The Georgetowner: December 19, 2018 Issue

SINCE 1954

GEORGETOWNER.COM

VOLUME 65 NUMbER 6

DEC. 19, 2018 - JAN. 8, 2019

nYE sPARKLEs VIC K I SANT, 1 9 3 9-2018 GE OR GETO WNE R S OF TH E YEAR P R O F I LE: WAS HIN GTON GA S N E W Y E AR ’ S EVE D IN IN G

FASHION/bEAUTY EDITOR – LAURETTA J MCCOY | PHOTO bY MICHAEL R WILSON

IN THIS ISSUE IN THIS ISSUE

NEWS · 4 - 7, 9

Up & Coming Events Celebrating New Years Town Topics Community Calendar Georgetowners Of The Year

EDITORIAL/OPINION · 8 Editorials Jack Evans Report Letters to the Editor

BUSINESS · 10 - 11

ABOUT THE COVER SINCE 1954

GEORGETOWNER.COM

VOLUME 65 NUMbER 6

DEC. 19, 2018 - JAN. 8, 2019

With season sparkles and in a silvery mood the new year comes. Makeup by Fashion and Beauty Editor Lauretta J. McCoy. Photo by Michael R. Wilson.

Styled by Stefanie Pharr. Page design

by Kelly Sullivan.

nYE sPARKLEs VI CK I SANT , 1939- 2018 G EO RG ET O WNERS O F T H E Y EAR PRO F I L E: WASH I NG T O N G AS NEW Y EAR’ S EVE DI NI NG

FASHION/bEAUTY EDITOR – LAURETTA J MCCOY | PHOTO bY MICHAEL R WILSON

Washington Gas Ins & Outs

REAL ESTATE · 11 Featured Property

COVER STORY · 12 - 14 Fashion

Georgetown Gas Leaks Reach 100

BY PEGGY SAN D S Two gas workers on 27th Street Dec. 8.

Georgetowner photo.

DOWNTOWNER · 15 Downtown News

HAUTE & COOL · 16 Holiday Rocks!

FINANCE · 17

The Next Recession: How to Weather the Storm

FOOD & WINE · 18 Dining Guide Latest Dish The Berliner Replaces Malmaison

IN COUNTRY · 19

Southamption In Winter

ARTS · 20

Now Playing: Works by 2 Pulitzer Winners

CLASSIFIEDS · 21 Service Directory

BOOK CLUB · 22

Kitty Kelley Book Club

GOOD WORKS & GOOD TIMES · 23

2 DECEMBER 19, 2018

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‘We Choose to Go to the Moon’ at Portrait Gallery (photos)

BY JEFF M AL ET Dancers Joan Ayap and Felipe Oyarzun Moltedo in Dana Tai Soon Burgess’s “We Choose to Go to the Moon.” Photo by Jeff Malet.

Yuletide in Full Swing With Santas in Town

BY R OBERT D EVAN EY Santa Claus — aka Tom Strike — at Rose Park on Dec. 8 with Jade, daughter of Paige Shirk, and Lucy, daughter of Zoe Feldman. Photo by Robert Devaney.

Photo of the Week

To submit your photos tag #thegeorgetowner on Instagram!

PUBLISHER Sonya Bernhardt

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert Devaney

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Charlene Louis

COPY EDITOR Richard Selden

FEATURES EDITORS Ari Post Gary Tischler

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Peggy Sands

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

1050 30th Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 Phone: (202) 338-4833 Fax: (202) 338-4834 www.georgetowner.com The Georgetowner is published every other Wednesday. The opinions of our writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect the editorial and corporate opinions of The Georgetowner newspaper. The Georgetowner accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. The Georgetowner reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse material and is not responsible for errors or omissions. Copyright 2018.

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3

UP & COMING

DECEMBER 19

DECEMBER 30

Moose Jaw Bluegrass Band will play live music on America Eats Tavern’s winterized patio.

While listening to the band, guests can snack on hush puppies, barbecue chicken wings and other bites at an extended social hour. Admission is free. For details, visit americaeatstavern.com.

3139 M St. NW.

The District’s all-’90s five-member band, White Ford Bronco, returns to the 9:30 Club to help area residents dance their way into 2019 (the New Year’s Eve show is sold out). Tickets are $25. For details, visit 930.com. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW.

DECEMBER 21

‘A GOSPEL CHRISTMAS’

WASHINGTON WINTER SHOW PREVIEW NIGHT

Using the musical genres of jazz, blues and gospel, the Washington Performing Arts Gospel Choir and the Cathedral Band will “tell it from the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.” Passes are required. For details, visit washingtonperformingarts.org. Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

Preview patron tickets to the Washington Winter Show, the second oldest charitable antiques show in the United States, are $300 ($200 for under 35). Run-of-show admission, Jan. 11 to 13, is $25. For details, visit washingtonwintershow. org. Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW.

LIVE BLUEGRASS AT AMERICA EATS

WHITE FORD BRONCO

JANUARY 10

Celebrating New Years Eve GEORGETOWN CITY TAVERN CLUB

3206 M St. NW 202-337-8770 membership@citytavernclubdc..org Open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres and late-night munchies from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tickets available through eventbrite.com (use MYGUEST code for discount pricing).

DYLLAN’S RAW BAR GRILL 1054 31 St. NW 202-470-6606 dyllansrawbargrill.com A la carte FIX lunch menu from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Two dinner seatings: 5 to 7 p.m., fourcourse prix-fixe menu, $85 per person (tax and gratuity not included); 8 to 10 p.m., five-course prix-fixe tasting menu with Champagne toast, DJ, dancing, party favors, $165 per person (tax and gratuity not included). Second seating offers access to heated outdoor “Ice Bar” with views of the C&O Canal.

GEORGE TOWN CLUB Members only. Reservations required.

Early Birds’ Night Out (Grill) 5:30pm - 7pm: 3 course prix fixe menu $45 for adults; Children 12 and under - a la carte New Year’s Eve Dinner (MDR, 21 and over) 6pm-8pm: Early Bird 4 course prix fixe - $75 8pm-10pm: 5 course prix fixe and dancing $125 Party favors, DJ, petit fours, and a champagne toast at midnight.

4 DECEMBER 19, 2018

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A Toast to the New Year 10pm - 1am: Petit fours and a champagne toast at midnight - $50

HIGH STREET CAFE Four-course dinner and party, “Welcoming 2019 with a Latin Twist,” a Champagne toast, $75 per person. $25 to join the party after 11 p.m. for a $25 cover charge. Soundtrack of the different eras of Manual Iguina’s career, from Cafe Atlantico to Mio.

TONY AND JOE’S SEAFOOD PLACE 3000 K St. NW 202-570-5976 nye@dcseafood.com Doors open at 9 p.m. for River Bash: top shelf open bar, eight bar locations, two heavy appetizer buffets, heated party tents, two DJs at each location, $90.

OTHER D.C. NEIGHBORHOODS AMBAR

523 8th St. SE 202-813-3039 ambarrestaurant.com Prix-fixe brunch of unlimited small plates and free-flowing cocktails from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., $39 per person. Two dinner seatings: 5 to 8:15 p.m., unlimited small plates and unlimited pre-selected drinks, $69 per person (tax and gratuity not included, two-hour time limit); 9 to 10:30 p.m., unlimited small plates until midnight and unlimited pre-selected drinks until 12:30, $99 per person in main dining room or $79 per person for bar seats (tax and gratuity not included). DJ from 9 p.m. Rakia available for $5 per shot throughout the evening.

White Ford Bronco.

JANUARY 6

JANUARY 17 AND 18

One of this year’s “Glow” installations, “Twilight Antiques and Thrift,” is a life-scale representation of a store in the form of a glowing lantern. Lining the shelves of this translucent shop are 500 hand-assembled lanterns, each a reproduction of an object that relates to D.C. On closing night, visitors can select a free lantern to take home. For details, visit georgetownglowdc. com.

John Oates — one half of the best-selling duo of all time, Hall & Oates — will perform songs from throughout his career, including selections from his new roots-focused solo project, “Arkansas,” at the Barns. Tickets are $42 to $47. For details, visit wolftrap.org. 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, Virginia.

BINDAAS

GASLIGHT TAVERN

3309 Connecticut Ave. NW 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW bindaasdc.com

2012 9th Street NW 202-864-6272 www.gaslight-dc.com

A la carte dinner menu with New Year’s Eve specials showcasing Indian street food.

Bindaas Foggy Bottom will serve from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Bindaas Cleveland Park will serve from 5 to 10 p.m.

Roaring 20s New Year’s Eve theme party with live swing band and a glass of bubbly at midnight.

CLOSING EVENT: ‘GLOW’

BLUE DUCK TAVERN Park Hyatt Washington, D.C. 24th and M Streets NW 202-419-6755 blueducktavern.com Four-course dinner menu and Champagne toast from 5:30 to 11 p.m., $165 per person (exclusive of beverages, tax, and gratuity).

Advance reservations required. A la carte menu in Blue Duck Lounge from 5 p.m. to midnight. Live music featuring contemporary and classic hits until 1 a.m.

CRIMSON 627 H Street NW 202-847-4459 www.crimson-dc.com Soul-influenced DJ-and-vocals duo NAKD will perform live in the Whiskey Bar from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Complimentary toast with bubbly at midnight on each floor.

DRINK COMPANY 1825 7th Street NW 202-316-9396 www.drinkcompany.com Regular service at Miracle on 7th Street from 5 to 8:30 p.m. New Year’s Eve bash presented by Taittinger Champagne at 9:30 p.m., free glass of Champagne, special New Year’s punches and party favors, $20. Tickets available at eventbrite.com and at the door.

