Hill Rag Magazine - May 2011 by Capital Community News

capitalcommunitynews.com â€˘ May 2011

Est. 1981

NG I M ! CO OON S

NG I M ! CO OON S CAPITOL HILL

CAPITOL HILL

PETWORTH

LOGAN/SHAW

1824 Bay Street, SE

229 C Street, NE

1011 7th Street, NE

617 Varnum Street, NW

1513 8th Street, NW New Renovation On Great Block! Todd Bissey 202-841-SOLD THE BISSEY TEAM

Wonderful House & Block! Todd Bissey 202-841-SOLD THE BISSEY TEAM

$824,900

$759,000 – SOLD!

$579,500

www.chriszimmer.com/229cne

www.chriszimmer.com/1011ne7

www.MouseOnHouse.com/14412

Genie Hutinet 202-413-7661

Todd Bissey 202-841-SOLD THE BISSEY TEAM

Fern Pannill 240-508-4856

CAPITOL HILL 323 17th Street, NE Sun-ﬁlled 4BR/2.5BA on 3 ﬁnished levels, including a 1BR In-Law Suite & Parking! BROOKLAND

$468,500

CAPITOL HILL

4713 6th Street, NE

www.chriszimmer.com/323ne17

1414 F Street, NE

$336,777 www.chriszimmer.com/47136ne

Pete Frias 202-744-8973 www.PeterFrias.com

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS

Todd Bissey 202-841-SOLD

BRIGHTWOOD

1364 Taylor Street, NW

6223 8th Street, NW

$498,500 – SOLD!

Stan Bissey 202-841-1433

$559,000 - SOLD! Pete Frias 202-744-8973 www.PeterFrias.com

CAPITOL HILL

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS

GEORGETOWN

323 S. Carolina Ave., SE

512 Irving Street, NW

1419 27th Street, NW

$386,777 - SOLD!

New 3BR/2.5BA Renovation!

$499,500 - SOLD!

$910,000

www.chriszimmer.com/1364taylor

www.mouseonhouse.com/13581

www.chriszimmer.com/512irvingnw

www.chriszimmer.com/1419NW27

Todd Bissey 202-841-SOLD THE BISSEY TEAM

Fern Pannill 240-508-4856

www.MouseOnHouse.com/13944

Genie Hutinet 202-413-7661

Stan Bissey 202-841-1433 THE BISSEY TEAM

Genie Hutinet 202-413-7661

“WHERE WASHINGTON SHOPS FOR A NEW ADDRESS!”® 225 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003

Tel: 202-544-3900 www.johncformant.com

Sales • Rentals • Commercial Leasing • Property Management • Investments

The Capitol Hill Restoration Society’s House and Garden Tour is May 7th & 8th. Call Me for Tickets!

House Tour Sensation! 1332 Massachusetts Ave SE

Senate Side Splendor! 323 A St., NE Coming Soon! 633 A St., NE

On the Capitol’s Doorstep! 106 5th St., NE

Victorian Castle ONE Block to the Capitol! 300 C St., NE

Phyllis Jane Young Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Licensed Broker in DC, MD, and VA

202-544-4236 phyllis@phyllisjaneyoung.com www.phyllisjaneyoung.com

Sublime 3 Bedroom Condo on Lincoln Park 1020 East Capitol St.

Visit my listings at cbmove.com, realtor.com, oodle, trulia, cyberhomes, zillow, google, yahoo, aol, craigslist, washingtonpost, nytimes, AND OF COURSE www.phyllisjaneyoung.com!

Spring Has Finally Arrived, And With It A Bouquet Of Wonderful New Listings!!

HUNTINGTOWN, MD THE OLD BOWEN FARM AT SANDY BOTTOM 1525 OLD PLUM POINT ROAD FULLY RESTORED HISTORIC HOME CIRCA 1832 PRICE REDUCED!! Lovingly restored three bedroom, one and one half bath farm house with wood floors throughout, formal living room, separate dining room, country kitchen, guest cottage/office/artist studio with running water, garage/barn with electric, water and wood stove. A large parking area surrounded by granite curbs and walkways. This home boasts two center halls with formal staircases, nine and ten foot ceilings surrounded by 92 feet of porch. Historic zoning allows for a bed and breakfast, antique or craft shop. The main house has the original woodwork, doors, wood floors and plaster walls. The property is surrounded by rolling farmland and is an easy commute to DC, Annapolis or Baltimore. $499,900

Capitol Hill 64 15th Street, NE Unit 64 Washington, DC 20002 The Car Barn!! Fantastic two level two bedroom/two and one half bath condo in desirable Car Barn.This gated community is steps to Lincoln Park and the Metro. Completely updated unit with hardwood ﬂoors, wood-burning ﬁreplace, granite and stainless steel in the kitchen and a master with ensuite bath. Lives like a home--with the carefree lifestyle of a condo!! Plus one car garage parking! $515,000

Indian Head, MD 6075 Chapmans Landing Road Stately English Manor Home Plus A Separate Guest House!! Elegant custom built English Manor Home with detached matching brick and stucco guest house sits on three meticulously maintained acres adjacent to 2,200 acre Chapmans State Forest within twenty minutes walking distance from the Potomac River in Indian Head. Backyard paradise features a 24x34 oval shaped gunnite concrete in-ground pool and large deck, life-like play house with swing and play area, several out buildings. Main house has a two car garage, circular driveway and parking for ten plus cars – guest house also features a three car garage. Enjoy this serene setting with lots of wild life in your own backyard. Approximately sixteen miles to Washington, DC. $845,000

