12:10 PM. Free but a free will offering taken. 1317 G ST. NW. 202-347-2635. epiphanydc.org
MUSIC Music at Ebenezers. July 2, Stephanie Falcone; July 10, Kenny George Band, Zia Hassan, Rorie; July 11, Anna May (duo); July 16, The Bergamot, Lucas Carpenter, Jesse Lafser; July 17, Amos Saint Jean & Friends LIVE In Concert; July 24, Musica Feminista Showcase. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-5586900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com
THEATER
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Keegan. June 27-July 26. Andrew Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. 202-2653767. keegantheatre.com Tartuffe at Shakespeare. Through July 5. Orgon has fallen under the spell of
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Photo: Paul Williams
the pious fraud Tartuffe, at great cost to his family and household, in Tartuffe, Molière’s crowning achievement and scathing indictment of religious hypocrisy. Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife at Theater J. Through July 5. Marjorie Taub, Upper West Sider and devoted lady who lunches, is deep in the throes of mid-life existential ennui when an enigmatic childhood friend with a taste for mischief unexpectedly arrives at her door. Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW. 800-494-8497. washingtondcjcc.org Washington Improv Theater Presents-Summer Love. Through July 5. Spurred by a single audience suggestion, these creative performers spontaneously build entire worlds populated by colorful characters and situations. Each performance is a one-of-a-kind show, never to be seen by another audience. $12, online; $15, door. DC Arts Center 2438 18th St. NW. witdc.org Occupied Territories at Anacostia Playhouse. Through July 5. Highly physical, Occupied Territories tears away easy boundaries to question how bodies, minds, and souls are vast territories altered by this nation’s relentless history
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Cinematery Movies at Congressional Cemetery. July 18 and Sept. 26, 7:30 PM, gates open; Movie begins at 8:30 PM. July 18 movie is North by Northwest and July 26, Psycho. Bring food, drinks, blankets and chairs and enjoy a movie in a creepy yet picturesque setting. $10 cash is suggested donation. Historic Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. 202-543-0539. congressionalcemetery.org
of War. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Pl. SE. Tickets may be purchased at anacostiaplayhouse.com.
nightmares, dating, and more. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW. 202393-3939. woollymammoth.net
The Second City’s Let Them Eat Chaos at Woolly. July 7-Aug. 2. Let Them Eat Chaos combines the best of The Second City’s recent material plus brand-new sketches and improvs reflecting the zaniness of this world, from the chaos of national and world politics, to the conundrums of contemporary lifestyles, virtual reality, workplace
Molotov Theatre Group’s Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom. July 9-Aug. 9. Play by Jennifer Haley is part of the Capital Fringe Festival. DC Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW. molotovtheatre.org American Moor by Keith Cobb at Anacostia Playhouse. July 17-Aug. 16. Thursday-
we
Saturday 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 Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street-Prog Metal Version at the Atlas. July 9-Aug. 2. Landless Theatre Company remounts the exclusive, Helen Hayes Recommended production of The Prog Metal Version of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s Sweeney Todd. $29. The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org
SportS anD fitneSS
thank You! The GranT, ryall & andrew Group Grant Griffith 202.741.1685 Ryall Smith 202.741.1781 Andrew Glasow 202.741.1654 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage 605 Pennsylvania Ave. SE • 202.547. 3525
Washington Mystics Basketball. June 28; July 9, 17 and 29; Aug. 5. Verizon Center. nba.com/mystics Washington Nationals Baseball. July 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22. washington.nationals. mlb.com Free Yoga at Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Fridays through Sept. 11, 9-11 AM. Class with be an all levels, vinyasa class on the Hirshhorn Museum outdoor plaza. hirshhorn.si.edu Bastille Day 4 Miler. July 14, 7 PM. Fletcher’s Boat House, 4940 Canal Rd. NW. dcroadrunners.org DC United. July 26, 5 PM vs. Philadelphia; Aug. 1, 7 PM vs. Real Salt Lake. RFK Stadium. dcunited.com DC Public Outdoor Pools. Nearby outdoor pools are East Potomac Pool at 972 Ohio Dr. SW; Randall Pool at South Capitol and I Sts. SW; and Rosedale Pool at 1701 Gales St. NE.
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THOMAS DESIGN CONSULTANTS Boutique Renovations of Capitol Hill Spaces
All outdoor pools are open weekends, noon-6 PM. Weekday hours are 1-8 PM starting June 20. Every pool is closed one day a week for cleaning and maintenance. All pools are free for DC residents. Have picture ID. dpr.dc.gov
redo • renew • refresh Kitchen and Bath Specialists
Call us before you start your project
301 . 642 . 5182
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Free public tennis courts in Ward Six. King Greenleaf Recreation Center, 201 N St. SW; Garfield Park, Third and G sts. SE; Randall Park First and I sts. SW; Rosedale Recreation Center, 1701 Gales St. NE; Sherwood Recreation Center, 640 10th St. NE. 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 one hour intervals; extended use of tennis courts requires a permit. Proper shoes and attire is required. 202-671-0314. dpr. dc.gov/dpr Meditation in Capitol Hill. Mondays, 7:30-8:30 PM. $12 per class ($6 seniors/students/unemployed). Meditation in Capitol Hill is at the Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Read more at meditation-dc.org/capitolhill. Walk-ins welcome.
J U L Y
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Zumba at Southwest Library. Wednesdays at 7:30 PM. Instructor Roshaunda Jenkins will lead this one-hour fitness and dance class--all fitness levels welcome. Southwest Neighborhood Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. 202-7244752. dclibrary.org/southwest
MarketS Market SW “night market”. July 24, Aug. 28, Sept. 25 and Oct. 23, 4-9 PM. Bills itself as “an evening of arts, food, flea & fun, live music.” Market is at 4th and M Sts. SW. marketswdc.com Eastern Market. Daily except Mondays and important holidays. Weekdays, 7 AM-7 PM; Saturdays, 7 AM-5 PM; Sundays, 9 AM-5 PM. Flea market 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 Farmers Market. Saturdays, through Dec. 19, 9 AM-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 Dupont Circle Farmers 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). 202-3628889. 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 Fresh Tuesdays at Eastern Market. Every Tuesday, 3-7 PM. Tuesday afternoon farmers’ line of fresh produce. Eastern Market, 200 block of 7th St. SE. 202698-5253. easternmarketdc.com Union Market. Tuesday-Friday, 11 AM-8 PM; Saturday-Sunday, 8 AM-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 Georgetown Flea Market. Sundays year around (except in the case of very inclement weather), 8 AM-4 PM. 1819 35th St. NW. georgetownfleamarket.com Maine Avenue Fish Market. Open 365 days a year. 7 AM-9 PM. 1100 Maine Ave. SW. 202-484-2722. Fashion Trucks on U. Sundays, noon5 PM. Fashion Trucks offer a mix of
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crafts, clothes, accessories and jewelry at the former home of the Sunday U St Flea in the parking lot, next to Nellie’s Sports Bar at 912 U St. NW. ustreetflea.com
civic life
Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell are Inaugural Speakers for Daniel K. Inouye Distinguished Lecture Series. July 8, 6:30 PM. The lecture, “Finding Shared Values for US Foreign Policy,” is in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not needed. Congresswoman Norton’s NW District Office. Open weekdays, 9 AM-6 PM. 529 14th St. NW, suite 900. 202-783-5065. norton. house.gov ANC 6A. Second Thursday, 7 PM. Meeting at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th St. NE. 202-4238868. anc6a.org ANC 6B. Second Tuesday, 7 PM. Meeting at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-543-3344. anc6b.org ANC 6C. Second Wednesday, 7 PM. Meeting at Heritage Foundation, 214 Mass. Ave. NE, first floor conference room. 202-547-7168. anc6c.org ANC 6D. Second Monday, 7 PM. Meeting at 1100 4th St. SW, DCRA meeting room, 2nd floor. 202-5541795. anc6d.org ANC 6E. First Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Meeting at Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. anc6e. org ◆
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Services
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THE
PRESENTS
2015
Pet Special
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WIN Our photo winner this year is this charming and imaginative photo of Penny Lane, a dachshund/spaniel mix, and her family. Photo: Lorilee Binstock
PLACE
SHOW
Catching the last of the fall sun, a boy and his dog, Finley and Ernest the hound. Photo: Lyndsey Medsker An iconic cat portrait, Stellaluna is at once regal and disdainful. Photo: Jen Kern
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WIN CeCe, sitting on the top step looking at passersby. Photo: John C. Johnson
PLACE
Honorable Mention
SHOW
Lincoln at the Cemetery, A Place for "Paws" and Remembrance. Photo: Susie Schutter Hershey Photo: Jonathan Nordstrom
Gem Photo: Terry Battaglia
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PLACE
WIN Emily. Photo: Claudia Menashe
SHOW
Zephyr on the rug. Photo: Gabe Gopen
Honorable Mentions
This is Orange Cat. The handsomest cat on Capitol Hill. Photo: Jack Wandersee Mila. Photo: Kate Cho
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Shannon: All right, Mr. DeMeow, I’m ready for my close-up. Photo: Joanna Goldfarb
CAN I CRASH ON YOUR COUCH
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WIN PLACE Tulip Barnes: Are we there yet? Photo: Anne Barnes
SHOW
Honorable Mention
Binx. Photo: Marjorie Owens I am Frankie. You may hug me now. Photo: Les Weidner
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WIN PLACE
Hank. Photo: Jackie Cook
SHOW
Cody and RePete. Photo: Claudia Menashe Shih tzu/terrier mix: Priscilla. Bernese Mountain dog: Theodore Cottrell. Photo: Anthony Carcaldi-Walsh
Honorable Mention Tinkerbell & Pudge Rodriguez Photo: Melissa Westman-Cherry
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WIN PLACE
Zoey Griffin and Dobi. Photo: Marita Percival
SHOW
Amanda Rycroft & Alexis. Photo: Teddy Rycroft
Maddy, our loving 8-yr old cockapoo, and Kate, her 2-yr old sister. They became fast friends right about the time Kate began sharing her snacks. Photo: Courtney Keiser
Honorable MentionS
McKinley (age 12) with her dog Alana (a rat terrier mix rescue dog). Photo: Paula Conru Lucy: This is the softest pillow I’ve ever had. Photo: Carolyn Thornton.
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WIN PLACE Uhm...Peanuts and Crackerjacks...Now bring on them DOGS! Photo: Paris Singer
SHOW Wanted! Car thieves last seen heading west on East Capitol�. Photo: Paul Lomeli
Kasja Photo: Renee Nordstrom
Honorable MentionS
Ali Corley. Photo: Veronica Corley Finnegan helping put up Christmas lights. Photo: Liz Anderson.
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Thank
you
The Hill Rag would like to thank all of our readers who submitted photos for the Pet Photo Contest and the prize sponsors for their generous contributions:
Please visit these fine establishments and tell them the Hill Rag sent you! MIDCITY
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A removable directory to assist parents on the decision making process
We are one of the Metro area’s leading resources for education news! Articles on: • The DC State of Educational Reform • Navigating Educational Choice • Journey: Through the Worlds of Public, Public Charter and Private Education: Three Families’ Experiences and More... INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING? CONTACT YOUR SALES REP TODAY TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE:
202.543.8300 LAURA X22 | KIRA X16 | ANDREW X19 | CAROLINA X12 July 2015 H 51
WIN PLACE
I need a bulldog-sized chair” Photo: Sara Trebing
SHOW
Lovely Sophie enjoying the sun. Photo: Rosemary Freeman
This can’t possibly be comfortable. Photo: Joanne Briones
Honorable Mention
Jazz. Photo: Nan Raphael
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WIN PLACE
“Xena: The Warrior Princess.” Photo: Gene Berry & Jeff Campbell
“A Democat and Republicat faceoff on Capitol Hill.” Photo: Jennifer Fritschi & Deborah Hooker
Honorable MentionS
The Congressional Cemetery ghosts can’t catch me! Photo: Todd Lard
SHOW Pounce: “Triple crown” Photo: Jack Stein “I’ve Got the Folsom Prison Blues.” Photo: Liza Offreda
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WIN PLACE Farley Loves Farm Fresh Tuesday. Photo: Kevin Goldberg
SHOW Classic Hill home: Spoon and Goose. Photo: Jay Keegan & Michael McFadyen
Honorable Mention Elmo and John Phillip. Photo: Maureen Buell
Just checking out the memorials at night with my mom. Best time to pay a visit to Lincoln! Photo: Amanda Waks
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T r a i n i n g Yo u r P e t t o Visit the Vet
Y
our dog or cat may not be a sea lion, but looking at the sea lion at the zoo may help you and your pet with the next veterinary visit. How? Repetitive training. The behavior of a sea lion at a training session is not innate, and no animal instinctively rolls over or hands you their paw. Similarly we cannot expect a dog or cat to be fearfree in a veterinary environment without training and positive reinforcement. You can take a number of steps with your pet to make veterinary visits smoother and less stressful. Start basic training with your friend on the day they arrive home. Most pets have a fear of their feet being touched, causing anxiety when nails need to be trimmed. This can be readily overcome by playing with their feet on a regular basis. Continue the training by performing a mock exam several times per day. Look in their ears, lift the tail, examine the webbing between the toes, comb their fur, and so on. Give praise and small treats frequently. For possibly painful or uncomfortable procedures, consider sea lion trainers again: they perform a similar action many times but in a rewarding environment and without the painful stimulus. Consider gently pinching your pet on the thigh and shoulder so they will be used to touching in these areas, which are where vaccines are most commonly given. Thus, when the real procedure needs to be performed the dog or cat is already accustomed to the handling and methods being used. This is all part of counterconditioning – getting your dog or cat used to certain actions so that they react minimally to them. As one friend puts it, your pet should be completely “ho-hum” about being touched. Such training takes only a few minutes per day and will make everything, from vet visits to bathing and grooming, much easier.
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by Dan Teich, DVM Your pet may be used to being handled but not accustomed to traveling to the veterinary office. The veterinary hospital has other animals and myriad smells present. For some dogs or cats this can be anxiety-causing. Again we turn to positive training. If your pet only experiences unpleasantries at the vet, they will resent going there. Therefore, visit us socially, play in the lobby, have the staff give treats, walk your dog onto the scale, make the visits fun. If there is availability ask if your pup can visit an exam room, play in there for a few minutes tossing a ball or playing catch, and then go home. We are happy to provide treats and encourage such visits! Once your pet is accustomed to the doctor’s office, remember to continually reinforce the good behavior by performing the above exercises on a routine basis. Just like us, you either use the skill or you lose the skill. Frequently clients tell us that they have difficulty getting their cat into a carrier. Consider keeping a carrier open at home, place treats inside, and make it a comfortable place for the cat. In an emergency you will need to immediately get the cat into the carrier. We also encourage you to take your dog and cat into the car and make short trips. Make the car a routine place too. Preparing for a visit to the veterinary office is essential. Know what you feed your pet – the amount, brand, and variety. We will ask you this important information. Answering dry or canned food is not acceptable. Unless it is a routine visit you may find it useful to call ahead and ask these questions: Can I feed my pet before coming? Do you need a stool or urine sample? Is there anything else I should bring? If your pet is afraid of other dogs or cats kindly request that a room be made available in advance of your arrival. Sometimes your veterinarian may request your pet be fasted before the visit. Recently ingest-
ed food can result in there being a large amount of triglycerides or fats in the blood. These fats can then cause blood tests to be inaccurate. Pack a small baggie with your pet’s favorite treats and bring it with you, especially if your pet is on a restricted or special diet. If your vet approves, play with your dog for at least 30 minutes prior to visiting the office. This makes them expend most of their energy, and as we know a tired dog is a good dog. Use caution if you have an older dog or if the pet is unwell or is in need of special diagnostic testing. Upon arrival always have your dog leashed and your cat in a closed carrier. If you have a small dog that is comfortable in a carrier, it may be safest for them to come to the office in the carrier. Find a place in the waiting room away from other pets, and if your pet is uncomfortable or too excited request it to be placed into an exam room. Most of the time this is possible. Once in the exam room with the doctor or assistant, you, the client, need to be prepared as well. Your behavior and actions are key to a successful visit. Many people have their own hesitation visiting the doctor’s office and may shrink back in the presence of needles. The cat or dog will pick up on your cues and may be nervous as well. Be brave and do not let the pet know you are nervous. This is even the case when the pet is ill and you are worried about their health. Remain calm, speak clearly, and provide support to yourself and the pet. Your friend isn’t a sea lion, but the same training techniques used by the professionals at the zoo can be applied to make your pet more comfortable at the vet’s office. And we all appreciate a happy, low stress visit. Dan Teich, DVM, is at District Veterinary Hospital, 3748 10th St. NE, Washington, DC 20017; 202-8271230 and desk@districtvet.com. u
Advertisers index Atlas Vet AtlasVet strives to provide the best medical care for companion animals in Capitol Hill and the Washington, DC area. We accomplish this by having an educated, friendly staff, by using the most up-to-date medical techniques and equipment, by providing proactive animal health care solutions to the community, and by helping pet owners understand and strengthen the human-animal bond. www.atlasvetdc.com | 1326 H St NE | (202)552-8600 Banfield Pet Hospital At Banfield Pet Hospital, we believe prevention is the best medicine. Our affordable wellness plans can help keep your pet healthier, longer. From vaccinations to surgery, our comprehensive veterinary care provides the highest quality medical services available. Find your partner in pet care at Banfield. Now open at The Yards! www.banfield.com | 1212 4th St SE | 202-554-0925
JoJo, Luci and Calisto. Photo: Carolina Lopez
Capitol Hill Animal Clinic Capitol Hill Animal Clinic is a locally owned clinic in the heart of The Hill. It is a smaller clinic that emphasizes quality, compassionate, individualized care for your pet. The clinic is very supportive of the adoption of rescued animals, and offer clients who have done so a free first pet exam. capitolhillanimalclinic.com | 1240 Pennsylvania Ave. SE | (202)-546.-1972 Chichie’s Grooming Spa Seeded on Capitol Hill, and matured in Georgetown, Chichie’s pet clients represent all walks of life and individual needs. Your pets are pampered, massaged and styled in traditional or custom designs. Our blow drying technique and de-shedding treatments are only done by hand. Always beautifully groomed with integrity and kindness. Prices are based on breed and coat condition. www.chichiesgroomingspa.com | 2614 P St. NW | 202-333-3575 Countryside Kennels Countryside Kennels and Suites is the premier pet boarding facility in Southern Maryland. Situated on over 6 acres, we boast over 40 outdoor exercise yards, a large bone-shaped in-ground pool, luxury suites with pet cots, satellite TV, basic obedience training, and pickup/delivery service in the SoMD, DC, and NoVA area! www.countrysidekennels.com 9214 Boyds Turn Road Owings, MD 20736 | 301-855-8308 District Veterinary Hospital District Vet is an independent, locally owned veterinary hospital focused on the needs of you and your pet. We believe that no two pets are the same and that each deserves individualized love and attention. It’s our philosophy. It’s just who we are. Be a part of our community! www.districtvet.com | 3748 10th Street, NE | 202-827-1230 Grubb’s Pharmacy Grubb’s Pharmacy specializes in Custom Compound Medications for pets, making sure both you and your best friend are healthy. The pharmacy is dedicated to providing the finest pharmaceutical care and home medical equipment to its patients. They provide custom products and services for the individual needs of each patient by working closely with their doctors. www.grubbspharmacy.com | 326 E Capitol Street NE | (202)-543-4400 Howl to the Chief Howl to the Chief is Washington DC’s go to store for your pets nutritional needs. The store offers a large array of quality food for any budget. Grooming is available 7 days a week. Improving the health of pets and saving the lives of dogs/cats is the main focus at Howl to the Chief! Home delivery available upon request. www.howltothechief.com | 733 8th Street Southeast | (202)-544-8710
Saving Grace Petcare Saving Grace Petcare provides the premier service on Capitol Hill and across the Hill East, NoMa and Southwest neighborhoods for your furry, feathered and finned friends! From puppy pee breaks, to mid-day walks, cat sitting, in-home boarding and overnight visits; we are here to help! www.savinggracepets.com | (202)544-9247 Sit-A-Pet August marks our 35th Anniversary. Our service began on Capitol Hill and we are proud to be a part of this animal loving community. Thanks to our dedicated, professional staff we have been voted Best Pet Service in the City Paper Readers’ Poll, and each pet issue of the Washingtonian. www.sitapet.com | 202-362-8900. Takoma Park Animal Clinic Convenient weekend hours for treatments and surgeries make life easy for our clients who have busy schedules or can’t take time off from work to bring their furry family members in during the week. Takoma Park Animal Clinic will begin offering the latest in veterinary LASER therapies starting July 7th. www.takomaparkanimalclinic.com | 7330 Carroll Avenue | 301-270-4700 Wagtime Too & Wagtime Wagtime Pet Spa & Boutique was established in 2001 with the insight, innovation & vision of owner’s Lisa Schreiber and Ofer Khal. Owner presence and hands-on experience are combined with a professionally trained and compassionate staff to offer Wagtime’s friendly neighborhood pet boutiques the highest standards in pet care and customer service. www.wagtimedc.com | 900 M St. SE + 1232 9th St. NW | 202-629-2765
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Fourth of July Sale! Celebrate the birthday of America and Ginkgo Gardens...... for 15 days only...... June 26th through July 11th.
25% to 50% off on selected perennials & annuals 25% to 50% off on all furniture - tables, chairs, plant stands, patio umbrellas HUGE savings on all types of pottery, statuary, garden ornaments, trellises, & fountains.... all 25 to 50% off during the 15 day celebration. Many other items will be marked down during this sale.......register for our July 4th drawing during the sale. Winner receives a $100.00 shopping spree.
Over 15 Years on the Hill! www.ginkgogardens.com DC’s Best Urban Garden Center
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911 11th Street, SE • Washington, DC 20003 • 202.543.5172 • M-F 8-7 • Sat 8-6 • Sun 9-5
{capitol streets}
Bulletin Board H Street NE to Launch Twilight Farmers Market at Starburst Plaza The first nighttime farmers market in the District will offer residents after work, sustainable grocery shopping from a variety of local vendors. The H Street NE Corridor’s Twilight Farmers Market will take place every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. through mid-September at the Starburst Plaza Intersection, where H Street NE, Bladensburg Rd., Benning Rd., Maryland Ave. NE and Florida Ave. meet (1500 block of H Street NE). 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. Stop by and browse the food offerings, including delectable desserts and savory, sampler-sized, portable portions from local downtown and area restaurants. Beverages from the beer and wine garden will also be available to sip and stroll, while shopping inside the event area. There’s even more to look forward to this summer at the Starburst Plaza! The Twilight Farmers Market is just the first taste of all the exciting programming planned for the intersection. In the coming weeks, area residents can look forward to the launch of a weekly live entertainment series, a weekend market, rotating art exhibitions and more all at this exciting location.
Will The Washington Monument Ever Reopen?
Photo: Courtesy of Humanities DC
Humanitini (where happy hour meets the humanities) Humanitini, a free monthly happy hour program, brings Washingtonians together to discuss issues that are timely, engaging, entertaining, and usually all of the above. Humanitini is the name of the drink and the name of the program. These happy hour conversations bring panels of academics, culture curators, musicians, experts, or whomever the occasion might call for into bars and restaurants for lively conversation and intellectual debate. The next Humanitini Happy Hour will be Tuesday, July 21, 6:30-8 p.m. Location is TBA. The discussion will be on the role that religion plays in shaping public policy. Visit wdchumanities.org for more information and to sign up for their newsletter. P.S. Since the location of the July 21 event is still undetermined, and the restaurant/ bar might change, it is advised to sign up for the newsletter.
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the toll-free SoberRide phone number 1-800200-TAXI and be afforded a no-cost (up to a $ 30 fare), safe way home.
Monday Evening Yoga Mortis Community Yoga Taught by RYT-200 yoga teacher Ingrid Benecke, these classes take place in the Congressional Cemetery Chapel every Monday, 6-7 p.m. Mats and props are provided, and classes are first come, first served with a suggested donation of $10-$15. These are relaxing, low-pressure classes. Historic Congressional Cemetery is at 1801 E St. SE. 202543-0539. congressionalcemetery.org
Rainbow History Project: Collecting and Preserving DC’s LGBT History On Tuesday, June 30, 7 p.m., join Historical Society of Washington, D.C. member and advocate Vincent Slatt as he presents on the Rainbow History Project’s digital and physical collections, including its oral history project, recent acquisitions, and collecting efforts. Southeast Library, 403 7th St. SE. 202-698-3377. dchistory.org
Hoop Dreams Basketball Tournament and Life Skills Event Passing Showers by Kim Bursic, 36X36, acrylic graphite on canvas. Photo: Courtesy of the artist
“Artists Off-Rhode” Ward 5 Art Exhibition and Open House On Saturday July 11, Artists Off-Rhode will feature artists who live or work in Ward 5. Everyone is invited to come and meet some of Ward 5’s most talented neighbors. Lisa Marie Thalhammer will be leading a Second Saturday portrait workshop from 1-4 p.m. in the Art Enables main gallery. Art Enables is at 2204 Rhode Island Ave. NE. 202-554-9455. art-enables.org Art Enables creates the opportunity for visual artists with disabilities to make and market their honest and compelling artwork. Art Enables is a creative hub where everyone can benefit from their gallery and programming--at Art Enables, Art Works Here.
For more information, please visit www.hstreet.org.SoberRide Offers Free July 4th Cab Rides Preparing to combat that time of year when, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly four-out-of-ten of all US traffic deaths are caused by alcohol-impaired drivers, free cab rides will be offered to would-be
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drunk drivers throughout the District of Columbia on Saturday, July 4th. Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the Fourth of July SoberRide program will be in operation beginning at 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 4 and continue until 4 a.m. the following day. During this six-hour period, area residents celebrating with alcohol may call
The 5th Annual Basketball Tournament and Life Skills Event, originally scheduled for June 26-27, has been rescheduled for July 31Aug. 1. The tournament is at Trinity Washington University, 125 Michigan Ave. NE. What started five years ago as an event just for children of families participating in DCHAís Housing Choice Voucher Program has expanded. The Basketball Tournament and Life Skills Event now includes children of all families DCHA serves and last year had more than 150 boys and girls in the competition. Online registration is available for eligible families at dchousing.org/ basketball.
Community Forum: Park and Land Improvements Along the Anacostia On Saturday, July 11, 2-4 p.m., join community park and land improvement activists and supporters as they discuss current projects such as
the Anacostia Park & Kenilworth Park , the Pepco Plant at Benning Road, the Bower’s commitment Reservation 13, Plans for RFK Stadium site (Capitol Youth Sports Park Project) and other planned developments. Panel moderator will be Doug Siglin of the Federal City Council and the Anacostia River Trust. Panelists include Bob Coomber, ANC 7D01 Commissioner and Capitol Youth Sports Park Project Board Member. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202633-4820. anacostia.si.edu
Atlas Welcomes Mosaic Theater Company of DC Artistic Director Ari Roth and his new theater company, Mosaic Theater Company of DC will become an Atlas resident arts partner starting in the 2015-16 season. Mosaic Theater Company plans to present six full productions at the Atlas including their Voices from a Changing Middle East Festival. atlasarts.org
Prayers in the Park Worship is coming to a park around the city. This summer Christ Church + Washington Parish and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church are coming together to worship in neighbourhoods around DC. Bring the dog, the kids, meet up with friends before going out to dinner. To follow where they’ll be each week this summer, text prayersinthepark to 781-728-9542.
Summer of TrainingFirst Aid/CPR Classes Serve DC is offering First Aid/ CPR classes in each of the eight wards through September. This free training will be provided to
Up-To-Date Local Real Estate Listings
Up-To-Date Local www.hillrag.com Real Estate Listings
Another great reason to visit
Another great reason to visit
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100 residents in each ward. When emergencies happen, this basic training can provide critical support to first responders, immediate assistance to victims and can help organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site. Trainings are conveniently located in each ward at accessible times to fit most schedules and are open to anyone who lives, works or congregates in the District of Columbia. To register for any of the trainings, visit DCSafetySummer.eventbrite.com or serve.dc.gov. For more information about the training, scheduling and locations, call 202-727-7925.
Washington Humane Society Adoption Van Visit This summer, be a hero by giving a new home to an animal in need. It’s proven that pet ownership is great for human emotional and physical health, so adopting a new pet will be heroic both for both pets and potential owners. A WHS van will visit Woodridge Library at noon on Saturday, July 18. The llibrary is at 1790 Douglas St. NE. 202-5416226. dclibrary.org/woodridge
Capital Hill Group Ministry Hope for the Homeless Golf Tournament Registration Open CHGM’s annual golf tournament, Sept 21, 1:30 PM., at Glenn Dale Country Club, features hundreds of dollars in cash prizes, the Peggy Pecore Putting Contest, and a chance to win $10,000 in a Hole-In-One Challenge. Buffet dinner and unlimited beverages are included in registration. All proceeds benefit Capitol Hill residents in need. Register now to take advantage of their early bird discounts. chgm.net
Groundbreaking for Southwest’s St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church The construction of a new home for St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church got underway with a groundbreaking service on Saturday, May 30 at 6th St. and Maine Ave. SW. The Rev. Martha Clark, rector, along with church and southwest community members and others involved in the building’s design and construction gathered in the extraordinary heat of late May for the occasion. The Rev. Martha Clark, standing at the site of the altar, marked an “X” in the ground, the symbol both of the cross and of the name of
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Christ, and became the first to break ground with a spade, and said, “Architecturally, this building helps to give us an orientation and meaning to our life as a faith community. Its long shape is a traditional symbol of the Church as Ship or Ark with its two large glass ‘sails’--a wonderful symbol to be on the waterfront.”
Game Days at Labyrinth with The Capitol Hill Village On the first and third Thursdays of every month, 1-3 p.m., join members of the Capitol Hill Village for a fun afternoon of board and card games. The Capitol Hill Village is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of Capitol Hill’s senior residents. Labyrinth Games & Puzzles, 645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-544-1059. labyrinthgameshop.com
New DC Circulator National Mall Route Launched The new DC Circulator National Mall route will begin at Union Station with a total of 15 stops just steps away from some of DC’s most popular attractions, including the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and National Air & Space Museum, as well as the National Gallery of Art and the US Capitol. nationalmall. dccirculator.com
District DMV Offers Driver Knowledge Test in 15 Languages The DC DMV now offers its non-commercial Driver’s License Knowledge Test in English, Spanish, French, Amharic, Korean, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Tagalog and Thai. Additionally, in order to prepare for the test, DC DMV offers a practice test online at dmv. dc.gov. It is available in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Amharic, Korean, and Vietnamese. The test itself can be taken at any DC DMV Service center Tuesday-Saturday from 8:15 a.m.-3 p.m. No appointment necessary.
Final DC United Soccer Stadium Agreement Mayor Bowser has announced a final agreement between the District government and DC United
that clears the way for DC United to build a new soccer stadium in the District of Columbia. The signed agreement includes improved deal terms which will result in better financial protections for District of Columbia residents, clarifies the size and timeline of the stadium, and strengthens community engagement. The Bowser Administration will submit legislation to the Council of the District of Columbia for final review. In March, Mayor Bowser joined Local 25 Union and DC United to sign a Labor Peace Agreement that will create middle-class hospitality jobs and expand the positive impact of the District’s investment in the stadium. In December, as Mayor-Elect, Bowser delinked the Frank R. Reeves Center from the soccer stadium deal.
Night and Weekend Lane Closures on Massachusetts Avenue Between 2nd and 4th Streets NW through July DDOT and Property Group Partners remind the public that utility relocation work continues for the 3rd Street Tunnel Infrastructure Project along Massachusetts Ave. and H St. NW between 2nd and 4th Sts., NW, in Wards 2 and 6. Weekend road closures have been implemented from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., as workers begin to install a high-voltage electric line in the roadway. This phase will also require occasional weekday single- and double-lane closures. During weekdays from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., at least one lane will remain open in each direction. Full road closures will be in place on Mondays and Tuesdays from 7 p.m.midnight. During the full closures, Massachusetts Ave. and H St. will be closed between 2nd and 4th Sts., NW. Detour signs will direct motorists around the work zones to use H, I, K and 5th Sts. This schedule is in place through July 2015. For more details, contact the project’s public outreach office at 202-719-0196 or visit 3rdsttunnel.com.
Calling all Crafty Bastards: Applications to Vend Now Open The 12th annual Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair will return to Union Market on Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27. The selection committee is seeking “craftiness” in more than 12 different categories, including Bath & Body Care, Books/Paper Goods, Ceramics/Pottery/
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“District Innovation Zones” and New Arts Mapping Tool Announced Mayor Bowser and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities have announced two new resources to support local artists and grow the District’s creative economy. The “District Innovation Zones” (DIZ) is a unique program developed by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the Office of Planning to temporarily activate locales to test new ideas, conceptual art projects, and technologies. DCCAH Innovate DC grant will be awarded to individuals and institutions that enhance the public realm by encouraging people to connect with each other in ways that are innovative, creative and ultimately enhance the public experience in District neighborhoods. M a y o r B ow s e r a l s o launched the District’s Comprehensive Environmental Survey of Arts Resources (CESAR). This new geospatial web-based mapping tool will provide a comprehensive view of arts and cultural resources in the District, which will serve to inform future arts funding and investment opportunities by DCCAH. For more information
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on the District Innovation Zones and CESAR, visit dcarts.dc.gov.
“Where We Live” Docu-series From the producers of Child Genius and America’s Supernanny, Shed Media has teamed up with Popular Productions to bring along a new concept based around neighborly friendship. This new docu-series, inspired by the hit ‘80s sitcom 227, is looking for an urban apartment complex with diverse, middle-class neighbors pursuing the American Dream. They are also open to a large extended family living in close proximity within one neighborhood. They’re looking for urban families and diverse residents from the surrounding areas of Philadelphia, Memphis, and DC living in the same apartment complexes, condos, bungalows, coops, communities, brownstones, four-plexes, and walk-ups for a new series about life in the city. This project will highlight the daily struggles, triumphs, and real issues of middle-class America. Anyone that lives in a place where it takes a village and the neighbors act like one big crazy family, should send their name, age, phone number, email, location and photos (of themselves and their home) to wherewelivecasting@gmail.com. Also share with them what makes living in that specific building/home special and different.
New Innovation Labs Opened at MLK Library Mayor Bowser, DC Public Library Executive Director Reyes-Gavilan and representatives from Google and the Friends of the Tenley/Friendship Library toured two new innovation spaces at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. The two new spaces, a fabrication lab and a
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recording and editing studio, along with the existing Digital Commons and Dream Lab, are part of the new “The Labs at DC Public Library.” These new spaces will expose District residents to cutting-edge technologies that could lead to new entrepreneurial opportunities. The Labs are open full-scale and offer programs for all ages. After attending an orientation and safety session, customers ages 13 and older can be trained to use the equipment independently. For more information on courses and to sign up for an orientation, visit dclibrary. org/labsatdcpl.
Pepco Encourages Customers to be Prepared for 2015 Atlantic Hurricane Season Pepco reminds customers to prepare for the possibility of damaging severe storms that could hit the region any time between now and Nov. 30. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season activity will likely be below normal but warns that coastal areas could see storms. NOAA predicts a 70% likelihood of 6-11 named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher. Three to six of those storms could become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, including two major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher. Pepco recommends that people assemble an emergency storm kit, including a battery-powered radio or television, 3 day supply of nonperishable foods, a first aid kit, a flashlight (extra batteries), batterypowered clock, list of important phone numbers, bottled water and a can opener. Additional information on storm preparedness can be found by visiting pepco.com.
New Reservation Procedures for West Potomac Park Volleyball Courts Responding to nearly 500 comments about its new reservation system for the West Potomac volleyball courts, the National Park Service announces updates designed to improve the process and make the distribution of court time more equitable. The changes include: (1) Reservations can be made no more than seven days in advance of play. (2) Reservations are limited to no more than four courts per individual per day. (3) Four of the 11 courts (court numbers 7-10) will not be available to reserve in advance and will be held at all times for open play as “challenge courts.” The challenge courts are open to all on a first come, first serve basis and may not be saved, used for warm up or practicing. Reservations under the new system can be made at recreation.gov starting on Monday, July 6. The new fees, determined through a comparability study of similar court fees in a halfdozen area localities, will be used to maintain the courts to a high standard, including nets, proper lines, sufficient sand and proper drainage; and to defray the cost of managing the reservation system. The National Park Service has completed initial maintenance of the courts; major renovation work will take place from November through March. u
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{capitol streets / district beat}
A Hiring Spree
Could the next election be the motivation?
K
“
eep your friend close, but your enemies closer,” Marion Barry, the now deceased Ward 8 DC council member and ‘Mayor-for-Life’ advised. Barry often went out of his way to cultivate people or organizations who wouldn’t toss bouquets whenever he arrived. That philosophy always gave him an edge in the political arena, anticipating with fairly decent accuracy, what the opposition had planned for him. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Karl Racine may be giving new meaning to Barry’s strategy. They have been hiring former political candidates, raising the puzzling question, who benefits? While the two took office only six months ago, already observers are predicting a face-off in the next mayor’s race. When asked directly, Racine has repeatedly denied any interest in becoming the chief executive. Still, no politician is injured by cultivating or expanding constituencies. That appears to be some of the motivation behind a few of the mayor’s and the attorney general’s hiring decisions. Both snagged individuals with strong ties to unions, the LGBTQ community, environmentalists, returning citizens, and seniors. It’s been like watching a game of chess: The executive hires someone focused on Ward 8, for example. The AG ups the ante with his own hire. “I kind of like the competition with the mayor,” Racine tells The District Beat, noting that as
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by Jonetta Rose Barras his office has moved to address critical issues, like synthetic drugs or juvenile justice reform, he sees the mayor taking stronger interest. Bowser recently announced a new drug strategy, promising to focus on suppliers rather than “low-level users.” “We welcome that kind of healthy competition,” continues Racine. “Citizens ultimately benefit.”
