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EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | JUNE 2011 | CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS 08 ............Go See Do 10 ............East of the River Calendar 16 ............The Bulletin Board 20 ............Redistricting - Go West Ward 7... • by Gwyn Jones 22 ............St. Elizabeths Update • by John Muller 24 ............Ex-Offenders into Homecomers • by Steve Lilienthal 26 ............The Man from Anacostia • by Charles Wilson

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE 28 ............Atlas Room Shines on H • by Celeste McCall

30 ............Critical Exposure • by Barry Mosley

CONTINUING EDUCATION 32 ............Lifelong Learning • by Peter Sherer 34 ............Education Listings

KIDS & FAMILY 36 ............Kids and Family Notebook • by Kathleen Donner 42 ............New Charter Schools...Unique Options • by James Jones

HOMES & GARDENS 27 ............Changing Hands • compiled by Don Denton 44 ............The Classifieds 46 ............The Nose • by Anonymous

24 ON THE COVER: Fishing on the Anacostia. Photo by Andrew Lightman

ALL OF US WILL LEARN

Congratulations to the Class of 2011! Eight years ago, KIPP DC made a promise to the Class of 2011 that we would do whatever it takes to see them through to college graduation and the competitive world beyond. Today, we celebrate our alumni as they graduate from high school and take the next steps towards conquering their goals and moving to and through college. We are proud of your hard work. KIPP DC: KIPP Through College is a team of advisors who ensure all KIPP alumni have the tools and support needed to attain a college degree. Success is achieved by an alumnusâ€™ hard work, persistence, and resourcefulness. During the 10 years following 8th grade promotion, the KIPP Through College team works with alumni to identify and reach their educational and life goals. As our alumni become empowered, college-educated leaders, they build a better tomorrow for themselves and their communities.

To learn more about KIPP DC and KIPP Through College visit us at www.kippdc.org

CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM â˜… 5

HILL RAG MID CITY DC EAST OF THE RIVER FAGON COMMUNITY GUIDES

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| JUNE 2011

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GO.SEE.DO. DC Jazz Festival June 1-13. Artists will perform at more than 45 venues throughout DC, including the National Mall, the Kennedy Center and Warner Theatre. Signature programs include the highly popular Jazz n’ Families Fun Days at The Phillips Collection (June 4-5) and Jazz in the ‘Hoods which includes performances at more than 30 museums, restaurants and clubs across the city. It’s major artist lineup includes multiple Grammy-Award winners Bobby McFerrin, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and Latin Jazz legend Eddie Palmieri; as well as the legendary Heath Brothers; pianist Cyrus Chestnut; saxophonists Antonio Hart and JD Allen, and Chilean vocalist Claudia Acuña. On Sunday, June 12, 1:00 PM, Jazz on the National Mall features free performances at the Sylvan Theater on the Washington Monument Grounds from Toby Foyeh & Orchestra Africa, Claudia Acuña Quintet, Frédéric Yonnet, Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor, and the Eddie Palmieri All-Star Salsa Orchestra. dcjazzfest.org Bobby McFerrin. Photo: Carol Friedman.

Saint Mary’s County Crab Festival The Saint Mary’s County Crab Festival is a celebration of St. Mary’s crab culture and cooking. Expect to find plenty of steamed hard crabs, crab soups, crab cakes, and other seafood dishes available for purchase. Before or after your meal, browse among regional crafters! Live entertainment from the Chesapeake Country Cruisers line dance team, (who will invite you up to learn a few moves!) and country music band Southbound. $5 admission (11 and under, free). June 12, 11:00 AM-5:00 PM. All proceeds go to Lions Club community service programs. 42455 Fairgrounds Rd., Leonardtown, MD (about 60 miles from DC). stmaryscrabfestival.com Saint Mary’s County Crab Festival attracts vistors of all ages.Photo: Joe Dunn

Hillcrest Home and Garden Tour

Kingman Island Bluegrass and Folk Festival Come celebrate the revitalization of the Anacostia River with local bluegrass music and outdoor activities on Kingman Island, June 11, 1:00-8:00 PM. This festival, brought you by Councilmember Tommy Wells, the Washington Convention and Sports Authority, Living Classrooms, Sierra Nevada and Flying Dog beer, will have some of the best bluegrass musicians in the area including Second String, The Family Hammer, By and By, Split String Soup, King Street Bluegrass, the Flower Hill String Band and emcee Banjer Dan. For directions to the island and additional information about the festival visit KingmanIslandBluegrass.com. If you would like to volunteer, become a sponsor or have questions, contact Daniel Conner at dconner@dccocuncil.us or 202-724-8063.

This is a guided walking tour on Saturday, June 18 that wants you in place at the intersection of 31st St. and W Pl. SE by 10:45 AM. The tour begins at 11:00 AM, wanders through the beautiful Hillcrest neighborhood and ends at a reception at one of the host homes. This is the Hillcrest Community Civic Association’s 18th house tour and promises to be the best ever. Tickets are $12 in advance or a $15 on the day of the tour. Tickets are available online at hillcrestdc.com/paygardentour. Home on the tour/ Photo: Courtesy of Hillcrest Home and Garden Tour

Indian Summer Showcase This year the museum hosts the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the Siletz Tribe of Oregon, and the Huíchol Indians of Mexico for multi-day festivals celebrating Native music, art, culture, dance, film and food, as well as the Living Earth Festival, which explores and honors indigenous contributions to the environment. The Saturday evening Indian Summer Showcase concert series kicks off the schedule on Saturday, June 11, 5:00-7:00 PM on Welcome Plaza, with country singer Victoria Blackie (Navajo) and Rebecca Miller, a country singer from Six Nations, Ontario, Canada. Free. National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth St. and Independence Ave. SW. 202-633-1000. nmai.si.edunmai.si.edu Choctaw stickball games. Photo: Courtesy of the National Museum of the American Indian

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CALENDAR FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS Sewall-Belmont House & Museum Public Open House. Saturday, June 4, 11:00 AM-6:00 PM. Second St. NE and Constitution Ave. NE. 202-546-1210. sewallbelmont.org Knowledge Commons DC. June 2-30. Knowledge Commons is a collaborative creative project by local artists and arts organizations who believe in the idea that we can and should share our knowledge and experiences with each another, in the public spaces that are available to us. KCDC’s first session will run in locations throughout the city such as the metro, the farmer’s market, and the zoo. Provisions Library, Transformer, Honfleur Gallery, Pleasant Plains Workshop, and Big Bear Café will also be hosting KCDC classes. Whether a course takes place in a grocery store, park, or art gallery, we hope teachers will imagine how space and place is an integral component of how students experience their subjects. knowledgecommonsdc. org The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy. The Academy Award winning trilogy will be featured in an exclusive series of in-theater events in June, including The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring on June 14; The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers on June 21; and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King on June 28, all beginning at 7:00 PM. Theater audiences will view nearly an hour of additional feature footage per film with additional and extended scenes that were carefully selected under the supervision of director Peter Jackson. In addition, fans will be treated to personal introductions to each film from Jackson, which were captured on the set of his current film The Hobbit, all making this an historic series that can only be experienced on the big screen. $12.50 per screening. DC screenings at Loews Cineplex Uptown Theatre. lordoftherings.net Afro-Brazilian Arts & Cultural Heritage Festival. June 611. This festival is a week-long event held in Washington, DC celebrating the vibrant Afro-Brazilian cultural heritage featuring Capoeira, Samba, Maculele, Maracatu, Go-go, and West African dance and music performances and workshops; documentary film screenings; panel discussions; and culinary demonstrations and tastings. Community outreach is central to their mission so many of the events are free and open to the public. afrobrazilfest.com Barracks Row Garden Party Fundraiser. Tuesday, June 7, 6:00-8:30 PM. Your support directly improves the neighborhood. Funds directly support Barracks Row Main Street, a nonprofit organization bringing to the community: new restaurants and shops; clean, beautiful and safe streets; and historic preservation. 202-544-3188. barracksrow.org

Frederick Douglass. Photo: Courtesy of Frederick Douglass National Historic Site

“What to the Slave?” Speech Reenactment at Frederick Douglas National Historical Site. July 4, 1:00-3:00 PM. Frederick Douglas reenactor delivers the famous “What to the Slave?” (does July 4th mean) speech from the front porch of the home at 1:00 PM. Kids activities follow. Free. 1411 W St. SE. 202-426-5960. nps.gov/frdo 10 ★ EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE

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Capital Pride Parade and Festival. Parade, June 11, 5:30 PM. Parade will travel through Dupont Circle, 17th St. and through NW, Washington DC. Festival, June 12, noon-6:00 PM, Penn. Ave. NW between Third and Seventh sts. The Capital Pride Festival and Parade is a community event that remains focused on diversity, cultural achievement, civil rights issues and entertainment by and for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, families and friends. Free. 202-797-3510. capitalpride.org DC Black Theater Festival. June 12-19. 150 provocative and groundbreaking theatrical performances by local and national artists. For the full schedule visit dcblacktheatrefestival.com Great American Backyard Campout. June 25. We need to give back to our children what they don’t even know they’ve lost, a connection to the natural world. A great place to start is by having your family participate in the 7th annual Great American Backyard Campout. National Wildlife Federation’s fundraising event encourages parents

and kids alike to trade screen time for green time by spending a night under the stars. backyardcampout.org DC Caribbean Carnival. June 25-26, noon to 6:00 PM. Parade on Saturday and Caribbean style arts, crafts, food and music both days. $10 (12 and under, free). Bannaker Recreation Area (on Georgia Ave. across from Howard University). 301-3469635. dccaribbeancarnival.org Smithsonian Folklife Festival. June 30July 4 and July 7-11, 11:00 AM-5:30 PM. Evening events at 6:00 PM. 2011 themes are Colombia, Peace Corps and Rhythm & Blues. Free entrance (food is extra). National Mall between Seventh and 14th sts. folklife.si.edu/center/festival

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD The Washington School of Ballet Spring Performance. Saturday, June 4, 4:00 PM and 7:30 PM; Sunday, June 5, 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM. The Washington School of Ballet (NW Campus) presents their annual Spring Performance. Students will showcase what they have been working on throughout the year. The following pieces will be performed: In The Classroom, Dusk Fields, That’s Life, Sleeping Beauty Act 3, and Around The World. $15-$20. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org Family Across the Sea (video). Sunday, June 5, 2:00 PM. Family Across the Sea traces linguist Lorenzo Dow Turner’s discovery of the connection between the Gullah people of South Carolina’s Sea Islands and the people of Sierra Leone. The film illustrates how African Americans maintained ties through speech, songs, and traditions with their homeland over centuries of oppression. Free. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu “Wavelengths” at Honfleur Gallery. June 10-July 22. Opening reception, June 10, 7:00-9:00 PM. Honfleur Gallery presents Wavelengths, an exhibition of four installation artists, curated by microWave project. These four artists have been invited to create installations throughout the gallery’s two-story space, based on their interpretation of the word “wavelength.” In addition to this exhibition, they will have a hands-on community installation project to help raise awareness and funds for those affected by Japan’s recent Tsunami and Earthquake disaster. 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-536-8994. honfleurgallery.com DOCUMENTS alternative guide through dc underground. June 10-July 22. Opening reception, June 10, 6:00-8:00 PM. DOCUMENTS: alternative guide to dc underground is a collaborative project between Ayodamola Okunseinde and Yulia Graham investigating subjects of identity through photographic and physically in-

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CALENDAR

Courtesy of Ward 8 Farmers’ Market

Ward 8 Farmer’s Market. Saturdays, 9:00 AM-2:00 PM. Ward 8 farmers and vendors will be selling their fresh produce in THEARC’s parking lot every Saturday. There will also be free food samples and expert advice from a UDC Nutritionist. WIC Coupons, Senior Coupons, and Food Stamps accepted. 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. Ward8FarmersMarket.com

teractive portraits. Based on the likenesses of artists from the DC metro area, the objective of this project is to chronicle connections between artists, their environment, personalities and work through portraiture. 202-365-8392. The Gallery at Vivid Solutions, 2208 MLK Ave, SE. vividsolutionsdc.com The Talking Drums. Saturdays, June 11 and July 2, 10:30 AM. In this interactive program, Joseph Ngwa from Cameroon demonstrates how drums are used to transmit messages and meaning through various sounds. For reservations, call (202) 633-4844. Free. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202633-4820. anacostia.si.edu The Music of West Africa. Sunday, June 12, 2:00 PM. Brother Ah and the Sound Awareness Ensemble lead a workshop that provides a compelling introduction to the rhythms of traditional Africa. The audience can participate in the drum circle. Free. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-6334820. anacostia.si.edu

Jean Lacy, Renee Stout, and others who offer their insights into their work and the unbreakable spiritual bond that stretches back through time to their African ancestors. Free. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu The Sierra Leone–Gullah Link Series. Thursday, June 23, 7:00-9:00 PM. Moderated by media journalist Kwame “Cumale” Fitzjohn, the series focuses on historical, anthropological, and contemporaneous analyses of the relationships between the Sierra Leone and Gullah cultures. Dr. E. Frances White discusses Creole Market mammies and their connection to the Charleston Marketplace in South Carolina, rice making, mortar and pestle, and other techniques common to traditions of both the Gullah and Sierra Leone. White is a professor and a former vice-provost at NYU. Free. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

Kindred Spirits: Contemporary African American Artists (video and discussion). Saturday, June 18, 10:30 AM. Poet and professor Maya Angelou appears as a special guest on this program about the work of contemporary African American artists including John Biggers, Bessie Harvey, Lois Mailou Jones,

The Negro Leagues and More. Saturday, June 25, 11:00 AM. Bob Luke tells the story of Effa Manley in his book The Most Famous Woman in Baseball: Effa Manley and the Negro Leagues. Dwayne Sims, founder and CEO of the Negro League Legends Hall of Fame, presents a select number of players in Scurlock: Negro Leagues, his new baseball book featuring photographs by Washington’s Addison Scurlock. Special guests from the Negro Leagues recall

