MidCity-DC-Magazine-November-2011

MIDCITY NOVEMBER 2011

DC’S CHARTER SCHOOLS: LEADING EDUCATION REFORM IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL! Ward 1

AppleTree Early Learning PCS - Columbia Heights Campus • Capital City Public Charter School • Cesar Chavez PCS--Bruce Prep Campus Community Academy PCS - Butler Bilingual Campus • D.C. Bilingual PCS • E.L. Haynes PCS - Georgia Avenue • Howard University Middle School PCS • Meridian PCS Shining Stars Montessori • Booker T. Washington PCS • Carlos Rosario International PCS • Capital City PCS Next Step-El Proximo Paso PCS • YouthBuild LAYC PCS High School

Ward 2

AppleTree Early Learning PCS - Riverside Campus • Center City PCS - Shaw Campus • KIPP DC: Grow Academy • KIPP DC: WILL Academy • Mundo Verde PCS • Options Academy

Ward 4

Bridges PCS Elementary • Center City PCS - Brightwood Campus • Center City PCS - Petworth Campus • Community Academy PCS - Amos I • Community Academy PCS - Amos II Community Academy PCS - Online • E.L. Haynes PCS - Kansas Avenue • Education Strengthens Families PCS • Hope Community PCS - Lamond Campus • Ideal Academy PCS Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS (LAMB) • Paul PCS • Roots PCS • Washington Latin PCS • William E Doar PCS - Soldier’s Home • Hospitality SHS PCS

Ward 5

Center City PCS - Trinidad Campus • Community Academy PCS - Amos III • Community Academy - Rand Campus • D.C. Preparatory PCS - Edgewood Campus Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS • Friendship PCS - Woodridge Campus • Hope Community PCS - Tolson Campus • Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS Mary McLeod Bethune PCS • Potomac Lighthouse PCS • Tree Of Life PCS • Washington Yu Ying PCS • William E Doar PCS - Edgewood Campus Perry Street Prep - (formerly HYDE PCS) • Washington Math Science and Technology High School

Ward 6

AppleTree Early Learning PCS - Lincoln Campus • Center City PCS - Capitol Hill Campus • Eagle Academy PCS - SE & New Jersey Avenue Campus Friendship PCS - Chamberlain Campus • Options PCS • St. Coletta Special Education PCS • Two Rivers PCS • Cesar Chavez PCHS for Pubic Policy - Capitol Hill Campus

Ward 7

AppleTree Early Learning PCS - Amidon Campus • AppleTree Early Learning PCS - Oklahoma Avenue (NE) Campus • KIPP DC: LEAP Academy • Friendship Junior Academy - Blow-Pierce D.C. Preparatory - Benning Campus • Arts and Technology Academy PCS • KIPP DC: Promise Academy • KIPP DC: KEY Academy • Cesar Chavez PCS - Parkside Campus Maya Angelou PCS • Cesar Chavez PCS • Parkside Campus • Friendship Collegiate Academy - Woodson Campus • IDEA- Integrated Design and Electronic Academy Maya Angelou PCS • Richard Wright PCS • SEED PCHS

Ward 8

Achievement Preparatory Academy PCS • AppleTree Early Learning - Douglass Knoll Campus • AppleTree Early Learning - Parkland Campus • Center City PCS - Congress Heights Campus Early Childhood Academy PCS • Excel Academy PCS • Friendship PCS - South East Elementary Academy • Friendship PCS - Tech Prep High School Howard Road Academy PCS - Martin Luther King Av. Campus • Howard Road Academy PCS - Main Campus • Howard Road Academy PCS - Penn Ave Campus Imagine SE PCS • KIPP DC: AIM Academy • KIPP DC: Discover Academy • KIPP DC: Heights Academy • Septima Clark PCS • KIPP DC: College Preparatory National Collegiate PCS • Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS

Visit Our Website: www.dcacps.org or email us: redelin@dcpcsa.org

CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2011

08

out and about 08 10 18 20 22 24

Hit the City • Joy Hopkins Calendar • Kathleen Donner Theater J • Amadna Wilson Insatiable • Celeste McCall Retail Therapy • Scott Fazzini Jazz Avenues • Steve Monroe

your neighborhood

10

25 26 28 29 30 31 32 33

The Nose • Anonymous District Beat • Martin Austermuhle The Numbers • Jenny Reed The Triangle • Amanda Wilson Logan Circles • Mark F. Johnson Bloomingdale Bytes • Eleanor Gourley Shaw Streets • Ralph Brabham Giving

kids and family 34

18

Kids and Family Notebook • Kathleen Donner

at home 39 40 40

Home/Style • Mark F. Johnson Garden Fairy • Sarah McLaughlin Changing Hands • Don Denton

42

Classifieds

COVER: Agnes Bolt • From the Project 4 Gallery • Project 4 1353 U Street NW, 3rd floor • 202-232-4340 • www.project4gallery.com

NOTICE OF COMMUNITY HEARINGS PUBLIC INPUT SOUGHT ON POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY’S RATE APPLICATION, FORMAL CASE NO. 1087, IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF THE POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY FOR AUTHORITY TO INCREASE EXISTING RETAIL RATES AND CHARGES FOR ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION SERVICE This Notice informs the public that the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (“Commission”) seeks input on the rate application submitted by the Potomac Electric Power Company (“Pepco”) requesting authority to increase existing distribution service rates and charges for electric service in the District of Columbia. Pepco proposes a revenue requirement increase of $42.1 million. Pepco is the sole distributor of electric power to homes and businesses in the District; hence the Commission will set Pepco’s distribution service rates in this rate case and not the cost of electricity itself.

• Pepco requests authority to earn an 8.64% Rate of Return, including a Return on Equity of 10.75%. Per the PSC’s decision in Formal Case No. 1076, rendered in March 2010, Pepco’s current allowed Rate of Return is 8.01%, including a Return on Equity of 9.625%.

• Pepco proposes a Reliability Investment Recovery Mechanism (“RIM”) surcharge that would provide for annual rate adjustments to recover the reliability related costs of certain investments in Pepco’s distribution system.

• Pepco seeks cost recovery for its investments in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (“AMI”).

• Pepco proposes to recover incremental customer care expenses relating to initiatives that Pepco is undertaking to enhance customer service. Pepco states that this initiative includes four major components: personnel, telecommunication infra structure (hardware and software), storm readiness, and customer education/market research.

• Pepco’s proposals would add about $5.00 to the monthly bill for the typical residential customer and increase the minimum monthly customer charge from $6.65 per month to $10.40 for the standard (R) class and from $6.65 to $12.39 for the All-Electric residential (AE) class.

The Commission published a Public Notice on July 22, 2011, regarding this application in the D.C. Register to allow interested persons to intervene in Formal Case No. 1087, the formal case established to adjudicate Pepco’s application. The Public Notice can be accessed online at www.dcpsc.org or viewed at any public library. A hard copy of the Public Notice can be obtained by calling (202) 626-5150.

The Commission will convene eight (8) community hearings at the following locations on the specified dates: Ward 1 Columbia Heights Recreation Center 1480 Girard Street, NW Monday, November 21, 2011, 11:00 am

Ward 2 D.C. Public Service Commission Hearing Room 1333 H Street, NW, 7th floor East Tower Wednesday, November 9, 2011, 11:00 am

Ward 3 Chevy Chase Recreation Center 5601 Connecticut Ave, NW Friday, November 18, 2011, 11:00 am

Ward 4 Emery Recreation Center 5801 Georgia Ave, NW Wednesday, November 9, 2011, 6:30 pm

Ward 5 Bethesda Baptist Church 1808 Capitol Ave, NE Monday, November 21, 2011, 6:30 pm

Ward 6 King Greenleaf Recreation Center 201 N Street, SW Tuesday, November 22, 2011, 10:00 am

Ward 7 Deanwood Recreation Center 1350 49th Street, NE 2427 Saturday, November 19, 2011, 11:00 am

Ward 8 Thurgood Marshall Public Charter School Martin Luther King, SE Tuesday, November 8, 2011, 6:30 pm

Those who wish to testify at the community hearings should contact the Commission Secretary by the close of business three (3) business days prior to the date of the hearing by calling (202) 626-5150. Representatives of organizations shall be permitted a maximum of five (5) minutes for oral presentations. Individuals shall be permitted a maximum of three (3) minutes for oral presentations. If an organization or an individual is unable to offer comments at the community hearings, written statements may be submitted to the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia, 1333 H Street, NW, Suite 200, West Tower, Washington, and D.C. 20005.

Any person who is deaf or hearing-impaired, and cannot readily understand or communicate in spoken English, and persons with disabilities who need special accommodations in order to participate in the hearing, must contact the Commission Secretary by close of seven (7) business days prior to the date of the hearing. Persons who wish to testify in Spanish, Chinese, Amharic, or Korean must also contact the Commission Secretary by close of business three (3) business days before the day of the hearing. The number to call to request special accommodations and interpretation services is (202) 626-5150.

capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 5

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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 EDITORIAL STAFF

KIDS & FAMILY

MANAGING EDITOR: Andrew Lightman andrew@hillrag.com CFO & ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Maria Carolina Lopez carolina@hillrag.com SCHOOL NOTES EDITOR: SUSAN BRAUN JOHNSON SCHOOLS@HILLRAG.COM KIDS & FAMILY NOTEBOOK EDITOR: KATHLEEN DONNER KATHLEEN.DONNER@GMAIL.COM

Kathleen Donner • kathleen.donner@gmail.com Susan Johnson • schools@hillrag.com

SOCIETY & EVENTS Mickey Thompson • socialsightings@aol.com

HOMES & GARDENS

ARTS, DINING & ENTERTAINMENT ART: Jim Magner • jjmagner@aol.com DINING: Celeste McCall • celeste@hillrag.com HIT THE CITY: Joylyn Hopkins • joylyn@joylynhopkins.com LITERATURE: Karen Lyon • klyon@folger.edu MOVIES: Mike Canning • mjcanning@verizon.net MUSIC: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com RETAIL THERAPY: Scott Fazzini • scott.fazzini@gmail.com THEATER: Barbara Wells • barchardwells@aol.com TRAVEL: Maggie Hall • whitby@aol.com THE WINE GUYS: Jon Genderson • jon@cellar.com

CALENDAR & BULLETIN BOARD

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD MECHANIC Providing the Hill’s Finest Repair Services Since 1916

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HILL RAG, MIDCITY DC & EAST OF THE RIVER: CALENDAR EDITOR: Kathleen Donner calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com

GENERAL ASSIGNMENT Michelle Evans • invisiblecolours@yahoo.com Celeste McCall • celeste@hillrag.com Heather Schoell • hschoell@verizon.net Virginia Avniel Spatz • virginia@hillrag.com Peter Waldron • peter@hillrag.com Kathleen Donner • kathleen.donner@gmail.com Stephanie Deutsch • scd@his.com Melanie Sunukjian • melsunuk@gmail.com Shannon Holloway • holloway.shannon@gmail.com Alice Ollstein • alice.ollstein@gmail.com Amanda Abrahams • manda.abrams@gmail.com Lex Kiefhaber • lexk24@gmail.com Roberta Weiner • rweiner_us@yahoo.com Gwyn Jones • gwynjones@aol.com John H. Muller • jmuller.washingtonsyndicate@gmail.com

Rindy O’Brien - Hill Gardener • rindyob@mac.com Derek Thomas • derek@thomaslandscapes.com Judith Capen • judith.capen@architravepc.com HomeStyle: Mark Johnson • mark@hillrag.com

NEWS & NEIGHBORHOOD REPORTS ANC6A, 6B, 6C, 6D:

Roberta Weiner • rweiner_us@yahoo.com • gwynjones@aol.com BARRACKS ROW: sharon@barracksrow.org H STREET LIFE: Elise Bernard • inked78@hotmail.com THE NOSE: thenose@hillrag.com LOGAN CIRCLE • mark@hillrag.com SHAW • Ralph Brabham: Ralph • ralphbrabham@yahoo.com BLOOMINGDALE: Eleanor Gourley • ecgourley@gmail.com 14TH & U: Catherine Finn • cathefinn@gmail.com ANC6B: GWYN JONES

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ADVERTISING: sales@hillrag.com DISPLAY ADS: 15th of each month CLASSIFIED ADS: 10th of each month EDITORIAL: 15th of each month; submissions@hillrag.com BULLETIN BOARD & CALENDAR: 15th of each month; calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com

We welcome suggestions for stories. Send queries to andrew@hillrag.com.

We are also interested in your views on community issues which are published in the Last Word.

Please limit your comments to 250 words. Letters may be edited for space. Please include your name, address and phone number. Send Last Word submissions to lastword@hillrag.com.

For employment opportunities email jobs@hillrag.com.

PUBLISHER: JEAN-KEITH FAGON • fagon@hillrag.com Copyright © 2010 by Capital Community News. All Rights Reserved.

capitalcommunitynews.com 6 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

WACIF

Washington Area Community Investment Fund, Inc. Technical Assistance Officer Position Available Employer Information The Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF) is a standalone 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community development financial institution (CDFI) that supports small businesses, childcare centers, and affordable housing developers in the Washington, DC area through technical assistance and access to capital. Since its inception in 1987, WACIF has closed 253 loans totaling $16.7 million, helping leverage $147.7 million in financing for local low-and moderate-income entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations. WACIF has assisted over 1,500 small businesses through one-on-one assistance and created more than 1,350 full time equivalent jobs.

Job Description WACIF’s Technical Assistance Officer will work with clients to build financial capacity, develop short- and long-term strategies, and access capital sources. The position will report to the Executive Director and work closely with the organization’s program staff to advance successful clients in a variety of industries. The Technical Assistance Officer will also develop close working relationships with traditional and non-traditional financial institutions in the local market to make financial resources and expertise available for WACIF clients.

Qualifications Bachelor’s degree, preferably with a concentration in Finance, Entrepreneurship, or Economics, Three (3) years’ experience in community development lending, traditional lending, or small business management

Please send resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to Timothy Flanagan at tflanagan@wacif.org.

You may also fax or mail your resume and cover letter to 202-529-5525 or 3624 12th St. NE, Washington, DC 20017.

capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 7

by Joy Hopkins

Constellation Theatre stages Shaw at Source Arms and the Man is a George Bernard Shaw comedy about the romantic fantasy of war coming face to face with the reality of it. A young Bulgarian woman’s fiance is off playing the war hero when she encounters a cowardly mercenary fighting on the opposite side of the same war. The two men continue to prove themselves opposites as the woman’s idealized version of love gives way to something more real. The title is a reference to the opening words of Virgil’s Aeneid, “I sing of arms and the man.” The play was first produced in 1894.

George Bernard Shaw was an academic, activist, politician, and critic, in addition to being a prolific playwright. He wrote more than 60 plays, and is known for addressing the prevailing social issues of the day using comedy. Shaw won the unique combination of Nobel Prize for Literature and the Academy Award.

Impositions, by Agnes Bolt

Allison Arkell Stockman is the Founding Artistic Director of Constellation Theatre and has taken the reins for a dozen of Constellation’s productions prior to Arms and the Man. In addition to three full-stage productions a year, Constellation produces 10 free evenings of related programming each season.

Arms and the Man is running through Nov. 20. Tickets range from $20 to $45.

Constellation is offering MidCity DC readers $20 discounted tickets for any show. Use Code: MidCity at the door or online.

Constellation Theatre Company at Source 1835 14th Street NW 202-2047741 www.constellationtheatre.org

Project 4 Gallery Amy Quiggins and Michael John Casey in Arms and the Man,Photographer Scott Suchmann 8 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

The exhibition Dealing features works created as part of two sets of interactive experiences between the artist,

Agnes Bolt, and an art collector. The first set consisted of Bolt living in a temporary plastic structure inside an art collector’s home. The second set consisted of a series of virtual exchanges with a second art collector.