First Open Sunday May 1st, 2011 1-4pm Hill Crest 2910 W Street, SE Perfectly Wonderful On W!! This three bedroom and three and one half bath home is located in the highly desirable Hill Crest neighborhood. Set high up on a hill over-looking park land with winter views To DC ! This quiet neighborhood is moments to downtown, shopping and easy access to Maryland. From the gleaming hardwood ﬂoors to the gourmet kitchen with butler’s pantry--no detail has been over-looked. Additional features include a master with ensuite bath, another bedroom with an adorable ofﬁce/laundry room and a lower level in-law suite with full kitchen and bath. The versatile lower level with custom Murphy Bed is perfect for guests or used as a family/rec room. A large rear deck with easy access to the kitchen is ideal for pleasant weather entertaining—and the perfectly manicured yard will make your downtown dwelling friends green with envy! $489,000

First Open Sunday May 1st, 2011 1-4pm SW/Waterfront 827 6th Street, SW Grand And Glorious!! Welcome to this elegant and surprisingly large four level townhome within steps to the redeveloped Waterside Mall, Arena Stage and the Metro—and a short stroll to the waterfront promenade!! Boasting four bedrooms, two full and two half-baths and a true laundry room—this solidly built home benefits from both morning sun at your front door and afternoon sun across your private brick courtyard. Featuring a large eat-in kitchen, formal dining room, an office off the front entrance, a huge family room for entertaining, hardwood floors throughout and an elegant traditional wood staircase. Plus one off-street parking space!! $749,000

Capitol Hill 910 G Street, NE Exquisite Contemporary Townhouse!!! Tastefully ﬁnished 3 BR/2.5 BA end unit featuring an updated chef’s kitchen, hardwoods, new carpeting on the 2nd level, gas ﬁreplace, fenced in patio and gated off street parking for 2 cars. Built in 1992, this home has been lovingly maintained by present owners and is sited within walking distance of Union Station and all the restaurants and shops on the rapidly expanding H Street/Theatre corridor.Washer/dryer, CAC, lots of windows and much more- get ready to fall in love! $599,000

Capitol Hill 27 15th Street, SE Purse Pleasing Property! Lovely end unit home, located in a well sought after neighborhood. This three level home boasts two bedrooms (plus an ofﬁce)/one full bath and two half baths. Featuring hardwood ﬂoors, built-in bookcases and a fenced-in rear yard. $449,000

Finding Folks Their Perfect Capitol Hill Home Since 1988 Proud Sponsor of Hilloween

202-547-5088

www.jackiev.com Allegiance

Licensed in DC, MD, VA & FL

Ward 6 DC Redistricting Plan Public Meeting Thursday, May 5, 7:00-8:00 PM Friendship Public Charter School Chamberlain Elementary Gymnasium 1345 Potomac Ave, SE (across from Harris Teeter) Every 10 years, the District must redraw ward boundary lines in order to maintain a roughly equivalent population in each ward. According to the 2010 census results, Wards 7 and 8 must add population, while Ward 2 needs to reduce population. But while Wards 5 and 6 aren’t required to increase or decrease their population, both wards border the three wards that need to grow and shrink. The result? The boundaries of Wards 5 and 6 will probably be changed so that Wards 2, 7 and 8 meet the legal requirements. To help ensure that Ward 6 residents are heard, the Ward 6 Democrats have invited the three co-chairs of the Council’s Special Committee, as well as Councilmember Wells, to attend this meeting on the redistricting plan. They’ll share detailed census data and maps, and facilitate a discussion about the community’s reaction to any proposed changes to the ward’s boundaries. All are welcome.

For more information, please contact ward6dems@gmail.com for more information.

Join us for a day in the life of NAT”KING”COLE

. <NXM >TZ 1T[J written by DOMINIC TAYLOR

directed by LOU BELLAMY

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. and Penumbra Theatre Co. present

A fundraiser, in support of our Visual and Performing Arts Scholarships

Wednesday June 15, 2011 at The Kennedy Center Reception 6:00pm - Performance begins 7:15pm Individual Ticket Prices: $150 For Tickets and Sponsorship Opportunities Please Contact Ayah Wilson at awilson@cbcﬁnc.org / www.cbcﬁnc.org capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 7

05.11

What’s Inside

ineveryissue 17 18 79 130 138

Go ... See ... Do Washington’s Best Calendar Dining Coupons Classified Ads The Nose

capitolstreets 28 29 32 40 42 44 46 48 49 51 53

Citizen Opinions Hill Buzz / by Anna Cranage Conathan The Bulletin Board Bad Blood Over Old Deal / by Lex Kiefhaber The Numbers: A “One City” Budget? / by Ed Lazere Movie House Coming to Barracks Row / by Heather Schoell Stage Set for Estern Market Legislation / by Gwyn Jones ANC 6A / by Roberta Weiner ANC 6B / by Andrew Lightman ANC 6C / by Roberta Weiner ANC 6D / by Roberta Weiner

communitylife 55 56 58 60 62 64

Spotted on the Hill / by Peter Vankevich Dick Wolf/ by Alice Ollstein DC Circulator /by Sharon Bosworth The Literary Hill Goes Live! / by Karen Lyon H Street Life: / by Elise Bernard South by West / by Wiliam Rich

realestate

66 68

The 54th CHRS House & Garden Tour / by Carla Bremer Changing Hands: Residential Home Sales / compiled by Don Denton