JOHN OATES AT WOLF TRAP

THE HAY-ADAMS 800 16th St. NW 202-638-6600 hayadams.com Three-course prix-fixe menu in the Lafayette from 5:30 to 10 p.m., $110 per person (tax and gratuity not included) and $55 per child aged 4-12. Complimentary glass of house Champagne. Tom Vogt, Lena Horne’s “favorite pianist in Washington,” will perform.

IVY CITY SMOKEHOUSE 1356 Okie St. NE www.ivycitysmokehouse.com Golden Era New Year’s Eve Ball celebrating ’80s and ’90s hip hop and R&B from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. with DJ Biggs and DJ Two4our and all-you-can-drink top shelf bar and buffet, $75.

Promo Code ICTFRIENDS for $10 off.

LUPO VERDE OSTERIA 4814 MacArthur Boulevard NW 202-506-6683 lupoverdeosteriaalimentari.com Five-course prix-fixe menu with midnight bottle of prosecco for the table from 5 p.m. to midnight, $130 per person (tax and gratuity not included).

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS, VISIT GEORGETOWNER.COM

TOWN TOPICS

NEWS

BY PEG GY S A NDS AN D G A RY T I S C H LE R

Georgetowner Victoria Sant: 1939–2018 In life and in death, people tend to be noticed and remembered for what they do and what they leave behind, which is not necessarily a product of an outsized personality or the news of the hour.

Washington philanthropist Victoria P. Sant, who died on Dec. 11 at 79 of complications from cancer, did not noticeably hunger for fame, publicity or red-carpet treatment, although she was highly visible and noticeable with her husband Roger Sant at social events (often sponsored by the couple) that celebrated cultural institutions, the arts and art, education and social causes.

If you want to catch the drift of her life and its meaning, one could simply publish a list. It would be a lengthy list that measured not only impressively large charitable contributions but animated activity and engagement.

In the initial Washington Post obituary, Sant was lauded as “a philanthropist interested in conservation and global population issues who spent decades at the top of Washington’s A-List.”

True. And that’s not all.

While the very real charitable contributions

were considerable, with the Sants — who lived at 30th and N Streets in Georgetown — it was more a case of philanthropy with an interest and a purpose, and her role was one of direct engagement and participation.

A California native and a graduate of Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in history, she began her activist and charitable march as a member of Stanford’s board of trustees for a decade. She served as chair of the Stanford in Washington National Council and as a member of the director’s advisory board of Stanford’s Cantor Center for Visual Arts.

Lists are, of course, stodgy, not particularly engaging, dramatic or even revealing, but even a small Sant list can feel like the exception to the rule, mapping a life of voluntary as well as ambitious service.

Sant co-founded the Summit Foundation, supporting the international empowerment of girls and reproductive health initiatives, of which she was president for nearly three decades, and the Summit Fund of Washington, focused on making the Anacostia River swimmable and fishable.

She and her husband endowed the positions of music director of the National Symphony Orchestra and director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. She had served as a board chair of the Phillips Collection and on the boards of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and the Brookings Institution.

Memorably, she supported the National Zoo’s giant panda project, and gave $25 million for the National History Museum’s Sant Ocean Hall.

Perhaps her most impactive, visible and vivid presence in the city’s cultural and arts community was at the National Gallery of Art, where she first served as a member of the board of trustees, then as board chairman for 12 years.

Contributions, endowment and naming efforts are pragmatic and real; engagement on a close and daily basis are another. If you ever encountered Vicki Sant even in passing, or at meetings and discussions at Brookings or the Aspen Institute, you saw a person who spoke directly, with great involvement and intelligence and keen interest. No doubt this was true when the arena became the gala, the ball, the reception.

We could do worse in this season and in these times, when we pass through the breadth and depth of Sant Ocean Hall or the twinkling light-art installation in the walkway linking the National Gallery’s East and West Buildings — or, for that matter, a painting, a panda or a fresh idea — than to think of her gratefully.

A memorial service, to be held in Washington, D.C., will be announced at a later date.

Vicki Sant. Photo by Neshan H. Naltchayan.

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DECEMBER 19, 2018

5

TOWN TOPICS

Georgetown Gondolas: They’re Baaack!

The idea of aerial gondolas swinging over the Potomac River near Key Bridge, connecting Georgetown with Rosslyn, Virginia, is suddenly back in favor.

The proposal had been pushed vigorously by the Georgetown and Rosslyn Business Improvement Districts as a joint project in 2016 and early 2017. However, it was largely discarded when neither a landing place in Georgetown nor funding for the project beyond initial studies could be determined.

Not to mention that there didn’t appear to be an urgent need for a gondola running between Virginia and D.C., other than to buttress up the western end of Georgetown’s commercial district and make it easier for Georgetown students who live off campus to commute from cheaper housing in Virginia.

But that all changed last month when Amazon’s Jeff Bezos — owner of the Washington Post and a Kalorama mansion — announced that the mega-retailer’s massive East Coast headquarters would be divided between Long Island City in Queens and an Arlington County site in and around Crystal City.

The new enterprise could bring some 25,000 new jobs to the area, along with a massive housing deficit and a dramatic increase in transportation woes. New pedestrian bridges have already been proposed and, this week, a new Georgetown-Rosslyn Gondola Coalition

5TH EDITION

appeared on the scene.

It started with a pro-gondola op-ed in the Dec. 1 Washington Post by Ted Leonsis, CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, owner of the Wizards and the Capitals; Matt Kelly, CEO of JBG Smith; and Tom Davis, former U.S. rep from Virginia.

Then, in early December, Georgetown University President John DeGioia and Federal City Council CEO Tony Williams — former mayor of D.C. — sent a joint letter to District Council Chair Phil Mendelson urging the Council to use a public-private partnership to secure land that could be a transit hub to host the gondola, as well as (someday) become a Georgetown Metro station.

“We understand that private development at the site is imminent, but we believe that the land has a higher and better public use,” they wrote. “Not only would it serve as an access point for Metrorail construction, the site can be used in the interim to bolster bike and circulator operations, and could serve a future gondola station until the new Blue Line can be built.”

The most likely site of the Georgetown landing is the former Exxon station and future condo project at 3601 M St. NW, next to Georgetown’s newest historic landmark, the Exorcist Steps. A Georgetown Business Improvement District feasibility study in 2016 identified the area as the ideal location

GEORGETOWN WASHINGTON, DC

for a gondola landing. But the Georgetown Hillside Residences development team from Altus Realty Partners in Arlington has received approval for its project, acquiring permits to demolish the Exxon station in October. Building permits for the proposed condos have not yet been approved or issued, however.

The initial 2016 study was conducted and funded by a partnership that included the District Department of Transportation, Arlington County, the Rosslyn and Georgetown BIDs, Georgetown University, Gould Property Company, JBG Smith and Penzance. The partnership contributed $215,000 for the study, led by ZGF Architects, which eventually

Is there a high-wire act in Georgetown’s future?

Courtesy Georgetown BID. deemed the gondola project feasible.

“Urban gondolas have proven their value in cities across the globe and there is no better place to introduce them to this region than by connecting the people, jobs and retail of Georgetown and Rosslyn,” wrote Williams.

“Between the university, hospital and commercial district, Georgetown hosts more than 21,000 jobs — the largest employment center in the District that does not have a Metro station.”

Crime & Safety

’Tis the season: As seen on a home camera, a package thief was spotted on the 1300 block of 33rd Street NW last week.

ATTEMPTED CRIME IN P ST. ALLEY David Stern and Katie Park. Courtesy Katie Park.

FREE LIGHT ART EXPERIENCE DEC. 1–JAN. 6 ⋆ 5–10 P.M. NIGHTLY Map at www.GeorgetownGLOWDC.com/map #GeorgetownGLOW NOW THROUGH JAN. 6 GLOW Walking Tours

JAN. 6 GLOW Closing Event Starting at 5 p.m. at Meigs Park

For more holiday happenings, visit GeorgetownDC.com/holidays.

Georgetown GLOW is supported by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities.

R3_GLOW_Gtowner.indd 1

6 DECEMBER 19, 2018

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12/14/18 2:13 PM

LAST SEEN NOV. 27 AT DIXIE LIQUOR District resident David Stern, 29, has been missing since Nov. 27. He was last seen leaving Dixie Liquor, 3429 M St. NW in Georgetown, around 6 p.m. that night, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. The store’s video captured the image of Stern, who was wearing a navy blue North Face jacket, khaki pants and light blue Nikes. He is believed to have been in the area until at least 9 p.m.

He may be driving a dark blue 2004 Honda Accord with D.C. plates EX6767. Anyone with information is asked to contact the police at 202-727-9009.

Stern is an accountant with Center City Public Charter Schools. His fiancée, Katie Park, who said for Stern to have gone missing is totally out of character, contacted several news outlets to alert the public and ask for help.

The following is from a neighbor on the east side of Georgetown: “Please make sure you keep doors locked and use a camera security system. Remember the city gives rebates. This is terrifying.

Always call the police if you see something suspicious.

“This morning [Dec. 7] at 4:27 a.m., a camera picked up a tall man walking down the alley. He checked the doors of cars in the alley on the 2700 block of P Street. After checking car doors of more than one house, he turned around, walked back to their property and for about 30 seconds he attempted to gain entry into their home through the back door. I am unable to see him before he appears in the parking area so I have no idea what he did to the houses closer to 27th street — but this guy was apparently after more than just things left in unlocked cars.

“The camera alert woke me up when it was happening, so I called the police immediately.

They arrived within a minute or two.”

TOWN TOPICS

Do Playgroups Need Licenses?