No Random Thing Bowser’s hiring of Edward “Smithy” Smith wasn’t random. Smith received the second highest votes—34,039-- against Racine in the 2014 General Election. Two things could happen: Smith, who understands some of the quirks and strengths of his former opponent, could help the executive play defense against an independent AG who, no longer a legal “yes man,” possesses his own powers and clout. Equally important, Smith could also use his time inside to hone his skills and make contacts with people who might be crucial to a future reboot of his political career. That later proposition is aided by Smith’s appointment as the head of justice grants. He could use that office to enhance the juvenile justice platform on which he ran. Racine has carved out that same terrain for his administration. Advocates and ordinary citizens have strong interest in the topic, particularly with increasing conflicts around the country involving youth and law enforcement. In turn, Racine hired Robert White. While
not a direct counter to Smith, this former at-large candidate is a bright, articulate, hard-worker who is well-respected around the city. Many people have urged White to run again next year. If Racine is interested in strengthening his citywide machine for a possible matchup with Bowser, than having White in his corner can’t hurt. White is expected to work closely with the small and local business community around a variety of issues including contracting and procurement. Racine has also added Lateefah Williams to his team. Williams ran against Racine in the November General Election receiving only 7.74 percent--13,736—of the votes cast. Her prime weakness may have been that she lacked sufficient experience as a litigator and manager. She could use her time in the office to boost her skills in both areas Racine says. Williams is focused on unions and environmental issues and constituents. A member of the LGBTQ community, she certainly can help her new boss forge alliances there. Some people think that’s why Bowser hired Courtney R. Snowden as the deputy mayor for economic opportunity. A former at-large candidate who is openly gay, she could soften whatever impact White and Williams might have, particularly since Snowden’s portfolio includes the Department of Small and Local Business Development. What’s more, as an east of the river resident, she can help the mayor solidify her voter base in Wards 7 and 8. Snowden, not unlike Smith, may be biding
her time, waiting to see who will announce in council races in 2016 or other offices in 2018.
Future Perfect If 2018 is on some folks minds, then east of the river is surely a focal point. No one has won a citywide election without a decent showing in Wards 7 and 8. That may be one reason Bowser, who already is plotting a re-election bid, went all in for LaRuby May during the Special Election. May also led Bowser’s Ward 8 campaign. But while May had the mayor’s support and a bunch of cash, Trayon White diminished her dominance. His sharp organizing skills and intimate knowledge of Ward 8 communities helped him compensate for the cash and clout handicap, creating only whispering distance between him and May. Last month, Racine seemed to send Bowser a “don’t-get-comfortable-message.” He hired White as his community development specialist, with a salary of nearly $74,000.White is expected to focus on juveniles, returning citizens and workforce development. White, who won a seat on the State Board of Education only to resign for financial reasons, had been considered the likely candidate to challenge May next year in
the Democratic Primary. Is his decision to step inside permanent or is he waiting for next year before pouncing on May? White did not return the District Beat’s calls requesting a comment. But one clue about his future could be that his job with the AG is temporary, according to an agency spokesman. It ends Sept. 30. Meanwhile, another former Ward 8 candidate could be added to Bowser’s list of hires. Her administration has been talking with Eugene DeWitt Kinlow about possibly coming on board. While he came in fifth in the crowded field, he continues to have significant support in the ward, particularly among middle–class voters. Kinlow says he spoke with Snowden. “It’s heavy duty work [that] she’s going to be involved in. I’m excited about her charge and how she can make an impact.” He says the deputy mayor for economic opportunity has only “three or four staff” “It’s an awesome task, and all eyes are on you,” continues Kinlow, adding that he “hasn’t received an offer.” Will he be Bowser’s checkmate? Jonetta Rose Barras is a Washington, DC-based freelance writer. She blogs at www.jonettarosebarras.com u
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D is hiring a Part-Time Administrative Assistant Are you interested in DC government and serving the SW Waterfront and Capitol Riverfront communities? Apply to become the new Administrative Assistant for ANC 6D. Responsibilities include supporting the Commission on a range of administrative functions including office management, official correspondence, public communications, meeting preparation, record-keeping, and financial reporting. Qualified applicants will have excellent oral and written communication skills, strong computer literacy, interest in learning website management, ability to multitask, and strong attention to detail. Two years of professional office experience and a college degree are preferred. This is a part-time position, approximately ten hours per week. Candidates must be available on Monday nights, weekends preceding the monthly ANC 6D meeting, and at least one hour per week during DC government business hours. Salary is $15-$17/hour. Interested candidates should send a resume and brief cover letter to assist-anc6d@verizon.net by July 15, 2015. 1101 Fourth St. SW, Suite W130, Washington, DC 20024 | Phone: 202/554-1795 | Fax: 202/554-1774
Serving the Waterfront Neighborhoods of Southwest & Near SE Washington
July 2015 H 67
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Unpredictable and Unsustainable How Scheduling Practices in DC’s Service Sector Are Wreaking Havoc on Workers
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any of the people who work in the District serving us food, stocking store shelves and sweeping floors suffer from uneven weekly hours and unpredictable schedules that can change on a moment’s notice. The scheduling practices of retail stores, restaurants and other service-oriented employers in the District make it incredibly hard for thousands of workers – mostly low-wage – to budget for their basic monthly expenses, arrange childcare, pursue education or training, or hold down a second job to try to make ends meet. A DC Jobs With Justice survey of over 400 service-sector workers in DC highlights the “just in time” scheduling used by large service-sector employers to boost corporate profits and keep labor costs low. Companies make frequent schedule changes in an attempt to match staffing with customer traffic. This means employees receive their schedules just days or even hours before they are expected to report to work, are sent home early if business is slow, or even show up to work to discover that their shift has been cancelled. Beyond that, many employers violate DC laws intended to protect part-time workers, the survey revealed, such as requirements to pay workers when they are sent home early. Even worse, workers frequently face retaliation when they seek more predictable hours and schedules – like getting fewer hours or being threatened with losing their jobs. It is bad for workers – but also for our communities – when parents cannot be there for their kids, workers cannot get the education needed to improve their job opportunities, and families cannot consistently pay the bills.
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by Ed Lazere and Ari Schwartz That’s why DC policymakers should take action to help workers have fair and predictable schedules in ways that do not burden employers, starting with better enforcement of the scheduling laws already on the books.
Low Wages, Too Few Hours and Fluctuating Schedules Service sector workers are one-fifth of the local labor force. These workers play many roles and are a critical part of the city’s ever-growing vitality. Just consider the people who work in DC’s thriving and growing restaurant sector, or the group of workers who get started every night as we head home to
keep our offices clean. Most are adults, and their service sector job is usually the main source of income to support themselves and their families. Yet many of these workers who work hard to serve us are not served well by their jobs. The typical service-sector workers gets by on $10 an hour and 32 hours per week – meaning an annual income of under $17,000. Not surprisingly, most service sector workers say they want more hours. Beyond that, service sector workers find their schedules changed a lot from week to week, often with little notice, leaving their incomes to go
up and down while their rent, food and other bills stay the same. The survey of DC workers found: • Work hours vary greatly from week to week: In a given month, the typical service sector worker receives as few as 25 hours in some weeks and a high of 38 in others. • Little advance notice of work schedules: Nearly half of respondents reported first learning of their work schedules less than one week in advance. And 40 percent of workers find their schedules get changed after they have been set. • Work shifts often are cut short: Half of respondents in the restaurant/food service industry reported being sent home early during a recent shift. • Requirements to be on-call but not necessarily getting hours. A number of workers face “on-call” shifts where they might be asked to come in, but in reality that turns into paid work just half the time. That is a lot like uncompensated work. You might imagine wanting to speak up if your schedule changes a lot without notice, but many workers know that is a risky idea. One of five service sector workers reported being penalized for requesting a different schedule or limiting availability, such as getting fewer hours or the worst shifts. This is especially a problem for women, who are five times as likely as men to be threatened with job loss when they speak up for themselves. When employers use just-in-time scheduling, they essentially pass on business risks to their employees, but none of the rewards. Workers must hold time each week for the possibility of work, but with no guarantee and without compensation. Meanwhile, employers dodge the cost of regularly staffing their stores during non-peak times.
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www.davelloyd.net davidlloyd@realtor.com Enthusiastically serving clients on both sides of the river.
Service Sector Scheduling Practices Hurt Families and Communities Not surprisingly, uneven schedules result in unstable family incomes. Incomes of U.S. households have become more volatile since the 1970s, in part because the annual hours worked by household heads have become less stable.. This is evident in DC as well. One-fifth of workers surveyed by DC Jobs with Justice report that their work schedule negatively impacted their ability to budget. Ironically, uneven work schedules also make it hard to find a second job to make up for low pay and hours. Low-wage workers with uneven schedules have to scramble to arrange child care, relying on multiple sources and sometimes leaving their children in less than desirable situations. That cannot be healthy for a child’s development. Almost one-third of DC service sector employees with children under 13 or younger report that their work schedules negatively impacted childcare arrangements. And unpredictable schedules impact low-wage employees’ ability to get a better job. One of eight surveyed service sector workers said their work schedules made it impossible to attend classes or job training. This means that scheduling practices contribute to a vicious cycle where employees are trapped in the low-wage jobs they want to leave by the demands of those very same low-wage jobs.
Moving To Fair Scheduling Practices Is Good for Workers and DC In many ways, the service sector is the poster child for an economy that, no matter how successful
it seems, is failing miserably at the goal of giving everyone an opportunity to succeed. Income inequality in DC is wider than in almost any other major city – and part-time, low-wage service-sector jobs are a major contributor.. DC’s elected officials can strengthen local scheduling laws to help workers gain access to fair and predictable schedules, including adopting new standards to give workers sufficient advance notice of their schedules, encouraging stable work schedules in place of just-intime practices, and protecting parttime workers from being discriminated against with regard to pay, leave and promotion opportunities. That’s likely to be good not only for workers, but also businesses and the city as a whole. Just-in-time scheduling practices may be touted as a cost-saving tool for employers, but they also lead to increased employee turnover, which drives up costs. Employees with schedules that can be adapted to better align with life responsibilities are more productive and more engaged in their work, while having lower rates of absenteeism. And when families are better able to take care of their children, pay their bills and take advantage of education or training opportunities to move ahead economically, our community is stronger and our economic future is brighter. Lazere is executive director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www.dcfpi.org), and Ari Schwartz is lead organizer at DC Jobs with Justice (www.dcJwJ.org). Their new report, Unpredictable, Unsustainable: The Impact of Employers’ Scheduling Practices in D.C,” can be found on each group’s website. u
Arlington N. $1,439,900
Magnificent 5BR, 4.5 bath craftsman inspired renovation and expansion on gorgeous landscaped lot in Stratford Hills. Enjoy 4,300 square feet of space and an amazing locale just minutes to Chain Bridge.
Arlington N. $1,200,000
All brick Colonial sited on a spectacular HALF ACRE cul-de-sac lot in Bellevue Forest. Enjoy 3,650 sqft. of finished space, 3 levels,5br’s 4.5 baths, wallk-out basement, fabulous outdoor entertaining areas, a two car garage, and a superb locale surrounded by parks yet only 10 minutes from The Kennedy Center.
Arlington N. $729,900
Hill-top Mid-Century modern 3 BR 2 bath rambler in Broyhill Forest. Enjoy the renovated open concept kitchen, finished daylight basement and stellar locale perfectly positioned for scenic commuting via Chain Bridge or Spout Run!
Arlington S. $699,900
Expanded and renovated Colonial on a delighful level lot in the historic Claremont neighborhood. 3 finished levels, 6 bedrooms plus a nanny/guest room , 4 full baths, hardwood floors, an eat-in kitchen plus separate dining room, and walk-up lower level complete with kitchenette. This one has room for everyone!
City of Alexandria $459,900
This 2BR, 2 bath corner unit offers a fabulous circular floor plan with entry foyer, gorgeous kitchen, sweeping city views, updated baths, access onto the striking “bird’s eye” view sunroom from both the living and BR’S, garage parking, and amazing resort like amenities including desk service, gym, indoor/outdoor pools, tennis & putting greens. Just steps from shops, restaurants, Metro and Old Town.
Cleveland Park $265,000
Fabulous top floor one bedroom in the mid-century modern and pet friendly Wilshire Park condominiums. This unit feels like you’re floating! Enjoy breathtaking views over historic Cleveland Park & Connecticut Avenue’s grand architecture (think Paris), The Washington monument (think fireworks) from the walls of glass in the living room, dining room and bedroom.
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4701 Old Dominion Drive • Arlington, VA 22207
CALL, EMAIL OR TEXT WEICHERT REALTORS ARLINGTON OFFICE #1 AGENT TODAY July 2015 H 69
{capitol streets}
The District Source: Hill East to Get Denser
Area Near the SE Safeway To See Several Large Residential And Mixed-Use Projects by Shaun Courtney
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apitol Hill and Hill East’s signature rowhomes have long been part of the District’s hot real estate market, but now the area has captured the attention of real estate developers who combined plan to add nearly 500 units of new residential development to the neighborhood. The new developments--concentrated largely between 11th and 14th Streets along E Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE--include both townhouse and apartment units. Kirsten Oldenburg, commissioner for Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6B, said she is amazed by the surge in developer interest. “Six months ago did we know about any of these? No,” said Oldenburg. “They’ve just popped up all of a sudden.”
How we get to 500 In the mix are two projects from Insight Property Group. The first will bring 81 units split between townhouses and condo units on the site of the former Buchanan School at between D and E Streets SE on 13th Street SE. The townhouses will have one parking space each and the condos will have between 14 and 16 parking spaces. Insight will need to go before the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) for a few minor zoning changes, but by and large the Buchanan school plans fall within the matter of right for the site’s zoning. Recently, Insight confirmed to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission that they were under contract on a neighboring site, home to Bowie’s trash (1337 E St. SE) and Signature Collision (1355 E St. SE), where they propose to build 160 units. The multi-family project will require zoning relief including a change in use to allow residential development on a site zoned for commercial and light manufacturing uses. The Buchanan project will be for-sale units
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and the newer project will likely be rental units. OPaL Builders has filed plans with the Zoning Commission for a development it calls Watkins Alley, which will include 45 residences at 13091323 (rear) E St. SE and 516(rear) 13th Street SE. The mixture of apartments and townhouses bounded by courtyards and other open spaces will provide 45 parking spaces. Watkins Alley will combine residentially-zoned lots with commercial lots From top to bottom: Rendering of 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, a development proposed by CAS Riegler. (home to an automobile repair shop, a parking lot and a Rendering of Watkins Alley, a development proposed by OPaL. warehouse) into one project. Nearby CAS Riegler pronity input. OPaL and CAS Riegler have already poses 180 apartment units and 22,500 square feet filed their PUD applications with the Zoning of ground floor retail to 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. Commission. Insight may choose to file a PUD SE, the current site of New York Pizza. The projfor its 160-unit proposal as well. ect includes below-grade parking with 56 spaces, a ratio of one per three units. Significance for the community “I was here for all of the waves of renovation “I think it’s good for the neighborhood. It will be and remodeling, but I’ve never seen anything this good for business and it will be good for Fragconcentrated for larger developments” said John ers too,” Weintraub said in reflecting on the slew Weintraub, owner of Frager’s Hardware. of new residences and retail envisioned for the And there could be more development in neighborhood. store: Weintraub is currently working with develFragers was long on the “fringe” of the change opers on potential reuse for the long-time Frager’s that has swept over Capitol Hill in the last decade, location 1101-1117 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, which but now stands to be at the center of it all. was gutted by a fire in June 2013. A previous plan “I’m quite amazed at what is happening and I which would have brought residential developthink it is a lot for us all to absorb,” said Oldenburg. ment above a new hardware store fell through, Commissioner Nick Burger, who reprebut the store is close to a new deal, according to sents the area where most of the new projects are Weintraub. planned, said the general response he has gotten Several of the proposals will require zonfrom his neighbors is one of cautious optimism. ing relief through the planned unit development “More neighbors, more people on the street, (PUD) process, which triggers additional commuis a good thing,” said Burger.
And the retail opportunities created by the larger mixed-use projects will bring amenities like restaurants closer than the offerings on Barracks Row.
Competing or Complementary? Oldenburg wondered if there is enough demand to justify the planned influx of housing in such a short time frame. “I guess that is just a risk developers take,” she said. Burger said the developers are not operating in a vacuum and are more than aware of the other nearby proposals. “They seem to view the projects as complementary in many cases,” said Burger.
A Role for the Community The next several months will be filled with meetings with developers to discuss everything from the height of proposed buildings to the community benefits packages the projects will provide in exchange for zoning relief. ANC 6B recently convened its Subcommittee on Public Unit Developments (PUDs) to begin strategizing how and what to pursue from the various developers. Meetings are open to the public and advertised in advance on the ANC 6B website: http://www. anc6b.org. Shaun Courtney is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of District Source, a D.C. real estate and neighborhood news blog, cofounded and supported by Lindsay Reishman of Compass real estate. Shaun has been a local reporter in D.C. since 2009 and has called the city home since 2002. She lives in Kingman Park with her husband and son. u
July 2015 H 71
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Real Property Inspections Move Forward in the District by Linda P. Poulson
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n June 4, the Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) began inspecting homes in Old City I and Old City II real estate designations, which encompass a good deal of Capitol Hill. OTR expects to continue until August 27. OTR’s inspections are designed to gather data on the validity of existing tax assessments of the homes in these areas. Though there can be business and legal definitions for the term assessment, here is a simple one – an official valuation of property for the purpose of levying a tax, an assigned value. A home real property tax is based on its value.
What The Assessors Are Looking For Amenities and physical conditions of the properties are examined during the inspection process. When inspecting a property, an assessor is required to present credentials that identify him/her as a representative of OTR. The credentials consist of an identification passbook, which includes the signature of the deputy CFO and a numbered badge. If property owners wish to confirm the employment of an assessor, they should
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For all your Construction Needs ADDITIONS call OTR’s Real Property Assessment division at 202-442-6760. Property owners may refuse entry to their homes. If the property owner is not available at the time of the inspection, the assessor will only inspect the exterior property. An interior inspection will only be conducted when an adult is present and the inspector is given permission to enter the home. If the property owner is not available at the time of inspection, the assessor will leave a note with contact information should the property owner have any questions. Those who wish to schedule a time to have the interior of their property inspected may call 202-442-6760.
Why Are Inspections Necessary? The OCFO plans to continue the inspections until they cover all of the properties and neighborhoods in the District. “At OTR, we are always working to improve the accuracy of property data for assessment purposes. These inspections allow us to maintain accurate property data used for annual assessment in the District,” said Natalie Wilson, a spokesperson from the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO). OTR states that the reassessment is just to verify property information on record. This may or may not impact homeowners’ real property taxes. More information can be obtained at www.taxpayerservice.com on OTR’s website. Look under the “Real Property” heading at the top of the page that presents topics on real property taxes, appeals, credits and billing. u
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July 2015 H 73
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ANC 6A
by Virginia Avniel Spatz
T
he meeting began with announcement of the loss of Charnice Milton (June 19, 1987 - May 27, 2015), Capital Community News reporter who regularly covered ANC 6A. She was shot to death on her way home from another assignment.
Commission Supports 1300 H NE Developers won unanimous support for their mixed use project at 1300 H St. NE, replacing the former R.L. Christian branch of the DC Public Library. Fundrise, the H Street Community Development Corporation, and Insight Property Group plan a four-story, 36-unit residential building with ground-floor retail. The project requires a parking variance, a special exception for varied height roof structures, and an H Street Overlay special exception (required of any building in the Overlay area over 6000 sq. ft.) The Economic Development and Zoning (EDZ) committee said the penthouses of different heights “made sense” for the property, and no commissioners objected. There were more questions from the ANC and neighbors about the inclusion of only eight, rather than the required 30, parking spaces, however. A Bike Share location and the coming street car are meant to reduce car-reliance. In addition, the building will have an H Street address
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which prevents residents from obtaining residential parking permits. This strategy, according to EDZ co-chair Dan Golden, is intended to “make it prohibitively expensive” for residents to own a car; in addition, leases will specify that residents cannot own cars. Community members expressed concern about construction interfering with the H Street Farmers’ Market. Rebecca Snyder of Insight said construction should not be underway on Saturdays and that other precautions would be taken to protect the market. She added that design’s corner entrance is meant to engage pedestrians and “work with the farmers’ market.” Sondra Phillips-Gilbert (6A07) asked about plans to acknowledge R.L. Christian, for whom the now-defunct library kiosk was named. Snyder said the building would include a plaque and artwork in Christian’s honor, with Maryland artist Preston Sampson commissioned to “bring to life his spirit.” Snyder and Phillips-Gilbert planned to meet with a family member to further this project.
Amazing Love Opens for Service “There is no wrong door” to a variety of offerings at Amazing Love Health Services (ALHS), according to the organization’s director, Thomas Moore. He told the ANC that ALHS follows an integrative health model and expects to see approximately 150 individuals per week for a variety of different services. Although current clientele is adults only, services will expand to serve
families soon. The facility is new, Moore added, but the staff of 12 has long experience. Neighbors are invited to visit to see what ALHS does. The facility at 702 15th St. NE is seeking zoning relief for fewer than the required number of parking spaces. Moore told the ANC that “demographics suggest that these patients are not driving,” and ALHS provides public transportation tokens. Commissioners and nearby residents raised issues about loitering and illegal car-repair operations going on outside the facility under its previous tenant. Moore said ALHS had taken appropriate steps, such as locking the parking area. In addition, he suggested contacting him about such problems – even if not related to ALHS clients:
ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 6A PHIL TOOMAJIAN, CHAIR, PHILANC6A@GMAIL.COM Serving the Near Northeast, North Lincoln Park, Rosedale, and Stanton Park communities ANC 6A generally meets the second Thursday of the month, at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th Street, NE.
www.anc6a.org “I’ve worked with crisis response and can help,” he said. Amazing Love staff was scheduled to meet with EDZ later in June.
Enforcement Requested on Al’s Parking The Transportation and Public Space committee requested action from the full ANC in response to sidewalk and public space parking outside Al’s Pizza at 14th & East Capitol streets, NE. The committee asked for letters to DPW and MPD requesting enforcement to stop “dangerous and illegal activity” by delivery drivers, with many “near-misses.” Several people suggested that this had been an issue for 30 years without incident. However, Elizabeth Nelson identified herself as the resident who brought the issue to the committee, saying: “delivery cars are whipping in and out every few minutes,” a particular danger to cyclists and skateboarders and a special problem in the dark. Matt Levy (6A04), whose single member district encompasses the business, said he’d spoken to owners and was “hoping to find a legal alternative rather than a punitive one.” The committee request was approved 4-0, with two commissioners not voting.
Office of Asian Affairs Offers Support Kangeun (Kelly) Jeong, Community Outreach Assistant in the Mayor’s Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, noted that, while ANC 6A is home to many businesses with Asian owners, none of those owners appeared to be active in the ANC. She suggested that non-participation may be due to language barriers. Commissioners and others are encouraged to contact her – 202-
727-3120, kangeun.jeong@dc.gov – for help in facilitating communication.
Other Actions and Reports •
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•
•
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The ANC voted unanimous support for a two-story rear addition at 242 10th Street NE. The commission approved the Alcohol Beverage Licensing committee report, which required no action. The ANC unanimously approved the Community Outreach committee’s change in schedule, in order to avoid conflict with another committee; pending confirmation of space at Maury Elementary School, future meetings will be held on the fourth Monday of each month. Patrick Malone (6A05) suggested neighbors contact him regarding issues with contractors working on 1200 D St. NE. Commissioners are working with MPD, Ward 6 Councilman Charles Allen, neighboring ANC 6B, and additional pertinent agencies regarding crime. The playground surface at Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School, 659 G St. NE, is currently black-top, which is not suited to the age group using it and has resulted in some broken bones among pre-schoolers.
Omar Mahmud (6A01) and Chris Ward (6A03) were not present at the June meeting. Next ANC 6A Meeting: July 9, 7:00 p.m., Miner Elementary School, 601 15th St NE. u
Next ANC 6A meeting is 2nd Thursday, July 9 7 p.m, Miner E.S., 601 15th St. NE Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee - Tuesday, July 21, 2015 7pm at Sherwood Recreation Center • 640 10th St., NE Jay Williams - Co-Chair (906-0657) / Christopher Seagle - Co-Chair
Transportation & Public Space Committee - Monday, July 20, 2015 7pm at Capitol Hill Towers Community Room • 900 G St., NE J. Omar Mahmud - Co-Chair (594-9848) / Todd Sloves - Co-Chair
Economic Development & Zoning Committee - No meeting for the month of July 7pm at Sherwood Recreation Center • 640 10th St., NE Dan Golden - Co-Chair (641-5734) / Andrew Hysell - Co-Chair
Community Outreach Committee - No meeting for the month of July
7pm at Maury Elementary School • 1250 Constitution Ave., NE Multi-purpose Room (enter from 200 Block of 13 Street) Dana Wyckoff - Co-Chair (571-213-1630) / Raphael Marshall - Co-Chair
Please check the Community Calendar on the website for cancellations and changes of venue.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6C P.O. Box 77876 • Washington, D.C. 20013-7787 • www.anc6c.org • (202) 547-7168 ANC 6C generally meets the second Wednesday of each month. 214 Massachusetts Ave NE
ANC 6C COMMISSIONERS ANC 6C01 Daniele Schiffman Daniele.Schiffman@gmail.com
ANC 6C04 Mark Eckenwiler 6C04@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C02 Karen Wirt (202) 547-7168 6C02@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C05 Christopher Miller 6C05@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C03 Scott Price (202) 577-6261 6C03@anc.dc.gov scott.price@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C06 Tony Goodman (202) 271-8707 tonytgood@gmail.com
ANC 6C COMMITTEES Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee First Monday, 7 pm Contact: (870) 821-0531 anc6c.abl.committee@gmail.com
Transportation and Public Space Committee First Thursday, 7 pm Contact: mark.kaz.anc@gmail.com
Grants Committee Last Thursday, 7 pm Contact: ducotesb1@gmail.com
Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development First Wednesday, 7 pm Contact: zoning@eckenwiler.org Twitter: @6C_PZE
Parks and Events Committee First Tuesday, 7 pm Contact: christinehealey100@gmail.com
July 2015 H 75
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ANC6B
by Jonathan Neeley Information from 911 authorities Chris Geldart, the interim director of the Office of Unified Communications, as well as the director of the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, spoke to 6B commissioners at the regular meeting in June regarding how the District’s 911 line works. In May, after a shooting on the 200 block of 18th Street SE, a resident heard gunfire, called 911, and got no answer. 6B commissioners sent a letter to the OUC demanding for an investigation into what went wrong at the time of the shooting and how residents could feel safe if 911 calls could go unanswered. Geldart explained that with the May 7th incident, OUC received 30 calls within a two-minute span, 17 of them related to the shooting, and that police arrived two and a half minutes after the first call. He also explained that being put on hold is not uncommon, nor does it mean authorities aren’t hearing about emergencies. Nationwide, the standard for 911 is that 90% of calls get answered within 10 seconds; the UOC answers 95% of calls within five seconds. Other lesspopulated jurisdictions, like Arlington and Fairfax, often have to put people on hold as well. Geldart stressed that if a person calls 911 and doesn’t get through immediately,
they shouldn’t hang up because doing so pushes their calls to the end of the queue. When callers have to wait, he said, it’s rarely for more than 90 seconds.
An Overview of Reservation 13 Progress Construction firm Donatelli is moving forward with its plan to redevelop two parcels of land on Reservation 13. The firm is currently talking to DDOT about how to extend C Street and Massachusetts Avenue SE, plans that both DDOT and the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development have earmarked funds for. The development itself will have ground-level retail, with plans for a Dunkin Donuts, gym, restaurants, and dry cleaner. Notably, it won’t have a grocery store, which was part of previous talks. One could come down the line, when other parts of Reservation 13 get developed. Donatelli plans to present drawings of its plans in July and submit them to the Office of Planning in August. Once the project starts, which could be as early as fall of next year, Donatelli expects construction to last between 18 months and two years.
Staying on Top of the Southeast Boulevard Project In a June 1st news story on WAMU, a DDOT representative talked about the Southeast Boulevard’s reopening being an alternative for people driving on the 11th Street Bridge to get to and from 295. 6B commissioners saw the statement as an implication that the work on the Southeast Boulevard is finished and that what’s there won’t be turned into the ur-
ban boulevard many community members hope for. “The Southeast Boulevard was never envisioned to provide traffic relief for I-295 and the 11th Street Bridge,” read the letter. Instead, it’s supposed to be an urban streetscape that helps make its surrounding neighborhoods more accessible by foot and bike, not a space for cars.
Managing July 4th’s RFK Concert The Foo Fighters are playing a concert at RFK on the 4th of July. 50,000 people are expected to attend, and it’s happening at the same time as the traditional celebration on the National Mall. Both will end with fireworks at dusk. The last big event at RFK, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in March, did not go well-- there were Metro delays because crowds got too big, residents who got wrongfully ticketed for parking in front of their houses, and widespread public urination and littering, Worried about a repeat, 6B sent a letter to Events DC, which runs events at RFK, asking that it create a detailed plan for managing the concert. Regarding transportation, the letter asks for plans for traffic flow in and out of parking lots, Metro access and lighting at stations, and drop-off locations for taxi and ride-hailing services. The letter also asks whether there will be police officers for crowd control and public assistance, whether there will be port-o-johns and a plan for picking up trash, and how resident parking will be handled.
Volunteer with Youth Serve Your City, a Capitol Hillbased non-profit that works with kids through rowing, swimming, and tennis, is looking for summer
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volunteers now. Learn more at http://www.serveyourcitydc.org. 6B’s next regular meeting will be Tuesday, July 14th at 7pm at the Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE). u
ANC 6C
by Virginia Avniel Spatz
T
he meeting opened with moment of silence for Charnice Milton (June 19, 1987 - May 27, 2015), may her memory be for a blessing, Capital Community News reporter, shot to death on her way home from an assignment.
Finalizing Community Benefits, Support for 300 M ANC 6C voted unanimously to support “300 M,” a 400-unit residential project on the corner of Third and M streets NE, pending finalization of a community benefits agreement (CBA). The Wilkes Company, owner and developer, reportedly agreed to the following: a contribution to neighboring Two Rivers School, installation of new street lights, repair of sidewalks on the south side of M Street, and funding two new faregates at the M Street entrance of the NoMa/Gallaudet University Metro Station. In addition, because 300 M does not include community space, Wilkes Company will contribute toward the cost of a community room in the new Planned Parenthood headquarters, at 1225 Fourth St. NE, across the street. Although a CBA was not yet in writing on June 10, developer’s representative Berkeley Shervin promised the document prior to the July 9 Zoning Commission hearing. Fifty yards from the Metro station, the project includes on-grade bicycle storage as well as a 175car, below-grade parking garage for residents and retailers. The project is designed by Hickok Cole Architects with 10,000 sq.ft. of ground-floor retail space along 3rd Street. Shervin reports that a retail tenant has already been secured.
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Divided Vote on Roof Addition A proposed third-story roof addition and deck at 1152 4th St. NE requested both a variance and a special exception regarding lot occupancy. Mark Eckenwiler (6C04), chair of the Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee (PZE), reported that no neighbors spoke in opposition to the application and that committee members expressed no concerns about the addition or the deck. Nonetheless, support for this project was the most divided of the meeting, at 3-1-1. The committee report notes that “the PZE does not believe that the rear deck increases lot occupancy,” based on “an express exception to the definition of ‘building area’” in DC’s municipal code. Architect Gay Hardwick told the ANC that the city’s Zoning Administrator, Matthew Le Grant, confirmed her lot occupancy calculations and the need for the special exception. Reiterating his support for the renovation, Eckenwiler voted against the resolution of support before the BZA (Board of Zoning Adjustment), explaining: “I do not respect Matt Le Grant...he’s wrong.” Karen Wirt (6C02, ANC chair) abstained. Tony Goodman (6C06), as co-owner and resident of the property, recused himself from the discussion and vote. The BZA hearing is scheduled for July 7.
Back and Front, on Mansard Architect Jennifer Flower shared plans for a roof addition and rear court enclosure at 215 A St. NE. PZE Committee Chair noted two committee concerns. In response to a question about sight-lines, Flower provided additional materials that satisfied PZE concerns. In response to PZE objection regarding use of a mansard, which the committee report says “read as (and are therefore appropriate for) front elevations, not the rear,” Flower explained that the Historic Preservation Board has asked for this style in similar cases. The full commission voted unanimously to support the Historic Preservation application but included a note objecting to a “rear mansard as a regular thing.” (Editorial Note: The style, named for 17th Century French architect François Mansart, has, ordinarily, two slopes on all sides with the lower slope steeper than the upper
one; see, e.g., the Old Executive Office Building or the house on the southeast corner of 6th and G, SE.
Transportation-Related Actions The commission voted unanimous support for a Bike Share installation outside Kaiser Permanente, 700 Second St. NE. The letter included on-going support for a Bike Share installation at 1st and K, the originally proposed location, noting that “adjacent properties should not be allowed to veto important transportation infrastructure.” The commission unanimously supported a protected, two-way cycle track for Louisiana Avenue, near Union Station. Reporting for the Transportation and Public Space (TPS) Committee, Joe McCann said that the proposed track would complete a network of trails for cyclists and address current dangerous conditions. Commissioner Goodman called the current situation “an embarrassment.” The commission voted unanimously to support TPS recommendations on billboards: Council approval, rather than mayoral decision, should be needed for creation of new Designated Entertainment Areas, where full-motion video signage is allowed; no new “Special Signs” (banners) should be created; all rooftop signs should be prohibited. In addition, the letter was to include a note urging engagement from agencies other than DDOT in the process.
Additional Unanimous Actions The ANC supported a Washington Project for the Arts’ grant application for light installations as part of the Jump!Star Festival scheduled for fall 2016. Via Consent Agenda, the commission supported a rear addition at 333 F St. NE, conversion of a nonresidential building to a one-family dwelling at 318 (rear) 3rd St. NE, and the public space application for new construction at 700 Constitution Ave. NE. Regarding a historic preservation application for 433 6th St. NE, the ANC accepted PZE recommendations: supporting the roof addition while expressing concerns about alterations to a deck, “illegally enclosed by a high brick wall [by a previous owner],” and opposing public space alterations. Architect Will Couch said he was working with owners to avoid encroaching on
public space and to repair the deck rather than alter it. Daniele Schiffman (6C01) was absent from the June meeting. Next ANC 6C Meeting: July 8, 2015. 214 Massachusetts, NE. u
ANC 6D
by Virginia Avniel Spatz Too Little Too Late in the Game “This community is now under the Big Dig, and we see no organization – none,” Andy Litsky (6D04) told representatives of the Mayor at the June 8 meeting of ANC 6D. The Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) was on the agenda to discuss alley closings for Buzzard Point. But commissioners raised concerns ranging from rats and smells issuing from construction sites to parades of dump trucks and other loud traffic congestion. They delineated previous unfulfilled promises and expressed dismay at the announcement – which came just before the ANC convened – of a press event for the following day to share final agreement on the new soccer stadium. They demanded, again, comprehensive and timely planning across agencies and projects. DMPED’s Ketan Garda said his agency wants “a threeto-five-year unified plan” for managing construction in the area. But commissioners noted that his portfolio includes only
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Hill East and Buzzard Point, while ANC 6D faces a wider range of projects. Seth Shapiro of the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Service insisted that DMPED “knows all these projects,” adding: “You deserve a plan.”
Architectural Waves Coming to Near Southeast The Sq700 development at South Capitol and M streets, SE, is meant to serve as a “gateway to the community,” while reflecting the existing neighborhood church, said project designer Monika Kumor. Beside a (forthcoming) residential structure, the ten-story office building will serve as the National Association of Broadcasters’ (NAB) new headquarters. Overall design, accordingly, “focuses on sound as a theme.” Plans include ground-floor retail and a bike/pedestrian path on South Capitol Street. Dennis Hughes of Holland & Knight explained that the project requires a set-back variance for an upper-floor projection and a special exception for penthouse placement. The ANC voted unanimously to send a letter of support, expressing preferences on facade and paving materials, prior to the June 25 Zoning Commission design review. Maureen Holman, DC Water’s Sustainability Chief, introduced a PUD application, filed earlier the same day, for a new headquarters at the Anacostia River near 1st and N streets, SE. The new facility would relocate operations currently housed at Blue Plains without disturbing the O Street Pump Station, she said. Sven Shockey of SmithGroup JJR presented a design with a curved-faced, sculpted around and over the existing pump station, one he expects to become an “iconic presence on the river.” Additional features include an “interpretive museum space” with a pump-works view, and innovative sewage-based heat-exchange. Holman said DC Water would return in September with hopes of a Zoning Commission hearing in October.