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their years in baseball. Book signings for both books complete the program. Free. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202633-4820. anacostia.si.edu The Language You Cry In (video). Sunday, June 26, 2:00 PM. The Language You Cry In tells an amazing scholarly story that searches for and finds meaningful links between African Americans and their ancestral past. This film traces the memory of a family to their ancestral roots through a Mende funeral song. This story owes much to the research done by Lorenzo Dow Turner, an African American linguist who heard the song from Amelia Dawley, who lived in a remote Georgia fishing village. Free. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

PATRIOTIC Marine Barracks Evening Parade. Friday evenings in summer, through Aug. 26. Guests admitted starting at 7:00 PM. Guests should be seated by 8:00 PM. Program begins at 8:45 PM. The Evening Parade has become a universal symbol of the professionalism, discipline and Esprit de Corps of the United States Marines. The story of the ceremony reflects the story of Marines around the world. The ceremony begins with a concert by the United States Marine Band. Free. It is wise to have

reservations that can be made online at mbw. usmc.mil. Marine Barracks (front gate), Eighth and I sts. SE. 202-433-4073. mbw.usmc.mil 2011 Twilight Tattoo at Fort McNair. Wednesday, June 8. 7:00 PM. Members of the 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard), the US Army Band “Pershings Own,” Fife and Drum Corps and the US Army Drill Team will perform an hour-long sunset military Pageant. Over 100 Old Guard soldiers dressed in period uniforms will provide a glimpse of Army history from colonial times to the soldier of the future. Historic Fort McNair, Fourth and P sts. SW. usarmyband.com U.S. Capitol Exterior Walking Tour. Every Monday through November (including holidays, rain or shine), 10:00 AM. Meet at the top of the escalators at Union Station by the METRO sign post. The U.S. Capitol Historical Society tour explains why it took 40 years to build the Capitol; why and how it has been continually enlarged since then; famous incidents and crucial events that took place inside it; the scope and purpose of the massive construction project now underway; and daily activities that occur in and around the building. $10 (cash) per person. No reservations are necessary. 202-543-8919. uschs.org US Capitol Visitors’ Center. Open daily 8:30 AM- 4:30 PM. The U.S. Capitol Visitor Center

is the newest addition to this historic complex. At nearly 580,000 square feet, the Visitor Center is the largest project in the Capitol’s more than two-century history and is approximately three quarters the size of the Capitol itself. The entire facility is located underground on the east side of the Capitol so as not to detract from the appearance of the Capitol and the grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1874. Free. 202226-8000. visitthecapitol.gov Veterans History Project Launches 34th Website Feature in Observance of Memorial Day. The Library of Congress Veterans History Project features veterans stories and more in “Wings of War,” the 34th website feature in the Experiencing War series. “Wings of War” marks Memorial Day 2011 and highlights military aviation with the digitized, first-hand accounts of 24 military aviators. These stories are among the 10,000 digitized collections found at loc.gov/vets. July 4th National Symphony Orchestra Concert Full Dress Rehearsal. July 3, 7:30 PM. US Capitol west lawn. You will find a much smaller crowd at the concert rehearsal. You will be allowed on the Capitol grounds starting at 3:00 PM. You will go through security and alcohol may be confiscated. Free. nso.org July 4th Fireworks and National Symphony Orchestra Concert. July 4, 8:00 PM. US Capitol west lawn. Fireworks at about 9:15 PM. No one will be allowed on the Capitol west lawn until 3:00 PM. Come early with a picnic and a blanket to the grounds of the U.S. Capitol for the National Symphony Orchestra Annual Independence Day Concert. The fireworks can be seen from all over the mall, from many rooftops and from across the river. Just make sure that you have a clear view of the top half of the Washington Monument. You will go through security and alcohol may be confiscated. The fireworks and concert go on except in the case of extremely bad weather. Your best source for up-to-the-minute information is local TV and radio stations. Free. nso.org Patriotic Organ Concert at the National Cathedral. July 4, 2:00 PM. Washington National Cathedral. The all-American program opens with Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, and includes opportunities for audience singing the National Anthem and “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.” Free. 202-537-8980. nationalcathedral.org The National Archives Celebrates the Fourth of July. July 4. Band performance, 8:30–9:45 AM; Ceremony, 10:00-11:00 AM; Family activities, 11:00 AM-2:00 PM. The celebration will include patriotic music, a dramatic reading of the Declaration by historical reenactors, and exciting free family activities and entertainment for all ages. Free. Constitution Ave. and Seventh St. NW. 202-357-5400. archives.gov America’s Independence Day Parade. July 4, 11:45 AM (sharp). Parade begins at Constitution Ave. and Seventh St. NW and proceeds on Constitution Ave. to 17th St. The parade consists of about 20 marching bands (including fife and drum corps), 15 floats,

military units, giant balloons, equestrian units, drill teams, municipal entries and celebrities. july4thparade.com An American Celebration at Mount Vernon. July 4, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM. Mount Vernon, Virginia. Celebrate Independence Day at the home of the first American hero with “General and Mrs. Washington”. Festivities include patriotic music by the National Concert Band of America, military re-enactments by the First Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line, FREE “Happy Birthday, America!” cake (while supplies last) and a unique daytime fireworks display over the Potomac River. The Sons of the American Revolution host a wreathlaying ceremony at Washington’s tomb where visitors are invited to lay a carnation. $15 for adults ($14 for seniors 62 and older), $7 for children 6 to 11 and free for ages 5 and younger. 703780-2000. mountvernon.org Independence Day Celebration and Air Force Band Concert. July 4, 8:00 PM (fireworks over Washington Monument follow). Air Force Memorial at One Air Force Memorial Drive in Arlington, VA. (14th St. Bridge into Virginia, merge onto Washington Blvd. and then Columbia Pike in the direction of the Navy Annex. Then follow signs and crowds.) Contemporary and patriotic tunes and spectacular views of the nighttime Washington, DC skyline. Free. airforcememorial.org Capitol Hill July 4th Parade and Festival Picnic. July 4. Parade,10:00 AM. Festival, 11:00 AM. Parade route is along 8th St. SE between Penn. Ave. and I St. SE. Festival is at Eastern Market Metro Plaza. Free.

SPORTS, DANCE AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Washington Nationals Baseball Home Games. June 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22 and 23. 7:05 PM (weekend games and June 1 and 22 at 1:35 PM). $5 and up. South Capitol and N sts. SE. washington.nationals. mlb.com National’s Ballpark Tours. Tuesday-Saturday (non-game days), 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM. On day of night-time home games, tours at 10:30 AM. Take the Nationals Park Ballpark Tour for a behind-the-scenes look at Nationals Park. Over the course of an hour and fifteen minutes you will visit the PNC Diamond Club, the Lexus Presidents Club, the Stars & Stripes Club, luxury suites, the Shirley Povich Media Center, Nationals dugout and Nationals clubhouse. Throw a pitch in the Nationals bullpen. $12-$15. All proceeds from Nationals Park Tours will be donated to the Nationals Dream Foundation. washington.nationals.mlb.com Washington Mystics Basketball Home Games. June 11, 16, 21 and 26. $10-$80. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. wnba.com DC United Soccer Home Matches. June 11, 7:30 PM and June 25, 6:00 PM. $23-$52. $15 college night tickets available on June 25. RFK Stadium. 202-587-5000. dcunited. com

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19 D Street, SE

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CALENDAR Komen Global Race for the Cure 5K Run/ Walk. Saturday, June 4, 8:00 AM. Event offers a flat, fast, course with ChronoTrack timing. Awards offered to top finishers. All participants receive a commemorative t-shirt and post race refreshments. Proceeds benefit both the National Capital Area Komen screening, treatment & education programs along with the Susan G. Komen Global Promise Fund. National Mall. Runners, $45; walkers, $40. 703416-7223. globalrace.info-komen.org National Press Club Beat the Deadline 5K. Saturday, June 11, 7:30 AM. Allows runners to compete against area media, celebrities and other runners to benefit the Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library. Cash prizes for top finishers and medals to top age group finishers. All participants receive a t-shirt, race bag and post-race pancake breakfast. $10. 202-662-7516. press.org/5K Fathers Day 8K. Sunday, June 19, 6:30 PM on the Towpath in Georgetown (Potomac and Grace sts. NW). The second annual Father’s Day 8K is on a flat and fast out-and-back course along the C&O Canal Towpath starting in Georgetown. The first 300 participants will be provided a technical race shirt, and awards will be given out at the post-race celebration to the top 3 M/F overall, the top M/F in each 10-year age group, and the top Father-Son and Father-Daughter teams. Also a Kid’s Kilometer Fun Run. $25-$40. fathersday8k.com Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Closed for the season for maintenance. Will re-open July 5. 3779 Ely Place, SE. 202-584-5007. fdia.org Roller Skating at Anacostia Park. Skate any time. This is a covered, outdoor skating pavilion. Free. From Penn. Ave., just before the bridge, south on Fairlawn Ave. and right onto Nicholson and then into the park. 202-4723873. Southeast Tennis and Learning Center. Open daily; Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM-9:00 PM; Sunday, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. Four indoor courts. Six outdoor courts. Summer hourly fees at $6 to $10 for adults. Kids 17 and under play for free. 701 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-645-6242. dpr.dc.gov African Dance Class. Every Monday, 7:15-8:30 PM. For adults. No prior experience necessary. Walk-ins welcome. THEARC. $10. 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org Yoga Class. Every Saturday, 10:00-11:15 AM. For adults. No prior experience necessary. Walk-ins welcome. THEARC. $10. 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org Free public tennis courts in Wards 7 and 8. Fort Davis Community Center, 1400 41st St. SE; Hillcrest Recreation Center, 3100 Denver St. SE; Kenilworth-Parkside Recreation Center, 4300 Anacostia Ave. NE; Randle Highlands Tennis Courts, 31st St. and Pennsylvania Ave. SE; Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Dr. SE; Bald Eagle Recreation Center, Martin Luther King, Jr Ave. and Joliet St. SW; Congress Heights Recreation Center, Alabama Ave. and Randle Pl.SE; Fort Stanton Community Center, 1812 Erie St. SE. All courts are open daily,

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dawn to dusk. Some are lighted for extended evening play. Courts are available on a firstcome, first-served basis for one-hour intervals; extended use of tennis courts requires a permit. Proper shoes and attire is required. 202-671-0314. dpr.dc.gov Deanwood (indoor) Pool. Mon-Fri 6:30 AM8:00 PM; Sat-Sun, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Free for DC residents (have ID). 1350 49th St. NE. 202671-3078. dpr.dc.gov Ferebee Hope (indoor) Pool. Open weekdays, 10:00-6:00 PM. Closed weekends. Free for DC residents (have ID). 3999 Eighth St. SE. 202645-3916. dpr.dc.gov All outdoor public pools open weekends. Starting June 21, outdoor pools open daily except one day for cleaning and maintenance.

Langston Driving Range. Open every day except Christmas, sun-up to sun-down. In addition to the driving range, Langston has an 18 hole course, snack bar, pro shop and offers golf lessons. 45 balls, $4.75. 180 balls, $14.25. $2, golf club rental. 26th and Benning Rd. NE. 202-397-8638. golfdc.com

St. NE. Greg Rhett jrhett3009@aol.com or 202-388-1532.

CIVIC LIFE

6th District Citizens Advisory Council. Second Monday, except July and Aug. 7:00 PM. 6th District HQ, 100 42nd St. NE.

Congresswomen Norton’s Government-togo in Your Neighborhood. Tuesday, June 7, 5:00-7:00 PM. Naylor One Stop Center, 2626 Naylor Rd. SE. Get answers and information on federal programs and policy such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and other federal benefits. 202-225-8050. norton.house. gov

Anacostia (outdoor) Pool. Open daily except Mondays; weekdays, 1:00-8:00 PM; Saturdays and Sundays, noon-6:00 PM. Free for DC residents (have ID). 1800 Anacostia Dr. SE. 202724-1441. dpr.dc.gov

Big Chair Breakfast Bunch. Saturday, June 11, 10:00 AM-noon. Big Chair Coffee n’ Grill (upstairs). All are welcome to attend and discuss what’s happening East of the River. 2122 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE. 202-5254287.

Barry Farms (outdoor) Pool. Open daily except Tuesdays; weekdays, 1:00-8:00 PM; Saturdays and Sundays, noon-6:00 PM. Free for DC residents (have ID). 1230 Sumner Rd. SE 202-645-5040. dpr.dc.gov

MPD Summer Crime Prevention Initiative Kickoff. Wednesday, June 22, 6:00 PM. MPD 7D Knight Hawks vs. WPGC Naturals Softball Series. Stanton Elementary School, 2701 Naylor Rd.SE. 202-439-5475.

Benning Park (outdoor) Pool. Open daily except Thursdays; weekdays, 1:00-8:00 PM; Saturdays and Sundays, noon-6:00 PM. Free for DC residents (have ID). Southern Ave. and Fable St.SE. 202-645-5044. dpr.dc.gov

Congresswoman Norton’s SE District Office. Open weekdays, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. 2041 MLK Ave. SE, #238. 202-678-8900. norton.house. gov

Douglass (outdoor) Pool. Open daily except Wednesdays; 1:00-8:00 PM; Saturdays and Sundays, noon-6:00 PM. Free for DC residents (have ID). Frederick Douglass Ct. and Stanton Ter. SE. 202-645-5045. dpr.dc.gov

Councilmember Alexander’s Constituent Services Office. Open weekdays, 10:00 AM6:00 PM. 2524 Penn. Ave. SE. 202-581-1560. Councilmember Barry’s Constituent Services Office. Open weekdays, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. 2100 MLK Ave, SE, #307. 202-698-2185.

Fort Dupont (outdoor) Pool. Open daily except Tuesdays; 1:00-8:00 PM; Saturdays and Sundays, noon-6:00 PM. Free for DC residents (have ID).

Ward 7 Democrats Monthly Meeting. Fourth Saturday, noon-2:00 PM. Ward Memorial AME Church, 241 42nd St. NE. 202-584-8477 or info@ward7democrats. ward7democrats.org

Ridge Rd. and Burns St. SE. 202-645-5046. dpr.dc.gov

Anacostia Coordinating Council Meeting. Last Tuesday, noon-2:00 PM. Anacostia Museum, 1901 Fort St. SE. For further details, contact Philip Pannell, 202-889-4900.