Council Unsure

MedStar Construction Causing Traffic Snarls

“Let’s say you and some of your friends or the parents of your grandchildren decide to gather the young children together a couple of days a week for a few hours of free play,” wrote Kerry McDonald, a D.C. mom who is homeschooling her children, in a Nov. 8 blog post. “Maybe you switch off who leads the gaggle of kids each week, allowing for some shared free time and flexibility. Sounds like a great arrangement for all, right?”

But according to D.C.’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education, this kind of arrangement is an illegal “child development facility,” operating without a license, and the office is cracking down.

Last fall, the OSSE ordered that the Capitol Hill Cooperative Play School, with which McDonald is involved, become licensed as a day-care center with specialized staff and training or shut down.

The loosely organized coop has been meeting in a spare room at Lutheran Church of the Reformation on East Capitol Street NE for the past 40 years, with some 36 neighborhood families — moms and dads — taking turns

Construction of the new medical/surgical pavilion at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital has been causing traffic snarls on Reservoir Road from 34th Street to Foxhall Road. Though MedStar maintains that the traffic is only congested during rush hours in the early mornings and late afternoons, there is a jam of cars, trucks and buses going both east and west at most times of the day.

At 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11, the lines of cars of hospital staffers, patients and visitors waiting to turn left or right into the entrance and parking lots of the hospital were stalled for over 10 minutes. A single traffic officer tried to control the turns amid the uncoordinated traffic lights.

“We have been working on ways to manage the jams for months,” said Kishan Putta, a newly elected advisory neighborhood commissioner and an active member of the Burleith Citizens Association. “We knew it would be difficult during construction, but it seems to be getting worse.”

On Dec. 14, the hospital announced that the District Department of Transportation would install a new traffic light at the entrance to the emergency department, with the work being carried out between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

The new light should be functioning by the end of the month. Turning lanes are also being carved out of street parking places on both sides of the two-lane road near the entrance.

watching a dozen or so of their children and others for three hours a day. Over the years, a set of informal rules has evolved (sharing emergency contact numbers, keeping a sick child home, etc.). There is no staff. No one is paid. The parents say that they’re an informal playtime, not a child-care center or a business.

In September, OSSE regulators showed up following an anonymous tip that the coop might be running an illegal day-care center, according to Lis Kidder, a parent who has become one of the group’s most vocal leaders. It was determined that the group didn’t qualify as “informal” because there are established rules. The action could impact ongoing playgroups throughout the city.

“It’s an overreach by the government,” said Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen. Allen has urged the Council to exempt playgroups from regulations governing day-care centers.

“We want to make sure the health and safety interests are maintained, but also that we’re not closing the door on these types of informal playgroups,” Allen said.

Burleith House Decorating Contest Adds ‘People’s Choice’

“We believe that the congestion will be alleviated when the traffic light installation is complete,” said Regina Knox Woods, MedStar Health’s vice president of government affairs for D.C., in a statement. “Once the new traffic light is activated, DDOT will work to time the light in conjunction with other traffic lights on Reservoir Road to ensure optimal vehicular traffic flow.”

Avoid Reservoir Rd or you’ll be stuck in traffic.

Spiritual Guide to GeorGetown Dumbarton

December 24 christmas eve

A Youth & Children’s Pageant, the Blessing of the Children (of all ages), carols, candlelight, and hearing again the old, old story of the birth of Jesus. Dumbarton United Methodist Church, 3133 Dumbarton St. NW., 6 p.m.

Every night in Georgetown from now until the end of the year, the lights of Christmas house decorations shine and beckon on every block of the village, turning it into a winter and holiday wonderland. Some of the decorations are familiar, like the crèche imbedded in a garden wall on the 2800 block of O Street.

It’s almost a family tradition to go see them.

Others are new and creative.

In the Burleith neighborhood — from Wisconsin Avenue to 39th Street and from S Street to Whitehaven Boulevard — many residents participate in an annual house decorating contest sponsored by the Burleith Citizens Association.

The contest began on Dec. 14.

1704 35th St. NW, a 2015 winner. Courtesy BCA. Judgment day is Wednesday, Dec. 19, from 4 to 7 p.m. According to the BCA newsletter: “That’s when judges Edie Cecil and Kay Twomey comb the neighborhood street by street, alley by alley, to choose the best holiday decorations of 2018. (Don’t forget the back of your house).”

New this year is a “People’s Choice” category.

BCA members could email burleithevents@ gmail.com to tell the judges which decorated home they love best.

holy trinity December 24 & 25 • christmas masses

Christmas Masses: December 24: 4pm, 5:45pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm, 11:15pm Lessons & Carols, Midnight Mass; December 25: 8am, 10am, 11:30am, Church

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DECEMBER 19, 2018

7

EDITORIAL

OPINION JACK EVANS REPORT

A Glowing End to 2018

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

A Season of Hope Living in a time of post-election turmoil, when conflict and division are almost impossible to ignore, when change comes so fast that it’s a kind of permanent blur, it’s hard to be a cockeyed optimist.

Living in a time when we are daily encouraged to notice our differences and not in a good (or a shy) way, it’s difficult to be hopeful about the future — even in the midst of a season that’s all about hope. It’s hard to dance around the block, singing: “The sun’ll come out, tomorrow!”

Still and all, hope and optimism abide and abound, if we choose to see them.

We can, for instance, commemorate past accomplishments that seemed, in a different time, impossible to achieve.

We can, for instance, join in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, with events continuing through July of 2019.

It was an achievement often dreamed of and imagined in works of art and fiction before it was ever even planned. But it was finally spurred by ambition, by pragmatic inspiration and by resources, a result that made human beings, small under the light of the moon looking up, feel a little larger, a little taller, as well as expanding the scope of their (that is, our) dreams for the future.

Humans landed on the moon, inspired by other humans, by the possibility that such a thing was possible. It not only made heroes out of singular men, but caused us to return to our own surroundings and see them as special.

Not all of us can go, or may go, to the moon, although recent endeavors by private entities

Earthrise, Apollo 8, Dec. 25, 1968. Courtesy NASA. as well as by governments suggest that the reality and the idea of going into space is not over, but still possible and close.

In times like these, when we seem curmudgeoned by stresses of the heart and health, the tensions of opposing principles and beliefs and the chaos of unexpressed and unfulfilled hopes, it’s time to take a breath.

Look, not necessarily up, but around. Exhale and inhale the pleasures of neighbors and neighborhood, the sight of a squirrel scurrying on a pace anticipating wintry hoarding. Leaf, slowly, through a book for words that engage anew instead of regurgitate old taunts and bad dreams. Help, if only a little, the helpless. Tell and read a story. Listen closely to the music and submit (or dance, depending).

Having done all that and maybe more, remember that time in 1969 when a spacecraft, three men in a small vehicle, headed for the light in the night sky and did what we all dreamed of and had long held impossible.

Then, look up, up in the sky. It’s the moon.

Still enticing, still beckoning, still waiting.

Letter to the Editor MORE ON THE POST OFFICE Permit me to add to the Dec. 5 Georgetowner article concerning the Georgetown post office.

One weekday, last August, I visited our post office at about 10 a.m. only to find the door locked. I thought perhaps it was a federal holiday that somehow I had missed.

Later that afternoon, I returned to the post office only to find what appeared to be one solitary individual providing customer service.

When I inquired about the late opening he casually replied that he was off that morning and “they” never sent a replacement.

On a related note, the Silver Spring, Maryland, post office lost a valuable parcel which I mailed to a friend several years ago. I

could not find any post office representatives who seemed even remotely interested in my loss. One supervisor even blamed me for the loss, claiming it was “a small parcel” and thus easy to lose.

I’ve found most Georgetown post office employees to be pleasant individuals, who are trying their best to do a good job. Rather, as with all bureaucracies, I place the blame for poor customer service with management.

Perhaps it’s time for Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton or Councilman Jack Evans to take note of the present situation.

Lawrence Impett Olive Street

What change do you most want to see in Georgetown in 2019?

YOUR OPINION MATTERS. Post your response.

Facebook.com/TheGeorgetowner 8 DECEMBER 19, 2018

GMG, INC.

As the holidays approach and eventually pass, I’m reminded that the new year will bring change. I want to take the opportunity to acknowledge some Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E commissioners for their dedication and hard work for the people of Georgetown, Hillandale and Burleith.

Commissioners Jim Wilcox, Monica Roaché, Zac Schroepfer and Ed Solomon won’t be returning in the new term, but residents will remember their labors on behalf of our neighborhoods long after their service is over.

Over the past 27 years I have been in office, I have enjoyed working with many commissioners, but Commissioner Solomon’s long tenure was unique and special. Whether he was attacking a rat problem in Burleith or traffic issues on Reservoir Road, addressing safety concerns or working to improve the relationships between neighbors and the first-class educational institutions in his single member district, Ed was always available, always able to give his all to make Georgetown, Hillandale and Burleith such great neighborhoods.

This is also an opportunity to welcome new commissioners to ANC 2E: Gwendolyn Lohse, Elizabeth Miller, Kishan Putta, Anna Landre and Matias Burdman. It’s an honor to serve the residents of Georgetown, Hillandale and Burleith on the most localized

level and I know they will all rise to meet the challenges in the coming two years.

As the new year approaches, there’s still time to experience the new art installations in Georgetown. The Georgetown Business Improvement District is lighting up our winter by again presenting the “Glow” outdoor art and light exhibition. In this year’s edition, there are 11 light-art installations located from Georgetown Waterfront Park to M Street and up Wisconsin Avenue as far north as Reservoir Road.

Enjoy the art of the 16 artists from around the world who contributed to “Glow,” as well as Georgetown Main Street’s special holiday window decorations at 1301 Wisconsin Ave. You can skate at Washington Harbour, shop at all of Georgetown’s fabulous stores or dine at one of Georgetown’s restaurants and bars, many offering winter specials.