Spy Museum Moving to Southwest The International Spy Museum, currently located near Gallery Place, seeks to expand into L’Enfant Plaza. COO Tamara Christian said the
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museum, which is shifting to 501(c) nonprofit operations, currently serves about 600,000 visitors each year – with lines outside, around the corner – and expects to serve 750,000 more easily at the new location. Staff would increase from 140 to 170. Architect Mark Ramirez said the design would “enrich and enliven 10th Street, from the Castle to L’Enfant,” requesting support of projection into public space. Suzanne Boggs of JBG, the plaza’s owner, said the design would bring more light into the mall and that the museum would attract more people, supporting existing food service and drawing a sit-down restaurant. She added that museum parking would complement current office use by utilizing those spaces on evenings and weekends. Several commissioners expressed excitement about revitalizing 10th Street, and Marjorie Lightman (6D01) moved to tell DDOT that the “design of the building and width of the street support that projection.” The resolution passed unanimously.
Rec Center Improvements Underway Chuck Brady of the Cal Ripken Foundation described an “aggressive schedule” for the addition of a new youth baseball diamond and soccer field at Randall Recreation Center. He described the new diamond’s flexibility in accommodating players of different ages as well as women’s softball and said the new surface would promote better drainage, fewer injuries, and lower maintenance. In answer to a community question, Brady said the turf was considered safe for children’s health. The Nationals’ Gregory McCarthy said players would be available for programming and hoped to see increased usage of all the fields. Completion is expected in November.
Razing Southeastern, Narrowing 4th Street Bill Denton, of Erkiletian Real Estate, updated the ANC on razing of the old Southeastern University for Shakespeare Theatre Company’s new location. Work will begin as soon as school has ended and is expected to take five weeks. Denton described precautions to minimize environ-
mental impact and promised to heed community and commissioner concerns about rats and securing the empty property. The commission also asked about trash removal and truck traffic. Similar concerns arose in regard to construction at The Yards: traffic congestion, as 4th Street SE is narrowed for six months, and safety, particularly for students, as pedestrian traffic is partially blocked. “They don’t have a lot of choices,” Chair Roger Moffatt (6D05) noted, adding that a half-day closure could suffice if DDOT allowed. Discussion included interagency cooperation and ensuring that developers pay for associated costs.
Other ANC Actions: •
Supported, 4-0-1, DX (beer/wine) license for Potomac Riverboat’s three vessels making 100 trips/year; • With a caution about pedestrian safety, unanimously supported CT (mostly beer/ wine) license for Hill Country (1244 South Capitol SE); • Unanimously supported new CT license for BK Winery (385 Water Street SE); • Supported Bardo Riverfront (25 Potomac Avenue) DT (brewery) license application , 4-1-1 (Hamilton [06] opposing; Braverman Cloyd [02] abstaining); • Unanimously supported road closing for the Prevent Cancer 5K on October 4; • Unanimously supported road closing for the 14th Annual Thanksgiving Day SOME Run; • Supported, 5-0-1, public space application for 300 E Street SW, and • Heard a community concern about preserving neighborhood affordable housing. Rachel Reilly Carroll (6D03) was absent from the June meeting. Next ANC 6D Meeting: July 13, 2015. 1100 4th St. SW, 2nd Floor Meeting Room u
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“Wedding Traditions”
Crossword Author: Myles Mellor • www.themecrosswords.com • www.mylesmellorconcepts.com
by Myles Mellor Across: 1. Primitive wind instruments 9. Deadly snakes 15. Milan’s La ___ 20. Deviant 21. Apprehension 22. Mason, at times 23. Wedding eve event 25. Kind of artery 26. Certain topographies 27. Dance step 28. “Surfin’ ___” 30. Beguile 31. ___ Navy 32. Fan sound 34. Tie 38. Hotel freebie 39. Japanese-American 41. Filmmaker 42. Repeating 47. Stag bash 49. Blue-ribbon 50. Wee 51. Island rings 52. Roman god of the underworld 53. Sleep-related hormone 55. Reddish-brown gem 56. Sudden burst 57. Floor coverings 58. Inebriate 61. They’re expected 62. Dad often does it 66. Door part 68. Malodorous 69. ___ doozy 70. Black, in poetry 71. Half a matched set 73. Kind of triangle 77. P.I. 78. Look (over) 79. Pontificate 82. Herbal tea variety 83. Pledges allegiance, in a way 86. Photogs 87. Take on anew 88. Devil 89. Good, in the ‘hood 90. Egyptian deity 91. German resort 92. Waiting period, seemingly
93. Some showdowns 98. Undertake 101. Ashes holder 102. Dig 103. Alaskan native 106. Pop the question 110. Zitone, e.g. 111. Myanmar natives, e.g. 112. Didn’t malfunction 113. Run out 114. Second of two 115. Negotiators
Down: 1. Anorak 2. Crosswise, on deck 3. Jacket type 4. Newspapers 5. Boiling 6. Links numbers 7. Military rank, abbr. 8. Paper clip alternative 9. Slanders 10. Groove-billed ___ 11. Chess pieces 12. Wailer 13. Offshore 14. Lord’s worker 15. Cowboy’s gear 16. Class of protozoa 17. “Mârouf” baritone 18. Pasture 19. Compass doodle 24. Sprout 29. Tick, e.g. 31. Datebook abbr. 32. “Casablanca” cafe owner 33. Pasty-faced 35. Greenery 36. Syndrome 37. Assignations 38. Chant 39. Indian bread 40. Nervous 42. Ideal ending? 43. Kind of time 44. Pipe fitting 45. Put back in proper order 46. On the move 47. Coal holder
Look for this months answers at labyrinthgameshop.com 48. Robert Burns’s “Whistle ___ the Lave O’t” 50. Clashed 54. Taboos 55. Fifth note on an ascending major scale 56. Irreverent 58. Lagasse catchword 59. Watch closely 60. Sloppy digs 61. Pellagra preventer 62. Italian dumpling 63. Functioned as 64. “My man!” 65. Took five 66. Straight
67. Wild goats 71. Mistake type 72. Piece of work? 73. “___ De-Lovely” 74. Escape 75. Helm heading 76. D.C. V.I.P. 78. ___ lobe 79. Egg cell 80. Enormous birds of myth 81. Shock’s partner 84. Fuzzy 85. Make sure 86. PC linkup 89. Bit of wit 92. Before, before
93. Guinea corn 94. Eastern Christian church member 95. Related on the mother’s side 96. Account book 97. Flexible Flyers 99. Memorable 1995 hurricane 100. Bear in the sky? 101. Red letters? 102. Peach or beech 103. Big brute 104. Calif. airport 105. Precognition 107. Way to stand 108. Singleton 109. When D.S.T. begins
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on
DC
by E. Ethelbert Miller My Pilgrim Note Dedicated to the 4th of July When I was a child I read about the pilgrims but I never thought I would become one. There comes a point in a person’s life when one either continues to lip-sync or composes one’s own melody. A few months ago I departed from an old world and embraced the journey to a sacred place. As an African-American I have often reflected on the contours of black history. Here is a black koan to meditate on: Which is worse, to be taken from the land or to have the land taken from you? If you want to know the answer to this “riddle” simply be black on a corner near Howard University and survey the surrounding neighborhood. The black person taken from the land learned to compose the blues. The black people who remained on the land soon found a European flag in their front yard. They discovered something else – the land was a sweet pastry waiting to be devoured by colonizers. Resistance comes with a price tag as expensive and as long as colonization. The pilgrim (in me) thinks about what it might mean to travel to Mars. The trip and the planet so far away one has to think about the journey as being a oneway ticket into forever … This is how an older worker feels when faced with unemployment. How surprising to show up for work just in time to be “launched” off the premises. The healthy thing to do is to view it as Independence Day and not just an ugly divorce. Which brings me to “our” holiday this month. If I wore an Afro I would imitate Frederick Douglass and ponder what the 4th of July means today. After months of black men being black and blue across the nation we
are back to square one and elementary race relations. We are reduced to embracing a contagious simplicity with large philosophical statements like – “black lives matter” or “I can’t breathe” and “hands-up.” There is a sad frustration that leaks out of the bag of history when one begins to view all police officers as suspects. When I departed from the campus of Howard University after 40 years of employment I pondered the E in front of Ethelbert. Did it stand for Emancipation? If so, where was I now going? Was I just another black man walking the dangerous streets? Was the campus land under my feet suddenly being prepared for the arrival of a corporate flag? Perhaps it’s best in the 21st century to be a pilgrim looking for a sacred place. One’s world should never become a frozen place with gravity as light as that on Mars. Tomorrow is hopefully filled with more than a glitter in the sky. Once again we should ask ourselves, What is this place we call America? Every July we should renew our vows. Marriage is as difficult as love these days. We struggle to be worthy of the word beloved. Is there such a thing as intimacy and personal climate change? The pilgrim arrives on a new shore, and the first act is to give thanks for survival. Maybe this is the lesson (the takehome exam) that comes out of Ferguson and Baltimore. Somehow we survive and our nation looks into the mirror and there is beauty to behold. E. Ethelbert Miller is a literary activist. He was inducted into the Washington Hall of Fame in April 2015. Miller’s “Collected Poems,” edited by Kirsten Porter, will be published next spring by Willow Books. u
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Listening – and Acting – for Peace
O
n Wednesday, July 8, Capitol Hill will have a special opportunity to hear participants in New Story Leadership (NSL), a unique program that brings young adults from conflict zones to Washington to live, work and learn together. The event -- New Voices from Israel and Palestine -- will take place from 7-9 p.m.
by Peter Hawley
at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 301 A Street, SE. Each summer since 2010, NSL has provided a “safe space” in which five Israelis and five Palestinians (ages 18-32) can learn how to share their stories, listen respectfully, and perhaps even empathize with one another. “We look for courage in selecting candidates,” says NSL founder, Paul Costello, “the courage to spend a summer with ‘the enemy’ and together challenge the stereotypes that keep both Washington and the Middle East locked in place.” The program builds upon techniques Costello helped develop in two other conflict-prone areas of the world: South Africa and Ireland. Capitol Hill residents Karen and Tom Getman say that NSL’s approach responds to a critical need that they witnessed while living in Jerusalem from 1997 through 2001. “Given the increasing separation of the two populations,” says Karen, “it has become rare for The 2015 New Story Leadership Team. Photo Credit: New Story Leadership Israelis and Palestinians to know each other personally.” “Yet recognizing each other’s humanity through sharing personal stories is essential,” adds Tom, “if true justice, security, and peace are ever to be achieved.” Together with Hill resident Maureen Shea, the Getmans co-founded the Mid-East Working Group at St. Mark’s in 2009. “Like NSL,” Shea says, “we proNSL team members discuss how Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., vide opportunities for our and others shaped the narratives of their times. From left to right: Aviv church members and othAyash (Israeli), Abeer Shehahed (Palestinian), Muhanad Alkharaz (P), Shay ers to hear the voices of PalAter (I), and Sivan Atzmon (I). Photo Credit: New Story Leadership
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Hear Young Palestinians and Israelis at St. Mark’s July 8 On July 8th (7-9 p.m.), St. Mark’s invites you to come meet the impressive young Palestinians and Israelis who are taking bold steps to be change agents in the Middle East. Four members of New Story Leadership’s 2015 team will share their stories. Attendees will also be able to meet the other participants. Light refreshments will be served. St. Mark’s Mid-East Working Group is hosting the event, which is free and open to all.
estinians and Israelis so that they can understand the conflict in the context of those personal experiences.” In 2013, Shea and Karen Getman led a “dual narrative” pilgrimage to the Holy Land for St. Mark’s members, accompanied by both an Israeli and a Palestinian guide. This fall, the Getmans will lead a similar pilgrimage.
New Story Leadership’s 2015 Team Participants in NSL’s sixth summer program arrived on June 13. Many are encountering individuals “from the other side” for the first time -- or for the first time outside of a situation fraught with tension and the potential for violence. NSL gives them an opportunity to step across physical, societal, and psychological barriers to meet each other. In pairs, one Palestinian and one Israeli, participants live with host families in the area. For part of each week they work in a variety of Washington offices: for Members of Congress, for non-profit organizations engaged in the Middle East, or for other institutions relevant to their interests. This summer, Ehab Iwidat, 20, a student at Birzeit University in the West Bank, and Aviv Ayash, 27, who is doing postgraduate work at Tel Aviv’s Open University, will be working for Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL). Assisting Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) will be Chen Bareket, 28, and Muhanad Alkharaz, 26. Bareket, an Israeli, is finishing a political science degree at Hebrew University. Alkharaz, a Palestinian, is on a Fulbright Scholar-
Here Is What My Clients Are Saying... I am entirely confident you will be pleased with Dare’s services, and your property will get sold at the best possible price with the least hassle. ship at the University Wisconsin-Milwaukee, studying the Policy and Economics of Freshwater Resources. “I’ve worked and studied alongside Israelis before, but this is the first time I’ve ever shared a home with one,” says Alkharaz. “Having someone to bounce ideas off of is important,” he says. “Even walking to and from the Metro, we’re reflecting on the day’s activities and building trust little by little. Learning how to listen comes with experience.” At the new Mosaic Theater Company on H Street, NE, Sivan Atzmon, 32, will be working with artistic director Ari Roth. An honors graduate in Theatre and Psychology with a Master’s in Management from Tel Aviv University, Atzmon is passionate about creating social change through theater. Having recently completed a program on “Social Theater” in London, she is excited by the theme for Mosaic’s inaugural season, The Case for Hope in a Polarized World. “This is the first time in my life that I’ve met Palestinians and have been able to discuss, study and hang out with them,” says Atzmon. “Naturally it is challenging, but NSL provides a framework and a process in which we can feel genuinely heard as we tell our own stories and, conversely, in which we can hear and explore the different ways our team-mates view the situation back home. These personal narratives help us understand each other and the wider context.” Elsewhere in the District, NSL participants will be working with Americans for Peace Now, the U.S. branch of Israel’s oldest peace group, and the Women’s Institute for Freedom of the Press.
Agents for Change Through their volunteer activities, studies, or work experience, the individuals who are drawn to New Story Leadership have already demonstrated their commitment to making the world a better place. Yet they realize that there are still important boundaries to be crossed and skills to be learned. Alkharaz, for example, helped develop a water filter while working with Comet-ME, a Palestinian-Israeli non-profit that designs and installs water systems for poor families in Hebron. Atzmon co-founded “Victory 15,” a cam-
paign to promote change through this year’s election process in Israel. Bareket has worked for a campaign to combat anti-Semitism. As part of the NSL application process, aspiring participants have to propose a “Project for Change” to initiate back home. Costello sees this as an important way to help them “step out of the role of victim into the role of change agent.” While in Washington, team members critique each other’s plans. NSL also puts them in touch with mentors who can advise them on project design and implementation. The proposed projects vary widely. Alkharaz wants to help Palestinians address the degradation of their natural environment. Ayash wants to use sports as a path to reduce conflict. Bareket envisions using “Social Media for Social Change.” Iwidat, who works in a Ramallah hotel, wants to strengthen the West Bank economy by creating low-cost tourism options for international visitors. Atzmon’s goal is to create social theater with young leaders in the region: “I’d like to bring together youth from Israel with those from Palestine and two other countries to create a theatrical experience that probes these issues and leaves no one untouched, but that ultimately becomes the breathing ground for new perceiving both on stage and in reality.” “We’re meeting great people here in Washington and getting helpful advice,” says Alkharaz, “but in the end, only we will be going back to the Middle East. Our projects aren’t going to solve all the problems, but each has the potential to build bridges. I feel good knowing that I’ll now have the NSL community – my team-mates and all the alumni – encouraging me to implement my project.” Like New Story Leadership, St. Mark’s places great importance on reflective, respectful dialogue and creating a safe space within which individuals can share their personal stories, including their doubts and beliefs. It also seeks to empower people to become advocates for change. For more information about NSL, see www.newstoryleadership.org. For St. Mark’s Mid-East Working Group, see www.stmarks. net/get-involved.
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Peter Hawley is a member of St. Mark’s. u
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Father William Whittaker A progressive church gets a new rector by Stephanie Deutsch
A
year and a half ago the rector of a large Anglican parish near London’s Heathrow airport was visiting a friend in Washington, DC, and found himself on the corner between Eastern Market and the Sunday flea market, observing the vibrant community and saying to himself, “I’d love a parish like this.” Exploring on the Internet he found, to his surprise, that a District church identifying itself as “Anglo-Catholic” and “progressive” was looking for a priest, and so, with no real expectation of being hired, he applied. Today Father William Whittaker has become part of the Capitol Hill community. On June 14 he was installed as the first rec-
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tor of St. Monica and St. James Episcopal on 8th Street NE. The church formed seven years ago by the joining together of St. James and the congregation of St. Monica’s, a historic and traditionally African American parish on Independence Avenue. An Englishman seems appropriate to the 150-year-old stone church building with its well-established, walled garden and the spacious rectory where Father William now lives and where, in May, he welcomed nearly a thousand visitors for tea following the annual Restoration Society House and Garden tour. But, while respect for traditional liturgy is important to the worship inside the church, the life of the parish that attracted Father William
is anything but staid. “This church has always been at the forefront of social change,” he explains. “One of the first marriages in the city between an African-American and a white person was celebrated here. In the 1980s the church was at the forefront of caring for those with HIV-AIDS. It has always been “progressive on issues of race and equality.” The physical place is old fashioned and the liturgy is traditional, but, as Father William points out, “we’re not at all stodgy.” William Whittaker grew up in England near Manchester, with family roots that go back hundreds of years in a nearby village. His parents were not churchgoers, but on Sundays, “to get us out
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July 2015 H 87
C h a r n i C e M i lt o n 1987 to 2015
Beloved Daughter of Francine Milton and Ken McClenton Valued Member of the East of the River & Hill Rag Staff Devoted Congregant of The Living Word Church Daughter in Christ Donations in Charnice’s Name May Be Made to:
The Living Word Church, 4101 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SW Washington, D.C. 20032
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from under her feet,” his mother sent him and his brothers to the local “nonconformist church.” There a sense of calling was born that grew and became a refuge from a troubled family life. At age 18 Whittaker left home to pursue volunteer work in London, living with two roommates in a council flat he describes as “a bit of a dump” and caring for a man with serious physical disabilities. He followed that with two years in an Anglican monastic community near Durham, “thinking about what I wanted to do.” Observing the monastic rule with its set program of prayers and services, participating in all the tasks of running the community, and following a rule of silence was, he found, deeply satisfying. The quiet, reflective life appealed to him. But the priesthood kept calling to him, so although he was only 19, Whittaker began a process of discernment the following year that led him to a selection conference. There he was asked why he wanted to be a priest. “I don’t,” he replied. “I want to be a lawyer, maybe have a nice house and a car, but I can’t actually imagine doing anything other than be a priest.” When asked what experience of life he had, he replied, “living” and talked about his difficult experiences after his mother left his home, taking one of his brothers with her. He was selected and went to Chichester Theological College. There his traditional studies of theology, languages, and church history included a six-week placement at the Anglican Chaplaincy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 1994 he was ordained a deacon in Chichester Cathedral. Since then Father William has served in a variety of places – as a curate (assistant to a rector) in the large parish at Brighton; as assistant priest in Holborn in central
Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor during the entire Franklin Roosevelt administration, is a hero of Father William.
London, where in one day, and wearing the same clothes, he ministered to “a poor woman who had completely lost her way” in a flea-infested tenement house and later attended a reception with the Prince of Wales at St. James Palace; and as vicar of Stanwell in Middlesex. This last position offered the joys of a beautiful medieval church on a village green combined with the deafening air-traffic into Heathrow. The job was a satisfying mix of ministering to an aging population and using the access he had as a priest to reach out to the larger community and be heard on issues of poverty and social alienation. That combination of parish ministry and the opportunity to have a voice in a larger conversation about social justice was part of what attracted Father William to Washington. On the sideboard in the dining room of the rectory where he now lives Father William has placed a black-and-white photograph of the person he identifies as having become “a hero of mine,” a serious, matronly woman wearing a hat and standing authoritatively at a desk. She is Frances Perkins, who was
Secretary of Labor during the entire Franklin Roosevelt administration, the first female to serve in the cabinet of any president. She was the force behind many of the New Deal’s most significant policies including Social Security and programs to protect workers, the poor, and the elderly. During the time she lived in Washington she was a member of St. James church, often attending mass daily. At that time the rectory was used as a boarding house and a place for people to get together. Perkins frequently held meetings around the dining room table there. Father William finds the story of Perkins’s life and the list of her accomplishments “inspirational. Millions of people today benefit from what she did,” he says, adding that her memory seems to have been lost amid other stories about the New Deal. Why, he wonders, is there no statue in one of our many Washington parks to Frances Perkins? At St. Monica and St. James, her legacy is celebrated. In May a choral evensong and reception afterwards honored her. Father William loves his new home on Capitol Hill and looks forward to getting to know more of the neighbors. He wants to encourage people to come to church and to share in the fellowship there but also to find ways to take the church out into the community. As a good traditionalist he sometimes wears his clerical cassock when he is out and about on the Hill, seeing this as a way for people to identify him as someone set aside for a special role. He hopes that anyone who notices him at the bank or Eastern Market or walking down the street will come up and introduce themselves and possibly make time to “come have a chat.” That too, Father William says, is the work of the church. u
July 2015 H 89
{community life / in memoriam}
Charnice Milton (1987-2015) The Community Reporter
“W
e used to go to Port City Java to sit and talk,” recalled mother Francine Milton. “I happened to be going past one day, and I noticed the Capital Community News (CCN) office nearby. I told Charnice about it and she decided to visit,” she continued. “The next day I was surprised when she told me that she was going to be a reporter for CCN.” I remember that day in early August of 2012. A well-dressed young woman knocked on the door of my office, resume in hand, and asked if she could become a writer for our two community newspapers, The Hill Rag and East of the River. For the next three years I served as Charnice’s mentor, watching her grow from a cub reporter into a thoughtful journalist who authored over a hundred stories. On May 27, 2015, Charnice was returning home from her monthly assignment covering a meeting of the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee on Capitol Hill. While she was changing buses on the 2700 block of Good Hope Rd. SE, shots rang out. A gunman on a dirt bike had fired at a group of bike riders. Charnice was fatally wounded in the crossfire. Early the next morning my cell phone rang. A homicide detective informed me of Charnice’s death, and asked if any of the stories she had done for our newspapers had put her in harm’s way. Charnice’s stories had not earned her a bullet. Rather, they had won her the respect and gratitude of the residents of Wards 6, 7, and 8. In subsequent days I received a stream of emails and dozens of phone calls from people touched by her reporting and saddened by her murder. These readers saw their own struggles and lives unfold in her careful narratives. Each one she touched treasured her words.
A Faithful Daughter of The District Charnice Milton was born at George Washington University Hospital on June 19, 1987. A resident
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by Andrew Lightman
of Benning Heights in Ward 7, she went to Simon and Anne Beers elementary schools. She attended St. Thomas the Moor middle school and then went on to Bishop McNamara High School. It was during these years that Charnice joined the faith community of Living Word Church in Ward 8. “You just one day don’t turn into a woman of faith” said S. Patrice Sheppard, executive pastor of the Living Word Church. “It is something that is built into you over a lifetime. Charnice came to Living Word Church as a young lady, when she was going to St. Thomas the Moor. I watched her go from an elementary school student, to a high school student, to a college student.” “Charnice was consistent in her relationship with the Lord; and she exemplified that every day. She was committed. She was dedicated. And she is certainly an example of godly living for young people today,” Sheppard continued. Pastor Sheppard was struck by Charnice’s “singing, her smile, her faithfulness, her commitment to whatever she put her hand to.” Said mother Francine, “Charnice would stutter as she spoke, but not as she sang.” “Wow, she had a powerful voice,” agreed her father, Ken McClenton.
Graduating from Bishop McNamara in 2005, Charnice won a full scholarship to study communications at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. After graduation in 2009 she returned to her Benning Heights home. A year and half later she matriculated at S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Charlie Miller was among the first professors Charnice encountered at Newhouse. On the opening day of class Miller asked his students where they would like to be in ten years. “Some said The New York Times, some said Esquire or Rolling Stone,” Miller recalled. “Charnice said she wanted to be writing stories that mattered in the community where she grew up. She spent the next year at Newhouse working toward that goal. That’s how she was: honest, humble, caring and driven,” stated Miller in an interview for Syracuse.com. With her master’s degree in hand, Charnice returned to the District in 2011 to pursue her dream of a career in community journalism.
Making Reporting a Vocation “It shocked me when she came home and told me she was going to work for CCN. She was so shy. Part of the shyness came from the fact that she did stutter. She was fearful that people would not accept her and take her seriously,” recalled her father. For her first story, in the September 2012 issue of East of the River, I assigned Charnice an update on the oft-delayed Skyland Town Center. As is my practice with new reporters, I returned her work with suggested revisions. She was taken aback by the suggestions. Charnice “had got to the point where she wanted to quit. Just on that first article,” recalled her mother. Her father told her, “You’re going to do this.” Charnice reviewed the corrections and sent in her article, which was approved. For the next three and a half years I assigned Charnice stories related to transportation, public meetings, art openings, development, nonprofit organizations, personal profiles, and many other subjects. She developed into a reliable reporter who filed thoughtful, well-
sourced stories on deadline. “Charnice worked with absolute and complete integrity. She never manipulated anyone that she interviewed,” declared Pastor Sheppard. “She never gave a slanted perspective. She always talked to that person and respected that person so that she gained their confi dence and trust. Those are characteristics that are born out of walking with the Lord.” Charnice connected with her subjects. “I first had the pleasure of both meeting and being interviewed by Charnice several years ago ... In each and every encounter with Charnice I always found her to be professional, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable of the community that she covered as well as resided in,” said Wanda D. Lockridge, chairwoman and executive director of the William O. Lockridge Community Foundation. Covering the activities of Capitol Hill’s Advisory Neighborhood Commissions was among Charnice’s regular beats. “Charnice was a good reporter, obsessed with accuracy, and worked hard to improve our community” wrote the members of ANC 6C in their statement on her death. “It was not unusual to receive emails from Charnice with a time stamp well after business hours. Charnice was always cheerful, and her smiling face in the first row during our ANC meetings will be greatly missed.” Her reporting was remarked on by members of the community. “People would stop by, saying she did a story about me or my cause,” recalled her mother, “and how
excited they were about the article when it came out. How she did such a great job and they would call her back to thank her.”
A Voice Silenced But Not Forgotten As Charnice’s poise and skills as a reporter developed, I began dispatching her to represent the newspapers at public functions such as the annual Anacostia boat ride. I also kept her schedule filled with assignments. Charnice authored six articles in June’s Hill Rag. She was scheduled to provide another two for East of the River. No longer requiring extensive revisions, Charnice had realized her potential. I have had the opportunity to mentor many reporters, a number of whom have gone on to positions with major news organizations. None of them possessed Charnice’s tenacity, work ethic, and grit. I fully expected to soon be writing references for her as she moved on to write for a major news organization. Said her mother, “It was so ironic ... She passed away right across from where she did that story on Walmart where she walked around and she talked to people.” The bullet that silenced Charnice not only ended the life of an innocent, it deprived the communities of Wards 6, 7, and 8 of a dedicated chronicler. Can we afford to let Charnice Milton’s memory “go gentle into that good night?” “No!” As a community we must rage, rage against the dying of Charnice’s light. u
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{community life / in memoriam}
Roberta Weiner: 1937-2015 Ward 6 Loses a Trusted Chronicler by Andrew Lightman
A
s managing editor I am a glorified juggler, constantly watching the balls spinning above my head, the disappearance of any one of which could bring the complicated process of publishing a 160-page paper to a screaming halt. It is late on Wednesday afternoon and the Hill Rag is due to go to press in a matter of hours. “Where is the ANC 6D Report?” shouts my executive editor, busy shifting words around next door in the production bay. I pick up the phone to call Roberta Weiner, one of the Hill Rag’s senior contributors and a long-time chronicler of ANC 6D. Inevitably Roberta is the last reporter to file her stories each month. Roberta volunteering to raise money to aid those displaced by the fire that destroyed Eastern Market. Photo: Andrew Lightman “Where is your piece?” I thunder. “It will be there in an hour,” she replies, launching into a soliloquy on the vagaries of District political life. erful and connected. She was the “go Roberta returned to Congress in Intrigued by the clever banter, but not diverted, I inform Roberta to” person for those lobbying on wom1981 as press secretary to the House that the absence of her piece from my inbox will not prevent the Hill Rag en’s issues. “At one point we needed Subcommittee on Telecommunicafrom going to press. Magically the piece shows up an hour later, minutes this piece of legislation passed,” said tions, Consumer Protection and Fibefore we upload the paper. Pierson, who was then the director of nance under the chairmanship of Roberta has once again just made her deadline. the National Women’s Political CauRep. Timothy Wirth (D-Co.). “I reEarly on June 18, 2015, Roberta Grenna Weiner died on at George cus. “One of our staff members went member walking into this room,” reWashington University Hospital. The Hill lost a beloved chronicler, and up to the Hill to see Roberta in Badilcalled Ducat. “I was new to WashingI one of my most talented reporters. lo’s office. She helped that person orton and there was Roberta. She was ganize our whole legislative response.” one of the two or three staff people Early Years Close friend Sue Ducat related whispering into Wirth’s ear.” Donna Roberta Grenna Weiner was born on Sept. 5, 1937, in Cambridge, Mass., that “we were both Jewish. I was sinScheeder, longtime DC Democratthe only child of Nathan and Fae Hamlin Weiner. Her father, a Ph.D. gle at the time. Roberta invited me ic activist, recalled that “Roberta’s chemist, moved the family to the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, to a women’s Rosh Hashanah dinner, agenda was simple: equal represenN.Y. She graduated from Forest Hills High School in 1954 and then got a which included a dozen women who tation for all. She was a champion degree in English and theater from Brandeis University. held significant positions on Capitol of the common person and an enAfter college Roberta returned to New York City to write for various Hill and in Democratic politics. She emy of the political machine. Howpublic relations firms. There she became involved in local feminist polreally indoctrinated in me how to do ever, she was always kind and welitics including the New York Women’s Political Caucus and the Womthings the Washington way.” coming to new people regardless of en’s Strike for Peace. Her interest in the national as well as the local led Leaving Congress to pursue her their politics.” her to become an active member of the National Women’s Political Caufeminist goals, Roberta took a posiRoberta left Congress for the cus. “Roberta was a political animal,” recalled Jane Pierson, a friend of tion as the public information officer private sector in 1983, yet she re45 years and fellow feminist activist. for the President’s Advisory Commitmained a Democratic activist. “Rotee for Women (PACW). During her berta was a very active member of Walking onto the National Stage tenure Roberta authored a substanAmericans for Democratic Action. In the summer of 1974 the breakup of a long personal relationship motivattial portion of the committee’s 1980 She was secretary of the board for ed Roberta to relocate to Washington. She took a job as press secretary to report, “Voices for Women,” accorda number of years,” recalled PeRep. Herman Badillo (N.Y.-D) and worked for him until he departed to being to Pierson. ter Schott, a fellow board member. come deputy mayor of New York City in 1978. Roberta became both pow-
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Roberta also served on the Senior Coordinating Council of the Democratic National Committee.
Tending to the District Roberta was not only active nationally; she was a progressive District Democratic activist as well. “Roberta was involved in Ward 6 Democrats from the very beginning, as was I,” recalled Scheeder. “She was very active in DC Statehood from the movement’s inception, and worked in many local campaigns.” Roberta was involved with the first campaign of Betty Anne Kane to become an atlarge councilmember in 1978. “She participated in each of my subsequent races,” said Kane. “In between campaigns she was involved in qualityof-life issues before the Council and city agencies.” Recalling Roberta, Ellen Opper-Weiner described their work together on Eleanor Holmes Norton’s first campaign in 1990. After the victory Roberta joined the staff for a year as a community liaison. “Roberta Weiner was not only a friend and a Capitol Hill neighbor. She was a fabulously good Capitol Hill citizen, helping our community in many ways. She assisted me when I wrote a column for the Hill Rag, just as she assisted our neighbors and other public officials,” said Eleanor Holmes Norton. Roberta began writing as a columnist for the Hill Rag in 1993. For the next two years she authored columns on food and followed the fractious politics of the Eastern Market area. “Roberta was a vital part of the Hill Rag’s culture,” said publisher Jean-Keith Fagon. Roberta departed the Hill in 1996 to pursue opportunities in Florida, where she helped coordinate the volunteers and offices of the ClintonGore campaign. A year later she returned to the Hill neighborhood to work as director of public policy for the Older Women’s League.
6D’s administrator. “When she began taking minutes for EMCAC she decided she was the ‘scribe’ and that is how she introduced herself each month,” recalled Scheeder, chair of EMCAC. When ANC 6A was redistricted in 2003, former ANC 6A Treasurer Nick Alberti explained, the commissioners looked for someone who could do the minutes, “someone who understood Ward 6 politics and community life. I proposed Roberta and she served until ill health made it impossible for her to continue.” Karen Wirt, the commission’s chair, agreed that “Roberta was our ANC 6C recording secretary for many years. She never missed a beat. She will be sorely missed on Capitol Hill.” Said Joseph Fengler, former Chair of ANC 6A, “Roberta had a web of agency and political connections that proved very helpful. She served as an unofficial adviser on the inner workings of Ward 6 politics. Her insights were always fair and balanced.” Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (D) reflected that “Roberta wasn’t just a fixture across Capitol Hill. She was also a friend to many, including me. I’ll miss her sense of humor and grasp of community history. She was a well that many of us turned to for information, and a trusted source to report neighborhood news.” Roberta’s civic engagement was a valuable asset not only to the Southwest and Capitol Hill communities but also to the Hill Rag. When I rejoined the staff of Capital Community News (CCN) as managing editor in 2003, I expanded the scope of the coverage to all Ward 6 ANCs. I hired Roberta as a beat reporter, and every month for the next 12 years she wrote between one and four articles. Her fair, clear, and concise reporting made working with Roberta one of the pleasures of my job. I found her a fount of information on the city’s history and political interconnections.
Raconteur, Intellectual, Chef Neighborhood Chronicler After retiring from full-time employment in 1999 Roberta became more engaged with local politics in the Capitol Hill and Southwest neighborhoods as well as Eastern Market. For the next 15 years she held a variety of positions, working with Ward 6 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) and the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC). At one point or another she wrote the minutes for ANC 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, and EMCAC. She also served for a time as ANC
From food to national and District politics, Roberta always had an informed opinion. A brilliant, well-read intellectual, she was a natural raconteur. “Roberta was quite fashionable,” recalled Pierson. “For those of us who came from the middle of the country to DC, she was really something.” A voracious reader, she helped found a book club that has existed for more than 32 years. “We meet monthly reading everything, but mostly women writers,” explained Pierson. “We take turns preparing the meal. Roberta was an amazing cook.”
Long-time friend Leah Wortham attested to Roberta’s culinary prowess. “In 1980 my husband and I began to celebrate Christmas and the second night of Passover at our home at 5th and G streets NE. Roberta was our authoritative source on the food. Before Christmas one of our adult children would pick up Roberta to make the rounds of Eastern Market merchants for the geese, oysters, and a 12-plus-pound salmon. Passover kicked off with Roberta rendering the chicken fat. No store-bought gefilte fish for us!” ANC 6D Vice Chair Andy Litsky praised Roberta’s knowledge of people and processes, and bagels. “Roberta and I grew up fewer than ten miles from one another so we had similar reminiscences. Who I am going to bitch to now about the lack of real bagels in Washington – with all apologies to Bullfrog, which we both acknowledged comes close – I cannot imagine,” said Litsky. “Wherever Roberta is now, it’s certain that the conversation will be animated, literate, and unabashedly progressive. There will be lots of laughter and fine food.” “It is hard to think of a Capitol Hill without Roberta in it,” said Scheeder. “We have lost part of our local political history, a voice that urged kindness and respect for all.” “Roberta left her mark on Capitol Hill with the many friends who will always remember her,” said Congresswoman Norton.
Our Last Conversation My last conversation with Roberta took place a couple of days before her death. An intensely private individual, she wanted her hospitalization to remain secret with only a handful of persons officially privy to the news. Confined to her bed, she remained determined to cover ANC 6D for the July Hill Rag. One of her caregivers called, concerned that Roberta might discharge herself to make the meeting. “Could you call Roberta on her cell phone and fire her?” she asked. I called Roberta. Pretending not to hear the hustle and bustle of the hospital, I informed her that she was taking a temporary sabbatical from reporting for the Hill Rag. It was the one assignment she was never to complete. A memorial service for Roberta Weiner will be held on July 6 at 6 p.m. at the Hill Center located at 921 Pennsylvania Ave SE. Following the service at 7 p.m., friends will gather at Tunnicliff’s Tavern located at 222 Seventh St. SE. u
July 2015 H 93
{community life / capitol streets}
4th of July on Capitol Hill
Saturday Flea Market scene
Best little parade in town
T
by Sharon Bosworth
his year there’s plenty of larger-than-life, nationally televised 4th of July action with a Nationals’ home game against the Giants at 11:05 a.m. The National 4th of July Parade begins at noon on the Mall and at 8 p.m. there’s Barry Manilow in concert and fireworks spectacular. But for an authentic, hometown-America Independence Day celebration, don’t miss the Capitol Hill 4th of July Parade that steps off at 10 a.m. from the corner of 8th and I Streets SE. Organized this year by Phil Guire of Compass (www.philandjeanne.com), this event is a snapshot from your childhood: kids pull decorated wagons; dogs, some in costume, cavort ahead of their owners. Beauty queens glide by waving in unison. There are antique cars, heroes of yore, local bands, and marchers of all persuasions. The Navy Yard Masons hand out American flags and this year’s Grand Marshall, Councilmember Charles Allen will lead the parade. “It’s my favorite day in DC,” says Guire who moved here in 1997. “We don’t travel on the Fourth – we never miss this one!”