Fort Stanton (outdoor) Pool. Closed for season. Kelly Miller (outdoor) Pool. Open daily except Mondays; 1:00-8:00 PM; Saturdays and Sundays, noon-6:00 PM. Free for DC residents (have ID). 4900 Brooks St. NE. 202-724-5056. dpr.dc.gov Oxon Run (outdoor) Pool. Open daily except Mondays; 1:00-8:00 PM; Saturdays and Sundays, noon-6:00 PM. Free for DC residents (have ID). Fourth St. and Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-645-5042. dpr.dc.gov East Potomac Driving Range. Open daily except Christmas, 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM. Tuesdays open 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM. The East Potomac Driving Range features 50 covered and 50 uncovered stalls for year-round golf practice. $6 for 51 balls. East Potomac Golf Course, 972 Ohio Dr. SW. 202-554-7660. golfdc.com

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Capitol View Civic Association Monthly Meeting. Third Monday, 6:30 PM. Hughes Memorial United Methodist, 25 53rd St. NE. capitolviewcivicassoc.org Historical Anacostia Block Association. Second Thursday, 7:00-9:00 PM. UPO-Anacostia Service Center, 1649 Good Hope Rd. SE. For further details, contact Charles Wilson, 202834-0600. Anacostia High School School Improvement Team Meeting. Fourth Tuesday. 6:00 PM. Anacostia High School, 16th and R sts. SE. Deanwood Citizens Association General Body Meeting. Fourth Monday, except Aug. and Dec., 6:30 PM. First Baptist Church of Deanwood, 1008 45th St. NE Eastland Gardens Civic Association Meeting. Third Tuesday. 6:30-8:30 PM. Kenilworth Elementary School (auditorium), 1300 44th

Fairlawn Citizens Association. Third Tuesday, 7:00 PM. Ora L. Glover Community Room at the Anacostia Public Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE.

ANC Meeting for 7-A. Third Tuesday, 7:30 PM. Benning-Stoddard Rec. Center, 100 Stoddard Pl. SE. 202-727-1000. 7A@anc.dc.gov. anc7a. org ANC Meeting for 7-B. Third Thursday, 7:00 PM. Ryland Epworth United Methodist Church, 3200 S St. SE (Branch Ave and S St. SE). 202584-3400. anc7b@pressroom.com. anc7b.us ANC Meeting for 7-C. Second Thursday, 7:00 PM. Sargent Memorial Presbyterian Church, 5109 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave. NE. 202398-5100. anc7c@verizon.net ANC Meeting for 7-D. Second Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Sixth District Police Station, 100 42nd St. NE. 202-398-5258. 7D06@anc.dc.gov ANC Meeting for 7-E. Second Tuesday, 7:008:30 PM. Jones Memorial Church, 4625 G St. SE. 202-582-6360. 7E@anc.dc.gov ANC Meeting for 8-A. First Tuesday, 7:00 PM. Anacostia UPO Service Center, 1649 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-889-6600. anc8adc.org ANC Meeting for 8-B. Third Tuesday, 7:00 PM. Seventh District Police Station Community Center, Alabama and McGee Sts. SE. 202-6101818. anc8b.org ANC Meeting for 8-C. First Wednesday (June meeting is on the nineth because of the holiday), 6:30 PM. 2907 MLK Jr Ave. SE. 202-3882244. ANC Meeting for 8-D. Fourth Thursday, 7:00 PM. Specialty Hospital of Washington, 4601 MLK Jr. Ave. SW. 202 561-0774 ANC Meeting for 8-E. Third Tuesday, 7:00 PM. SE Tennis and Learning Center, 701 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-561-6616. 8e02@anc.dc.gov

OUT OF TOWN Rock at the Row Summer Concert Series. Thursdays, through Aug. 25, 6:00-8:00 PM. Grab some friends and head out to the plaza for fun while the sun goes down. Live music, free gifts with purchase, merchant specials, contests and more! Plus register to win big prizes every night during intermission including a chance to be a contestant at the Third Annual Rock at the Row Game Show on Aug. 25. Free. Pentagon Row, 1101 South Joyce St., Arlington VA. pentagonrow.com Celebrate Fairfax! June 10-12. Celebrate Fairfax! is Northern Virginia’s largest community-wide celebration. This annual festival hosts tens of thousands of visitors during the three-day run. The 25-acre site is magically filled with fascinating sights and sounds as

more than 400 exhibitors, food vendors, crafters and interactive activities are included in the celebration. Celebrate Fairfax! showcases live concerts on five stages, an interactive SciTech Center and ExxonMobil Children’s Avenue, a petting zoo, karaoke contest, carnival rides, and great festival foods. Another fun activity for kids is the Inova Train Ride to Good Health. Nightly fireworks are a highlight of the festival. This year’s Bud Light Main Stage features top national headline performers! 12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax, VA. 703-324-3247. fxva.com Bread and Butter Ball. Saturday, June 11, 8:00-11:00 PM at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St., Alexandria, VA. This springtime ball for the advanced dancer is set in the 1790s and is inspired by a ball George Washington attended and recalled in this 1760 diary entry: “Went to a Ball at Alexandria - where Musick and Dancing was the chief Entertainment. However in a convenient Room detachd for the purpose abounded great plenty of Bread and Butter, some Biscuets with Tea, & Coffee which the Drinkers of could not Distinguish from Hot water sweetned. Be it remembered that pocket handkerchiefs servd the purposes of Table Cloths & Napkins and that no Apologies were made for either. I shall therefore distinguish this Ball by the Stile & title of the Bread & Butter Ball.” Evening features period refreshments, “gaming” and a cash bar. Period costume encouraged. $45 in advance. 703-746-4242. alexandriava.gov Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival. June 17-18 at National Harbor on the waterfront under tents. 60 beers, 40 bourbons, and lots of BBQ. Two great days of beer sippin’, bourbon tastin’, music listenin’, cigar smokin’, and barbeque eatin’. Your admission buys you a sampling glass so you can enjoy an ALL-YOU-CARE -TO-TASTE sampling of beer and bourbon. Some of the best barbeque vendors are on-site if you get hungry all while enjoying seminars in the tasting theater and live music all day. $35-$45. beerandbourbon.com DC United SoccerFest. June 25-26, Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, VA. DC United SoccerFest is a 4-on-4 soccer tournament open to all ages and skill levels, with divisions based on age, gender, and ability. Teams can consist of up to six players with four players on the field at a time. The tournament’s small-sided layout was created to offer young soccer players the opportunity to experience increased touches on the ball in a fun, festival style tournament format, and divisions have since expanded to include boys and girls ages five through 16, as well as adults. 703-534-4600 x202. dcunitedsoccerfest.com ●

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BULLETIN BOARD DC United fans at the United Drives booth outside of RFK stadium donating baby essentials to benefit Community Lodgings, Inc. Photo: Courtesy of DC United

DC United Collects Children’s Toys During June Throughout the 2011 Major League Soccer season, DC United collects items at every home game to benefit pre-determined non-profit organizations within the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. During the two DC United home games in June (Saturdays 6/11 and 6/25), they will be collecting new children’s toys to benefit the Children’s National Medical Center. Fans are encouraged to bring items on game day and in return receive a Buy One Get One Free Voucher for a later game date. The collection takes place at the United Drives booth outside of Gate A at RFK stadium each game and begins two hours prior to kick off. The toys we are collecting through this program in June will be distributed to the hospital and individual patients during a DC United player visit to the center in July. 202-587-5000. dcunited.com/community/ united-drives

Nesting Birds Lay Claim to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail Project Construction of a 20-mile multiuse trail along the Anacostia River has gotten an unexpected stop-work order from Mother Nature. A family of Osprey, a large ﬁsh-eating bird of prey, has built a nest atop a construction crane that was being used on the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, a collaborative project of the District Department of Transportation and the National Park Service. “This might be a ﬁrst for us, not the type of complication you expect on a construction project, but we’ll roll with it,” said Terry Bellamy, DDOT’s Interim Director. “It highlights how transportation can bring people closer to nature, not just get them from point to point B, and shows the potential of the Anacostia watershed as a rich natural resource.” Crews were using the construction crane to build piers for a bridge to carry the Riverwalk Trail over railroad tracks on the east bank of the Anacostia River. The work zone is in the National Park Service’s Anacostia Park. In order to not disturb the birds during the nesting period, NPS and DDOT have agreed to suspend work near the nest and the crane will be left in place until the Ospreys have abandoned the 16 ★ EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE

nest and moved on. Ospreys are migratory birds and ﬂy south for the winter months. The contractor will instead focus on other parts of the trail on the west side of the River, a safe distance from the nest.

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Summer Hours Through Labor Day, Sept. 5, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and Visitor Center has extend its hours for the summer season. The Gardens and Visitor Center will be open to the visiting public seven days a week. The gardens will be open from 7:00 AM6:30 PM and the Visitor Center will open from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Free admission. 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. 202-426-6905. nps.gov/keaq

Reclaiming the Edge Urban Waterways and Diverse Populations Community Forum The Anacostia Community Museum is conducting a research and educational initiative that focuses on urban waterways, especially rivers, their watersheds, and associated creeks and streams. The project explores, among other things, social conditions, environmental burdens, citizen con| JUNE 2011

cerns and involvement, and cultural and recreational traditions associated with urban rivers. This community discussion focuses on diverse populations and their interactions with river cleanup and community uses along the Anacostia, Los Angeles, and Suzhou Rivers. June 14, 7:00 PM. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

DCRA Opens Small Business Resource Center DCRA has opened a Small Business Resource Center (SBRC) which will provide technical assistance to small business owners seeking to navigate the DC’s regulatory environment. The SBRC will provide one-on-one technical assistance, pro bono legal services, and workshops designed to help small businesses with issues such as corporate registrations, licensure, tax compliance, and other business compliance related topics. Small business owners will be able to come to DCRA and get the right guidance so that they can operate their business legally and in compliance with the laws and regulations set forth in the District. Small Business Resource Center, 1100 Fourth St. SW. 202-442-8170. dcra.dc.gov

June Friends Day at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens They are looking for 20-39 volunteers for a variety of light duty volunteer projects on Saturday, June 25, 9:00 AM-noon. Meet at the maintenance yard. Contact the park staﬀ or Friends at 202-426-6905. 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. nps.gov/frdo

Call to Performing Hip Hop Artists The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is looking for all genres of hip-hop performers for the 8th Annual Dance DC Festival, July 22-24. Application deadline is June 8. 202-724-5613. dcarts.dc.gov

The Village That Shaped Us Community History Series A new narrative covers the establishment and ultimate dissolution of Hillsdale, Washington, D.C., a historic black community settled through the Freedmen’s Bureau in 1867 within sight of the US Capitol. Through numerous illustrations, pictures, and letters, author Dianne Dale presents the story of a remarkable local community. A book signing will follow. Wednesday, June 29, 10:30 AM. Free. Anacostia

Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

East of the River Blogs We’re happy to report that the East of the River blogosphere is alive and well. Here are some of our favorites: visitanacostianow.com; rivereastidealist.blogspot.com; eastriverheights. blogspot.com; fairfaxvillage.blogspot. com; congressheightsontherise.com; eatshopliveanacostia.com; anacostiadiaries.blogspot.com; layamalka.tumblr.com; allaboutanacostia.blogspot. com; barryfarmremixed.blogspot. com; goodhopeanacostia.wordpress. com; hilleastblues.blogspot.com.

“Why Do I Need A Lawyer?” Part I: Common Legal Issues for Writers and Visual Artists On Tuesday, June 21, 7:00 PM, this insightful moderated panel discussion with Q&A session includes a brief presentation on common issues and pitfalls attorneys practicing entertainment and intellectual property law regularly see with their creative clients. Particularly for writers and visual artists, this event can help you protect you and your work. Bring your pads, pens, and questions for our experts. Co-Sponsored by the Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts (WALA). Free. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

FREE

Capital Bikeshare Launches Summertime Competition to Reward “Reverse Riders Don’t go with the flow this summer—do the opposite and it could pay off. That’s what Capital Bikeshare is telling its members. The regional bikesharing network is launching a Reverse Rider Rewards competition on June 1 to support the system’s rebalancing and redistribution efforts. The goal is to enlist the help of Capital Bikeshare annual members to help redistribute bicycles throughout the bikesharing system during the peak hours of 8:00-10:00 AM, Mondays through Fridays, and provide incentives to do so. Members who elect to participate will earn points for taking bicycles from any of the “typically full” stations to “typically empty” stations. Each trip will earn participants one

foreclosure counseling credit repair homebuyer counseling tenant purchase counseling

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

2210 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, SE

202.889.8900 American Express, MasterCard, Visa & Discover accepted

UNIVERSITY LEGAL SERVICES Ofﬁces at Marshall Heights CDC 3939 Benning Road, NE | Washington DC 20019 202.396.1201x 131 | www.uls-dc.org CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM ★ 17

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS at locations across the city, and a team of like-minded staﬀ to meet the division goals in a structured and supportive atmosphere. Applicants must be at least 16 to apply for a lifeguard position and at least 18 to apply for a manager/assistant manager position. Salary is $10-$13 an hour for full and part-time positions. For additional information, contact Cecilia Washington at cecilia.washington@dc.gov or at 202671-1289. dpr.dc.gov

ERFSC Board members at the Annual Meeting.