Agnes Bolt describes herself as an interdisciplinary artist who uses photography, video, installation, and intervention in her art practice. The Polish-born Bolt currently divides her time between Brooklyn, NY, and Pittsburgh, Penn.

She is currently an MFA candidate at Carnegie Mellon and has received the Heinz Foundation Artist Grant, the AW Mellon Grant, and a Fine Foundation Grant.

Dealing is open now and runs through Nov. 26. Project 4 is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from noon to 6 pm or by appointment.

Project 4 1353 U Street NW, 3rd floor 202 232 4340 www.project4gallery.com

Indie Rock with a Sense of Humor at 9:30 Club “They Might Be Giants” was founded by John Flansburgh and John Linnell in New York City, 30 years ago. In that time, they’ve had eighteen major releases and won two Grammy Awards. The Johns were childhood friends in Massachusetts before deciding to move to Brooklyn in 1981 to pursue a musical career. Some of their better known songs are “Istanbul, Not Constantinople” and “Boss of Me,” which was used as the theme song for TV’s Malcolm in the Middle. They have a popular podcast, and have released several projects of children’s music.

Opening for TMBG, is indie rock geek-extraordinaire, Jonathan Coulter. Coulter grew up in Colchester, Connecticut, and says the beginning of his musical career was playing snare drum in his high school marching band. He attended Yale University and sang with the notable a cappella group, the Whiffenpoofs. Coulter’s former life as a computer programmer contributes heavily to his songs’ geek culture themes.

He is possibly best known for his cover of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.”

TMBG and Jonathan Coulter play the 9:30 Club on Saturday, Nov. 26. Doors open at 8 pm, and tickets are $30.

9:30 Club 815 V Street NW 202.265.0930 Tickets 877.435.9849 www.930.com

Bonus Picks: More Theater German playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig uses only five actors to play fifteen characters in this depiction of lives intersecting in The Golden Dragon, a play about the staff, customers, and neighbors of a Chinese restaurant. Meanwhile, Theater J stages Arthur Miller’s After the Fall, a play often criticized for being little more than Miller’s own reflections on his failed marriage to Marilyn Monroe.

The Golden Dragon runs through Dec. 11 at Studio Theatre , and After the Fall is on stage at Theater J until Nov. 27.

The Studio Theatre, 1501 14th Street NW 202-3323300 www.studiotheatre.org Theater J at the Washington DC JCC 1529 16th Street NW (800) 494-TIXS (8497) www.washingtondcjcc.org Joy Hopkins has been a resident of the District of Columbia for more than 13 years. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Music Industry from James Madison University and a Master’s degree in Arts Management from American University. She is a Jill-of-alltrades, working as a nonprofit fundraiser, a direct sales consultant, and an artist rep. Her interests include reading, wine, music, crochet, and food. ◆

They Might Be Giants capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 9

★ ★ ★

calendar THANKSGIVING Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade. Nov. 19, 9:30 AM. 50 foot balloons, floats and marching bands.

Downtown Silver Spring on Georgia Avenue from Sligo to Silver Plaza. silverspringdowntown.com Help with SOME (So Others May Eat) Holiday Gift Baskets. Nov. 19, 9:00 AM-1:00 PM. Basket drop off and deliveries to homebound low-income seniors from 1667 Good Hope Rd. SE. You can also assemble baskets. Sign up with Jenna at 202-797-8806 ext. 1306 or jjones@some.org.

Potomac Valley Track Club Cranberry Crawl 5K & 10K. Nov. 19, 7:30 AM. $20.

East Potomac Park Golf Course, 972 Ohio Dr. SW. 301-292-1441. pvtc.org Annual Safeway Feast of Sharing. Nov. 23, 11:00 AM-2:30 PM. The program will offer a complete sit down Thanksgiving meal, opportunities to explore the pos-

NOVEMBER

sibility of gainful employment; health screenings; and also information on achieving and maintaining good health.

Please help get the information out to seniors, churches, senior housing residences and especially to individuals and families in need. Free. No reservations required. Washington Convention Center.

St Patrick Catholic Church Thanksgiving Mass. Nov, 24, 10:00 AM. Saint Patrick Catholic Church, 619 Tenth St. NW. 202-347-2713. saintpatrickdc.org

St John’s Thanksgiving Day Service.

Nov. 24, 10:00 AM. St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square, 16th and H sts. NW. 202-347-8766. stjohns-dc.org

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Thanksgiving Service. Nov. 24, 10:30 AM. Immaculate Conception Church, Msgr. James D. Watkins, provides 100 turkey baskets to those families in the parish and neighborhood. Any donation will enable Immaculate Conception Church to purchase turkeys and gift certificates for those families in the Shaw neighborhood at Thanksgiving. 1315 Eighth St. NW. 202-332-8888. immaculateconceptionchurchdc.org

Bilingual Thanksgiving Day Mass at St Matthews. Nov. 24. 10:00 AM. Join them in celebrating a bilingual (English and Spanish) Mass on Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving characterizes the prayer of the Church,” the Catechism teaches, “which, in celebrating the Eucharist, reveals and becomes more fully what she is.” Together, let us give thanks to God, the Giver of all gifts, for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us. Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, 1725 Rhode Island Ave. NW. 202-347-3215. stmatthewscathedral.org

Metropolitan AME Church Thanksgiving Day Worship Service. Nov. 24, 10:00 AM. 1518 M St. NW. 202-331-1426. metropolitanamec.org

George Pena of George’s Shoe Repair, 2011 by Tom Wolff Thanksgiving Service at Washington National Cathedral. Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 10:00 AM. The Cathedral will reopen Saturday, Nov. 12, for the first time since the Aug. 23 earthquake. Free. Cathedral at the intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin aves. NW. 202-537-6200. cathedral.org Thanksgiving Mass at the National Shrine.

Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM and noon. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Ave. NE. 202-526-8300. nationalshrine.com “Season’s Greenings” at the US Botanic Garden.

Opens Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM. The US Botanic Garden invites you to remember that the best things in life are free--the fragrance of a freshly cut fir tree, the magic of holiday lights and sumptuous decorations, and the delight of a child discovering the make-believe world of model trains. Free. 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. usbg.gov Alexandria Turkey Trot 5 Mile. Nov 24, 10:00 AM. The annual Thanksgiving Day Alexandria Turkey Trot is taking place in the Del Ray area of Alexandria with some exciting new additions.

With a starting line change, this year’s race will be metro accessible, the start line is 2 blocks from the Braddock Metro Station. The DC Road Runners Club sponsors the event and proceeds will benefit the the A.L.I.V.E foundation. $20. alexandriaturkeytrot.com

One of last year’s young finishers. 5K runners of all ages are officially timed using the ChronoTrack system. Photo: Visual Initiatives

Thanksgiving Day Trot for Hunger 5K Nov. 24, 9:00 AM. Kids fun run at 8:30 AM. The only turkey trot in Washington, DC, SOME’s Thanksgiving Day Trot for Hunger offers community members a way to help the homeless and hungry on Thanksgiving Day. Start and Finish on Pennsylvania Ave. NW, between 12th St. and 13th St. Event benefits So Others Might Eat. 202-797-8806. some.org

10 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

National Mall Museums Open Thanksgiving Day. US Holocaust Memorial Museum is open. The National Zoo is open. The national monuments are all available for viewing but Washington Monument is closed. All Smithsonian museums are open. Newseum, National Archives, US Capitol Visitors Center and Corcoran Gallery of Art are closed.

Tom Wolff’s U Street Portrait Project Through Dec. 17. This is a new photographic exploration of the people and culture of DC’s U St. neighborhood. Nationally recognized photographer Tom Wolff is best known for his published work in the Washington Post Magazine, House & Garden, Garden Design, Smithsonian Magazine, and New York Times Magazine. This exhibition focuses closer to home with U Street Portrait Project that captures the local business owners, residents, and artists that together make the U Street Corridor a rich and diverse cultural center. Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery,1632 U St. NW. The Gallery is open Wednesday-Friday, 11:00 AM-5:00 PM and Saturday, 11:00 AM-3:00 PM and by appointment. 202-483-8600. smithcenter.org/gallery

EARLY CHRISTMAS National Zoo Gin-GRR-bread Habitat Contest. Register through Friday, Nov. 18, 4:00 PM. (Note, the contest is limited to 80 entries, registration will close after 80 entries are received.) Calling all bakers, artists, animal lovers and holiday enthusiasts! Let your imagination run wild and enter today to build a Winter Wonderland Kids’ Farm Habitat, as part of the second annual FONZ Gin-GRR-bread Habitat Contest sponsored by Starbucks. All habitats will be displayed in the Visitor Center Auditorium as part of the annual ZooLights event from late November through Jan. 1, 2012. Register online at nationalzoo.si.edu and go to “Zoolights.”

St John’s Christmas Toy Drive. Nov. 20-Dec. 14. You can be an angel by donating gifts, books, or gift cards for any age child. If you have questions, contact Patty Cole at PattyCole@me.com. 202-347-8766. St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square, 16th and H sts. NW. stjohns-dc.org A Christmas Carol at Ford’s. Nov. 18-Dec. 31. (no performance Thanksgiving Day). Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge

R

s t n n t d , d

on a journey of transformation and redemption.

Originally conceived by Michael Baron, this music-infused production captures the magic and joy of Dickens’s Yuletide classic. Acclaimed Washington stage actor Edward Gero returns to play Scrooge in the production The Washington Post hailed as “musically high-spirited” and “infectiously jolly.” $35-$75. 202-347-4833. fordstheatre.org The Washington Ballet: The Nutcracker at THEARC. Nov. 25-27. Discover, rediscover, and celebrate this one-of-a-kind Nutcracker production set in 1882 Georgetown and starring George Washington as the Nutcracker, King George II as the Rat King, Anacostia Indians, frontiersmen, and all-American delights.

Whimsical waltzes, glittering snowflakes, and gorgeous music, The Washington Ballet’s Nutcracker is a magical journey not to be missed! $29. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202889-5901. thearcdc.org Mount Vernon by Candlelight. Nov. 25, 26 and 27; Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18; 5:00-8:00 PM. Experience includes a candlelight tour, singing around a campfire, costumed characters, hot cider and cookies. $14-$20. Mount Vernon, VA (at the southern end of the George Washington Memorial Parkway-16 miles from DC). 703-7802000. mountvernon.org The Garden of Lights (Winter Garden Walk) at Brookside Gardens. Nov. 25-Jan. 8, 5:30-9:00 PM, weekdays; 5:30-10:00 PM, Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday. 940,000 twinkling colorful lights shaped in imaginative displays throughout the gardens. $20-$25 per car. It’s a walkthrough, however. Brookside Gardens Wheaton Regional Park, 1800 Glenallan Ave.,Wheaton, MD. montgomeryparks.org/brookside BZB Holiday Gift and Art Show. Nov. 25 and 26; Dec. 3, 10, 17 and 23; 10:00 AM-7:00 PM. Two floors of shopping at the largest AfricanAmerican Department Store on the east coast.

Shiloh Family Life Center, 1510 Ninth St. NW. 202-610-4188. bzbinternational.com St Patrick Catholic Church Christmas Toy Drive. Nov. 26-Dec. 11. Last year they provided over 3,000 toys and gifts. Please support their drive by placing an unwrapped toy or gift in the collection box located in the vestibule of the church when the drive begins. Or you may make a contribution by cash or check and bring it to the rectory and they will buy the toy. Saint Patrick Catholic Church, 619 Tenth St. NW. 202-347-2713. saintpatrickdc.org First Ever Capital Holiday Parade. Nov. 26, 11:00 AM. In hopes of becoming one of Washington’s beloved holiday traditions, the Capital Holiday Parade will serve as the kick-off to a season of celebration. The Capitol Holiday Parade & National Band Festival travels east down the National Parade Route on Constitution Ave. with a reviewing stand on Third St. directly in front of the Capitol. The parade will feature 18 high school and college marching bands, 25 professionally designed floats, large balloons, clowns, equestrian units, cheerleaders, danc-

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ers and celebrities. Bleacher seating, $10-$15. capitalholidayparade.com National (White House) Christmas Tree Lighting. Dec. 1, 5:00 PM. Tickets distributed by lottery. There is no stand-by line but you can visit the tree anytime thereafter. thenationaltree.org Union Station Christmas Tree Lighting. Dec. 1, 6:00 PM. The tree is a gift to the people of Washington, DC and is a symbol of friendship between the United States and Norway. Join the Norwegian Embassy and DC as the 8,000 lights on Washington’s official holiday tree are lit and enjoy live musical performances. unionstationdc.com Christmas Concert at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Dec. 2, 7:30 PM (but get there earlier). The National Shrine invites you to their Annual Christmas Concert for Charity featuring the voices and sounds of the Catholic University of America Choir and Orchestra. Free will offering. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Ave. NE. 202-526-8300. nationalshrine.com Zoolights. Starts Dec. 2, 5:00-9:00 PM. Don’t miss your chance to meander through the Zoo when it is covered with thousands of sparkling lights, attend special keeper talks, and enjoy live entertainment. Free. National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. nationalzoo.si.edu Downtown DC Holiday Market. Dec. 2-23, noon-8:00 PM. The annual Downtown DC Holiday Market offers seasonal outdoor shopping with a festive atmosphere. It features nearly 180 rotating exhibitors and artisans with approximately 50 each week, offering distinctive gifts for sale including fine art, crafts, jewelry, clothing, accessories, pottery, photography, clothing and specialty foods. Centered at Eighth and F sts. NW. downtownholidaymarket.com Holiday Boat Parade of Lights. Dec, 3, 4:00 PM. Alexandria’s harbor lights up when more than 50 illuminated boats cruise the Potomac River at the historic waterfront. Alexandria’s Historic Waterfront at the foot of Cameron Street Alexandria, VA. visitalexandriava.com.

703-838-5005.

Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade and Concert. Dec. 3, parade 11:00 AM-1:00 PM; massed band concert 1:00-1:30 PM. Parade route Begins at the corner of Wilkes and South Saint Asaph sts. in Old Town and ends at King and Royal sts. Concert at King and Royal sts. in front of City Hall at Market Square. Alexandria, VA. scottishchristmaswalk.com National Museum of the American Indian Native Art Market. Dec. 3-4, 10:00 AM-5:30 PM. The NMAI Art Market offers one-of-a-kind, handmade, traditional and contemporary items directly from the artisans. More than 35 Native artists from North and South America will participate in this annual weekend market featuring a wide selection of items for purchase including handmade jewelry, beadwork, pottery, prints and sculpture. Free. Fourth St. and Independence Ave. SW. 202-633-1000. nmai.si.edu Black Nativity at H Street Playhouse. Previews begin Dec. 3, 8:00 PM. Langston Hughes’ retelling of the Christmas story from an Afro-

12 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

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centric perspective, infused with rich gospel, blues, funk, jazz music and dance with griot style story telling from an ensemble cast. Now, today, here in this place, nineteen centuries removed from Bethleham — in a land far across the sea from Judea — we sing His songs and glorify His name. Tickets on sale now at $35.

Discounts for under 18, students and seniors. theateralliance.com Logan Circle Holiday House Tour. Dec. 4, 1:00-5:00 PM. Ticket pick-up at 12:30 PM at the Studio Theatre. Wassail reception, at Studio 3:00-5:30 PM. $30. LoganCircle.org US Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting. Dec. 6, 5:00 PM. West Lawn of the Capitol. Arrive early because there will be a security line. No tickets required.

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Santa Express. Holiday season festivities take on an old world charm in the nearby Maryland Mountains.