Flea Market Vendors Optimistic For the last few months, 7th Street SE between Pennsylvania Ave and C Street SE has been closed to vehicular traffic on weekends to accommodate flea market vendors displaced during the development of Stanton-Eastbanc’s Hine School development, but already vendors are seeing an uptick in sales. Susan Johnson of Lilipad Designs ( www.lilypad-design.com), a long time purveyor of handcrafted jewelry at the Saturday market, marveled, “I moved 50 feet and my business has gone up dramatically. I just hope long term the integrity of the flea market remains.” Carole A. Wright founded the Saturday flea market in 1997 and continues to organize and orchestrate it. Wright has high praise for Barry Margeson, manager
of Eastern Market and the entire staff at DC’s General Services Administration. Wright’s core group of Saturday vendors so far has no complaints and best of all, “we have lost no Saturdays in the transition.” Store owners on the west side of 7th watch every day as Hine School comes down. Most had concerns about dust and noise during demolition, but at present everyone is impressed by the careful, precise dconstruction. Denis DeWees of Groovy DC, 323 7th St SE, echoes the opinion of neighboring merchants, “They are doing a great job, even the rebar is being recycled and the spraying (to keep down dust) is working well.” DeWees reports so far his business has not been affected as the flea market shifted to the area in front of his store, but notes that many shoppers no longer use the sidewalk. “They walk in the street to browse at vendor tents.” Wright situates her Saturday vendors’ tents in one long row opposite the 7th Street bricks and mortar retailers. Tents are arranged differently on Sundays when flea market organizers Michael Behrman and Tom Rall, owners of Diverse Markets, create a triple row of vendors with carefully positioned access aisles. “The closure of 7th Street allows Metro riders to see our tents from across Pennsylvania Avenue creating a sense of place and visual destination,” notes Behrman. “Our vendors are delighted.”
Growlers and More
General Washington greets the crowd
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In 2012 Richard Lee bought 50-year-old World Liquor at 1453 Pennsylvania Ave SE from his father, changing its name to World Wine and Spirits. He then changed its look from “bullet proof” to an airy, light filled, customer friendly liquor store where good deals abound. WWS even fills growlers. Before Prohibition when guys couldn’t make it to their favorite beer hall they sent over a growler: lidded pails or bottles to hold fresh beer. The brew sloshed around on the return trip as gasses escaped creating a signature growl. But there are no sound effects from Lee’s growlers. He seals each one. “We aim to have a steady rotation of craft beers all the time –
MR.HENRY’S LIVE MUSIC @ H E N R Y ’ S U P S TA I R S Late afternoon at Wisdom’s sidewalk cafe
that’s one of our niches” noted Lee. There are 11 places in DC that fill growlers, including his store. Both bargain hunters and discriminating highend shoppers frequent World Wine and Spirits attracted by tastings of unusual beer, boutique wine and small batch liquors.
Hill East Evolves Across the avenue, a splurge of café umbrellas greets neighbors at Wisdom, 1432 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, www.dcwisdom.com, a gin and absinthe focused cocktail bar. 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, a 77-unit apartment building by Novo Properties (www.novodev. com), will open at that legendary address later this summer. The Novo project is the first of series of residential buildings that will increase the Hill East population. Both ten-year-old Trusty’s (1420 Pennsylvania Ave), known for its dive bar vibe and school bus beer cave upstairs, as well as justopened Pipetown Traders, 1412 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, a wholesaler of hard cider, mead and rare beer, are ready for newcomers. Anticipating an uptick in pedestrian traffic, Pipetown Traders owner, Ashton McCullers, recently decided to open for retail shoppers Wednesdays through Saturdays. Pipetown Traders also fills growlers.
but moved to 1129 Pennsylvania Ave SE. “Hardware is the anchor comprising 4050% of our business, but the performance of all sectors is really marvelous,” observed long time Frager’s General Manager Nick Kaplanis. “Customers stayed with us and we picked up some new ones!” To make it easier for customers to find the new location, the building on E Street is now painted in company colors, bright navy blue with the three-foot orange Frager’s. Always listening to what customers are asking for and willing to try new things, sales of green products are surging. Mrs. Meyer’s organic soaps and cleaners have become best sellers along with water bottles displaying the Metro map of DC (also available in New York, New Orleans and Seattle versions). “We’ve also seen major sales growth with Virginia Lime, a green product that’s used as mortar with antique brick,” noted Kaplanis. “We are really proud of our selection of light bulbs - we now carry new super efficient LED bulbs that come in warm white for residential use.” The United States Marines frequent Frager’s, too. Arriving in large groups from Marine Barracks Washington they are searching for Edge Dressing to darken the sides of the soles of their parade shoes and Tru Oil for gun stock finishing. “We can never run out,” chuckles Kaplanis. In August we will report on Mia’s Coffeehouse, a pet café opening soon in Hill East; a chef-owned eatery replacing Tash at 524 8th St SE; as well as the new Commandant of the Marine Corps. Got tips on business? bosworthsharon@gmail.com u
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{community life / h steet life}
Summer on H Street
Sally’s is already popular with the lunch crowd.
New Dining Venues Include IMM Thai by Elise Bernard
I
t’s summer on H Street NE, and there’s plenty to do. Whether you want to seek out new places or simply lounge outdoors with a cool beer, the following are solid bets to fill your long summer days and nights.
Sally’s Middle Name & Akae Open on H Street NE Sally’s Middle Name (http://sallysmiddlename. com, 1320 H Street NE) recently opened its doors and it’s already drawing crowds. Sally’s menu consists entirely of small plates that can be easily shared among tablemates. The focus is fresh and local ingredients, meaning the menu is driven by season and availability. The menu chang-
Akae, a new lifestyle boutique at 1320 H St. NE.
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es daily and is written on the wall (and posted on their website) rather than printed up and distributed to diners in the typical fashion. The selections I enjoyed were simple yet well prepared and flavorful. Because the menu changes so frequently it’s best to arrive with an open mind. Among the dishes I tried were the smoked duck with mint and nouc cham ($12), sautéed asparagus with garlic and lemon ($5), and corned beef with sauerkraut, arugula, and bread ($9). The corned beef and the asparagus proved themselves the standouts, but I would order any of those plates if I saw them on the menu again. Menu items generally range from around $4 for a plate of mixed housemade pickles, to $15 for grilled swordfish with chipotle cherry caramel. Owner Aphra Adkins told me they will always have at least a couple (likely more based on the menus I’ve seen) of vegan plates available. Adkins put it this way “One of our goals is to make sure that we are able to accommodate as many dietary restrictions as possible – while maintaining a menu that reflects the culinary creativity of the kitchen.” The restaurant now serves beer and wine. During my visit I enjoyed a blueberry shrub and a ginger limeade, both of which were refreshing on a hot night. Sally’s dessert menu includes a rotating selection of housemade ice creams. Recent flavors include mint, Szechuan peppercorn, lemon almond, and blueberry. Sally’s is closed on Tuesdays,
but serves dinner the other six days (5:30 P.M. to 10:30 P.M. Sunday-Thursday and 5:30 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. Friday and Saturday). They recently launched brunch service that runs from 10:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. and is served Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. They have plenty of highchairs to accommodate younger diners. Please note that Sally’s employs an 18% service change on all checks (shared among non-owner staff from both front and back of the house) in lieu of tips. Sally’s isn’t the only new addition to that building. The second floor is occupied by the newly opened lifestyle boutique Akae (http://www. akaedc.com, 1320 H Street NE Suite B). Aphra Adkins is a clothing designer and her collection is exclusively sold and carried at the boutique. You’ll also find a variety of home goods in stock.
Bardo Brew-Pub Offers Fun in the Sun and Fido’s Invited Bardo Brew-Pub’s (http://www.bardodc.com, 1200 Bladensburg Road NE) making quite the name for itself. Recently included in Time Out’s list of the 22 Best Beer Gardens in America, Bardo currently offers 14 different brews on tap for your quaffing
Sara Walder
pleasure. These range from the Tatonka Oak Aged Stout and the Black IPA Dry Hopped, to the decidedly more summery Marion Berry Ale and the Ginger Lager. You can also order their White Lightnin’ Barley Wine or even a gruit (a very old style of beer that uses a mixture of herbs in place of hops). Aside from their beverage offerings, Bardo is also popular for their extremely dog friendly attitude. As long as your dog is well-behaved, he or she is welcome to join the fun. There’s generally an impromptu pack to join, and resident canine,
H Street Corridor each December. For the uninitiated, Krampus is a horned Alpine goat-man beast who roams the land seeking out naughty children he might spirit away. During the parade, costumed revelers take to the street to delight onlookers of all ages. If you have ever wondered what Krampus does in the off-season, we now have an answer. He attends tiki parties like the one that will take place July 16th at Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar (http://www.littlemisswhiskeys.com, 1104 H Street NE).
Fun at Bardo’s Brew-Pub
Bardawg, is always around. Humans in an active mood can play cornhole, while those looking to relax can simply soak up some rays at one of the picnic tables. Bardo doesn’t serve food, but there are sometimes food trucks about, and the bartender has menus for local restaurants that will deliver.
Krampus in July Tiki Party at Little Miss Whiskey’s You may well be familiar with the annual Krampusnacht festivities and parade that take place along the
Thank you for being apart of our team, You are definitely one of a kind!
IMM Thai Brings New Flavors to H Street NE
IMM Thai (http://www. immthai.com/dc, 1360 H Street NE) is running an abbreviated menu during its soft opening, but it looks promising. For years area residents have puzzled over the H Street NE Corridor’s conspicuous lack of a dedicated Thai restaurant. If you craved Japanese, Mexican, Taiwanese, Belgian, Pakistani, Korean, Cambodian, or even British food you were in luck. Not so for those pining for a full menu of Thai cuisine. That’s all changed with the opening of IMM Thai. Now you can get you kaprow chicken or green curry tofu right down the street. This is the second location for IMM Thai, which has served food in Annandale for years. Entrées at their new location range in price from $13-19, with appetizers falling between $7 and $10.
We wish you the best in your new endeavors.
ll i W e W
! U O Y MISS
~ From the Staff at Capital Community News ~
For more on what’s abuzz on, and around, H Street NE, you can visit my blog-http://frozentropics.blogspot. com. You can send me tips or questions at elise.bernard@gmail.com. u
July 2015 H 97
{community life / south by west}
South by West
Razing Begins at Former Southeastern University Campus by William Rich
F
encing is up and raze permits have been approved for the demolition of the former Southeastern University campus at 501 I Street SW. Demolition began in late June after school recessed for the summer at neighboring Amidon-Bowen Elementary. The demolition process will last five weeks, starting on the north side of the site for the first week and moving to the west side during weeks two and three. Then demolition will shift to the east side for the last two weeks. Work hours will be from 7am to 5pm Monday through Friday. All of the debris from demolition will be sorted on site, placed in containers and then hauled to recycling centers. In addition, all of the hardscape and landscape materials will be removed from the site, but Erkiletian has offered to provide the materials to members of the community or for use on other public sites, such as the Southwest Duck Pond or the SW Community Garden.
Developer Plans The Shakespeare Theater Company is partnering with Erkiletian at 501 I Street SW to build a nine-story building with approximately 155 residential units (a portion of the units will be set aside for actors, interns and affordable housing under Inclusionary Zoning), as well as rehearsal space, a black-box theater, a costume and set equipment fabrication shop, and the administrative headquarters for the Company. Most of STC’s operations will be located below-grade.
Neighborhood Reaction The area to the north and west of the proposed development contains twostory townhomes that were built as a result of urban renewal. On the south side of the property is the Southwest Duck Pond and to the east is Amidon-
Demolition of the former Southeastern University campus began after summer recess began at neighboring Amidon-Bowen Elementary School. Photo: William Rich
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A seven-story addition is planned to the north of the existing Capitol Park Tower complex and a four-story building will be built on the east side, closer to the townhomes at Capitol Park II Condominium. Rendering courtesy of WDG Architecture
Bowen Elementary School. Neighbors of the campus site have been keeping an eye on the development process and one resident has developed a blog that chronicles the goings-on at the site. Andrea Pawley created the blog, which is called “Out, Out Damned Developer” (eyeon501sw. com). From the name of the blog, one can surmise Pawley’s feelings about the project. On the blog, Pawley states in the description of the project: “Development at the 501 I Street [SW] site should be in keeping with the low-rise character of the neighborhood and should not include a nine-story building as the developer has proposed.” Meanwhile, the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA) petitioned to get the Southeastern University campus building registered as a historic landmark in 2014 after a raze permit was filed by the previous owner – The Graduate School USA. The petition was dropped after the new owners gave the civic organization assurances that they would engage the neighbors on their plans and a cash payment was given to support SWNA’s initiatives, including historic preservation. Once demolition of the campus is complete, the site will be leveled off and remain fenced off until excavation begins, which won’t happen for 12 to 14 months since The Shakespeare Company and Erkiletian still need to go through the approval process.
Capitol Park Tower Addition May Begin Construction in 2015 Over the past several months, the owners of Capitol Park Tower at 4th and G streets SW have made improvements to the common areas of the building, such as a new lobby, hallways, gym, bike storage, and lounge. In addition, the units now have new windows, appliances, countertops, and fixtures. About 95% of the interior improvements have been completed. These improvements follow the purchase of the property by UIP and Perseus Realty in 2013 and are part of the agreement made with the tenants association during the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) process. Despite the fact that Capitol Park Tower received historic designation for the 289-unit building and landscape in 2014, the next phase of improvements is an addition to the property.
Development Plans At the May Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6D meeting, Adam Peters from Perseus Realty presented plans for a 295-unit addition. The rental apartments, designed by WDG Architecture will include units ranging from studios to 3BR units. About 24 units will be set aside as affordable housing under Inclusionary Zoning (IZ). A seven-story building is planned to the north of the existing building where the covered parking area is now located and a four-story building is planned on
the east side of the property where the pool is now located, closer to Capitol Park II Condominium. An entrance to the new west wing of the property will be located on 4th Street near the I-395 underpass. In his presentation to the ANC, Peters explained that several components of the original landscape plan as designed by Daniel Urban Kiley have been lost or altered, including trees, shrubs, and the pool. The development plan intends to reuse many landscape elements – for instance, the canopies used to cover the parking garage will be repurposed as covered walkways between the existing building and the addition. Existing sculptures will be repositioned throughout the property. The development team intends to restore some of Kiley’s original landscape plan, including trees bosques and shrubs that were removed or died since they were originally planted some 50 years ago. New amenities include two rooftop swimming pools, community room, fitness center, vegetable garden, playground, and a green roof on the original building. A total of 310 below-grade parking spaces will be built beneath the addition – the surface parking located on the G Street side of the building will be replaced with landscaping. All of these amenities will be available for residents of the entire property to use.
In Loving Memory
Roberta Weiner: Feminist & Progressive Activist 1937 to 2015 Feminist, Progressive, Democratic Activist. Valued Hill Rag Reporter. Scribe to the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions of Capitol Hill and Southwest and the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee Memorial Service & Reception: A Memorial Service will be held at 6 p.m. July 6th at the Hill Center located at 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE with a reception to follow at 7 p.m. at Tunnicliff’s Tavern located at 222 Seventh Street, SE.
Next Steps Although the proposed development is by-right, Capitol Park Tower is a historic property so the ANC will vote in a future meeting on whether to support the development plan before the owners go before the Historic Preservation Review Board. Construction is expected to begin by the end of 2015 and last about two years. William Rich is a blogger at Southwest... The Little Quadrant that Could (www. swtlqtc.com) u
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202-544-6465 July 2015 H 99
{community life / capitol riverfront}
L Bridging the Gap The Community Benefits of the DC United Soccer Stadium by Michael Stevens
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ast month, I summarized the latest wave of development in the Capitol Riverfront, including the proposed DC United Soccer Stadium. I was excited by the announcement on Monday, June 8th that the soccer stadium deal between the DC Government and DC United was completed and signed, meaning that all the planning necessary to deliver a stadium by 2018 can proceed. What is involved in such a planning and development process? Numerous DC Departments are involved in this process and include the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development (DMPED); the DC Office of Planning (OP); the District Department of Transportation (DDOT); the District Department of the Environment (DDOE); the City Administrator; and the Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM). ANC6D, the Capitol Riverfront BID, Buzzard Point property owners, and numerous stakeholders in the SW Waterfront and Capitol Riverfront neighborhoods have been involved as well. Here is a quick summary of the larger planning issues that a collaborative group of DC Departments is addressing: • Site Assembly – the DC Government is responsible for acquiring all the property necessary for the stadium footprint, and for the necessary road networks. An environmentally clean and infrastructure ready site is to be delivered to DC United for the stadium construction. • Environmental Assessment & Remediation – as a former industrial site for numerous uses, there has been environmental contamination of the soil and underground water table. The site must be tested and evaluated as to the levels and extent of the contamination, then a remediation and removal plan developed and implemented. • Utility Assessment & Upgrades – the existing utility systems and their locations – water, sewer, electrical, gas, cable, fiber optic, etc. – must be identified and their capacity for future development evaluated. In all likelihood, many new or upgraded utilities will have to be installed in conjunction with new street construction in order to support the infrastructure needs of the stadium and future development. • Planning for Accessibility – a new stadium will attract over 20,000 fans at capacity, and there will not be huge parking lots in the neighborhood to accommodate visitors and their cars. DDOT and OP are looking at the best ways to get fans from the Metro stations at Waterfront and Navy Yard/
•
•
•
•
•
Ballpark to the stadium, while also evaluating other transit alternatives. Coordination with the South Capitol Street Bridge – in all probability the stadium will open before the South Capitol Street Bridge is finished, so coordination must ensure that that project does not impact access and the experience of arriving at the soccer stadium. It is hoped that the proposed Memorial Ellipse’s construction can be coordinated to coincide with the construction of the soccer stadium. Planning for Environmental Sustainability – DDOE is evaluating storm water management tactics, as well as the possibility of establishing an ecodistrict for the Buzzard Point neighborhood. Planning for an Open Space Network – OP is evaluating opportunities for larger sidewalks that would serve as linear green spaces, how we can accommodate smaller “pocket” parks, the character of the civic space outside the stadium, and how the pedestrian network ties into an extension of the riverwalk trail to Buzzard Point and the Wharf project. Framework Plan for Buzzard Point – OP is coordinating a framework plan for Buzzard Point that will guide all future public and private investment and development according to a vision established for the neighborhood. It is examining many of the elements discussed above, as well as land use mixes and densities, and an overall implementation schedule. Stadium Planning & Design – this will be the responsibility of DC United with input from the DC Government. A 20,000+ seat stadium with related facilities must be designed to fit the site but also relate to the context of the larger neighborhood. The soccer stadium should be functional and aesthetically pleasing for Buzzard Point.
Impact of the Stadium on the Neighborhood But what does a soccer stadium mean for Buzzard Point, the SW Waterfront, Capitol Riverfront and the city at large? I believe that there will be numerous benefits from the DC United Stadium being located in Buzzard Point beyond the team remaining in the District. The soccer stadium will serve to “bridge the gap” in development that occurs along the rapidly developing waterfront in SE/SW Washington. This waterfront stretches from the Fish Market in SW to beyond the Sousa Bridge and the Anacostia Boathouse in SE. This approximately four-mile stretch of Anacostia River and Washington Channel waterfront is being rede-
fined with new development, parks and open spaces, a riverwalk trail, and marinas. But a gap in continuous waterfront experience occurs at Ft. McNair and Buzzard Point. The soccer stadium and future private development can serve to “bridge that gap” and connect neighborhoods. The new DC United Soccer Stadium will serve as an anchor for Buzzard Point, and leverage new private development and additional public investment to connect this part of the waterfront back to the city and the neighborhoods of SW and SE. The aforementioned Buzzard Point Framework Plan is proposing how all the pieces fit together so that they are mutually reinforcing and accelerate private development in compatible ways. From streets and utilities to land uses and open spaces, the Framework Plan will serve as a guide to future development for the city and private developers alike. A well designed and multi-purpose soccer stadium will invite a variety of uses, user groups, and visitors to the site. Imagine a stadium that hosts not only DC United, but also a variety of sports events played at the high school and college levels – football, lacrosse, field hockey, and soccer games. It can also host concerts, outdoor movies, and other community events. The quality of the field must always be protected, but the more activities at the stadium the better. The Framework Plan envisions a mix of uses including residential, office, retail, and parks. The stadium will be the “first-in” land use, and as such will establish an activity anchor that will attract other uses. This will not happen overnight – think three to five years before significant new development starts to occur – but it will come, as this will be an urban neighborhood with waterfront access. It is also positioned between the two rapidly growing areas of the Cap-
itol Riverfront and SW Waterfront. The Buzzard Point area is within the boundaries of the Capitol Riverfront BID, the last section to undergo redevelopment and transition from industrial uses. The soccer stadium has the ability to accelerate that new growth, as well as the advantages of proximity to the river, Nationals Park, the Yards development, and the Wharf project. The soccer stadium can also lead to the completion of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail System around Buzzard Point from the Capitol Riverfront to the Wharf. This combination of the stadium, new development and a new segment of the riverwalk trail will truly “bridge the gap” between SE and SW and connect the Capitol Riverfront to the SW Waterfront. The new South Capitol Street Bridge and Memorial Ellipse will also be significant public investments that will serve to reinforce access to the “stadium district” and start to further define the quality of the public realm. A well designed ellipse can serve as a home for future memorials and partner with both stadiums to create a gateway effect to this side of the city. Mayor Bowser, the Gray administration, the DC Council, various city agencies, the City Administrator, DC United, and numerous other public and private stakeholders are to be commended for creating the public/private partnership that will keep DC United in the District for years to come. The idea of a new soccer stadium, and the financial deal to support it, have resulted in an impact project for a semi-forgotten area of the city. It is resulting in good coordination, city planning, and economic development that will transform Buzzard Point into a mixed-use urban neighborhood with a multi-purpose soccer stadium and new access to the waterfront. Michael Stevens, AICP is President of the Capitol Riverfront BID. u
July 2015 H 101
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{real estate}
Historic District Designation Still Matters Even With Pop-Ups Under Control, Historic District Protections Remain Important
T
he District’s enviable real estate market–and residential demand in particular–has resulted in change to nearly every corner of the city. However, the renewed vitality this has brought to long-neglected neighborhoods has not come without problems. The term gentrification encompasses the restoration of existing residential structures and is typically accompanied by demographic change altering a neighborhood’s racial and economic profile. The demand for close-in housing has been so strong that even early gentrifiers now feel the pressure of neighborhood upheaval. And in something of a role-reversal, some very long-term residents have come to see historic district designation not as a tool of white gentrification, but as an essential mechanism to retain neighborhood character. Two expressions of the demand for additional housing are the proliferation of “pop-ups” and the development of large-scale projects adjacent to rowhouse neighborhoods. In recent weeks, the
by Drury Tallant Zoning Commission moved to restrict the first. The Swampoodle neighborhood near Union Station went even farther and determined to become part of the Capitol Hill Historic District. DC residents are understandably befuddled when it comes to zoning and historic district regulations. The jargon is obscure, and the regulatory language is rife with cross references to various additional provisions. In addition, since many older structures are non-conforming, determining the necessary conditions for variances and special exceptions can lead to endless confusion. While the new revisions to the R-4 Zone are welcomed by many, they will not eliminate the potential for unfortunate projects. Similarly, historic district designation does not prohibit either rearward or upward expansion of existing structures. That type of project is routinely approved by the HPRB, and often with the endorsement of groups like the Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS) or the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC). On June 8, 2015 the Zoning Commission
voted to reduce the matter of right height in R-4 zones (the zoning classification of most of DC’s rowhouse neighborhoods) from 40 feet to 35 feet in addition to other measures. Public outcry over “pop-ups” that add a third or even a fourth or fifth floor to an existing structure were characterized as out of scale and inconsistent with the fabric of family-oriented neighborhoods. This type of addition has frequently been employed by “house flippers” as well as individual property owners to create additional living space, or to convert rowhouses into additional dwelling units.
Why Become Part of An Historic District? If the Zoning Commission was taking steps to address the scourge of pop-ups, why would a neighborhood petition to become part of an historic district? Yet one DC neighborhood resolved to do just that, and on May 28, 2015 the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) unanimously approved the northward expansion of the Capitol Hill Historic District to include the Swampoodle neighborhood
July 2015 H 103
near Union Station. This relatively small addition enough to qualify as a Planned Unit Development to the historic district is where development (PUD). Further, the PUD planning process may pressures around Union Station, H Street, and be accompanied by re-zoning as well as other NOMA converge. Large-scale development had increases in building size above what would already resulted in the loss of several rowhouse otherwise be permitted as a matter of right. structures in the 700 block of 2nd St., NE. Rather Consider the large scale developments underway than see their neighborhood overtaken by even and recently completed along H Street, NE and more of this type of development, the area sought Pennsylvania Ave., SE. These projects are often 90 protection as an historic district. feet or more in height and take in an entire block No doubt, additional investment will of street frontage. Many of these projects are well continue within R-4 neighborhoods even under designed and bring much needed housing and the moderating effect of the recent zoning Capitol Hill Historic District (Boundry Increase 2010) decision both inside and outside of historic districts. While building height is often the most obvious change, another threat to neighborhood fabric is the creation of larger parcels. Unlike most jurisdictions, DC does not attempt to regulate the footprint - and thereby the scale - of structures. In the District of Columbia, the process of subdivision to combine lots is an administrative procedure. In most cases, land assembly proceeds without oversight and often results in lots large
Capitol Hill Historic District (Boundry Increase 2010) – DETAIL
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New Revisions to the R-4 Zone District Source summarizes the rules as follows: residential buildings would be limited to two units as a matter of right, again requiring a special exception to convert a building into more than two units. Starting with a fourth requested unit and for every even unit thereafter the regulations require those units be subject to Inclusionary Zoning, i.e., affordable housing rules.
Other Rules Include: • Requiring 900 square feet of land area per dwelling unit; • Limiting demolition of the existing residential building to no more than thirty percent (30%) of the gross floor area; • Capping an addition from extending more than 10 feet past the furthest rear wall of any principal residential building on an adjacent property; • Prohibiting additions, including a roof structure or penthouse, from blocking or impede the functioning of a chimney or other external vent on an adjacent property required by any municipal code AND from interfering with the operation of a solar energy system on an adjacent property.
retail activity, but for residents living in the shadow of a nine or 10 story building, the feel of the neighborhood is inarguably altered. In an historic district however, the creation of larger lots is subject to HPRB review and approval. This can be a critically important additional protection. Within Capitol Hill for example, the Hine School PUD project was the subject of many neighborhood meetings regarding the scale, mass, and design of the project. Or consider Heritage Foundation’s large underground parking garage and six new rowhouses under construction in the 400 block of Third St, NE. Absent historic district oversight, the design of these large projects would almost certainly have been very, very different. When residents complain about the so-called “burden” of being in an historic district, they often do not realize the full importance of that designation. For decades the DC’s rowhouse neighborhoods slept soundly in the belief that their neighborhood would be immune from un-wanted development. It is only after a
PRICE REDUCED large scale project or ugly pop-up is underway that people ask “how could they let that happen?” Residents of the newlyminted Swampoodle historic neighborhood within Capitol Hill can rest a bit more comwwqqortably. The possibility of marring one of Swampoodle’s block-long rows of symmetrical Victorian rowhouses is now remote because any addition will be thoroughly vetted and reviewed. A “pop-up” type addition will have to meet not only the new zoning requirements in R-4, but also meet at least minimal design requirements and not be visible from the street. And lest someone think they can avoid compliance, the Historic Preservation staff, and a team of building inspectors dedicated exclusively to historic districts perform their tasks efficiently. Stop-work orders on illegal construction within an historic district is a breeze compared to securing enforcement outside of those districts. Finally the possibility of out-of-scale projects is practically nonexistent because site assembly would be subject to public review. Residents of DC’s many rowhouse neighborhoods should rightfully be thankful for the recently-adopted zoning measures to curb the worst abuses. But they might also look to Swampoodle and ask themselves whether they too would not also prefer the additional protections afforded by historic district designation. Drury Tallant, PhD is an Architect and Urban Planner. He serves on the CHRS Board, the CHRS Historic District Committee, and the ANC6C Planning and Zoning Committee. ◆
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{real estate / changing hands}
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. NEIGHBORHOOD
CLOSE PRICE BR
FEE SIMPLE 16TH STREET HEIGHTS 5331 16TH ST NW 1416 MONTAGUE ST NW 4611 16TH ST NW 1345 JEFFERSON ST NW 5004 13TH ST NW 1314 FARRAGUT ST NW 1215 HAMILTON ST NW
$1,305,000 $1,140,001 $865,000 $810,000 $725,000 $665,000 $597,000
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK 4446 TINDALL ST NW 4700 47TH ST NW 4704 WARREN ST NW 4711 WARREN ST NW 4510 BRANDYWINE ST NW 4522 BRANDYWINE ST NW 4306 FESSENDEN ST NW 4407 HARRISON ST NW 4600 43RD ST NW
ANACOSTIA
1430 V ST SE 2268 MOUNT VIEW PL SE 1427 S ST SE 2314 MINNESOTA AVE SE
BARRY FARMS 1436 HOWARD RD SE 1466 MORRIS RD SE 2501 ELVANS RD SE
BERKLEY
4416 EDMUNDS ST NW 4636 RESERVOIR RD NW 1840 47TH PL NW
BLOOMINGDALE 51 U ST NW 1738 1ST ST NW 146 RANDOLPH PL NW 123 S ST NW
BRENTWOOD 2245 13TH ST NE
BRIGHTWOOD
1633 VAN BUREN ST NW 7220 BLAIR RD NW 857 VAN BUREN ST NW 615 QUINTANA PL NW 329 LONGFELLOW ST NW 1354 TUCKERMAN ST NW 5804 4TH ST NW 722 PEABODY ST NW 6215 4TH ST NW 6213 8TH ST NW 6400 8TH ST NW 6815 9TH ST NW 424 MARIETTA PL NW
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5 5 4 3 4 5 4
$1,250,000 $1,200,000 $1,100,000 $1,050,000 $1,002,000 $965,000 $749,000 $728,700 $612,000
4 3 3 4 4 3 2 3 2
$375,000 $320,000 $295,000 $289,000
3 4 4 3
$185,000 $130,500 $125,000
2 2 1
$3,940,000 $1,465,000 $1,395,000
7 3 6
$930,000 $805,000 $760,000 $745,000
4 4 3 3
$455,000
3
$1,100,000 $853,000 $750,000 $589,615 $587,500 $580,000 $578,000 $549,900 $512,000 $502,000 $499,000 $490,000 $480,000
4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 3 3 4 5 3
D EC LAR E YOU R IND EPENDEN CE W IT H T H ES E
GREAT HILL HOMES! !
6220 5TH ST NW 6420 7TH ST NW
$415,000 $393,000
BROOKLAND 502 REGENT PL NE 2879 CHANCELLOR’S WAY NE 1311 HAMLIN ST NE 1328 NEWTON ST NE 1226 RANDOLPH ST NE 3721 18TH ST NE 4323 12TH PL NE 2329 3RD ST NE 1836 NEWTON ST NE 2725 6TH ST NE 3013 15TH ST NE 1301 BUCHANAN ST NE 820 CRITTENDEN ST NE 131 URELL PL NE 204 CHANNING ST NE 1047 TAUSSIG PL NE 4406 14TH ST NE 730 EMERSON ST NE 2824 12TH ST NE #102
$808,000 $759,000 $747,000 $716,000 $685,000 $680,000 $665,000 $636,500 $600,000 $595,000 $572,000 $550,000 $485,000 $406,000 $345,000 $330,000 $325,000 $296,000 $210,700
YS R A DE -5 D N U CT A TR N
3 3 4 3 4 5 4 5 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 2 2 3 2 1
CO
$1,400,000 $1,050,000 $810,000
CAPITAL RIVERFRONT 1113 4TH ST SE
$1,095,000
CAPITOL HILL 427 NEW JERSEY AVE SE 608 G ST SE 306 K ST SE 1351 A ST NE 610 I ST SE 510 9TH ST SE 917 E ST SE 1019 CONSTITUTION AVE NE 227 C ST NE 327 9TH ST SE 250 9TH ST SE 135 E ST SE 520 G ST SE 225 18TH ST SE 310 4TH ST SE 725 3RD ST NE 802 A ST NE 208 KENTUCKY AVE SE 1004 CONSTITUTION AVE NE 327 CONSTITUTION AVE NE 1428 C ST SE 534 13TH ST NE 10 8TH ST SE 1147 6TH ST NE 1428 AMES PL NE 1412 K ST SE 1533 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE 111 11TH ST SE 1806 D ST SE 403 12TH ST SE 1213 E ST SE 1311 POTOMAC AVE SE 1532 CONSTITUTION AVE NE 324 TENNESSEE AVE NE 921 5TH ST SE
$1,357,000 $1,200,000 $979,100 $979,000 $975,000 $965,000 $935,500 $915,000 $883,000 $880,000 $875,000 $875,000 $871,000 $855,000 $850,000 $848,500 $819,000 $808,000 $806,000 $803,000 $800,000 $779,000 $770,000 $739,500 $730,000 $700,000 $697,500 $690,000 $687,000 $678,000 $605,100 $595,000 $582,600 $580,000 $570,000
403 12th St SE 2BR/1BA LISTED $629,000 SOLD $678,000
G
IN
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Welcome to Historic Capitol Hill, just steps to Watkins Park, Eastern Market and Barrack’s Row! Classic Federal Style Row House with kitchen of stone, brick and steel. Brick and hardwood flooring, wood-burning fireplace, exposed brick walls, and all BRIGHT.
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1818 C St SE – 4 UNITS! 2 & 3BR UNITS/2.5BA
All the historic details intact across 3 levels at the heart of the hill with BONUS in-law suite at lower level. Skylit upper level with EXPANSIVE Master bedroom and bath with balcony overlooking rear deck, patio and gardens with 2 car garage beyond!
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1532 Constitution Ave NE LISTED $559,000 SOLD $582,600 2BR/1BA Graceful flow w French doors between living and dining spaces, masterfully-crafted kitchen featuring tin ceilings, maple cabinets and more! Upstairs, bright brs front and back book-end sky-lit classic B&W central bath. In the master suite, enjoy a bonus office, dressing room, or future en suite bath! Outside, a private patio w parking.
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241 9th St NE 4BR/3.5BA
5 4 4
4 4 4 4 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 2 3 4 2 3 3 2 4 2 3 2 2 2 2 3 2
215 5th STREET NE 4BR/2.5BA $1,250,000 Just steps from the heart of the park, this WIDE and DEEP 1890 Victorian features original heart pine floors and historic trim and door details across more than 3,200 square feet of living space!
BURLEITH 3912 GEORGETOWN CT NW 1812 35TH ST NW 1911 37TH ST NW
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Final touches are underway at this newly constructed boutique condominium building – SMART dimensions and SUPERB amenities, steps from Metro PLUS private off-street parking for each unit! Call us TODAY!
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534 13th St NE 4BR/3BA LISTED $765,000 SOLD $779,000 Fully detached & WIDE porch front with 3 levels of living space, HUGE master bath, fully finished lower level with bonus family room + bedroom and bath with rear entrance. Original heart pine floors and historic trim throughout and private patio in rear! All nestled between Lincoln Park serenity & H Street hustle!
July 2015 H 107
Moving?
We take the stress out of leaving your real estate. We take over. Find qualified tenants. Transfer utilities. Get the House/Apartment ready. Manage it. And, send you reports & money regularly. REMEMBER: We manage condominium associations & individual units in condos and co-ops, co-op and homeowner associations, property for non-profits & churches as well as investors & estate managers.
JOEL TRUITT MANAGEMENT, INC. 734 SEVENTH STREET, SE WASHINGTON, DC 20003 (202) 547-2707 FAX: (202) 547-1977
www.joeltruitt.com
1335 IVES PL SE 1535 CONSTITUTION AVE NE 443 19TH ST NE 1539 E ST SE
$560,000 $510,000 $408,650 $716,000
2 2 3 2
CENTRAL 1301 21ST ST NW
$1,950,000
CHEVY CHASE 5700 CHEVY CHASE PKWY NW 2951 MCKINLEY ST NW 3505 PATTERSON ST NW 3916 LEGATION ST NW 5701 UTAH AVE NW 3826 LEGATION ST NW 6119 UTAH AVE NW 5101 CONNECTICUT AVE NW 5232 CHEVY CHASE PKWY NW 5728 OREGON AVE NW 3702 INGOMAR ST NW 3623 JENIFER ST NW 3110 RITTENHOUSE ST NW 3232 MILITARY RD NW
$1,300,000 $1,299,000 $1,256,500 $1,242,500 $1,150,000 $1,062,500 $1,010,000 $999,000 $975,000 $840,000 $810,000 $799,000 $775,000 $749,990
3 4 5 3 6 5 3 3 5 4 4 3 3 2 3
CHILLUM 243 LONGFELLOW ST NW 6118 BLAIR RD NW 211 KENNEDY ST NW
$399,900 $345,000 $315,000
CLEVELAND PARK 3422 36TH ST NW 3230 WOODLEY RD NW 3843 MACOMB ST NW 3011 34TH ST NW 3414 PORTER ST NW 3602 34TH ST NW
$1,735,000 $1,650,000 $1,420,000 $1,225,000 $1,201,800 $854,000
COLONIAL VILLAGE 8132 WEST BEACH DR NW 1784 SYCAMORE ST NW
$1,100,000 $775,000
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
Our Neighbors are Our Business. Shop Locally.