Housing Expo & Foreclosure Clinic On Saturday, June 4, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM, get a free credit report and home retention counseling. There will be workshops on homeownership, home repair, ﬁnancial literacy, green living and urban gardening. 202-442-7200. dhcd.dc.gov

Monthly Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Annual Meeting and Family Conference of East River Family Strengthening Collaborative On Saturday, May 14, hundreds gathered to celebrate the East River Family Strengthening Collaborative’s (ERFSC) 15 years of service to the Ward 7 community. Held at the IDEA Public Charter School, the theme was “Going the Distance: Families, Youth, Seniors and Community” and the ERFSC team went the distance to ensure that the residents who attended were educated, entertained and provided with access to resources from the over twenty vendors who participated. One of the highlights of the event was ERFSC’s board elections which was officiated by Dr. Jacquelyn Henry of the DC Collaboratives. Three new board members, Jean Wilks, Lorinita Lucas and Justina Wilkins were sworn in and the new board spent most of their time getting to know staff, residents, workshop presenters and vendors. The all day event offered workshops on topics such as parenting, fitness, advocacy, bullying, entrepreneurship and fatherhood. The presenters included ERFSC staff members, and guest presenters such as Kalid Randolph, Latisha Atkins, Bruce Bradford and Elizabeth Brooks. Two graduates of HD Woodson, Darius Redman and Sherrard Harrington, were panelists on the “Athletic and Academic Impact on Youth Development” workshop which was packed to capacity. After attending the Fitness workshop led by Elizabeth Brooks, one workshop attendee said “I have never had so much fun doing fitness before so I am very happy that I decided to attend. ERFSC always puts on great events.” The workshops were all very well attended and many participants went from workshop to workshop. A free lunch was provided and during the lunch hour, ERFSC’s board chair, Morris Redd spoke on “The State of ERFSC” and also highlighted the organization’s FY2010 fiscal achievements from their Annual Report. He said how thrilled he was to serve on the board and praised Executive Director Mae Best and her team for working so hard to ensure that ERFSC accomplished its mission. Live entertainment hosted by Director of Communications, Rosie Parke included performances by talented local artists The Sophisticats and Boys, Alex Jay, The Good Old Boys (GOB$), Just’Us, Top Shelf Starz, Jenara, LH Valley Boyz, Kyonte, Main Girl, Phil’Ade, and gospel recording artist, Danni. Participants were able to win prizes such as Safeway cards, baseball tickets, tickets to a “Step Off ” event, Universoul Circus tickets, and a Nintendo Wii. ERFSC would like to thank their board of directors, staff, workshop presenters, vendors, attendees and the community for making the event successful. Special thanks to IDEA Public Charter School for hosting the event. Please visit their website at erfsc.org to see the list of presenters, vendors, artists, and photos from the event. -- Submitted by Rosie Park point, as well as one entry into a raffle. At the end of the contest, the individual with the highest number of points will win a one-year extension of his or her Capital Bikeshare membership, while everyone who makes it into the top ten will receive one-month extensions. Five raffle prize winners will also receive one-month extensions. Reverse Rider Rewards officially launched on Wednesday, June 1, and will run through Wednesday, Aug. 31. Winners will be posted on the fifth of each month. For complete informa18 ★ EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE

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tion about the rules, prizes and eligible stations visit godcgo.com/reverse-rider-rewards.aspx.

DPR Aquatics Hiring Summer Lifeguards The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), Aquatics Division is accepting applications for summer staﬀ. Summer positions include lifeguards, assistant pool managers, and pool managers. Summer staﬀ is provided paid training, placements

The DC Department of Public Works will hold its monthly household hazardous waste/e-cycling/ document shredding drop-oﬀ Saturday, June 4, 8:00 AM-3:00 PM, at Ft. Totten Transfer Station, 4900 John F. McCormack Rd. NE. The remaining 2011 drop-oﬀ dates are July 2, Aug. 6, Sept. 3, Oct. 1, Nov. 5, and Dec. 3. (Directions to Ft. Totten: Travel east on Irving St. NW, turn left on Michigan Ave., turn left on John F. McCormack Rd. NE and continue to the end of the street.) dpw.dc.gov

Foreclosure Mediation Housing Counseling Services, a DC based nonprofit, will offer free Foreclosure Prevention Clinics to help homeowners in danger of losing their homes. Clients will receive information and individual counseling to help them identify their realistic options for avoiding foreclosure and to avoid “foreclosure rescue scams.” A new DC law gives DC homeowners in danger of losing their homes the right to seek mediation with their lender in order to avoid foreclosure. Learn about the benefits of mediation and how to navigate the mediation process. Wednesdays, June 8, 15 and 22 and July 6,13, 20 ,27 at noon and Wednesday, June 29 at 6:00 PM. Housing Counseling Services, 2410 17th St. NW. 202-667-7006. housingetc.org

Capital Bikeshare Launches New Performance Dashboard Capital Bikeshare has launched a website that provides a wealth of performance data about the bikesharing program, including monthly statistics for ridership, membership, customer service, ﬂeet performance and safety. The dashboard features 18 individual performance metrics, which fall under four categories: Ridership, Fleet Performance and Safety, Customer Service and Membership. Performance metrics include: Trip Origin/Destination by Station; Trip Origin/Destination by Municipality; Fleet Maintenance (Number of bikes inspected/repaired) per month; Rebalancing (Number of times bicycles

picked up and dropped oﬀ at stations); and total number of users. The data covers the entire Capital Bikeshare system, including the District and Arlington. cabidashboard.ddot. dc.gov

DDOT Seeks Help from Residents to Combat Copper Wire Theft The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is requesting the public’s help to combat the theft of copper wire from the District’s infrastructure. On at least four occasions in recent weeks, thieves have removed electrical wire from underground conduits along city streets. In one case the thieves stole wire that powers the sidewalk lights along Kenilworth Ave. NE between Foote and Hayes sts. Wire that illuminated a DC 295 overhead sign was also removed on northbound Kenilworth Ave. between Polk St. and Eastern Ave. A third incident occurred at No. Capitol and Irving sts. last week, and another at So. Capitol St. and Potomac St. Anyone witnessing a theft in progress should not confront the suspects, but rather should immediately call 911. Vehicle and suspect descriptions are very useful to authorities. DDOT is working with the Metropolitan Police Department to deter additional thefts and is also exploring ways to enhance the security of its electrical conduits.

Community Forklift Building Fund Help them secure a permanent and sustainable home in their current location by donating to their building fund. They are currently negotiating with their landlord to purchase their current facility and make much needed improvements and repairs. Community Forklift is 34,000 sq. ft of low-cost surplus, salavaged and new green materials. You can donate new and used building materials to receive a tax deduction or you can purchase materials at prices that are 40%-80% below retail. Community Forklift, 4671 Tanglewood Dr., Edmonston, MD, is a 501(c)3 not-forproﬁt corporation. Open Wednesday and Thursdays, 10:00 AM-8:00 PM; Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. 301-985-5180. communityforklift.com ● 7th St and Pennsylvania Ave, SE • www.peregrineespresso.com CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM ★ 19

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS tion of between 71,455 and 78,976. But not all the wards grew evenly, and the numbers tell the story. Within acceptable limits are Ward 1 (76,197), Ward 3 (77,152), Ward 4 (75,773) Ward 5 (74,308) and Ward 6 (76, 598). Ward 2 is over the limit with 79,915 people, and Wards 7 and 8 are under with 71,068 and 70,712 people respectively.

Keeping Neighborhoods Together… But in Which Ward? The challenge is that Ward 2 needs to shrink, and Wards 7 and 8 need to grow. Complications arise because these wards are not adjacent, leaving Wards 5 and 6 literally caught in the middle, because changes in boundaries must be contiguous. If some of Ward 2 moves to Wards 5 or 6 on its eastern side to shrink its population, some of Ward 5 and/or 6 must in turn move to their east to help get the populations up to allowable levels in Wards 7 and 8. This is not new territory for Ward 6. In 2001, Ward 6 saw Kingman Park move into Ward 7. Keeping neighborhoods together is a mantra among all elected representatives who talked about redistricting. Just how well the redistricting proposal does this is a matter of perspective.

Legislation Approved for Council Consideration

Redistricting Go West, Ward 7, Go West! by Gwyn Jones

ook at a map of the District of Columbia’s eight wards, and you’ll notice the almost complete diamond carved into oddly shaped sectors, each with seemingly random bumps, peninsulas, panhandles and indents. The shapes of the wards are hardly random; they are the result of the eﬀorts undertaken once a decade by the D.C. Council to comply with federal law requiring the rejiggering to ensure equal local government representation for all District residents. Amidst the patchwork are neighborhoods whose

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fabric has been stitched together over decades and now face the prospect of being divided – or in some cases reunited– so that the numbers work out right. Just what those numbers are today depend on the 2010 U.S. Census data, which puts the District’s population at 601,723, an increase of about 30,000 residents over the 2000 census. Dividing this number by the number of wards – eight – determines the “ideal” size for each ward -- 75,215. Because DC Code allows the population to be up to 5 percent greater or less than the ideal, each ward should have a popula-

A 3-member Council subcommittee comprised of co-chairs Councilmember Michael Brown (D-At Large) and Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), and Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D-At Large), convened two public hearings on the legislation, B19-219, the Ward Redistricting Amendment Act of 2011, on April 25 and April 27. Subcommittee members were also seen at numerous community and ANC meetings, primarily in Ward 6 as well as in wards 5 and 7. On May 26 the subcommittee approved a redistricting proposal, which will go before the D.C. Council June 7. The process will include another public hearing on the mark-up June 1 at 6 p.m. at the Wilson Building to provide an additional opportunity for public input prior to the council meeting. A special council web page, http://dccouncil.us/redistricting2011, provides additional detail, including videos of the subcommittee hearings held thus far. The District’s ward redistricting process must be completed within 90 days of the U.S. Census date becoming available -- by July 14, 2011. From there, the council will take on any adjustments to each ward’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission boundaries including adding 15 single member districts to represent the additional population (each SMD represents 2000 people).

The Redistricting Proposal The proposed legislation leaves wards 1, 3, 4 and 5 largely intact with a couple of minor adjustments. The subcommittee did move a section of Shaw large-

proved in its current form, “of course, they will have a greater voice in Ward 7. If the map stays the same, my main goal will be to make sure there is a commission west of the river to focus on their issues.” Councilmember Wells, who said he didn’t want to lose an inch of Ward 6, added that “it would be really unfair if the committee didn’t look at parts of Ward 5 going into Ward 7.”

Ward 8 to Gain From Ward 7

ly east of 7th and 9th streets NW from Ward 2 to Ward 6. The increase of population along Ward 6’s western edge then facilitates adding population from the eastern edge of Ward 6 to Ward 7, which needs to gain population to comply with federal law. The new boundary between Ward 6 and Ward 7 would essentially run along 17th Street SE from Benning Road to Anacostia River, with the exception of Eastern High School and Elliot-Hine Middle School, which would remain in Ward 6. As proposed, Ward 7 would increase its population west of the Anacostia River from around 1700 people to over 9,000, or 12% of Ward 7’s population, according to the subcommittee report. It continues, “This is suﬃciently signiﬁcant that the area will not be ignored by the Ward councilmember as Kingman Park residents allege is currently the case. The area is large enough to warrant its own Advisory Neighborhood Commission. If created, this will facilitate the expression of neighborhood views.” Councilmember Yvette Alexander stated her interest early on in expanding Ward 7 to Hill East

and/or Rosedale. But she was more circumspect when discussing potential changes. “Wards 7 and 8 need to receive people,” she said. “The Rosedale community is the next one over from Kingman Park. They work together now, and that won’t change. We want to keep neighborhoods together.” Alexander acknowledged that there were some issues accompanying Kingman Park’s move from Ward 6 to Ward 7 in the last redistricting. “The only big issue I’ve heard about is the parking,” Alexander said, referring to Kingman Park residents’ zoned parking stickers moving from Ward 6 to Ward 7. “The one thing it [redistricting] does bring about is implementing diversity,” Alexander said. “But we also realize that people get attached and we have to go the extra mile to reach out.” Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Lisa White (ANC7D01) emphasized that her Kingman Park constituents want to be redistricted back to Ward 6 and has been a leading voice advocating that change. However, White concurs that if the map is ap-

Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry would not comment for this story, but he has made clear at public meetings that he is intent on expanding Ward 8 into Near Southeast and sees moving the Near Southeast precinct, Precinct 131, into Ward 8 as a way to “end segregation and isolation.” “DC is bitterly racially divided, economically divided, and geographically divided between east of the river and west of the river,” Barry said in his opening statement at the April 27 hearing. “Those who would vote not to end segregation [by voting against his proposal] would mean that for the next 10 years, Ward 8 would be segregated and isolated. We need to diversify, and we have an opportunity to do it.” Instead of crossing the river into Ward 6, the subcommittee’s proposal would add population to Ward 8 by moving the section of Fairlawn currently in Ward 7 to Ward 8. Christopher Jerry, vice president of the Fairlawn Citizens Association, lives in the sector currently in Ward 7. While he would prefer that Ward 8 expand “across the river,” he said he is more concerned that all of Fairlawn be in the same ward together. “There’s going to be a lot of lobbying going on. The Hill East folks are going to be mad as hell,” Jerry predicted. “The preliminary map – I think that will be changed a little bit, and I’m curious to see how it comes about,” he said. Long-time Ward 8 activist Philip Pannell supports the subcommittee’s proposal and countered Barry’s argument, saying it was specious. “The diversity would only be statistical. The way you create diversity is by lowering crime, improving schools, cleaning up the streets – all the things that matter to people looking to live in a neighborhood.” “What’s so sad,” Pannell observed, “is that I don’t think any meetings on redistricting were held in Ward 8. Councilmember Barry didn’t even sponsor any meetings in his own ward.”

It’s About the Numbers Subcommittee Co-chair Jack Evans spoke matter of factly, perhaps because this is his third time serving on the redistricting subcommittee. “Redistricting is what gets people the maddest. People don’t like to have their boundaries changed no matter what.” “There’s been extraordinary participation so far,” Mendelson said, who is working on redistricting for the second time. “I think there was much more upset in 2001,” Mendelson observed. “Then about 30,000 people were aﬀected in Ward 2 alone. We’re not even close to that number this year.” Next month, East of the River will explore the implications of the ﬁnal proposal and hear from politicians and residents of Ward 7 and Ward 8. ● CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM ★ 21

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS community between those who “want development and those that are noncommitted.” “We need people to come out and be part of the process and not be angry,” said Dion Jordan, ANC 8C 02 and ANC 8C Vice Chairman, striking a conciliatory tone. “We need to get this right the ﬁrst time.” Jordan, recently named to the newly formed St. Elizabeths East Advisory Group, was unable to attend the public meeting, but mentioned the need for “some of the same amenities in other productive neighborhoods” such as a movie theater and an “upscale restaurant.”