I always think Georgetown is beautiful, but the holiday decorations really add to the spirit of the season. This is a great reason to get together with family and friends and just walk around. Experience “Glow” now through Jan. 6 from 5 to 10 p.m. each night.

More information, a map of the locations and a list of events is available at georgetowndc. com. For more information on Georgetown Main Street, visit georgetownmainstreet.com.

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

Building Yuletide Memories in Georgetown

BY PAM L A M OOR E If you are fortunate enough to have some time you can call your own during this holiday season, you can treat yourself to Georgetown at its best.

This year, I am doing just that — and I am finding it very enjoyable for me, members of my family who are visiting and friends.

Recently, after a nice brisk walk, we sat down for coffee and a slice of hazelnut cake at Leopold’s in Cady’s Alley. It reminded me that one can relax at 4 p.m. and contemplate thoughts other than what might appear on one’s iPhone.

However, I did take the time to watch the funeral of President George H.W. Bush. It was this man who offered Paul Coverdell of Georgia the position of Peace Corps director in early 1989. I had worked for Mr. Coverdell (later a senator) for a good many years. His vision for the Peace Corps was to partner with the U. S. private sector when helpful to add to the volunteers’ outreach and successes around the world.

In the next four years — and particularly answering the requests of several Eastern European countries — the Peace Corps supplied teachers of English to local school

districts and small business expertise when requested, as well as bringing the Peace Corps’ health care experience to bear. It was an amazing experience as we built lasting relationships with talented Peace Corps staff members and volunteers.

I took away many lessons. One of the most important was to listen to what the person you wanted to help actually wanted and needed.

Back to our Georgetown focus, the “Glow” installations are delighting children and adults. The concerts at Dumbarton United Methodist Church are full of the season’s good wishes (and the dress code is cozy sweaters). Tudor Place is sparkling. A walk along the C&O Canal really makes you appreciate the history of our community.

The recent lock work by the National Park Service is very well done. I anticipate great things happening along the canal in the years ahead. I love that it is a community effort, with many people offering their expertise.

Take a bit of time and build your special holiday memories.

Pamla Moore is president of the Citizens Association of Georgetown.

2018 Georgetowners

Community Calendar

of the Year

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21 HOLIDAY DINNER AND SING-ALONG

Guy Mason Recreation Center, 3600 Calvert St. NW, will host a turkey dinner at 6 p.m., followed by a sing-along with Ann Glendinning at 7:30 p.m. For details, email guymasonevents@gmail. com or call 202-727-7527.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 2 ANC 2E

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E will meet at 6:30 p.m. at Georgetown Visitation School, 1524 35th St. NW. Agenda to be announced. For details, visit anc2e.com.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3 OLD GEORGETOWN BOARD

The Old Georgetown Board will meet at 9 a.m. at 401 F St. NW, Suite 312. For details, visit cfa.gov.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17 COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS

T

he naming of Georgetowners of the Year has been a tradition of The Georgetowner newspaper for decades. This year’s group, selected by the editorial board, includes one of America’s most famous journalists, a foundation dedicated to restoring and commemorating African American history, a community leader and historic preservationist, a restaurateur whose tavern is a Georgetown icon and a corporation — and its founder — “in business to save our home planet.”

The Commission of Fine Arts will meet at 10 a.m. at 401 F St. NW, Suite 312. For details, visit cfa.gov.

WISHING YOU PEACE LOVE AND JOY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AND THROUGHOUT 2019 The Georgetowner Next print issue: Jan. 9.

Biweekly newsletters continue, and we’re always online at georgetowner.com.

BILLY MARTIN’S TAVERN: 85 Years

PAMLA MOORE: Model Citizen

“Restaurants are in my blood,” says Billy Martin Jr., the fourth to be part of the Georgetown landmark, which opened in 1933. He started work at the tavern, owned by his father, Billy Martin, in 1982. He bought the business in 2001 and has made it a Georgetown icon for neighbors and visitors. Martin’s Tavern is our rock, founded in the year Prohibition ended and still in the same spot, thanks to the same family. For such accomplishments — above and beyond — Martin’s Tavern, along with its owner Billy Martin and staff, is a Georgetowner of the Year for 2018.

Pamla Moore, again the president of the Citizens Association of Georgetown, served as board chair for Georgetown Heritage, which is committed to a C&O Canal renovated and reborn.

This historic preservationist and former Peace Corps staffer is a member of the Georgetown Business Improvement District board and its Georgetown 2028 Steering Committee. Georgetown is beyond grateful to have this smart and gracious woman in its midst. For such accomplishments — above and beyond — Pam Moore is a Georgetowner of the Year for 2018.

PATAGONIA: Responsible Corporation

BOB WOODWARD: Without Fear or Favor

Yvon Chouinard, founder of outdoor apparel retailer Patagonia, set aside the company's additional $10 million in profit from President Donald Trump’s “irresponsible tax cut” for assistance to local groups that fight climate change and promote organic agriculture. “Our government continues to ignore the seriousness and causes of the climate crisis,” Chouinard said in a statement.

“We need an agriculture system that supports small family farms and ranches, not one that rewards chemical companies intent on destroying our planet and poisoning our food.” For such accomplishments — above and beyond — Patagonia, along with its founder Yvon Chouinard, is a Georgetowner of the Year for 2018.

Bob Woodward — of Washington Post and Watergate fame — is a prolific author, whose books range from “All the President’s Men” and “The Final Days,” both co-written with Carl Bernstein, to “Bush at War” and “Obama’s Wars.”

This steadfast, thorough writer, who has lived through some intense days of American history, resides on Q Street with his wife Elsa Walsh. “I get to see her magic in daily life,” he writes in the acknowledgments section of his most recent best-seller, “Fear: Trump in the White House.” Woodward, it seems, is as good a neighbor as he is a writer.

For such accomplishments — above and beyond — Bob Woodward is a Georgetowner of the Year for 2018.

MT. ZION-FEMALE UNION BAND SOCIETY HISTORIC MEMORIAL PARK INC.: Saving Black History The board members of this nonprofit, incorporated in 2005 to manage the preservation and commemoration of the Mt. Zion and Female Union Band Society Cemeteries, are: Vincent deForest; Neville Waters, president (shown above); Alicia deForest, secretary and treasurer; Dr. Thornell Page, vice president; Vernon Ricks; and Dolores Greene. Active from 1808 to 1950 and historically African American, the two cemeteries share a plot of land near 27th and Q Streets, adjacent to Dumbarton House and Oak Hill Cemetery. The small cemeteries are being revived and reimagined by the foundation, formed to resurrect the wealth of stories, preserve historical artifacts and restore this American treasure. For such accomplishments — above and beyond — the Mt. ZionFemale Union Band Society Historic Memorial Park is a Georgetowner of the Year for 2018.

GMG, INC.

DECEMBER 19, 2018

9

BUSINESS

Washington Gas: Lighting the Capitol for 170 Years

BY R OBE RT DEVA NEY From its perch in one of the Wharf’s shining new buildings in Southwest D.C., the headquarters of Washington Gas — WGL Holdings, Inc., to be exact — looks hightech and high-energy. With floor-to-ceiling windows, views of the Potomac River and Virginia give the place the feel of the future.

It was not always like that. During the 19th century, Washington, D.C., was behind other cities in taking up the use of the new gas technology. It took an act of Congress to push D.C. forward.

Living near the U.S. Capitol and lighting his home with gas, James Crutchett, an advocate of gas, drew support from the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as from the mayor and business leaders. Soon enough, Congress allocated $17,500 to Crutchett to light the Capitol, and in July of 1848 Washington Gas Light Company was created.

A Washington Gas plant was located for decades at the intersection of New Hampshire and Virginia Avenues NW, on land that would later be the site of the Watergate complex.

The plant was built in Foggy Bottom because nearby in Georgetown was the C&O Canal, bringing coal in barges from West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The company even had an aqueduct going over Rock Creek.

Nowadays, having a stove, a hot water heater or a furnace fueled by gas is a routine matter. But

what has some Georgetowners concerned is the sight of crews responding to gas pipeline leaks — seemingly more than usual. Georgetown resident Edward Segal thinks so, and even maintains a blog to track the leaks.

Because of such concerns, Washington Gas representatives gave a presentation at the Dec. 3 meeting of the GeorgetownBurleith-Hillandale advisory neighborhood commission, acknowledging that they had to do a better job communicating with the community when jobs are assigned.

Leaks are graded 1, 2 or 3 based on the level of action they require. “We respond to every reported gas leak immediately to determine its risk,” said a Washington Gas rep, adding that the company strives to minimize parking and traffic disruptions.

The company has an ongoing solution in “PROJECTpipes” — its 40-year accelerated infrastructure replacement program — which started in 2014.

“Safety has been at the center of everything we do at Washington Gas since our founding 170 years ago,” said Adrian Chapman, president and CEO of Washington Gas, in a statement. “Like all older metropolitan systems across the country, our pipeline system in Washington, D.C., is aging. This next phase of PROJECTpipes will expedite the replacement of older pipeline so we can continue to deliver

John O’Brien, executive vice president, strategy and public affairs, and Wayne Jacas, director, construction program strategy and management, of WGL Holdings, Inc., and Washington Gas. Photo by Robert Devaney. affordable gas service in the years ahead.”

As of Sept. 30, the company reports: “The initial four years of Phase 1 of PROJECTpipes has been implemented at a total cost of $78.1 million, with approximately $110 million total investment expected by September 30, 2019. For 2018, the amount of PROJECTpipes surcharge for an average residential heating customer was approximately $25 annually, or $2.08 per month.”

