The Georgetowner: June 15, 2022 Issue

SINCE 1954

VOLUME 68 NUMBER 9

GEORGETOWNER.COM

JUNE 15 - JULY 12, 2022

Exclusive Interview M AYO R & M OM M U R I E L B OWS E R C A M PA I G N S F O R 3RD TERM CHRISTENS THE CANAL BOAT ENDORSEMENTS K I DS KO R N E R G I F T S F O R DA D I N C O U N T RY: E A S TO N , M D. K I T T Y K E L L E Y: ‘THE SUMMER FRIEND’

Exquisite senior living on the Potomac.

Nestled in the leafy Palisades, one of Washington’s most desirable and upscale neighborhoods, Balfour Palisades is a boutique residence for seniors who relish tranquility in the city.

Featuring highly personalized service and easy access to the best of DC, the new Balfour Palisades is where a refined lifestyle meets future peace of mind.

Leasing Center: 4418 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Washington, DC 20007 | 844.354.8877 | BalfourPalisades.com Community: 4865 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Washington, DC 20007

2 JUNE 15, 2022

GMG, INC.

GMG, INC.

JUNE 15, 2022

3

IN THIS ISSUE

ABOUT THE COVER Mayor Muriel Bowser is with her daughter Miranda at Lock 3 of the C&O Canal with the new canal boat behind her. Photo by Greg “Fritz” Blakey of Fritz Photographics.

(Special thanks to Shae of Baked & Wired for the sweet treats and that lemon-raspberry cupcake for Miranda.)

NEWS · 6 - 7 Town Topics

EDITORIAL & OPINION · 8

PUBLISHER Sonya Bernhardt

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert Devaney

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Peggy Sands

MANAGING EDITOR Christopher Jones

FEATURE EDITOR Ari Post FASHION & BEAUTY DIRECTOR Lauretta McCoy GRAPHIC DESIGN Troy Riemer

KIDS KORNER · 9

PHOTOGRAPHERS Philip Bermingham Jeff Malet

COVER · 10 - 12

DIRECTOR OF CONTENT & ADVERTISING Kate Oczypok

Mayor Muriel Bowser Has ‘Best Job in Washington’ and Plans to Keep It

BUSINESS · 13 In’s and Out’s Georgetown’s Go-To Veterinarian Hopes to Stay

Getting to Know the Georgetowner

IN COUNTRY · 14

BY TR OY R IEM ER

Easton’s New Culinary Treasures

FOOD & WINE · 15 Latest Dish

REAL ESTATE · 16 May 2022 Real Estate Sales

CLASSIFIEDS · 16 ARTS · 17 Artswatch Auction Block

HAUTE & COOL · 17

That’s me and my new baby girl, Margot James Riemer. She’s officially 4 weeks old as of the date of this publication.

I’ve been designing for The Georgetowner since 2018 and started my company Red Clay Creative in the same year. At first it was just me, and now it’s grown to a team of 4 (including me). We’ve focused on quality and service and have continued to grow the business off referrals since day one.

My wife and I are lucky to have this new family member in our lives and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for her. Maybe one day she’ll be working with The Georgetowner too.

The First Man - Happy Father’s Day

BOOK CLUB · 18 ‘The Summer Friend: A Memoir’

SOCIAL SCENE · 19 Tudor Place Spring Gala Friends of Volta Park Latino Student Fund Gala

4 JUNE 15, 2022

GMG, INC.

‘Jamal Khashoggi Way’ Unveiled in Front of Saudi Arabia Embassy Following the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto pressed the D.C. Council to rename the District street in front of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia “Jamal Khashoggi Way.” On June 15, following a unanimous vote of the Council, the new street name was officially unveiled at 601 New Hampshire Ave. NW. “When journalism is under assault, our freedom and democracy is endangered,” Pinto said. “Everyone who visits the Saudi embassy in Washington, D.C, will be reminded of Mr. Khashoggi’s courage.”

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

1050 30th Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 Phone: (202) 338-4833 Fax: (202) 338-4834 www.georgetowner.com “The Newspaper Whose Influence Far Exceeds Its Size” — Pierre Cardin The Georgetowner is published in print monthly with an online newsletter supplement posted twice per week — On Mondays we highlight news and on Thursdays goings on about town. The opinions of our writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect the editorial and corporate opinions of The Georgetowner newspaper. The Georgetowner accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. The Georgetowner reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse material and is not responsible for errors or omissions. Copyright 2022.

Please send submissions of opinions for consideration to: editorial@georgetowner.com For advertising inquiries email advertising@georgetowner.com or call (202) 338-4833

The Georgetowner is a Certified Business Enterprise

Please recycle.

Your number-one source for everything Georgetown.

Subscribe to our e-newsletter at georgetowner.com.

WHAT’S ONLINE GEORGETOWNER.COM Subscribe to our twice weekly online Georgetowner Newsletter — place your email address in the subscription box on the front page of our website.

LIVELY MAYORAL DEBATE AT GEORGETOWN’S GASTON HALL B Y R O B ERT D EVAN EY Mayoral debate: Council members Robert White and Trayon White flank Mayor Muriel Bowser at Georgetown University’s Gaston Hall June 1. Photo

by Bill Starrels/The Georgetowner.

MARCH FOR OUR LIVES (PHOTOS) B Y J E F F M AL ET A demonstrator at the National Mall. Photo by Jeff Malet.

VIBRANT OUTDOOR MARKET POPS UP AT GEORGETOWN PARK B Y C H R I S TOPH ER JON ES Enica Barnes greets visitors to her Neighbors DC pop-up market between Georgetown Park and the former Dean & DeLuca. Photo by Chris Jones.

BIGGEST HIT ONLINE 3,181 VIEWS

ELECTION 2022: WHO’S ON THE BALLOT?

BY R OBE RT DEVA NEY 2022 Democratic primary candidates for Mayor of the District of Columbia: James Butler, Muriel E. Bowser, Robert White and Trayon “Washington DC” White. Campaign photos.

GMG, INC.

JUNE 15, 2022

5

TOWN TOPICS

Crime Report: Attempted Kidnapping on M Street

BY C H R ISTOPH ER JON ES

The Wilson Building at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Courtesy D.C. Council.

Council Passes 2023 Budget; Awaits Mayor’s Signature

BY PEG GY SA NDS The D.C. Council passed Mayor Bowser’s $19.5 billion 2023 budget on May 24. It was the culmination of a long unique District process that takes months of time to write and review proposals and to organize and conduct town hall meetings with D.C. residents, expert briefings with officials and outsiders, and lobbying and politicking between all concerned.

It was further complicated this year by certain budgets that are still flush with pandemic relief grants not fully spent and city reserves full, some with unexpected revenue during a complete opening back of D.C. after two years of pandemic restrictions. Those funds won’t be renewed but they are there now even as officials ask for increased budgets.

During the process, Council elected and appointed officials participated in heated exchanges for favorite agendas right until the last minute. In the end, most Council members indicated they got what they wanted. The new budget includes millions of dollars for almost every category of public “investment” (aka, spending): public safety, health and human services, transportation and environment, housing affordability and the like.

Education is one of the largest budget items, and the 2023 budget included $45 million for the new Ward 2 high school on MacArthur Boulevard. The recreation budget included promised allocations for the Jelleff Center renovation and Hardy School and Volta Park athletic fields.

On May 24, Council member Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) pitched an amendment that would have taken away about half of the $14 million allocated to purchase the former Key Bridge Exxon site in Georgetown, and use it instead to make expansion of paid leave benefits for private-sector workers retroactive to July 1. Council member Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) objected to passing on an opportunity to buy the property at M and 36th Streets NW that could be used to build affordable housing or a Metro station, she said. Silverman’s amendment failed on an 6 JUNE 15, 2022

GMG, INC.

8-to-5 vote. But she was able to set aside $20 million for laborers who were not eligible for traditional or expanded federal unemployment benefits, such as street venders and some undocumented migrants.

The budget session wrapped up on Tuesday morning, May 24. A few hours later, the shooting at a school in Texas took place.

Nineteen fourth graders ages 8 through 10 and two teachers were shot during an hour’s rampage by an obviously mentally ill 18 yearold who had bought his assault rifle into the unsecured school while police waited outside the school rooms for over an hour unsure what to do.

What about D.C.? When asked on Thursday, May 26, about school safety measures in the District, including on-site “school resource officers” — trained school armed police or specially trained MPD officers — Mayor Bowser leaned in and said gravely, “What happened Tuesday morning in D.C.?” This reporter replied, “The Council passed the 2023 budget.”

“Yes,” said the mayor, “and it didn’t include any funding for school resource officers or training.”

“The D.C. Council voted to keep phasing police out of public schools — despite the objections of the mayor, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and the city principals’ union, which had said officers are needed to prevent school violence,” according to The Washington Post on May 10. “It was one of the most contentious votes of the day. The council voted Tuesday against the mayor’s preference, instead continuing to remove officers from school buildings.”wv The approved 2023 DC budget includes $3.8 million for additional support for school-based mental health programs. There appears to be nothing in it for gun safety initiatives, such as gun buy-back programs and training for gun related prevention and confrontation attacks in D.C. public schools.

Mayor Bowser was set to approve and sign the 2023 budget passed this week. Then, it goes to Congress for review, after which the budget becomes effective Oct. 1.

In the heart of Georgetown, an attempted kidnapping of a young male toddler took place on June 7 in broad daylight in front of Urban Outfitters on the 3100 block of M Street, NW. A 911 dispatcher received a call at approximately 2:32 p.m. conveying desperate pleas from a family: “He tried to take our baby, he tried to take our baby!”

“I saw two guys, like fighting over this child,” the caller said. “The person who tried to kidnap this child — he just walked up and tried to grab him, like literally grab, and they – it was like a tug of war,” the unidentified witness stated, per an MPD press release. According to the caller, the victim’s family was attempting to load the toddler into a car when the scuffle took place. The attacker “allegedly struck up a conversation with the young victim, then grabbed him and tried to run away” and the family “fought off the would-be kidnapper,” before he fled, NBC 4 reported.

On June 9, following MPD publication of suspect photos, 18-year-old suspect Emilio Andres Rizo, of Rockville, MD, was then arrested and charged with the attempted kidnapping while disembarking from a Metrobus.

In another violent scene in Georgetown on the 2800 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW, 46-yearold Steven Rushing of Fort Worth, Texas, was arrested Saturday, May 14, for an Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Knife) offense from the previous evening, per MPD reports.