1214 GIRARD ST NW 1437 GIRARD ST NW 1405 PERRY PL NW 1314 GIRARD ST NW 1218 FAIRMONT ST NW 1214 EUCLID ST NW 3576 13TH ST NW 724 QUEBEC PL NW 3821 10TH ST NW 4010 13TH ST NW 516 PARK RD NW 1316 SHEPHERD ST NW 445 NEWTON PL NW 513 COLUMBIA RD NW 3723 KANSAS AVE NW 451 PARK RD NW 3013 13TH ST NW 2905 SHERMAN AVE NW 451 LAMONT ST NW 780 LAMONT ST NW
$1,100,000 $1,000,000 $985,000 $920,000 $898,000 $890,000 $850,000 $840,000 $765,000 $685,209 $679,500 $675,000 $651,500 $650,000 $636,000 $605,000 $600,000 $600,000 $599,000 $425,000
CONGRESS HEIGHTS 831 XENIA ST SE 178 DARRINGTON ST SW 4124 1ST ST SE 841 XENIA ST SE
www.capitalcommunitynews.com 108 H Hillrag.com
$290,000 $277,000 $207,000 $148,000
3 3 5 5 6 5 4 4 5 4 4 4 7 6 3 3 5 5 4 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 2 4 3 5 3
CRESTWOOD 1712 ALLISON ST NW 1706 CRESTWOOD DR NW 1720 UPSHUR ST NW 1608 VARNUM ST NW 4204 16TH ST NW
$1,350,000 $1,195,000 $886,000 $850,000 $750,000
DAKOTA CROSSING 3203 THEODORE R HAGANS DR NE
$510,000
DEANWOOD 718 55TH ST NE 5823 FIELD PL NE 4500 CLAY ST NE 5719 BLAINE ST NE 1302 EASTERN AVE NE 59 55TH ST SE 5155 SHERIFF RD NE 4605 HUNT PL NE 16 54TH ST SE 4610 CLAY ST NE 14 BURNS ST NE 231 57TH ST NE 272 DIVISION AVE NE 5213 JUST ST NE 5103 JAY ST NE 805 44TH ST NE 4504 LEE ST NE
$375,000 $347,000 $320,000 $311,575 $309,269 $295,000 $245,000 $215,000 $195,000 $185,000 $175,755 $159,900 $146,700 $144,500 $123,000 $113,500 $105,000
6 5 4 4 5 3 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 0
DUPONT 1837 SWANN ST NW 1618 CORCORAN ST NW 1541 T ST NW
$1,749,500 $2,157,000 $1,828,000
ECKINGTON 36 QUINCY PL NW 1804 1ST ST NW 31 TODD PL NE 322 SEATON PL NE 149 TODD PL NE 1836 NORTH CAPITOL ST NW 21 RANDOLPH PL NW
$788,500 $770,000 $715,000 $600,000 $597,500 $535,000 $525,000
FOREST HILLS 4600 LINNEAN AVE NW 2710 BRANDYWINE ST NW
$2,850,000 $1,250,000
FORT DUPONT PARK 4306 GORMAN TER SE 1131 45TH PL SE 3342 D ST SE 1660 FORT DUPONT ST SE 4227 FORT DUPONT TER SE 3951 ALABAMA AVE SE 3928 BURNS PL SE 539 HILLTOP TER SE 1648 40TH ST SE 478 BURNS ST SE
$245,000 $417,000 $360,000 $320,000 $315,000 $260,000 $255,000 $170,000 $160,000 $157,000
FORT TOTTEN 618 FARRAGUT PL NE
$337,050
5 4 5 2 7 4 3 3 3 3 6 4 4 4 8 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2
FOXHALL 4435 P ST NW 1705 SURREY LN NW 44521/2 MACARTHUR BLVD NW
$1,150,000 $860,000 $1,190,000
4 4 3
GARFIELD 2933 28TH ST NW
$1,176,000
3
GEORGETOWN
1801 35TH ST NW 3331 N ST NW 3043 P ST NW 3106 P ST NW 3264 S ST NW 1687 32ND ST NW 3249 O ST NW 3247 P ST NW 2817 Q ST NW 4070 MANSION DR NW 3032 DENT PL NW 1242 29TH ST NW 2721 POPLAR ST NW 3424 P ST NW 2816 OLIVE ST NW 3273 P ST NW
GLOVER PARK
3740 W ST NW HILL CREST 3635 HIGHWOOD DR SE 3204 POPE ST SE 2520 36TH PL SE 2132 32ND PL SE
HILL EAST
1720 MASSACHUSETTS AVE SE
KALORAMA
2320-2330 S ST NW 2411 CALIFORNIA ST NW 1941 BILTMORE ST NW
KENT
2962 CHAIN BRIDGE RD NW 5021 GLENBROOK RD NW
LEDROIT PARK 2215 1ST ST NW 25 W ST NW 46 W ST NW 325 U ST NW 324 U ST NW 20 CHANNING ST NW
LILY PONDS
330 36TH ST NE 4422 ORD ST NE 3327 BAKER ST NE 3429 CLAY ST NE
LOGAN CIRCLE
1705 VERMONT AVE NW
MARSHALL HEIGHTS 5122 E ST SE 4932 ASTOR PL SE
MICHIGAN PARK
1640 CRITTENDEN ST NE 4853 QUEENS CHAPEL TER NE 3722 22ND ST NE
MOUNT PLEASANT 1837 ONTARIO PL NW 3135 19TH ST NW 1715 NEWTON ST NW 3408 BROWN ST NW
$16,500,000 $5,700,000 $3,400,000 $2,900,000 $2,775,000 $2,140,000 $2,025,000 $1,777,000 $1,625,000 $1,550,000 $1,470,000 $1,199,000 $1,025,000 $925,000 $900,000 $899,000
0 7 6 4 7 3 2 4 2 5 4 3 3 3 2 3
$915,000
3
$465,000 $435,000 $390,000 $330,000
3 4 3 3
$770,000
3
$19,000,000 $4,500,000 $1,525,000
10 6 5
$3,450,000 $2,450,000
6 6
$1,100,000 $950,000 $850,000 $705,000 $580,000 $580,000
5 4 4 3 5 3
$232,000 $214,420 $181,000 $179,000
2 2 3 2
$509,000
1
$350,000 $160,000
4 2
$514,000 $495,000 $430,000
3 3 3
$1,875,000 $1,086,500 $855,000 $792,500
4 4 4 3
2221 ONTARIO RD NW 2335 17TH ST NW 1814 ONTARIO PL NW
NORTH CLEVELAND PARK 3626 ALBEMARLE ST NW 3820 WINDOM PL NW 3720 ALBEMARLE ST NW
OBSERVATORY CIRCLE 2617 WISCONSIN AVE NW 2823 38TH ST NW
OLD CITY #1
711 5TH ST SE 700 7TH ST SE 717 5TH ST NE 1007 K ST NE 316 13TH ST NE 1207 F ST NE 107 13TH ST SE 917 G ST SE 1124 CONSTITUTION AVE NE 1416 NORTH CAROLINA AVE NE 712 13TH ST NE 1210 POTOMAC AVE SE 1026 8TH ST NE 217 17TH ST SE 1332 G ST NE 114 15TH ST NE 1335 E ST SE 1415 DUNCAN ST NE 1336 G ST NE 1427 IVES PL SE 246 10TH ST NE 1533 K ST SE 1809 A ST SE 1814 BURKE ST SE 1205 FLORIDA AVE NE 124 O ST SW 815 7TH ST NE 1233 CARROLLSBURG PL SW 17121714 GALES ST NE
OLD CITY #2
1013 O ST NW 1438 S ST NW 1514 NEW JERSEY AVE NW 1317 NAYLOR CT NW 319 R ST NW 1750 SEATON ST NW 1111 R ST NW 976 FLORIDA AVE NW
PALISADES
4808 HUTCHINS PL NW 4832 HUTCHINS PL NW 4563 MACARTHUR BLVD NW 4500 Q LN NW 2324 NEBRASKA AVE NW 1406 FOXHALL RD NW
PETWORTH
3910 8TH ST NW 734 ROCK CREEK CHURCH RD NW 432 RANDOLPH ST NW 505 QUINCY ST NW 3809 7TH ST NW
$731,000 $599,000 $1,159,500
2 2 4
$931,000 $926,000 $872,500
3 3 4
$1,260,000 $1,185,000
5 3
$1,735,000 $1,385,000 $1,005,000 $975,000 $910,000 $885,000 $880,000 $801,750 $770,000 $756,476 $700,000 $699,000 $681,000 $675,000 $630,000 $628,000 $625,000 $624,000 $597,700 $595,000 $588,700 $570,000 $555,000 $550,000 $522,000 $508,000 $425,000 $405,000 $345,000
5 4 4 4 3 4 3 2 3 3 2 3 4 2 3 4 3 3 4 2 2 2 3 3 2 3 5 2 2
$1,430,003 $1,425,000 $929,000 $850,000 $750,000 $740,000 $725,000 $569,000
4 3 4 1 6 3 2 2
$1,990,000 $1,300,000 $1,210,000 $1,051,000 $1,025,100 $931,000
5 4 4 4 4 4
$1,040,000 $903,000 $860,000 $859,000 $829,900
8 6 4 4 4
INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING WITH US? Call Laura Vucci 202-400-3510
or laura@hillrag.com for more information on advertising.
July 2015 H 109
{real estate / changing hands}
4216 4TH ST NW 713 INGRAHAM ST NW 4511 ILLINOIS AVE NW 408 CRITTENDEN ST NW 445 JEFFERSON ST NW 818 EMERSON ST NW 417 EMERSON ST NW 407 DELAFIELD PL NW 225 FARRAGUT ST NW 526 INGRAHAM ST NW 5306 7TH ST NW 5405 5TH ST NW 312 JEFFERSON ST NW 808 DELAFIELD PL NW 5503 8TH ST NW 718 INGRAHAM ST NW 627 DELAFIELD PL NW
$800,000 $749,900 $747,500 $640,500 $625,000 $600,000 $580,000 $580,000 $576,000 $565,000 $520,000 $511,500 $445,000 $429,000 $410,000 $400,000 $390,000
RANDLE HEIGHTS 2307 S ST SE 2223 NAYLOR RD SE 2344 Q ST SE 1605 22ND ST SE 2425 WAGNER ST SE
$375,000 $325,000 $235,000 $225,000 $220,000
RIGGS PARK 828 JEFFERSON ST NE 564 NICHOLSON ST NE 610 NICHOLSON ST NE 5336 CHILLUM PL NE 4939 11TH ST NE 520 INGRAHAM ST NE 5713 5TH ST NE 433 JEFFERSON ST NE 4909 S DAKOTA AVE NE 5731 6TH ST NE 309 NICHOLSON ST NE 5007 SARGENT RD NE 5743 5TH ST NE 766 KENNEDY ST NE 5614 EASTERN AVE NE
$492,000 $456,000 $433,500 $422,500 $422,000 $420,000 $380,000 $350,000 $345,000 $331,000 $325,000 $290,000 $275,000 $260,000 $223,500
4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 2
SHAW 403 R ST NW 1623 6TH ST NW
$999,000 $935,000
SHEPHERD PARK 1333 JONQUIL ST NW 1103NW FERN ST NW
$810,000 $625,000
SPRING VALLEY 4725 SEDGWICK ST NW 4911 TILDEN ST NW
$1,160,000 $1,100,000
SW WATERFRONT 428 O ST SW
$1,049,000
TAKOMA PARK 6122 SLIGO MILL RD NE 92 TUCKERMAN ST NW 6335 CAPITOL ST NE 6416 EASTERN AVE NE
$510,000 $422,100 $410,000 $360,000
THE HAMPSHIRES 161 CONCORD PL NE 167 CONCORD PL NE
$500,000 $499,900
3 3 5 4 4 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3
TRINIDAD 1428 MORSE ST NE
110 H Hillrag.com
$725,000
4
1126 OATES ST NE 1211 RAUM ST NE 1227 QUEEN ST NE 1917 H ST NE 1727 HOLBROOK ST NE 1768 LANG PL NE 1354 LEVIS ST NE 1640 L ST NE
$699,900 $650,000 $550,000 $500,000 $396,000 $355,000 $250,000 $250,000
U STREET 2248 12TH PL NW
$720,000
WAKEFIELD 3532 CHESAPEAKE ST NW 4529 38TH ST NW 3617 EVERETT ST NW
$1,450,000 $1,195,000 $969,000
WESLEY HEIGHTS 4650 GARFIELD ST NW 4282 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW 4370 WESTOVER PL NW 4377 WESTOVER PL NW 4349 WESTOVER PL NW 4306 WESTOVER PL NW 4345 WESTOVER PL NW 4279 EMBASSY PARK DR NW
$1,900,000 $1,065,000 $955,000 $897,000 $895,000 $880,000 $865,000 $825,000
WOODCREST VILLAS 402 WOODCREST DR SE
$389,900
4 4 4 4 2 3 3 3 2 6 4 4 5 4 3 3 3 3 3 2 3
WOODLEY 2762 WOODLEY PL NW
$1,170,000
3
WOODRIDGE
4028 24TH ST NE $652,500 4 3610 24TH ST NE $606,100 4 3028 24TH ST NE $585,000 3 2902 CARLTON AVE NE $535,000 3 2900 CARLTON AVE NE $520,000 5 1517 CHANNING ST NE $432,000 3 2223 BUNKER HILL RD NE $398,000 3 1722 GIRARD ST NE $300,000 3 3005 PERRY ST NE $210,000 3
CONDO 16TH STREET HEIGHTS 1400 LONGFELLOW ST NW #101 1400 OGLETHORPE ST NW #10 5832 GEORGIA AVE NW #208 1320 MISSOURI AVE NW #301
$280,000 $237,500 $230,000 $207,127
ADAMS MORGAN 2424 18TH ST NW #R-1 1662 BEEKMAN PL NW #D 2922 18TH ST NW #3 2298 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #B 1674 EUCLID ST NW #B 1835 CALIFORNIA ST NW #C 1701 KALORAMA RD NW ##406 1840 VERNON ST NW #101 2633 ADAMS MILL RD NW #304
$1,305,000 $855,000 $774,900 $714,000 $638,500 $540,000 $515,000 $399,999 $399,900
2 2 2 1 2 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK 4101 ALBEMARLE ST NW #327
$515,000
1
BERKLEY 46271/2 MACARTHUR BLVD NW #A
$331,500
1
BLOOMINGDALE 73 U ST NW #1 125 T ST NW #1 70 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #304
$773,500 $425,000 $360,000
BRENTWOOD 1317 ADAMS ST NE #3 1317 ADAMS ST NE #4 1334 DOWNING PL NE #2 1334 DOWNING PL NE #4 1334 DOWNING PL NE #3 33 KENNEDY ST NW #302
$294,900 $294,000 $286,000 $280,000 $279,000 $210,000
CAPITOL HILL 918 14TH ST SE #3 1306 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #301 1815 MASSACHUSETTS AVE SE #2 918 14TH ST SE #2 1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #337 1342 MASSACHUSETTS AVE SE #C 1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #214 440 12TH ST NE #007 1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #327 523 8TH ST NE #102 350 9TH ST SE #16 201 E ST SE #2 44 15TH ST NE #44 1211 G ST SE #5 1209 G ST SE #2 915 3RD ST NE #1
$699,000 $630,000 $606,000 $599,000 $590,000 $572,000 $536,000 $479,900 $465,000 $457,500 $435,000 $362,500 $347,000 $295,000 $262,000 $530,000
4 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 2
CENTRAL 915 E ST NW #413 2425 L ST NW #501 777 7TH ST NW #1120 715 6TH ST NW #402 2142 O ST NW #3 631 D ST NW #845 2425 L ST NW #419 1280 21ST ST NW #609 1280 21ST ST NW #104 1150 K ST NW #604 1230 23RD ST NW #506 777 7TH ST NW #912 2114 N ST NW #37 2007 O ST NW #405 2201 L ST NW #405 1121 24TH ST NW #2
$1,015,000 $910,000 $850,000 $765,000 $725,000 $633,000 $610,000 $560,000 $475,000 $472,888 $424,900 $419,000 $399,900 $380,000 $350,000 $199,000
CHEVY CHASE 4750 41ST ST NW #301 4301 MILITARY RD NW #315 5431 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #302 5410 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #611
$740,000 $637,500 $387,000 $262,000
CLEVELAND PARK 2720 ORDWAY ST NW #3 3511 39TH ST NW #E491 3010 WISCONSIN AVE NW #102 3883 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #515 2727 ORDWAY ST NW #6 2711 ORDWAY ST NW #202 4301 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #6002 3879 RODMAN ST NW #C-63 3401 38TH ST NW #119 3840 39TH ST NW #D106 3701 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #708
$515,000 $459,000 $412,000 $395,000 $390,000 $383,000 $380,000 $340,000 $338,000 $319,000 $277,500
3 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
3015 WARDER ST NW #2 1343 KENYON ST NW #3 3467 HOLMEAD PL NW #1 726 GIRARD ST NW #3 728 GIRARD ST NW #1 426 KENYON ST NW #2 726 GIRARD ST NW #1 426 KENYON ST NW #1 1354 MONROE ST NW #B 1322 MONROE ST NW #1 3015 WARDER ST NW #1 728 GIRARD ST NW #2 726 GIRARD ST NW #2 1337 SPRING RD NW #4 1321 EUCLID ST NW #202 3619 14TH ST NW #3 1461 GIRARD ST NW #400 3573 WARDER ST NW #3 1300 TAYLOR ST NW #202 1436 OGDEN ST NW #2 1300 TAYLOR ST NW #203 1436 OGDEN ST NW #3 929 FLORIDA AVE NW #2002 1323 CLIFTON ST NW #11 1355 SHEPHERD ST NW #2 1200 EUCLID ST NW #3 1427 CHAPIN ST NW #202 3577 WARDER ST NW #201 1401 COLUMBIA RD NW #213 3205 GEORGIA AVE NW #501 1451 PARK RD NW #116 1417 NEWTON ST NW #106 3900 14TH ST NW #722 1321 FAIRMONT ST NW #107 3602 ROCK CREEK CHURCH RD NW #1 1439 EUCLID ST NW #206 1451 PARK RD NW #318 1108 COLUMBIA RD NW #305 2600 SHERMAN AVE NW #201 2901 16TH ST NW #503 2608 SHERMAN AVE NW #1
CONGRESS HEIGHTS 3870 9TH ST SE #202
DEANWOOD
4212 BENNING RD NE #6
DUPONT
1700 Q ST NW #4 1415 21ST ST NW #2A 1801 SWANN ST NW #401 1515 16TH ST NW #1D 1325 18TH ST NW #903 1621 T ST NW #302 1767 P ST NW #1 2012 O ST NW #51 1621 T ST NW #503 1711 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #608 1725 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #601 1718 P ST NW #613 1931 17TH ST NW #G1 1607 T ST NW #A 1409 21ST ST NW #2B 1816 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #105 1711 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #431
$792,000 $761,000 $759,900 $725,000 $725,000 $710,000 $700,000 $699,000 $695,000 $685,000 $682,000 $670,110 $650,000 $624,900 $580,000 $564,900 $560,000 $537,000 $520,500 $519,750 $515,000 $506,000 $503,000 $500,000 $490,000 $475,000 $461,000 $450,000 $429,000 $409,000 $358,000 $345,000 $340,000 $325,000 $321,500 $308,500 $302,555 $290,000 $272,000 $268,000 $255,000
4 2 2 3 4 3 4 4 2 2 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1
$49,000
1
$96,900
2
$865,000 $757,500 $757,500 $690,000 $667,500 $596,000 $550,000 $480,000 $443,000 $425,000 $419,000 $265,000 $357,500 $792,500 $443,500 $275,000 $263,000
2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 0 1 2 1 1 0
ECKINGTON
13 R ST NE #2 1956 3RD ST NE #2 314 V ST NE #6
FOGGY BOTTOM 903 HUGHES CT NW #4 1010 25TH ST NW #304 922 24TH ST NW #312 922 24TH ST NW #702
FOREST HILLS
2939 VAN NESS ST NW #230 2710 MACOMB ST NW #411
FORT LINCOLN
3460 SUMMIT CT NE #3460 2811 31ST PL NE #2811
GEORGETOWN
3303 WATER ST NW #4A 3220 GRACE ST NW #PH2 - UNIT 7 3052 R ST NW #104 2735 OLIVE ST NW #3 3210 GRACE ST NW #308 1015 33RD ST NW #502 1056 PAPER MILL CT NW #212 3220 GRACE ST NW #1 1080 WISCONSIN AVE NW #3002 2516 Q ST NW #208 2111 WISCONSIN AVE NW #421
GLOVER PARK
3937 DAVIS PL NW #3 2725 39TH ST NW #406 2725 39TH ST NW #507 2325 42ND ST NW #213 2603 39TH ST NW #6 2325 42ND ST NW #216
H STREET CORRIDOR 1151 MORSE ST NE #1 1391 FLORIDA AVE NE
HILL CREST
2023 38TH ST SE #B
KALORAMA
2141 WYOMING AVE NW #41 2022 COLUMBIA RD NW #201 2153 CALIFORNIA ST NW #402 1865 MINTWOOD PL NW #6 2403 20TH ST NW #1108 2311 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #705 1911 BELMONT RD NW #1073 1938 BILTMORE ST NW #A 1811 WYOMING AVE NW #1 1832 CALVERT ST NW #2 1845 KALORAMA RD NW #5 1831 BELMONT RD NW #304 1840 VERNON ST NW #301 1946 CALVERT ST NW #2 1811 VERNON ST NW #202 1816 KALORAMA RD NW #402 2456 20TH ST NW #308 2145 CALIFORNIA ST NW #104 2129 FLORIDA AVE NW #108 1811 VERNON ST NW #101 2032 BELMONT RD NW #130
$391,000 $350,000 $166,000
2 2 1
$725,000 $299,000 $247,000 $207,000
2 1 0 0
$300,000 $216,300
1 0
$305,000 $307,500
3 2
$2,800,000 $1,275,000 $1,150,000 $1,065,000 $969,000 $813,000 $640,000 $586,000 $460,000 $369,000 $355,000
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 0 1
$575,000 $365,000 $355,000 $305,000 $250,000 $220,000
2 1 1 1 1 0
$657,000 $319,900
4 1
$81,809
2
$1,275,000 $1,000,000 $825,000 $799,000 $775,000 $699,000 $690,000 $687,000 $656,500 $632,000 $606,000 $490,000 $441,000 $438,000 $412,500 $399,900 $390,000 $375,000 $365,000 $300,000 $255,000
3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Your Neighbor On The Hill
“The road to success is not always straight; let me help you through the real estate maze to a happy and successful destination”
Deborah Charlton
Long and Foster Realtors Christie’s Great Estates
(202) 415-2117 (202) 944-8400 DC.DC@LongandFoster.com www.yourneighboronthehill.com
Specializing in all aspects of Real Estate Settlements
We Guarantee Attention to Detail & Personalized Service 650 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Suite 170 Washington, DC 20003-4318 202-544-0800
“We are part of Capitol Hill, We don’t just work here... We live here, too. Let our neighborhood experience work for you...”
202.546.3100 210 7th Street, SE. #100. WDC 20003 www.monarchtitle.net
July 2015 H 111
{real estate / changing hands}
LEDROIT PARK 143 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #5
$450,000
2
LOGAN 1735 JOHNSON AVE NW #F 7 LOGAN CIR NW #41 1133 14TH ST NW #204 1209 13TH ST NW #207 1445 N ST NW #102 1133 14TH ST NW #802 1314 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #G-08 1440 N ST NW #402 1506 Q ST NW #3 1529 14TH ST NW #307 1506 Q ST NW #1 1220 N ST NW #2 1715 15TH ST NW #36 1010 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #905 1418 11TH ST NW #1
$727,000 $590,000 $575,000 $499,000 $480,000 $469,000 $235,750 $198,000 $960,000 $800,000 $750,000 $691,000 $640,000 $625,000 $532,500
MOUNT PLEASANT 2906 18TH ST NW #2 1752 PARK RD NW #A 1600 BELMONT ST NW #D 1701 KALORAMA RD NW #313 1955 CALVERT ST NW #1955 3420 16TH ST NW #506S 2440 16TH ST NW #417 1613 HARVARD ST NW #309 1661 PARK RD NW #402
$825,000 $799,900 $729,000 $690,000 $438,000 $341,500 $290,000 $280,000 $269,000
MT VERNON TRIANGLE 910 M ST NW #425 437 NEW YORK AVE NW #224 460 NEW YORK AVE NW #906 437 NEW YORK AVE NW #1201 460 NEW YORK AVE NW #801 460 NEW YORK AVE NW #502 460 NEW YORK AVE NW #501 437 NEW YORK AVE NW #420 811 4TH ST NW #116 301 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #806 555 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #506
$583,000 $414,000 $549,900 $517,000 $516,400 $501,000 $493,000 $467,501 $420,000 $370,000 $435,000
OBSERVATORY CIRCLE 2501 WISCONSIN AVE NW #210 2801 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #607 2801 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #222 2828 WISCONSIN AVE NW #307 2801 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #1005 4100 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #512 2801 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #623 2800 WISCONSIN AVE NW #909 2800 WISCONSIN AVE NW #506
$995,000 $975,000 $793,000 $710,000 $591,000 $399,999 $399,999 $204,500 $204,000
OLD CITY #1 215 I ST NE #108 440 12TH ST NE #103 615 3RD ST NE #1 1116 C ST NE #202 424 11TH ST NE #201 420 16TH ST SE #B1 1601 ISHERWOOD ST NE #3 1601 ISHERWOOD ST NE #4
$899,900 $632,000 $485,000 $479,000 $456,700 $358,000 $351,550 $351,550
OLD CITY #2 450 Q ST NW #PH-B 27 LOGAN CIR NW #12 1801 16TH ST NW #711
112 H Hillrag.com
$1,280,000 $1,250,000 $965,000
2 1 2 1 2 1 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 3 2 2 1 1 1 0 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1801 16TH ST NW #511 1515 15TH ST NW #412 1406 T ST NW #6 936 N ST NW #6 437 NEW YORK AVE NW #802 437 NEW YORK AVE NW #710 1325 13TH ST NW #13 1111 M ST NW #2 1325 13TH ST NW #602 1226 4TH ST NW #1 1131 5TH ST NW #,C 1735 JOHNSON AVE NW #B 1830 17TH ST NW #703 1515 15TH ST NW #405 1715 15TH ST NW #11 437 NEW YORK AVE NW #1001 475 K ST NW #328 811 4TH ST NW #316 1111 11TH ST NW #609 1705 P ST NW #24 1441 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #915 500 FLORIDA AVE NW #2 1718 P ST NW #703 1711 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #826 1601 18TH ST NW #913 1115 12TH ST NW #603
$919,500 $750,000 $750,000 $745,000 $699,000 $694,500 $669,900 $667,000 $665,000 $660,000 $585,000 $565,000 $560,000 $525,000 $500,000 $493,000 $473,400 $425,000 $399,000 $367,100 $351,000 $331,500 $285,000 $270,000 $242,500 $166,500
PALISADES 5112 MACARTHUR BLVD NW #309 5112 MACARTHUR BLVD NW #107 4481 MACARTHUR BLVD NW #B1 4555 MACARTHUR BLVD NW #G-3
$272,000 $271,000 $220,000 $209,950
PARK PLACE 3105 HAWTHORNE DR NE #3105
$311,000
PENN QUARTER 912 F ST NW #906 777 7TH ST NW #406 675 E ST NW #330 675 E ST NW #450 801 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW #1111 715 6TH ST NW #301
$950,000 $574,900 $510,000 $465,000 $450,000 $399,000
RANDLE HEIGHTS 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 4 2
2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0
1907 GOOD HOPE RD SE #7
$62,000
1 1 0 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
$1,400,000
RLA (SW) 457 N ST SW #4 800 4TH ST SW #N602 350 G ST SW #N622 1250 4TH ST SW #W208 355 I ST SW #323 1101 3RD ST SW #114 1101 3RD ST SW #605 800 4TH ST SW #N507 300 M ST SW #N313 460 M ST SW #8
$660,000 $420,000 $345,000 $289,000 $287,222 $275,000 $270,000 $259,368 $227,500 $775,000
2 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
SHAW 1601 5TH ST NW #D 1601 5TH ST NW #B 1401 5TH ST NW #1 2030 8th ST NW #505 1815 6TH ST NW #1 1643 6TH ST NW #5
$1,450,000 $1,400,000 $1,021,000 $844,900 $720,001 $550,000
300 M ST SW #N212 1101 3RD ST SW #408
$324,000 $300,000
1 1
TRINIDAD 1668 TRINIDAD AVE NE #4 1220 HOLBROOK TER NE #203 1220 HOLBROOK TER NE #B-3 1220 HOLBROOK TER NE #B1 1125 PENN ST NE
$250,000 $229,000 $205,597 $189,900 $134,830
U STREET 1013 V ST NW #3 919 FLORIDA AVE NW #804 2020 12TH ST NW #301 2030 8TH ST NW #PH8 2030 8TH ST NW #405 2030 8TH ST NW #201
$750,000 $610,000 $502,500 $899,900 $824,900 $489,900
WAKEFIELD 4600 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #510 4700 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #302
$540,000 $531,500
WESLEY HEIGHTS 4200 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #1011 3101 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #844 3233 SUTTON PL NW #A 4200 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #701 4201 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #910E 4200 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #208
$1,725,000 $630,000 $615,000 $320,000 $258,700 $189,500
WEST END 1111 23RD ST NW #2F 2425 L ST NW #207 2301 N ST NW #101 1155 23RD ST NW #6J 2311 M ST NW #805 2311 M ST NW #603
$1,650,000 $1,034,500 $674,900 $609,000 $480,000 $448,000
2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 1
WOODRIDGE
1803 CHANNING ST NE #1803 $305,000 2 1830 BRYANT ST NE #1830 $90,169 1
COOP 1
RESIDENCES AT CITYCENTER 925 H ST NW #908
SOUTHWEST WATERFRONT
4 4 3 2 2 1
16TH STREET HEIGHTS 1365 KENNEDY ST NW #504
$199,000
ADAMS MORGAN 1820 CLYDESDALE PL NW #103 1801 CLYDESDALE PL NW #310 1801 CLYDESDALE PL NW #224 1801 CLYDESDALE PL NW #201 3025 ONTARIO NW #410
$396,500 $280,000 $245,000 $244,000 $219,000
BRIGHTWOOD 6445 LUZON AVE NW #305 6445 LUZON AVE NW #414 1440 TUCKERMAN ST NW #201
$152,500 $150,000 $149,500
CATHEDRAL HEIGHTS 3900 Watson PL NW #G1-B
$532,000
1 2 1 1 1 0 2 1 1 2
CENTRAL 1099 22ND ST NW #802 1300 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #403
$1,200,000 $202,000
CLEVELAND PARK
3601 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #216/216A $449,000
3 0 1
CAPITOL HILL
3024 TILDEN ST NW #404-C 3024 PORTER ST NW #303 3039 MACOMB ST NW #14
DUPONT
1701 16TH ST NW #115 1701 16TH ST NW #150 1731 20TH ST NW #6 1701 16TH ST NW #556 1701 16TH ST NW #804
FOGGY BOTTOM
700 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #918 2510 VIRGINIA AVE NW #907-N 2475 VIRGINIA AVE NW #404 940 25TH ST NW #216S 2475 VIRGINIA AVE NW #209 2475 VIRGINIA AVE NW #627 730 24TH ST NW #516 2475 VIRGINIA AVE NW #421
FOREST HILLS
3001 VEAZEY TER NW #1523
KALORAMA
2540 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #405
MOUNT PLEASANT
2707 ADAMS MILL RD NW #210 2853 ONTARIO RD NW #302 2853 ONTARIO RD NW #415
NAVY YARD
1000 NEW JERSEY AVE SE #916
OBSERVATORY CIRCLE
4000 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #632-B 4101 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #710 4000 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #412-A 4000 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #438B 4000 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #108B 4000 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #734B 3900 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #308A
OLD CITY #2
1701 16TH ST NW #850 1701 16TH ST NW #750 1725 17TH ST NW #408
PETWORTH
225 EMERSON ST NW #103
RLA (SW)
520 N ST SW #S25
VAN NESS NORTH
3001 VEAZY TER NW #1013
WAKEFIELD
4514 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #510
WATERFRONT
530 N ST SW #S909 430 M ST SW #N706 1311 DELAWARE AVE SW #S640 1311 DELAWARE AVE SW #S-545
WEST END
1200NW 23RD ST NW #910 ◆
$360,000 $284,000 $263,000
1 1 1
$399,900 $283,500 $354,555 $347,000 $185,000
2 1 1 1 0
$1,000,000 $564,000 $490,000 $390,000 $277,000 $255,000 $217,000 $760,000
3 2 2 2 1 1 0 2
$301,523
1
$1,125,000
5
$535,000 $946,000 $587,000
2 2 1
$325,508
1
$975,000 $595,000 $510,000 $450,000 $399,999 $315,000 $270,000
3 2 2 2 1 1 1
$380,000 $370,000 $340,000
1 1 1
$170,000
3
$170,500
0
$310,000
1
$628,168
2
$819,000 $469,000 $170,000 $134,900
2 2 1 0
$680,000
2
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{arts & dining}
Dining Notes article and photos by Celeste McCall Bagels to Come Transplanted New Yorkers (and others) have complained about the scarcity of “genuine” bagels in our neighborhood. But coming this fall is a spinoff of the Atlas District’s Bullfrog Bagels. Where: 317 Seventh St. SE, site of the late Dick Sheehy’s art studio. In anticipation, we visited Bullfrog’s original shop at 1341 H St. NE, wedged between Star & Shamrock and Maketto. There we ordered an “everything” bagel with lox, cream cheese and BLT, delicious but extremely messy! Peter chose a bialy—a Yiddish term for a round roll similar to a bagel but less chewy, since it’s not boiled prior to baking. The bialy was chock full of smoked whitefish salad and cream cheese. Many Bullfrog items—including pastrami and corned beef--are made on the premises. Bullfrog is open Tuesday-Sunday from 7 to 1 p.m. For updates on the Eastern Market offshoot, call 202-494-5615 or www.bullfrogbagels.com.
Bullfrog Bagels serves tasty victuals on H Street NE, and will soon expand to Eastern Market.
Good News, Bad News Matchbox Food Group, with its wildly popular pizza/slider Barracks Row hot spot, is expanding. The bad news: It’s replacing Las Placitas, next door at 517 8th Street, SE. The 25-year-old Tex-Mex/Salvadoran restaurant will not renew its lease when it expires in October. The Matchbox expansion—with a longer bar, additional dining space and another restroom--will debut next year. While we both love Matchbox, Peter will miss Las Placita’s puerco al horno. Matchbox, which plans a national expansion, owns 12 area restaurants, including three on Barracks Row: Matchbox, Ted’s Bulletin, and DC-3. The original Matchbox opened in Chinatown in 2002. Las Placitas is the latest business to fall to a better-heeled enterprise. Others include Homebody (which is moving into the Forecast’s lower level), Frame of Mine, and Sneed’s Barbershop. In the 600 block of Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Remington’s is morphing into a Sprint outlet and a 7-Eleven.
Garrison Later this summer, Hill dweller Rob Weland will unveil his first independently owned restaurant, Garrison, on Barracks Row. Located at 524 Eighth St. SE, Garrison is replacing Tash. Known for being the first local chef to create his own restaurant garden, Weland will showcase simple, clean flavors using quality, sustainably grown ingredients. For his homey, welcoming design, Weland consulted with Erin Mara, owner of Mara Home (formerly with Homebody). For the time being, Garrison will serve dinner only, but will eventually offer weekend brunch. A CIA grad, Weland was previously executive chef at Cork Wine Bar (Logan Ciecle) and Poste Moderne Brasserie (Penn Quarter). For updates, visit www.garrisondc.com.
Cafe Berlin Turns 30 Cafe Berlin is 30 years old. To celebrate, this German mainstay is throwing a gala pig roast July 11, from 11 a.m. until the pig runs out. Price per person, including the
pork, two sides, apple strudel and a liter of pilsner, is $35. Cafe Berlin is located at 322 Massachusetts Ave. NE; for pig roast reservations call 202-543-7656.
Red Apron Arrives Nathan Anda’s Neighborhood Restaurant Group, which operates the popular Red Apron in Union Market, plans to unveil another restaurant project, this one on Barracks Row. The yet-un-named enterprise will replace the short-lived Kraze Burgers at 415 Eighth St. SE. Stay tuned.
Here ‘n There IMM Thai Cuisine, a spinoff of a popular Annandale eatery, has arrived –sans fanfare--in the Atlas District. Located at 1360 H St. NE, IMM serves lunch and dinner daily. Watch for details. On the Southwest waterfront, Jenny’s at the Wharf has moved from 1000 Water St. SW to the former Channel Inn space at 668 Water St. SW. For more information visitwww.jennysdc.com. In the Atlas District, DC Harvest has introduced a seasonal happy hour menu, which includes pepperoni parmesan “doughnuts” with Creole mustard and micro herb salad. Hours: daily from 5:30-7 p.m. daily. Located at 517 H Street NE, DC Harvest is closed Monday. Call 202-629-3296 or http://www.dc-harvest.com/.