The history filled small cities of Cumberland and Frostburg host traditional community tree lighting ceremonies on the Thanksgiving weekend. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad operates Santa Express trains with morning and evening departures from Cumberland during the holiday season. More information about visiting Mountain Maryland, about two hours west of the Beltway on I-68 can be found at mdmountainside.com.

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD Update on Shaw Development. Shaw Main Streets will present the annual Shaw Development Forum on Thursday, November 17, 2011, at 7:00 PM at the Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 7th Street, NW. Developers will present the latest information on their projects, many of which are now underway. Several developers and projects will appear at the forum for the first time. For more information, visit www. shawmainstreets.org or call 202-265-SHAW. “After the Fall” at Theater J. Through Nov. 27.

After the Fall by Arthur Miller takes place in the mind of its protagonist, Quentin, as he addresses his thoughts and memories to an invisible listener. He is haunted by his past relationships with women: his suffocating mother; domineering first wife Louise; his iconically sexy, selfdestructive second wife Maggie; and his softspoken, wise new love interest Holga. Also tormenting Quentin is his betrayal of once-dear friends Mickey and Lou. $25-$60. Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW. 800-494-8497. dcjcc.org The Golden Dragon at Studio Theatre. Through Dec. 11. A kaleidoscopic look at a globalized world, this play by one of Germany’s most innovative and adventurous writers unfolds in brief and fierce comic scenes. Five actors cross age, race, and gender to play fifteen characters in this vicious, poetic, and surprisingly moving investigation of how intertwined our lives really are. 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org Theater of the First Amendment Presents STAY. Through Nov. 27. A TFA World Premiere, written and directed by Heather McDonald, choreographed by Susan Shields, this innovative performance piece merges theater, dance,

14 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

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SLAM multimedia, and music to wrestle with the issue of impermanence and all the ways we long for things, people, and life to simply Stay. $45-$55. Lansburgh Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org French Cabaret with Barbara Papendorp. Nov. 16, noon. Join chanteuse Barbara Papendorp as she entertains and thrills you with her repertoire of French songs. Free. Forum of Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org Diane Keaton at Sixth and I. Thursday, Nov. 17, 7:30 PM. In celebration of the release of Then Again, Diane Keaton’s unforgettable memoir about her mother and herself, the Academy Award-winning actress comes to DC as part of her 4-city book tour. $35 ticket includes book.

Tickets available at Ticketfly at 877-435-9849. sixthandi.org Stew and Heidi: Songs from Passing Strange at Studio Theatre. Nov. 18-19, 8:30 PM. Join Stew, Heidi Rodewald and Jon Spurney as they take a journey back in time to re-visit the songs of Passing Strange, the theater production that went on to become both a Spike Lee-directed movie and Tony Award winner for “Best Book of a Musical.” This intimate, acoustic set will explore songs from this hit show as well as songs that were cut from the show and songs never before heard in DC. 1501 14th St. NW. 202-3323300. studiotheatre.org Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare Theatre. Nov. 25-Jan 1. This holiday season, fall in love with one of the most romantic comedies ever written. Everyone can see that Beatrice and Benedick are meant for each other except Beatrice and Benedick. Hero and Claudio, themselves newly betrothed, conspire to trick them into announcing their feelings and falling for each other. Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org Shakespeare Theatre Classic Conversation with Kevin Kline. Nov. 28, 8:00 PM. Kevin Kline will join Artistic Director Michael Kahn for the second installment of the Classic Conversations series to be held at Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. Tickets start at $35. 202547-1122. ShakespeareTheatre.org.

Krapp’s Last Tape at the Lansburgh. Nov. 29Dec. 4. Krapp’s Last Tape tells the story of a man alone on his 69th birthday, preparing for his own “party” of sorts, surrounded by volume after volume of a life on tape. Before recording his annual account of another year gone by, Krapp carefully selects a vintage tape and drinks of his past. The Shakespeare Theatre Company welcomes Oscar-nominated actor John Hurt to the company’s stage in Samuel Beckett’s oneman show. Lansburgh Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW. 202-547-1122. ShakespeareTheatre.org Beckett Shorts with Forum Theatre. Nov. 30, noon. Forum Theatre presents a selection of short Beckett plays in conjunction with STC’s presentation of John Hurt in the Gate Theatre’s Krapp’s Last Tape. Free. Forum of Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org “Magic and Miracles” Dinner Gala. Nov. 30, 6:00 PM, cocktails; 7:00 PM, dinner and presentation. Dinner benefits successful DC-based

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Ready, Willing & Working program and honors Nancy Squires of the Squires Group for her dedication and support of RWW. Master of Ceremonies Kojo Nnamdi, WAMU radio talk show hosts. $150. The Ritz-Carlton, 1159 22nd St. NW. 202842-3333. rwwdc.org BUST at Studio Theatre. Dec. 1-18. Written and performed by Lauren Weedma. With one foot in Hollywood and the other in jail, the former Daily Show correspondent careens wildly between the two worlds, taking us on a hilarious, poignant, and completely unforgettable ride. 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org Spoiler Alert: Everybody Dies. Dec. 6-Jan. 8.

Laugh while you can ‘cause things ain’t gettin’ better. This season, Woolly artists fly to Chicago to work with The Second City’s classic comedy wizards in an unprecedented collaboration.

Their mission? Bring back to Washington the most gleeful anti-holiday celebration of doom ever. $40-$75. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW. 202-393-3939. woollymammoth.net The Great American Hall of Wonders at American Art Museum. Through Jan 8. The exhibition The Great American Hall of Wonders examines the nineteenth-century American belief that the people of the United States shared a special genius for innovation. It explores this belief through works of art, mechanical inventions, and scientific discoveries, and captures the excitement of citizens who defined their nation as a “Great Experiment” sustained by the inventive energies of Americans in every walk of life. Eighth and F sts. NW. 202-633-7970. americanart.si.edu

SPORTS, DANCE AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Washington Capitals Ice Hockey. Nov. 12, 21, 233, 25 and 29. Dec. 1 and 3. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. 202-628-3200. capitals.nhl.com Nearby indoor public swimming pools. Turkey Thicket, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE. Open Monday through Friday, 6:30 AM-8:00 PM; Saturday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM; closed, Sunday. 202-5769236. Rumsey Pool, 635 No.Carolina Ave. SE. Open Monday through Friday, 6:30 AM-9:00 AM and noon-9:00 PM; Saturday, 1:00-5:00 PM; Sunday, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM. 202-724-4495. The pools are free for DC residents. Have ID with you. dpr.dc.gov

Logan Circle/U Street Small Business Technical Assistance Program Shaw Main Streets, Inc. has received funding from the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development to conduct an assessment of the needs of businesses in the following commercial corridiors: • 14th Street, NW, from Massachusetts Avenue to U Street, NW; • U Street, NW from 9th Street, NW to 17th Street, NW; • 11th Street, NW from Massachusetts Avenue to U Street, NW. The goal of this first phase of the program is to identify the types of small business technical assistance that will have the greatest positive impact on business profitability and sustainability in the target area, and to determine the types of businesses most likely to benefit from said assistance.

The Wander Group has been contracted to conduct interviews with 20 small businesses in the targeted commercial corridors. These interviews will be conducted during November 2011. The results of these interviews will be used to produce recommendations for the service delivery phase of the project.

If you are a business owner willing to be interviewed as part of this program, please contact Sarah Steel at sarah@wandergroup.com or 202-491-5466.

If you have questions about the program, contact Alexander M. Padro, Executive Director, Shaw Main Streets at shawmainstreetsinc@gmail.com or 202-265-SHAW.

The Logan Circle/U Street Small Business Technical Assistance Program is funded by a grant from the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development, Vincent C. Gray, Mayor.

Shaw Main Streets is a designated DC Main Streets program funded in part by the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development, Vincent C. Gray, Mayor.

16 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

Ice Skating at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Open Thanksgiving Day. Mid Nov. through Mid Mar. (depending on the weather). Monday through Thursday, 10:00 AM-9:00 PM; Friday and Saturday, 10:00 AM11:00 PM; Sunday, 11:00 AM-9:00 PM. View magnificent works of sculpture while skating in the open air and enjoying music from the state-of-the-art sound system. $7 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under, students with ID and seniors 50 and over. Skate rental is $3. Seventh St. and Constitution Ave. NW. 202-289-3361. nga.gov/ginfo/skating Pentagon Row Outdoor Ice Skating. Open Thanksgiving Day and daily through mid-Mar. 10:00 AM-11:00 PM. $7-$8. $3 for skate rental.

1201 South Joyce St. Arlington, VA. 703-4186666. pentagonrowskating.com

Saturday and Sunday Road Rides. Every Saturday, 10 AM and Sunday, 8:30 AM. The Bike Rack. The Saturday ride is more of an introductory ride and caters to road riders who are new to the sport, hybrid riders intimidated by the faster pace of the Sunday ride, and anyone who just wants a shorter (approx. 20 to 30 miles) and slower (12 to 14 mph) pace.

The Sunday ride is 40-mile, moderately paced ride that emphasizes group riding techniques, newcomers to the group riding are welcome as riders regroup throughout, so that nobody is left behind. Helmets mandatory both rides. Free.

1412 Q St. NW. 202-387-BIKE. bikerackdc.com.

Shaw Skate Park. A new 11,000 sq. foot skate park has opened in the Shaw neighborhood. 11th and Rhode Island Ave. NW. Yoga at NW1 Library. Tuesdays, 6:30 PM. Free, walk-in.

There is a sign-in sheet and you must sign a waiver to participate. NW1 Library, 155 L St. NW. 202-939-5946. dclibrary. org/northwest The Hydrocephalus Association National Capital 5K Run/ WALK. Nov. 20, 8:00 AM. 5k Run/Walk and Kids Fun Run to promote awareness and raise funds for medical research to eliminate the challenges of Hydrocephalus. walk4hydro. kintera.org

MARKETS Dupont Circle Farmers Market. Sundays year round (rain or shine), 9:00 AM-1:00 PM. The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times of London named the market one of the top farmers’ markets in the country. During the peak season, there are more than 30 farmers offering fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, cheeses, fruit pies, breads, fresh pasta, cut flowers, potted plants, soaps and herbal products.

20th St. and Mass. Ave. NW, 1500 block of 20th St. NW (between Mass. Ave. and Q St. in the adjacent parking lot of PNC Bank). 202-362-8889. freshfarmmarket.org Bloomingdale Farmers’ Market. Sundays, through November, 10:00 AM-2:00 PM. This is a seasonal open air producer-only market. First and R sts. NW. 9th and U Flea Market. Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00 AM5:00 PM. Ninth and U sts. NW.

CIVIC LIFE Ward 2 Community Meeting with Councilmember Evans. Nov. 15, 6:30-8:30 PM. MLK Library, 901 G St. NW

Health Insurance Exchange Public Meeting. Nov. 17, 6:30-8:30 PM. The Mayor’s Health Reform Implementation Committee invites members of the public to a community conversation on the “future of health care in the District of Columbia.” Reeves Center, 2000 14th St. NW. All-Ways Mount Pleasant. First Saturday, noon-2:00 PM. LaCasa. All-Ways is a citizen’s association primarily for the tenants of the larger apartment buildings of Mount Pleasant.

3166 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. aa-ss.org Convention Center Community Association. Last Tuesday, 7:00-8:30 PM. Kennedy Rec Center, 1401 Seventh St. NW. www.ccca-online.

East Central Civic Association (ECCA) of Shaw Meeting.

First Monday, 7:00 PM. Third Baptist Church, 1546 Fifth St. NW. Contact: Al Hajj Mahdi Leroy J Thorpe Jr, 202-3871596.

Eckington Civic Association. First Monday, 7:00-8:30 PM. Harry Thomas Recreation Center, 1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. www. eckingtondc.org

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Logan Circle Citizens Association. Please contact Jennifer Trock at jennifer.trock@logancircle.org for meeting dates and times. logancircle.org Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association Meeting. Third Tuesday, 7:30-9:30 PM. Yale Steam Laundry, 437 New York Ave. NW. lifein.mvsna.org U Street Neighborhood Association Meeting. Second Thursday, 7:00-8:30 PM. Source (second floor classroom), 1835 14th St. NW ANC 1A Meeting. Second Wednesday, 7:00 PM. Harriet Tubman Elementary School, 3101 13th St. NW. 202-588-7278. anc1a.org ANC 1B Meeting. First Thursday, 7:00 PM. Reeves Center, 2000 14th St. NW (second floor). 202-870-4202. anc1b.org ANC 1B11 Meeting. Second Monday, 7:00 PM. LeDroit Senior Building (basement community room), 2125 Fourth St. NW. 202-481-3462. www.anc1b.org ANC 1C Meeting. First Wednesday, 7:00 PM. Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Health, 2355 Ontario Rd. NW. 202332-2630. anc1c.org ANC 1D Meeting. Third Tuesday, 7:00 PM. 3166 Mount Pleasant St. NW. 202-462-8692. anc1d.org ANC 2C Meeting. First Wednesday, 6:30-8:30 PM. Watha T. Daniel Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW (new location). 202682-1633. anc2C.org ◆

Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic.

Tuesday, Nov. 15, 5:00-7:30 PM. The Enhanced Business Information Center (e-BIC) and the DC Bar Pro Bono Program are working together to offer this free legal clinic. This clinic is for aspiring or existing small business owners. Attendees will meet one-on-one with attorneys for brief advice on any legal issues their businesses may be facing. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-737-4700 ext. 3369. dcbar.org/ced Free Seminar for Federal Employees. Nov. 16, 10:00 AM-2:00 PM. Seminar will discuss critical human resource and training issues hosted by Graduate School USA. Box lunches will be provided; seating is limited. Preregistration with a valid government email address is required by Nov. 9. Capital Gallery Building, 600 Maryland Ave. SW, 2nd floor. 1-888-744-GRAD. graduateschool.edu

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202-333-1310 The Halloween Scene in Shaw Watha T. Daniel/Shaw librarian Nick Hirsch’s homemade anglerfish helmet was one of the best costumes seen in Shaw during Halloween festivities this year. The annual Haunted Hallway and Flashlight Candy Hunt at the Kennedy Recreation Center were once again filled with tricks and treats. Photos by Alexander M. Padro, Courtesy Shaw Main Streets.

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out and about

+ Theater J

At

A Season Touched By The

Legacy of Arthur Miller

by Amanda Wilson

W

hen my cell phone rang during my chat with Ari Roth, artistic director of Theater J, I don’t answer, but Roth sees the phone is a simple one. His is similar. “You don’t have a smart phone?” I ask, surprised. He doesn’t.

For a moment, I’m confounded that someone with so much going on can manage without one. Along with 100 shows staged since Roth joined the theatrer in 2009, Theater J has a full agenda of educational outreach events, community discussions, and new work readings.

Big Success--Without a Smart Phone In its 2010/2011 season, Theater J had revenues twenty percent higher than expected, a theater record of 48 sold-out performances, and a third consecutive Helen Hayes Award, the prestigious award honoring great Washington theater. The resident

18 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

professional theater of the Washing- ton DC Jewish Commu n i t y Center, Theater J has built its reputation premiering new works by both seasoned and emerging playwrights.

In short, Theater J is incredibly productive, plugged in, and linked collaboratively with artists and writers all over the world who are doing cutting-edge work...and all without a smart phone. It’s kind of amazing.

At a certain point, Roth’s cell phone rings too. It’s his dad. “I’ll call you back!” Roth says energetically. Roth has just mentioned how Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman”, which he read as a young man, reminded him of of his own father. “It reminds everybody of their father,” he adds, smiling. Arthur Miller’s play “After the Fall” is running now at Theater J and, as Roth’s 100th pro-

duction, it has special meaning because Arthur Miller wrote it.