ARTSdiningentertainment Special 75 78 80 82 84 86 88 90

701 / by Celeste McCall Dining Notes / by Celeste McCall Wine in the News / by Jon Genderson Theater: Ford’s is Tied to History / by Brad Hathaway At the Movies / by Mike Canning Art and the City / by Jim Magner The Literary Hill / by Karen Lyon Following the Civil War Trail / by Maggie Hall

beautyhealthfitness 95 98

LifeBliss Solutions / Pattie Cinelli Five Destinations for Your Dog / by Jacki Cook

kidsandfamily 101 104 106 108

Kids & Family Notebook / by Kathleen Donner Set Sail with CHAW / Megan Cheek Capitol Hill Little League / Heather Schoell School Notes / compiled by Susan Braun Johnson

homesandgardens 115 118 120 124 126 128

The Etiquette of Tree Boxes / by Rindy O’Brien @ Your Service / Heather Schoell Ask Judith: Taking Back the Garden / by Judith Capen Just Say “No” to Grass! / by Cheryl Corson Garden Spot: Public Gardens @ Peabody / by Derek Thomas Dear Garden Lady / by Anonymous

COVER: “How I learned to love the bomb” by Cassie Taggart. Limited edition giclée print on canvas, edition of 100 / 55” x 35”. This work and others by Cassie Taggart are featured in Zenith Gallery at Chevy Chase Pavilion’s ZARTiculation exhibition, featuring art in all genres by more than 40 artists, now through July 3 with a “Meet the Artists” Reception on May 18, 6:00 - 8:30 PM.

29 126

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

Resolution of Facial Asymmetry in New-Born By Dr. David Walls-Kaufman

eesh, folks. I wish you would get on line now and then and check out Journal of Maternal and Pediatric Health, Chiropractic. They are doing exceptional work. A four day old male presented with a facial asymmetry sustained at birth. The infant also suffered from constipation, excess salivation, and intestinal gas. Chiropractic examination showed spinal subluxation (misalignment) issues impinging on nerves to the face and head. The chiropractors treated the child with gentle Logan Basic, Diversified, and Active Release techniques. The parents were shown how to provide daily muscular stretching and inversion therapy at home to help the chiropractic adjustments. Dramatic improvement in facial asymmetry was seen after the introduction of chiropractic care to reduce spinal impingement on the nerve supply. Improvements were also observed with the boy’s excess salivation and constipation. Further research is warranted to determine the benefits of chiropractic intervention. To those unfamiliar with chiropractic, this improvement might seem unexplainable. But if you think of nerves as tiny hoses delivering power and intelligence to the dependent areas, then if you put your foot on that hose by twisting the spine, then the power and intelligence does not arrive in the facial muscles and mouth tissues. Take your foot off the hose — good things happen. For the better health and life experience of you and your family – Capitol Hill Chiropractic Center 411 East Capitol St., SE 202.544.6035. Serving our neighborhood since 1985. ADVERTISEMENT

Capital Community News, Inc. 224 7th Street, SE, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20003 202.543.8300 • www.capitalcommunitynews.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Melissa Ashabranner melissaashabranner@hillrag.com EDITORIAL STAFF

SOCIETY & EVENTS

MANAGING EDITOR: Andrew Lightman andrew@hillrag.com CFO & ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Maria Carolina Lopez carolina@hillrag.com KIDS & FAMILY EDITOR: Susan Braun Johnson schools@hillrag.com

Mickey Thompson • socialsightings@aol.com

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

ARTS, DINING & ENTERTAINMENT ART: Jim Magner • jjmagner@aol.com DINING: Celeste McCall • celeste@hillrag.com HIT THE CITY: Kathleen Donner • kathleen.donner@gmail.com LITERATURE: Karen Lyon • klyon@folger.edu MOVIES: Mike Canning • mjcanning@verizon.net MUSIC: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com RETAIL THERAPY: Scott Fazzini • scott.fazzini@gmail.com THEATER: Brad Hathaway • brad@potomacstages.com TRAVEL: Maggie Hall • whitby@aol.com THE WINE GUYS: Jon Genderson • jon@cellar.com

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

GENERAL ASSIGNMENT

NEWS & NEIGHBORHOOD REPORTS ANC6A:

Tanya Snyder • tanya.c.snyder@gmail.com Hunter Gorinson • hunter.gorinson@gmail.com ANC6C: Hunter Gorinson • hunter.gorinson@gmail.com ANC6D: Roberta Weiner • rweiner_us@yahoo.com BARRACKS ROW: sharon@barracksrow.org H STREET LIFE: Elise Bernard • inked78@hotmail.com THE NOSE: thenose@hillrag.com LOGAN CIRCLE • mark@hillrag.com SHAW • shaw@hillrag.com MOUNT VERNON TRIANGLE • triangle@hillrag.com BLOOMINGDALE • bloomingdale@hillrag.com 14TH & U • 14thandU@hillrag.com ANC6B:

PRODUCTION/GRAPHIC DESIGN ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR: Jason Yen 202.543.8300 X21 • jay@hillrag.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER / WEB MASTER: Jason Nickens 202.543.8300 X17 • jason@hillrag.com

Michelle Evans • invisiblecolours@yahoo.com Celeste McCall • celeste@hillrag.com Heather Schoell • hschoell@verizon.net Tanya Synder • tanya.c.snyder@gmail.com Virginia Avniel Spatz • virginia@hillrag.com Peter Waldron • peter@hillrag.com Kathleen Donner • kathleen.donner@gmail.com Stephanie Deutsch • scd@his.com Paul D. Shinkman - pdshinkman@gmail.com Melanie Sunukjian - melsunuk@gmail.com Shannon Holloway - holloway.shannon@gmail.com

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Deborah Bandzerewicz 202.543.8300 X13 • deb@hillrag.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Kira Means 202.543.8300 X16 • kira@hillrag.com CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Maria Carolina Lopez 202.543.8300 X12 • carolina@hillrag.com MARKETING ASST.: Giancarlo Fagon

BEAUTY, HEALTH & FITNESS

DISTRIBUTION

Patricia Cinelli • fitmiss44@aol.com Ronda Bresnick Hauss, LCSW • www.quietwaterscenter.com quiet_waters_center@yahoo.com Peter Sherer • Peter@expmatters.com

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Andrew Lightman DISTRIBUTORS: Southwest Distribution DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION: distribution@hillrag.com

ADVERTISING & SALES

DEADLINES & CONTACTS KIDS & FAMILY Kathleen Donner • kathleen.donner@gmail.com Susan Johnson • schools@hillrag.com

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

We welcome suggestions for stories. Send queries to andrew@hillrag.com. We are also interested in your views on community issues which are published in the Last Word. Please limit your comments to 250 words. Letters may be edited for space. Please include your name, address and phone number. Send Last Word submissions to lastword@hillrag.com. For employment opportunities email jobs@hillrag.com.

capitalcommunitynews.com 10 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Proud Sponsors of the 54th Annual CAPITOL HILL RESTORATION SOCIETY HOME & GARDEN TOUR Join us Mother’s Day Weekend! And Bring Your Mothers!

www.chrs.org

SOLD:

COMING SOON

409 1st, SE 606 Kentucky Ave SE, Unit A

1212 G St SE - Fully loaded, upgraded, & functional 2BR, 1.5Ba with allure. Deeper than many, more enticing than most!

UNDER CONTRACT 317 10th Street, NE #11 • 132 12th Street, NE

Megan Shapiro (Cell) 202-329-4068 meg@megandgeorge.com

George Olson (Cell) 202-203-0339 george.olson@rmxtalk.com

www.megandgeorge.com Allegiance

The Norris Group capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 11

Taste of Mount Vernon Triangle Saturday, May 14, 2011 2:00-5:00 p.m.

xplore the new restaurants of Mount Vernon Triangle by dining around the neighborhood tasting appetizers, entrees, drinks, and desserts from eight different establishments!

A ticket to the event is $15 in advance; $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased in advance on line at www.mountvernontriangle.org or 5th Street Ace Hardware â€“ 1055 5th Street, NW. Day of tickets can be purchased at 5th and K Street, NW. Take Metro to Gallery Place - Chinatown or ride the X2, 80, D4, or P6 bus.

capitalcommunitynews.com â˜… 13

G N I R U T A FE ors • More

ding

clu uth ,ainbar, Bonny Wolf, a l a c lo haus y, Ariel S than 30

ll ean Nord , Katy Ke ter, and J ingarten is e ll o W H e t n e G argare nseau, M Peter Ma cLellan, , Diana M n h o ls e Mend rd, and more a by Spike • Talks te Kelly, Louis Bay ri e ildren’s u rg Ma s with ch e m ti ry nd ring sto rtheast a rner, feavtu o y the No c b ’s d n e e id r • Child and activities pro s authors Librarie t Branch s a e th u So

gs nd signin a s le a s rs, • Book exhibito l d n a s r o il apitol H n vend n a doze s, Fairy Godmother, sCs, the Library a h t e r o re ook • M Branch P iverby B gR Eastern ibrary includin s Media, speare L u p ty la P er Shake lg o F Books, e ss, and th of Congre

With funding from Capitol Hill Community Foundation, Phyllis Jane Young Real Estate, Tom Faison RealEstateinDC.com, Mr. Henry’s, Walter Quetsch, Susan B. Waters, Karl and Carrol Kindel, Michael Fry, Abby Yochelson, Ann Bradley, Nancy Geyer, Holly Hexter and Jason Isaacson, Lawrence Janezich, Terry Michael, and Deborah Schreiber, and special thanks to Stephanie Cavanaugh, Marvelous Market, FedEx Capitol Hill, and Marzia Motta.

capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 15

GO.SEE.DO. The Literary Hill BookFest Sunday, May 15, 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. Meet over 30 authors who call Capitol Hill home. There will be talks by Spike Mendelsohn, Diana McLellan, Marguerite Kelly, Louis Bayard, and others; a story-time children’s corner; book sales and signings; and more than a dozen vendors and exhibitors including Riverby Books, Fairy Godmother, Capitol Hill Books, Platypus Media, Eastern Branch Press, the Library of Congress, and the Folger Shakespeare Library. North Hall of Eastern Market, So. Carolina and Seventh sts. SE. 202-546-7231. literaryhillbookfest.org