Phase 2 of PROJECTpipes, the company continues: “proposes to replace approximately 22 miles of pipe and 8,274 service lines from October 1, 2019, to December 31, 2024. If approved by the PSC, Washington Gas will spend approximately $305.3 million over five years.

For 2019, the amount of PROJECTpipes Phase 2 surcharge for an average residential heating customer is projected to be approximately $49 annually, or $4.08 per month.”

“We also recognize the investment we are

asking customers to make to help us improve our system,” Chapman said. “Fortunately, due to the substantial decrease in natural gas prices, customers actually pay less today for natural gas service than they did in 2007, even with the PROJECTpipes surcharge included in their bill.”

In 2014, the gas company renamed itself WGL with the mission of “being a new kind of energy company: answer-oriented, technology and data driven, responsive and built for the complex energy markets of today and tomorrow.” In July, WGL was acquired by AltaGas, based in Calgary, Alberta.

While Washington Gas may be broad in its scope, serving more than 1.1 million customers in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, it realizes that its gas crew just down the street in Georgetown is its link to the neighborhood and more important than ever.

A LITTLE PLANNING NOW BEATS

BORROWING LATER.

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Before you invest, consider whether your or the beneficiary’s home state offers any state tax or other state benefits such as financial aid, scholarship funds, and protection from creditors that are only available for investments in that state’s qualified tuition program.

For more information about The DC College Savings Plan (“the Plan”), call 800-987-4859, or visit www.dccollegesavings.com to obtain a Program Disclosure Booklet, which includes investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information; read and consider it carefully before investing.

The Plan is administered by the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Finance and Treasury. Ascensus College Savings Recordkeeping Services, LLC (“ACSR”), the Program Manager, and its affiliates, have overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations including recordkeeping and administrative services. Ascensus Investment Advisors, LLC serves as the Investment Manager.

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BUSINESS

INS & OUTS

Since 1954

THE

georgetowner.com

GEORGETOWNER

BY R OB E RT DEVA NEY

JUNE 27 – JULY 10, 2012

VOLUME 58, NUMBER 20

no doubt, for those with resolutions for mind, body and soul. Think full-spectrum infrared sauna, healing for chronic pain, weight loss, detoxification and recovery from injuries or post-surgery pain — not to mention fighting the effects of aging and just looking your best.

10 Years of Georgetown Metropolitan

Delicious Defined CHEFS, AWARDS & THE FANCY FOOD SHOW TRAVEL: Novel Non-Stops SOCIAL: 'Night of Broadway Stars' Covenant House NEWS:

Georgetown Laments Sunset on C&O Canal Boat

DC Row staffers. Courtesy DC Row.

Chef Mike Isabella on the cover of The Georgetowner.

In (Briefly): Pop Georgetown and DC Row During the Yuletide (or anytime, really), businesses love to pop up in Georgetown. The latest? A shop for D.C. products and a rowing fitness studio from the Wharf in Southwest.

Both pop-ups are at 1631 Wisconsin Ave. NW, along the small business shopping mecca known as Book Hill.

Pop Georgetown is a retail store that features “art, accessories, apparel, home decor, personal

care and packaged food products from local makers and businesses.” The shop is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Jan. 21.

Also docking at that location is DC Row, a rowing studio pop-up offering three morning classes. Check dcrow.co for details (yes, that is a “co”).

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Out: Chef Mike Isabella Quits D.C. Celebrity chef Mike Isabella announced last week that he was closing all of his remaining businesses by the end of 2018 — after battling the fallout from a sexual harassment scandal for almost a year. Isabella joins Mario Batali and other chefs slammed and shamed by the #MeToo movement, but it is Isabella who completely folded operations. His eateries include Requin (two of them), Kapnos (four), Arroz, G and a Tysons spot.

“Under the present circumstances, I am facing the sad realization that I no longer believe that any restaurant associated with my name can recover from the negative press that has enveloped me for nearly the entirety of 2018,” Isabella stated in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court filing. “Despite my efforts to move on from the past and focus on restructuring my businesses, I believe that the likelihood of the restaurants succeeding in the future after the losses they have experienced this year is, at best, remote.”

In May of 2012, Isabella made a splashy debut in Georgetown with the Mexican restaurant Bandolero at 3241 M St. NW in the former Hook restaurant space, now occupied by clothing retailer & Other Stories. He left Bandolero, which he did not own outright, in July of 2013.

The Georgetown Metropolitan, a neighborhood blog run by Topher Mathews, is now 10 years old. Along with offering personal opinions from time to time, the locally focused website links to stories on businesses, politics and restaurants. Wrote the blogger: “It has been a project of love, love for this beautiful neighborhood, its fascinating inhabitants and the community we build. GM can’t guarantee another ten years. But he honestly thought fatherhood was going to end his ability to continue, and yet it didn’t. So, who knows?”

Correction: Say Cheese!

As the Say Cheese! sandwich joint draws closer to opening, proprietor Jim Carter tells us that the logo used in a Dec. 5 Georgetowner news brief about the business is incorrect.

Artwork showing a kid holding a sandwich running after a food truck is that of the Say Cheese! Food Truck enterprise — a totally different business. Meanwhile, we await the cheese creations at 1132 29th St. NW.

Happy 40th, Georgetown Optician Still fashionable and hip after decades, Georgetown Optician is celebrating 40 years in Washington’s oldest neighborhood. At 1307 Wisconsin Ave. NW, it also has stores on 14th Street NW, at Eastern Market and in Tysons Galleria.

In: Georgetown Sun Cryo It is “Your Private Sanctuary,” says freshly arrived Georgetown Sun Cryo at 3218 O St. NW, offering itself as a “wellness recovery space in the heart of Washington, D.C.” This recharging place, which uses “state-of-theart, holistic innovative healing cryotherapy technology,” will be a popular spot come 2019, GMG, INC.

DECEMBER 19, 2018

11

Silvery Mood

BY LAURETTA J. MCCOY Fashion/Beauty Editor

Modern, energetic, fluid and always in style.

It illuminates the runways. This tried and true lustrous fashion trend ushers in the season with inspired collections to take you from day to night.

The sparkling personality of silver in your closet will at once bring cohesion to any wardrobe.

It goes with every color and is sure to fulfill your new year’s style resolution with glamour and sophistication.

The light of the coming year conjures a time for wonder. Glasses up, out with the old and in with a Silvery Mood.

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GMG, INC.

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THIS LOOK

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THIS LOOK Transparent Veil Trench - DOROTHEE SCHUMACHER @ Ruth Shaw Top - SAINT LAURENT Silk Scarf - ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Leather Leggings - RtA Top, Scarf, Leggings @ CGlasses - ATELIER ANASTASIA

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THIS LOOK Top and Bottom FORDAM ROWE @ Katwalk Boutique Hat - JOCELYN @ Saks Fifth Avenue

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Bolero Top - CULLTURA Designs Glasses - ATELIER ANASTASIA Brooch - MERCEDES BIEN VINTAGE Face - TRISH MCENVOY - Beauty Booster Serum DR. STURM - FACE CREAM NARS - Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation Eyes - PAT MCGRATH LABS - Mothership III Lips - NARS - Rock With You DIOR - Dior Lip Glow

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GMG, INC.

DOWNTOWNER

BY KAT E OCZ Y P OK

Home Prices Up in November

An End to Pay-toPlay?

D.C.-area home sales prices reached a record high for the month of November, according to real estate listing service Bright MLS. The median price of residences sold in the area last month was $449,500. D.C. itself led on price gains, with the median price up 9.3 percent to $600,000. However, the number of closed sales in D.C. was down 11.8 percent from 2017 in November, the fourth month in a row with declining year-over-year sales.

Changes are coming to D.C. politics, particularly to pay-to-play — when businesses seeking contracts with the city donate to the campaigns of officials in charge of approving them. A campaign finance reform bill unanimously approved by the District Council hopes to end the practice. Four states, including New York and New Jersey, currently have similar restrictions.

Teaming Up: Martha’s Table and Lyft Local nonprofit Martha’s Table has teamed up with Lyft to help a grocery store access issue in Wards 7 and 8, WAMU reported. Qualifying families will be able to take $2.50 f lat-rate rides to grocery stores or markets east of the Anacostia River. To qualify, families must have at least one child enrolled at one of seven participating elementary schools or Martha’s Table programs and attend an orientation.

The number of rides will be capped at 50 per family in the first six months.

Home prices are up in DC.

Capitol Hill Car Theft Interrupted

Man Clings to Bus in Viral Video

A man interrupted a potential car theft in Capitol Hill, ending up hurt and with his own phone stolen. The man told police he interrupted what looked like a car theft on Dec. 10 around 7 p.m. on Kings Court SE. He became surrounded by male teens, one of whom hit the man with a rock, causing him to drop his phone. One of the teens grabbed it and the group ran away.

Local artist Rasta Tahj shot a video last week of a man hanging onto the back of a X2 Metrobus on Benning Road NE. Tahj was going about 40 mph when he spotted the man, who didn’t seem worried at all and hopped off the rear bumper when the bus made a stop at Minnesota Avenue. The stowaway, eventually tagged in Tahj’s video, told Tahj he couldn’t believe it went viral. Metro is aware of the event and is currently “looking into it.”

Initiative 77 Not Dead Yet Advocates of a single minimum wage in the District are scrambling to collect the 25,000 signatures needed to bring back a repealed law. In June, Initiative 77 — which would end the two-tier system in which tipped employees have a far lower minimum wage — was approved by voters, only to be overturned by the D.C. Council in October. Those in favor of the “One Fair Wage” hope to force a referendum early next year.