Both men discovered playwriting at the University of Michigan and, in April, 1981, Miller himself came back to present the university’s Avery Hopwood Award for creative writing. Miller had won the award twice, and in 1981, Ari Roth was the recipient. Roth’s father came up from Chicago for the ceremony. It was a big moment in Roth’s life. He went on to spend the rest of his time at the university studying playwriting and joined the faculty in 1988. Still on the faculty, Roth now teaches a political theater class for students of the university’s Michigan in Washington program in which students working as interns for a semester take a variety of classes at night, including Roth’s.

Echoes of Arthur Miller Printed on the inside covers of Theater J’s playbills, Roth’s elegant letters set the tone for reflection, for dialog—but at Theater J, discussions are standard and seem built into everything the theater does. Arthur Miller’s plays have, on more than one occasion, been the material Theater J has built on to do that. Posters from all of Theater J’s productions of Arthur Miller plays take up an entire wall in Roth’s office.

“After the Fall” is the theater’s fourth production of a Miller play, who passed away in 2005, He is an important playwright, not just to Roth, but to Theater J’s broader mission. “So much of his idea of what theater should be and its relationship to society and examining the individual’s role and responsibil-

ABOVE: L to R - Gabriela Fernández-Coffey as “Maggie”, Mitchell Hébert as “Quentin”, and Kimberly Schraf as “Louise” in Theater J’s production of Arthur Miller’s “After the Fall,” October, 2011. Photo: Stan Barouh

ities morally within the context of the community is so much a part of our own calling theatrically,” Roth tells me.

In 1989, Theater J did a series of three, one-act Miller plays about depression, Alzheimer’s, and a centenarian. They were “very very beautiful plays,” Roth says. Two years later, the theater produced “The Ride Down Mount Morgan,” and in 2008, it did “The Price” in a production that starred Robert Prosky, who passed away in 2008, with his sons John and Andy Prosky in their last time on stage together.

Laced through “The Crucible”, currently being staged by The Keegan Theater next door, Roth says, are questions about “the artistic conscience of the individual as it comes up against the fears, or the fervor of the community”. And Roth says that is important to Theater J in its mission to tell stories that have a “touch point” in the Jewish community but also have relevance to its neighboring

Theater J’s Take on the CSA: “Growing” Local Plays

From Theater J’s co-production of “Return to Haifa” with the Cameri Theater of Israel, 2011. Raida Adon and Rozina Kambos. Photo: Stan Barouh

communities. The theater has a long history of staging plays that deal with social justice issues, inter-cultural relations, the labor movement, and, re-

Rick Foucheux and Mike Nussbaum in Theater J’s performance of “Imagining Madoff” by Deb Margolin, September, 2011. Photo: C. Stanley Photography

cently, global conflict.

Last winter, Theater J teamed up with the Cameri Theater of Tel Aviv Israel to produce “Return to Haifa”, a play adapted for the stage by an Israeli playwright from a novella written by a Palestinian writer. It was staged as part of Theater J’s “Voices from a Changing Middle East” series. The play, in dwhich the stories of two families – one Israeli and one Palestinian – overlap and intertwine as they each grapple with the meaning of “return”, got excellent reviews.

Some saw the play as too provocative. But Roth says raising difficult questions, much like Arthur Miller did, is part of Theater J’s mission, and the role of the theater in general. “It summons the community together to bear witness,” Roth explains. “It poses difficult questions on ethical issues; we don’t have an agenda other than to fulfill that social mission of theater,” Roth says.

There is a lot of season left at Theater J. It still has six full shows ahead as well as a special festival called “Locally Grown: Community Supported Art”. It is Theater J’s take on the popular Community Supported Agriculture movement and features a new world premier comedy called “The Religion Thing” from DC playwright Renee Calarco. “We are using local playwrights, local directors, local actors, to tell local stories,” Roth says.

He explains that writers have all received micro-commissions from Theater J to “grow new work.”

Roth says audiences can also expect a holiday show from The Kinsey Sicks, “a dragapella beautyshop quartet” coming this winter for an encore staging of their comedy show, “Oy Vey in a Manger.”

“After the Fall” runs through November 27. Miller’s play presents a story of Quentin, an individual who struggles with questions of loyalty and love in the McCarthy era and in his marriage to “Maggie”, a character inspired by Miller’s second wife Marilyn Monroe. In his letter in the front of the playbill, Roth writes “...Miller dares us to see ourselves as both complicit actors, as well as fallen dreamers capable of retrieving hope. We must begin to believe anew. This is Miller in his prophetic mode, not as a moral scold but as social animal, insisting that we find the will to add to the world with new love.”

After my experience at Theater J, I am already looking forward to the season and certain of one thing: you don’t always need a smart phone to know where you are going. ◆

capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 19

out and about

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+ Dining

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By Celeste McCall

Bloomingdale Blooms On a gorgeous Indian summer day, Peter and I strolled through the Bloomingdale neighborhood in search of midday sustenance. After visiting the Sunday farmers market and buying green beans for dinner, we decided to eat at Boundary Stone, which opened about two months ago at 116 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Exposed brick walls, twirling ceiling fans, rustic wooden booths and inviting nooks, lend Boundary Stone the rough-hewn look of a venerable watering hole. The wood is gleaned from Wyoming snow fences, we’re told.

A vintage jukebox sits in the rear; TV screens blare football. The menu, created by Chef Vince Campaniello is nothing fancy, just good bar fare: honey hot wings, beer can-cooked chicken sandwiches, burgers, falafel, Maryland crab rolls and entrees which change nightly.

Peter and I sat outside and sipped spicy $5 bloody marys (mimosas are the same price) . We perused Boundary’s extensive listing of artisan beers, scotches, Irish whiskey, bourbon, rye and tequila. Peter’s crab roll was an Eastern Shore take on Maine lobster rolls; Vince’s version is a toasted bun heaped with good lump crab, accompanied by delicious tater tots and homemade ketchup. (Vince also makes his own pickles.) I chose a “classic Caesar salad” topped with the beer-cooked chicken. Delicious, and lots of it.

The name Boundary Stone stems from early Washington history: When the District of Columbia was founded in 1791, 40 stones were placed as mile markers forming the city’s original diamond shape. Considered the nation’s oldest federal monuments, the boundary stones remain today and are becoming tourist attractions.

Boundary Stone is the joint effort of a pair of brothers: Peter and Colin McDonough and Matt and Garreth Croke, who hope their tavern will become a “cornerstone” of Bloomingdale and surrounding neighborhoods.

Boundary Stone is open Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday ‘til 3 a.m.; Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.; no phone number yet.

Not far away is the year-old Rustik Tavern, at 84 T St.

20 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

NW. We peeked in and found a sizeable crowd of happy football fans enjoying pub grub. Regulars go for the pizza, kale salad and lamb in pita bread, complemented by a wide selection of draft beers, wines and spirits.

Rustik is open Sunday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., weekend brunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Call 202-290-2936 or visit www.rustikdc.com.

Nearby is another neighborhood favorite: Big Bear Café, at 1700 First St. NW (202-470-5543).

The funky coffee house now offers full service dining with entrees, beer and wine.

And, coming soon to Bloomingdale is Bacio

Pizzeria, at 81 Seaton Place NW, just off First and R), and not far from Boundary Stone. Turkishborn proprietor Atilla Suzrer, who lives on Capitol Hill, is aiming for an early November opening.

Besides pizza, Bacio will dispense calzones and salads. Suzrer has also applied for a beer and wine license and–come next spring–a sidewalk café. For updates call 202-232-2246.

Shaw News Tony Lucca, owner of 1905, the lively tavern at 1905 Ninth St. NW, plans some fun events for fall and winter. For starters, “Chef Matt” has rolled out his new seasonal menu of pickled beets with mixed greens and goat cheese; shrimp with

“The Capitol Hill Psychiatrist”

Joseph Tarantolo, MD BOARD CERTIFIED PSYCHIATRIST CERTIFIED GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPIST HERBALIST, NUTRITION COUNSELOR

Specializing in: • Individual, Couples, and Group Psychotherapy • Patients with the Diagnosis of Cancer • Self Exploration without Psychotropic Drugs: “Talk Back to Prozac”

202-543-5290

The interior of 1905. Photo courtesy of 1905.

lobster-cheese grits; venison Bourguignon with truffle-buttered gnocchi; Colorado lamb on Asiago bread; pan-seared duck breast with squash ragout; Maine lobster meatballs; fried Chesapeake oysters; Berkshire pig roast (loin chop); Angus beef burger with wild mushrooms and smoked brie, and lots more. Ideal fare for cooler weather.

The restaurant’s 2011-2012 live jazz season is also underway. Each Thursday, starting at 9 p.m., one of four different bands (same as last year’s) will heat things up in the dining room: Hot Club of DC, Laissez Foure, Potomac Jazz, and Matvei & Sarah. Each band plays a differ-

ent style: ranging from French Gypsy and New Orleans Swing, to Contemporary American and Bossa Nova.

To accompany those Thursday swing sounds, Chef Matt is making meatloaf with forest mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, and hot buttered green beans. Cost of the homespun dinner is only $19.05.

1905’s Neighborhood Appreciation Nights (Taco Tuesday, Burger Wednesday, and Thursday Night Nines), have been a huge success.

And...spring will come, as construction on the 1905 roof deck is underway and going very well, Tony Lucca assures us. ◆

capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 21

out and about

+ Shopping

RETAIL THERAPY RETAIL RETAI RETAI RETAI LTHERAP RETAIL L THER RETAIL THER LRETAIL THER RETAIL AP TH YAP YER TH AP YTHERA APY ERA TYHERA PYPY PY article & photos by Scott Fazzini

Federal ¬

2216 14th Street NW

With increasing technology and an overwhelming and constant communication connection, some are revolting against modern times. Perhaps the popularity of “Heritage Brands”, Edison Bulbs, and all things work-wear related has contributed to the desire of men to return to our not-too-distant roots. Federal, 14th Street’s newest men’s shop, is an answer to this retro dilemma. Offering classic brands, many of which are made in America, Federal tells a story of the classic man with a simple taste for quality as opposed to quantity.

Levi’s, a staple of men’s wardrobe from 1853 to today, has, like many other manufacturers, outsourced most of its production. Recognizing the demand of some to support American made product, Levi’s still offers a collection made in North Carolina of the original Cone Denim. As with any other well-crafted goods, this denim ranges from $200 to $250.

The Filson Co. started in Seattle in 1897 to supply durable dry-goods to the pioneers of the Klondike Gold Rush. It continues to supply quality goods, made in Seattle, to modern pioneers. Their product range is enormous, but Federal has curated a tight collection of bags; the “brief case” ($265), “Rucksack” ($265), and red/black buffalo plaid “field bag” ($255) to name a few.

Among the footwear lines offered at Federal is Red Wing. The company, founded in the early part of the Nineteenth century, continues to manufacture in Minnesota. Aided by its long-standing partnership with local tanner S.B. Tannery, it produces goods of durability such as the “Cooper” boot ($250).

Federal is soon to become commonly synonymous with quality menswear in the District as a destination for sartorially gifted male and the people who appreciate them.

Foundry ¬

1522 U Street NW

Local interior designer and real estate maven Yvette Freeman has turned a passion of collecting into one of U Street’s newest retail destinations for vintage, and vintage-inspired, home furnishings. The U Street area certainly isn’t lacking in stores specializing in home decoration.

Slight aesthetic crossover might be transparently noticeable to the discerning eye, but for the most part each shop offers something uniquely site-specific.

Foundry’s a self-proclaimed “Parisian Flea Market,” in my opinion, offers the most feminine spin on the “industrial / found-object” bandwagon. A lot of the items are painted in a distressed French grey manner; a beautifully ornate trestle-base library table ($805.) and sweet high boy ($785.) among other pieces.

In addition to the more traditional pieces Yvette offers a nice mix of products reminiscent of those found in an Nineteenth Century English drawing room; a classic leather tufted Chesterfield sofa ($1,245.) and stunning examples of art. Assorted steamer trunks, versatile enough to be used for storage, as cocktail / side tables, as “filler” props, or for transcontinental travel are moderately priced from $48 to $150.

Foundry is sure to become one of your weekly haunts. Swing by and welcome Yvette to the neighborhood!

22 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

Habitat Live & Wear 1512 U Street NW In an era embracing history and tradition (subjects dear to me), it’s sometimes refreshing to see a shop outfitted so unabashedly with modern wares. Opened in 2000 by Gustavo Dinucci as a source for accessories in the U Street area, Habitat continues to offer a diverse array of product for all.

A jewelry collection handmade by Mr. Dinucci himself is moderately priced and sweetly designed. Examples include: a multi stone necklace ($80), single stone pendant ($50), and dangling chandelier-style earrings ($50).

Habitat also offers a great collection of grooming products by L’epi de Provence. The White Musk soap and hand cream (both $12) are a go-to for many of my giftgiving needs.

A large part of Habitat’s inventory is devoted to bags and wallets for men and women. The assortment is broad and impressive, but it was the little orange ladies wallet with brass closure ($45) that caught my attention --a perfect give for some of the lovely ladies in my life.

Remember Habitat not only for gift giving during the holiday season, but for treating yourself year-round.

Ruff & Ready 4722 14th Street NW Frontiersman of the wild, wild, Northwest’s U Street Corridor, Ruff & Ready has been hocking its collection of disparate wares to those savvy enough to take advantage of owner Bill Troy’s unique eye.

After being situated, Grey Garden’s style, in a crumbling old townhouse on Fourteenth Street for a decade, Ruff & Ready has moved onward and upward to Fourteenth Street Heights. The new location is a departure from what we’ve come to associate with R&R. It’s light, clean, merchandised and shoppable.

The product here, as is the case with other vintage stores in the area, is constantly changing. Here is but a brief list of what I fell in love with on my most recent trip: a pair of faux bamboo “ballroom” chairs ($36 each), a truly remarkable Victorian collapsable sewing table (absurdly low priced at $68), a beautiful brass fireplace tool kit ($56), and a modern painting of a subject resembling eggs ($68).

I could wax eternal about my fondness of Bill Troy and his enchanting shop, but I’ll leave it to you to discover for yourself.

capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 23

out and about

+ Music

JAZZ AVENUES

by Steve Monroe

All Around the Town

significant jazz musicians, including such luminaries as Duke Ellington, Shirley Horn, and Jelly Roll Morton.

But there’s one D.C. jazz figure who is the ultimate Renaissance man: a saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist who has been performing and recording here for 50 years; a collaborator who has played with countless jazz greats and soul artists; a scholar who is

Caught: Cheikh Ndoye

One rainy Friday night last month Tucked in a quiet section of Northa mostly full room of diners at Sala Thai west off Connecticut Avenue is Allion U Street seemed mostly oblivious to ance Francaise Washington, D.C., a the soft sounds of the Triple Double keeper of all things French and a proJazz Band, with Joey Whitney blowing moter of fine music, such as its fall jazz melancholy melodies on tenor sax over series.