Summer Concerts in the Yards Park Come out to the Yards Park for two different Capitol Riverfront Summer Concert series this summer. The lunchtime concerts occur every Wednesday, beginning May 11, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM. Friday evening concerts kick off on Friday, May 13, 6:00-8-00 PM. The Friday concert series will feature a wide range of live musical performances including jazz, salsa, reggae, and more. Food options will be provided by Devine Foods and Smokin Somethin BBQ, and a beer/sangria garden will be run by Mie N Yu. Whether you’re picnicking on the lawn, enjoying sangria in the beer garden or playing with your kids in the Kids Activity Zone, the Yards Park Friday Concerts have something for everyone to wind down their week. All the concerts are free. Be sure to check out the full summer line-up on capitolriverfront.org. Yards Park, 10 Water St. SE. (one block south of N and Third sts. SE ). Photo: Courtesy of Capitol Riverfront BID. 16 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Air Show at Andrews Make a day of it. Depending on the weather, watch the Air Force Thurderbirds at 2:00 PM and the Army Golden Knights Parachutists at 3:00 PM. There will be a hundred static displays of aircraft and tanks with crews on hand, live entertainment in hangars, food vendors and according to the organizers “something in the air all day.” Free parking with shuttle to the event at Fed-ex Field and Branch Avenue Metro. Andrews Air Force Base. Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM. For more information, call 301-981-9692 or visit jsoh.org. Photo: Courtesy of United States Air Force

Capitol Hill House and Garden Tour Each year since 1958, CHRS has organized a tour of homes, gardens and other structures on Capitol Hill. This annual event, held every Mother’s Day weekend, showcases approximately ten renovated homes in the 200-year-old community. On May 7 and 8, the Capitol Hill Restoration Society will host its 54th annual tour of houses and gardens. The focus this year will be between Ninth and 13th Streets, SE below East Capitol Street to Pennsylvania Avenue. $25 in advance or $30 on the tour weekend. chrs.org

Taste of Mount Vernon Triangle On Saturday, May 14, 2:00-5:00 PM, explore the new restaurants of Mount Vernon Triangle by dining around the neighborhood tasting appetizers, entrees, drinks, and desserts from eight different establishments. A ticket to the event is $15 in advance; $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at mountvernontriangle. org or 5th Street Ace Hardware, 1055 Fifth St. NW. Dayof tickets can be purchased at Fifth and K sts. NW. Take Metro to Gallery Place-Chinatown or ride the X2, 80, D4, or P6 bus. 202-216-0511. mountvernontriangle.org Mandu, the neighborhood’s newest restaurant, will be featured in Taste of Mount Vernon Triangle on May 14th. capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 17

★ ★ ★

MAY

HillRag CALENDAR Around the Neighborhood Blues for An Alabama Sky. Through May 8, Thursday-Saturday at 8:00 PM and Sunday at 3:00 PM. Blues for an Alabama Sky brings together a rich cast of characters who reflect the conflicting currents of the time through their overlapping personalities and politics. $25-$35. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-3997993. atlasarts.org Barracks Row’s Taste of 8th. Saturday, Apr. 30, 1:00-4:00 PM. Barracks Row is regarded as a culinary destination, and Taste of 8th is the easiest way to sample many of their restaurants. Tickets are $5 for a single tasting, equivalent to a tapas or small plate portion, or five tickets for $20. Ticket sales benefit Barracks Row Main Street’s yearround work to maintain a clean, safe and beautiful community for residents and businesses. barracksrow.org William Penn House Quaker Potluck and Dialogue. Sunday, May 1 (first Sunday of each month), 6:30 PM. This is an opportunity for fellowship among Quakers, attenders and fellow seekers. Bring a dish to share; family members, neighbors and friends are always welcome. 515 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-5435560. WilliamPennHouse.org

Suzy Skarulis with Bethany and the Guitar and Daphne Willis. Monday, May 2, 7:29-9:59 PM. Before moving to the north shore of Oahu at the age of seventeen, Suzy grew up a wave-starved surfer on the gulf coast of Florida surrounded by a family of musicians. Influenced by her father’s passion for jazz and blues, Suzy has managed to create a sound comprised of laidback surfing acoustic elements, as well as soulful blues, folk, and rock. $8. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com Margaret Hollister at the Corner Store. On May 3, 6:00 PM, long-time Capitol Hill resident Margaret Hollister’s recently published book “Inheriting China” will be the center of attention. Margaret will be there to read and answer questions. Party food and drinks will be available (and if you can, bring more). For more information, contact Kris Swanson at 202-544-5807. Corner Store, 900 South Carolina Ave. SE. cornerstorearts.org US Poet Laureate WS Merwin Closes the Literary Season. Wednesday, May 4, 7:00 PM. U.S. Poet Laureate W.S. Merwin—the two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, hailed by the New York Times as the “undisputed master”— will conclude the Library of Congress spring literary season with a reading of his work. Free. Coolidge Auditorium,