Billy Martin says Vote No.

Man catches a free ride with Metro.

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HAUTE & COOL

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Why not treat yourself to a precious (or not so precious) jewel-studded piece?

Update your bijoux with a multistrand necklace, righthand ring or flamboyant cuff. Whether you are looking for last-minute gifting, jewels of adornment or a simple splurge, choose crystal-clear gems to rock the holidays!

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FINANCE

The Next Recession: How to Weather the Storm

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BY JOHN E. GIROUA R D Since 2008, when the American economy lost $10.2 trillion in wealth, everyone has wanted to know how to create the elusive “recession-proof” portfolio. In particular, folks nearing retirement age — with less time to earn and recover from a downturn — have been eager to learn where they could invest their money so it wouldn’t disappear again in a few years.

From the Great Depression to the Great Recession, economic disasters have become embedded in our cultural subconscious like a recurring nightmare.

As if market volatility weren’t enough to keep us up at night, we’re also fighting against human nature. It seems we’re biologically programmed to make terrible choices when it comes to playing the market. The average investor has earned total returns of just 2.5 percent over the past 20 years, while the S&P 500 has returned an average of 9.5 percent.

While it’s true that we all make financial mistakes, no matter how old and wise we become, we’ll never be able to predict the downturns. Thankfully, though, we can exert control over our emotions, which often have more to do with our returns than the markets themselves.

To keep my clients’ money protected before, during and after a recession, I have them focus on their emergency funds. In your working

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life, a fund with six months’ worth of living expenses set aside should be enough to float you in the event of a crisis. But once you’re retired, you need to have a full five years’ worth of living expenses in cash, or at least out of the market. Why? The last thing you ever want to do is draw down on your accounts while the market is at a low point — every penny you take out is a double-whammy for your wallet.

To ensure your finances can weather any storm, visit georgetowner.com for a portfolio of five portfolios that I would recommend.

No matter what plan you follow, remember that your life cannot be put on hold if the market tanks. Anytime your strategy involves removing the temptation to have a fire sale with your assets, or draw down on your accounts during a downturn, it is a very good strategy indeed.

Author of “Take Back Your Money” and “The Ten Truths of Wealth Creation,” John E. Girouard is a registered principal of Cambridge Investment Research and an investment advisor representative of Capital Investment Advisors in Georgetown.

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BY L IN D A R OTH

CLYDE’S OF GEORGETOWN 3236 M ST., NW 202-333-9180 | clydes.com

This animated tavern, in the heart of Georgetown, popularized saloon food and practically invented Sunday brunch. Clyde’s is the People’s Choice for bacon cheeseburgers, steaks, fresh seafood, grilled chicken salads, fresh pastas and desserts.

ENO WINE BAR

2810 PENNSYLVANIA AVE., NW 202–295–2826 | enowinerooms.com HAPPY HOUR: Offered nightly Tuesday - Thursday from 5 - 7 PM & Sunday from 4 - 7 PM. Enjoy select $7 wines on tap. Join us on Wednesday’s for College Nights from 9 - 11 PM and Sunday’s for 30% off bottles. Our delightful wines are best enjoyed with local charcuterie, cheese and small plates.

THE OCEANAIRE SEAFOOD ROOM 1201 F ST., NW 202–347–2277 | theoceanaire.com

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

FILOMENA RISTORANTE

1063 WISCONSIN AVE., NW 202–338–8800 | filomena.com A Georgetown landmark for over 30 years featuring styles and recipes passed through generations. Balanced cutting-edge culinary creations of modern Italy using the fresh ingredients and made-from-scratch sauces and pastas. Seen on The Travel Channel, Award-winning Filomena is a favorite of U.S. Presidents, celebrities, sports legends, political leaders.

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

ROCKLANDS BARBEQUE

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

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

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

Darlington House in Dupont Circle plans to open a unique bar and music venue in the basement: Dive. It’s the name and the theme.

The Childe Harold, which featured struggling musicians like Bruce Springsteen and Bonnie Raitt, used to occupy the spot, at 1610 20th St. NW. Opening night is 2018 closing night, Dec. 31. Open mic night debuts Jan. 11.

Ashok Bajaj’s Knightsbridge Restaurant Group will renovate NoPa at 800 F St. NW during the first 10 days of January, then reopen as Olivia, with a western Mediterranean menu.

Matt Kuhn will continue as head chef.

The Brothers Hilton (Marvin, Chez Billy Sud, et al.) plan to open a traditional French bistro in the space where Mike Isabella’s Requin Brasserie and R.J. Cooper’s Gypsy Soul used to be in the Mosaic District in Fairfax, Virginia. It will be their first restaurant outside D.C. proper.

U.K.-based Leon will open its second “naturally fast food” restaurant in the U.S. at 655 New York Ave. NW in D.C.’s Mount Vernon Triangle area. The opening is slated for the second quarter of 2019. The company currently has 61 restaurants, with locations in Oslo, Amsterdam, Utrecht and Gran Canaria.

Quick Hits: Atlanta-based Persian restaurant Rumi’s Kitchen plans to open its first location outside of Georgia, in the same Mount Vernon Triangle Douglas Development building where Leon will open … City Tap Kitchen & Craft will open at One Loudoun in Ashburn, Virginia, where Hail & Hog was.

Peter Prime is opening a new restaurant, Cane (as in sugar), serving his native cuisine from Trinidad and Tobago. Look for cane plant décor. It is slated to open at 403 H St. NE, where Uni Bistro used to be, in the first quarter of 2019. Prime will continue as executive chef at the Caribbean-themed Spark in Bloomingdale, where Old Engine 12 was; the two restaurants are not far apart.

The Delegate.

CAFE BONAPARTE

1522 WISCONSIN AVE., NW 202–333–8830 | cafebonaparte.com Captivating customers since 2003, Cafe Bonaparte has been dubbed the “quintessential” European café, featuring awardwinning crepes and arguably the “best” coffee in D.C.! Other can't-miss attractions are the famous weekend brunch every Saturday and Sunday until 3 p.m. and our late-night weekend hours serving sweet and savory crepes until 1 a.m.

MARTIN’S TAVERN

1264 WISCONSIN AVE., NW 202-333-7370 | martinstavern.com Fifth generation Lauren Martin learns the family business from her dad, Billy Martin, Jr. Since 1933, the warm atmosphere of Martin’s Tavern has welcomed neighbors and travelers looking for great food, service and years of history within it’s walls. Fourth generation owner Billy Martin. Jr. continues the tradition of Washington’s oldest family-owned restaurant.

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Just Opened: The Delegate restaurant opened at the corner of 9th and L Streets NW, adjoining two new hotels, Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott Washington Downtown/Convention Center. Thompson Hospitality handles food and beverage for the hotels as well as for the restaurant, including the roof deck with a view of the Capitol.

Erik Bruner-Yang’s Foreign National restaurant group opened Yangs Hot Pot, Tacos, and Cerveza at 1358 H St. NE, across the street from Maketto. James Wozniuk, of Bruner-Yang’s Spoken English restaurant at the Line Hotel, is chef de cuisine and Colin Sugalski of Maketto is beverage director.

Julii, a French bistro featuring Mediterranean food influenced by North

African, Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine, opened at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, Maryland. The name comes from Forum Julii, an ancient Roman naval base in France that was a commercial gathering place for traders and spice merchants. It’s brought to you by the Cava Grill partners, who hail from Montgomery County. The chef is Sasha Felikson, formerly of Doi Moi on 14th Street NW. There will also be an on-premises coffee shop and bakery.

Victor Albisu’s Taco Bamba Taqueria has opened in the University Mall in Fairfax, across from George Mason University (his alma mater), making it number five in the DMV, with locations in Falls Church, Vienna, Springfield and Penn Quarter in D.C. Tom Hall is chef de cuisine.

Linda Roth is president of Linda Roth Associates, a public relations and marketing firm that specializes in the hospitality industry.

Reach her at linda@lindarothpr.com.

THE BERLINER REPLACES MALMAISON

At right: The Berliner’s owner, Omar Popal, salutes Georgetown’s newest restaurant. Photo by Bill Starrels.

A new wurst-and-beer hall opened Dec. 13: The Berliner, in the former space of Malmaison at 3401 Water St. NW. The transformation from a French to a German concept was a smooth one, since Malmaison’s owner, the Popal Group, carried it out. The family-run restaurant group is behind Café Bonaparte, Afghan restaurant Lapis (a recent Bib Gourmand awardee) and La Pop “cultural salon.” The Popal family was the subject of a July 17, 2013, Georgetowner cover story.

“It’s not every day that culinary talent, conceptual ingenuity and a historic venue converge in one setting,” says owner Omar Popal. “The Berliner undoubtedly upholds President John F. Kennedy’s famous line declaring us all Berliners at heart.”

Popal is emphasizing the 4,200-squarefoot beer hall — in one of Georgetown’s last original warehouse spaces on Water Street (or K Street), now sporting a Bauhausinspired design and industrial decor — and the Berliner’s chef, a sausage-making whiz.

INCOUNTRY

Southampton In Winter

BY STEPHANIE GREEN

O

n my first night in Southampton, New York, I made a critical error: I referred to the village as “The Hamptons.”

“We are Southampton,” a local politely informed me.

This kind of interaction with a Southamptoner is exactly why visiting the village in the “off season” — basically any time before Memorial Day or after early September — is such fun.

Some wouldn’t be caught dead in this chic destination this time of year, but why not? You have the whole place to yourself and you get to experience the villagers, that is, the people who live there year-round, not the tourist throng that descends on the area every summer.