Ed Gallagher’s strumming on guitar The first concert was in late Sepand Alan Pachter’s deft sounds on bass tember featuring Cheikh Ndoye, a and Tom Reed’s artful cymbal work on bassist whose sound becomes more drums on the standard “Close guitar-like on some tunes, as he Your Eyes.” weaves a lot of jazz, with some And there was no applause pop and funk and world music when they finished though the motifs, into his sets, all groundmusic was polished and warm. ed by the soul of his West AfriThe music continued, with can heritage. the artists’ top-rate musicianA composer and arranger, ship, while the diners chatted, that night Ndoye pleased a ate, clinked glasses, and waitcapacity crowd in the Alliresses scampered here and there ance Francaise music room on in the main dining area and bar standards like “Footprints” and and the adjacent sushi bar and “Stolen Moments,” and other dining space. tunes, backed by Arshak SiruNo matter. Sala Thai has quinyan on bass and Pandapotan etly become its own music instiManurung on drums. tution, now with three locations Another jazz series this fall, in the area, for jazz, with its two at the Atlas on H Street, feaD.C. locations, on U Street and tured The Greg Boyer Peloton in Petworth on Georgia Avlast month, with the venerMaster trumpeter Michael Thomas plays this month at Twins Jazz and also with Bobby Felder’s Big band at Westminster Presbyterian Church. enue, and in Bethesda. A couple able Cheyney Thomas on bass, of weekends before that night Eli Staples, piano and Mark in October, the Triple Double Prince, drums. Boyer, a tromJazz Band—then with Ron Oshima on known as “Keeper of the Trane” for his bonist with roots in soul, funk and pop, tenor sax and Jamie Parker on drums - meticulous transcriptions of 650 John played a set flavored with jazz enliven- entertained a roomful of folks—they Coltrane solos (virtually every one on ing pop and R&B favorites. were more attentive-- at the Petworth record); and a producer who has released thousands of products, from relocation.

It’s baaaack! MAJF The restaurants’ owner, according to cordings to transcriptions to books.”

Accomplished saxophonist and That’s writer Mark Minsker on Paul Saengsophaphan, a manager at the band leader Paul Carr has now officialU Street location, “loves jazz, and thinks CapitalBop.com, on Andrew White, ly certified himself as a festival impreit’s good for customers.” He added that who is definitely a living legend of our sario as well, with the announcement having the jazz “is working well” so far own here in D.C., and he’s appear- of the third annual Mid-Atlantic Jazz for the Sala Thai restaurants in D.C., ing Nov. 14 at Blues Alley doing his Festival for February 2012, to feature. signature Coltrane thing. Having met the ones he works at.

Headliners Roy Haynes, Carmen and heard White many years ago, this writer has never met a more dedicated- Bradford, Winard Harper, Nicholas Andrew White to-the-music artist. Well worth check- Payton, Terrell Stafford – and of course “Over the course of the twenti- ing out if you have never seen him live. the Paul Carr Quintet. More info at eth century, D.C. was home to many midatlanticjazzfestival.org. ◆ 24 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

November Highlights: Steve Washington Quartet, Nov. 12, Mandarin Oriental Hotel … Michael Thomas Quintet, Nov. 12, Twins Jazz … Andrew White, Nov. 14, Blues Alley … Rita Ferreira, Nov. 16, Twins Jazz … Mingus Dynasty Quintet, Nov. 17, Blues Alley … Bennie Maupin Ensemble, Nov. 18, Bohemian Caverns … Reginald Cyntje, Freedom Children: The Celebration, Nov. 18, Westminster Church …

Kenny Werner, Nov. 18-19, Twins Jazz … Ravi Coltrane Quartet, Nov. 19, Blues Alley … Manhattan Transfer, Nov. 20, Kennedy Center …

Sophie Millman, Nov. 22, Blues Alley … Tribute to Nat King Cole with George Benson, Nov. 25-26, Kennedy Center … Sharon Clark, Nov. 25, Mandarin Oriental Hotel … Bobby Felder Big Band, Nov. 25, Westminster Church …

November Birthdays: Lou Donaldson 1; Phil Woods 2; Arturo Sandoval 6; Hubert Laws 10; Ernestine Anderson 11; Sam Jones 12; Hampton Hayes, Idris Muhammad 13; W.C. Handy 16; Don Cherry 18; Coleman Hawkins 21; Teddy Wilson 24; Paul Desmond, Nat Adderley 25; Randy Brecker 27; Gato Barbieri 28; Billy Strayhorn 29.

the nose

Corruption, Corruption! Corruption!

by Anonymous

W

hy is everyone so contorted by corruption? From the rarified heights of The Post’s 15th Street offices to the ethereal realm of the blogosphere, the pundits dun readers daily about the dismal District.

The Nose has developed a terrible allergy to grass cutting contracts.

Do citizens really want to know any more gory details about Councilmember Harry “Hand in the Cookie Jar” Thomas’s entertainment habits?

The Nose gets it. The underpaid, overworked members of his declining fraternity of scribblers are uniformly jealous.

While reporters chase councilmembers down hallways, barge into closed meetings courting arrest and risk repetitive strain injury redialing cell numbers, there are five lobbyists who never have any difficulty arranging quality time with District politicians: David “The Parking Valet” Wilmot, John “Bulldoze Litteri’s” Ray, Kevin “Lucky Lotto” Chavous, Kerry “Little Bundler of Joy” Pearson and Frederick “Get Them Off ” Cooke.

Yes, Dear Readers, The Nose’s brethren envy the access and privilege afforded the metropolis’s preeminent lobbyists. Hence their recent loud baying about corruption on the DC Council.

Yet, The Nose cannot help but admire so talented a group.

David Wilmot pivots from defending the honor of Councilmember Yvette “Miss Congeniality” Alexander before the Board of Ethics and Election to touting the virtues of Walmart. Kevin Chavous shepherded the dreaded Lottery deal to fruition for Interlot. John Ray, who seems to have forgotten an antipathy towards gambling displayed in an earlier mayoral run, now defends gasoline magnate Joe Mamo. When not lobbying on behalf of clients such as Fannie Mae, Fred Cooke spends his spare time defending Marion “I Forgot to File (Again)” Barry and Councilmember Thomas. And, last but not least, is Kerry Pearson, who according to Washington City Paper represents Clyde’s Restaurant Group among others, when not raising campaign funds for a bountiful bevy of DC politicians.

Speaking of Clyde’s, The Old Ebbitt Grill, one of the group’s many properties, famous for its raw mollusks, holds a special place in The Nose’s heart, an affinity it seems that is shared with Lower Caucasia’s councilmember, Jack “Mr. Undersight” Evans.

Not only did Evans hold a recent fundraiser at one of the group’s many establishments, but his current campaign finance report boasts identical $500 contributions from Clyde’s of Gallery Place, Clyde’s of Tyson’s Corner, Clyde’s of Columbia, Inc., Clyde’s of Broadland, Inc., Clyde’s of Mark’s Center, Inc., Clyde’s of Georgetown, and Clyde’s Incorporated. The Nose is sure that whenever Clyde’s expands to the moon, its lunar branch will show up on a future Evan’s campaign report as well.

The Nose didn’t even have to purloin Dorothy Brizill’s ruby reading glasses to figure this one out. Clyde’s is spelled the same way in seven separate entries in Evans’s October campaign filing. This type of ‘bundled’ cash, while technically legal, is in The Nose’s opinion intrinsically questionable.

In the case of Clyde’s, The Nose opines, setting his usual cynicism aside, the cash probably was awarded in recognition of the hundreds of bivalves consumed during Jack’s many years of patronage of the group’s many establishments.

Rather than joining his colleagues in their loud complaint, The Nose prefers to celebrate talents of DC’s ‘lobbynistas.’ Gentlemen, in the spirit of The Fiddler, here is a song for you: Lobbyist, Lobbyist, make me a match.

Find me a BFF, catch me a catch.

Lobbyist, Lobbyist, look through your book And make me a perfect match.

Lobbyist, Lobbyist, I’ll bring the cash.

You bring the Pol, I’ll throw a bash.

Bring me a deal, for I’m longing to be the envy of all I see.

For voters, make sure they don’t bother.

For Politicians, make their cell phones sing.

For me, well, I wouldn’t holler If my contributions weren’t limited by anything.

Lobbyist, Lobbyist, make me a match.

Find me a find, catch me a catch.

Deal after deal, in the dark, I’m alone.

So, find me a politician of my own.

The problem is not Wilmot and company’s talent for short-circuiting governmental bureaucracy. Rather, it is the corruption’s entire lack of transparency.

All citizens, in The Nose’s humble opinion, should have the same access to politicians granted to these fixers.

To promote transparent and even handed influence peddling, each councilmember in the manner of Luther should nail to his door a list of fees for services rendered. At the bottom end, the schedule might start with the cost of making traffic infractions disappear and work its way up to more complex transactions such as land banking public property for private, tax-free gain. Throw in the prices for obtaining questionable permits, a prix fixe special for PUDs (Planned Unit Developments) and life in this metropolis would be perfect.

In The Nose’s sage opinion, the problem in The District is not corruption, but the secrecy of required fees. Let’s make the menu of incentives public so that all may contribute their fare share.

Have a comment for The Nose? Email thenose@hillrag.com. ◆ capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 25

your neighborhood

m s c t

+ District Beat

h r e h c t – h R f

Half-Way to Ethics

by Martin Austermuhle

E

ven though it lasted seven-anda-half hours and focused in on 10 different legislative proposals, the long-awaited October 26 D.C. Council hearing on ethics ended with a whimper.

Throughout the day’s proceedings, both witnesses and councilmembers disagreed about how extensive the District’s ethical failings were, what type of tools would be needed to remedy them and how quickly the body should act.

The 10 pieces of legislation introduced by a number of councilmembers to do everything from impose term limits to ban bundling of campaign contributions were often set aside in a broader discussion of what, if anything, the real problems and solutions were.

But in sensing the need to act, Councilmember Muriel Bowser (DWard 4) pledged to move forward quickly, working a comprehensive bill through her Committee on Government Operations by the end of November and through the D.C. Council as a whole before the end of the year.

She didn’t let on much of what would be in the final bill, but she did repeatedly indicate that a central proposal would be splitting up the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics into two separate entities, one to deal exclusively with running the city’s elections, the other with centralizing ethics regulation and enforcement.

“When everybody’s responsible, nobody’s responsible. We need to make somebody responsible. There needs to be a single line of accountability,” she told WTOP’s Mark Plotkin on October 28.

Regardless, there was a sense amongst some witnesses and councilmembers that while a new office to deal with ethics would be a necessary com-

26 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

ponent, it simply wouldn’t be enough to deal with the allegations of corruption and pay-to-play scandals that have dogged the District’s government throughout 2011.

Councilmember Jack Evans (DWard 2) said that in his 20 years of service, he had seen all manner of ethics-related legislation, and that the only thing that worked was more extensive disclosure requirements and harsher penalties for failing to meet them.

Roderic Woodson, a former director of the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration and currently an attorney with Holland & Knight, argued with Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) over whether registered lobbyists should be able to offer free or discounted legal service to councilmembers. Wells has pushed a proposal that would ban the practice; Woodson seemed to think that professional standards of conduct would be enough to forestall any abuse of the relationship.

The situation seemed to speak directly to Councilmember Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7), who herself was recently represented by David Wilmot, a high-powered lobbyist for Comcast and Walmart. (Wilmot also threw Bowser a campaign fundraiser recently.)

But in her only comments of the day, Alexander seemed to imply that things were OK. “People start to question things where they really don’t really need question things and I think the worst thing we can do is nitpick and micromanage everything,” she said.

Former At-Large councilmember Bryan Weaver was one of the few witnesses to stress the need to crack down on the bundling of campaign contributions, but with election season in full swing, it remains to be seen if a mea-

sure proposed by Wells to ban it will go anywhere. (According to a review of campaign finance reports, Bowser has collected $24,300 in bundled contributions this year.)

Councilmember Vincent Orange’s (D-Ward 5) proposals for term limits and bans on outside employment provoked spirited opposition, with Evans, Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) and David Catania (I-At Large) passionately arguing against any measure that would restrict their ability to hold a second job.

Even proposals from various groups to do away with Constituent Services Funds seem in question – various councilmembers and witnesses argued instead for better disclosure of donations to the funds and regulations on how they can be used.

More broadly, political consultant Chuck Thies argued that the council was failing to recognize the “ethics emergency” that existed in the District.

His proposal that any member facing indictment lose their committee chairmanship and voting privileges was met with lukewarm support; some witnesses and councilmembers argued that legislators should enjoy the presumption of innocence too.

One of the main challenges before Bowser is that she faces pressure to move quickly, despite whether or not all of the proposals before her enjoy a full airing. For Orange – who, it should be noted, proposed emergency ethics legislation in early October – this is a problem.

“We’re on such a fast pace right now; I’m unsure of the final quality of the product. I’m a little bothered by the fact that both Bowser and [Kwame] Brown have indicated that they’ll have a bill by the end of the year. I’m more concerned about getting it right,” he said.

Yes, He Cain On October 22, the D.C. GOP got its first candidate for the 2012 race – but it wasn’t whom most people would have expected.

On that day, Peaceaholics cofounder and longtime political activist Ron Moten not only formally entered the race against Councilmember Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7), but he also switched parties and announced that he’d be running against her – or whomever wins the April 2012 Democratic primary – as a Republican.

In an op-ed published the next day in The Washington Post, Moten explained his quixotic decision by saying that Democratic dominance of District politics had led to corruption and an inability to creatively tackle the city’s toughest challenges.

“A lack of political balance has created an alarming trend in our city. With only one cookie-cutter template from which to bring about change, we have created a local political class who all think, act and support the same platform. We seem to be afraid to change the status quo. We support corrupt leadership and blame the messengers who expose the truth, rather than facing facts and withdrawing our support,” he wrote.

As a means to blunt the shock of jumping to the GOP, Moten recounted the long history of the party in promoting African-American equality – Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass were members, he noted – and coined himself a “Civil Rights Republican.”

Moten is nothing if not the consummate showman, known for his creative promotion of Adrian Fenty’s 2010 re-election campaign, so the political jump seemed to make some sense. It will likely be remembered as the most

a t b r t a t a le a t a

t fi in s d w n c D

w D D p b W h o O S t C p le

h h a

M t W a

memorable campaign rollout of the season, no less so since he held it in a cemetery. But there was also some strategic value hidden within.

Had Moten run as a Democrat, he’d be faced with an uphill race. Currently, three people are challenging Alexander for the seat. With Alexander having taken in $42,000 in campaign contributions through October, Moten was trailing the money race badly – he could only account for $940. Now, he’s got a well-heeled pool of 29,000 Republicans citywide to collect money from.

Additionally, as a Republican, it’s all but assured that he’ll sail through the primary without competition and be able to focus his efforts and fundraising on the November general election. He essentially bought himself an additional six months. (He’s not the only one, either – David Grosso, a longtime Democrat, chose to challenge Councilmember Michael Brown as a fellow independent to extend the time he’ll need to become a known face around the city.)

At the same time, Moten has attached himself to a particularly difficult brand to sell in the overwhelmingly Democratic District, even more so when one considers that it’s a presidential election year. Furthermore, no ward has a larger disparity between the number of Democrats and Republicans – 1,400 Republicans to 47,000 Democrats.

Regardless, this could prove to be a winning move for both Moten and the D.C. GOP. Ever since Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large) left the party in 2007, local Republicans have been looking for a winning candidate.

While they’ve fielded some creative hopefuls and came within 2,000 votes of defeating Councilmember Vincent Orange (D-At Large) in the April 26 Special Election, they haven’t managed to send a member to the council since Carol Schwartz was defeated in 2008 primary – by another Republican, no less, who went on to lose to Brown.

Still, Moten will have to show that his showmanship can extend beyond his campaign rollout, because he’s got a lot of selling to do.

Martin Austermuhle is the Associate Editor of DCist.com and a freelance writer in Washington, D.C. He lives in Mt. Pleasant. ◆

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www.anatolianartisans.org capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 27

your neighborhood

+ The Numbers

The Congressional Supercommittee and Its Power to Impact Local DC

by Jenny Reed

S

ince the end of summer, you’ve probably heard the word “Supercommittee” tossed around quite a bit. No, this isn’t a new Aaron Sorkin sci-fi adventure about a group of crime fighting Senators, but a group of 12 members of Congress charged with reducing $1.2 trillion from the U.S. deficit by Thanksgiving. There’s been a lot of speculation about how the Supercommittee’s actions will impact the federal government’s budget. But what many people don’t realize is that the decisions made by the Supercommittee will also have an impact on state budgets too.