Civil War Photo Exhibition “The Last Full Measure” Open through Aug. 13, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM, Monday-Saturday. Exhibition features more than 400 rarely displayed Civil War era portraits that bring this pivotal moment in our nation’s history to life through the poignant faces of ordinary people who experienced it firsthand – Union and Confederate soldiers, their wives and children. Free. Second-floor South Gallery, Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress. 10 First St. SE. loc.gov Courtesy of Library of Congress

18 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. 202-707-5394. loc.gov Author Garrett Peck Talks about Prohibition-Era Capitol Hill and “How Dry We Weren’t”. Wednesday, May 4, 6:00 PM. Pound the Hill, Capitol Hill’s newest gourmet coffee house at 621 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, will host an author talk with Garrett Peck, author of the newly-published Prohibition in Washington, DC: How Dry We Weren’t. Book signing follows. Heather Maloney with Marc Douglas Berardo. Thursday, May 5, 8:00-10:00 PM. Heather Maloney’s April Fools Day release “Time & Pocket Change” is an album rich with quirks and passion. Rooted in indie-pop, T&PC; is a play between the coffeehouse intimacy of folk and the dramatic narrative of opera. Her new trio features drummer Patrick Murphy (Dinosaur Jr, The Lemonheads) and guitarist Joseph Boyle. $10. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com Concert/Dance Party with Ernestine Jackson & Tina’s Bluz. Friday May 6, 8:00 PM. Corner Store, 900 South Carolina Ave. SE. 202-544-5807. cornerstorearts.org Javon Jackson Band and Shana Tucker. Friday, May 6, 7:30 PM. THEARC Theater and The Jazz Touring Network present a special evening of jazz music featuring the Javon Jackson band, with opening-act Shana Tucker. Javon Jackson has toured the world extensively and worked with many notable artists. His band’s style of music incorporates many genres of music including jazz, funk, rock and r&b. Shana Tucker is a “chambersoul” cellist and singer/songwriter from New York who has set a blazing trail for herself down in North Carolina. Her music is a sultry pastiche of acoustic pop and soulful, jazz-influenced contemporary folk. Open wine bar, for guests 21 and up. $6, general admission. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org

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“Chicago” by St Mark’s Players. May 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20 and 21. Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM. Sundays at 4:00 PM. $20. 301 A St. SE. 202-546-9670. stmarksplayers.org US Capitol Historical Society Annual Spring Symposium: Emancipation during the Civil War. Reception, Thursday, May 5, 6:30-8:30 PM. Symposium, Friday, May 7, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. “Emancipation during the Civil War” is the eighth annual conference in the series “The National Capital in a Nation Divided: Congress and the District of Columbia Confront Sectionalism and Slavery”, presented by the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. Free and open to the public. Donations accepted. Pre-registration recommended. Capitol Visitor Center, Congressional Auditorium. 202543-8919. uschs.org Annual Herb Day at Botanic Garden. Saturday, May 7, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM. Spend the day in the Conservatory celebrating herbs. Discover the significance of herbs in our lives and the many ways herbs can be used safely and creatively for health, beauty and culinary enjoyment. Enjoy demonstrations, tours, children’s activities, discussions and information tables. You won’t want to miss this amazing opportunity to learn more about herbs. Free. US Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW 202-225-8333. usbg.gov A Derby Day P’arty at Long View Gallery. May 7, 5:00-8:00 PM. P’ARTY with a big hat or your seersucker and enjoy an evening that will guarantee a tri-fecta of fun! If you can’t make it to Louisville, make a visit to Shaw where the gallery will be transformed into Churchill Downs. They’re expecting seersucker and big hats, with bottomless mint juleps all around. It will feel like we’ve packed the infield, with enough flat screens and projections to ensure a fabulous view of the ponies for everyone to enjoy! While sipping and watching you will also be donating to children in need. Pediatric Care, an organization to help children affected and effected with HIV/AIDS, will be receiving your contributions. $75, advance. $100, at door. Long View Gallery, 1234 Ninth St. NW. 202-2324788.|longviewgallery.com

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The Capital City Symphony SYMPHONY STORIES. Sunday, May 8, 5:00 PM. An exploration of the influence of art and stories on classical music, featuring Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite” and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” Adult, $25; senior, $16; 16 and under, free. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7933. capitalcitysymphony.org Mother’s Day Tour of the Botanic Garden Rose Garden. Sunday, May 8, noon1:00 PM. Is your mom breathtakingly beautiful, a real sweetheart, charming, cuddly or—oh my goodness—ferociously thorny? Is she a city girl or does