July 2015 H 115
daily for lunch, dinner and carryout; call 202750-7724.
Market Watch At Union Market, we’ve discovered something new—at least to us. After a satisfying lunch (lamb and clams, oyster chowder) at Rappahannock Oyster Bar, we wandered past Red Apron Butchery. There we discovered “spider” steak. Cut from the steer’s hip bone area, the thin pieces can be flash fried with salt, pepper and olive oil. Similar to skirt steak, the beef makes good tacos, we’re told. Open Tuesday-Sunday, Union Market is at 1309 H St. NE.
www.hillrag.com
Cape Cod Oysters
host your next dinner party in
Bratwurst is a fan favorite at the Big Stick, across the street from Nats Park.
Game Day Fare
Perfect for Bridal Parties and Showers
Chef Fee Starts at
$75pp For a Party of 8 www.ChefNeilWilson.com 202.549.7422 ChefJasonLawrence@hotmail.com
301.699.2225 ChefNeilWilson@aol.com
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Weary of long lines at Nationals Park’s stands, we’ve been exploring nearby eateries. At Justin’s Café, 1025 First St. SE (the Nats “official bar of 106.7”), in the Velocity Condo Building, nachos come with house-made guacamole; and there are interesting salads, sandwiches and American-Neopolitan pizza. Call 202652-1009… At BonChon (Korean for “my neighborhood”), 1015 Half St. SE, the $9 luncheon special (Monday-Friday 11:30-2 p.m.) is a selection of chicken wings, drums, or strips, encrusted with soy-garlic or palatesearing hot sauce with choice of side dish; try kimchi coleslaw. Dishes complement the extensive beer (plus wine and cocktail) list. Call 202-488-4000 or www.bonchon.com. The Big Stick Brats & Brew, 20 M St. SE, is across the street from the stadium’s center field gate. We could almost see the field from our table. The interior is a vision of blond wood, umpteen TVs and, by the entrance, Teddy Roosevelt is wielding a “big stick”—a colossal bratwurst. A litany of wursts includes a Z-Brat— bratwurst slathered with mustard and sauerkraut snuggled in a pretzel roll. The “Classic Cuban” is the usual ham/pork roast/cheese combo stacked into French bread. There are also crispy cheese curds; pork belly burgers; salads. Open
Things are getting fishier at The Oceanaire Seafood Room. Along with more than 25 species of seafood and shellfish, the upscale (downtown) seafood haven now serves some of Cape Cod’s finest oysters. Raised and harvested by an independent boutique oyster grower in the frigid, nutrient-rich New England waters, these tiny briny bivalves are iced and FedEx’d overnight to Oceanaire. Located at 1201 F St. NW (near the Metro Center Metro stop, Oceanaire is open daily. For more information or reservations, call 202-347-2277 or visit www. theoceanaire.com.
RAMMYS The stars were out and prosecco flowed at the 33rd annual RAMMY Awards black tie Gala June 7 at the Walter Washington Convention Center. While Capitol Hill restaurants did not garner any top honors this year, our neighbors were out in force: Joining DC Mayor Muriel Bowser were DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, and former RAMW president/Hill resident Lynne Breaux. After the awards were handed out, guests dined on Chilean salmon, Australian lamb, duck confit empanadas, Kobe beef sliders, finishing up with Gifford’s ice cream. The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is the trade association representing restaurants and the foodservice industry in the Washington area. Established in 1920, RAMW works to promote and sustain the growth and development of the industry while providing legislative and regulatory representation, marketing, programming and events. u
Southwest • Waterfront
Fine Indian Cuisine that reflects the breadth of Indian culinary traditions; it’s diverse culture, art forms, religions & regional specialities.
1101 4th St., SW WDC 20024 202.554.1101 www.masalaartdc.com
Lunch Dinner Brunch Happy Hours
NEW Saturday and Sunday Brunch 11:30 - 4pm $15 Bottomless Mimosas $20 Buckets of Bud / Bud Light
20 M Street, SE
across from Nationals Stadium July 2015 H 117
{arts and dining / wine girl}
Booze Bio: One Eight Distilling The Wine Girl by Lilia Coffin
O
ne Eight Distilling was named for the article in the Constitution that calls for a district to serve as the nation’s capital, and the love for DC shows in every one of its products, all designed and bottled at One Eight’s factory in Ivy City. The owners, Alex Laufer and Sandy Wood, were friends for 25 years before choosing to give up jobs in biotechnology and law, respectively, to start a distillery in their hometown. Sandy was kind enough to answer some questions about their burgeoning business and the friendship that built it.
Q: What’s new and exciting on the horizon? SW: We recently released Untitled #1, an eightyear-old bourbon that we did not distill but that we blended and finished in Oloroso sherry casks. On June 12 we released Ivy City Gin, which people have been asking for and which we are very excited to release for the hot summer months. We have four more untitled projects underway which (in addition to distilling our rye, bourbon, vodka, and gin) are keeping us extremely busy, but readers will have to subscribe to our newsletter to hear about those as they become ready later this year.
Q: When were you inspired to start your own distillery? Why choose DC as the home base? SW: Sometime in late 2012, early 2013, after reading some articles and then taking a distilling class at a distillery in Chicago. Why DC? Because we live here. DC is also great for a startup because, although startup costs are high (particularly real estate), you can distribute your own products in the city, thereby taking the middleman out of the picture (making for better initial profit margins). Also we saw that DC was underserved by locally made beverages compared to many other larger U.S. cities.
Q: Any favorite cocktails? SW: I’ll be honest and say up front that I often drink my spirits neat. Alex is more of the cocktail guru. Some of his favorites: Rock Creek White Whiskey sour (lemon juice, egg white, simple syrup, and our whiskey, shaken and served over crushed ice with a twist of lemon); Rock Creek White Whiskey old fashioned (Fee Brothers barrel-aged bitters, dash of honey, stirred and poured over ice with a slice of orange); District-made ice pick (our vodka, little bit of lemon juice, Oolong tea, slice of apple).
Q: Which is your favorite: the District Made Vodka, the Ivy City Gin, or the Rock Creek White Whiskey? SW: My favorite is generally the next bottle I open. We’ve been having a great time formulating the recipe for our Ivy City Gin lately. I love how people are surprised around the Rock Creek White Whiskey, as many people have never tried one before. It’s wonderfully flexible in cocktails but always has its signature flavor profile. Q: What’s your favorite part of the distilling process, other than the tasting, of course? SW: Barreling. Barrels can be temperamental. They all seem to have their own personality. They live very long lives. Filling them tends to fill my head with thoughts of what they will produce, the changes they help make happen. Alex enjoys the experimentation: whether it’s sampling different proofs, trying different mash bills, it allows us to be creative.
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Q: Was it difficult leaving behind the DC career path? SW: Changing careers was a heart-in-yourmouth, all-in moment, tremendously exciting and rewarding. I would not have done it without the support of my wife, Danielle, and without Alex being on board as well. Q: What’s it like running a business with your friends? SW: Running it with Alex has been a joy. We’re pretty much like brothers, we know each other so well, but without the family baggage. Max and Jared, our first two team members at the distillery, are very much a part of the fabric at the company already as well. You can visit Lilia at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, 300 Massachusetts Ave. NE, where you can buy One Eight Distilling’s products and fill all your beer, wine, and liquor needs. u
Rated One of the Best Wine Shops by Washingtonian Magazine July “Best & Worst” Issue Listed in the Wall Street journal as one of the most enjoyable places to shop for wines nationwide. “Best Website Award”, 2008 by the Wine Spectator’s Market Watch
Voted “Best Liquor Store” and “Best Wine Selection” an unprecedented FIVE years in a row by the City Paper
a taste of
Old Havana!
Banana Cafe & Piano Bar Brunch All Weekend Saturdays & Sundays Our Mixed Case of the Month features hand selected wines from across the world that change according to the seasons and are priced up to 50% off the regular retail price. Purchase as many assorted cases as you like and get additional wines as the listed sale prices. This month’s case features six reds for summer, five delicious whites and a crisp, fresh Rose at 53% OFF!
Regular Price: $276.88 | At Sale Prices: $186.88 | Mixed Case Club Price: $129.99 Purchase as many mixed cases as you like. Additional wines are available at the listed SALE prices.
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reg.
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View descriptions of the wines at www.cellar.com
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Where Every Customer is Family! Serving the Finest Cuban, Puerto Rican and Latin Cuisine. 202-543-5906 500 8th Street, SE www.bananacafedc.com
Sidamo Coffee and Tea Single Origin Coffee Freshly Roasted on Site! Organic & Specialty Coffees from Around the World 25 Types of Loose Teas Bagels, Salads, Sandwiches & Desserts • Catering Ethiopian Coffee Ritual Sundays @ 2pm
202-548-0081 Mon.-Fri. 7-7 Sat. 8-6, Sun. 8-5 sidamocoffeeandtea.com FREE 417 H Street, NE July 2015 H 119
{arts and dining / at the movies}
At the Movies
A Little Chaos
Alan Rickman has had a notable film career for the last 25 years, ever since he played the Eurosnide villain in the original “Die Hard” (1989). In that span he has directed one film, “The Winter Guest,” starring Emma Thompson, in 1997. “A Little Chaos” is his second directoriby Mike Canning al effort, a careful and delicate period piece. (Opened June 26, rated “R,” runs 117 min.) The date is 1682 and the place is the France of Louis XIV. The King (Rickman) desires new landscaping at Versailles and hires landscaper Andre Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts) for the job. He, in turn, hires as a contractor the creative but nonconformist gardener Sabine de Berra (Kate Winslet), a working widow who looks to upend standard garden traditions to create an outdoor theater-fountain on the grounds. After some difficulties she retains a competent crew headed by Duras (Steven Waddington) and earns the respect of the King’s brother, Duc Philippe d’Orleans (Stanley Tucci). She also begins to fall for Andre. Andre is estranged from his haughty wife, Madame Françoise (Helen McCrory), who resents Sabine and conspires to ruin her by using hirelings to completely flood her project while it’s under construction. The project is resuscitated, however, and a chance meeting of Sabine Kate Winslet (right) stars and the King at a garden-supply site bonds the monas 17th-century landscape designer Sabine de Barra arch and the commoner together. Her relationship and Alan Rickman (left) with the King further solidifies, her troubled past is as France’s King Louis XIV overcome, Françoise is finally unmasked, and Sabine in the romantic drama “A Little Chaos.” Photo: Alex and Andre find love as her project reaches completion. Bailey/Focus Features This is historical fiction written by one Allison Deegan, with few pretensions to actual events (de Berra is made up). The question is whether it works as film, which it does in a conventional yet competent way, one cogently built but with few surprises. Rickman may not have flash as a director, but he knows how to work with his fellow actors. You must quickly get past the fact that you are in a 17th-century France peopled mostly by Brits with tidy English accents. Overall they do a creditable job. Matthias Schoenaerts, just seen as the redoubtable Gabriel Oak in “Far from the Madding Crowd,” smolders nicely as Le Notre and shows more range and a more appropriate accent (the actor is, in fact, Belgian) than he did in the earlier film. Helen McCrory overacts as the Madame you love to hate with her supercilious manner and overweening wardrobe. A series of featured roles, with actors like Tucci, Waddington, and Jennifer Ehle, is handled adroitly. Rickman himself is self-deprecating in playing the King as a minor, and appropriately distant, figure. He is wholly imperious when he needs to be but also shows a human dimension when necessary. In an interview the actor found parallels with his task and the King’s: “The only way I could do it was because, in a way, he’s like a director, Louis, From left: Mark Ruffalo, Imogene Wolodarsky, and Ashley Aufderheide star in “Infinitely so you kind of keep the same expression on your face ... like a huge allPolar Bear.” Photo: Claire Folger, Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics encompassing eye that sees everything.” Kate Winslet, meanwhile, shines brightly as the sincere Sabine. This is a woman who is both independent and a pioneer, yet Rickman imposes no facile “contemporary” sheen on the role. Winslet operates with the right amount of deference in a royal setting; while she still “knows
Films of Then and Now: Love Redeemed in a Baroque Landscape and within a Troubled Mind
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MR.HENRY’S LIVE MUSIC @ H E N R Y ’ S U P S TA I R S her place” she is willing to forge a new one. Her intelligent visage and her searching eyes combine with a physical spirit (getting her hands in the dirt) that embodies her strong character. Hers is the kind of performance that Katherine Hepburn specialized in during the early 1940s. Winslet and Rickman especially glow in the meet/cute garden scene, a triumph of delicate fencing and the blending of sensibilities that outshines many another passage of this sumptuous movie. This duet forms the sweet center of “A Little Chaos.”
Infinitely Polar Bear Cam Stuart (Mark Ruffalo) is a husband and father from a wealthy but distant family who has long suffered from manic depression. “Infinitely Polar Bear” opens in 1978, just when Cam has had a manic episode that lands him in a mental hospital. His wife Maggie (Zoe Saldana) and their two young daughters, Amelia and Faith (Imogene Wolodarsky and Ashley Aufderheide), must leave their house in the country and move to a depressing apartment in Cambridge, Mass., where Maggie looks for work. She applies to business school and is accepted for Columbia University’s MBA program, but this means her moving to New York. She reluctantly asks Cam to become the primary caregiver for the girls while she completes her studies. Cam assumes the task, but the girls test his delicate psyche. With such stress Cam realizes that he’s in over his head but, over the course of 18 months, while Maggie earns her degree, he is gradually able to care for his bright daughters as well as for himself. This is a family chamber piece with autobiographical elements from the life of its writer/director, Maya Forbes, a Hollywood screenwriter directing her first film. Forbes grew up in Cambridge with a manic depressive father and a mother who went to Columbia to help provide for her family. Her story depends fundamentally on whether the interaction of the troubled father and his two sharp kids is believable. (Now at selected theaters, rated “R,” runs 88 min.) As it happens, Ruffalo and the girls pull off their intricate relationship with smarts and humor, as the ever-edgy dad learns better to read his girls while they gain patience with his malady. Ruffalo, one of our best character actors, is
completely convincing as a manic personality, never exactly raving but ever struggling with the obsessions and ample disorder of his mind: you see where his parenting can go so wrong, yet you still root for him to succeed. Saldana is a lovely and sincere figure, though she is only a fleeting presence here. It’s the dad and his daughters who carry this heartfelt movie. One nice biographical note: director Forbes cast her own daughter, Imogene, as the feisty Amelia, and the kid is terrific. “Polar Bear” is a family affair, indeed, since Amelia’s father, Wally Wolodarsky, is one of the movie’s producers.
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Short Take – Testament of Youth The English keep mining their past to good effect, especially in myriad TV series. Films, of course, also reflect this passion for their history, and a recent example is “Testament of Youth” (now in area theaters), based on a celebrated World War I memoir by writer/activist Vera Brittain (Alicia Viklander). The film, directed by James Kent, is a fine recasting of Brittain’s personal saga as a well-brought-up yet independent-minded woman and her relationships with three young men, including her fiancé Kit (Roland Harrington) and beloved brother Edward (Taron Egerton), who all go off starry-eyed to war. Desiring to be close to her male cohort, she leaves her studies at Oxford to work as a nurse, a choice that leads her close to the French front lines where her men are fighting. The film is dominated by the 26-year-old Viklander, fresh from her very different role as a robot in “Ex Machina.” The actress, a Swede, convinces completely as a post-Edwardian young woman determined to live a meaningful life and to support the ones she loves. Her standard look here is a concerned and earnest one, which makes her breaking out into the occasional smile that much more dazzling. This is her debut in “carrying” a film, and she does it with flair. (Rated “PG-13,” runs 129 min.) Hill resident Mike Canning has written on movies for the Hill Rag since 1993 and is a member of the Washington Area Film Critics Association. He is the author of “Hollywood on the Potomac: How the Movies View Washington, DC.” His reviews and writings on film can be found online at www. mikesflix.com. u
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t’s America’s flag. It’s America’s story. It becomes Gavin Sewell’s story – alive, vibrating, moving through time and turmoil … and peacetime. People, some famous, drift through with the iconic monuments and half-remembered images of a lifetime. There are so many American stories, and each flag has its own story to tell. It’s ultimately about us. The great big inclusive U.S. We are collectively so many identities, so many interests. We come together to blend, compete, fight … and come together again when it counts. Unlike the usual depictions of the flag, there is no political slant in a Gavin Sewell painting. It’s just us. Maybe that is the highest level of patriotism.
by Jim Magner Sewell grew up in Maine and has studios in New York and Canada. He is a recently added member of Zenith Gallery and is included in the Zenith Chamber of Commerce show for July and August. (See At the Galleries.) www.gavinsewell.com.
Jim Magner’s Thoughts on Art
The United States could just as easily be called The United Fates. “Fate” is as good as any explanation as to how we got here, whether it was 10,000 years ago, or 10. America is that place, at least for the foreseeable future, where people end up. That is about all we have in common when we get here. (Or our ancestors did and we haven’t left.) What seems obvious at first becomes daunting when you write it all down or, in Gavin Sewell’s case, try to create visual histories woven into the fabric of Old Glory. What history? Whose history? Ask any group of citizens what should be put in there, and stand back. As an occasional high school history teacher I know that written history is wrong, not from what is included but from what is left out, sometimes deliberately to satisfy popular mythologies. How do you get around that as an artist? You can’t. You just have to plunge in and let it rip, but don’t forget to make genuine art. In my mind good art justifies a lot of things; great art justifies just about everything. Sewell, I’ve discovered, isn’t afraid to take on tough topics. He is translating James Joyce’s “Finnegan’s Wake,” which he describes as “really, really dense,” into a series of wall sculptures. I recently read Joyce’s “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.” My year in Vietnam was more fun. Teaching my kids to drive was The Banks of the Potomac, 39 x 60 x 3 inches, mixed-media and found objects on wooden panels, 2015, Gavin Sewell more fun. Would I attempt to translate it through a series of paintings? No! This happens in all of Sewell’s Like all Sewell’s work, though, work: the element of surprise. He this will be visual story telling at its begins with a few images from used most challenging and ultimately at books or throwaway magazines. A its best. It will also be about what we layer of paint goes on, and other all have in common. images – story elements – begin to show up, some uninvited but welAt the Museums comed just the same: “My most Gustave Caillebotte successful stories tell themselves.” National Gallery of Art, West Bld. They certainly do. They take over 7th and Constitution NW – To the story with great energy, a dyOct. 4 namic force that bursts out of the Gustave Caillebotte (1848-94) is ordinary and tests the boundaries, the French Impressionist you never capturing you if you venture near. heard of. You haven’t seen his extenVictory Filled, 42 x 60 inches, mixed-media on canvas, 2015
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artandthecity
Artist Portrait: Gavin Sewell
Beneath the Knees of the Gods, 40 x 60 inches, mixedmedia on canvas, 2015
sive and enthralling paintings or looked at Paris in the 1870s and 80s as, perhaps, no other artist could. Now’s your chance. Invited into the Impressionist conclaves by Edgar Degas in 1874 and by Auguste Renoir in 1876, Caillebotte never reached their level of renown for a number of reasons. This exhibition explains it all, but your reward will be the 50 works that the National Gallery of Art identifies as “the most important and beloved paintings of Paris.” But it is not all high hats and steel girders. Paintings like “Nude on a Couch” are downright erotic. This is the first major U.S. exhibit of his work in 20 years, and it may be 20 before you get another chance. Don’t miss it. www.nga.gov
At the Galleries “Stars & Stripes” Zenith Gallery Presents DC Chamber of Commerce 506 9th St. NW – July 9-Sept. 5 Opening reception: Thurs., July 9, 5:00-8:00 p.m. at 1429 Iris St. NW “Stars & Stripes: Zenith Salutes the Flag” is a summer exhibit honoring the most recognizable symbol in the world. Three artists new to Zenith, Patrick Collins, Jennifer Wagner, and Gavin Sewell (see Artist Profile), join others to provide their own interpretations and variations. The materials include paint, metal, mesh, neon, wood, found objects, and canvas. The show is timed with publication of the book “Stars & Stripes: The American Flag in Contemporary Art,” compiled by E. Ashley Rooney and Stephanie Standish. It will be available at the exhibit. www.zenithgallery.com
“James Crable: Streets and Sidewalks” The Heurich Gallery at Boston Properties 505 9th St. NW – Sept. 9 What at first appears to be a geometric abstract becomes an intricate pattern of individuals spaced among architectural elements. James Crable, who has been exploring color photography and the urban landscape for 40 years, says “I am intrigued by the way walls, doorways, sidewalks and stairways create a seemingly theatrical background for all manner of passersby.”
“Wonderful Washington, D.C” American Painting Fine Art 5118 MacArthur Blvd. NW – To Sept. 26 If you want true excellence in landscape and local landmark painting, the Washington Society of Landscape Painters provides it. Their summer show features over 20 of their members and a wide variety of styles and media with interpretations of the city and the surrounding area. classicamericanpainting.com William Christenberry Hemphill Fine Arts 1515 14th St. NW – To Aug. 1 This may be the most poignant yet exorcising show you will ever see. It’s touching and somewhat distressing to see buildings, communities, and time itself crumble and remain only as images captured by an old camera. More agonizing because the man behind the camera is also getting old and fading, like the old Southern farmlands and back roads of Alabama with their barns, and churches and country stores, where he grew up. William Christenberry has been one of the premier photographers of my generation, and we have used up our time so quickly. So much of what was there at the beginning is pretty much gone. Christenberry recorded its passing. Now he and the rest of us are passing. Crumbling. But so many of the dark spirits that permeated our time have been exorcised, and that helps to expel the echoes of despair and allows the beauty of the passing to conquer. www. hemphillfinearts.com
A Capitol Hill artist and writer, Jim Magner can be reached at Artandthecity05@aol.com. His awardwinning book, “A Haunting Beauty,” can be acquired through www.ahauntingbeauty.com. u
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LITERARY HILL
A Compendium of Readers, Writers, Books, & Events Diving Into the Waves
Local poet Sandra Beasley finds inspiration in the unlikeliest of places. In her new book of verse, “Count the Waves,” she riffs on the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the Red Line, and a ukulele. She composes valentines to grave diggers, emperors, and sword swallowers. One of her muses is the author of a 19th-century book, “The Traveler’s Vade Mecum,” who proposed numerical substitutions for common phrases. In ‘“The Traveler’s Vade Mecum,’ Line #1015: ‘Please Come in the Boat of Today,’” for example, Beasley writes, “No pegs, no joists. / Who builds a boat like A new book of verse by a local that? / Only those expecting to unbuild poet offers wordplay, wisdom, and startling insights. Photo: boats like that.” Millie West Her language is frequently playful, sometimes humorous, and always the scene of drug-related shootings. He had plenprecise. She likens a moth, “buzzing in ty of business. “There seemed to be no end to his crumpled tissue,” to “Plácido Domingo / in the the bloodshed,” he writes. “About half of the city amphitheater of my wastebasket,” then concludes seemed to be flaring out of control.” with the lapidary phrase: “To weaken one’s grip Also flaring out of control was Castaneda’s as you crush a thing / is not the same as mercy.” own drug use. Introduced to crack cocaine in Los Beasley expands the limits of language and Angeles while working at the Herald Examiner, he understanding in every poem, offering revelations brought his habit with him to DC in 1989 and was as she bores into relationships and experiences. In soon taking advantage of the open-air drug markets “The Circus,” based on artwork by Toulouse-Lauthat flourished here. S Street “was an around-thetrec, she writes: “His gift: able to see every nature / clock operation,” he writes. “It was a five-minute beneath decoration.” The same might be said of Sandra Beasley, whose willingness to dive under the surface can leave you breathless. Beasley is the author of two prizewinning books of poetry – “I Was the Jukebox” and “Theories of Falling” – as well as a memoir, “Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life.” Visit her at http://sandrabeasley.net/.
Drugs and Deliverance Ruben Castaneda didn’t just cover the DC crack epidemic in the late 1980s and early 90s; he was part of the story. In “S Street Rising: Crack, Murder, and Redemption in Washington, D.C.” he tells both sides. A reporter for The Washington Post, Castaneda was often the first at
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A Washington Post reporter covers the DC crack epidemic while battling his own addiction. Photo: Morad Boroomand
by Karen Lyon drive from my apartment. I couldn’t see a downside.” On the verge of becoming “an embarrassing footnote in the national crack epidemic,” Castaneda was rescued by his Post colleagues, who entered him in a rehab program. “I wanted to be clean,” he writes. “I wanted to smoke half the crack in the city.” Happily the first impulse prevailed. He’s been drug-free for more than 20 years. Entwined with his memoir are the stories of Jim Dickerson, a pastor who started a church on S Street in the midst of the chaotic drug scene, and Lou Hennessey, a captain with the DC Police Department who was committed to making a dent in the violence. Weaving the three narratives, Castaneda deftly portrays “a city on the verge of unraveling,” a city that, like him, eventually achieved redemption. Ruben Castaneda was a staff writer at the Post for 22 years, winning awards for his Washington Post Magazine piece on struggling with addition, and going on to tangle with the Barry administration and to expose abuses in the Prince George’s County Police Department. For more visit www. sstreetrising.com.
Our New Poet Laureate The Librarian of Congress has announced the appointment of Juan Felipe Herrera as the country’s Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2015-16. Herrera is the 21st poet to hold the post – which has been filled by such luminaries as Robert Frost, William Carlos Williams, Gwendolyn Brooks, Richard Wilbur, and Maxine Kumin – and he is the first Hispanic-American to do so. Herrera, who grew up in California as the son of migrant workers, is the author of 28 books of poetry including “Half the World in Light: New and Selected Poems,” which won the National Book Critics Circle Award, as well as novels for young adults and collections for children. His most recent book of poems is “Senegal Taxi.” For more visit www.loc.gov/poetry/.
1960s often involved space modules and titles like “Blast off!” and “Reach for the Stars!” I remember one year timidly approaching the librarian, a salty New Englander who was not shy about making her views known, to request another booklet after mine had gotten filled up by the end of June. “Karen,” she chastised me in her Kennedyesque accent, “you really need to read something ‘uthah’ than mysteries!” So, in memory of librarian Kay Rock, I’ve been making an effort to expand my horizons. Here are some nonfiction titles I’ve enjoyed recently, and I hope you will, too. “Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania” by The Librarian of Congress appoints Juan Felipe Herrera as the first Hispanic-American Poet Laureate. Erik Larson chronicles the familiar tragedy in such vivid and engaging prose that you almost forOn the Hill get it’s a true story and keep hoping it will The Library of Congress presents James turn out differently. McGrath Morris, author of “Eye on the “Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder Struggle: Ethel Payne, the First Lady of the in America,” Jill Leovy’s moving and eyeBlack Press,” July 21, noon. www.loc.gov. opening report about the slaying of a black The Southeast Neighborhood Liteen in South Central LA, holds particular brary hosts the SE Adult Book Club, relevance these days. which will discuss “Empire of Sin” by “Unforgettable: A Son, a Mother, Gary Krist, July 28, 7:00 p.m. www.southand the Lessons of a Lifetime” is a memeastlibrary@dc.gov or 202-698-3377. oir by Scott Simon, host of NPR’s “WeekThe Smithsonian Associates offers end Edition,” about his brave and funny “Dr. Seuss, American Icon: The Legacy mother’s life and death. of Theodor Seuss Geisel,” July 15, 6:45 And I’m currently on the waiting list p.m., and “Revisiting ‘To Kill a Mockingfor two more books that promise distinct bird,’” July 20, 6:45 p.m. www.smithsonipleasures: David McCullough’s new bianassociates.org. ography, “The Wright Brothers,” and “Be tween You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen,” by New Yorker editor Mary Norris. The Lyon’s Share
Dear Readers, What’s on your reading list this summer? When I was growing up our local library in Greenville, Penna., encouraged kids to read over the summer by issuing us little handmade notebooks in which we were supposed to list all the books we’d read. The covers were decorated to reflect that summer’s theme, which in the early
Wouldn’t Miss Rock be proud? Also, be sure to get your kids involved in the DC Public Library’s 2015 Summer Reading Program. Forget little handmade notebooks – they give real prizes! For more visit http://dclibrary.org/summerreading. u
The Poetic Hill
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by Karen Lyon
renda D. Hudson has been writing poetry and songs since she was nine years old; she says that her inspirations are as diverse as her poetry. She has had some work published and hopes to compile an anthology of her work in the near future that will be “number one on the bestseller list!”
You Don’t Get to Define Me! I know that my redeemer lives so you don’t get to define me, yes I have fallen more times than I care to count but each time I said Lord have mercy on me he forgave me So you don’t get to define me my good outweighs my errors yes I am still a work in progress and I will always be until God calls me home and sets me free So you don’t get to define me based on my race, gender and socio-economic status you can offer me positive and constructive advice we all need that in this life but you don’t get to define me when I look over my life my up’s outweigh my downs you don’t get to define me, you don’t get to define me you did not create me this was so nice I needed to repeat my affirmation for life twice I know that my redeemer lives so you don’t get to define me, yes I have fallen more times than I care to count but each time I said Lord have mercy on me he forgave me So you don’t get to define me my good outweighs my errors yes I am still a work in progress and I will always be until God calls me home and sets me free So you don’t get to define me based on my race, gender and socio-economic status you can offer me positive and constructive advice we all need that in this life but you don’t get to define me when I look over my life my up’s outweigh my downs you don’t get to define me, you don’t get to define me you did not create me.
If you would like to have your poem considered for publication please send it to klyon@literaryhillbookfest.org. (There is no remuneration.) u
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Tao Porchon Lynch: Young at 97
This Master Yoga Teacher Is A Living Example of Her Mantra “There Is Nothing You Cannot Do”
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by Pattie Cinelli
ao Porchon Lynch, who is turning 97 in August, has become an international phenomena. She embodies the youthfulness, vitality and joy we all want to have at any age. She is a yoga master, a wine connoisseur (her family owned a vineyard in Rhone Valley), an activist (she marched with both Mahatma Gandhi and Dr., Martin Luther King, Jr.), a competitive ballroom dancer (last month danced to Pitbull’s ‘Fireball’ on NBC’s America’s Got Talent with her 26-year-old dance partner), and a former model and actress who has hobnobbed with Hollywood movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich and Noel Coward. Her life has been and continues to be filled with fun, adventure and intrigue. What may be most remarkable about Tao is her ability to affect the lives of the people she encounters in ways that have nothing to do with yoga. Her calm inner energy allows her to focus fully on whoever is in her presence. I met Tao about 10 years ago through yoga, but she has taught me so much more. She has helped me to find my confidence and to recognize my uniqueness. She also has taught me how to be a better yoga student, teacher and person. She has showed me how to see the beauty in small things and how important it is to connect with nature. She has also helped me to learn how to make the best of things – she has had her share of challenges like all of us. The difference is Tao chooses to focus on what she wants, not what is. Less than 24 hours after I witnessed my aunt’s passing I sought out Tao and her yoga for comfort. She hugged me close and said, “You are a strong woman. It will all be all right.” She was so soothing. I let out a big sigh. I often have recalled those words and how she saw strength in me I didn’t know I had. My cousin Elizabeth Bluett, 20, met Tao when she was just 17. She had no experience with yoga, but her
mom had and brought Elizabeth to a workshop with Tao in upstate New York. “I didn’t have an interest in yoga and I didn’t know what to expect from Tao, who was 93 at the time. When I met her she took my hands into hers, looked me directly in the eyes and said. ‘You are so beautiful.’ No one had ever said anything like that to me before.” Elizabeth, who continues to study yoga with Tao every summer, says that first experience was “completely life changing for me. She changed my perspective on everything- how I view life and how I view living. I don’t think I would have grown to be where I am right now if it wasn’t for Tao.” Tao has certified more than 1600 yoga teachers and has led more than 35 yoga retreats in Bali, India, Morocco, Peru and France. She has been an invited guest in places such as Sri Lanka, Budapest and Moscow. Her YouTube videos have received more than one million hits. Her credentials are impressive. Tao received her first paid yoga teaching job from fitness guru Jack LaLanne, and was one of the first women to study with yoga masters B.K.S Iyengar and K. Pattabhi Jois. She has been named the world’s oldest yoga teacher by Guinness World Records in 2012.
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Tao keeps a schedule that would tire a 30-year-old. When she is not traveling to yoga workshops or to dance competitions, her day usually starts at 5:30 a.m. and often ends around 9:30 p.m. She teaches at least six classes a week in Westchester County, New York where she drives around in a bright blue Smart car. Tao grew up in Pondicherry, India with her uncle. When she was eight years old she saw boys doing yoga on a beach and wanted to do it. “It’s not ladylike,” her aunt told her. Ten years later she took her first class. That feistiness and determination serves her well throughout life. When she got her first of three hip replacements several years ago the surgeon told her, “You’ll never be able to do Lotus position (cross-legged) again.” She told him, “I am not interested in what I can’t do. I only want to know what I can do.” She later sent him a photo of her in Lotus. Last year when she was asked to dance in Russia Tao went to the Russian embassy to obtain a visa. When they saw her age they initially told her, “You’re too old to travel.” Tao’s determination persevered and she made that trip to Russia. You can buy Tao’s book, watch her videos, listen to her interviews, meditate with her CD, or see her on TV and YouTube, but if you really want to experience the wonder of Tao, catch her uplifting energy and witness first-hand what it truly means to live long and well you must meet her in person. She is visiting the Washington metropolitan area this
month - July 24, 25 or 26 on U Street, in Vienna, VA and Baltimore MD. • July 24 – Buddha B Yoga – 1115 U St., NW, buddhabyoga.com • July 25 – East Meets West Yoga, Vienna, VA. Eastmeetswestcenter.com • July 26 – Baltimore Yoga Village. Baltimoreyogavillage.com If you are an experienced yogi, the lessons will be awe-inspiring. If you’ve never taken yoga, there is no better person with which to start your journey. Her memoir: Dancing Light: The Spiritual Side of Being Through the Eyes of a Modern Yoga Master, will be published this month. Her story illustrates what is possible – we can each live life to our highest potential and dance to our own rhythm. “It focuses on storytelling using Tao’s own poignant voice based on more than 70 hours of video interviews conducted by me and my mother Janie Sykes-Kennedy,” said Teresa Kay-Aba Kennedy, who is a Harvard trained strategist, writer and yogi. Tao’s blog: www.thetaoexperience.com., shares some of the fascinating stories about the incredible adventures she has experienced. For more information on Tao log onto: www. taoporchonlynch.com. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Pattie Cinelli is a fitness consultant and writer who teaches and writes about exercise, health and a holistic approach to wellness. She is available for consultations, lectures and personal training sessions. Please contact Pattie at:fitness@ pattiecinelli.com with your questions and story ideas. u
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fitness@pattiecinelli.com July 2015 H 129
{health and fitness / our river}
Our River: The Anacostia Cycling The Trails of The Anacostia by Bill Matuszeski
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ummertime! And time to get out and oil up that bicycle for some wonderful rides along the Anacostia River and its feeder streams. All along the main stem of the River and nearly all its tributaries, we have been blessed by generations of thoughtful city, county and federal officials who preserved the banks in parks and natural areas, and built trails for hikers and bikers. The trails are nearly all paved and generally level, so perfect for cycling at a leisurely pace. Some are along roadways, some deep in the forests, and
New trail bridge in Anacostia Park. Photo Credit: americantransportationawards.org
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all have lots of bridges and banks and curves as well as benches and picnic tables at regular intervals. Down along our parts of the River in DC, we have the Riverwalk on both sides from the South Capitol Street bridge to Benning Road, with a few spots still a bit rough, but improvements underway. And above the Bladensburg Marina and Park in Maryland there are many miles of trails suitable for biking. But a lot of us don’t use those trails right now because there is a gap of about three miles along the River between Benning Road and the marina. That is about to change, with a con-
necting trail currently under construction along the east bank and through the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. It is promised to be open by next spring. But there is no need to wait! The secret to accessing those upper trails is Metro. You can take your bike on Metro at no extra charge from 10 to 4 on weekdays and all day weekends; just use the elevators and the ends of the cars, where there is more space to handle bicycles. Many of the trails described below end at the Bladensburg Marina and will tie in with the new trail connection into the District. But for now, you have some perfectly viable options to get home. By bike, head south on Bladensburg Road a few blocks and then cut over west on any of a number of quiet residential streets to the Catholic U Red Line Station. From there you can head home via Metro or take the new Metropolitan Branch Trail to Union Station and bike back home from there. Alterna-
way. Once on the trail, you pass a natural area laid low by a cyclone that hit a few years ago and a portion of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, before entering along the University of Maryland campus. The trail meets the Northeast Branch Trail at Lake Artemesia, a man-made lagoon with parks and gazebos scattered around.
Bikers on an Anacostia Trail. Photo Credit: anacostiatrails.org
Northeast Branch Trail From Lake Artemesia it is only a little over 3 ½ miles to Bladensburg Marina, but there is lots to see, starting with the Lake itself. The trail passes by the historic College Park Airport and Museum, well worth a stop. It follows the stream through a series of community parks and recreation areas serving a large Latino population, and joins the Northwest Branch a mile or so above the Marina.
The Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC)
tively, a little less than two miles above Bladensburg Park on the West Branch lies West Hyattsville Metro on the Green Line, which serves the Navy Yard area and neighborhoods east of the River. Now, as for the Trails themselves and what they offer:
Sligo Creek Trail This one is the Gold Standard, whether you are looking for length, number of bridge crossings or beautiful gardens. Starting at the end of the Red Line in Glenmont, it is a good 15 miles to Bladensburg. From the Metro, follow surface roads to Brookside Gardens, a horticultural masterpiece in Montgomery County with display gardens and greenhouses to wander. Head through the Gardens to the back entry gate to Wheaton Regional Park and bike to the other side. After a couple blocks of residential neighborhoods and a school you reach the beginning of the Trail, which follows a rolling and twisting course through the woods along a stream. After a couple miles you pick up the Sligo Creek Parkway, which comes alongside occasionally; but generally you have a clear and quiet trail along the stream in the forest with occasional playgrounds and recreational centers all the way to the intersection with the Northwest Branch Trail a few hundred yards above West Hyattsville Metro.
Northwest Branch Trail If you want to feel on your own and isolated from the world, this trail is for you. The advantage is that it has the deepest valley and the thickest forest of any of the trails. The disadvantage is that there is no Metro access to the top, so it must be done as a round trip. But the top end is at the Beltway and only seven miles from Bladensburg. The lower end looks a lot like the Sligo Creek Trail, but after passing by the Adelphi Mill, and a beautiful old restored structure that serves as a community center, you head upstream into a deep wooded canyon with hillsides of forests tumbling into a rushing stream, and without a building in sight. The spell is broken near the end of the trail where the noises of the approaching Beltway on a bridge high overhead overcome the sounds of falling water. Just turn around and enjoy it again!
Paint Branch Trail This trail can’t be beat for variety over a short distance. It is only three miles from the top to its confluence with the Northeast Branch Trail; but in combo with the latter, it is nearly seven miles to the Bladensburg Marina. Add to that a rather long ride of a mile and a half from the closest Metro Station (Greenbelt) on Lackawanna Street and Cherry Hill Road to the trailhead near the Belt-
While this is not an area served by trails, it is a vast rural landscape in the Anacostia watershed with many roads suitable for biking. To get there, take Metro to Greenbelt Station on the Green Line, and cross the Beltway to Greenbelt, a 1930’s Federal experiment in compact community living that retains much of its design and charm in this era of seeking sustainability. There are a number of options to bike through Greenbelt and then into the BARC countryside. At the end of your explorations, bike back to the Greenbelt Metro and head home. Many more bike trails are in the planning stages. One will come out New York Avenue to the Arboretum and connect with a new bridge to be built for hikers and bikers over the Anacostia, for the first time connecting the Arboretum and the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. It will tie into the trail now under construction to connect Benning Road to Bladensburg. Others will connect the Anacostia trails to Bowie and Annapolis and eventually all the way to Maine! But don’t wait for all that! Get on your bike, get out and explore Our River’s watershed! Those trails are just waiting for you. [Bill Matuszeski writes monthly about the Anacostia River. He is the retired Director of the Chesapeake Bay Program, current Chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee on the Anacostia River and a member of the Mayor’s Leadership Council for a Cleaner Anacostia River] u
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{health and fitness / pets}
Pets Feel Pain Too
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By Dr. Keith de la Cruz
ur pets feel pain too. Seems obvious, right? You might be surprised to know that pain management is a relatively new field in veterinary medicine. Because our pets can’t talk to us (at least not in our own language!), knowing how and when they feel pain can be a challenge. But more and more we are appreciating how important recognizing and treating pain is. What is pain? Pain is a complicated process but ultimately it is caused by a signal sent by nerves to the brain, where this signal is felt as pain. Possible triggers for pain signals can include mechanical (cutting, crushing, tearing), thermal (burns or frostbite), or chemical (like getting soap in your eyes) injuries. Pain can be shortterm or long-term (chronic). Pain can also come from within, such as we see with organ diseases and cancer. There was a time when we used to think a little bit of pain was a good thing. People would say that the pain helped keep our pets quiet so they could rest more and heal faster. Without a doubt this has been disproven by many different scientific studies. Now we know that pain slows healing. Pain is meant to alert us to an injury and protect us from repeating the injury, but when pain lingers it delays healing. Patients whose pain is controlled heal faster and with fewer complications than those whose pain isn’t controlled. One of the biggest challenges in our pets is telling when they are in pain. Dogs and cats definitely show signs of pain, but dogs and cats show pain very differently from each other and of course very differently from humans. Some of the signs are obvious to us, but others can be difficult to recognize or missed if we don’t know to look for them. It is usually easier to detect pain in dogs than in cats. Some of the more obvious signs include limping or crying. Chewing or licking at something is often due to itchiness but can sometimes indicate pain. Many times the only sign of pain will be subtle changes in behavior such as being less active or even sleeping more. Not eating can be a sign of many things, but pain is one of them. If you get good at reading dogs’ facial
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expressions, sometimes you can detect pain in the look of their eyes or the way they carry their ears. Cat pain is much harder to appreciate. Cats naturally tend to hide their pain. This is an adaptive response that helps them avoid seeming weak or ill to predators or competitors. Unfortunately it often makes it difficult to tell when they are in pain. Their symptoms are usually very subtle. They will tend to be less active, sitting quietly and doing very little. Their appetite might decrease. Occasionally you can pick up signs of pain in their face, again by the look of their eyes and the way they carry their ears. Many times we have to make assumptions about when our pets are in pain. Whenever we are dealing with an illness that we know causes discomfort in people, it is probably safe to assume it also causes pain in our pets. When we see pets with arthritis, torn ligaments, cuts and bruises, and eye injuries, we know these must be uncomfortable. Less obvious but still potentially painful conditions include bladder infections, pancreatic disease, and other internal diseases. Dental pain deserves special attention. This is probably one of the hardest types of pain to appreciate in our pets. We know when we have a sore tooth, it hurts. Those of us who have ever had a toothache can appreciate just how miserable it feels. We assume our pets must feel similarly when they have dental disease, but they don’t show it so it is hard to know. Our pets will usually continue to eat no matter what, even in the face of horrible dental disease. Since we can’t talk with them, we can’t know just how bad they might feel. We do know that often after dental disease is treated many cats and dogs will act happier and livelier. The good news is we now have many different options for managing pain in our pets. Of course treating or eliminating the illness that is causing the pain is the most important goal. However, medications, physical therapy, and other alternatives are used to treat pain until the illness is resolved or in cases where it cannot be completely resolved. If you are concerned about pain in your pet, your veterinarian can help evaluate them and treat them if needed. No pet should have to live with untreated pain. Dr. Keith de la Cruz graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in 2002. Dr. de la Cruz is an associate with AtlasVet (the Atlas District Veterinary Hospital) at 1326 H St. NE. Dr. de la Cruz is currently the treasurer/secretary of the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association and is a past president of the Northern Virginia Veterinary Medical Association. u
St. Mark’s Saturday teen class in a blue period. Photo by H. Schoell.
Ms. Walker’s little ballerinas at the St. Mark’s Dance Studio recital in June. Photo: H. Schoell. Ms. Brooks’ dancers Samantha and Mary Jane, center, graceful and elegant. Photo: H. Schoell.
D
ance instructors Rosett a Brooks and Dorothy Walker of the St. Mark’s Dance Studio (www.stmarksdancestudio.org) gave Capitol Hill a dose of culture on June 6, showcasing their students’ hard work with a two-session recital. The morning session featured the youngest dancers in their adorable costumes, and the afternoon offered impressive performances by teens and adults. See the website for information on how to sign up!
Adult dancers (l to r) Tori, Renee, Cyndi, and Patricia at the St. Mark’s Dance Studio recital. Photo: H. Schoell.
St. Marks Dance Studio Recital by Heather Schoell
Reece Pauling in a dramatic moment at the St. Mark’s Dance recital. Photo : H. Schoell.
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{kids & family} NO T EBOOK
by Kathleen Donner Shake Up Your Saturdays at the Folger Consider the way Shakespeare uses time in his plays, find timekeepers in the language and examine the role of clocks in the Folger exhibition, Ships, Clocks & Stars—The Quest for Longitude. "O Time, Thou Must Untangle This, Not I" is on Saturday, July 4, 10 a.m. Stars are everywhere in Shakespeare’s plays and poetry. Consider the ways they give light and show the way in Shakespeare’s world and see how that helps navigate the world in the Folger exhibition, Ships, Clocks & Stars—The Quest for Longitude. "Let All the Number of Stars Give Light" is on Saturday, Aug. 1, 10 a.m. Shake Up Your Saturdays happen on the first Saturday of each month. Children ages 6-12 and their families are invited to join them for this hourlong program to have fun learning and sharing Shakespeare’s language and experiencing the Folger. Register at folger.edu. The Folger Shakespeare Library is at 201 E Capitol St. SE. Photo: Tracy Russo, Courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library
July 4th Family Activities at the National Archives From 11 a.m.-4 p.m., kids can participate in a variety of hands-on family activities including: collecting autographs; making cockades; listening to stories of the nation’s patriotic past at 11 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m., and 3 p.m.; making colonial-style wigs; and signing the Declaration of Independence. Between noon-4 p.m., meet Revolutionary figures Abigail and John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Ned Hector, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. Taste American Heritage Chocolate in the Visitor Orientation Plaza. archives.gov/calendar/july4
Friday Night Fishing at Diamond Teague Park Friday nights through Sept. 4, 5-8 p.m., join Anacostia Riverkeeper at Diamond Teague Park (by the Nat’s Park at 100 Potomac Ave. SE) for catch and release fishing. This free event is a wonderful parent/child experience with the Anacostia River. ancostiariverkeeper.org
Newseum Summer Fun Deal for Kids The Newseum offers everything from the Berlin Wall and Pulitzer Prize-win-
ning photos to interactive games. There’s one more great reason to visit--kids get in free! July 1 through Labor Day, the Newseum waives admission for youth visitors age 18 and younger. Up to four kids visit for free with each paid adult or senior admission. Adult (ages 19-64) admission is $22.95 plus tax and senior admission is $18.95 plus tax. Newseum is at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. newseum.org
Help Plan a New Playground at RFK Events DC, which currently manages the RFK site, is seeking community members to participate on the planning committee for a new playground. Anyone interested must contact Phil Toomajian, Chair, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6A at PhilANC6A@gmail.com.
Joe Romano, Magician, at Rosedale Library On Monday, June 29, 11 a.m., comic books, graphic novels, and all books related to “heroes” come to life through the art of magic and illusion. For ages 5-10. Rosedale Neighborhood Library, 1701 Gales St. NE. 202-727-5012. dclibrary.org/rosedale
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{kids and family / notebook}
The Winter Patriots is available to view for free at mountvernon.org/winterpatriots. Image: Courtesy of George Washingotn’s Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon Releases New Animated Feature “The Winter Patriots” Washington’s crossing of the icy Delaware River on Christmas Day 1776 is one of the most remarkable and well-known events in American military history. Why did this crossing on a freezing winter’s night matter so much? The Winter Patriots, Mount Vernon’s cutting-edge video presentation, looks at not only this pivotal moment of the American Revolution, but also the battles and challenges confronting Washington and his army at places like Trenton and Princeton. Starting during the summer of 1776, the story follows the Continental Army as it is repeatedly defeated and driven from New York, south across New Jersey towards the Delaware River. After crossing over the Delaware River on Christmas Day, Washington’s Continentals swiftly defeated three different armies at three different battlefields around Trenton and Princeton. Washington’s lightning campaign, coupled with timely guerilla actions, completely unhinged the British position, forcing their precipitous retreat back towards New York. The Winter Patriots is available to view for free at mountvernon.org/winterpatriots.
Kids Learn to Play Pokemon! at Labyrinth Kids Learn to Play Pokemon! on Thursday, July 25, 5-7 p.m. This is the perfect event for children that beg for Pokémon cards and love collecting them, but don’t really understand the game. The game of Pokémon is very strategic and improves math skills. This two-hour class is for children ages 6-10, and parents do not need to attend with their children. Each child will receive a complete deck of the latest Pokémon cards, which is included in the cost.
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Space is limited. Parents must register for this class at labyrinthdc.eventbrite.com. Cost is $30. Labyrinth Games & Puzzles, 645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202544-1059. labyrinthgameshop.com
Sports Family Festival at the American Art Museum On Saturday, July 11, 11:30 a.m., come meet players from some of DC’s professional sports teams and the Washington National’s Racing Presidents. This fun and sports-oriented afternoon will be full
of crafts, scavenger hunts, and activities for all ages. Free. Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and F Sts. NW. americanart.si.edu
Dr. Seuss, American Icon: The Legacy of Theodor Seuss Geisel On Wednesday, July 15, 6:45-8:45 p.m., at the S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW, Seuss scholar Philip Nel examines how and why Theodor Seuss Geisel’s books became an essential part of growing up. He delves into the energetic car-
toon surrealism of his illustrations and the swingy rhyme that keeps young readers hooked on his verse. Galvanized by the propaganda work Geisel did during World War II, some of his books have a politically activist slant, and Nel looks at how Dr. Seuss took on issues including racism (The Sneetches), environmentalism (The Lorax), and nuclear proliferation (The Butter Battle Book). Get insights into the man behind the art as Nel covers Geisel’s German-American childhood in Massachusetts, his war years and postwar life in California, and his two marriages. Nel connects Geisel’s longtime career in advertising to the rigor with which he controlled the merchandising of his characters. Learn, too, of Geisel’s lasting legacy as an author and artist—from his characters serving as political shorthand in editorial cartoons to his influence on hip-hop lyrics. Nel is a scholar of children’s literature and university distinguished professor of English at Kansas State University. He is the author of Dr. Seuss: American Icon and The Annotated Cat: Under the Hats of Seuss and His Cats. Enjoy a light reception after the program featuring Seuss-inspired green eggs and ham. Tickets are $45. For tickets and further information, call 202-633-3030 or visit smithsonianassociates.org.
$1 Ice Cream and $1 Hot Dogs at Nat’s Park On Monday, July 6, 7:05 p.m. game vs. the Cincinnati Reds, $1 ice cream novelties will be available for purchase at select Nats Dogs stands until the start of the 6th inning, while supplies last. On Monday, Aug. 3, 7:05
H y p e r L o c a l | hīpər
. lōk(ə)l |
connotes information oriented around a well defined community with its primary focus directed toward the concerns of its residents. synonym:
HillRag.com
Daily online. Monthly in print.
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{kids and family / notebook}
p.m. game vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks, $1 hot dogs will be available for purchase at all Nats Dogs stands and additional select locations until the start of the 6th inning, while supplies last. washington. nationals.mlb.com
Family-Friendly Community Forklift First Fridays Through Oct. 2, Community Forklift will stay open late on the first Friday of the month (Aug. 3, Sept. 4 and Oct. 2), 6-8 p.m., to throw a party for the whole family. Expect live music, games, food. Community Forklife is at 4671 Tanglewood Dr., Bladensburg, MD. communityforklift.org
Blue Sky Puppets at Southeast and Northeast Libraries On Monday, June 29, 11 a.m. at Southeast Library and Friday July 17, 10:30 a.m. at Northeast Library, laugh and learn with Chester the Pig, who dreams of having Superhero Powers. The puppet show also celebrates community heroes. For ages 3-6. Southeast Neighborhood Library is at 403 7th St. SE. Northeast Library is at 330 7th St. NE. dclibrary.org
Waterfront Church Sunday Summer Funday On Sunday, June 28, 4-6 p.m., at Courtyard Marriott, 140 L St. SE, 2nd floor, celebrate summer with free bounce houses, crafts, games, candy, and more! bit.ly/fundaywc
Creature Feature in Rock Creek Park Calling all kids: every Friday, 4-4:30 p.m. through Aug. 28, come meet Pokey, Atwee, Tiki, Oscar, and Fire during this informal program. Learn about park wildlife and then assist the rangers in feeding the Nature Center’s live critters. Geared for ages 4-10. This program is at the Rock Creek Nature Center, 5200 Glover Rd. NW. 202-895-6070. nps.gov/rocr
Mars Day! at Air and Space Mars Day! is on Friday, July 24, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at the National Air and Space Museum. Mars Day! is an annual event that celebrates the Red Planet with a variety of educational and fun family activities. Visitors can also talk to scientists active in
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Mars research and learn about current and future missions. airandspace.si.edu
Free Summer Meals Program for Kids The D.C. Free Summer Meals Program designated to support parents and families has begun. All kids and teens 18 years of age and younger can receive free meals at hundreds of locations across all eight wards. No questions asked. No parents required. No ID needed. Kids can walk into any open meal site and eat for free. To find a site, residents can visit dcsummermeals.dc.gov or text “Food” to 877877.
Fun With Flowers Youth Photography Workshop at the Botanic Garden On Saturday, July 18, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. or 2-4 p.m. (second workshop repeats the first), come to the USBG to explore the wonders of photographing flowers while learning the basics of photography. Over the course of 2 hours, students ages 10-13 will learn how to use photography skills in nature as an artistic tool, sharing the joy of nature through the lens of a camera. Each workshop will only be open to 10 participants. Adults should be on-site for the duration of the workshop and are encouraged to take part with their children. No outside materials are necessary. Each participant will be given (to use and then return) their own camera with instruction on basic use, followed by a demonstration of the basic composition of the camera itself. Each participant will produce a print as well as a piece of artwork (vine/ root sculpture) similar to that of Romeo and Juliet by renowned artist Steve Tobin, currently on display at the USBG. The workshop is free and preregistration is required. Visit usbg.gov.
Paul Merklein, Cartoonist, at Southwest Library On Thursday, July 2, 2 p.m., cartoonist Paul Merklein draws famous faces from Dr. Seuss books, Halloween, Banned Books, Super Heroes and... people right from the audience. Participants also learn some drawing techniques. For ages 5 and older. Southwest Neighborhood Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW. 202-724-4752. dclibrary.org/southwest
“Saturday Morning at the National” Free Performances for Children On Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. there are free live performances for children in the National Theatre Helen Hayes Gallery. Tickets are required and distributed first come, first seated. Tickets are distributed 1/2 hour prior to performance. One ticket per person in line. The National Theatre is at 1321 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. 202-7833372. Here’s the remaining summer line-up: July 11, Andres Salguero, ¡Uno, Dos, Tres, con Andres!; July 18, Bright Star-Aesop’s Fables; July 25, Katherine Lyons: Transformations Imagination; Aug. 1, Rainbow Puppets: Pirate Party. Read more at thenationaldc.org.
Family Jazz Day at Glen Echo Park A Family Jazz Day will be held at Glen Echo Park on Sunday, July 19, 3-7 p.m. The afternoon features the US Army Blues Band, the Blues Alley Youth Ensemble and other youth jazz bands. Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD. glenechopark.org
Sleepovers at Two Smithsonian Museums The Smithsonian Associates presents true Night at the Museum experiences for children in the National Museum of American History and, for the first time, the National Portrait Gallery. Sleepovers begin at 7 p.m. and end at 8:45 a.m. the next morning. Kids and their chaperones will experience the museums in a whole new way during a night of fun that features tours, games, crafts and more. Remaining Sleepovers at the National Museum of American History (ages 8-12) are July 18, Aug. 1, Aug. 14 and Aug. 28. Sleepovers at the National Portrait Gallery (ages 10-14) are July 25 and Aug. 22. There must be at least one adult for every three children in any group. Chaperones must be 21 years or older. No adults without children. All participants must pre-register by calling 202-6333030 or by visiting the Smithsonian Associates box office located in the S. Dillon Ripley Center at 1100 Jefferson Dr. S.W., Suite 3077. Tickets are $135. The price includes exclusive access and activities in the museum, an evening snack, interactive exploration, arts and crafts activities and a light
APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR Apply for admissions at: www.myschooldc.org Pre-K to 3rd grade
Building on our strong foundation as an early childhood program
breakfast. For more information, visit smithsoniansleepovers.org.
The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant) at the National Theatre The BFG is the world’s only friendly giant. He operates in the strictest of secrecy to bring good dreams to the human world, while his nasty counterparts steal and have the despicable habit of eating children. Upon meeting little orphan Sophie through her window, he whisks her away to his home in Giant Country. Together they embark on an adventure to Buckingham Palace to get help from the Queen and save the children from the other giants! Nominated for eleven Helen Hayes awards; winner of two (Outstanding Set Design, Hayes Production and Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences). July 14-25. Best for ages 5, up. The National Theatre is at 1321 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. 202-7833372. thenationaldc.org
Reston Kids Triathlon On Sunday, Aug 2, 8 a.m., join Reston Association and the Reston Y in their fifth annual Reston Kids Triathlon. Age groups and distances for 6-8, 9-11 and 12-14 years old. Distances are 50-200m swim, 1.14 mile bike, .6-1.4 mile run. This is USA Triathlon sanctioned event. restonkidstri.org
Kids Run the Bases at Nat’s Park Kids ages 4-12 can run the bases after select Nationals games. Kids Run the Bases begins immediately following the game, weather permitting. Remaining dates are: July 5 and 19; Aug. 9, 23, and 30; Sept. 6, 20 and 27. An adult must accompany runners to the field. One adult per child on the field. Starting at first base, kids will be directed to run
around the bases as the adults continue along the warning track and meet the runners near home plate. Once the game has ended, it takes the grounds crew approximately 20 minutes to prepare the field. Kids and parents/guardians can begin lining up at the end of the 7th inning, however fans that would like to stay and watch the entire game will still be able to line up once the game has ended. Participants must exit the ballpark through the Right Field Gate. The line forms outside of the park on the sidewalk along First St. washington.nationals.mlb.com
Stephen Strasburg Bobblehead Giveaway
Spaces available for students in K thru 3rd grade, enroll today. Bridges PCS is an expanding elementary school growing to serve grades Pre-K–5th by 2017-2018. • • • •
Before & After Care Small classroom size and well trained staff Individual planning for each student Hands-on and project-based curriculum
Free and open to all DC residents Tuition paid by non-residents.
www.bridgespcs.org 1250 Taylor Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011 p: 202.545.0515 Accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Voted one of the Best Preschool in DC, City Paper Readers Poll 2013 -2015!
For the 2016-2017 school year Bridges PCS will be in our new location: 100 Gallatin St. NE, Washington, DC 20011.
www.bridgespcs.org
A Stephen Strasburg Bobblehead will be given to first 25,000 fans on July 5, 1:35 p.m. game vs. San Francisco Giants. washington.nationals. mlb.com
The Puppet Company at Glen Echo Presents “Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs” When Snow White meets seven vertically challenged bachelors, she discovers that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, and that friendship and teamwork make any challenge smaller. Based on the Grimm fairytale, this production takes the Puppet Co.’s usual sideways view of the popular story, giving it timeliness and humor for adults as well as kids. “Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs” runs through Aug. 9. $10. Appropriate for preK-grade 4. Running time is 40 minutes. The Puppet Company, a Center for Exploration of the Puppet Arts, is at Glen Echo Park, 7300 Mac Arthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD. 301-634-6380. thepuppetco.org u
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School Notes
Blyth-Templeton Academy A New Hill High School is Coming!
A new high school is coming to DC this fall! Blyth-Templeton Academy will be a much needed addition to the DC area*. It is perfect for students who thrive with experiential learning in small, strong academic settings. Its unique features include: Block schedule 3 periods a day of 2 hours, 20 min; 2 courses per 10 week term; 4 terms per year - 4 points of entry; average class size of 8 students; small school size of ~100 and tuition under $15,000. Blyth-Templeton Academy is currently enrolling students. Lease negotiations being finalized for a wonderful Capitol Hill location. For more information, please contact Lee Palmer at 202-847-0779 or LeePalmer@BlythTempleton.org.
Washington High School Student to Study Chinese in China on US Department of State NSLI-Y Scholarship Theodore Shoag, a rising junior at Washington Head of School Lee Palmer and Academy Administrator Latin Public Charter School has been awarded a Sarah Richards National Security Language Initiative for Youth of Americans who can engage (NSLI-Y) scholarship for 2015with native speakers of critical 16. Theodore will study Chinese languages. The goals of the in China for the summer. NSLI-Y program include Theodore, a graduate of sparking a life-long interest Capitol Hill’s School Within in foreign languages and a School at Peabody and cultures, and developing a Watkins Elementary, and an corps of young Americans with active Capitol Hill Boy Scout, the skills necessary to advance is one of only 620 competitively international dialogue and selected students from across cross-cultural opportunities the United States who will in the private, academic, and receive a scholarship to study government sectors. Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, NSLI-Y is administered Korean, Persian, Russian, or by American Councils for Turkish overseas this year. International Education in While in China, Theodore cooperation with AFS-USA, will receive formal instruction American Cultural Exchange and informal language practice Service, AMIDEAST, Chinese Theo Shoag will study Chinese this in an immersion environment. summer as part of the National Language and Culture Center The NSLI-Y program Security Language Initiative for of Maine, iEARN-USA, Legacy seeks to increase the number Youth award.
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by Susan Braun Johnson
International, Russian American Foundation, Stony Brook University, the University of Delaware, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Wisconsin. Applications for 2016-2017 NSLI-Y programs are expected to be available at www. nsliforyouth.org in the early fall. For information about US Department of State-sponsored exchange programs visit http://exchanges.state.gov.
Miner Elementary School As the end of the year came quickly, Miner students celebrated a successful year in many ways. From going to a Washington National’s game to participating in an all-school outdoor field day, Miner was on the move!
Annual Field Day Fun The PE department worked for months to put on a day-long outdoor fun fest for Miner students in all grades. Every student spent almost the whole day out in the sunshine on June 9 learning about healthy eating habits, staying fit and active, and spending time outdoors. The students tried more than two dozen activities, from basketball, soccer, volleyball, and field hockey to bean bag toss, parachute fun, running races, and the slip and slide! Thanks to the generous supporters who were able to provide a bounce house, snacks, volunteer hours, and fun!
Fourth and Fifth Grade Take New York Miner students went on a series of field trips to New York City to see the sights, partake in theater, and generally have an unforgettable experience. Some students went on day trips while other groups were able to spend the night and view a performance of Wicked.
Miner’s First Yard Sale The school held its first yard sale in May, and it was a big success! Parents of student who are joining Miner next year, the PK3 Rising class, got together to host a sale as a way to celebrate and support the PTO that will be joining Miner in the fall. - Holly Harper. Miner, 601 15th St NE. www. minerelementary.org.
Miner fourth- and fifth-graders visit the big apple in June, riding the subway and touring the Statue of Liberty.
Van Ness Elementary School Updates Van Ness Elementary School renovations have begun, and the school is on track to reopen its doors for the 2015-2016 school year.
Van Ness Staff Under the leadership of Cynthia Robinson-Rivers, Van Ness Elementary School is poised to provide an outstanding education. As a demonstration of their commitment to providing students a quality education, award-winning, experienced, passionate teachers have been selected. The founding staff include the following exceptional educators: Courtney Daignault (PK3): Courtney Daignault has taught early childhood for over 20 years. She currently teaches a mixed-age class of 3 to 5 year old children in the Reggio-inspired program at Miner Elementary School. Courtney was chosen to be filmed by DCPS to train administrators in the Teaching and Learning Framework (TLF) and early childhood best practices. In those films, her ability to nurture and support young learners, while also encouraging their independence and critical thinking is evident. Courtney has been a new teacher mentor, a site demonstration teacher, and is National Board certified in early childhood instruction. Scott Harding (PK3): Scott Harding has served as an early childhood teacher and administrator in DCPS since 2006. He currently is the assistant principal at Peabody (primary campus of the Capitol Hill Cluster) where he oversees instruction for twelve
classrooms from PK3 to Kindergarten. Prior to this, Scott taught at Maury Elementary School, where he received a Rubenstein Award for Highly Effective Teaching. Scott led the implementation of the DCPS Family Engagement Collaborative, training teachers on strategies to improve school-family relationships. He also was featured in the DCPS initiative “Reality PD,” which showcases outstanding teachers in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD-aiOeZc84. Alva Braxton (PK4): Alva Braxton has taught PK3, PK4, and Kindergarten during her extensive teaching career. She currently teaches PK4 at Randle Highlands Elementary School, where she leads the school’s conservation efforts through a recycling, gardening, and composting program. Alva has served on the Chancellor’s Teacher Cabinet, led her team as grade level chair, and was endorsed by the developers of the Tools of the Mind curriculum as a model classroom where other teachers could observe outstanding, playbased instruction. Maggie O’Connell (PK4): Maggie O’Connell has taught in a wide variety of early childhood settings, including private preschools, public, and charter schools. For the past three years, she has served as an early childhood instructional specialist for DCPS, providing support to teachers across several schools. In this role, she coaches teachers and leads them in professional development on research-based early childhood practices. Maggie has expertise in implementation of the Creative Curriculum and use of the CLASS observation tool for assessing early childhood classrooms. Michelle Johnson (K): Michelle Johnson has taught Kindergarten through fifth-grade over the course of her teaching career. She currently teaches second-grade at Seaton Elementary School, where she was awarded the Milken Educator Award. Prior to teaching in DC Public Schools, Michelle worked as an elementary educator in Abu Dhabi (UAE) and Prince George’s County, MD. Michelle participated in the DCPS Common Core Reading Corps, developing a literacy curriculum that is used district-wide. She serves as a Capital Commitment Fellow for DCPS and trains fellow teachers on the Whole Brain teaching strategies she successfully uses in her own classroom.
dc.gov or 202-903-5887) for additional information about becoming a part of DCPS history by enrolling in Van Ness Elementary School’s kindergarten class. - Tara Cheston, DCPS, 1200 First St NE. 202-9035887; tara.cheston@dc.gov.
Brent Elementary Brent Fifth-Grade Field Trip to Calleva Brent Elementary fifth-graders visited Calleva in Maryland for an overnight camping trip. Students and teachers pushed their boundaries rock climbing, zip lining, tackling groups, rope course challenges and camping in tents! Everyone had a great time.
Congrats “The Brent Community would like to extend its congratulations to the fifth-grade class as they move to middle school and know that they will continue making us proud.” – Denise Diggs, Brent Elementary, 301 North Carolina Ave SE, www.brentlementary.org, 202-698-3364.
School-Within-School at Goding Growing Time It’s summer, which means it is growing time at SWS.
Kindergarten Kindergarten spots available. In-boundary kindergarten enrollment does not require lottery placement. Contact Tara Cheston (Tara.Cheston@
Brent 5th graders embark on end of the year camping trip.
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The school has been adding a grade each year since its move to the Goding building. This coming school year, SWS is adding two fourth-grade classes, headed by Caitie Meehan and Jordan Loftis.
SWS Goes to the Chickens After visiting Oxon Hill Farm this spring, several classes at SWS brought back fertilized chicken eggs to incubate in the classroom. A few weeks later, the school was home to a small flock of chicks. Some of the names bestowed on the chicks: Ruth Bader Chicksberg, Thurchick Marshall, Falcon, and Falcon II. Also this spring, two adult hens (along with their coop) moved into the side yard of the school, where they are free to peck for insects. The hens usually provide two fresh eggs each day, which are incorporated into recipes as part of the
Chickens join the SWS team.
small treats to fling to the crowd. Look for the SWS banner at the corner of 8th and I Streets SE. The parade starts at 10 a.m., so marchers should meet by 9:30. - Hannah Schardt. SWS at Goding, 920 F St., NE; 202 727-737;schoolwithinschool. org.
Maury student performance of Schoolhouse Rock
Maury Elementary Space Camp After experiencing Honeywell Educator @ Space Academy in Huntsville, Alabama last year, Science Coordinator, Vanessa Ford was determined to get the entire fifth-grade class to Space Camp. After 9 months of fundraising—busking, food sales, movie nights and more—all twentyfive of them had that chance. There was no mandatory parent contribution; all funds raised went toward the combined cost of the trip. The students, plus six Maury staff members, flew to Alabama early on June 3 to begin their adventure. From astronaut training simulators to space history lessons, a tour of United Launch Alliance’s main campus to guiding their own shuttle mission, the Maury students were engaged, from breakfast to bedtime, in learning activities. Ms. Ford’s goal is to make this an annual trip for the fifth-grade class, so the current fourth-graders have already begun planning. For more about the students’ experiences, visit http://maurythinktank.blogspot.com.
Schoolhouse Rock FoodPrints program. Those recipes also include produce from the SWS garden.
Come March with SWS in Your Red, White & Blue! Want to show school pride while celebrating Independence Day? Join School-Within-School in marching in the annual Capitol Hill 4th of July Parade. Wear red, white, and blue or—better yet— an SWS shirt! Decorate strollers or wagons and bring
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Who remembers “Conjunction Junction” and “I’m Just a Bill (on Capitol Hill)”? A new generation was introduced to these classics – and more - in Maury’s May production of Schoolhouse Rock. Students not only performed all the parts, they also created the props and scenery.
Sock Super Heroes Ms. Bomba’s fourth-grade art students fabricated their own personal super heroes from socks and found materials. These “avatars” incorporate the students’ ideas about their own best qualities –
what makes each of them “super”. Their work is on view in the ground floor gallery at HillCenter through mid-July. - Elizabeth Nelson. Maury Elementary, 1250 Constitution Ave., NE. Carolyne Albert-Garvey, Principal. (202) 698-3838 or mauryelementary.com. .
Capitol Hill Day School Becoming *Edited version of CHDS Head of School, Jason Gray’s Graduation Address It is my privilege to stand before you on graduation day, surrounded by a fantastic community of learners and the best faculty and staff ever. The sights and sounds of a school day are fascinating to me. I appreciate the look of struggle and the face of confusion: phonetically correct misspellings; good mathematical thinking that may lead to a wrong answer; young children talking through a social conflict that may or may not get resolved. I enjoy observing the focused attention and hard work through which a previously unrealized idea unfolds. The sense of ambiguity, lingering questions, and visible emotions are signs that learning is taking place. Learning is a never ending endeavor, and as learners we are forever unfinished works. Education writer Marc Prensky writes that the learning process is ultimately about the act of becoming. Eighth-graders, whether you started as a four year old or arrived more recently, your time at Capitol Hill Day School has been a period of becoming; a time of learning with and from
others. You have begun to develop a sense of who you are and learned the value of being selfless. You have realized passions, discovered likes and dislikes, and identified personal strengths and weaknesses. As you reflect on your graduation, ask yourself: What have I become today that I wasn’t before? Have I become a better thinker? What kind of person have I become to achieve these accomplishments? Have I moved in a positive direction to better myself and society? You have accomplished much but remember that you are an unfinished work. Embrace the opportunity to be someone different tomorrow than you are today. We are proud of all that you are, and excited for all that you will continue to become. Capitol Hill Day School, 210 South Carolina Ave, SE,202386-9919,
Eliot-Hine School Eliot-Hine’s Eighth Grade IB Projects Eliot-Hine began implementing community projects, part of the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP),
for the first time this school year. The projects encourage students to reflect on their learning and the outcomes of their work – key skills that prepare them for success in further study, the workplace and the community. They also provide an important opportunity for students ages 13-14 to collaborate and pursue service learning. The MYP projects are student-centered and they enable students to engage in practical explorations through a cycle of inquiry, action and reflection. Some of the topics included: a toiletries drive for the homeless, teaching a class about nutrition, facilitating a girls’ mentoring group, building a recreation center, and advocating to end violence against women. As the students became more involved in the self-initiated and self-directed learning process, they found it easier to construct in-depth knowledge on their topic and develop an understanding of themselves as learners. They presented their projects to panels of Eliot-Hine staff members the week of May 25. Congratulations to the Eliot Hine graduating Class of 2015!