What will that impact look like?

Well, it could be quite big.

In the current fiscal year, DC expects to get close to $2.6 billion, or just over one-quarter of its budget, from federal grants. DC, like every other state, receives federal grants to help support critical state services like health care, education, transportation, workforce training, and law enforcement.

With state budgets still hurting from the recession, significant cuts to these areas could put the brakes on states’ recovery efforts, including the District’s. In fact, some areas under consideration for cuts, like education and workforce training, are the District’s top priorities for investment to help our residents and our city move forward out of these tough economic times.

The Supercommittee is actually the second major step in an effort to reduce the US deficit. Toward the end of summer, when Congress ultimately decided to increase the nation’s debt limit, they simultaneously called for $2.2 trillion in reductions to the federal deficit. About $1 trillion in reductions took effect immediately by placing “caps” on spending 28 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

in discretionary programs — like education, low-income housing assistance, and national parks — the other $1.2 trillion will be decided by the Supercommittee.

With important states services already on the chopping block, it’s important that DC pay close attention to where, and how, the Supercommittee decides to find the additional $1.2 trillion in savings.

What Exactly is A Supercommittee?

Is it faster than a speeding bullet or more powerful than a locomotive?

It might not have the physical attributes of Superman, but it might have a powerful impact on DC’s ability to fund important programs and services.

This Supercommittee is made up of 12 members of Congress — six from the House of Representatives and six from the Senate with an even split of Democrats and Republicans. The Supercommittee even includes one representative from the local DC area, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who represents parts of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.

The Supercommittee is charged with coming up with a plan to find $1.2 - $1.5 trillion in savings over the next 10 years. This is on top of the $1 trillion in cuts already made to the deficit by placing “caps” on annual spending on discretionary programs — programs that include defense, education, lowincome housing assistance, the FBI, medical research, and workforce training, among others.

The Supercommittee, though, can look for savings on both sides of the budget — spending on discretionary programs and entitlement programs, like Medicaid and Medicare, or revenues like closing tax loopholes and

adjusting tax rates.

If the Supercommittee fails to come up with at least $1.2 trillion in savings, or if its plan is not passed by Congress or the President, then across-the-board reductions in spending would automatically be triggered to make up for the shortfall.

Impact On State and Local Budgets While much of the focus of the Supercommittee has been at the federal level, a reduction of federal dollars directly impacts state and local governments that have seen big budget reductions in the past few years.

The federal government provides support to states in many critical areas like education, law enforcement, transportation, and health care. In 2010, the federal government delivered $683 billion to states in grants to support these, and other, critical areas. For its current budget, DC expects to receive about $2.6 billion, or just over one-quarter of its total, from federal grants.

State budgets have been hit hard by the Great Recession, because residents lost jobs, real estate values plummeted and people spent less. That impacts what budget analysts call the big three: income, sales, and property taxes. In fact, in DC, revenue collections still remain below pre-recession levels while unemployment has more than doubled and poverty has risen by nearly 20 percent.

The District has begun the slow road to recovery, although it hasn’t been felt evenly across the city — some neighborhoods are still struggling with record unemployment. While DC recorded its first surplus this year since the recession began, we’re still not collecting what we were before the recession hit, and many DC agencies’ bud-

gets are stretched thin as their funding is still well below pre-recession levels.

Moreover, DC’s Chief Financial Officer projects that revenue collections in the next few years to be lower than initially expected.

How Could DC Be Impacted?

If the Supercommittee, and Congress, agree on how to find the $1.2 trillion in savings, the impact on DC and other states would depend on how much, and where, the savings come from. If they do not agree on a plan, $1.2 trillion in across-the-board cuts would automatically be triggered. This could have a significant impact on DC. The good news for DC, and other states, is that if across-the-board cuts are enacted many key mandatory programs that serve the most vulnerable residents are exempt from cuts. These include: Social Security, Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps), Supplemental Security Income, and refundable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit, among others.

But the bad news for DC and other states is that close to $40 billion in cuts would be made to discretionary programs, many of which support critical functions in DC. Across the board cuts would be made in areas like: education, which could include support for low-income students, students with special needs, and Head Start; child welfare services; low-income energy assistance; low-income housing assistance; workforce development; and law enforcement programs, among others.

These cuts would be made on top of the nearly $1 trillion in cuts already made in these areas.

Additional cuts in these areas could put a significant strain on DC’s already

tight budget. Making matters worse, the overall reduction in spending has raised some alarm bells for the bond rating agencies. And areas like DC, Virginia and Maryland— whose economies depend heavily on the federal government — have had been put on ‘negative watch’ for a possible downgrade. Lower ratings means higher interest payments on debt and could put even more pressure on the District’s budget.

A Balanced Approach While it isn’t clear what the Supercommittee will do, it is clear that a cuts only approach would be devastating for states. The automatically triggered across-the-board cuts would fall heavily on discretionary programs, areas that have already been targeted for reductions. Assistance to states for education, housing, law enforcement and child welfare programs, just to name a few, could be at risk at a time when states have little-to- no flexibility to make up for the shortfalls.

Instead, the Supercommittee should adopt a plan that has a balance of spending cuts and revenue increases. By adopting this approach, they lessen the likelihood for need for deep cuts to discretionary and entitlement programs — like Medicaid and Medicare — and can potentially avoid derailing DC, and other states, as we struggle to stay on the road to recovery.

Reed is a policy analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www. dcfpi.org), which conducts research on tax and budget issues that affect low- and moderateincome DC residents. ◆

The Triangle

by Amanda Wilson

I

t was a beautiful October day when I took my first walk around Mount Vernon Triangle, one of the District’s fast-growing neighborhoods. In the last ten years since developers first started to look east of Massachusetts Avenue in 2001, the 15 block area has filled in with new buildings and gained about 3,000 new residents. The CID was established in 2004 and provides public trash collection and other community services. Bill McLeod, director of the Mt. Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District (CID), was my guide.

As we walk around, Bill greets business owners and neighborhood residents, often by name. Along our route is the barber shop, World Class Cuts on K Street NW, where Bill gets his hair cut. We also run into Bill Melby, owner of AA Auto auto shop at K and 4th. Stopping near a park with a 120-yearold oak tree, Bill shakes hands with members of the CID’s landscaping team. The CID employs two workers part-time who work three days per week maintaining 260 tree boxes, one large park, and six pocket parks in the neighborhood.

The part-time workers are hired through Gospel Rescue Mission, a nine-month transitional program that gives ex-offenders housing, work, and job training. Four other full-time employees work seven days a week and, collaborating with the city’s public works department, maintain 25 trash cans, sweep streets, and pull trash from public spaces.

The CID is also working with the non-profit Trans-gender Health Empowerment (T.H.E.) to give trans-gender sex workers, who often suffer from drug addiction and are homelessness, long-term alternatives to working area streets.

On November 17, the Mount Vernon Triangle CID will hold a tree planting with Casey Trees through the organization’s Community Tree Planting Program.

Pet Costume Contest When ten dogs in full costume turned out for the Mount Vernon Triangle second annual pet costume contest on October 29, Bill McLeod was amazed. He had worked for two days – distributing notices, updating the CID web site [www. mountvernontriangle.org] and posting on the local blogs - to advertise BicycleSpace as the indoor venue when forecasts called for rain and snow. At 1 p.m. no dogs had arrived. Temperatures were dropping. Bill thought the show wouldn’t go on. One by one, costumed canines shuffled in. Pet moms and dads wrangled costumes over furry heads.

Jen and Sean Barrie dressed like Waldo from the “Where’s Waldo” books with their dog Charlie, a beagle-pug mix. “We figured we would make it a family affair,” Jen said. She sewed Charlie’s hat out of a cut-off sleeve from a child’s Waldo costume.

Sam Shipley and Marge Maceda from the Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association were there with their dogs. A representative from Ace Hardware on 5th Street NW and Jordan Mittelman, manager of BicycleSPACE, were the judges. The triceratops took first prize, Charlie as Waldo came in second place, and Brandi and Steve Ehrman’s dog Callie, dressed as a banana split, came in third. The “Pioneer Award” for best homemade costume went to Ellen D’Angelo and Kim Dekeyser with Barksdale dressed as a sock thief.

When the group photos were over and just as everyone was going home, snow began to fall.

BicycleSpace “Snow in October?! Use your lights #bikedc and go easy on the front brake!” BicycleSPACE tweeted enthusiastically to hundreds of followers on the popular micro-blogging site when the snow started falling. The local business, which turned one year old in September, isn’t only active in the social media world: they also attend Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC), DC Bicycle Advisory Council, and various neighborhood association meetings. In their view, it’s all part of building “bike culture”, which they see as good for the community and business too.

Clinics on bicycle commuting and safety for local businesses, a Bike to Work day campaign, events with the Washington Area Bicyclists Association (WABA), and movie nights are also on the long list of the store’s activities this year.

The shop has also hosted eight group rides per week for different skill levels, including a “Cupcake Ramble” Saturday ride planned in collaboration with a local pastry chef. The shop’s popular Thursday night group rides sometimes gathered over 100 bicyclists. Those ended for the season with a grand finale on October 27, a murder mystery “Cupcake Caper” ride. “Really what is it about is trying to celebrate riding,” said store manager Jordan Mittelman. The shop also hosts by-donation yoga every Monday, with proceeds currently going to Black Women Bike, DC. BicycleSPACE has six mechanics, two with a combined total of 80 years of experience, and carries Yuba Mundo cargo bikes, “boxcycle” tricycles, and several unique bikes and bike products made in England including leather Brooks saddles, Brompton folding bikes that weight 24-28 pounds, and Pashley bikes.

The shop is also sponsoring and helping to plan DC’s annual Tweed Ride – a popular DC event in which bikers wear tweed – on November 13th.

Check their events at: http://www.bicyclespacewdc.com/ ◆ capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 29

your neighborhood

Logan Circles

by Mark F. Johnson might want to be up and hustle and bustle, nearly 100 running prior to the holineighborhood folk took a days; and the gym certainly time-out to allow local phoIn our last column, we reported that right after. tographer Tom Wolff add to Reedem and Pulp were closing. We With the exception of them to his U Street Project. were mistaken and are now happy to McDonalds at the corner Wolff, who has worked for take back our fond words of farewell. of 14th and U, fast food both the Washington Post In point of fact, Redeem has restaurants don’t seem to and New York Times, took teamed up with Colombian designer have a terribly long life photos of local shop ownNicolas Rivero. The shop now serves span. Taco Bell and KFC ers, politicos and street life. as his exclusive North American retail have long since kicked the The project is on exhibit at partner for his fall/winter 2011 line. bucket. Now, Chi Dogs is the Smith Center for HealRedeem debuted this collection dur- fading in the wind! With ing and the Arts (1632 U St. ing its five-year anniversary celebra- the announced start of the NW) until Dec. 17. tion last month.

Utopia residential and reAs for Pulp, we are happy to report tail development, the yearAnnual Logan that a local investor, think Daddy War- old hot dog shop is moving bucks, has bought the store! So, at least to College Park, MD. Circle Holiday Tortilla Coast’s Logan Circle location is just about a month from opening. Photo: Tortilla Coast for now, we can write a happy ending to The construction of loHouse Tour Pulp’s story as well.

One of the best and cal Tex-Mex eatery Tortilla months. The project includes an in-fill Coast is coming right along at 1460 P of the open driveway, now filled with most fun ways to work off ThanksgivSt. NW. It is scheduled weathered furniture, which formerly ing dinner is to take the annual Logan Circle Holiday House Tour. Particito open in December. served as parking lot for mail trucks. pants get a glimpse of some of the area’s The city’s first Tortimost beautiful and exciting homes and lla Coast opened on condos. The theme of the 2011 tour, the Capitol Hill in 1985. U Ought to Be 33rd annual, is “Restoration & Renewal: It is one of several in Pictures Capitol Hill estabIn the midst of all the usual U/14 Historic Past Lives on Through Home Renovations.” lishments that plan to The tour takes colonize 14th Street. place on Sunday, Dec. Peregrine Espresso, 4 from 1 to 5 p.m. It long an Eastern Marincludes more than ket fixture, recently twelve properties that opened. Ted’s Bullerepresent a mix of histin and Matchbox are Redeem owner Lori Parkerson (Center) with A New Cross Designers David torical architecture and soon to follow.

Angel (Left) and Nicolas Rivero (Right). Photo: Redeem modern renovations.

Tickets for the Old T Street tour can be purchased In and Out Post Office Special in advance for $25 A couple doors down from Reon the Logan Circle Delivery edem, number 1724 is beginning to Community AssoAfter running into neighborhood show signs of new life. The space has ciation website (www. opposition over his liquor license at the been vacant for nearly a year. ApparentL oganCirc le.org). ly it is slated to become a liquor store. old T Street Post Office, owner Ron Same day tickets can Eichner is now opting to develop the A fitness center is planned for the adbe purchased for $30 parcel into a pair of two-story commerjoining building. At this point there is at the Studio Theatre. cial spaces.

Neither of these will serve no definitive word on when either will late night alcohol.

According to Eich◆ Photographer Tom Wolff in center at U Street Project Photo Exhibit Opening. open. We can imagine the liquor store ner, construction will take about nine Photo: Tom Wolff

Pulp and Reedem Stay Put

30 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

Bloomingdale Bytes

by Eleanor Gourley

O

n a blustery fall evening in mid-October, I met with Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner John Salatti to discuss some of the major issues facing the neighborhood. Unable to catch a break from his busy day, we passed out flyers to neighbors notifying them of an upcoming alley repair and upgrade. As we made our way around the streets of Bloomingdale, stopping several times to chat with passersby, John told me about a divisive issue facing the community—the Ward 5 redistricting plan.

miles from New Jersey Avenue all the way to Eastern Avenue.

Community Opposition Since the Oct. 6, Bloomingdale residents and members of the larger Redistricting Task Force have made their concerns clear to Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. They have asked Thomas to keep all of Bloomingdale from Florida to Michigan Avenues in the same ANC. In addition, they asked him to draw single member districts that respect the 2,000-person-per-district standard established by the District’s Charter.

Councilmember Thomas’s office has since released a new plan—one that would still bifurcate Bloomingdale, although this time at its northern end. Thomas’s plan separates the McMillan Sand Filtration Site from Bloomingdale aligning it with a northern Ward 5 ANC that combines Catholic University, the Armed Forces Retirement Home and the gated communities along Michigan Avenue.

The McMillan Issue

The McMillan Sand Filtration Site is a key Bloomingdale landmark, whose fate has received considerable attention On Oct. 6, the Exlately as plans for its deecutive Committee of velopment have begun the Ward 5 Redistrictto circulate. It is the ing Task Force prohomes of Bloomingdale posed a plan that diresidents that will be vides Bloomingdale into affected by any changes two commissions—the at the McMillan site. area north of S Street Flooding, already a maand the area south of S jor neighborhood issue, Street. The easiest way might worsen if the for me to visualize this is to think in terms of parcel is ineptly develthe area’s businesses— oped.

Big Bear Cafe will be in Removing McMillan from Bloomingdaa separate commission le’s ANC will severely from Rustik Tavern impede the involvement and Boundary Stone. It of its residents any seems silly that an area planning for the site’s recently dubbed “More development. than just Big Bear” on LEFT: Executive Committee’s October 6th plan: RIGHT: A plan put forth by the Task Force: Both photos are from:“Ward 5 Redistricting: A Map that Puts Lastly, the Thomas a DC Stereotypes Map the Needs of Residents and Neighbors First” by Geovani Bonilla, Tim Clark, James Fournier, Geoff Hatchard, and John Salatti plan will cause Bloomwill now, in fact, just be “Big Bear,” whereas the ingdale’s northernmost area to its north will retain the vague title “More.”