Mi Vecindad she prefer rugged, windy sea coasts? Is she spicy and wild, or does she prefer sensible shoes? They have just the right rose and rose story for her. Please note: This tour is held outdoors and meets on the National Garden Lawn Terrace. The tour is canceled if it rains. Free. Pre-registration required at nfusbg.org or call 202-225-1116. US Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW 202-225-8333. usbg.gov Back on My Feet Open Mic Night. Thursday, May 12, 7:00 PM-9:00 PM. Come on out to support Back on My Feet and its members! Back on My Feet is the non-profit that promotes the selfsufficiency of homeless populations by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and selfesteem. Free. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com Schoolhouse Rock LIVE! at St Peter’s. May 13 and 14, 7:00 PM. This classic, fun performance is perfect for all ages and audiences. $5, adults; $3, kids. St. Peter’s Church Parish Hall, 313 Second St. SE. 202-547-1430. saintpetersdc.org Starry Mountain Singers Give Concert at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church May 15. Workshop, potluck dinner, and Concert at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, 201 4th Street, SE. The Workshop is from 3:00 to 6:00 pm, the Potluck Dinner from 6:00 to 7:00 pm, and the concert begins at 7:30 pm. The Workshop and Concert are being co-sponsored by the Folklore Society of Greater Washington. Suggested donation for the concert is $15 general or $10 for members of the FSGW, students, seniors, and low income. For more information, including information about registering for the workshop and the potluck supper, call (202) 344-7018. CHPC is at 4th and Independence, SE. World Premiere Cabaret: From Berlin To Sunset. Through May 15. Joe Banno directs the In Series premiere of From Berlin to Sunset, a cabaret about the constellation of émigré artists in 1940s Hollywood. Playwright Charlotte Stoudt’s script imagines a pre-Oscar party at Billy and Audrey Wilder’s home in 1949 with guests Marlene Dietrich, Frederick Hollander (Falling In Love Again), Joseph Von Sternberg (The Blue Angel) and Erich Korngold (Robin Hood). Music director and pianist Jean Baptiste steers the cast through such memorable songs as Falling in Love Again, Illusions, The Saga of Jenny. Berlin cabaret gems include Beware of Blonde Women and A Little Yearning. Opera and art-song are part of the mix, including music by Korngold and Hanns Eisler. $20-$39. Atlas Performing Arts Center, Sprenger Theater, 1333 H St. NE. 202-204-7763. atlasarts.org MARIA LA O and PAGLIACCI. Sunday May 1, 3:00 PM. Pocket opera directed

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MAY CALENDAR

★ ★ ★ 6 aren’t required to increase or decrease their population, both wards border the three wards that need to grow and shrink. The result? The boundaries of Wards 5 and 6 will probably be changed so that Wards 2, 7 and 8 meet the legal requirements. To help ensure that Ward 6 residents are heard, the Ward 6 Democrats have invited the three co-chairs of the Council’s Special Committee, as well as Councilmember Wells, to attend this meeting on the redistricting plan. They’ll share detailed census data and maps, and facilitate a discussion about the community’s reaction to any proposed changes to the ward’s boundaries. Friendship Public Charter School, Chamberlain Elementary (gymnasium), 1345 Potomac Ave, SE (across from Harris Teeter). All are welcome. Folger Friday: Lecture on American Wine. Friday, May 20, 7:00 PM. Todd Kliman, author of The Wild Vine, explores the history and mysteries of American wine. Free. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. 202-544-4600. folger.edu DC101 Chili Cook-Off. Saturday, May 21, gates open at 11:00 AM. DC’s largest one-day rock festival is expected to raise $1.5 million to benefit the National Kidney Foundation Serving the National Capital Area. Joining Weezer in this year’s lineup are national recording artists Seether, Papa Roach, Panic! At The Disco, Neon Trees, Paper Tongues and Middle Class Rut. $35. RFK Stadium Festival Grounds. dc101chilicookoff.com

2011 Twilight Tattoo at Fort McNair Wednesdays, May 4, 11 and 25; June 1 and 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. Courtesy of US Army Band

by Joe Banno, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-204-7763. inseries.org Petar Ralchev Quartet to Appear in Concert at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church May 14. One of the great masters of Eastern European instrumental folk and folk-jazz music, Petar Ralchev and his quartet will perform in Washington DC in concert May 14 at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church. A dance party/reception will follow the concert. This concert is part of a coast-to-coast tour of Ralchev and his quartet across the U.S. and Canada. The concert is at 7:30 PM with a dance party at 9:00 PM following the concert. Tickets are available online through Brown Paper Tickets until May 12 for $20 general admission ($10 under 18 and $15 for students) at www.bit.ly/ralchev-dc-tickets. Tickets will be $25 at the door. Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church is located at the intersection of 4th Street and Independence Avenue, SE and is 4 blocks from the Eastern Market and Capitol South Metro stops. For more information call Parker Jayne at 202-549-0744 or Ivan Velev at 202-509-1630 or visit Facebook at www.bit.ly/ralchev-dc-facebook Happy Hour: Evening of Music and Art at CHAW. Saturday, May 14, 4:00-7:00 PM. Join CHAW for a free evening of music and art. CHAW

22 ★ HillRag | May 2011

hosts a concert featuring The Left Hand Collective, a musical ensemble comprised of local musicians and National Symphony Orchestra members. The group programs works designed to engage audiences with the creative process of performance. Program will include Schumann’s Fairy Tales, Debussy’s Première Rhapsody, and Rebecca Clarke’s Prelude, Allegro & Pastorale. For more information about The Lefthand Collective, visit thelefthandcollective.com. Free. 545 Seventh St. SE. 202-547-6839. chaw.org Printmaking at CHAW. Saturday, May 14, 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Learn to make unique one of a kind prints using textures and recycled and found objects in this Printmaking workshop. Open to all ages. Registration required at 202-547-6839. CHAW, 545 Seventh St. SE. Open to all ages. 202-5476839. chaw.org. Annual Folger Poetry Board Reading. Monday, May 16, 7:30 PM. For its final reading of the 2010/11 season, the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series presents acclaimed poet Robert Hass at the Folger Shakespeare Library for the annual Folger Poetry Board Reading. Hass, who served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 1995 to 1997, will share his favorite poems by other poets, in addition to reading from his own