Southampton’s “close-knit” spirit is what drew Georgetowners Bruce and Marjie Calvert to buy their weekend place there. “We enjoy the beach and the fishing,” says Bruce, adding that his house is always chock-full of guests, who join in the local pastimes.

If you aren’t lucky enough to stay at Chez Calvert, here’s how to enjoy Southampton this winter in style.

First, grab the Hampton Jitney, which runs year-round from Manhattan at an affordable fare.

From your bus station upon arrival, you’re only a short Uber ride from the newly opened Maison Vivienne, right on Main Street. I had a

chance to spend a couple nights in late October at this 17th-century Dutch Colonial and was charmed by its contrasts: portraits of Brigitte Bardot and girls in go-go boots hover over homely fireplaces. The décor, by Paris K Studio, may be sleek and modern, but the hospitality is old-fashioned.

There are only a handful of rooms at Maison Vivienne, so you get the intimacy of a bed-andbreakfast with the service (and bar) of a large hotel. Chef de cuisine Christian Souvenir brings his New Orleans warmth tableside, chatting up guests about his entrees, like his organic chicken with red beans and rice risotto. Top that off with a decadent dessert or a drink from the hotel’s prodigious wine cellar by the fire.

For a true Southampton breakfast or snack, go across the street to Catena’s Market, which has been run by the same family for generations.

The owners will provide you with all the local gossip and point you in the right direction to see the best Southampton haunts.

I headed down Main Street to check out one of the oldest churches in the country, First Presbyterian of Southampton, which is marking its 375th anniversary.

You’ll also want to see the Southampton History Museum, organized in 1898. It contains artifacts of the city’s proud heritage, which dates back to New York’s founding in the

Maison Vivienne on Main Street.

Courtesy Maison Vivienne.

Conscience Point in Southampton, wher e New York settlement in 1600s. Photo by colonists founded Stephanie Green.

1600s. Currently, the museum has an exhibition of photographs taken between 1892 and 1940, depicting landmarks and telling the stories of the area’s families.

Keep walking down Main Street, through a never-ending display of spectacular homes and manicured lawns, and you’ll find yourself on the beach, which (during the winter) you’ll experience as peaceful yet bracing. The only beach bum you’ll encounter is probably the local dog out for a brisk walk.

Nature lovers should also take in the serenity of Agawam Lake, especially as the sun is setting. Just look out for a very boisterous phalanx of geese who like to greet visitors there. One of my favorite nature spots in Southampton, highlighted for me by the guys at Southampton fixture Catena’s Market, is Munn Point Preserve. An osprey nest sits not far from

the boardwalk. You can birdwatch in this sevenacre salt marsh, where a tidal creek meets the edge of Shinnecock Bay. Conscience Point, a short Uber ride from Maison Vivienne, is another nature’s paradise, where I found two young men teaching a spaniel to hunt near the shore. There is a large rock with a plaque marking the spot where colonists founded the first English settlement in 1640.

The Conscience Point Marina is another great place for a wintry, bundled-up stroll.

The North End Graveyard dates back to the American Revolution and also happens to be the resting place of actor Gary Cooper.

Finish your day with a beer and a burger at Fellingham’s Restaurant and Sports Bar. In its friendly pub atmosphere, you’ll get more local flavor and ideas for your next day’s adventure.

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Middleburg ~ Magnificent Estate on 100 Acres. The stone house boasts 22 elegant rooms, 9 fireplaces, high ceilings, all superbly detailed and beautifully appointed. Brilliant gardens surround the heated pool. Fabulous 11 stall stone stable with 2 staff apartments.

Riding ring, green house all in pristine condition. Additional 227 acres are available. $8,495,00

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Millwood, VA ~ 120 acres - 2 parcels. 3 Story Manor built around older (c.1850s) home of “Carter Hall’s” estate manager c.1885.

Elegant interior detailing includes 3-story curving staircase. The stable, 2 cottages & a kennel housing the Snickersville Hounds are leased separately for $5000+/mo. Pastoral views toward the Blue Ridge Mountains. Cattle, horses & alfalfa hay share the property. $2,750,000

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The Plains ~ Stunning addition & complete restoration create a classic and elegant Virginia manor house. Attention to detail throughout including a custom designed kitchen open to the family room. Property also includes pool, guest house & 4 stall barn on 18 Acres in the Orange County Hunt Territory. Convenient access to I-66, Rt. 50 and Dulles International Airport $2,675,000

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Jeffersonton ~ Unique 4 BR country house with pool and outbuildings. One and 1/2 mile of Rappahannock river frontage.

Open, rolling fields. Investment, horse farm, brewery, B&B, farming or winery potential. All around views, flowering gardens, privacy and peace. 15 minutes to Warrenton. $1,991,000 on 239+acres or $1,443,000 on 142 acres

BUCKSKIN MANOR

Outside of Hillsboro ~ A true treasure! Lovely home dating back to the 1700s on 66 acres with mtn. views. 5 BR 4½ BA main house; guest house; stable; pool with outdoor entertaining areas, pizza oven and fireplace. Extensive plantings, stone work, mature timberland and large pond. Formerly a successful B&B. Heart of VA wine country. EZ commuter access to DC. $1,700,000

LIBERTY HALL

Paris ~ Circa 1770, Lovely Stone and Stucco Farm house sits at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, 20+ acres surrounded

by Protected Lands, Spectacular protected views of Paris valley, Meticulous exterior renovations include Re-Pointed Stonework, Metal Roof, 2 Large additions, Covered Porch, Basement, Buried Electric, well and Septic, Fully Fenced, Mature Trees, Boxwoods, Ready for all your interior finishes. $1,300,000

WINDY RIDGE

Berryville ~ Spacious 1880’s 4 BR, 3 BA farm house renovated on 82 secluded acres. Interior details include original heart pine floors, high ceilings, 3 fireplaces, large wrap around porch, new eat-in kitchen and appliances, 2 offices with built-ins, library, large dining room, living room, Master bedroom with fabulous Master bath. Custom wood siding. 4400 sq.ft. of living space. 45 min to Dulles. 1 DUR $1,095,000

See more fine estates and exclusive properties in hunt country by visiting THOMAS-TALBOT.com Offers subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdrawal without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.

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ARTS

Justin Weaks in “Gem of the Ocean.” Courtesy -Round House Theatre.

Now Playing: Works by 2 Pulitzer Winners

phy.

Emily Shackelford and Max Wolkowitz in “Indecent.” Photo by C. Stanley Photogra

BY G ARY T IS CHL ER To some theatergoers, it’s beginning to look a lot — way too much — like Christmas. It can be hard to find relief from all the Scrooges, Nutcrackers, Rudolphs and the rest of their end-of-year ilk.

For something entirely different — and exemplary of the best that Washington theater has to offer — you may want to travel to Round House Theatre in Bethesda, Maryland, and to Arena Stage in Southwest D.C. between now and Dec. 30.

There, you’ll encounter works by two classic and resonating American playwrights.

At Round House, you’ll find “Gem of the Ocean,” chronologically the first of the “Pittsburgh Cycle” by the late Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright August Wilson. This series of 10 plays chronicles the lives of African Americans living in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, where Wilson grew up, over the course of a century.

At Arena, “Indecent,” the work of the often

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contrarian and controversial playwright Paula Vogel — also a Pulitzer winner, for “How I Learned to Drive” — is being staged under the direction of Eric Rosen.

The presence of plays by these two giants seems entirely appropriate and historic. Many of Vogel’s plays, which reflect her diverse interests and seem almost always rooted in the moment, have been staged by area theaters, including Arena (where then-new Artistic Director Molly Smith directed a production of “Drive” in 1999) and Studio Theatre, which staged “How I Learn to Drive” in October.

Wilson, who died of cancer in 2005 at the age of 60, set himself a mighty task in “The Pittsburg Cycle,” creating a kind of alternative theatrical history of America in his deeply detailed, affecting series of plays, freely and richly populated by a diverse group of characters.

“Gem of the Ocean,” directed by Timothy Douglas, begins at the beginning and features the problematic, prophetic character of Aunt Ester, a former slave who is the community’s spiritual leader and holder of history, a healer, soothsayer and human storehouse who is, by the by, nearly three centuries old.

“Indecent” is characteristic of Vogel’s bent for the diverse. It concerns events surrounding the 1922 production and staging of Sholem Asch’s Yiddish play “God of Vengeance,” which took an enormous amount of courage to get onto a stage. In essence, this is a play about censorship, immigration and anti-Semitism, all hot-button issues of 1920s America that remain so today.

The themes that Vogel tackles have a way of echoing into the future, so to speak. This was very much true of “The Baltimore Waltz,” which I saw at Studio, a play that tackled the rising awareness of the assault and impact of AIDS on the gay community. A highlight of the production was an amazingly gentle performance by one of the area’s most gifted actresses, Sarah Marshall.

We also remember the deeply controversial “How I Learned To Drive” at Arena by Smith, which anticipated some of the sexual abuse issues now examined and speeding into the national consciousness with the #MeToo movement.

Other Vogel plays include “Desdemona,” “And Baby Makes Seven” and “A Civil War

Christmas,” produced this year by 1st Stage in Tysons.

Almost all of Wilson’s “Pittsburgh Cycle” plays have been seen by Washington audiences, often at Studio, but also at the Kennedy Center and Arena, among others.

Watching some of the plays was like watching a resurrection, like seeing a cemetery come to life, full of people that many Americans either did not know existed or never acknowledged the existence of.

My first experience of the plays was “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” which was actually set in Chicago. It depicted the life and times of the earthy singer Ma Rainey, singing the blues, battling white producers, making raspy records. It was, as staged at Studio, like a raw introduction to the blues and to a new world.

“Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” was presented early on at Arena and “Two Trains Running,” about a group of regulars at a diner slated for demolition, is a favorite in the region.

I saw it at Studio a number of years ago.

In 1989, the Kennedy Center presented a sharp production of “The Piano Lesson” starring Charles Dutton, fighting with a relative over a family heirloom dating back to slavery days. The cast also included Rocky Carroll and S. Epatha Merkerson. In March and April of 2008, the Kennedy Center presented all 10 plays — the others include “Seven Guitars,” “Radio Golf” and King Hedley II” — in a series of staged readings.

Anybody who saw the film version of “Fences” saw Denzel Washington soar as the embittered but hypnotic former baseball player and working-class battler. Viola Davis won an Oscar playing his wife.

But the actor Yaphet Kotto, to many minds, mine among them, probably stands just as tall, wielding a baseball bat in the 1990 Arena production of “Fences.” And I still recall fondly the performance of local actor Fred Strother in Studio’s “Jitney,” about freelance cab drivers, especially when his character, a talkative busybody named Turnbo, said: “I just talk about what I know” — which could be a concise, if imperfect, description of Wilson himself.

“Gem of the Ocean” runs through Dec. 30 at Round House Theatre in Bethesda.

“Indecent” runs through Dec. 30 at Arena Stage in Washington.

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OPEN HOUSE Coming to Talbot County this weekend?

After you enjoy the Waterfowl Festival, stop by an open house at 111 Park Street, 8382 Aveley Farm Road, 28441 Bailey’s Neck, all in Easton, or 22572 Indian Point Road, Bozman. See pictures and open house hours on Zillow! Joan Wetmore, Meredith Fine Properties, 101 N. West Street, Easton, 410-820-2001 (o), 410924-2432 (cell) or joanwetmore@msn. com

WANTED DELIVERY DRIVER NEEDED

We are currently seeking selfmotivated individuals for delivering The Georgetowner Newspaper. The publication is delivered in the afternoon/ evening on the day the publication is printed. The successful applicant must have a reliable, insured vehicle every day, a working cell phone, and a valid drivers license. The ability to read and communicate in English is required.The successful applicant must be an honest and trustworthy individual and must pass a thorough background check. To learn more about the position, please call 202 338 4833 or email charlie@georgetowner. com

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KITTY KELLEY BOOK CLUB

The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy’ REVIEWED BY KITTY KELLEY ‘The Patriarch’ is the perfect title for the life story of Joseph Patrick Kennedy(1888–1969).

It resounds with the drama of rolling drums to introduce a paterfamilias who created one of America’s most powerful political dynasties.

The author, David Nasaw, was handpicked by the Kennedys and given access to all the family’s personal papers, including the senior Kennedy’s letters, which arethe ballast of this biography.Such access is no surprise for ahistorian on the faculty of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, where Nasawis the Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. Distinguished Professor of American History.

As President Kennedy’s in-house historian and the devoted biographer of Robert F. Kennedy, Schlesingerwas no incidental contributor to the myths of Camelot, but this is not to say that Nasaw’s biography is hagiography. He covers the light as well as the dark corners of Joseph P. Kennedy’s complicated persona. Though he has written biographies of William Randolph Hearst and Andrew Carnegie, Nasaw prefers to describe himself “as an academic historian, not a biographer” —which may be why his narrative reads like an orange squeezed dry. For 896 pages, he follows the chronology of Joseph P. Kennedy’s life as methodically as a metronome, documentingallthe facts with footnotes. One wishes there had been a little more poet in the professor.Joseph Patrick Kennedy was born to all the prosperity that East Boston allowed Irish

Joseph Patrick “Joe” Kennedy Sr.

Catholics in the 19thcentury, which was fathoms below the social acceptance accorded “proper Bostonians,” as Kennedy referred to his Protestant peers. Blessed with charm and intelligence, he was determined to break down the wall that separated former “bogdwellers” from their Brahmin “betters.” This became his life’s ambition and drove him to make his son the country’s first Irish Catholic president.After attending Boston Latin, then the best public school in the country, young Joe was accepted at Harvard. There he excelled in athletics and networking, which, he impressed upon his sons in frequent letters, was the purpose of Harvard. “You will have a great start on any of your contemporaries and you should be able to keep up very important contacts,” he wrote.Befriending “the topmost people,” as he called them, became a lifetime priority.After graduating from Harvard, Kennedy was unable to get a white-shoe job on Wall Street, so hebecame a bank examiner in Massachusetts and mastered the intricacies of an unregulated stock market, eventually earning a reputation as a “rapacious plunger.” He pounced on bankruptcies, foreclosures and receiverships, and used insider knowledge to buy and sell stock, all of which would later become illegal. As president of an East Boston bank, he borrowed heavily from the bank to finance his trades, and borrowed even more to invest in commercial real estate. In 1945, he bought the Merchandise

Martin Chicago for $13 million. The family sold the building in 1998 for $630 million.Kennedy also made huge profits from reorganizing and refinancing several Hollywood studios. During this time,he managed the career of film star Gloria Swanson, who became his mistress and traveled with him on his family vacations. A practicing Catholic, he also traveled with his own confessor.

Nasaw reports that Kennedy spent little of his married life with his wife, Rose, who ignored his pursuit of other women just as her mother had done when her husband, Boston Mayor Honey Fitz, was caught with a cigarette girl named “Toodles.”Making millions during the bull market of the 1920s, Kennedy had become one of the 14 richest men in America by 1957. By then,he had established trust funds (each worth $90 million in 1960) for his nine children and each of their children. He provided his family with a luxe life of Rolls Royces, yachts, villas on the French Riviera, Hollywood mansions, an estate in Palm Beach, a summer compound in Cape Cod and a suite in the Carlyle Hotel.

In addition, Kennedy bought his own publicity machine. His legion of press agents included respected New York Times columnist Arthur Krock, who was put on a secret annual retainer to do Kennedy’s bidding whenever he wanted positive coverage for himself or his family in the nation’s most influential newspaper.Nasaw explores in detail Joseph Kennedy’s virulent anti-Semitism and his role as U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James,when he aligned himself with Neville Chamberlain to appease Hitler.

His isolationist views forced him to resign as ambassador and made himanathema to most Americans, but Kennedy never apologized. Even after the Allied victory,Kennedy told Winston Churchill that the war had not been worth the lives lost, including Kennedy’s firstborn son and namesake, and the destroyed European economy.

Those familiar with Kennedy lore might be amused to learn that JFKwas considered by his father to be “the family’s problem child.” So concerned was Kennedy about his second son’s messy appearance, dilatory study habits and poor grades that he beseeched the headmaster at Choate to interveneand “do something about Jack.” Yet it was Joe Kennedy, not Rose, who canceled vacations to stay home to nurse JFKthrough many of his childhood illnesses.

What emerges from this biography is that

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the anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi, philandering wheeler-dealer was —first, last and always —a ferociously loving father who put his sons and daughters above all else. As he told President Roosevelt: “I did not want a position in the government unless it really meant some prestige to my family.”

Georgetown resident Kitty Kelley has written several numberone New York Times best-sellers, including “The Family: The Real Story Behind the Bush Dynasty.”

Her most recent books include “Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the Kennedys” and “Let Freedom Ring: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the March on Washington.”

GOOD WORKS & GOOD TIMES

Holiday Cheer with Donna Evers

BY R OBE RT DEVA NEY It’s nice when the boss knows how to celebrate the yuletide —with her employees and colleagues.

One of the premier real estate agents in the city, Donna Evers, head of Evers & Co. Real Estate, a Long & Foster Company, threw a festive party at 1310 Kitchen & Bar by Jenn Crovato in the Georgetown Inn.

Mt. Zion’s Spirited Benefit

BY R OBERT D EVAN EY Supporters of Mt. Zion-Female Union Band Historic Memorial Park Inc. —a nonprofit foundation created in 2005 to jointly manage the preservation and commemoration of the Mt. Zion and Female Union Band Society Cemeteries behind 27th & Q Streets in Georgetown —gathered at the Q Street homeof Alan and Nancy Taylor Bubes on Nov. 28.The foundation is telling the story of African American Georgetown to a new generation.

Nancy Taylor Bubes, John Seiver of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP (attorney for the foundation) and Neville Waters, president of the Mt Zion Female Union Band Historic Memorial Park, Inc. Bren Lizzio, Donna Evers and Madeleine Essalat. Photo By Robert Devaney

Dr. Thornell Page, vice president of the Mt. Zion Female Union Band Historic Memorial Park, Inc., Rev. Dr. Johnsie Cogman of the Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, and Dolores Greene, trustee of the Mt. Zion Female Union Band Historic Memorial Park, Inc. Karen Kuchins, Eric Murtagh and Kate Sheckells. Photo By Robert Devaney

Jamaica’s PM Brings the VIPs

More than 200 friends of Jamaica attended a special dinner in honor of the prime minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, at the Ritz-Carlton in the West End on Nov. 27. Hosted by Ambassador of Jamaica to the United States Audrey Marks, the gathering brought out a who’swho of Washington,D.C., including Gen. Colin Powell (Ret.), Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson, Candy Carson, Sen. Ted Cruz and Reps. Maxine Waters, Sheila Jackson Lee, Barbara Lee and Yvette Clarke —as well as Guy Steuart III, chairman of Half Moon resort, and other business leaders, members of the diplomatic corps and heads of various Jamaican organizations. The dinner coincided with Holness’s official visit to Washington.

Maureen Doyle, Trish McKenna, Kat Arnaud and Desmond McKenna. Photo By Robert Devaney

Prime Minister Andrew Holness (on the right) shares a light moment with General Colin Powell. Photo

by Derrick Scott.

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DECEMBER 19, 2018

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