City Takes Diﬀerent Approach

St. Elizabeths Update Residents Express Concerns East Campus Development Meeting by John Muller

“T

hese jobs need to go to us,” said William Alston-El, emphatically. Alston-El’s comment came prior to a meeting convened last month at the renovated Old Congress Heights School to discuss the planned development of the cityowned St. Elizabeths East Campus. Born at Gallinger Hospital in 1947, homeless for thirty years and a resident of St. Elizabeths for the last five years, Alston-El said he was attending the meeting in protest. With a mix of outright citizen suspicion and a conspicuous sense of disorder – which often define public meetings east of the river – the DC Office of Planning (DCOP) took the lead in briefing the community and soliciting their input on the delivery of Phase One of the East Campus Redevelopment Framework Plan. Phase One is intended for completion by 2015. About sixty residents sat at in-

dividual tables complete with index cards, a map of the site, and a pamphlet outlining the potential uses of the site from retail to education to housing to community space to amenities, with nearly two dozen city oﬃcials standing around the perimeter. Alston-El interrupted the night’s preliminary speaker by rising to his feet and announcing he was leaving the meeting because “This is a joke.” His sentiment seemingly mirrored that of many of the attendees. While city oﬃcials from multiple agencies, such as the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), made presentations detailing the extensive planning that has already gone into the East Campus, along with work underway or planned to start within the calendar year, residents exchanged misgiving glances, turning in their seats awaiting the opportunity to speak. The format of small group table

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| JUNE 2011

discussions outlined on the meeting agenda was quickly abandoned; community members took turns voicing their ongoing skepticism and lack of a “trust level” with the city.

Resident Reactions “This is a reoccurring event. Why should I feel anything we say tonight has any bearing?” asked one resident. “Where do we want to see them start building? We’re not planners or architects. We wouldn’t know where to start,” said ANC Mary Cuthbert in a petulant tone that served as a synopsis for residents who spoke during the meeting. “We’ve had nothing in this neighborhood for twenty-ﬁve to thirty years. Anything is an improvement,” said George Beu, a retiree of Western Union and resident of Raleigh Street since 1971, in an interview. Beu, who attends “all the meetings I can get to,” spoke of what he feels is a rift in the

“The City is taking a different approach with this development. We are preparing the site for vertical development and positioning it to attract private investment. We are taking steps such as developing a market driven program, creating the necessary infrastructure, going through the historic preservation process and zoning the site with our colleagues in the Office of Planning,” said Victor L. Hoskins, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. “In addition, we are working with our federal partners to encourage the use of the East Campus for programs that will support the Department of Homeland Security, such as an innovation hub. Many companies already see the benefits of being near DHS and we are seeking to capitalize on this future demand.” “This is a huge opportunity to link land planning, transportation, and economic development goals,” says Geraldine Gardner, Associate Director of Neighborhood Planning. “We are focused on creating opportunities for jobs, residential and retail.” City Officials agree that the proximity of the East Campus to the development of the West Campus by DHS can result in a financial spillover. “Procurement is key,” said Feras Qumseya, Director of the St. Elizabeths Redevelopment Initiative within DMPED. “We are assessing the existing inventory we have east of the river that can enable procurement which translates into jobs.” “People are very concerned with

job creation east of the river. We are trying to be thoughtful in connecting economic development to land planning with the types of use that will be most beneﬁcial to the community,” added Gardner. Transportation was another collective anxiety of residents who were briefed on DDOT’s ongoing Environmental Assessment (EA), which will open up the East Campus to federal transportation funding. In “the data collection stage at this time,” the EA will analyze if the existing roads on the East Campus can be used or new roads are needed to make the campus more accessible. Many residents expressed a concern that the capacity of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. is being pushed to its limits by an increased usage over the past two years. “The EA will analyze the trafﬁc in the campus and the immediate neighboring streets including MLK Ave. in existing and future conditions. The EA will evaluate possible solutions to the transportation problems,” said Faisal Hameed of DDOT. “The EA will analyze and develop these roadway alternatives for all modes of travel including buses. DDOT will coordinate with WMATA to ensure any future WMATA bus service can be accommodated on these roads.”

History of East Campus Development Plans In the fall of 1987 the federal government transferred the 173 acre east campus and its 1,470 pa-

tients and 3,000 staﬀ to the city as part of a deregulation of mental healthcare. Over the past two decades many of the buildings have been vacated. In April, 2010, a new $161 million 448,190 square foot hospital opened to serve its more than 300 remaining patients -- most notably John Hinckley who in 1981 shot President Regan outside of the Mayﬂower Hotel downtown. The new hospital, constructed over more than three years, is tucked into the corner of the East Campus near the Congress Heights Metro station. Development plans for the east campus have been in the formation process for nearly a decade. According to DMPED, a plan was developed by DCOP through an intensive community engagement process in 2003, but was placed on hold in 2005 to allow for the federal government to initiate a planning process for the West Campus. In December 2008 the city council passed the East Campus Redevelopment Framework Plan which included height limits, development goals and made recommendations for additional transportation planning. According to the project’s timeline, site zoning and approving historic designations will begin later this fall. For more information on the East Campus development visit www.stelizabethseast.com. The Coalition for Smarter Growth will host a walking tour of the East Campus on Saturday, June 11 from 10 a.m. -noon. For more information visit www.smartergrowth.net or call (202) 244-4408 ●

CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM ★

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Homecomer Rickey Bryant talks to young adults at a community outreach event held last summer at Lincoln Heights in NE DC.

offenders from returning to prison, but also something larger – to build better communities. D. C. has been grappling for years with the high rate of incarceration among its young men. Now, many are returning to D.C. from prison to a bleak job outlook and still high housing costs. Many return to prison. “There are too many Missing in Action,” Watkins emphasizes. “The high level of incarceration has impacted family structure. Our male and female youth are lacking positive role models.” Many programs aimed at exoffenders often proceed from the standpoint that the men and women have problems. Watkins’ program aims beyond helping ex-offenders get a GED or write a resume. “Until you get to the inner person, you’re just scratching the surface,” insists Watkins. McDaniel elaborates: “I haven’t met very many people who want to go back to jail,” asserts McDaniel. They think all they need is a job but it is more than that. Their mindset needs to change.” And that’s what NHA hopes to help them do.

Co-Production

Turning Ex-Oﬀenders into “Homecomers” National Homecomers Academy Works to Reintegrate Ex-offenders, Strengthen Communities East of the River by Steve Lilienthal

hen Cortez McDaniel returned from prison, he had few clothes. But he gave some to the homeless. “It made me feel I had the ability to help. I felt valued as a person,” explains McDaniel. McDaniel, now a successful employee at the Father McKenna Center which serves homeless men, says his past life of criminal activity “failed” his community. “I understand that I need to undo that.”

It’s a sentiment shared by other members of the core group of the National Homecomers Academy (NHA) as they seek to help other returning ex-offenders and to strengthen community life East of the River. What NHA offers is viewed by some as representing the missing link in effectively reintegrating exoffenders into the community. “The National Homecomers Academy is a support network for people who’ve made a commitment to change so they will avoid

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| JUNE 2011

returning to criminal activity,” says Bryan Young, Supervisory Program Analyst with the Court Services and Oﬀender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), which oversees parole and probabtion in DC.

NHA: Rebuilding Lives and Communities Soft-speaking Curtis Watkins, NHA’s national director, was in prison himself in the late 1970s. Watkins stresses NHA is about getting ex-oﬀenders to embrace “internal change.” The goal is to prevent ex-

CSOSA’s Young says Watkins, who has directed the East Capitol Center for Change and LifeSTARTS, an Anacostia-based organization which provides youth and family services, is well-positioned to work with ex-offenders and “help people who are ready to change, solidify change.” Watkins is able to meld psychological and sociological theory with street sense. Watkins explains that NHA relies on the theory of “co-production” which places a precedence on reciprocal assistance. Translated by Watkins, the heart of NHA’s philosophy is that of a support group which urges homecomers to change their lives by helping to transform their own communities and the lives of other returning ex-offenders. Watkins believes that everyone has something “to contribute for the benefit of others and themselves.” As homecomers become recognized for helping transform their own lives, they will be better able to help

transform their own communities. Talk’s Fine, But Where’s The Action? An analysis of NHA in its first year by consultant Ayo Atterberry credits homecomers with talking to students at a charter school, holding regular sessions with returning prisoners at a transitional home and residents of a drug treatment facility, and staging a men’s rap session for night school students at Ballou High School. Pictures are displayed on the walls of NHA’s offices in Trinidad of homecomers helping families with home cleanups and outreach cookouts held throughout the city last summer. Groups of homecomers conduct “safe passage” walks to make sure kids get to school unharmed. Dorothy Douglas, Ward 7’s representative on the State Board of Education, credits NHA members with providing valuable lessons to EOTR teens for telling kids “not to go the route they did because it will cost them.” Homecomers, such as William T. Lawson, hand out cards listing their home numbers, offering 24/7 hotline counseling. Lawson recalls with great satisfaction the late night call he received in January when a young person was ready to join a friend to commit an act of retaliatory violence. Lawson was able to talk him out of it. Homecomers link people to social services, and the “core group” of homecomers help others transitioning from prison in “redefining themselves as learners, contributors, and guides.”

Core Group NHA’s core group includes Lawson, Rickey Bryant, Elvin Johnson and several other colleagues. Atterberry’s report describes core members as having spent “on average” at least two decades in prison. NHA is non-sectarian, but members of NHA’s core group tend to derive their altruism from religious beliefs. Lawson, Johnson, and Bryant were students of Patricia O’Connor, Associate Professor of English at Georgetown University, who taught classes at the nowclosed Lorton prison. She recalls Johnson and Lawson urging others to participate in education and even after the men were sent to prisons outside DC, they kept in touch. Now, they deliver talks to GU students about prison life and after. The gory stories about life behind bars are true, but it’s far from the whole story insists O’Connor. “The people I met were deeply interested in changing their lives.” Poetry-loving Bryant, released after

spending over three decades in prison for participating in a robbery and homicide, tells teens from unhappy family backgrounds, which often includes parents with prison records: “You don’t have to be your mother or father. The key is educating yourself.”

Pain & Rehab Center Dr Nesley Clerge, DC Heon Jang, PT , DPT Auto Accidents and other injuries We accept Workers Comp and Medicare

NHA: Looking Toward the Future Atterbury’s analysis of NHA noted its need for better strategies to collect data. A new evaluation system, “Efforts to Outcomes,” has been instituted. Lawson will collect data weekly to measure the work of “Community Change Agents”, noting the assistance and referrals that were provided. McDaniel’s position at McKenna permits him to help many homeless ex-offenders find jobs and housing. He directs homecomers to NHA. There is a comprehensive lifeskills training curriculum, ranging from conflict resolution to healthy eating, which homecomers can use in their lives and share with others. Now, the homecomers are aiming at a more ambitious effort EOTR. Homecomers hope to work closely with teens and families in a mixed-income development, staging events such as family movie nights, community gardening, and gatherings for young adults. Kids will be encouraged to do positive things with their lives. A study room will be set up and one homecomer, Edward King, hopes to form a book club. Watkins says participating homecomers will need to meet stringent background checks and have sterling character references and parents must grant permission for their children to participate. Badi Foster, president of Phelps Stokes, an organization which connects emerging leaders and organizations in Africa and the Americas with resources to help them advance social and economic development, has invested substantially in NHA. Foster says NHA is not following the typical “top-down social service model. NHA takes people who are “stigmatized as throw-away people” and help them to rise above their circumstances by performing “noble” acts by giving to others, partly out of contrition and partly from the desire to serve. Foster hopes that if NHA succeeds, it will deter young people from repeating their mistakes and help other ex-offenders to transform their lives for the better.

2041 MLK Ave SE Ste 106 Washington DC 20020 202-610-0260

Our website just got a whole lot better!! www.capitalcommunitynews.com

Steve Lilienthal is a freelance writer who lives in Washington, D.C. ●

CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM ★ 25

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

The Man from Anacostia Random Thoughts on Redistricting by Charles Wilson

hether or not Ward 8’s boundaries should extend beyond the Anacostia River is not a central concern of its residents. Many do not have an opinion either way, much less are even aware that redistricting is actually taking place. Here are a few of my thoughts on the matter. If the area near the baseball stadium were transferred to Ward 8, as Councilmember Marion Barry has proposed, it surely would add wealthier homeowners to its population. This would slightly improve the ward’s oftquoted dismal economic statistics. However, let us be honest, it will do nothing to improve the quality of life for residents in Ward 8 that really need it. The only way to really improve life in Ward 8 is to reduce crime and provide jobs to our residents who struggle daily with the eﬀects of poverty. What we need is to economically grow and diversify east of the Anacostia, not west.

Move Development East Eventually, DC’s economy will recover. Developers will once again put their shovels in the ground. Tales of new retail, condominiums and building renovations will grace the front pages of every newspaper. Will the inclusion of the baseball stadium neighborhood put us in a better position to take advantage of the next economic boom? With the exception of St. Elizabeth’s, eco-

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nomic development is mostly taking place on the west of the Anacostia River. We need to ﬁnd a way to participate by attracting these dollars to the river’s eastern shore. Adding a district west of the river will not do that.