At approximately 6:28 p.m. on the Friday evening before, Rushing was reported to have brandished a knife after approaching a group of people then assaulting and “attempt[ing] to stab” one of the victims. Rushing was “apprehended by responding officers.”

Separately, 32-year-old Charles Middleton of Bethesda was “arrested and charged” on Friday, June 10 with an “Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Gun)” offense following an April 10, 2022 gun threat incident in the 2300 block of Wisconsin Ave. NW., according to MPD. At approximately 11:00 p.m., “suspects entered an established” where one of the suspects was “involved in a verbal altercation with a patron of the establishment when an employee intervened.” When the confrontation moved outside, “one of the suspects brandished a handgun” and “pointed [it] in the direction of the employee.” Suspects then “fled the scene.”

TOWN TOPICS

City Wildlife to the Rescue

BY ALIS ON S CHA F ER At a fancy condo building by the canal in Georgetown, everyone knows their job.

Starting in early spring, people living on the ground floor with enclosed courtyards, look for new mallard nests. When the ducklings hatch, everyone swings into action. If the downstairs neighbors go out of town, the upstairs neighbors peer over their balconies, keeping an eye on the babies. Duck Watch volunteers get ready — the ducklings can’t fly, can’t get out of the fenced-in yards, and if they can’t get to water, they’ll die.

When the Duck Watch volunteers show up with crates to rescue the babies, even the mother ducks, who’ve been nesting at the building for several years, know their role. They follow. Then volunteers and building residents take the ducklings to a nearby release site and watch the family take their first group swim.

They are architects, retired park rangers, government employees, and teachers, but that’s in their spare time. What they really do is rescue mother ducks and their babies, push to keep migratory and other birds safe in downtown’s glass canyons, and care for baby squirrels and bunnies.

This is City Wildlife, an organization dedicated to helping urban creatures, and right

now it holds about 200 animals in peak spring season. “We have tons of baby birds, and turtles that were hit by cars, with broken shells, half a dozen or more baby rabbits, typically about half our wildlife are birds,” said Anne Lewis, who co-founded City Wildlife in 2008.

“It’s really busy April through September and then it really drops off around November, and that’s when we get to do the administrative stuff and paint the office.”

Now, though, City Wildlife is too busy rescuing the animals we Washingtonians live with. Lights Out DC and Duck Watch are two of City Wildlife’s most important projects. For Lights Out DC, volunteers go out in the early mornings to the 14 or so blocks between Union Station and the Convention Center to look for birds killed flying into buildings because they can’t see the glass. Lisbeth Fuisz, who teaches in English at Georgetown University in her spare time, runs Lights Out. “Yes, glass is beautiful and lit buildings are beautiful, but they’re deadly to birds. We have to understand there are consequences to that — what is beauty for humans is very detrimental to birds.” In the U.S. alone, as many as 988 million birds die annually from collisions with glass.

Ducks at the Capitol reflecting pool, Washington D.C. Photo by Jeff Malet.

The D.C. City Council is currently considering a bill that would require all new or substantially remodeled buildings to use glass visible to birds. “It’s a weird thing,” said Fuisz. “You don’t want to find birds because you know they’re suffering and dying, but it’s good to do something.” Lights Out has been in talks with the MLK Library about changes to its facades, and the Convention Center put film with wavey lines over some glass that was particularly dangerous and, Fuisz says, Lights Outs saw “something like an 85 or 89 percent reduction in collisions there.”

“Ducks are really charismatic. It’s hard not to like them,” said April Linton, City

Wildlife’s Duck Watch coordinator. She’s still working from home, but when she’s at the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance, she keeps a net and reflective vest near her desk for emergency duck calls. “I’d be dressed for the State Department, and I’d be out waving a net around the GW campus or whatever,” she said.

“I was always an animal person. I think I was born an animal person and I always had a fondness for waterfowl,” said Linton. “And when I am able to talk to people, answer questions about ducks or help them — I just think we have a responsibility to these animals and caring for them makes us better and better at caring for each other.”

GEAR UP: END CANCER

REGISTER TO RIDE OCTOBER 22, 2022 BELLRINGER.ORG

GMG, INC.

JUNE 15, 2022

7

EDITORIAL & OPINIONS

Hall of Mirrors

BY SU SAN BOD IKER

The District’s longtime non-voting delegate to Congress — 15 terms — Eleanor Holmes Norton keeps on working for our constituents.

We were pleased to see her at a recent ANC 2E meeting, later following up on promises.

She is informed, involved and reasonable but calls out her opponents when needed. We support her reelection.

BRIAN SCHWALB FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL

Letters to the Editor

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

Endorsements: Bowser, Mendelson, Schwalb While the Ward 2 election ballot may be thin, The Georgetowner shall weigh in on the June 21 Democratic primary, with early voting and mail-in ballots already happening. Let’s deal with the cards we are dealt — therefore:

MURIEL BOWSER FOR MAYOR

In a prosperous city, hit by the pandemic and White House machinations, Bowser stepped up and got the job done. She is still looking for ways to ensure all Washingtonians benefit from D.C.’s strong finances — such as affordable housing. (Her main opponent, Robert White, while admirable, may get his chance next time.) Bowser knows there is more work to be done and will do more in a third term (See our interview in this issue.). The Georgetowner newspaper supports her reelection.

PHIL MENDELSON FOR COUNCIL CHAIR

Phil Mendelson is steady at the helm of the District Council, and steady wins the race. His is an important position for the

District that Mendelson fills with careful consideration, a sense of balance and fiscal responsibility. We support his reelection.

ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON FOR DELEGATE

With Attorney General Karl Racine retiring, we look to Brian Schwalb, well known in the city and top lawyer at Venable. An activist in his own right, he holds the classic Democratic values of fighting for the underdog with the law in mind. The Georgetowner newspaper supports his election as attorney general.

Georgetown Now a Direct-to-Consumer Hub The crowds are back. Pedestrians. Diners.

Shoppers. Tourists. Students. The streets, once again, are packed.

And it’s a beautiful sight to see.

A quick look at our own “Biz Ins and Outs” shows there are more new businesses moving in than old stalwarts moving out.

These new faces are mostly retailers, who originally made their name in e-commerce, or -- as they say in the trade-- DTC (Directto-Consumer). Stores like Everlane, Athleta, Allbirds, and Warby Parker, which had built well-established brand images online and targeted a well-defined, tech-savvy customer base, have now discovered it pays to go where the (old) money lives, shops and hangs out.

Which makes Georgetown an ideal location to plant some roots and create a brick-andmortar presence. According to a recent article in “Retail Dive,” a newsletter covering retail industry news and trends, we’re becoming a “hub” for DTC brands. Quoting Georgetown BID’s Joe Sternlieb, Georgetown offers the square footage and built-in foot traffic (and 8 JUNE 15, 2022

GMG, INC.

“pre-buttal,” the dishonorable House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) who refused to comply with committee subpoenas, called the investigation “political” and a “witch hunt.” TV host Tucker Carlson, ever more extreme from night to night, declared Fox would not be televising the “propaganda.”

In prime time on Friday evening June 9, however, the evidence presented to launch the hearings was stunning and disturbing.

More frightening than we remembered, a nightmare in the retelling. And the worst of it is the “firehose of falsehoods” keeps coming.

As long as people believe the debunked assertions that the “election was stolen” and voter fraud is widespread, as long as wellfinanced platforms support the malignant inversion of our founding values, our republic might not survive the next insurrection.

In her opening remarks, committee co-chair Rep Liz Cheney (R-WY) warned her Republican colleagues who were “defending the indefensible” and perpetuating the lies: “There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.”

And what we see in the mirror will be too painful to contemplate.

Patients suffering from intractable, chronic, or phantom-limb pain often find relief in mirror therapy, which tricks the brain into believing the injured limb is “healed” by viewing a reflection of a normal, pain-free one.

We are living in just such a world, but in reverse. Instead of seeing a healthy body politic, we have in its place a seemingly infinite iteration of images reflecting lie after lie, distortion after distortion and the maladies infecting our republic.

We refer, of course, to the fantastical (un) reality conjured by former president Trump and his henchmen that describes the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 – the day the Senate met to confirm President Biden’s victory in the Electoral College -- as “legitimate political discourse.”

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) promised, even before the long-awaited hearings began, that “You will see us all over the airwaves. We will be setting the record straight. We will be telling the truth to the American people sharing the facts and also really pointing out how unprecedented and unconstitutional and illegitimate this committee is.” Indeed, in his

newly amenable landlords) every successful shopping area needs: “We have 2.8 million square feet of retail and 4,000 housing units, maybe 1,000 residents at best. Ten percent of our retail sales are to residents… 90 percent of the customers were imported from probably a two- or three-mile radius of Georgetown.” In other words, proximity is bliss.

Unlike other neighborhoods still feeling the repercussions of the pandemic and uneven hybrid work arrangements, Georgetown’s shops and restos enjoy regular repeat visits from locals and visitors, contributing to the lively vibe that extends well beyond standard business hours.

On the other hand, these new arrivals, however welcome, may not boast the same cultish allure as some of the locally grown stores we all remember -- Commander Salamander, say. Or The Biograph. (Cue your favorites.) Still, we should all be relieved that the report of Georgetown’s demise as a shopping haven had been greatly exaggerated.

And that’s good news for everyone.

Stare Decisis Not Supreme to States’ Powers The May 11 opinion piece “SCOTUS Springs a Leak” by Susan Bodiker ignores the fact that under our Constitution, only State legislatures have authority to enact laws governing the health and wellbeing of their citizens. The 1973 decision in Roe vs. Wade, however, usurped a part of that exclusive authority from the States. The Alito draft opinion simply rectifies that basic constitutional error and returns the regulation of abortion to the States.

Moreover, “Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett” did not “swear to uphold stare decisis,” as Ms. Bodiker asserts. A careful review of the testimony shows they agreed that stare decisis is an important legal principle in our jurisprudence – not that it must be followed when earlier Constitutional interpretations, such as Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896), are later recognized to have been decided in error. The Supreme Court has overruled many of its previous decisions in the past and will continue to do so in the future when it concludes such action is necessary.

— Don W. Crockett, Georgetown

‘Wonderful Homecoming’ Dear Lady and Gentleman of the Press: I can’t thank you both enough for the warm and wonderful “homecoming” you created, thanks to your gracious reporting of my return to Georgetown and Everard’s in mid-May! As always, the high level of readership you attract brought wonderful longtime fans and me back together, for which I’m very grateful. Very best regards and thanks to y’all! Brava/Bravo!