Based on this reporter’s reading of community single member district to fall below a population This plan directly contradicts the plan laid correspondence, Council Member Thomas has of 1,400. This is already 600 less than the 2000out by the larger Redistricting Task Force that been present, but, unresponsive to Bloomingdale per-district standard. Interestingly, this micro sought to both establish relatively proportional concerns. While he responds promptly to emails, district, squashed between those of Commissingle member districts throughout Ward 5 and the answers lack substance. In fact, they seem to be sioners Salatti and Fournier, is home to the two promote neighborhood cohesiveness. By splitting limited to affirming the process is open and noth- commissioners who held those respective seats Bloomingdale along S Street NW, the Executive ing has been decided. None delve into any detail previously.

Committee’s plan violates both of these goals. about the actual redistricting of Ward 5.

Given the consequences of both plans, The proposed division would force politically acThe larger Task Force has presented both the Bloomingdale residents should make an effort to tive residents and the Bloomingdale Civic As- councilmember and its Executive Committee be at the next Task Force meeting, which Counsociation to deal with two ANCs instead of just other alternatives that preserve Bloomingdale as a cilmember Thomas has indicated will be held in one. Moreover, the commission responsible for the cohesive unit, and organize other parts of the ward mid-November. ◆ southern end of Bloomingdale would stretch three into cohesive ANCs.

The Executive Committee’s Plan

capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 31

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Shaw Streets

by Ralph Brabham Kelsey Gardens Changes Hands, To Become Jefferson Square Kelsey Gardens is a vacant, 54-unit garden apartment community located in the 1500 block of 7th St., NW. It is fenced off and boarded up, and since 2009 a sign proclaiming “Luxury Apartments Coming in 2010 Addison Square at Kelsey Gardens” has forlornly reminded passers-by of the stalled redevelopment plans for the site.

For years, Metropolitan Development worked to make its grand plans for the property a reality. Metropolitan Development purchased A banner at the fenced-off Kelsey Gardens complex advertised luxury apartments coming in 2010. Photo: Robert Carroll Kelsey Gardens in 2004 for $7 million and subsequently – previously dubbed “Addison Square” – remain intact. According to the obtained approvals to build a nine-sto- – was to have numerous community broker of the sale, MAC Realty Adviry, mixed use and mixed income devel- features, such as state-of-the-art fit- sors, LLC, JAG will redevelop Kelsey opment on the site, with 281 units (54 ness facilities, underground parking, a Gardens into “Jefferson Square.” Conof which are to be set aside for low in- clubroom, and a cyber cafe. struction could start as early as the first come residents) and 14,000 square feet Plans languished as the economy quarter of 2012. of street front retail. The development soured and Metropoli-

The construction pace has quickened at 901 U Street, NW, future site of the Hilton brothers’ new pub The Brixton. Photo: Drew Porterfield 32 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

tan had difficulty securing financing. Neighbors feared that it would be years before the cordoned off apartments would ever be razed to make way for a new era of density and vibrancy.

But a recent sale gives new hope for the 1500 block.

In October, Jefferson Apartment Group (“JAG”) purchased the entity that controls the site for $16,650,000.

All of the entitlements – which took Metropolitan years to obtain

Hilton Brothers’ Empire Emerging at 9th and U Eric and Ian Hilton seem to have the magic touch when it comes to creating a (deservedly) popular restaurant.

They’ve had their hands in Marvin, The Gibson, Blackbyrd Warehouse, and Patty Boom-Boom in the 14th and U Streets area, American Ice Company at 917 V St., NW, and Dickson Wine Bar at 903 U St. All have a cadre of loyal patrons who keep the establishments packed.

Their fiefdom is about to make a major expansion into the scene at 9th and U, with four different establishments coming soon. The Brixton will occupy the long-vacant building at the northwest corner of the intersection

at 9011 U St., NW and wi will feature featurre a fantastic rooftop roofto summ garden. Just north of summer the 9: 9:30 club, Satellite Pizza o er wood-fired d pizzas pizza will off 47 9th St., NW. El Re at 204 2047 Rey Taque will be a taco tacco stand Taqueria at 919 U St., NW. Finally Finally, 15 Flor the Independent at 715 Flord to be a ida Ave., NW is slated coffee house concept.

Civilian Art Projects Presents “Hard Art DC 1979” “Hard Art DC 1979” is the current exhibition at Civilian Art Projects (1019 7th St., NW). It is a traveling exhibition derived from a forthcoming book of photographs

by Lucian Perkins (with writing by Alec MacKaye and a contribution by Henry Rollins). The exhibition is curated and edited by photographer and photo editor Lely Constantinople and Jayme McLellan, director of Civilian Art Projects, with photographs being shown as a group for the first time.

The exhibition is a snapshot into the punk scene in Washington, DC in 1979, which was before punk rock found firm footing in the U.S. The images capture the cathartic, infectious energy present in any group of people who seek to change their communities through music and art. Perkins – who later became a Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist for the Washington Post – was then a 26-year-old intern who photographed several shows over a five-month period.

The exhibition will be on display through December 31, and the gallery is open to the public Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 1 to 6 p.m. ◆

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GIVING Access Housing, Inc. CFC #22663 Access Housing, Inc. (DC) operates the Southeast Veterans Service Center and Chesapeake Veterans House in Southeast DC. This agency provides support and housing to formerly homeless veterans, both male and females. Veterans from all branches and wars have been served by the SEVSC; which celebrated its 10 year anniversary last November. 820-840 Chesapeake Street, SE, DC, 202561-8387, Accesshousingdc.org

COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS Our mission is to help homeless, at-risk individuals and families return to self-sufficiency and independent living, through a range of residential and social services.

In 2010 the Coalition served • 440 homeless individuals and families daily • 304 individuals and families were placed into permanent and stable housing • 203 adults were placed in employment • 9 families with children were prevented from becoming homeless

Capital Area Food Bank CFC #30794, United Way #8052 For 30 years, CAFB has been the D.C. metro area’s hub for food sourcing, distribution and nutrition education - serving over 478,000 people struggling with hunger.

Through direct service and a network of 700 nonprofit partners, the CAFB distributed 27 million pounds of food last year, including 10.8 million pounds of fresh produce. For more on hunger, visit our website at CapitalAreaFoodBank. org. 645 Taylor Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017, 202-526-5344, www.CapitalAreaFoodBank.org

Casey Trees – CFC# 24598 Casey Trees is a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit committed to restoring, enhancing and protecting the tree canopy of the nation’s capital. Since 2002, Casey Trees has planted more than 10,000 trees and educated thousands of youth and adults on the benefits of trees. For more information, visit www.caseytrees.org.

Coalition for the Homeless CFC #83436, United Way #8194

Rebuilding lives and strengthening communities Please support us by donating through the 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) # 83436 Suite C-1015, Washington, DC 20005 or United Way #8194 Main Office: (202) 347-8870 / Fax: (202) 347-7279 Open Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm

For more details on our program and services, please visit our website at www.dccfh.org.

They helped you, now it’s YOUR TURN to help them!

Hear are some of the ways you can give back: • Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walkathon Saturday, November 19th, 2011 • Give to the Max Day - November 9, 2011 visit: www.give2max.razoo.com • # 9533

# 9533

# 22663

To Register to walk visit: www.helpthehomelessdc.org Register Under Access Housing, Inc(DC) Code DC002 For more information on how you can assist please call

202-561-VETS (8387)

Get Involved!

The Coalition for the Homeless was established in 1979. Our mission is to help transition homeless and at risk individuals and families in the Washington area to self-sufficiency through housing programs and supportive services. The Coalition fulfills its mission by operating and managing 12 program sites for men and families with children.

1234 Massachusetts Avenue NW., Suite C-1015, DC 20005, 202-3477279, www.dccfh.org ◆ capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 33

kids and family

+ Notebook

by Kathlee

n Donner

Notebook Capitol Hill Day School Information Sessions On Wednesday, Dec. 8 from 6:00-8:00p. m. at the Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Neighborhood Library. There will be a presentation followed

by Q&A with the Head of School, Jason Gray.

Middle School Information Night is Thursday, Dec. 8, 7:00-8:30 p.m. and is for students entering grades 5, 6, and 7. Students will perform scenes from Shakespeare and give tours to visitors. Learn about our Middle School curriculum, student leadership opportunities, and high school placement process. Students and parents welcome.

RSVP to their Admissions Office at plund@chds. org or call 202-386-9920. chds.org

Building a Story with Author Isabel Hill Make meaning of a building’s many details.

Work with author Isabel Hill and create your own book, discovering the stories behind our local Judiciary Square buildings and the Museum.

Ms. Hill will share her experiences as an architectural photographer with the group. Leave with an autographed copy of Ms. Hill’s book, Building Stories. For ages 7 and up. $20. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Adult tickets are free. Preregistration is required. Price includes an autographed copy of Isabel Hill’s book, Building Stories. Nov. 13, 10:30 a.m.-noon.

National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448. nbm.org

enrichment, life skills workshops, job readiness, youth employment and performances. You can be employed during the school year while taking dance classes. Contact Mary Connole at MConnole@danceinstitute.org or 202-371-9656. For DOES, information, visit does.dc.gov or call 202724-7000. danceinstitute.org

An American Girl Experience at Mount Vernon On Nov. 13, American Girl fans of all ages are invited to bring their favorite dolls to Mount Vernon for a chance to meet the book series’ creator and one of its authors, Valerie Tripp. Guests enjoy a special presentation and book signing with the author plus a tour of the Mansion and grounds with Nelly Custis. The event also includes a colonial craft project, refreshments, plus a discount in the Shops. Share an audience with “Martha Washington”! This event is limited in capacity; tickets are $50 per person. Ticket Sales Begin at on Oct. 3, 10:00 a.m., at MountVernon.org or at the Mount Vernon Ford Orientation Center.

703-780-2000. MountVernon.org

DC Water Makes First Splash with Children’s Water Drop Festival The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority

The Dance Institute of Washington In-School Program DIW is dedicated to building selfesteem, discipline, and the drive for excellence among children and youth through dance training, arts education, life skills, and youth employment; enhancing Washington’s rich cultural diversity. It is for DC residents, ages 14-21 who meet DOES income eligibility requirements.

The program includes high-quality dance training, academic 34 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

The Dance Institute of Washington In-School Program dancers. Courtesy of the Dance Institute of Washington

(DC Water) teamed up with the District Department of Parks and Recreation to host the first Children’s Water Drop Festival at Watkins Recreation Center on Oct. 28. This free environmental education event was designed to educate and engage students about a variety of water-related topics and environmental issues impacting the quality of our waterways. During the festival, staff from DC Water and several environmental organizations gave students a handson environmental lesson about drinking water, wastewater treatment, water quality, and the Anacostia watershed. Additionally, students learned how they can protect and conserve water resources.

First Children—Antics in the White House Did you know Quentin Roosevelt pasted spit balls on the Andrew Jackson portrait? Presidential historian and bestselling author Doug Wead relays such entertaining tales of first families and their antics inside the walls of the White House as he shares excerpts from his book, All the Presidents’ Children. A book signing follows. Free. Thursday, Nov. 17, noon. Renwick Gallery, 1661 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (at 17th St.).

202-633-7970. americanart.si.edu

Model Trains at Botanic Gardens “Season’s Greenings” The US Botanic Garden invites you to remember that the best things in life are free--the fragrance of a freshly cut fir tree, the magic of holiday lights and sumptuous decorations, and the delight of a child discovering the make-believe world of model trains. Free. Open daily, Thanksgiving Day through Jan. 2, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and until 8:00 p.m.every Tuesday and Thursday in December with live holiday music.100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202225-8333. usbg.gov

• • • •

Personal Training Customized Meal Plans Wellness Lectures Boot Camps For more information 888.899.5320 • info@justefitness.com www.justefitness.com

Black Student Fund School Fair Learn about private schools options for students, pre-kindergarten to grade 12. Speak with representatives from over 50 day and boarding schools in the DC Metro area (DC, MD, VA) and becapitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 35

Sherri Lyles Photo: Courtesy of DC SCORES

yond. Attend workshops in school admissions and personal finance. Free admission. Sunday, Nov. 20, 2:00-5:00 p.m. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Pl. NW. 202-3871414. blackstudentfund.org

First LEGO League Tournament at American Art Museum

.PNT 0O 5IF )JMM

2011 School Information Night [ TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH ] [ 6:00–8:30 PM ] [ HILL CENTER IN THE OLD NAVAL HOSPITAL ] [ 921 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE SE ] The closest Metro stop is Eastern Market on the blue and orange lines

For more information contact: [ INFO@HILLSCHOOLINFONIGHT.ORG ] [ WWW.HILLSCHOOLINFONIGHT.ORG ] Child Care, Preschool/Co-ops, Public, Charter, Private, Catholic/Parochial, Middle Schools, and Other programs. Come see all of your options!

Organized by MoTH (Moms on the Hill)

Invention is the theme of the regional First LEGO® League Tournament, in which student-designed robots work to solve problems of food safety. Come cheer on your favorite team during a day filled with music, demonstrations, and students working to solve real-world engineering challenges. Free. Saturday, Nov. 12, 11:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eight and F sts. NW. 202-633-7970. americanart.si.edu

National Gallery of Art Children’s Video Tour

A new soccer club and league called DC Youth Futbol Club has been established in Washington, DC. It will consist of U8, U9 and U10 boys and girls teams. Games will be played at Northwest DC parks and schools on Sunday Afternoons. There will be a spring and fall season with league play to begin in spring 2012. For further information, visit DCYouthFutbolClub.org.

Get a closer look at some of the paintings on display in the West Building of the National Gallery of Art and visit people, places, and surprising scenes from distant lands and times.

This tour is available in the Rotunda free-of-charge on handheld digital audio players that allow kids to listen while standing in front of the original works of art. National Gallery of Art, Fourth and Constitution Ave. NW. 202-737-4215. nga.gov

ASCAP Songwriter Residency @ America SCORES

Moving Beyond Earth: Innovations in Space Family Day

New DC Kids Soccer Club and League

For three days in October, students at Shaw Middle School @ Garnet-Patterson got the opportunity to 36 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

create a song with a professional. Hiphop artist Psalm One visited the DC SCORES after-school program at Shaw as part of the ASCAP Songwriter Residency @ America SCORES, a program that brings professional musicians to schools across the country. For two afternoons, Psalm One worked with the students to create the lyrics and beat to an original song. On their final afternoon together, they visited a studio to record the song, which will be featured on a n album at the end of Psalm One’s nine-city tour.

DC SCORES builds teams through after-school programs for over 800 low-income DC youth at 27 schools by instilling self-expression, physical fitness, and a sense of community. Learn more at DCSCORES.org

Saturday, Nov. 19, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. As they mark the 50th anniversary of human spaceflight, come explore

Accepting applications for 2012-13 year, grades PS-6 Download your application at www.ewstokes.org

With a French and Spanish immersion program and a dual focus on academic excellence and community service, Stokes School prepares culturally diverse elementary school students to be leaders, scholars, and responsible citizens who are committed to social justice.

Upcoming Open Houses November 10, 2011 from 9:30am – 11:00am January 26, 2012 from 9:30am – 11:00am RSVP to Ms. Jo-Anne Hurlston, Parent Coordinator, jo-anneh@ewstokes.org

3700 Oakview Terrace, NE | Washington, DC 20017 | 202.265.7237

We offer Preschool – 8th Grade college-preparatory education, emphasizing rigorous academics, character, and leadership.

202-635-4590 www.dcprep.org

Free and Open to All DC Students! #1 Public Charter Middle School in Washington, DC capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 37

the role of invention and technology in space exploration and space history.