End “Stick em Up” Politics When I attended the initial hearing on redistricting, I noticed that it was the same ole folks speaking on behalf the Ward 8. Long time residents play an important role as advocates for our Ward. However, we must encourage new faces and voices to participate in these conversations. It is time to diversify. Why do we continue pursue a political strategy of “Stick em Up?” At the meeting, the conversation was more about taking a piece of Ward 6 in order to shake down the developers active around the ballpark. We need to abandon this old school tactic. It doesn’t work. If we are going to build bridges with our western neighbors across the Anacostia, we need to talk about the beneﬁts of diversity and advantages of partnership. The Anacostia River need not serve as a boundary between us and the rest of the District. Here is my not so bold prediction. Ten years from now when the redistricting process starts again, our western neighbors, rather than protesting against joining us, will be clamoring to settle in our midst. Everyone will recognize the Anacostia’s beauty and celebrate Ward 8 as the Promised Land. ●

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

Luxury 2 Bedrooms Now Available! All Utilities Included Neighborhood

Address

FEE SIMPLE ANACOSTIA 1603 U ST SE 2246 MOUNT VIEW PL SE 2015 NAYLOR RD SE 1443 RIDGE PL SE 2118 14TH ST SE 1826 MINNESOTA AVE SE 2215 CHESTER ST SE 1616 RIDGE PL SE

$270,000 $154,500 $104,000 $89,000 $70,000 $62,000 $60,000 $54,500

3 4 3 2 3 2 2 2

$230,000 $195,000

3 3

$222,000

$161,000 $155,000 $86,000 $52,000

3 2 2 3

$250,000 $211,500 $200,000 $190,000 $189,000 $174,999 $172,000 $172,000 $169,000 $169,000 $139,000 $125,000 $69,900 $65,000 $58,900 $50,000 $40,000

3 4 4 5 2 2 2 2 4 3 4 3 2 4 2 3 3

$169,900 $125,000 $95,000 $90,100 $65,000

3 3 3 2 3

$269,000 $265,000 $255,000 $115,000 $103,000 $93,450

3 3 4 4 3 2

$49,900

$70,000 $34,900 $22,000

2 2 1

$75,000 $42,000 $37,000

2 1 1

$1300

300 37th St. SE Washington, DC 20020

BARRY FARMS 1414 MORRIS RD SE 2337 POMEROY RD SE

CHILLUM 5622 2ND PL NW

CONGRESS HEIGHTS 73 DANBURY ST SW 603 ATLANTIC ST SE 4026 2ND ST SW 124 YUMA ST SE

DEANWOOD 4411 GRANT ST NE 1008 50TH PL NE 408 53RD ST NE 260 45TH ST NE 804 51ST ST NE 836 DIVISION AVE NE 5131 SHERIFF RD NE 6328 SOUTHERN AVE NE 5206 CLAY ST NE 4419 JAY ST NE 4440 BLAINE ST NE 5321 GAY ST NE 6312 SOUTHERN AVE NE 6334 SOUTHERN AVE NE 4207 FOOTE ST NE 215 56TH ST NE 4727 JAY ST NE

ANACOSTIA RIVER REALTY 2412 Minnesota Ave. SE Ste. 101 Washington, DC 20020

202-678-REAL (7325) www.AnacostiaRiverRealty.com

FORT DUPONT PARK 1310 42ND ST SE 1100 45TH PL SE 4145 ALABAMA AVE SE 1140 46TH ST SE 4616 REED TER SE

MARSHALL HEIGHTS 5200 BASS PL SE 5204 BASS PL SE 5206 BASS PL SE 5050 CALL PL SE 5139 HANNA PL SE 4621 EAST CAPITOL ST SE

CONDO ANACOSTIA 2317 16TH ST SE #301

CONGRESS HEIGHTS 725 BRANDYWINE ST SE #204 724 BRANDYWINE ST SE #104 10 HALLEY PL SE #10-302

HILL CREST 2101 FORT DAVIS ST SE #A 2011 38TH ST SE #A 2107 SUITLAND TER SE #301 ●

CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM ★

Atlas Room Shines on H article by Celeste McCall | photos by Andrew Lightman

his place just keeps getting better. We f irst visited the Atlas Room, hunkered in the heart of the ever-growing H Street corridor-shortly after it opened last November. We found it in the narrow space vacated a couple of years ago by Napa 1015. In spite of having to navigate continuing construction for H Street’s future trolley tracks, we found the slight hassle well worth it. (Hint: park on side streets.) We were impressed by chefowner Matt Corde’s stylish newcomer. However, our recent dining experiences have been even better.

Seafood Salad.

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The shoe box-shaped Atlas Room accommodates about 45 people; some are perched on the high-topped bar stools at the cozy lounge in the restaurant’s rear. Highlighting the snazzy decor are framed antique maps (circa 1500 AD, centuries before Google Earth), moss green walls, pearl grey drapes and unusual, hatbox shaped lighting fixtures. Black mesh place mats are also offbeat; each one covers two place settings opposite each other. Equally unusual and matching the world maps is the “global” menu of chef de cuisine Bobby Beard. Instead of regular courses, the list is sectioned by main ingredients (seafood, chicken, red meats, vegetables), and each item is prepared three different ways. Moreover, every food group comes in snack, appetizer and entree size. Atlas does not offer complimentary bread at dinner. This could be a good thing; we prefer not to fill up with extra calories before plunging into the main event. However, as a friend later remarked, Beard’s sauces are so delicious you want something to mop them up with. Good point. We began one evening with a seafood dish. Fisherman’s chowder (an appetizer) was a thick, cream based stew laced with clams, mussels, shrimp and fin fish; one evening the latter was cobia, a warm water species also known as black kingfish, ling and lemon fish. That same early visit also produced Indian-spiced beef, artfully arranged with eggplant puree and curry-scented cauliflower. (Indian chefs do marvelous things with cauliflower, as we learned on our recent trip to this exotic sub-continent.) At a more recent dinner, the special was wahoo (a mild, buttery Hawaiian fish), presented with a melange of pureed celery root and potatoes, and sauced with a red wine reduction. Short rib ravioli was absolutely melt-in-your-mouth, a trio of delicate pillows plumped with tender meat caressed with an exquisite sauce. “Yum-o” a fellow guest remarked as she restrained herself from licking the plate. Chef Beard grew up on a Pennsylvania farm. He learned cooking from his grandmother and perfected his skills at Michel Richard’s Citronelle, and later at the (now defunct) Olives

only held one; I did NOT want to share it! Oh yes, don’t forget the bread. One of the “share” items is a basket overflowing with a cranberry muffin, a golden raisin scone and slices of soda bread, ready to be slathered with curry apricot butter. On the Atlas wine list: the whimsical name and label of Big Nose red--a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Cabernet Franc--caught my eye at dinner one evening. However, we preferred our single glasses of mellow Coyote Canyon Sangiovese, from Washington State’s Yakima Valley. Atlas’ trendy cocktails are fashioned with hand-squeezed fruit juices and other made-from-scratch ingredients. Brunch libations– priced at a bargain $8 each–go far beyond the usual eye-opener route. Bloody Marys are fashioned from Finlandia vodka and laced with horseradish, celery salt and cucumber, enlivened with a dash of veal reduction. We could not taste the latter, but maybe it was just a subtle flavoring. Midday Atlas “sparklers” start with Foss Marai Nadin proscecco, enhanced with various additions: elder flower liqueur, orange juice, mango and cilantro puree or raspberry puree. Atlas Room is pricy but not outrageous; dinner for three came to $99, before tax and tip. Brunch tabs, naturally, are lower.

restaurant, under chef Todd English. Perhaps thanks to his rural background, Beard does wondrous things with lamb. His dinnertime duo of saddle and top round was so mild and tender we thought it could be beef. The combo was flanked with sauteed mushrooms, fingerling potatoes and emerald green spears of broccoli rabe, drizzled with aromatic rosemary lamb jus. We also loved Beard’s moist, zesty lamb fritters. A melange of field greens was zapped with aged sherry almond vinaigrette and speckled with Parmesan croutons, shaved carrots, a few cubes of bleu cheese and what tasted like sugary bits of almond. The crisp salad complemented the rich meat dishes nicely. In spite of such rich dinner offerings, we somehow found room for dessert. Tres leches cake (literally three kinds of milk) was divinely decadent, celebrating the Hispanic background of talented pastry chef Wendy Sanchez.

Sunday Brunch The Atlas Sunday brunch menu is lightly different from the evening listing, divided among “full plates, “share” and “gnosh.” For a “full plate,” we chose an “Atlas omelette” filled with mushrooms, herbs, and Gruyere cheese. The fluffy eggs only needed a smidgeon of salt–which our waiter Napoleon Morales promptly provided–to bring out the subtle flavors. Home fries, laced with bits of onion, provided an ideal accompaniment. Peter’s “shared” plate of grilled seafood salad was an oddly flavored (with tarragon) montage of mussels, calamari and shrimp, poised atop a tiny mound of pearly Israeli cous cous. Back to chef Beard’s wonderful lamb dishes: By far our favorite brunch offering was the lamb empanada–spicy minced lamb tucked inside a single envelope of flaky pastry and sauced with sundried tomato and olive tapenade. The plate

The Atlas Room 1015 H St. NE (Atlas District) 202-388-4020 www.theatlasroom.com

TOP to BOTTOM 1. Lamb empanadas. 2. Tres leches cake.

The Atlas Room is open Tuesday through Thursday from 5:30 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m.. Lounge hours go to 1 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Sunday Brunch is served from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. ●

3. Chef Bobby Beard.

CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM ★ 29

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE

cRiTiCaL eXpOsUrE Barry Mosley, YouthBuild Public Charter School, GED Program article and photos by Barry Mosley

This is a picture of two posters for community service, one in Spanish and one in English. It shows diversity in the school and acceptance of many languages. It makes me smile to know that we can get along.

Portrait of Barry Mosley

This is a picture of a student and a staff member working together to get things done. At YouthBuild, the teachers really care about their students, whether they are Hispanic, black or whatever else you might be. I took this picture around 4:30, late in the afternoon. It shows that there is a lot of after-school activity. People tend to stay around because they want to get extra help and the teachers are there to give it.

This is a photo of me checking out some posters in a classroom. YouthBuild is in a basement of a building, but they try to make it lively by putting up different signs to catch your eyes with different colors--blues, greens, reds. They try to brighten things up.

Build Site

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YouthBuild Entrance: Youthbuild is the program I attend to get my GED. It’s a good program so if you’re not doing anything in school or something, come here. It’s a public charter school where you can get get skills like construction and community service. Also, when I leave YouthBuild, I will not only have my GED, but some construction skills as well.

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’m Barry Mosley, 21 years old, from DC. A little bit about myself -- I like to make people smile. But other than that, I’m just an all around happy guy I guess. When I was younger, I didn’t think that schools were for me. I didn’t get much work done, just fooled around, went there just for lunch. I stopped going to high school, eventually I tried a couple other schools, tried to get into a couple GED programs, but they said I was too old, which is crazy to me. It shouldn’t matter your age, how old you are; if you want to get your education, I feel as though you should be able to get it, no matter how old you are. Now I’m going to YouthBuild. It’s a cool little public school. They help you get your GED and learn construction too. I believe a good way to help the kids that are going into high school now is to maybe have a mentor or somebody who is older that they can talk to and say, ‘how was high school, what can I expect?’ to help them along. That’s what I was missing. If I’d had that, I probably would have ﬁnished high school. But I didn’t. Alternative schools are smaller and have more of a support system. There’s more one on one, personal attention. It’s not 50 students in

a class and only one teacher. It’s little classes, 10-15 kids in a class. I feel as though that’s better because you get more attention if you need it. The two options I believe you have at YouthBuild when you graduate…you can always go to college or construction, working of some type. You’re prepared for both. More alternative schools would help kids or young adults who were in school, but got in trouble or had a rough transition, like getting pregnant. I think it would be a pretty good idea if they had more alternative schools for kids who are struggling in school or kids who feel like comprehensive schools aren’t for them.

Critical Exposure is a non-profit organization in Washington DC that teaches youth to use the power of photography and their own words to advocate for education reform and social change. Over the years, Critical Exposure has worked with students to document issues such as poor school facilities, homelessness, teen pregnancy, school lunches and the dropout crisis. Every semester, Critical Exposure runs programs in three to four schools around DC. This semester marked the first ever Fellowship Program. A program for advanced students from across the city to come together after school to learn together and discuss specific education-based issues using their diverse perspectives. For more information about Critical Exposure’s work, visit: www.criticalexposure.org or conctact us: info@criticalexposure.org. ● CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM ★ 31

C O N T I N U I N G

E D U C A T I O N

Lifelong Learning New Opportunities Abound in the World of Continuing Education by Peter Sherer

ith 20 to 30 extra years after our first careers, Boomers are going back to school to get new credentials, using on-line learning sites, studying fun stuff at places like the Smithsonian Associates, and creating new venues where “each one can teach one.” All of this is happening fast. Used to be that you went to high school and then to a job for 25 years. A few went on to college and fewer still went on to get a graduate degree. So education was time-limited and targeted at young people. Not so anymore. The way that education is being delivered is changing dramatically, and so too are the people served. Dan Pink in his book Free Agent Nation says, “Within a few years, the number of thirty-fiveplus-year-old college students will exceed the number of 18 and 19 year old college students.” Boomers will be right there at the next desk, or in a lively chat room satisfying more than just a healthy curiosity. Why? Lots of reasons.

To Make Money In The World is Flat, Tom Friedman argues that the unit of organization in the world has transitioned from the country, to the corporation and ﬁnally to the individual. A person in Toledo can cook up a net-based scheme with a partner in Vladivostok and start a business practically overnight. That means if you have a business, you better keep getting smarter. Almost 12 million boomers will start their own business sometime during the third stage of life. That’s a lot of demand for new knowledge.

Credentialing of New Professionals Boomers are going to demand a wide variety of new services, from

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gyms and trainers that cater to the above 60 crowd, to the many kinds of coaches for our varied interests ranging from violin lessons to high-altitude rock climbing. Some of us will want to learn to read Chinese or Hindi to understand the future world economy, and others will tackle a whole host of European languages as we reconnect with our past. Every one of the trainers, coaches, and teachers will have to become credentialed sooner rather than later. Not only do Boomers want to avoid working with someone who is not world class, but we demand “professional quality” in all our purchases. Why else, as David Brooks explains in Bobos in Paradise, do we buy hiking boots that are suitable for the Andes to navigate the produce section at Harris Teeter?

Immigration, Education and the Good Life As the U.S. population diversiﬁes, newcomers will continue to ﬂood into junior colleges and then into four-year universities. More than ever, the ticket to the U.S. middle class is through the schoolhouse door. The idea of lifelong learning has been a part of many other cultures for generations, and émigrés coming to the U.S. will only reinforce that attitude. Boomers as a whole are likely to join in, in order to keep up.

Rate of New Knowledge Development Some experts say that many ideas that are more than ﬁve years old become outdated by newer research. In some ﬁelds like computer science and electronics, the half-life of a product or service is much more time-sensitive. Chat rooms, professional on-line peer groups, the immediate sharing of discoveries through open-source software will push us to stay current. Local libraries will morph into hubs of peer| JUNE 2011

led sessions on topics from French Cooking to Extreme Sports. Books on hand-held electronic devices, more magnet schools, and improved technology education starting in ﬁrst grade will multiply new ideas logarithmically.