— Alexander Julian, Puglia, Italy (on vacation); Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Lack of Aesthetic for Expanded Sidewalks In the May 11 article — “What’s the Latest on Streateries and Sidewalks?” — Joe Sternlieb, president of Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID), apparently said he is conducting surveys with residents on continuing with the streateries program. I was disappointed not to be consulted.

As a resident of Georgetown off and on since 1976, it is depressing to see the lack of aesthetic.

Islands of excellence, such as Cady’s Alley, remain exceptions to the rule.

The pandemic and resulting expanded sidewalks give us an opportunity to rethink how Georgetown works and is likely to work in future. Cars are likely to become less important to cities, as fewer people drive. Banning parking on Wisconsin and M Streets and expanding sidewalks in an aesthetically pleasing way will attract locals to the local restaurants and non-residents to whatever local shops remain.

The Georgetown BID in association with the Citizens Association of Georgetown and the Georgetown Historical Society could also do better on the quality of retail frontage. Too many are eyesores. Have a competition for the best (and worse).

— Judy O’Connor

GBD-016 Georgetowner Print Ad Half Page Vertical.pdf

1

6/9/22

12:26 PM

Kids Korner O Street News: Going to the Garden Tour

BY ELE ANOR A S S E Y, 2N D G R A D E I walked in the rain puddles to see the Georgetown Garden Tour. The Tour had many gardens this year, so I had to walk ALL OVER Georgetown. Each garden I saw had something unique about it. I saw 8 gardens.

• At the first garden, I saw fig trees against a brick wall, and lots of different flowers.

I like figs. I saw the owner thru the window!! The garden also has a GREAT pool, which I swam in last summer when it was SUPER hot out!

• At the second garden, there was a LONG lap pool and a lot of boxwoods. The other people visiting the garden were very friendly.

friend Ellie who loves to jump and splash.)

• The 5th house had a covered area with dry seats. There was a garden pot designed to be a man’s head and the pot had a grass plant growing out of the top of the pot that looked like hair. I may try to make something creative like that.

• The 6th garden had a pool with pretend lily pads in it. I wanted to get the lily pads, but I would have had to swim in the pool to get them, which isn’t part of the Tour. The woman running the tour has a beautiful house in Maine, which I visited.

• The third house had a double staircase leading to its BIG garden. I wanted to go up the stairs, but I knew that wasn’t part of the Tour, so I didn’t ask.

• The 7th garden had tall, tall, tall birch trees, a long water feature in the middle, and sculptures of a turtle, two frogs and a bunny. I knew the woman running this garden. She is my neighbor and she has a cute dog that loves chasing tennis balls.

• The fourth garden had a HUGE – they said 100 years old - Wisteria vine and a view of the Kennedy Center. (It also had a pool, which I swam in last summer with my

I can’t WAIT for next year’s Tour because I bet the gardens will be even more beautiful.

Plus, I am going to try to ride my new bike to each Garden, even up the hills.

Last Call to Curtain Call – Plus Boats, Brews, and Scenic Views For the first time in its 17-year history, the Capital Fringe Festival is coming to Georgetown! More than 250 artists will be performing sketch comedy, stand-up, documentary theatre, musical theatre, and more, July 14–17 and July 21–24 at Georgetown Park. Tickets go on sale June 17.

(Photo by Andrew Bossi: Elephant Room, Right Brain Performancelab)

COMMUNITY CALENDAR JUNE 22, 8 P.M.

PADDLE THE POTOMAC: AN ALTERNATIVE HAPPY HOUR

registration necessary. Contact Jessica Davis to volunteer — davis.jessicaL@ gmail.com.

Key Bridge Boat House

JULY 4, 3 P.M.

JUNE 22 – 26

A JULY 4TH MUSICAL CELEBRATION

SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL National Mall JUNE 25, NOON TO 5 P.M.

GEORGETOWN SWEETS TOUR Georgetown Main Street JULY 4, 9 A.M. TO 5 P.M.

Washington National Cathedral JULY 4, 11:45 A.M.

NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE National Mall, Constitution Avenue, 7th Street NW to 17th Street NW.

AN AMERICAN CELEBRATION

JULY 5, 6:30 P.M.

George Washington’s Mount Vernon

ANC 2E VIRTUAL MEETING

JULY 4, 11 A.M.

Agenda at: anc2e.com.

PALISADES JULY 4TH PARADE AND PICNIC

JULY 6, JULY 13, 7 TO 10 P.M.

The 56th Annual Palisades July 4th Parade and Picnic is a D.C. hometown tradition. The parade along MacArthur Boulevard starts on Whitehaven Parkway and ends at the Palisades Rec Center with a free picnic for all.

Everyone is invited to join in the fun. No

Dumbarton House

JANE AUSTEN FILM FESTIVAL JULY 6, 3 TO 4 P.M.

PRESERVATION IN PRACTICE PANEL PART 4

This summer, the excitement is heating up in Georgetown.

From boat tours along DC’s hidden canal, waterfront parks, rooftop drinks and historic gardens, the unexpect-abilities are endless.

Visit GeorgetownDC.com/unexpected for details.

Dumbarton House GMG, INC.

JUNE 15, 2022

9

COVER

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Mayor Muriel Bowser Has ‘Best Job in Washington’ and Plans to Keep It

Mayor Muriel Bowser is with her daughter Miranda near Lock 3 of the C&O Canal with the new canal boat behind her. Photo by Greg “Fritz” Blakey of Fritz Photographics.

BY PEG GY SA NDS A N D R O B E RT D E VA N E Y Mayor Muriel Bowser met with Georgetowner staffers at their office next to the C&O Canal on the hottest day of the year so far, May 31, to discuss what she and the city are doing to achieve “the Comeback of D.C.,” a major theme of her reelection campaign.

Before the interview, a photographer and others spent time with Bowser and her daughter — four-year-old Miranda — under bright sunshine, taking photos of them by Georgetown’s new historically accurate Canal Boat, moored at Lock 3 of the canal. Mother and daughter are scheduling a boat ride with friends next month. As the mayor says, her daughter “really likes boats… she is going to have a blast.”

Once back in the office with cool drinks, snacks and sans enfant, Bowser, who is understandably usually reluctant to talk about her personal life, shared during an almost 45-minute, wide-ranging interview how being a mother has added to her perspectives on D.C. issues, policies, politics and priorities.

She was experienced in these matters before becoming a mom, having been an advisory neighborhood commissioner and Ward 4 Council member before being inaugurated as mayor in 2015 – the first woman mayor re-elected and now running for a third term.

As a mom, Bowser “sees some issues through a different lens,” she said, especially the vital importance of safety, accessible green parks and nature and reliable safe public transportation for everyone.

As a mom she also has to be even more flexible, organized and practical than before.

So many complicated issues affect D.C. — from crime and gun safety, to reopening the downtown, to making the schools better academically, more diverse and secure, having 10 JUNE 15, 2022

GMG, INC.

affordable accessible housing for all, getting the D.C. football team to return to the nation’s capital, along with the priority of statehood.

The 49-year-old mayor considers the big and broad goals. But she, like a mom, said she has to look at the moment. “When we can’t get a big thing done, we have to look at other strategies to get smaller crucial pieces in place immediately.” She did that when the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in June 2020 had the potential to turn violent.

“We had to take back our streets from the federal government… and make it safe for

“My job is not to serve an ideology, it is to serve D.C. residents” everybody.” D.C. turned 16th Street NW from K to H Street NW into Black Lives Matter Plaza. Overnight, it became and remains a destination where people meet, post art and feel safe to speak out. The Mayor of the District of Columbia stood up to the President of the United States.

The post-pandemic recovery of D.C. is top priority. “We have to work on getting people back in their offices,” Bowser said. “We have to adjust spaces.... The city will work with some businesses to reposition their property” in terms of housing, for example. “For Georgetown, we’re working with the BID in offering incentives….

There’s a vitality fund that allows us to attract business, these are job creators.”

Bowser asked: “How do we get more people to come to the city — to make it a destination? When I was here [for the Canal Boat christening on April 28], I talked about how enlivening the canal makes Georgetown a destination for tourists but also for our folks in the city and region looking for things to do.”

How about rising crime in D.C., from carjackings to gun violence as well as the controversary over police officers trained in mediation and violence interruption? “Crime has gone up across the nation,” Bowser responded. “We can point to some of the impact of the pandemic on our system and society in general.... That’s why you’ve seen me so focused on getting schools open safely… making sure businesses can come back and people can get vaccinated and have a state-outthe-art testing program. Because the sooner people can get back in the normal groove of things, I feel firmly that our court system, our prosecution, our police investigations, our job training program… will all work better in an environment where people are in person.”

The mayor is also pushing a rewards program, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department, for people who let D.C. know about illegal guns. “We would rather know before hand,” she said.

As for schools, Bowser admitted that kids lost ground during the pandemic, “but our schools are equipped with fantastic adults, a great teaching corps. Our administrators are awesome. There are tutors helping kids catch up.” She added: “Our Black and Brown kids are actually outperforming in gains over their national counterparts … there’s lots to learn from Covid.”

Bowser insisted the school system remain

under “mayoral accountability and Council oversight.” She regretted that funds for school resource officers are not in the 2023 budget.

“My job is not to serve an ideology, it is to serve D.C. residents,” she said. “So, I’m going to look at whatever the issue is and do what’s best for D.C. residents.”

That includes many ideas for improvements in infrastructure. The mayor cited the K Street transit way with street cars to Georgetown, the Dupont Circle deck-over and aerial gondola from Rosslyn to M Street — even the unlikely dismantling of the Whitehurst Freeway.

There’s the Anacostia boathouse row project, Bowser noted, along with help for Mt. Zion cemetery in Georgetown.

“This is how you transform cities. I want to be in the chair because I know how to do it,” she said. “I think the comeback of downtown is going to take skill, experience, probably a little luck… It’s going to take all of the things and experiences I have gained in almost eight years … how to talk to the federal government, procurement, how to talk to big business and developers.…”

During the pandemic, Bowser took up bicycling. She is considering participating in Georgetown’s BellRinger bike ride, which raises funds for Lombardi Cancer Center.

One thing was clear before, during and after the interview: Muriel Bowser loves being mayor and believes she is good at it. Asked if she would ever want to be a senator in a new D.C. state, she shook her head no. Why? As mayor — “the best job in Washington” — she can get things done fast, work with 13 people to propose details, vote on it, fund it and get it done.

“I don’t talk about legacy because I’m not done,” Bowser concluded. “The next time we do this I will be done.”