CHDS Class of 2015, Photo: Ashley Parham
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to life on stage at the Atlas program. This year’s theme is Every Hero Has a Performing Arts Center on Story—and J.O. Wilson students will be reading H Street. Her companions, many of the book offerings this summer! -Kate Baloo the bear and Sweeney, Librarian, J.O. Wilson Elementary Bagheera the panther, School, 660 K St. NE, www.jowilsonelementary. played by fifth-grader Ettaorg Leigh and fourth grader Naimah, respectively, along St. Peter School with many other talented Moving On Up! second through fifth- grade On June 5, St. Peter School eighth-graders student performers, rallied donned caps and gowns and processed in St. the jungle animals to defeat Peter’s Church for the Graduation Mass. Honors the tiger Shere Khan, awarded included the St. Peter’s Award to the played by second-grader student who embodies the spirit of St. Peter School Christy. Music teacher through solid academic achievement, leadership, Michael Taylor, who led spiritual development, and demonstrating respect the students through the for classmates and teachers to Ashley Frago and song, choreography and class co-valedictorians to Robby Hickmott and acting learning process, Nathaniel Rutledge. Also, the newest members Eliot-Hine broadcast students Nafisa Weeks and Shamar McCain hanging directed the show. He said, of the O’Sullivan Society were recognized for out with Nats left fielder Tyler Moore. Adorable! “I like to give the students attending St. Peter School from Pre-K through the chance to perform in a eighth-grade, including Jack Cooper, Ceceilia E-H Roundup real theatre. A performance on the stage in the Frazier, Robby Hickmott, Joe Holliday, Martha A group of 20 students visited the University of school cafeteria is great, and everyone loves it, but Hrdy, Rhys Melcher, and Nathaniel Rutledge. Maryland and Howard University last month to tour the opportunity to act in a venue like the Atlas Graduates, many of whom were awarded the campuses and start exploring college options. means that they’ll never forget this experience. scholarships and invitations to take part in honors Eliot-Hine Radio and TV had the opportunity Many thanks to the to interview RGIII at a recent football camp held ANC 6C Commission at Anacostia High School. Other guests last month Congratulations to the St. Peter School Class of 2015 for supporting the included Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer production. Niles and speaker/author Mildred Muhammad, ex-wife of DC sniper John Muhammed. EliotSummer Bookworms Hine staff and families enjoyed DCPS Nats Summer’s here, but Night on June 3. Two students, accompanied by that doesn’t mean that broadcast teacher Mr. Birks, provided live prestudents should turn off game coverage. their brains. Summer Reading is alive and Thank You, CHCF! well at J.O. Wilson! The On behalf of E-H students, staff, and families, school hosted librarians thanks and hugs to the Capitol Hill Community from the Northeast Foundation for their support for the academic and Library (DCPL) to talk creative efforts at Eliot-Hine. Their commitment about their exciting to the community is invaluable! - Eliot-Hine’s summer program. Community Affairs Director Tammy Whyte. EliotDCPL’s children’s Hine Middle School, 1830 Constitution Ave NE. librarians Lizzie Nolan 202-939-5380. www.eliothinemiddleschool.org. and Cassie Freeman had an excited audience J.O. Wilson Elementary School as they talked about The J.O. Wilson student production of “Jungle the prizes available for Book Kids” was a smashing success on June 4. students who complete J.O. Wilson fifth-grader Dakara brought Mowgli the summer reading
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programs, were accepted by top area high schools including Academy of the Holy Cross, Bishop O’Connell, DeMatha College High School, Elizabeth Seton High School, Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School and Gonzaga College High School. Congratulations to the St. Peter’s Class of 2015!
amazing principal! We’ve been together since kindergarten and it’s as if we’ve “grown up” with you and now you will see us off to middle school. We are happy to have had the opportunity to learn and grow under your leadership. We feel prepared to face what middle school will bring, but are sad that the almost 300 students behind us might have to miss out. Performances and As Principal, you offered us Adventures opportunities to learn inside and St. Peter School student End the School Year outside of the classroom. You prepares for their Movie A year of innovative teaching taught us that learning could be Night under the stars! strategies designed to engage fun. You always encouraged us to students in the joys of learning do our best, especially preparing culminated with a host of performances, adventures for tests and that we could use things we learned here and celebrations. The annual Middle School Drama in real life. One thing I’m sure we’ll never forget is: Festival featured performances of select scenes from DATA! These meaning-filled numbers charted our Winnie the Pooh, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, growth from the beginning of the year to the end and and the Odyssey. Meanwhile, fifth-grade students the number of classmates above proficient in Text performed Macbeth at the Folger Shakespeare Library & Reading Comprehension has almost doubled! as part of the George Didden Student Shakespeare Renovation transformed our old school into a state Festival. The entire cast proudly represented the of the art building. Unforgettable experiences like Bard! Meanwhile, teachers embraced expeditionary the Poetry Slam, joint Science Fair with Watkins ES, learning by taking advantage of the national treasures Bully Terminators, D.A.R.E. Dance, Junior Cadets right outside the school’s front doors. Seventh grade with MPD, “Live It, Learn It” and S.H.I.N.E. were students embarked on a class bike tour of historic incredible. I know I’ll miss our lunchtime chats. We sites along the National Mall, with each student never knew a busy principal would take the time to sit presenting an oral report at assigned locations before and just talk with students. You listened and it meant pedaling off to the next destination. Members of the a lot. sixth-grade safety patrol headed to the National Zoo We promise to make you proud. To “ROAR” to spend a day with the animals and fourth graders as the Respectful, On time, A+ Attitude-having and celebrated the Hindu festival of Holi - also known as the festival of colors. The school’s youngest learners headed to Discovery Theater for a puppet show and members of the band rounded out the school year with a spectacular performance. The entire school community wrapped up the school term and kicked off summer break with Outdoor Family Movie Night that included watching a movie under the stars with popcorn and ice cream. Wishing the St. Peter School faculty, students and families an adventure-filled summer! –Sally Aman. St. Peter School, 422 Third St, SE; 202-544-1618, www. stpeterschooldc.org
Payne Elementary An Open Letter to Principal Marcus Dear Principal Marcus, Thank you for being an
Payne’s Fearless Leader, Principal Vielka Scott-Marcus
Responsible Wildcats we have been raised to be. As the promoting fifth grade class of Payne Elementary School, possibly, the last one under your leadership, we would like to say thank you for all that you have done for us and for our Payne family. The Payne community is much better because you were in it. With love and respect, Princess Courtney, Damarie Johnson and The Payne ES Class of 2015 Payne Elementary School – 1445 C St, SE; FOLLOW US!;Facebook: PayneES; Twitter: @ PayneDCPS and @PrincipalPayne Instagram: PayneDCPS New website coming soon.... www. PayneDCPS.org
St. Anselm’s Abbey School Holds 70th Annual Vespers of Graduation 22 Distinguished and Diverse Young Men Comprise Class of 2015 St. Anselm’s Abbey School held its 70 Vespers of Graduation ceremony on May 30 at the Devine Performing Arts center on the school’s campus. This group of 22 young men holds the distinction of securing 116 collective college acceptances. Moreover, when each student walked across the stage, he joined a tightknit group of more than 1,550 alumni. “The St. Anselm’s Class of 2015 exemplifies our mission of turning great boys into extraordinary men,” said Bill Crittenberger, the school’s Headmaster. “This group is extremely accomplished academically, altruistically, and spiritually. It is a privilege to have had a part in laying the groundwork for their future endeavors.” Out of this extraordinary group, two have been selected to speak at graduation. Henry Beh has received the Austin Scholar Award for Academic Excellence. C.J. Pizzano has been selected to receive the St. Anselm of Canterbury Award for Outstanding Service to the School Community. Both will have their respective honors bestowed upon them before addressing their fellow classmates, families, and friends. www.saintanselms.org. - Amy Talley, Jefferson Communication’s atalley@jeffersoncomm.com.
Chavez Schools-Capitol Hill Campus Welcomes New Principal for 2015-2016 School Year Chavez Schools is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Beverly Donovan as the new Principal at the Capitol Hill Campus, in SE, DC. Dr. Donovan comes to Chavez Schools
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with nearly twenty years of successful teaching and administrative experience in the urban public, and private school environments. She is passionate about facilitating the success of schools by creating a culture of continuous learning for students and adults that is datadriven and supported by a professional learning community. Dr. Donovan has lead the way for the effective implementation of new educational emphases and standards in schools. She is also credited with creating a culture of accountability, elevating the educators’ instructional practices, narrowing the educational divide and the implementing innovative programs that educate the whole child. Dr. Donovan firmly believes that the education of the urban child must not be in any way inferior to those with whom they must compete. Chavez Schools currently serves over 1,400 students from grades 6-12 in three campus locations in Capitol Hill, Columbia Heights, and Parkside communities. www. ChavezSchools.org.
Capitol Hill Cluster School New Principal Peabody Primary and Watkins Elementary will welcome a new principal this summer: Elena J. Bell. She comes to the Cluster from John H. Vanderpoel Elementary, a fine and performing arts magnet school in Chicago. Bell began her education career as a second-grade teacher in Atlanta. She worked five years as a teacher before becoming an early-intervention coordinator and instructor. She was accepted into Harvard University’s principal residency program and spent one year as the resident principal at an elementary school in Brookline, Mass. She was resident principal at a Chicago school focused on science, technology and math, before moving to Vanderpoel Elementary. Bell was the unanimous and enthusiastic choice of the panel of Cluster parents, teachers and community members who interviewed candidates for the job. The Cluster will be operating under a new administrative structure next school year. Dawn Clemens, who has been principal of all three campuses, will lead Stuart-Hobson Middle. Bell will appoint a new assistant principal at Watkins and a new assistant principal at Peabody.
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Jungle Book Kids performers shine on stage
Matthew Van Hoose played along. The Pre-K4 team has been deeply engaged in a “pet study.” Each classroom has at least one classroom pet that students are learning to take care of. The school had a visitor from Reptiles Alive who brought with her many different reptiles and amphibians for each of the classrooms to see. - 425 C St. N.E.
Watkins Elementary
The Capitol Hill Classic a Success Once Again In other Cluster-wide news: The Capitol Hill Classic raised $107,000 this year for the Cluster School. It was a remarkable year for this community event – neighborhood road race and a key fundraiser for the school’s three campuses.
Peabody Primary Keep an eye out at the construction fence around the Hine School redevelopment for large-scale art by Peabody kindergartners. The students created a beautiful mural featuring a huge cherry tree, with a warm summer sun above and rich soil and earthworms below. This project is being sponsored by Stanton-Eastbanc Development and is for the Hine Development Construction Fence Project. The banner will be hung on the exterior construction fence surrounding the Hine School, and is scheduled to be hung in early summer, along with banners from other area schools. Kindergartners took a trip to the Kennedy Center and explored the instrument petting zoo, followed by a program of string and percussion instruments to learn about rhythm, tempo, and pitch. They had a chance to go on the real stage and see the Kinderclassic show, Beethoven at the Ballpark. NSO violinist Glenn Donnella played his Electric Slugger, a fiddle made out of a baseball bat. National’s ballpark organist
The Watkins Choir performed at Nationals Park for M&M’S Opera in the Outfield. The choir’s performance was part of the activities to air before the broadcast of Gioachino Rossini’s opera, “Cinderella,” performed by Washington National Opera. The Cluster School held its first STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Fair at Watkins in June. Students showcased their science-fair projects, and awards were given out to the top three winners from third, fourth and fifth grades. In second-grade social studies, students are making microloans through an organization called Kiva.org that funds small projects that can make a big difference to people around the world. The students are choosing from applicants from the countries they are studying and then writing opinion pieces to support their choices. Students will make $1 donations. The repaid loan will follow them to third-grade, when they will be able to lend again. 420 12th St. S.E.
Stuart-Hobson Middle Student presented the musical “Fame” at the end of May in Stuart-Hobson’s newly renovated auditorium. The musical was the second this year. Stay tuned for more great shows next year. The Stuart-Hobson Music Department also hosted musicians from Jazz at Lincoln Center in a performance sponsored by Washington Performing Arts. The performance was a part of Lincoln Center’s “Jazz for Young People” program. These performances are a mixture of history and music as the artists perform music from the early days of this uniquely American musical product. Guest artists included Sam Reider on accordion and vocals, Noah Garabedian on bass, Willie P. Clark on drums, Justin Poindexter on guitar and vocals, and Dom Flemons on vocals, guitar, banjo and the bones. - Capitol Hill Cluster School PTA
communications team.410 E St. N.E. www.capitolhillclusterschool.org
Capitol Hill Middle School Students Win Design Contest for 395 Overpass
to help students build team-work skills, as each group involves every member in both conceiving of a design and putting it into place. It’s unique in the city in that it allows students to get outside of the classroom and do the type of practical hands-on learning that typically does not happen until high school or college. Up to 15 students are selected from each school to attend the CityVision program during the fall or spring semester. Because it’s a selective group, rising sixth-graders at Hobson are already eagerly awaiting the opportunity to do their own design work next school year. -Vince Morris. President, Capitol Hill Cluster School PTA, Father of a
The current overpass above Interstate 395 in downtown DC is a windy, dusty and unwelcoming place. But what if some creative young minds reimagined it in a new way? With outdoor open-air theaters. Raised gardens for fresh produce. And a lazy-river inner tube floating park? How pleasant would it be then? These are among the ideas conceived by Stuart Hobson Middle School students who recently competed Stuart Hobson Middle Students Win Design Contest for 395 Overpass in a challenge set up by the National Building Museum. Their work mirrors an ongoing making the area nicer. Cost is not an real-life challenge as the District government and object and students are encouraged private developers come up with ways for using to simply think big. overpass space in a more productive way. The group from Hobson was led But in this case the Stuart Hobson students by Chelsea DeAngio, who works fullwere encouraged to think outside the box for time as the librarian at Stuart Hobson remaking that space with their own set of priorities in addition to her work on the City in mind – like putting on musicals during the day, Vision project. Left to right: swimming and listening to music. DeAngio said she enjoyed Faith Hudson and Those Hobson students spent the spring Anthonya James, working with the students each learning basic concepts of urban planning, stormClass of 2015 week on this and watched as their salutatorian and water runoff, green construction and a range of understanding of design concepts valedictorian. other ideas that most students never learn about improved a little bit at a time. until college – if then. By the end of the project, During a May presentation of their designs students were coming up with ideas for farming, held at the National Building Museum after it seventh- grader at Hobson Middle School and a elevated walkways and the types of community had closed to the public for the night, the Hobson fifth- and third-grader at Watkins Elementary. gardens that already draw neighborhoods together students – who partnered with students from For more information about Stuart-Hobson: across Ward 6. Burroughs Education Campus – spelled out their www.capitolhillclusterschool.org Stuart Hobson Middle School has had a longvision with three district proposals. standing relationship with the Building Museum All three groups of students designed and Thurgood Marshall Academy over the years and each year a handful of seventhbuilt projects for the overpass after a series of visits On June 12, Thurgood Marshall Academy (TMA) graders at the school set aside one day a week to to the site earlier in the spring. As part of their work, seniors graduated and celebrated four years of visit the museum for instruction. The program they were encouraged to interview people on the achievement with scholarships totaling more runs for 12 weeks and Stuart students spent each street about their experiences and observations and than $3 million. TMA continues its tradition of Thursday at the museum learning from City Vision write detailed assessments of the buildings in the 100 percent of college acceptance. Over 800 leader Andrew Costanzo. area – both the good and the bad. family, friends, and TMA supporters attended the The program is aimed at teaching the CityVision sessions start by teaching kids basic graduation, which was held at Matthews Memorial students how to sketch and do architectural elements of the design process. Each session is then Baptist Church. Thurgood Marshall Academy drawing, build models, to learn about engineering tapped with working on a specific neighborhoods Public Charter High School, 2427 Martin Luther and construction and most importantly to come up where they observe and collect information for King, Jr. Avenue, SE. u with innovative designs. The program also works
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{home & garden}
Dillon Davidson hammers while Brad Ogilvie and Jessie Brouwer support the frame.
“Can’t” Is Not a Word
to Use
article and photos by Cheryl Corson, RLA, ASLA
Planting peppers, tomatoes, a squash, and a cabbage in the new bed.
T
he art of the possible is embodied in the 3 x 5 foot wooden raised garden bed William Penn House volunteers have just built and planted for a Northeast DC woman who has spent the last 60 years in this row house. This is her first vegetable garden. She says she especially looks forward to eating her own fresh tomatoes, as we discuss approaches to possible competition with hungry squirrels. A roll of lightweight and inexpensive bird netting, easily obtained from neighborhood garden centers, fastened to four stakes in the garden bed’s corners, will help protect the green tomatoes as they start to ripen. A notorious white-faced squirrel known on the block as Albi is seen as a particular challenge, the woman says, adding hopefully, “but I haven’t seen him around for a while.”
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{home and garden / hill gardener}
Community Garden Volunteers William Penn House is a Quaker center at 515 East Capitol St. founded in 1966 (http://www. williampennhouse.org). It is known to many, even internationally, though not to some locals who may have walked by it for years on their way to breakfast at Jimmy T’s on the corner. The center is full of interns, volunteers, guests staying in its 30-bed hostel, and a small, dedicated staff including Brad Ogilvie, program coordinator and organizer of the community garden effort. Environmental awareness is part of the William Penn House mission, and this latest effort to build modest garden beds for Wards 6, 7, and 8 seniors and underserved residents, while simple, has a big reach. Ogilvie and a handful of volunteers and interns arrive at 10:00 a.m. on a recent Saturday. After a short organizational meeting upstairs they head for the center’s backyard and plantstaging area, and the garage, where they pick up pre-cut lumber, tools, and donated bags of soil to load into volunteers’ pickup trucks to take to two nearby sites. Besides Ogilvie our work group consists of Dillon Davidson and Jessie Brouwer. Ohio native Davidson is a sophomore at Quaker-based Wilmington College in Ohio. His upcoming thesis project on international agriculture sounds more like a life’s work and will soon take him to Africa, Canada, and various U.S. locations. Though his interests are global he clearly enjoys this cellularlevel agriculture project, encouraging the morning’s garden recipient to poke lots of peeled garlic cloves into the soil to help deter pests. Volunteer Brouwer is an IT consultant who lives in Southwest DC. She found out about this service opportunity through National Community Church on Barracks Row (https://theaterchurch. com/location/barracksrow), which organizes Second Saturday Serve, when volunteers gather at Ebenezer’s Coffeehouse at 201 F St. NE at 9:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month to sign up for a service opportunity for that day. Having picked the William Penn House, Brouwer lends her pickup truck and quiet, capable attitude to the raised-bed vegetable garden project.
Feeding the Soul This project is a good example of the simplicity valued by Quakers. Although fancier hardware is avail-
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Grass and weeds are removed before the garden frame is placed.
able, these 1 x 6 inch boards are just nailed together. It’s enough and keeps costs down. Each garden bed takes an hour or so to build and plant with a sampling that may include tomatoes, peppers, squash, cabbage, or melons. Recipients find the program by word of mouth and wait only a few weeks for their new garden after calling the William Penn House. To date 40 raised beds have been installed and there is a waiting list of 30 more, far surpassing the original goal of 25. Ogilvie teaches others that the meaning of these gardens far exceeds their modest size. “We are changing how we relate to the land around us, and we’re going from food deserts to food hubs,” he says. “For some homebound seniors it improves quality of life and may even prolong life. These gardens feed people and they feed the soul.”
Plants and People This raised-bed project and the larger community garden movement of which it is a part connect people and organizations throughout the city and beyond. Ward 6 resident volunteers visit neighborhoods in their shared Anacostia watershed that may be physically near yet seemed worlds away. Volun-
teers from rural areas or other countries who may be experiencing an urban environment for the first time have been inspired to initiate similar efforts in their home communities. “What we all really want,” says Ogilvie, “is relationships, and this work facilities that. It’s consistent with the Quaker values of mindfulness, connectedness, and service.” The nonprofit organization Washington Parks & People donates the vegetable plants used by William Penn House in the raised beds. Since 2004 the nonprofit group has owned the Riverside Healthy Living Center, now home to DC’s first comprehensive community food hub. Together with support from a long list of public agencies the center operates a model urban farm and native reforestation nursery at its Marvin Gaye Community Greening Center adjacent to Marvin Gaye Park. Marvin Gaye Park is a linear park along the valley of an eastern branch of the Anacostia River. A 30-minute walk from the Minnesota Avenue station on Metro’s Orange Line, the Riverside Center offers an amazing array of activities and green job-training opportunities (http://www. washingtonparks.net/riverside). On Thursday,
July 2, the Riverside Center will host a potluck party and open house for volunteers and others who wish to see the Marvin Gaye Community Greening Center up close. Check their website for details.
Getting Involved All are welcome to join William Penn House volunteer crews. Donations are also welcome for things like hammers, nails, toolboxes, hand pruners, garden gloves, plant stakes, and even blank plant tags. To learn what you can do contact Brad Ogilvie (brad@william-
are over. If you grow okra or collard greens in your front yard you may soon meet neighbors you never knew before, in the same way that dog owners talk at the dog park. As the Saturday William Penn crew fills empty soil bags with grass removed from the raised-bed area before heading out to their next stop, the new garden owner’s granddaughter, a recent DC high school graduate, chats with neighbors who are watching the new garden taking shape. Will she help with the garden, they ask? “I can’t,” she replies, “I have no green thumb.” Her grandmother softly intervenes,
Garden ingredients ready to bring to the site.
pennhouse.org) or call 202-543-5560. You can also lend a hand to garden-bed recipients, particularly if you have grown vegetables before. Weeding, staking, and mulching the beds will be welcomed by some. Showing people how to tell when certain vegetables like peppers or squash are ready to eat may sound funny but can be a big help for first-timers. You can also grow a veggie or two in your own front yard. Our mental divide between edible and ornamental plants is slowly and surely dissolving, and the days of relegating any vegetable to a hidden corner of the yard
saying, “‘Can’t’ is not a word to use.” In a few weeks, perhaps, this next-generation gardener will eat a tomato that grew in her own yard and wonder what else is possible in gardening and in life. Cheryl Corson is a local licensed landscape architect and writer working on Capitol Hill and beyond. She looks forward to attending the July 2 pot luck at the Marvin Gaye Center. For design assistance, visit www.cherylcorson.com. u
July 2015 H 151
{home and garden}
Streetlights
Finding a Balance Between Safety and Health
M
any Hill residents have a love/hate relationship with streetlights. We love the safety they provide by illuminating our lushly treed streets while disliking the harsh light that penetrates our bedrooms and disturbs our sleep. More than one Hill denizen has taken to blacking out a portion of a nearby streetlight in an effort to avoid the annoying glare. Light pollution, usually defined as lighting that is excessive or that shines where it’s not needed, is now being addressed in several cities as its negative impact on the climate, humans, and wildlife is becoming understood. As a part of its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions Paris is reducing the energy consumed in lighting its streets, squares, and buildings by 30 percent by 2020. In April of this year New York State announced that government buildings would turn off nonessential lights from 11:00 p.m. to dawn through the spring and fall – peak bird migration times. Meanwhile New York City is considering legislation requiring buildings 20 stories and higher to turn off lights after midnight if no one is inside. Landmarks such as the Empire State Building would be exempt. When it comes to mitigating light pollution there are two aspects to consider: the fixture and the bulb.
Fixtures The worst light pollution is caused by streetlights that emit light upward into the sky. Unfortunately DC’s ubiquitous “Washington Globe” is a prime example as it sheds light upward, wasting energy and causing glare. On Barracks Row these globes are spaced 30 feet apart (versus the standard 60 feet) and create so much glare that they actually impede vision and make it difficult to see far down the street. Minneapolis banned globe
152 H Hillrag.com
by Catherine Plume
fixtures due to their inefficiency. Fully shielded lights that block light from escaping above the light source have become the gold standard for controlling light and glare.
Light Bulbs Advances in energy-saving light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have further exacerbated light pollution as initially these lights were designed to produce light only in the blue portion of the spectrum. Incandescent and high‐pressure sodium streetlights burn warmer with a yellowish glow. You can see the contrast of these two lights on Capitol Hill. Kim’s Garden, located at North Carolina, Independence, and 8th Street SE, includes several blue burning LED lights while the surrounding street lights burn in the warmer, yellow spectrum. Blue light causes more glare, while exposure to artificial light at night, particularly blue light, suppresses the production
of melatonin which helps regulate sleep cycles in humans – and wildlife. Chronic disruption of these cycles can result in long-term health issues. For many wildlife species mating, migration, sleep, and foraging patterns are determined by the amount of darkness they are exposed to. The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) (www. IDA.com), which works “to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting,” recommends using LED lights with a color‐correlated temperature of no greater than 3000º Kelvin.
What’s Happening in DC? DC is known for its light pollution, and few District kids can identify constellations such as Orion or the Big Dipper in our night sky. Light pollution is recognized as an environmental hazard in the District’s Comprehensive Plan. In 2011 DC issued
a request for proposals (RFP) to maintain its 70,000 streetlights and increase light efficiency with no regard for light pollution mitigation. The procurement resulted in a lawsuit, and the RFP was cancelled in May 2015 with next steps to be determined. A DC chapter of the International Dark Sky Association has recently been established, and updates and news about light pollution and actions that cities are taking to mitigate this problem can be found on the DC IDA Facebook page. Meanwhile DC’s Chevy Chase Advisory Neighborhood Commission has started a lighting task force that would welcome input from Capitol Hill residents. DC resident and IDA President Jim Dougherty notes, “The right amount of lighting, applied in the right place and at the right time, will fully assure our safety and security, while minimizing the energy use, financial costs, and residential light trespass. It’s a myth that doubling light produces improved safety.” IDA has recommendations for mitigating light pollution while saving money and energy: • Turn off outdoor lights when they aren’t needed. • Install timers so fixtures turn off automatically at a set time. • Motion sensors are built into many models and illuminate lights only when movement is detected, thereby providing security while mitigating excessive light. • A wide variety of low-glare light fixtures is available. An IDA approved database of fixtures can be found at http://www. darksky.org/ida-fixture-seal-of-approval/ search-approved-fixtures. • Install LED and CFL bulbs that emit light at 3000º Kelvin or less. And, as always, remember to shop locally at Frager’s Hardware and W.S. Jenks & Son on Bladensburg Road for these items! Catherine Plume is a lifelong environmentalist, a writer, and a blogger for the DC Recycler: www. DCRecycler.blogspot.com; Twitter @DC_Recycler. u
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What is the difference between Siberian Iris and Japanese Iris and which should I plant? Both have attractive tall, thin leaves. Both are easy to grow. Siberian irises tolerate part shade, are stunningly beautiful in a thousand cultivars, and like ordinary soil that is moist -- but not standing water. Pick these if you can assure some moistness. Japanese Irises are the hardier, also stunning, with huge, often ruffled flowers. They need slightly acid soil, lots of organic matter, and more sun, six full hours a day. They flourish in wet environments, even in shallow water. A fellow gardener with whom I compete (secretly) tells me she has had great luck with green manure. I’ve never even heard of it. Should I get some? I barely know what manure does in a garden. ‘Green manure’ refers to a crop of buckwheat or grass – a green crop that farmers plant from seed to improve depleted soil. The buckwheat grows quickly and is turned over and tilled back into the soil. For your small plot, a top-dressing of an inch or so of good compost (humus) will do as well. Or try composted animal manure. It provides essential soil nutrients, which in turn im-
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Keith Roofing
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In a nutshell, what is the difference between a native plant and a weed? Weeds are plants we don’t want. One man’s weed (the dandelion, say) is another’s treasured salad green or wild flower, and vice versa. This subject, however, is tricky. Native plants were here before the White Man, and are part of a complex ecological web that supports plant, insect, bird, fish – all animal life, really. If a native plant dies out (usually because it has been crowded out by an invasive plant from outside its habitat -- English Ivy, and European purple Loosestrife are but two examples – the insects, birds, animals dependent on that plant also die -- a whole chain of being. Every part of the world has its own native plants – which are not native in other parts of the world! Further, experts seem to distinguish between invasive plants that grow in the wild, which they call Weeds, and non-invasive ones, which they call Native Plants. In addition, anything that has been hybridized – its genes monkeyed with by man to make it stronger or bigger or prettier -- is not a native plant any more. So, in a nutshell, a native plant grows in the wild and is not invasive. A weed is just something that somebody doesn’t want around – for any reason. The Capitol Hill Garden Club’s regular monthly meetings on the second Tuesday evening of each month will resume on Tuesday, September 8, 2015. Membership details: www. capitolhillgardenclub.org. Feeling beset by gardening problems? Send them to the Problem Lady c/o The Capitol Hill Garden Club at andrew@ hillrag.com. Your problems might prove instructive to others, and help them feel superior to you. Complete anonymity is assured. u
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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:
HillRag.com
Daily online. Monthly in print.
July 2015 ★ 163
{the last word}
The Community Remembers
Charnice Milton
A Great Loss to Ward 7 I am saddened by the news of the untimely passing of Charnice A. Milton. This is a great loss to Ward 7 as Charnice was not only a resident, but was actively involved with her community through her work as a journalist.
Charnice grew up in the Fairfax Village neighborhood and most recently lived in the Ft. Davis community. She attended Anne Beers Elementary and went on to accomplish many goals in her 27 years. Despite some challenges, Charnice received a full scholarship to attend Ball State University. She also received her Master’s from Syracuse University. She was an extraordinary young woman who had a passion for issues that affected not only Ward 7, but every community that lies East of the Anacostia River. Her work as a reporter for the East of the River newspaper was stellar. Regularly covering community meetings, she touched the lives of many as she become familiar with many ANC commissioners, civic association leaders and residents. My prayers are with her mother, Francis Milton and her entire family. Charnice will be greatly missed. Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander
Charnice Will Be Missed On behalf of the Board of Directors of the William O. Lockridge Community Foundation (WOLCF), I want to extend our deepest sympathies on the sudden and tragic passing of Ms. Charnice Milton.
I first had the pleasure of both meeting and being interviewed by Charnice several years ago. She first interviewed me in 2013 in conjunction with the Foundation’s annual Dancing with the Scholars fundraiser, which she also attended. Charnice also interviewed me in 2014 in relation to a program she covered entitled “Impact Day” at Hart Middle School, where the WOLCF partnered with Deloitte and offered stu-
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dents the opportunity to develop school apps to address bullying, homework and school lunch experiences. In each and every encounter with Charnice, I always found her to be professional, friendly and extremely knowledgeable of the community that she covered as well as resided in. Charnice will be missed. Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Wanda D. Lockridge, Chairwoman and Executive Director
ANC 6B Resolution on Charnice Milton’s Murder Whereas Charnice Milton was a life-long Washingtonian who graduated from Bishop McNamara High School, Ball State University, and Syracuse University.
Whereas Charnice Milton was a writer for Capital Community News, the publisher of Hill Rag and in this capacity, frequently wrote articles about matters before 6B Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners. Whereas Charnice Milton also wrote articles about daily life on Capitol Hill ranging from tree box maintenance, the Southeast Boulevard project, to the Anacostia River. Whereas Charnice Milton’s stories were well written and provided Capitol Hill residents with critical information regarding local agency decisions. Whereas Charnice Milton died tragically on May 27, 2015 after attending an Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC) meeting. Whereas Charnice Milton’s last story about the EMCAC meeting, published on May 30, 2015, three days after her death, reminds all Capitol Hill residents about her dedication to our neighborhood and the residents who live here. Therefore be it resolved that Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners representing ANC6B express
their condolences to the family of Charnice Milton upon her untimely death. Further, be it resolved that ANC6B Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners will invoke a moment of silence at the June 9, 2015 meeting in memory of Charnice Milton. Ms. Milton was a writer, leader, and role-model whose successes will be long remembered. Attest: Jennifer Samolyk, ANC6B01Commissioner; Diane Hoskins, ANC6B02 Commissioner; James Loots, ANC6B03 Commissioner; Kirsten Oldenburg, ANC6B04 Commissioner; Steve Hagedorn, ANC6B05 Commissioner; Nick Burger, ANC6B06 Commissioner; Daniel Chao, ANC6B07 Commissioner; Chander Jayaraman, ANC6B08 Commissioner; Brian Flahaven, ANC6B09 Commissioner; Denise Krepp, ANC6B10 Commissioner
A Good, Accurate, Hardworking Reporter ANC6C lost a good friend in the passing of Charnice Milton. Charnice had reported on ANC6C meetings for several years and covered several of our projects. We understand one of her last contributions is due to be published in the Hill Rag’s June edition regarding Councilmember Charles Allen’s meeting in May about the effort to make Maryland Avenue safer.
Charnice was a good reporter, obsessed with accuracy, and worked hard to improve our community -- it was not unusual to receive emails from Charnice with a timestamp well after business hours. Charnice was always cheerful, and her smiling face in the first row during our ANC meetings will greatly missed. Our community is better for her efforts, and reduced by her passing. Thanks, Charnice, for your friendship and service. ANC 6C
Human Life Is Fragile
A Community of Admirers
I wanted to extend my sympathies to the Capital Community News, a friend of the Hillcrest community, on the loss of its East of the River reporter Charnice Milton who was gunned down near Good Hope Road. This tragedy underscores the fragility of life and we extend our heartfelt sympathies to her family.
Charnice’s death is a tragedy. She was such a caring and involved person who was making our community better. She leaves behind a community of admirers. Please pass my and my neighbors’ condolences to her family.
Michelle Phipps-Evans and Boyle Stuckey Co-presidents, Hillcrest Community Civic Association
On The Loss of a Colleague Last Wednesday, May 27, from 7 to 9:10 PM, Charnice Milton, sat in the center of the front row, facing me and other members of the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC) as she normally did on the last Wednesday of the month, her recorder on the table, directly in front of me, preparing her report for the Hill Rag. A half hour later, she was shot and killed, on the way to her home in Benning Heights.
Charnice was a talented reporter who always had a smile for the people at an EMCAC meeting, both before and after she focused on her note pad to prepare her report of the meeting. I am responsible for preparing the minutes of the EMCAC meeting, but before I would finalize them, I would read Charnice’s column in the Hill Rag because she would always report the important highlights of the meeting, whereas I would be focusing on reporting the details. I will miss her as a colleague and the Eastern Market Community will miss her as a person who did so much to not only report, but also publicize, the Market and its activities. Monte Edwards, EMCAC Secretary
Bright, Dedicated and Interested Charnice attended the ANC 6A meeting in May for Hill Rag. I had never met her before, but we sat at the same table, and talked a bit before (and during) the meeting. Even from those few minutes, it was very apparent how bright, interested and dedicated she was to her profession as a journalist. She gave me her card (I had given her some background on a few of the issues, since she hadn’t ‘covered’ ANC6A meetings before) and said that she expected to attend meetings for the next few months. Her card
has a whole new, and devastatingly sad, meaning now. Dana Wyckoff, ANC 6A
Brian Alcorn
Mourning Charnice It was shock and horror that we, at Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum, learned of the senseless murder of Capital Community News reporter Charnice Milton.
Charnice’s beat included museums and she wrote many insightful reviews about most of the Anacostia Community Museum’s exhibitions as well as covered many of our programs for the East of the River (EOR) and Hill Rag newspapers since she joined CCN. Our public affairs specialist, Marcia Baird Burris, gave Charnice a ride to her home following her most recent visit to cover museum’s media open house a few months ago on our current Civil War exhibitions. Charnice’s article reviewing “How the Civil War Changed Washington” was, us usual, sensitive and wonderful with its particular emphasis on the Barry Farm material in the exhibition and it ran in the next issue of the East of the River newspaper. Charnice was relentess about using her considerable gifts and talents to make sure that the voices her community were reported. Tragically, it is the news of her untimely demise that peers in the media, locally and nationally, have had to report. We at the museum join with her family, CCN, the rest of the East of the River community and the entire District in mourning our collective loss of the brilliant light which was Charnice. We all pray that those who took her young life will be apprehended soon. Charnice Milton was much appreciated and we offer our most sincere condolences to her family. Camille Giraud Akeju
Detailed And Thoughtful
Sara Neumann, Assistant Vice President C.Fox Communications
A Portrait in Courage We came to know Charnice personally during her coverage of a controversial development on our street (1511 A St. NE.) Through our numerous conversations I developed so much respect for her.
Charnice’s reporting was always fair and thorough. I’m a journalist myself so she and I often laughed when she interviewed me because I was so used to being in her shoes -- asking the questions rather than answering them. She was able to make me less uncomfortable on the other side of things. Well before the tragic events of this week my wife and I saw her as a true definition of courage. The obstacles she overcame were remarkable. Charnice chose a profession which required her to purposefully shrug off her impediment, something most people would use as an excuse to avoid following their dreams. For that she will always remain an inspiration to those of us who were lucky enough to have met her. Fortunately the opportunity you gave her at the Hill Rag allows us to read and re-read her work as a reminder of what she was able to accomplish in her short life. She was a wonderful person, a dedicated reporter and will always remain such a vital part of our community. We wish you, her family, and your colleagues peace during this very difficult time. Todd & Jen Sperry, 1500 Block of A St. NE
Aspiring Journalists Mourn On behalf of the Richard Wright PCS Journalism and Media Arts Community, I extend heartfelt condolences on the loss of Ms. Milton. Our aspiring journalists will be thinking of her later today and will plan a moment of silence for her.
Alisha Roberts, Operations Manager, Richard Wright PCS u
We are devastated by the news of Charnice’s death – it was truly my privilege to work with her over the past few weeks on her story about the Martha’s Table expansion. You brought Charnice into my life, and for that, I’ll always be grateful. She was one of the most detail-oriented and thoughtful reporters I’ve worked with in my career, and the community focus she brought to your publications will be sorely missed.
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DC FLAG DAY!
W
e the people of the District of Columbia deserve to be treated fairly. We deserve to be treated equally. We deserve statehood. Flag Day is a reminder of a symbol that unites all Americans, our flag, still leaves out those of us who live and pay taxes in the nation’s capital. The American flag, like American democracy leaves out the people of the District of Columbia. Thus on Flag Day, we the citizens of the District of Columbia are celebrating our flag, the District’s flag, because it unites us and leaves none of us out. The District flag has become a great symbol of pride in ourselves and our city, a symbol of protest against the unjust and undemocratic system we live under, and a symbol of hope that if we work together we can achieve equality through statehood. Our country, founded by a rebellion against a system of taxation without representation, still subject’s the citizens of its capital to such a system. So on Flag Day 2015 we are celebrating our own flag, the DC Flag, because it is ours. It represents us and thus we will honor, celebrate, and unite around it. We the citizens of the District of Columbia are just like you. We come from diverse backgrounds from across the country and around the world. We have 5th generation Native Washingtonians and we have over a thousand new people moving in each month. We debate education, taxation, criminal justice reform, and pretty much everything under the sun but we are united as one under the DC Flag. To our friends and neighbors around the country our message is simple: We Deserve Statehood. We deserve statehood because while we might live in the capital of America we are tired of being the unkept promise of America. We simply want to be treated equally and fairly with our friends and neighbors in the 50 states. Our tax dollars are spent, our daughters and sons are sent off to war, Supreme Court Justices are given lifetime appointments, and even our own local budget can be manipulated by Congress all without our advice and consent. Statehood is the only way to make us equal partners in this wonderfully complex experiment that is American democracy. Statehood is the only path to full and equal congressional representation and full control over our local budget and local affairs. Statehood is the only irrevocable path forward that makes us full and complete members of the United States of America. To our friends across the District we need continue to organize and advocate for full equality as the 51st state in the union. And to our family, friends, and neighbors across the country we implore you to contact your members of Congress and urge them to support statehood for the people of the District of Columbia. We are not asking for special treatment, we are asking for equal treatment and what could be more American than that? On Flag Day and every day please help us become the 51st state and thus become the 51st star on the American flag. Neighbors United for DC Statehood
#DCFlagDay
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www.the51st.org