Learning Communities of Interest Whole neighborhoods will organize around interests. There is a community in Arizona of racing car fans who have built their houses around a two-and-a-half-mile racetrack. The Wall Street Journal had an article on this that said in part “would you like your house to come with a physical trainer? That’s the draw of an $800 million development focused on wellness, CooperLife at Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, which features a 75,000-square-foot aerobics center, a large amount of ﬁtness equipment, healthy meals delivered to your door, trainers and ﬁtness coaches, and annual physicals.” Six pack abs type Boomers will be wall to wall.

Living Where You Learn Twenty-two colleges and universities have already built housing on campus to attract Boomers to move permanently. Some are even figuring out how to provide in-house health care in addition to housing and the use of university facilities as part of the live-on-campus model. Others are beefing up courses designed to attract us. A leader, the Bernard Osher Foundation, has established Osher Lifelong Learning Centers at 120 colleges and universities here and abroad. American, George Washington, Georgetown, George Mason and many other local schools are using Osher grants to offer relatively cheap courses aimed specifically at Boomer interest in the visual arts, music, literature, technology, science, fitness and spirituality, to name just a few.

Learning for the Fun of it In 1975, Elderhostel pioneered educational services for older people under the guiding assumption that if you were over 50 years old, you could still think. Today Elderhostel sponsors 8,000 programs each year in about 90 countries. For years, Elderhostel enjoyed richly deserved industry leadership free of serious competition. Now every website and school on the planet wants into the game. How about a trip to Greece? Is there a college or university around that won’t hook you up with your alumni class to tour the islands? Want to make beaded necklaces, learn to sing operetta, ﬂy ﬁsh with skill, throw pots, drive a Segway, hang glide, and become a puppeteer to sick kids, and on and on? You get the point. If you want to do it, someone is prepared to teach you at whatever level your wallet allows.

The Future The Boomer cohort can count on a lot more innovation and scope when it comes to learning opportunities in the years ahead. Millions of people are going to pursue additional learning for fun and proﬁt. Ten years from now, I can imagine an elaborate on-line barter system so that the jewelry makers can trade their know-how to learn to say “hola” from the Spanish language speakers without a lot of cash trading hands. I can imagine whole apartment buildings being inhabited by a group who shares the same interests. After the rest of us trade our houses in the burbs for sensible living in the city, a new learning experience will be only a Metro ride away. Become an expert and join the parade. You can contact Peter Sherer at peter@ expmatters.com. ●

Weatherization Training Center Train Now for a Better Career

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C O N T I N U I N G

E D U C A T I O N

EDUCATION LISTINGS: Some Local Programs

hether you need to go back to school to retool for a new career, need a diﬀerent skill-set to move forward in your existing job or are just interested in broadening your knowledge base, there is a program out there for you. Here are some of them.

Central Michigan University Central Michigan University, an innovator and leader in quality programs for adult learners, offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees plus professional development courses tailored to the unique needs of working students. Programs are offered at seven CMU centers in the Metro DC/Baltimore area. Founded in 1892, CMU is an accredited state university ranked as the 10th most productive small research university in the nation. More than 70,000 students have graduated from CMU’s Off-Campus Programs since 1971. CMU prides itself on its quality programs and the personal service we offer to all of our students. For more information go to www.cmich. edu/metroDC, or call 877-679-1268.

The Master of Arts in Theatre Education – Catholic University The Master of Arts in Theatre Education - MATE - degree program, offered by the Drama Department, has been designed to accommodate the schedules of working professionals. All required courses (7 Drama courses and 2 Education courses) are offered in the evenings and during summer sessions. Beginning in the summer of 2012, students will be able to complete the MATE degree coursework over three summers. This degree prepares teachers and other professionals who wish to improve their skills in theatre production or to enhance learning through drama methods across the curriculum and in different educational settings. For more information about the program call 202-3195351, e-mail cua-drama@cua.edu, or visit drama.cua.edu.

Master of Professional Studies in Security and Safety Leadership George Washington University The Master of Professional Studies in Security and Safety Leadership and two related graduate certificates are full-time programs offered on part-time schedules, either face-to-face or fully online. These cohort programs meet the professional development needs of individuals who are involved in the security sector and have experience in law enforcement, emergency management, security consulting, transportation security, fire service, public safety, or the military. For more information, call 703.248.2800 or go to www.nearyou.gwu.edu/ssl.

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Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies has designed unique programs that will provide you with the skills, knowledge and relationships to help you meet your personal, professional and educational goals. We invite you to attend an information session and reception on Wednesday, June 22, 6:30pm to ﬁnd out why the impact of both our educators and our students can be felt far beyond the classroom. Our master’s degree programs include Human Resources Management, Journalism, Public Relations & Corporate Communications, Real Estate, Sports Industry Management, Liberal Studies and Technology Management. RSVP today by visiting scs.georgetown.edu/capitol. 202-687-8700

Graduate School USA Graduate School USA is an independent, not-for-profit educational institution headquartered in the nation’s capital with additional sites located throughout the U.S. The School engages a diverse student population through innovative and proven approaches to teaching and learning that take advantage of its locations, its network of public and corporate leaders and practitioners, state-of-the-art technologies, and connections with major employers. Graduate School USA provides a broad array of learning opportunities in formats accessible to adult learners everywhere through affordable training programs, continuing education courses, executive and leadership development programs, and credit offerings at the certificate and associate degree levels. For more information go to www. graduateschool.edu, or call 888-744-GRAD

United Planning Organization Weatherization Training Center: The United Planning Organization’s Weatherization Training Center (WTC) offers a full range of competencybased training courses, seminars and certifications for persons or organizations interested in residential energy conservation. The WTC has abundant resources, a well qualified staff, and a superbly equipped, state-of-the-art, hands on demonstration lab. This is a fast growing job sector that will demand highly trained and skilled professionals to weatherize current and future housing in the United States for at least the next 75 years. For Information Contact: Weatherization Training Center. 915 Girard Street, NE. Washington, DC 20017. 202-5262644. www.upo.org ●

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KIDS & FAMILY

Ferebee-Hope Principal, Dr. Jeffrey Grant, Capital One executives and students during official ribbon cutting last Thursday. Photo: Kerri Daddazio

Ferebee-Hope Community School and Ballou High School Get Reading Corners Through a generous grant from Capital One Bank, The Heart of America Foundation® design team worked with the Ferebee-Hope Community School staﬀ to transform a classroom adjacent to the school’s library into a vibrant reading area with age-appropriate reading material for students. Approximately 75 Capital One Bank volunteers worked at both Ballou SHS and Ferebee-Hope over a two-day period to create the READesign® Reading Corners--from decorating and assembling furniture, to sorting and stocking books. In addition to the more than 200 books provided for each of the Reading Corners, including 100 ﬁnancial literacy themed books, Capital One Bank will also donate books for students to take home to build their own home library. heartofamerica.org

Notebook by Kathleen Donner

Tales from the Land of the Gullah for Kids Friday, June 10, 10:30 PM. In this engaging video, Anita Singleton-Prather returns as Aunt Pearlie-Sue, her most beloved character. This time she is surrounded by 50 children singing along and interacting as she tells the Gullah (West African) version of popular nursery rhymes, fables, and fairy tales. Free. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-6334820. anacostia.si.edu

his band, W.E.S. Group. The master class will demonstrate the connections between jazz and hip hop music and give students and teachers an understanding of the unifying features of these cultural creations originated in the African American community. Wednesday, June 8, 10:30 AM. This class is free for middle-school students. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org

Jazz Meets Hip Hop Concert and Master Class

Washington Nationals Dream Foundation to Breaks Ground on Youth Baseball Academy

The DC Jazz festival presents a master class with saxophonist/composer, Dr. William E. Smith and

After more than ﬁve years of extensive planning, the Washington Nationals Dream Foun-

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| JUNE 2011

dation hosted a formal groundbreaking for the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy on May 31. The Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy will operate as a year-round youth development program committed to teaching the fundamentals of baseball and softball while providing after-school and summer educational programs for youth in neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River. The Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy will include three baseball ﬁelds and an 18,000 square foot state-ofthe-art educational facility featuring classrooms, community rooms, a teaching kitchen and indoor

training facilities. The National Park Service provided nearly nine acres of land at Fort Dupont Park, while ﬁnancial contributions are being made by the District of Columbia, the Washington Convention and Sports Authority and the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation for construction and operating costs. Future site of the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy Fort Dupont Park, 3779 Ely Pl. SE. nationals.com/dream

Camp Ernest Brown Scholarship Opportunity The Sixth District Citizen’s Advisory Council is sponsoring Sixth District (east of the river) youth to attend a one week session at Camp Brown for the 2011 summer session. To be considered for scholarship, completed applications must be submitted to the Sixth District Community Outreach Coordinator via email scan to Julia.irving@dc.gov; facsimile 202.727.8223 or in person at 100 42nd St. NE. Deadline for submission is June 20. Camp Brown has been operated by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington for 74 years. They provide seven openenrollment sessions to urban youth ages 7-13 wishing to escape the city during the summer. The campground is located adjacent to the Potomac River in Scotland, Maryland. Campers can enjoy a range of activities including ﬁshing, arts & crafts, hiking, karaoke, softball and theatrical acting/performance. $150 for DC residents. Payment plans available. For more information, call Jasmine Taylor, Camp Brown Registrar at 202-540-2307. bgcgw.org

MPD’s Safe Summer Kickoff/ WPGC Community Softball Game This event, for ages 13-18, will take place on the softball ﬁeld of Stanton Elementary School, 2701 Naylor Rd. SE. on

Community Child Development Center “A Child’s World for Learning”

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1105 50th St., NE Washington DC 20019

202-397-1170

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5:1 Student to Adult Ratio State-of-the-Art Computer Technology Therapeutic Special Education Program Vocational Program that offers Culinary Arts, Cosmetology • JROTC • Outstanding Athletics

Call 202-547-1028 today! to schedule an interview and tour of the school. 1375 E Street NE Washington DC 20002 www.optionsschool.org CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM ★ 37

KIDS & FAMILY

Jaylynn Corbett’s poster

Jaylynn Corbett Wins Hillcrest Center Environmental Poster Contest Jaylynn Corbett will receive a $50 prize for her poster submitted in the 11-13 year-old category in the Hillcrest Community Center poster contest. Jaylynn is a talented, creative and lovely young lady with a sophisticated understanding of our environment and “thinking green.” Congratulations, Jaylynn.

Wednesday, June 22, 4:00-8:00 PM. It will serve as the kickoﬀ to a summer campaign promoting a safe summer for families and youth of all ages. The event will also provide parents with some last-minute options for structured events (camps/summer jobs) for their children during the summer months, while enjoying the ﬁrst of a series of Community Softball Games in conjunction with WPGC’s Outreach

Team. The event will feature free food, fun and entertainment. For more information, contact: Lendia.Johnson@ dc.gov or 202-698-1454. mpdc.dc.gov

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Truancy-Reduction Program Launched District oﬃcials, in coordination with District and private health and human-services agencies, the D.C.

Public Schools and Public Charter Schools and the court system, have begun a program to identify truant 9th graders at three schools – Ballou and Anacostia Senior High Schools and the Washington Mathematics and Science Technology Public Charter School – where truancy is a particularly signiﬁcant problem. There are about 120 chronically truant 9th-grade students at these three schools. Between

now and the end of this school year, the program will identify 9th graders at the schools who have accumulated 5-10 days of unexcused absences and help connect them and their families with social services.

World Children’s Festival on the National Mall June 17-19, the International

Child Art Foundation will host the World Children’s Festival on the National Mall in front of the US Capitol building. The Festival attracts thousands of people from around the world, boasting winning child artwork, hundreds of workshops and activities as well as continual performances from cultures spanning the globe. Since 1997 ICAF has organized the World Children’s Festival in Washington, DC. The 3-day event – the world’s largest international celebration of children’s creativity and imagination – takes place every four years on The National Mall opposite the U.S. Capitol and is free and open to the public. Hosted to honor the Arts Olympiad winners from each US state and territory and from nearly 100 participating countries, the festival attracts at least 10,000 attendees. 202-5301000. icaf.org

DC United Tryouts for Youth Academy Teams DC United has announced that the club will hold tryouts for the 2011-2012 Academy Under-14, 15, 16, and 18 teams between May 16-July 20. DC United Youth Academy teams play against Mid-Atlantic Academy sides in the US Soccer Development Academy and the Northeast Pre-Academy League. Over the course of the year-long season beginning in September, players will have the opportunity to compete in elite domestic and international tournaments. Players wishing to tryout must submit or fax the appropriate registration forms on dcunited. com/academy. The primary contact for the submission process is DC United Youth Development Coordinator, Junior Castro, who can be reached at 202-587-5498. dcunited.com

Ronald Reagan Centennial Youth Conference On Monday, June 20, 2:00 PM, at the National Archives William G. McGowan Theater, students will examine the role CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM ★ 39

of civil discourse and its significance from the founding of the United States to our present democracy. Presented in partnership with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and the Close-Up Foundation. Seating will be limited and on a first-come, first-serve basis. Free. 202-357-5000. archives.gov

Free Kids’ Jerseys at Nat’s Park Saturday, June 18, 1:05 PM. Free kids’ jerseys to ﬁrst 10,000 fans in attendance, 12 and under. Nationals vs. Orioles. washington.nationals.mlb.com

Twitter @ Youth202 DC Public Library announces Youth202--DC’s first and only comprehensive source for jobs, internships, scholarships, events, programs, and other positivity for teens in the city--on Twitter @Youth202. Teens have been saying they don’t know where to look to find important information for them, so librarians and teen staff have been busy scouring the web and the Twittersphere to solve that. @ Youth202 is a great resource, and you can help make it better. If you have any programs, events, jobs, internships, or other important information for teens (14-19 primarily), e-mail teeninfo@dc.gov. Be sure to include a link to more info online, a short description, dates/times, etc. Or, if you’re already on Twitter, just tag your post with #dcteens or mention them @youth202. teeninfo@dc.gov.