COVER

New C&O Canal Boat to Help Revitalize Georgetown

BY C HR IS TOP HER J O N E S Upon its April 28 christening to much fanfare – with Mayor Bowser presiding – Georgetown’s new C&O Canal Boat, the “Georgetown Heritage,” launched a new era of local historical and cultural restoration, while providing a boost to Georgetown’s commercial vibrancy.

By re-awakening its cherished past as the starting point of one of the nation’s first interstate canal systems, Georgetown is charting its course toward a more dynamic future.

Opened in 1831, and stretching 184.5 miles from Georgetown, D.C. through the Allegheny mountains to Cumberland, Maryland, the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal operated for nearly 100 years as a link to what was then the Western United States, delivering resources between the Chesapeake Bay and the Ohio River, using 74 lift locks to raise boats over 600 feet by its terminus. While many parts of the canal have fallen into disrepair over the years, local boosters and preservationists have envisioned the tremendous opportunities canal restoration projects can provide to enhance the vitality and livability of the city’s oldest neighborhood.

The Georgetowner asked Jennifer Romm, President of Georgetown Heritage – the nonprofit leading the way in Georgetown’s canal restoration projects – about how the new canal boat, funded at a cost of $1.5 million, will help revitalize the neighborhood. “It’s more than just the boat – what we’re hoping to do. The boat is just our calling card,” Romm, a longtime resident of Georgetown’s canal neighborhood said. “People will see we’ve done a lot already in the last 6 years

or so. [Canal] locks have been repaired, walls have been shored up, water is back in the canal for the season and the canal boat tours are full. People are flocking back to Georgetown and they’re coming to do unique, special experiences in Washington. In the last few weeks, we’ve noticed people coming to Georgetown to take the boat tour and then they go have lunch and maybe go shopping.”

Restoration of the towpath along the canal will also help boost Georgetown’s vibrancy.

“We hope to enliven the rest of the canal in Georgetown’s one-mile section, and make it more accessible so that the towpath is more [smooth and] even and everybody can enjoy it.... And maybe they’ll choose to stay and live in Georgetown or have lunch or shop [here].

We’re going to have a lot of opportunities for people to enjoy the National Park treasure that’s right in our backyard,” Romm added.

Canal restoration project will also provide a public service to the neighborhood and the city. A new Visitors Center – The Georgetown Heritage Center – will be constructed in the canal’s Mule Yard located at the .4 mile mark of the canal towpath near 30th St. NW. “We’re hoping to build an education center there which will be a space in which the community can gather and have ANC or CAG meetings or a big community group meeting, or a book sale, or whatever the community needs might be,” Romm said. “We’ll include classroom space for the kids who are coming to Georgetown to do [field trips] here.”

Working closely with the city, Georgetown Heritage plans to provide educational field trips as a “cornerstone program” for every 3rd

Celebration of Georgetown’s new C&O canal boat, “The Georgetown Heritage,” launched public tours on April 29. Photo by Tony Powell.

(Left-to-right) President of Georgetown Heritage Jennifer Romm, Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto, Mayor Muriel Bowser, National Park Superintendent Tina Cappetta and Maggie Downing of Georgetown Heritage serve as “christening maidens” for “The Georgetown Heritage,” on April 28 at Lock 3.

Photo by Chris Jones. grader in the D.C. Public School system to learn about the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) aspects of the canal and its historical and cultural significance. “There will be educational opportunities where we can have relics from the canal and display boards to show the canal’s history so people can actually study what’s going on with the canal and Georgetown,” Romm said. “We’re hopeful that in the next 5 years, the Visitors Center will be up and running and a huge success for the community and the city as a whole.”

By immersing so many young students across the District in Georgetown’s deep historical past, neighborhood vitality is bound to increase. “I think having these kids come here who maybe haven’t heard of Georgetown and having them bring their families….

They’ll come here and be excited and want to learn more about it. And, they’ll keep coming back. Maybe they’ll move here. Maybe they’ll open their business here or go to school here.

Show them how great [Georgetown] is and get them excited about it and they’ll learn something too.”

With the new canal boat launched, businesses have been stepping up to sponsor Georgetown Heritage’s efforts. Romm said TD Bank and Il Canili restaurant recently signed on as sponsors. Georgetown Heritage has also been in talks with the Rosewood Hotel and The Four Seasons about some “creative joint projects” they could do.

The President of the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID), Joe Sternlieb, also sees the commercial and public service aspects of canal restoration combining to help boost Georgetown’s vibrancy. The canal programs will have “a very long tail of benefits,” Sternlieb said. “Our hope is that [canal boat excursions] will be part of a daylong or a weeklong experience where it causes people to spend more time in Georgetown – lingering here, doing more activities here, and spending more money here. And that’s the virtuous cycle we’re trying to create and support.”

As part of its long-term planning 8 years

ago, the BID adopted its Georgetown 2028 plan envisioning the restoration of Georgetown’s C&O Canal section and the launching of a new canal boat as central to boosting Georgetown as a lively destination. “Much of placemaking – the activity of intentionally creating places people want to be – is about creating happy experiences and good memories,” Sternlieb said. “And we have this unbelievably unique ability in Georgetown to create unique and memorable experiences around the canal.”

Surveys of Georgetown residents revealed a nostalgic longing for the canal boat rides in Georgetown offered over a decade ago by the National Park Service. With the new canal boat in the water, Sternlieb has seen the same sort of happiness that he and others remember from the earlier canal tour days. “Every time the boat moves through the public environment, somebody is walking across a bridge, or sitting in the plaza, or just walking along the canal and they stop and wave and smile. It creates this happiness around the event.”

“We’re just extremely excited about what a positive and immediate impact [the new canal boat program] is already having and we’re a little surprised that it has taken off as quickly as it has. If ridership maintains where it is right now, we’ll have twice as many riders this year as we had originally projected.” With revenues exceeding expectations, new canal boat staff are being hired to enhance operations.

Sternlieb is pleased with the success of the canal restoration fundraising efforts waged by the BID and Georgetown Heritage thus far.

“Georgetown Heritage has been doing a great job… and the BID has been extremely supportive financially in the effort and will continue to be because we think it’s a good thing for Georgetown and for the business community.”

The National Park Service also has a $28 million budget to conduct deferred maintenance on the canal, Sternlieb said, providing new inter-modal transportation STORY CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE GMG, INC.

JUNE 15, 2022

11

COVER

She Started a Green Business that ‘Changes the Way the World Shops’

BY M AD DIE RENNY S O N “I had to choose between going broke or breaking the world,” said Lisa D. Foster, PhD, entrepreneur, business coach, and pioneer of the reusable bag industry in the United States.

In 2005, Foster founded 1 Bag at a Time, which produces quality, affordable shopping bags that contribute zero environmental waste for at least two years. Since the start, the company has sold over 20 million bags, significantly reducing the use of plastic bags while shopping. Foster was hosted at the Halcyon House in Georgetown on Thursday, June 2 for an enriching sustainable business discussion centered around her new book, Bag Lady: How I Started a Business for a Greener World and Changed the Way America Shops.

“Would you like a bag?” – the question that would change Foster’s life forever -- was first posed to her at a supermarket in Australia around the start of the century. She had never contemplated this question, and it set a movement into motion. “Do I want a bag?” she wondered. Days later, Foster was researching

CONTINUED FROM PREVOUS PAGE opportunities. In addition to towpath leveling, plans are in the works to install a kayak and canoe dock west of 33rd Street NW “where people would be able to kayak or canoe to the west, maybe to Fletcher’s Boathouse and then take a Capital Bikeshare back and vice versa.”

Ward-2 Council member Brooke Pinto who helped the mayor christen the new “Georgetown Heritage” canal boat on April 28 also envisions tremendous benefits for the revitalization of Georgetown. “I am so optimistic about the future of Georgetown and I think having the canal boat back in the water and that tours have begun is a real testament to what we can accomplish when we all work together, between our local and federal partners, our wonderful groups like Georgetown Heritage, and the ANC commissioners and community members and the Business Improvement District, to collaborate on how we can bring people back to Georgetown,” Pinto said.

“I’m really enthusiastic for the build-out of a Georgetown Visitors Center, Pinto said “And we put $375,000 from the budget last year to support plans for that. And we think that’s going to be really great for Georgetown residents, for Georgetown University, and for visitors and businesses.” Pinto is also proud to have helped win a 2021 city budget allocation of $500,000 for canal restoration “in partnership with Georgetown Heritage 12 JUNE 15, 2022

GMG, INC.

the impact of plastic bags on the environment, and could not ignore the disturbing findings.

At the time, Americans were using 1 billion plastic bags every day; by 2050, there would be more plastic than fish in the ocean. When Foster returned to the U.S., she was unable to find reusable bags anywhere. She was astounded that seemingly no one knew about the damage they were doing to the world with their plastic bags. Foster decided to take matters into her own hands and 1 Bag at a Time was born.

Foster was a high school English teacher at the time and started by making cold calls to potential customers during her fourthperiod break. She contacted local natural food stores and other businesses that aligned with her sustainable values. In her first year, Foster sold 250,000 bags. She did not have prior business experience but relied on her storytelling skills and literary background to pitch the story of the tragic life of a plastic bag to companies all over the country. The

and the BID.” In addition to cultural enrichment and business enhancement, Pinto also sees canal restoration as an environmental necessity for wetlands and watershed management. Cleaner waterways will enhance Georgetown’s attractiveness for the future.

With the success of canal restoration projects thus far, Georgetown Heritage and the National Park Service are proposing innovative and creative development plans for the years to come. They’ve hired James Corner Field Operations, the cutting-edge urban park revitalization outfit responsible for transforming an old rail line on the west side of Manhattan to one of the city’s premier outdoor tourist destinations – The High Line trail – elevated and artistically embellished above the bustling streetscape.

While the plans have not yet received funding, they envision enhanced decks, platforms and spaces for “gongoozling,” or the act of canal gazing, and a “market plaza” area between Wisconsin Avenue and Potomac Street NW as well as a “cantilevered overlook platform” atop the Potomac (or Alexandria) Aqueduct just upstream from Key Bridge.

According to DCist’s Edward Russell, they would be designed to create an “eye-catching view of the locks.”

At Mile Marker “0” of the canal – at the confluence of Rock Creek and the Potomac River – a bridge to the Rock Creek Park Trail and a terrace feature, as well as viewing platforms and added trees and vegetation are contemplated. A bike bridge off K Street and

story spread rapidly, and people began to listen, including many large organizations like Ralph’s, the largest subsidiary of Kroger, and Vitamin Cottage, a well-known natural food store out of Colorado. In the same week, both companies purchased 100,000 bags and Foster was officially in business. The next year, she sold 2 million bags. In year 3, she sold a whopping 8 million bags.