Meet a real astronaut and enjoy an array of hands-on demonstrations and family-oriented educational activities occurring throughout the Museum.

Free. National Air and Space Museum National Mall Building. 202-6332340. nasm.si.edu

“Kicks Are For Kids” Late Fall Registration “Kicks Are For Kids” is delighted to bring its soccer program to our local parks. Kicks Are For Kids is investing in kids by involving them in a physical development program that uses a variety of fun games which engage kids in physical activities. They create perfect opportunities for kids to develop and master multiple skills, strengthen individual abilities, reinforce mental development, and create self-confidence while enjoying the lovely game of soccer. “Kicks Are For Kids” train once a week for 45 mins. Their age groups are 2-3, 4-5, and 6-7. This fee-based program charges a seasonal fee of $90.

Each child is required to bring their own soccer ball, and also have water for water breaks. The late falls season starts Nov. 19-20 at Kalorama Park and Walter Pierce Park. Registration is open at Kalorama Rec Center, 1875 Columbia Rd. NW. For more info email mykidssoccer@gmail.com, or contact Coach Arthur 202-664-7204.

Archbishop Carroll High School Open House for Prospective Students Archbishop Carroll High School is holding its first prospective student Open House for the school year 2012-2013 on Sunday, Nov. 20, 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on the campus at 4300 Harewood Rd. NE. Archbishop Carroll, serving grades 9-12, is a Catholic coeducational college preparatory school committed to serving a diverse student population since 1951. The Open House will give prospective parents and students the opportunity to participate in student-led tours of the building, and to meet the administration, faculty and staff. Visitors will also learn about the International Baccalaureate Programme, athletic offerings and other extra-curricular activities. For more information, contact the Admissions 38 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

Office at 202-529-0900 ext. 134. archbishopcarroll.org

Guitars, not Guns GnG conducts after-school music programs for youth ages 10-18; children as young as 8 may be accepted if they have the maturity to learn how to play guitar; older students may be accepted if they are completing their high school education. Classes consist of up to 10 students and last for 8-10 weeks. They meet once per week for a one hour lesson. Level 1 lessons are for beginners; Level 2 are geared to the student’s skills. Their goal is to run Level 1 and Level 2 once per quarter; doing so is dependent on teacher and student availability. Lessons are free and guitars are loaned. Find classes in DC at gngnca.org/dc-classes

BabyLove DC Volunteering BabyLove DC provides clothing, products, gear, and other necessities to pregnant mothers and their children from 0-6 in DC’s inner city. They can only accept items that are clean, in working order, and have all of their parts and pieces. If you have a manual please include. They can never accept used car seats, used breast pumps, used feeding supplies, drop-side cribs, or stuffed animals. They are always in need of volunteers to help sort and repair clothing and prepare gift baskets for their baby showers and various charity events. Volunteering is a great way to give back in your community and city. Contact them at info@babylovedc. org to learn more about how you can help distribute donations to children in need. babylovedc.org

Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth CTY conducts the nation’s oldest and most extensive academic talent search and offers educational programming for students with exceptionally high academic ability. CTY parallels and complements a gifted child’s regular school experience. CTY is now accepting Talent Search applications from students in grades 2-8 who have scored in the ninty-fifth percentile or higher on a subsection of a nationally-normed standardized test or the highest level of a state test. To enroll a bright student in the Talent Search, go to cty.jhu.edu/ discover. 410-735-4100. ◆

Home / Style + at

home

Upholstery

by Mark F. Johnson

I

t’s the holidays! If there is one time of year that most of us want our home to look good, it is during this season of entertaining guests for parties and dinners.

Soon many of us will be wrapping our arms around a big Thanksgiving feast and soon after that, wrapping the gifts we’ll exchange around the living room Christmas tree. But first, let’s consider the couch and lounge chair that you’ll likely to retire to after all the merriment. Is it time to wrap them in a new outfit?

The idea of (re)upholstering furniture sends shivers down the spines of many. But there is really no better time to do this than winter when spending more time at home is a really pleasant thing to do. In days of yore, it was much easier and more convenient to change the clothes on your furniture. Upholstery shops used to be almost as common as little dress shops in many towns and cities.

Today, like small those dress shops, they are less ubiquitous.

My favorite local upholsterer was Mr. Parks who ran Parks Upholstery shop out of Blagden Alley just off O Street, between 9th and 10th. Until his death about two years ago, Mr. Parks had been in the business probably for sixty or so years. He was always hard at work. He was slow and he was meticulous. I imagine him passing away slumped over a sofa that he was reupholstering for one of his many loyal customers. I certainly referred a number of folks to him when asked for a good upholsterer.

When I get asked the question now, I’m at a loss. I don’t personally know of anyone who is local, experienced, does master work and is reasonably in priced. These are the important criteria for most folks I know, especially those that live in the city. They prefer to patronize someone actually located in DC and, of course, they want to keep

the costs down as much as possible. Upholstery shops like that owned by Mr. Parks, sold customers the actual material they wanted to use to dress their furniture or used the material that they brought in to cover their particular piece. He would also make suggestions if you had no idea of how to style the furniture. I don’t mean to say that he was the only upholsterer in town who worked this way but I doubt there are many single proprietor shops today that offer this kind of customer service.

So, where does one go with their upholstery needs? If you want a place to buy the material as well as get the upholstering done, there’s always G Street Fabrics (www.GStreetFabrics.com).

Today, the name of this business actually betrays the fact that they are no longer located downtown on G Street as they were back in the day. The closest outlet to DC is either in Rockville or out Route 50 in Falls Church. There is a Centerville, Virginia location too.

They sell the material and they also do the custom work. They will even come out and measure for you and/or pick up the piece if you want them to.

Of course they charge extra for this service. If you just want to take your own material to them they will do the custom work also. The store will tell you at the outset to allow two to four weeks for completion of work. Often it takes longer depending upon the complexity of the job or however long it takes for the material to come in, if it isn’t already in stock.

G Street Fabrics will offer some

kind of discount, their Falls Church General Manager once told me, if you both buy the material and get the custom work done there. Certain furniture shops in Mid City will sell you material as well, including Room and Board, Vastu, Mitchell-Gold and Urban Essentials. They will not do custom work however, on furniture that they have not sold you. In other words, they don’t reupholster.

If you’re like many these days, you buy pretty much everything online.

This could include upholstery. For example, www.upholstery.com sells a pretty wide array of material at a price they say is cheaper than buying it at a brick and mortar location.

But once you’ve attained the leather, wool tweed, cotton boucle or whatever other fabric you choose, you’re going to need to have the custom work done. I asked Eric Cole, co-owner of Vastu and a well-known local de-

signer, who he would recommend for this. His favorites are Mike Wah of Potomac Draperies and Paul Kanter of Ram Leather. Both companies are located in suburban Maryland. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s also not DC. Still looking for a DC-based company, I asked another designer I know about whom he would recommend and finally, I got the name of some folks who have apparently been around for many years. The company is called D’Carlo Interiors and they are located on upper Georgia Avenue, just north of the Walter Reed complex. I have not yet had the opportunity to work with this company but my designer friend says he has been pleased with their performance.

One thing about the holidays that, while we don’t always know what will be in the package, it can be an enjoyable experience unwrapping it to find out what’s inside. ◆ capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 39

at home

+ Garden Fairy 3 6 3 2 3 5

Fall Crop Frost Protection

D 1 2 1 1

K

by Sarah McLaughlin

T

he end of October is the time that many DC gardeners dread...each morning we wake up and rush outside to see if the first frost has come. With the first frost often comes the end of summer crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and summer squash. It’s prime time for fall greens such as lettuce, kale, broccoli, and root crops like radishes, beets, and carrots, but they can also can be damaged by a heavy frost. With a few easy techniques however, we can extend the season on our fall vegetables and even some of the more hardy summer ones.

When you are thinking about how to prepare your garden for the cold, there are a few important things to remember: 1. Plants in pots will get colder faster. Because the soil in the pot is not surrounded by other soil in the ground, it will lose heat quickly.

Consider bringing pots and planters inside for the winter and putting them on a windowsill.

2. If you have plants that are perennials, it is ok to leave them uncovered. They will die off during the winter, but will come back in the spring. It is more important to protect the annual plants that you want to keep on growing late into the year.

3. Covering the soil with mulch, leaves, or straw is the simplest way to keep your soil a little warmer.

This method can work well for vegetables that grow under the ground such as carrots and onions, but it will not protect leaves above ground from the frost.

This is also a good idea for protecting the roots of more fragile perennials.

4. Some plants are better at tolerating the cold than others. Plants with tender leaves such as basil, lettuce, peppers, and squash will not stand up to a frost very well. However, plants such as collard greens and kale which have tough leaves can grow well into the winter without a problem.

2

The best way to ensure that your plants stay warm while still getting these three needs is by covering the plants at night, and uncovering them during the day.

There are plenty of materials you may have at home that you can use to cover your plants, such as newspaper, bedsheets, tarps, and plastic. Be sure to use garden stakes, bamboo, or something similar to hold your row cover up and keep it from crushing your plants. Plastic is the best type of row cover to use, because it is nonporous and does not let in any cold air. It is also the most important to take off of the plants during the day, so that they can get fresh air and won’t get moldy!

Some people choose to buy materials specifically for covering their garden. One special type of material is called “Remay.” This is a blanket sort of material that keeps plants warm while allowing for light, air, and water penetration. People also sometimes choose to build mini-greenhouses, hoophouses, or cold frames over their garden beds; this can be done cheaply and easily and the internet provides plenty of free how-to videos and instruction. In the rooftop garden at Bread for the City, we conducted a workshop where volunteers and clients built several greenhouses protecting 4x8 foot beds for only $20 each. This was done using inexpensive materials such as pvc pipe, spring clamps, duct tape, and polyethylene plastic.

Now is the time to be thinking about row covers and protecting your plants from the frost....however if you are still unsure about the best way to winterize your garden, stay tuned to oldcitygreen.com for an upcoming workshop where you can get tips and see some examples.

Fall Inspires Plea to the Sun

by William Jesse Wyner

Row Covers Many people choose to cover their fall plants with a type of row cover to keep their plants protected from the frost a little longer. When you cover your plants, it is important to remember that plants need light, water, and ventilation. Without proper ventilation, plants can get mold or diseases such as powdery mildew.

40 ◆ Midcity DC | November 2011

I

gaze onto the dimming October skyline. A squirrel frantically darts between two white oak trees, preparing for the cold months. As hard as I try, it’s futile to resist the allure of your reflection on the nearby windowpane, or the shallow humming of the industrial leaf-blower in the distance. I regain

my composure and continue to meditate upon the eloquent patchwork of warm colors, softening the coarse edges of branches on the skyline. Once again I am drawn away. A slow, steady steam appears from a neighbor’s house. It’s laundry day most likely.

Your face dissolves into tiny fragments of light, filtering through clouds and houses. As the last rays of warmth fade from my cheek I feel a deep burn in my chest. A deep craving that cannot possibly be scaled.

A heavy and grave exhale escapes between my lips.

“Please don’t leave.”

I pack my emotions tightly into a confined phrase like a wish upon a penny tossed into a pool.

However unlike the penny, my statement is not an empty prayer. I do not sift through the endless sands for hope or change. I only cry out in primitive adolescence, to a familiar face, one of understanding, to heed my call of urgency. Without you’re presence I am nothing. Without your image I am lost.

The night never hesitates to cast ghostly faces along the bricks. I retreat indoors.

Sarah McLaughlin and William Jesse Wyner are garden consultants with OLD CITY green on 9th and N NW “Where people and plants come together”. ◆

+ 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

Price

BR

FEE SIMPLE BLOOMINGDALE 215 R ST NW

$500,000

3

$945,000 $750,000 $645,000 $639,000 $525,000 $490,000 $465,000 $410,000 $400,000 $380,000 $369,000 $354,000

6 7 3 4 4 3 3 2 3 3 4 3

4 4 7 6 6 1 6

L 1 1 9

M 3 3 1 1 1 2

O 5 1 1 6 1 1 5 1 1 1 6 1 8 1 2 1 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 9 1 1 3 7 1

S

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 1206 EUCLID ST NW 1418 BELMONT ST NW 1535 MONROE ST NW 1214 LAMONT ST NW 1430 PERRY PL NW 3513 CENTER ST NW 1336 SHEPHERD ST NW 774 IRVING ST NW 766 QUEBEC PL NW 1340 SPRING RD NW 777 HOBART PL NW 721 HARVARD ST NW

L

1 1 4

U 1 1

W 2 2

◆

3301 SHERMAN AVE NW 648 KENYON ST NW 3807 KANSAS AVE NW 2612 SHERMAN AVE NW 3133 WARDER ST NW 516 PARK RD NW

$350,000 $347,777 $315,000 $289,900 $280,000 $200,000

4 3 3 4 3 3

$1,350,000 $940,000 $901,000 $775,000

3 3 3 4

$2,950,000

5

$639,900 $630,000 $624,000 $502,000 $500,000 $433,500 $370,100

4 3 5 2 3 2 3

$750,000 $1,000,000 $995,000

4 3 4

$949,555 $850,000 $785,000 $735,000 $730,000 $659,000

5 4 3 4 6 3

$279,000 $708,640 $649,000 $579,000 $560,000 $557,800 $545,070 $519,900 $462,000 $445,000 $440,000 $427,000 $416,000 $399,999 $399,900 $385,000 $310,000 $310,000 $303,000 $300,000 $245,000 $240,000 $218,000 $112,500 $840,000 $680,000 $590,000 $572,000 $558,000 $513,000 $489,000 $450,000

2 4 4 3 4 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 4 2 2 2 1 10 3 6 3 4 3 3 2

DUPONT 1614 19TH STREET NW 2017 N ST NW 1440 T ST NW 1618 CORCORAN ST NW

KALORAMA 2315 S ST NW

LEDROIT PARK 43 ADAMS ST NW 406 U ST NW 73 BRYANT ST NW 609 U ST NW 61 BRYANT ST NW 146 W ST NW 67 BRYANT ST NW

LOGAN 1220 11TH ST NW #OOOO 1513 CORCORAN ST NW 941 WESTMINSTER ST NW

MOUNT PLEASANT 3177 18TH ST NW 3135 19TH ST NW 1734 KENYON ST NW 1833 NEWTON ST NW 1828 PARK RD NW 2021 KLINGLE RD NW

OLD CITY 511 23RD NE 1100 8TH ST NE 1519 EAST CAPITOL ST SE 628 L ST NE 1011 E ST NE 1107 PARK ST NE 515 13TH ST SE 1018 10TH ST NE 1125 3RD ST NE 122 18TH ST SE 603 14TH PL NE 1617 H ST SE 826 12TH ST NE 1320 CORBIN PL NE 222 14TH PL NE 1820 D ST SE 906 13TH ST NE 1212 HALF ST SW 1437 G ST NE 1142 ABBEY PL NE 1654 KRAMER ST NE 1523 INDEPENDENCE AVE SE 1636 ROSEDALE ST NE 1518 CONSTITUTION AVE NE 1243 NEW JERSEY AVE NW 1709 SEATON ST NW 937 WESTMINSTER ST NW 1610 NEW JERSEY AVE NW 1322 WALLACH PL NW 310 Q ST NW 71 P ST NW 1632 NEW JERSEY AVE NW

SHAW 1500 1ST ST NW 1526 MARION ST NW 407 WARNER ST NW

$500,000 $425,000 $450,000

2 2 2

U STREET 1412 FLORIDA AVE NW 1222 W ST NW

$805,000 $727,000

3 3

WOODLEY 2266 CATHEDRAL AVE NW 2707 WOODLEY PL NW

◆

$1,385,000 $900,000

5 3

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