Family Fun Packs for Oklahoma! at Arena Stage Special for the production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! ( July 8-Oct. 2), Arena Stage is oﬀering families the opportunity to purchase tickets in a Family Fun Pack for $153, all fees included. Four tickets are included per Family Fun Pack, with a limit of two packs per household. For each Family Fun Pack there must be at least two children ages 5-17, and proof of age is required at the time of purchase or pick up from the box oﬃce. A limited number of fun packs are available per performance. 202-4883300. arenastage.org.

Mr. Lincoln’s Air Force Family Day at Air and Space Saturday, June 11, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM. (Museum open daily until 7:30 PM through Sept. 4.) Did you know that hot air balloons were used for espionage during the Civil War? Learn about the balloon ascension that took place on the Mall 150 years ago this month and more. There will be a variety of activities for the whole family. Free. National Air and Space Museum, Independence Ave. at Sixth St. SW. 202-633-2214. nasm.si.edu

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Trains Their restored early 20th century rolling stock steams through the mountains of Western Maryland on a stunning 32 mile round trip between Cumberland and Frostburg from May-Dec. More than three hundred years of American history are tied together by a ribbon of steel that thrills riders of all ages. $16-$55. wmsr.com

YES! Youth Engagement through Science During the six week National Museum of Natural History program, interns will work on meaningful research projects with the Museum’s world class research scientists. YES! interns will work on a host of diﬀerent 40 ★ EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE

| JUNE 2011

projects, ranging from preparing 70 million year old fossils, caring for and handling live insects, to helping scientists document the diversity of rare marine worms, deep sea corals and insects. Interns will be given the unique opportunity to go behind-the-scenes into the Museum’s vast research collections – seeing rare collections including meteorites, mummies and mammoth skulls! Students will engage in college preparation planning and activities with the Center for Minority Achievement in Science and Technology (CMAST). The fall session is Saturdays from Sept. 24-Nov. 11, 9:00 AM-noon. Students will receive a stipend for their participation in the program. For more information, email yesprogram@si.edu or call 202-633-0815. mnh.si.edu

Girls on the Run (DC) Family-Friendly 5K On Sunday, June 5, 10:00 AM, come early to American University Quad for pre-race activities starting at 8:45 AM. The event is open to all -- men, women, children of ages. All children who complete the 5K will receive a “finishers medal” at the finish line. $25. GOTR is an after-school program for girls grades 3-8 that combines fun and fitness with lessons about self-respect and healthy living. The curriculum has a positive impact on girls at an important stage in their development. gotrdc. org

7.5 Million Facebook Users Under 13 Of the 20 million minors who actively used Facebook in the past year, 7.5 million of them were younger than 13, according to projections from Consumer Reports’ latest State of the Net survey. Facebook’s terms of service require users to be at least 13 years old. Also among this group of minors using Facebook, more than 5 million were 10 and under. Consumer Reports survey found that their accounts were largely unsupervised by their parents, exposing them to malware or serious threats such as predators or bullies. The report on Internet security, which includes the full survey results and advice for parents of Facebook users, is featured in the June issue of Consumer Reports and on ConsumerReports.org.

Girls Make History Day at Navy Museum Come to the Navy Museum on Saturday, June 25, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM, for a fun ﬁlled day of activities as they explore the history of the time periods your child’s favorite American Girl characters lived in. Please check the Museum’s website at history.navy.mil/NMUSN for additional information as the event gets closer. RSVPs are not required this year. Free. Washington Navy Yard, 805 Kidder Breese St. SE ( 6th and M St. SE gate). history.navy.mil/NMUSN

Washington Yu Ying’s Dragon Festival and Auction On Saturday, June 11, 6:00 PM, the festival is on the grounds of their beautiful new building at 220 Taylor St. NE. This event features music, entertainment and both silent and live auctions. It is an important fundraiser for their school and this year the proceeds will go towards our new playground and gardens. For more information, contact ldaley@washingtonyuying.org. washingtonyuying.org ●

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KIDS & FAMILY

New Charter Schools Offer Unique Options by James Jones our new charter schools offering widely differing educational programs will be added to the District’s public education landscape this fall. And the organizers of these schools are discovering that the public appetite for alternatives to the traditional DCPS offerings remains strong. As with most new charters, each of the schools will start with only a few grades. They are all welcoming applications, but all of these newbies already have waiting lists for most grade levels. Here’s a brief rundown of the four new kids on the education block for the District in 2011.

possess the ability to succeed academically and think critically. “The goals for our students are centered on four principles: intellect, inquiry, imagination, and integrity,” explains School Principal Zoe Duskin. “With these four principles, we teach students how to think, not just what to think.” Classrooms will be student-centered with children working in small collaborative groups, individually, and

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learning is at the heart of a school -- both student and adult learning -- great things are possible,” said Duskin. The school will be housed at 4401 8th St., NE, near Providence Hospital. The initial school year class will be comprised of students age three through third grade, with plans to eventually expand to eighth grade. The school is still encouraging appli-

to combine a focus on environmental sustainability with bilingual education. The overall school theme of global stewardship, “is more than just about taking care of the earth,” said Kristin Scotchmer, Mundo Verde’s Executive Director. “Language and culture are a critical component of stewardship,” she said, noting that many parents are looking for a school that emphasizes, “how important it is to understand perspectives other than your own.” Like several other charter schools in the city, Mundo Verde will employ an educational model known as Expeditionary Learning. The curriculum has been designed around interactive, hands-on projects that spark curiosThe Inspired ity, promote active learnTeaching School ing, encourage teamwork, The Inspired Teachand capitalize on chiling Demonstration dren’s spirit of adventure, Charter School will put according to information into practice what trainprovided by the school. ers at D.C.’s Center for Mundo Verde will Inspired Teaching have initially be comprised of taught for 15 years: emstudents age three to five. brace the innate intelliTheir first year “incubator” gence of all children and building will be in Dupont use their natural desire for Circle at 2001 S Street, inquiry to direct learning NW. The school has a in the classroom. waiting list for all grades, The demonstrabut welcomes applications Mundo Verde Board Members (from left) Katherine Roboff, Executive Director Kristin Scotchmer, Bob Wittig and Sara Elliott. tion school is an outat mundoverdepcs.org growth of the Center, a for the 2011-2012 school DC non-profit that has cations for admission from all parts of year. through child-initiated play. trained teachers now in classrooms And students won’t be the only the city and there are a limited numaround the country. The Inspired ones learning, says Duskin. Another ber of slots available in grades 1, 2 and The Richard Wright Public Charter Teaching School hopes to showcase key element of the school is that the 3. Applications can be completed at School for the Media Arts that the student-centered instruc- adults in the classroom – a master inspiredteachingschool.org or by callRichard Wright PCS offers stutional approach not only produces teacher and teacher resident – will ing 202-462-1956. dents in grades 8-12 a high school academically talented kids, but also also be constantly engaged in their experience that provides the opporshapes children who are self-direct- own learning experience. The idea is to tunity to focus on journalism and ed and maintain their natural desire make sure teachers experience growth Mundo Verde Bilingual Public media arts. The educational goal of to learn. the school is to create writers, jourCharter School each day and remain as interested and The Inspired Teaching philosophy exciting about school as the children. Mundo Verde will be the District’s nalists and productive citizens, usis rooted in the idea that all children “We’re going to show that when first “green” public school, and the first ing the instruction of Latin as the

foundation for improved language skills. Dr. Marco Clark, founder and Head of School said he was driven to take action after looking at reading and writing scores of students in Ward 7. It was clear to him that a new approach was needed. “Our kids need to learn a different way, and they need to learn to develop skills that allow them to advocate for themselves,” Clark said. He settled on a very old approach – Latin. The school will provide intensive remedial training for eighth graders who are failing to perform at their class level. “I see too many children who are simply not prepared to benefit from high school,” Clark said. “If they come in behind, we will start with intensive study in 8th grade so by the time they become 9th graders they will be ready to go with a real serious high school curriculum,” said Clark. “We are all business.” Each day, students will eat breakfast together and then gather with teachers and staff for “Family Matters,” a 10-minute period about classroom and school goals, and expectations of character and behavior. Uniforms are mandatory and those who are struggling in the classroom will be required to attend a “Saturday Academy.” The school will also equip students to succeed: each Richard Wright student will be issued a laptop to take home and to use in school. The day will not end with classes. Students will be required to participate in an after school Journalism and Media Arts Workshop each day from 4-5 p.m. These workshops will offer opportunities for students to explore interests in areas outside the classroom. “I thought it would be great for kids to use their skills in film development, music, and other communications media,” said Clark. “I want these kids to be the voice of what is going on in their world.” The school will be located at 100 41st Street, NE and currently has a waiting list for all grades. For

more information or to apply for placement on the waiting list call 202-526-7283 or visit richardwrightpcs.org.

Shining Stars Montessori Pubic Charter School The goal of Shining Stars Principal Rhonda Sabater is to bring the Montessori education concept within reach of every child in the District of Columbia. “It would have been a lot easier to set up our school as a private school,” Sabater said. “But we wanted to create a free and open school that embraced the Montessori idea of educating the whole child.” Sabater says Shining Stars will couple Montessori principles with a “cultural empowerment” curriculum to reach its target population. “Cultural empowerment means we want to focus on having things in the classroom and discussions that reflect the culture of the children in the room,” Sabater said. Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching, or reading, and allows children to learn at their own, individual pace and according to their own choice of activities. Montessori classes place children in three-year age groups, forming classes in which the older children share their knowledge with the younger ones. “Montessori schools have rarely been on the radar of inner-city families,” Sabater said, primarily because most Montessori schools are private and the concept is not widely known. Shining Stars will begin with students ages 3-6, with plans to expand to older children in the near future. The permanent home for Shining Stars will be 2616 Georgia Avenue, NW. That building is being renovated, and school officials say they will temporarily be housed at a facility in the same area. The school is fully enrolled currently, but is accepting applications for their waiting list at www.ssmapcs.org. ●

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THE NOSE

Redistricting, It’s a White Wash! by Anonymous

o the names ‘Kingman Park’ or ‘Fairlawn’ fail to register in your geographical imagination? Does the moniker ‘Rosedale’ conjure up images of southern plantations a la Gone with the Wind? Do not despair, Dear Readers. Many west of Rock Creek can’t recall the number of their ward much less remember that the formal title of the Chairman of the DC Council is not ‘Fully-Loaded.’ You may recall those annoying folks with the clip boards who recently roamed the District insisting that we all stand up and be counted. The results of the decennial census are now in. To no one’s surprise, Ward 2, which extends from Georgetown to Shaw, has grown 16 percent. Unfortunately, federal law and the Supreme Court are wedded to this tiny constitutional principle known as ‘equal representation.’ So, the lines of DC’s eight wards must be redrawn. Poor Jack [Evans]. He has to give someone in Ward 2 the boot. Wealthy Georgetown, the booming West End, swanky Dupont, the teeming Penn Quarter or the obnoxious undergraduates of Foggy Bottom undoubtedly do not top Jack’s list of expendables. These card-carrying members of city’s highest tax bracket are closest to his heart. In the Evansverse, it is the wealthy that really need the protection of government. They suffer the predations of voracious parking meters. The myrmidons of the DC Office of Tax and Revenue pillage their bank accounts. Their businesses require the fertilization of generous tax credits. Unfortunately, Evans, along with Michael “Not That” Brown and Phil “The Nitpicker” Mendelson, is a member of the ‘Troika’ charged by the DC Council with redrawing the wards. This crafty cabal has now offered up its final solution for redistricting the District. Drum roll, please!

46 ★ EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE

| JUNE 2011

Leaving Wards 1, 3, 4 and 5 largely untouched, the Troika has drawn the new Ward 6 in the shape of that mythical political beast, the gerrymander. The head of this monster is outlined by a boundary that carefully snakes up 7th Street NW around the Convention Center, Jack’s pet project, and continues up 9th Street. Can it be that residents east of this line do not possess income required to be “Friends of Jack?” Their removal will significantly lower the melanin quotient of the new Ward 2. The Troika also awarded Jack the remainder of the Penn Quarter with its bevy of delicious dining options. After all, a man’s gotta eat. To balance the population gained on the west, the Troika pulled Ward 6 back from the shores of the Anacostia. With the notable exception of the Eastern High School campus, sections of the Hill East and Rosedale neighborhoods east of 17th Street will now join Ward 7. Why is a funky turkey the best shape for a new Ward 6? Why didn’t the Troika listen to a better solution offered by Marion “The Mayor for Life” Barry? Unable to bring economic development to Ward 8, Barry seized on redistricting as the perfect method for cooking his ward’s dismal economic statistics. All the Troika had to do was award him one or two census tracks of wealthy, white residents. Transferring the tiny ballpark neighborhood to Ward 8 offered the perfect solution. “What I propose ends segregation in Ward 8,” Barry stated. You may quote The Nose, “Barry was right.” Unfortunately, Marion chose the wrong neighborhood. The transfer of one tiny census track does not solve Jack’s overabundance of yuppies. One has to think bigger. Why not move Foggy Bottom to Ward 8? They are legally continuous at Haines Point. In one stroke, Barry’s demesne would no longer be solely

the refuge of “the last, the least and the lost.” And, he would finally have a place to hang out other than the Players Lounge. At the risk of offending the master of funk George Clinton, and in recognition of the Mayor for Life’s new post-racialist point of view, this song is for you, Marion: Uh, what’s happening Latte City? They still call it the White House, But that’s now an anachronism. Can you dig it, Latte City? There’s a lot of latte cities, around. We’ve got Santa Barbara. We’ve got Portland. Somebody told me we got San Francisco. And, we’re working on New York. But you’re the capital, Latte City! Gainin’ on ya! Get down, Gainin’ on ya! Movin’ in and renovating. Can’t you see my Zip Car, heh? Gainin’ on ya! Watch out for my stroller, heh heh! Hey, uh, we didn’t get Michelle Rhee, But we did get a dog park in Shaw. Latte City heh, yeah! Ah, see those limitless bike lanes. Ah, gritty streets, now outdoor patios. The last percentage count was fifty-four. You don’t need a car when you got the Circulator! Are you up for pedaling, Latte City? Have you signed up for Capital Bikeshare, Marion? How about adding a little chocolate back into your milk, Jack? Have a comment for The Nose? Email thenose@hillrag.com. ●

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