Foster created a lucrative, eco-friendly business and touts her success to the passion she had behind her work. “I was mission driven, purpose driven, and I stayed true to who I was,” Foster told the audience on Thursday night. She emphasized the value of being authentically dedicated to a cause, especially in business where values can easily slip amid financial gain and fierce competition. Be sure to check out Lisa D. Foster’s book, Bag Lady, which illustrates her entrepreneurial journey and has earned a welldeserved spot on the Amazon Best Seller List in Green Business.

Mayor Bowser christens the new canal boat on April 28. Photo by Bill Starrels.

additional boat storage facilities as well as “tide lock nets” allowing people to recline as if on hammocks above the water are also envisioned.

One of the more colorful characters in the whole canal boat operation is “Captain Bob” Solomon, operations manager and boat captain for the “Georgetown Heritage.” For over 55 years, Solomon, a professional engineer, has served as a licensed commercial captain in the D.C. area, having commanded vessels such as the Pirate Boat, DC Ducks, delivery boats, paddle boat operators – you name it. He sees Georgetown’s new canal boat as a boon to businesses and tourism. “This is big time.

We need something like this. Tourism is what

drives the money and [the passengers] spend a lot of money, especially in Georgetown… I’ve done a lot of these boat tours and they bring in a lot of money.”

D.C. Tourist Mubarik Ibrahim had just arrived by plane from London when his brotherin-law suggested a ride aboard Georgetown’s new canal boat. Ibrahim enjoyed the one-hour excursion. “It’s pretty cool. There’s lots of history, loads of information that’s interesting and eye-opening and it’s a nice little short trip -- and a nice day out, really.”

For more information about the new canal boat, “The Georgetown Heritage,” see Georgetownheritage.org/boat-tours.

BUSINESS

INS & OUTS

BY RO BE RT DEVA NEY

IN: UPWEST, NOT PERFECT

FIRST D.C. WEGMANS TO OPEN JULY 13

Yes, it’s finally opening — uptown on July 13 at 9 a.m. — Washington, D.C.’s first Wegmans Food Market. The 82,000-squarefoot store is located at the newly completed City Ridge complex at 3900 Wisconsin Ave. NW. The redevelopment of the former Fannie Mae Headquarters, City Ridge is a 10-acre walkable urban village with a mix of residential, commercial and retail uses.

MOVED: SHOP MADE IN DC REOPENS MAY 27

Shop Made in DC has left its 1353 Wisconsin Ave. NW location and moved to 1304 Wisconsin Ave NW — just one block south on the other side of the street. The business offers more than “5,000 products from D.C.’s best makers.” It’s between the upcoming juice bar, Pressed, and the Georgetown Inn.

Luigi Parasmo Salon and Spa co-owners Javier Calvo and Luigi Parasmo. Courtesy MokiMedia.

MOVED: LUIGI PARASMO SALON

Luigi Parasmo Salon and Spa moved down the block and across the avenue from its original spot. The hip and luxe hair salon is ready for its next chapter, they say. They moved the red chandelier and everyone else to 1359 Wisconsin Ave. NW, near Compass Coffee and the upcoming Maman, a New York City French bakery, and Taichi Bubble Tea.

COMING: SHOWFIELDS AT 31ST &M

Let’s try this again. The corner building at 3077 M St. NW, which once housed Concept 31/M, a collection of individual retailers in

Georgetown’s Go-To Veterinarian Hopes to Stay

the former Brooks Brothers space, will soon offer a similar retail experience by “the most interesting store in the world.” Showfields also calls itself “a lifestyle discovery store” and features “a curation of mission driven products, art, and events that can be found ‘IRL’ for the first time — a revolutionary retail concept that invites you to discover and engage with the brands of tomorrow.” Its other locations are in New York City and Miami Beach.

OUT: DULY NOTED

The cool, fun stationery store at 1355 Wisconsin Ave. NW is packed up and moving out. With a passion for well designed paper goods and a heart for the handwritten note, co-owners Chris Allen and Tobin Traxler opened Duly Noted last March and are looking for a new place in Georgetown.

UpWest, a casual women’s clothing store, set up shop at 3110 M St. NW, part of the Canal Square retail complex. It’s in the former Dawn Price baby store. UpWest’s motto is “Progress Over Perfection,” and the retailer writes: “We believe moving forward is more important than being perfect. That’s why we strive to use more and more sustainable fabrics, give generously to those in need and only work with Brands We Believe In for our non apparel items.”

OUT: MINI ME BOUTIQUE ON P

The charming shop, Mini Me Boutique, that carried mother-and-daughter outfits along with cool European threads, surprising novelties and vintage toys, has shut its doors after a little more than one year. Owner Liana Vassila took her pandemic time to put together her boutique at 3236 P St. NW, located in part of a space that once housed the legendary Savile Book Shop, and has no regrets. She said on Sunday she is grateful for the experience and all the support but is ready to move on. Friends may contact Vassila at LianaVrealestate@gmail.com.

BY M ARY BIRD As Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 70 years on Britain’s throne, Dr. Lee Morgan marks his own 20th anniversary at the helm of Georgetown Veterinary Hospital at 2916 M St. NW. Georgetowners protect their trees, and they’re famous for their love and care of family pets. It is not uncommon to see U.S. Secret Service on his steps when beloved pets of Georgetowner residents have appointments.

Morgan attended veterinary school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. After graduation in 1996, he worked several years for two animal hospitals in the Washington area before startin his own practice. Following in the hallowed footsteps of Doctors Irving Cashell and Wesley Bayles, who handpicked him to continue his practice, Morgan became Georgetown’s go-to vet in 2002.

Waiting times tend to be brief so it may not be possible to view the broad range of framed awards. They include recognition from the Metropolitan Police Department for raising money to provide a mobile clinic for police dogs injured in the line of duty, 2008 Veterinarian of the Year, the Seeing Dog for contributions to guide dogs for the blind, the National Geographic Museum for outstanding veterinary services to poison dart frogs in a special exhibition and a National Capital Business Award. Since 2012, Morgan has served as one of the veterinarians for the Iditarod dog sled race in Alaska. His volunteer service is fueled by his belief that animals are vital to people’s lives and well-being.

Dr. Lee Morgan in front Georgetown Veterinary Hospital on M Street with 9-year-old Lucy.

Georgetowner photo.

Morgan is consistently mentioned among Washingtonian Magazine’s best vets. He has lectured internationally, written for countless scientific publications and has completed a book awaiting publication. It is a “family practice” with wife Kris, canine Lucy and feline Oscar on hand to put patients at ease.

The entire block of M Street between 29th and 30th Street is about to undergo a massive renovation. Morgan is working with the developers in hopes of remaining in or close to his current location. He considers it a privilege to serve Georgetown and plans to do so for many more years to come. As development plans become clearer, let us appreciate the good doctor’s many years of service and rally to ensure our pets’ continued care.

The Fringe Festival is coming to Georgetown!

GMG, INC.

JUNE 15, 2022

13

IN COUNTRY

and quiet conversation. Embraced by creamy white walls with insets of antique mirrors and elaborate crown moldings, the room is filled with 19th and 20th century gold-framed oil paintings by masters of the Austrian and German hunt schools. An antique Viennese burgundy and gold banquette welcomes diners in one corner of the room. Nearby, a mahogany bar with bronze detailing attracts attention. So does a black marble-topped French Empirestyle sideboard holding an opulent alabaster vessel. Or a solid silver English meat trolley dating from 1910 plus monumental fresh flower arrangements ever so artfully placed around the room. The place has the feel of “old money,” far from ostentatious or (heaven forbid) nouveau riche. As for the restaurant’s unusual name, it’s a nod to the owner’s passion for the Beauceron, a centuries-old breed of French herding dog distinguished by its red feet or “bas rouge.”

crème fraiche. And don’t for a moment think of skipping dessert. The dark chocolate pecan tart is crazy good. After dining here, everything else seems like pretzels and beer.

Three courses: $100, four courses: $125; (wine pairings are available). Lunch and dinner: Thursday, Friday, Saturday. For more information go to https://basrougeeaston.com/.

THE STEWART

Fancy sipping Single Malt Scotch whiskey or vintage Champagne? The Stewart boasts a world class collection of both, served in a space that resembles a grand Scottish estate. Each pour receives a specially selected glass thanks to a swanky collection of new and vintage Baccarat tumblers and flutes. For those who prefer adding hand-cut ice at their own pace, a gold-swagged ice bowl is provided. Nibble on a selection of small plates that include Mac and Cheese with Kaluga Caviar.

From Paddle Jams to Plein Air Art Festival, Easton, MD has lots to offer by way of fun this summer. Plein Air Easton, photo courtesy of Talbot County Maryland.

Easton’s New Culinary Treasures

BY M ARY ANN T RE GE R Psst. Come closer. In case you haven’t heard, there’s a culinary renaissance going on in Easton, the charming historic getaway on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. While this delightful destination still enjoys oodles of small-town charm with quaint antique shops, coffee houses and horse-drawn carriage tours, a tsunami of change is transforming this once sleepy town into a sophisticated dining mecca.

The revitalization came after Paul Prager, a Naval Academy graduate and successful selfmade businessman came to town. He invested in hundreds of acres of farmland with an eye on making this area a place to call home. But he missed the fine food he was accustomed to in New York and all the European cities he loved.

So what did this innovative guy do? He purchased and renovated several historic buildings in the heart of town and established Blue Point Hospitality. World-class decorators

were hired to produce high-style interior design from uber casual to elegant and refined. Above all, he consulted with New York and European chefs and charged them with creating oneof-a-kind culinary treasures. Currently eight epicurean establishments and two shops are open with more on the way -- a luxe boutique hotel, Japanese restaurant and crepe shop are in development stages.

BAS ROUGE

For now, get ready for your taste buds to experience amazing at Bas Rouge. If appearances told the whole story, Bas Rouge looks like it belongs in New York or any urbane European city. Seating just 24 people, the mood has the feel of a private club rather than a restaurant in downtown Easton. By day, light pours in from expansive windows.

After sunset, the vibe downshifts to intimacy

Check out the Wardroom’s epicurean showcase of hand-selected and house-made artisinal foods and wines from vintners around the world. Photo by Melanie Dunea.

The prix fixe dinner menu offers lusty food to tempt the palate with appetizer choices that include Roasted Beets and Speck Salad with Goat Cheese Mousse. From there it gets tastier.

A Seared halibut entrée served with Fennel Potato Puree, Confit Tomatoes, Macadamia and Asparagus Salad gets a cheeky kick thanks to a burst of Yuzu Citrus emulsion.

Embellishments include perfectly grilled endive, cashew-tofu cream or warm tarragon

50 YEARS

Sundays 8-4

1819 35th St NW 14 JUNE 15, 2022

GMG, INC.

BONHEUR

The setting alone prompts a smile. Pleated gold lampshades hover over banquets creating the illusion of haute couture dresses. Pale green, pink, salmon and grey frame a room where wit and whimsy meet timeless chic.

Even the powder rooms convey irresistible playfulness. Pink elephants greet the belles.

Blue elephants welcome the beaus.

While a kaleidoscope of handcrafted ice cream is offered, the star of Bonheur is afternoon tea that’s fit for royalty. Served in traditional British fashion, a silver tea service is brought to each table accompanied

by Scones with Devon Cream, Lemon Curd and Seasonal Jam or crust-less sandwiches of Scottish Smoked Salmon with Crème Fraiche and Watercress. Should one prefer something bubblier, fine Champagnes are on offer.

More new additions include Roma Alla Pala, a Soho chic pizzeria featuring Roman (not Neapolitan) pizza. If you’re feeling green, Sunflower & Greens offers crisp salads, savory soups and freshly-baked sourdough bread served piping hot from the oven.

For more information on Easton, MD visit https://www.bluepointhospitality.com/.

FOOD & WINE

BREAKING NEWS

Goat, Shrimp, & Veggie Curry ready to dive in at Bammy’s. Photo by OK Creative Studio.

THE LATEST DISH

BY LINDA ROT H Chef Update: Peter Prime, formerly of Cane, brings his Trinidad and Tobago food and passion to Bammy’s at Navy Yard, joining Chris Morgan and Gerald Addison, formerly of Maydan, at Navy Yard. It seats 70 inside and 50 on the patio…. Shinwoo Kang is new executive chef at BLT Steak DC. Formerly, he was executive chef of BLT Prime by David Burke.

Ch-Ch-Changes: Iconic Ethiopian restaurant Zenebach, at 2420 18th Street NW, in Adams Morgan, is now Elfegne, an Ethiopian restaurant, complete with new owners.

Quick Hits: Tatte Bakery & Cafe is expanding its footprint in the region as it plans to open in D.C.’s 14th Street Corridor at 1400

W Street NW, where Martha’s Table used to be… Eugenia Hobson plans to open a second location of Our Mom Eugenia, offering Greek cuisine, at The Village at Shirlington in Arlington, in Q4 2022…. Damian Brown plans to open Uncaged Mimosas where ANXO Cidery and Pintxos Bar used to be at 711 Kennedy Street NW in Truxton Circle in Q3 2022…. Rose Previte and Mike Shuster are slated to open Tawle in Fairfax’s Mosaic District where Jinya Ramen Bar used to be. A Q4 2022 opening is targeted… The Dabney’s Jeremiah Langhorne and Alex Zink plan to open Petit Cerise in Shaw at 1027 7th Street NW in Q3 2022... AP Pizza Shop from Mike Friedman, Mike O’Malley, Colin McDonough

and Gareth Croke (All Purpose Pizzeria, Red Hen, Boundary Stone) is targeted to open at 4747 Bethesda Ave in Bethesda in Q3 2022.

Just Opened: Rania has opened where another Indian restaurant, Punjab Grill, used to be at 427 11th Street NW, under the same management. There’s a new executive chef, Chetan Shetty …. P.F. Chang’s To Go in Dupont Circle opened at 1120 20th Street NW offering online ordering, takeout, and delivery – and seating for 12…. Nick Stefanelli has launched a Greek wine bar, Kaimaki, offering Greek street food, next to his Greek fine dining restaurant, Philotimo, at Midtown Center, 1100 15th Street, NW. This intimate, more casual spot has 12 bar seats and 25 seats at his high-top tables…. Casey Patton (Grazie Grazie), with Gerald Addison and Chris Morgan (Bammy’s) have hatched Little Chicken, located in an alleyway between L and M Streets at Midtown Center NW. Think fried chicken, fried or griddled sandwiches and pies -- with frozen custard.

Linda Roth is Founder & CEO of Linda Roth Associates (LRA), a D.C.-based public relations and marketing firm that specializes in the foodservice and hospitality industries.

Follow her at: @LindaRothPR @LRAPR #LindaRothPR or www.lindarothpr.com.

A L L’ S W E L L FA R M

R U T L E D G E FA R M

Prime Fauquier County location on the Atoka Road |88.34 acres w/ bold Blue Ridge views | Neoclassical brick home w/ state roof completely updated & expanded | 5 BR, 5 full, 2 half baths, 5 fireplaces, gourmet kitchen |10 stall barn with attached indoor arena | Pool, pool house, tenant house |Beautiful gardens | Superb condition.

circa 1740 w/addition in 1820 | 6 BR, 5 fireplaces | 85 acres | 4 barns | Derby field | 218 x 80 indoor arena | 250 x 150 allweather outdoor arena | 80’ lunging arena | Polo field (or 2 grand prix fields) | 4 board, double fencing | Guest house | Farm office /3 BR house | Machine shed | Carriage house w/ apartment | Stone spring house/office | 3 BR apartment | Pond $5,650,000 (also available w/113.59 acres, $6,900,000

Privacy and 107 acres between Middleburg and The Plains | Residential enclave of great character within a rich array of natural resources | Classic Virginia stone and stucco c.

1820 | 4 bedrooms, antique floors and rich pine paneling Two guest houses, stone cottage, farm managers house, 2 stables, machine shed and work shop| Extensive Little River frontage and 2 ponds | Tremendous views.

74.11 acres | Frontage on Catoctin Creek, sweeping views, pond | 3 homes, all updated in excellent condition | Historic stone Quaker barn completely restored, 12 stalls, 4 stalls adjacent, 4 mores stalls in pony shed | Board fencing, 8 paddocks, 6 run in sheds, water in every field | Property in Conservation Easement

Paul MacMahon

Paul MacMahon

Helen MacMahon

Paul MacMahon

Marshall, Virginia • $7,100,000

(703) 609-1905

R U T L E D G E FA R M C OT TA G E Middleburg, Virginia • $2,400,000

Middleburg, Virginia

(703) 609-1905

W E AT H E R LY FA R M

Round Hill, Virginia • $2,200,000

H A L F W AY FA R M

Nick Stefanelli will also open several foodservice operations at The Morrow, Washington, D.C., a new Hilton hotel, opening in Q3 2022 in NoMa at 222 M Street NE: Le Clou, a French brasserie; Vesper, an intimate cocktail lounge; and Upstairs at The Morrow, a rooftop lounge and bar with a panoramic view of the city.

Richie Brandenburg, of Union Market fame, and Rubén García, formerly of ThinkFoodGroup, will launch The Square, featuring a 16-stall collaborative marketplace, specialty grocery store, Spanish restaurant, butchery and bakery, at International Square, 1875 I Street NW, with expansive indoor and outdoor seating for 500.

Middleburg, Virginia • $3,750,000

(540) 454-1930

LO N G B R A N C H

The Plains, Virginia • $1,950,000

B E L L E V I E W FA R M

Waterford, Virginia • $2,750,000

(703) 609-1905

C AT E S B Y V I N E YA R D

Upperville, Virginia • $1,300,000

First time available guest house and broodmare barn on 28.62 acres | House completely updated, stucco exterior, metal roof, 3 BR, 2 1/2 BA, fireplace, 2-car garage. Barn, center aisle, 8 stalls, Blackburn designed, updated in last 5 years| Pastures in prime condition. 5 paddocks all with new board fencing.

Custom built colonial w/ 5 BR, 3 full BA and 2 half BA, 3 FP, 2 balconies, mountain views and brick terrace| Pool w/ screened gazebo, attached 2-car garage, full house generator | Guest house w/ 2 BR, 2 BA | Additional 4 bay garage/machine shed and 54x38 3 bay Butler Building, 20 ft high. 23.8 mostly open rolling acres, board fencing.

Gorgeous 71 acre parcel in a wonderful location between Middleburg and The Plains | Rolling land with stone walls and 2 ponds | Enchanting property | Property is in conservation easement and may not be divided further

44.55 acres of which 15 acres are producing grapes | 8.5 acres of Chambourcin, Traminette on 4.3 acres and Vidal Blanc on 2.1 acres. | Vineyard infrastructure includes fencing, irrigation system and computerized well | Perc site for 4 bedroom home. Property is in conservation easement | Property can be converted to Residential use.

Paul MacMahon

Paul MacMahon

Helen MacMahon

Paul MacMahon

(703) 609-1905

info@sheridanmacmahon.com www.sheridanmacmahon.com

(703) 609-1905

(540) 687-5588

(540) 454-1930

(703) 609-1905

110 East Washington Street Middleburg, Virginia 20117

GMG, INC.

JUNE 15, 2022

15

REAL ESTATE ADDRESS

SUBDIVISION/NEIGHBORHOOD

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

PROVIDED BY WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES

MAY 2022 REAL ESTATE SALES

3017 O St NW 2891 Audubon Ter NW 5029 Garfield St NW 4410 Meadow Rd NW 3321 Prospect St NW 4707 Fulton St NW 3520 Overlook Ln NW 1524 29th St NW 3303 Water St NW #3F 1524 33rd St NW 4501 30th St NW 2325 20th St NW 912 F St NW #905 5706 Sherier Pl NW 5704 Sherier Pl NW 1413 29th St NW 4823 Foxhall Cres NW 5708 Sherier Pl NW 4920 Upton St NW 4819 43rd Pl NW 700 New Hampshire Ave NW #709 3927 Idaho Ave NW 2610 Garfield St NW 3414 Garfield St NW 3616 Fulton St NW 3633 Fulton St NW 3730 W St NW 4428 Edmunds St NW 1901 3rd St NW 1310 Rhode Island Ave NW 3127 N St NW 1420 Paloma Way NW 2509 P St NW 2321 Ashmead Pl NW 3700 Cathedral Ave NW 3216 Morrison St NW 5717 32nd St NW 5209 Cathedral Ave NW 2000 Massachusetts Ave NW #R-4 4515 Van Ness St NW 5615 Nevada NW SERVICE DIRECTORY 1530 Swann St NW 1730 Willard St NW 3620 Winfield Ln NW

ST. MICHAELS FINE WOODWORKING AND CABINETRY CUSTOM CABINETMAKER

1052 Potomac Street NW Kitchen, Bath, Closet and More Kitchen cabinetry to live-edge river tables to bench-crafted furniture. We can provide cabinetry for the kitchen, bath, closet, hutch, dry and wet bar, home office, bookcase/library, entertainment console, laundry center, window seat, entryway and more.

Elegance – Innovation - Craftsmanship www.stmichaelswoodworking.com Email: sales@stmichaelswoodworking.com Call: 202-455-4645 Georgetown: 1048 Potomac Street NW 16 JUNE 15, 2022

GMG, INC.

GEORGETOWN FOREST HILLS KENT PHILLIPS PARK GEORGETOWN WESLEY HEIGHTS SPRING VALLEY GEORGETOWN GEORGETOWN GEORGETOWN FOREST HILLS KALORAMA TRIANGLE NOMA PALISADES PALISADES GEORGETOWN FOXHALL CRESCENT PALISADES SPRING VALLEY AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK WATERGATE NORTH CLEVELAND PARK WOODLEY PARK OBSERVATORY CIRCLE OBSERVATORY CIRCLE EMBASSY PARK GLOVER PARK WESLEY HEIGHTS LEDROIT PARK LOGAN CIRCLE GEORGETOWN LOGAN CIRCLE GEORGETOWN KALORAMA OBSERVATORY CIRCLE CHEVY CHASE CHEVY CHASE PALISADES DUPONT CIRCLE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK CHEVY CHASE DUPONT CIRCLE DUPONT CIRCLE GEORGETOWN

ST. MICHAELS KITCHEN & BATH

Cabinets that bring joy!

1048 Potomac Street NW Locally owned by a Georgetowner, St. Michael’s Kitchen & Bath has everything your kitchen and bath needs or desires. Come see cabinetry, vanities, countertops, hardware, appliances, outdoor kitchens and grills. We’re the best place to find ultimate comfort for your place! Come see us at our new larger showroom at 1048 Potomac Street NW today!

Full design Service www.stmkab.com Email: sales@stmkab.com Call: 202-455-4645 Georgetown: 1048 Potomac Street NW St. Michaels: 100 N. Talbot Street. St. Michaels, MD

BEDS

FULL BATH

HALF BATH

LIST PRICE

CLOSE PRICE

6 6 6 5 4 5 6 7 2 4 6 4 5 5 6 5 5 5 5 6 2 5 5 7 6 6 5 6 7 5 5 3 4 5 5 3 5 4 2 5 5 4 4 4

6 8 7 6 4 5 5 3 2 4 4 3 4 6 6 4 5 5 4 4 3 3 5 4 3 4 4 3 7 4 4 2 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 4 4 3 5

2 1 1 1 2 1 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

$13,000,000 $6,750,000 $5,400,000 $4,950,000 $5,000,000 $3,995,000 $3,585,000 $3,500,000 $3,650,000 $3,975,000 $2,749,000 $3,195,000 $3,000,000 $3,180,000 $2,995,000 $2,950,000 $3,200,000 $3,015,373 $2,495,000 $2,900,000 $2,995,000 $2,195,000 $2,695,000 $2,400,000 $2,395,000 $2,324,900 $2,495,000 $2,450,000 $2,699,900 $2,600,000 $2,459,000 $2,499,000 $2,395,000 $2,350,000 $2,200,000 $2,200,000 $1,895,000 $2,230,000 $2,200,000 $1,925,000 $2,200,000 $2,295,000 $1,849,900 $1,950,000

$11,500,000 $6,750,000 $5,200,000 $4,850,000 $4,700,000 $3,995,000 $3,700,000 $3,500,000 $3,450,000 $3,350,000 $3,250,000 $3,250,000 $3,200,330 $3,180,000 $3,145,000 $3,125,000 $3,100,000 $3,015,373 $3,005,000 $2,900,000 $2,850,000 $2,825,000 $2,750,000 $2,626,000 $2,625,000 $2,620,000 $2,550,000 $2,500,000 $2,500,000 $2,500,000 $2,459,000 $2,399,000 $2,395,000 $2,350,000 $2,250,000 $2,250,000 $2,248,000 $2,230,000 $2,225,000 $2,205,000 $2,200,000 $2,199,000 $2,050,000 $2,000,000

CONTINENTAL MOVERS

Moving & Hauling deliveries 25 Years In Business 202-438-1489 301-340-0602 Cmora52607@msn.com www.continentalmovees.net

HANDYMAN SERVICES

Carpentry • Plaster & Drywall Doors/Windows • Cabinets/Shelves Counter Tops • Painting/Finishing And much more Over 30 years our craftsmen do quality work: remodeling building or restoring Joel Truitt Builders, Inc. 734 7th St. S.E. (202) 547-2707 QUALITY SINCE 1972

ACE WINDOW CLEANING, CO.

Residential specialists inside and outside. Family owned and operated for over 30 years. (202) 363-2897 Chevy Chase, MD • We also offer glass, screen, and sash cord repair service • Ask about our no damage, low pressure Powerwashing.

CHEVY CHASE FLOOR WAXING SERVICE

Polishing, buffing, and waxing to preserve and protect your fine wood floors, using old-fashioned paste wax.

Family owned and operated for 30 years. Licensed Bonded Insured (301) 656-1810, Chevy Chase, MD

ARTS

Artswatch

The First Man - Happy Father’s Day

BY KAT E OCZ Y P OK This month’s ArtsWatch features major news from Arena Stage, National Portrait Gallery award winners and K-pop group BTS.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY ANNOUNCES WINNER OF 2022 DIRECTOR’S ESSAY PRIZE Tiffany E. Barber, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Africana studies and art history at the University of Delaware, has been named winner of the National Portrait Gallery’s 2022 Director’s Essay Prize. She won for her essay “Narcissister, a Truly Kinky Artist,” published in Art Journal’s spring 2020 issue.

The Director’s Essay Prize encourages leading research in visual biography and American portraiture.

K-POP GROUP BTS VISITS WHITE HOUSE [CUE SCREAMS] The White House upped its cool factor earlier this month when it increased its press briefing views by almost half a million. What brought on this huge jump? The K-pop group BTS, a musical group of seven young South

HAUTE & COOL

BY AL LYSON BU R KH AR D T Korean male singers -- and the world’s largest musical draw -- were in town to chat with President Biden about anti-Asian hate crimes.

The performers got a photo with Biden and visited Topgolf, RPM Italian and the Lincoln Memorial among other places.

He was the first man in your life and has stood at your side as you’ve paved your way into the world. Father, provider, protector, confidante and forever admirer. Here are ways

to show him your appreciation for all the roles he plays in your life. No matter how hard he is to shop for, he will be sure to feel celebrated with a selection from our curated list.

AFTER 25 YEARS, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MOLLY SMITH TO EXIT ARENA STAGE Artistic Director of Arena Stage, Molly Smith, has led the nonprofit theater for 25 years. On June 10, she announced she’s leaving her job in July 2023. In the 72 years of Arena Stage’s existence, only three people have served as head of the performing arts venue — founder Zelda Fichandler, Douglas C. Wager and Smith. This stability has allowed Arena Stage to become a staple in D.C.’s theater scene.

“As I was moving into my 25th anniversary, it just kept coming to me: Is this the right time to retire?” said Smith, 70, in a Zoom interview with The Washington Post. “There are so many things I want to do in my life, and I have all this vitality in order to do it. Being at Arena for 25 years, there’s an elegance about it.

2 3

1 4

5

Auction Block

6

BY KAT E OCZ Y P OK

HINDMAN

DOYLE

Roman Marble Portrait Head of a Woman

Chanel Black Suede and Gold Python Double Flap Bag

8

Estimate: $4,000-$6,000

Estimate: $1,000-$1,500

Sold for: $5,313

Sold For: $3,465

This 11-inch Roman marble portrait head of a woman is from the Augustan period, circa first century B.C.E.-first century CE. It was originally property from a private California collection.

From the estate of a Park Avenue woman, this gorgeous Chanel bag is two-tone black and gold with a flap closure and gold-tone hardware. The signature CC turn-lock closure completes the purse, along with a woven-in leather chain strap and black leather interior.

The bag came with an authenticity card and signed dust bag.

CHRISTIE’S The Light of Africa Diamond: A Sensational Diamond Estimate: $11,000,000$18,000,000 Sold for: $20,084,000 The Light of Africa diamond is an emerald cut jewel measuring a prodigious 103.49 carats. The diamond is flawless, with excellent polish and symmetry. It sold for well over the estimated price with an auction that closed June 7 with Christie’s.

7

10 9

SOTHEBYS Margaret Atwood: The Unburnable Book Estimate: $50,000-$100,000 Sold for: $130,000 Hot off the press and limited to just one “unburnable,” author Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” was produced as a single-copy fireproof special edition. Atwood and Penguin Random House have partnered with the creative agency Rethink to make “The Unburnable Book,” a fireproof edition of Atwood’s frequently banned book “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

1

DAVIDOFF Aniversario Special ‘R’, $90.40, gttobacco.com/

2

BOURBON STEAK Gift Certificate, $$$$, The Four Seasons, Georgetown

3

TRAEGER Pro 780 Wood Pellet Wi-Fi Grill Bronze, $999.95, Ace Hardware

4

MEATER Plus Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer, $99, Bloomingdales

5

COTTON & REED Dry White Rum 750ml, $24.99, Cotton & Reed Union Market

6

EMMANUEL BERG Gray Floral Shirt, $278, Everard’s Clothing

7

J HILBURN Quilted Golf Vest, $358, Jhilburn.com

8

ON RUNNING Cloud X Shift Sneaker in White Denim, $160, Foot Locker.com

9

“CBD For LIFE” Good as New CBD Wellness Bundle, $60, CBDforLife.com

10 Hestia Dominic Ceramic and Gold Cuff Bracelet, $440, Us.HestiaJewels.com GMG, INC.

JUNE 15, 2022

17

KITTY KELLEY BOOK CLUB

‘The Summer Friend: A Memoir’ A HEARTFELT, GUARDED ODE TO A SEASONAL PAL REVIEW ED BY KIT T Y K E LLE Y The spectacular cover of Charles McGrath’s “The Summer Friend” deserves its own trophy.

It shows a photograph of an apricot sun setting on gentle waves that lap a sandy beach. Sea grasses sway in a breeze that has blown away footprints, never meant to last too long.

The sand-dune fencing beyond the shore also bends to the wind, a force of nature that will not be denied. The elegiac scene could just as easily be an early morning sunrise, but since it wraps around a book of memories, a setting sun seems more appropriate.

“The Summer Friend” celebrates a seasonal bond between two men, both nicknamed “Chip,” who favor khaki pants and meet every summer to share their passion for fishing and sailing and golf. Still, the title puzzles. Why “the” instead of “my” friend? Is it because “the” imposes a certain emotional distance, as if the author is referring to a casual acquaintance, whereas “my” speaks to a closer relationship promising something more intimate?

In this case, “the” seems to represent the surface level of many male friendships compared to the deeper bonds that women establish. “The Summer Friend” peeks inside the psyche of one such male friendship

18 JUNE 15, 2022

GMG, INC.

between not-quite bros forever but seasonal pals. As such, this memoir is pitch-perfect for outdoorsy dads, sons, brothers, uncles, nephews and the like.

McGrath, a scholarship student at Yale (class of ’68), made his way as a man of letters, having been deputy editor of the New Yorker and a former editor of the New York Times Book Review. Currently, he’s editor of Golf Stories and an occasional contributor to Golf Digest.

Despite his literary credentials, there’s a bit of whoopee cushion in the writer, who recalls with glee the cigarette load, a practical-joke device he and his brother inserted into the tip of one of their mother’s Old Gold cigarettes.

When she lit up, it exploded.

“Childish, I know,” writes McGrath, now 76, “but the memory of my mother standing there, wide-eyed, with an exploded cigarette in her mouth still makes me tear up with laughter.”

Not surprisingly, the prankster grew up to love fireworks; even today, as a grandfather, he spends hundreds of dollars on July Fourth celebrations, where he shoots off poppers, rockets, salutes and crackers by the brick and half-brick. In fact, he devotes an entire chapter to “Blowing Stuff Up.”

The chapter that most defines McGrath, however, is “The Camp,” and his memories of the month-long vacations his family took to the type of log-built lodge familiar to many households across the country back then. For the McGraths, it was “a temporary sun-dappled idyll, a glimpse of another kind of life,” where kids bought penny candy, red hots and little wax bottles filled with sweet, syrupy liquid: “Part of what made the Camp important to all of us — even to my mother — was that it was a toehold on specialness, a perch on the middle class, where we really had no business belonging. People like us didn’t have summer places. None of our neighbors at home did.”

Growing up in the 1950s with miniature golf, drive-in movies and souped-up cars, McGrath learned about sex from eavesdropping on “hot rodders” tinkering under their rides. “I concluded that sex, like auto mechanics, must be largely a matter of know-how. You had to understand what went on under the hood.”

By now, you’ve deduced that this memoir is more about the author than his subject, and parts are achingly sad, particularly when McGrath writes about his parents. His mother, who married beneath her social status, appears to have been overly fond of Manhattanites and frequently berated his father for his failings: “Social class and [his] insufficiency as a provider were ongoing themes in my parents’ marriage.”

It was a sentiment shared by McGrath himself. Looking back, he regrets that his father died “before we could get over being disappointed in each other.” He fantasizes about grabbing his dad’s arm and going for a sail, which is reminiscent of “Field of Dreams,” the film about a son who builds a baseball diamond and bleachers to reconnect with his father: “Build it and they will come.”

Here enters the other Chip, the cheerful summer friend who never disappoints.

Together, the two men while away their days golfing and fishing and sailing. They make regular trips to the dump to scavenge discarded clubs; in the evenings, they barbecue and

drink “brewskis” with their wives. In 30 years, there’s never a cross word between them.

McGrath goes long and deep on sailing and devotes pages to his beloved Beetle, the last mass-produced wooden boat still being sold in America. “The joy of this never gets old for me,” he writes, “the flutter of the sail, the slap of the bow wave, the burbling of the wake, the tug of the tiller, the lift of the stern quarter as it catches a swell.”

The details of sailing are numerous, sensual even, though he also waxes poetic about birds: “Gulls everywhere; the cormorants loitering, shrug-shouldered, on rocks and pilings; and the egrets, which perch motionless in trees when they’re not mincing through the shallows.”

McGrath vividly recollects, too, the days he and Chip would meet at the crack of dawn, dragging their used clubs, and drive to five different courses to play 90 holes of golf by 9 p.m., when it was too dark to continue.

They did this in tennis shoes because they considered cleats an affectation. The author reflects on these excursions with the pride of Hannibal crossing the Alps with 37 elephants.

But personal details of his friendship? Not so much. “It was as if [Chip] had inside him a vast cellar where he could shove away all sorts of worries and bothers,” McGrath writes. “I’m not much better.”

Even when Chip is dying of cancer, in and out of hospitals, unable to walk, relegated to using a cane, then a walker, and finally incontinent and strapped to a bed — even then — the two men talk about the weather and the prospects for the Red Sox. Shortly before Chip dies, McGrath reaches inside himself and writes a letter, saying for the first time how much their bond has meant: “I said he was what Romantics used to call a genius loci — the spirit of a place, its embodiment in a person… I wrote down things I had been wanting to say for years… it was too late. And possibly I said too little. This book is what I should have given him.”

Yes, it’s too late for the summer friend, but certainly not for readers.

This review originally appeared in the Washington Independent Review of Books.

Georgetown resident Kitty Kelley has written several number-one New York Times bestsellers, 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.” She serves on the board of Reading Is Fundamental, the nation’s largest children’s literacy nonprofit.

SOCIAL SCENE

Thirtieth Annual Spring Garden Party co-chairs Amy Porter Stroh and Autumn Allen, honoree Dr. Sachiko Kuno, and Tudor Place’s President of the Board Mary Moffett Keaney and Executive Director Mark Hudson.

Photo by Tony Powell.

Tudor Place Honors Dr. Sachiko Kuno

BY R OBE RT DEVA NEY Tudor Place’s 30th Annual Spring Garden Party honored Dr. Sachiko Kuno, “committed scientist, philanthropist, entrepreneur and visionary,” as Executive Director Mark Hudson and President of the Board Mary Moffett Keaney introduced her May 25 to the applauding crowd, which enjoyed wine, cocktails and a buffet on the south lawn — a Georgetown tradition, co-chaired this year by Autumn Allen and Amy Porter Stroh.

“Dr. Kuno believes strongly in the importance of preserving unique and historic spaces for the use of future generations,” Tudor Place said. “She knows that bringing people into these spaces can inspire creative thinking, leading to important conversations and further cultural collaboration.”

Kuno co-founded S&R Foundation in Washington, D.C., in 2000 and Halcyon Incubator in 2014 to support social entrepreneurs, creating societal change through innovative business development.

Mayor Muriel Bowser and Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto with raffle ticket sellers Emerson Burke, Eloise Garback and Liv Stavish. Georgetowner photo.

Mayor Lauds Work of Volta Park

BY R OBERT D EVAN EY The Friends of Volta Park held its annual fundraiser June 4 at the George Town Club. It was a stylish late Saturday afternoon cocktail party and raised more than $53,000 for the park — more than double the group’s goal. Amid the lively cocktail chatter, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto showed up to salute the Friends of Volta Park volunteers for their good work. There is now $700,000 in the 2023 D.C. budget to fix the park’s ballfield, Bowser reminded those in the club’s Garden Room and complimented Pinto, calling her “one of the two brightest lights on the Council.”

Leon Harris, Maria Fernanda Borja, Peruvian Ambassador Oswaldo de Rivero Barreto and Vivian Pliner de Rivero Barreto. Photo by Norwood Photograph.

Latino Student Fund Honors Leon Harris, Others

BY M ARY BIRD The Latin Student Fund Annual Gala was held May 24 in the exquisitely lighted nave of the National Cathedral, beginning with cocktails and wine courtesy of Wide World of Wines. Guests enjoyed Latin music and a silent auction followed by a seated dinner catered by Design Cuisine.

Peruvian Ambassador Oswaldo de Rivero Barreto and Vivian Pliner de Rivero Barreto were honorary patrons.

NBC 4 News Anchor Leon Harris emceed the event and began with a moment of silence for the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas. Board Chair Fernando Barrueta and LSF President & CEO Maria Fernanda Borja delivered welcoming remarks. Goya Director of Public Relations Rafael Toro was the keynote speaker. Upon receiving the Philanthropy Award, Harris quipped, “Thank you for letting me eat.” Other awardees were Pinkie Dent Mayfield of Graham Holdings Co., and Calvin Hawkins of Prince George’s County Council. Henry Acha and Melanie Delgado spoke of the assistance they had received from LSF, which provides eight programs under three programmatic areas: post-secondary success, academic support and family resources.

GMG, INC.

JUNE 15, 2022

19

202.944.5000

LANGLEY $8,525,000 1031 Pine Hill Road, McLean, VA Piper Yerks 703.963.1363 Penny Yerks 703.760.0744

WFP.COM

LANGLEY FARMS $8,000,000 6615 Malta Lane, McLean, VA Piper Yerks 703.963.1363 Penny Yerks 703.760.0744

COMING SOON GEORGETOWN $4,500,000 2750 Q Street NW, Washington, DC Heidi Hatfield 202.258.1919 Anne Hatfield Weir 202.255.2490

W F P

THE WESLIE $2,100,000 1401 N Oak Street #G-1, Arlington, VA Ted Gossett 703.625.5656 Joe Kotula 571.331.5886

GEORGETOWN $985,000 1657 31st St NW #405, Washington, DC Cailin Monahan 804.874.1847 Nancy Taylor Bubes Group

DUPONT CIRCLE $895,000 1717 T Street NW #32, Washington, DC Mary Ehrgood 202.997.0303

BRINGING YOU THE FINEST AGENTS • PROPERTIES • EXPERIENCE

20 JUNE 15, 2022

GMG, INC.

FRANKLIN PARK $4,800,000 6116 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA Piper Yerks 703.963.1363 Penny Yerks 703.760.0744

GEORGETOWN $3,350,000 1675 34th Street, NW, Washington, DC Andrea Hatfield 202.487.4294 Tammy Gale 202.297.0169

MERRY GO ROUND FARM $2,695,000 13305 Evening Ride Way, Potomac, MD Marsha Schuman 301.943.9731 Betsy Dodek 301.996.8700

CITY CENTER $1,495,000 920 I Street NW #702, Washington, DC Ted Gossett 703.625.5656 Joe Kotula 571.331.5886

LANGLEY FARMS $6,500,000 1101 Chain Bridge Road, McLean, VA Piper Yerks 703.963.1363 Penny Yerks 703.760.0744

WEST END $750,000 2555 Pennsylania Ave NW #314 Washington, DC Cailin Monahan 804.874.1847 Nancy Taylor Bubes Group