work. The evening also includes a moderated conversation with local poet and Folger Poetry Board Member Jean Nordhaus and a reception with a book sale and signing. $15, adults and $7.50, students and may be purchased at the Folger box office, 202-544-7077, or online at folger.edu/poetry. Wes Tucker and the Skillets with Mike Mangione & The Union and ellen cherry. Thursday, May 19, 7:30-10:00 PM. Wes Tucker & the Skillets return to the DC music scene with the release of their third full-length album, The Scorpion and the Dove. Produced by their own WAMMIE-nominated multi-instrumentalist, Arch Alcantara, The Scorpion and the Dove picks up where their last album, Beauty in the Broken, left off, showcasing the band’s range and Tucker’s songwriting. $10. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com Ward Six Democrats DC Redistricting Plan Public Meeting. Thursday, May 5, 7:00-8:00 PM. Every 10 years, the District must redraw ward boundary lines in order to maintain a roughly equivalent population in each ward. According to the 2010 census results, Wards 7 and 8 must add population, while Ward 2 needs to reduce population. But while Wards 5 and

Homegrown Concert. Wednesday, May 22, noon. Ben Payton and the Thundering Harps Blues Quartet from Mississippi. Ben Payton was born in Coila, Mississippi, in the hill country just east of the Delta. His early musical influences included his grandmother Mabel Johnson’s gospel piano playing and his Uncle Joe Birch’s blues guitar. When in his mid-teens, Ben and his family moved to Chicago, where Ben soon became active in the city’s blues scene. In 2002 he moved back to his home state of Mississippi and returned to his roots, performing Delta-style blues. Free. Coolidge Auditorium, Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress. loc.gov. Last Call: Historic Congressional Cemetery’s Prohibition Tour.” Join the party at Historic Congressional Cemetery as we re-live prohibition-era Washington DC. Meet the lawmen, bootleggers, temperance ladies and bartenders who faced off in the local war over demon rum. We will celebrate those citizens, dry or wet, with “Last Call: Historic Congressional Cemetery’s Prohibition Tour.” Of course, no Prohibition Tour would be complete without a cocktail or two, so our 1832 Public Vault will become a speakeasy for the occasion. It promises to be quite an event. Friday, May 20, 2011, 7:00 PM, Congressional $75 of which $50 is tax deductible, Reservations: Go to www.congressionalcemetery.org for information and reservations, or email tickets@congressionalcemetery.org or call 202-543-0539. Roustabout with Jeff Miller. Thursday, May 26, 7:30-10:00 PM. Roustabout is a trio of acoustic bass, fiddle, guitar and vox fronted by Josh Philpott. The source material of Roust-

about comes the American folk tradition and mainly the Appalachian old-time tradition. The goal is to keep the underlying qualities that make folk music magical while not being bound by the musical practices of it’s tradition. $10. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse. com Jazz Night (and fishfry) in Southwest. Fridays, 6:00-9:00 PM. Westminster Presbyterian Church. Local musicians perform and the Southwest Catering Company provides a fish fry 5:30-8:30 PM. $5/general; free/children under 16. Modestly priced food. 400 I St. SW. 202484-7700. westminsterdc.org/jazz. Blue Monday Blues. Mondays, 6:009:00 PM. Westminster Presbyterian Church. Local musicians perform, and the Southwest Catering Company provides a fish fry from 5:30-8:30 PM. $5/general; free/children under 16. Modestly priced food. 400 I St. SW. 202-484-7700. westminsterdc.org/blues.htm. Eastern Market Pottery Classes. Monday through Thursday., 7:00-10:00 PM. $268 for 8 weeks including materials, firing and Saturday practice time. 7th and C Sts. (use the outside stairs to the basement under the market) 202-5446669. easternmarketpottery.com Lunchtime Tour of the US Botanic Garden Conservatory. Mondays at noon1:00 PM. What do manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common? The answer is that they all come from plants on permanent display in the USBG Conservatory. Take a tour with a knowledgeable guide who will connect the exotic plant world to everyday life. You might see bananas, cacao and coffee ripening on the tree or learn about the next big breakthrough in medicinal plant research. Free. US Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW 202-2258333. usbg.gov

PATRIOTIC Marine Barracks Evening Parade. Friday evenings in summer, May 6-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 GI Film Festival. May 9-15. The GI Film Festival is the nation’s only film festival dedicated to celebrating the stories of our nation’s armed forces. The festival

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T C A NTR O C R E UND

will take place at the United States Navy Memorial will feature 31 film premieres celebrating our country’s servicemen and women. $12, screening. gifilmfestival.com Memorial Day Concert (and dress rehearsal). Sunday, May 29 (rain or shine). Concert at 8:00 PM. Gates open at 5:00 PM. Full Dress Rehearsal, Saturday, May 28 (rain or shine). Concert at 7:30 PM. Gates open at 5:00 PM US Capitol (west lawn). Featuring the National Symphony Orchestra and many name entertainers. Bring a blanket, folding chair, water, food and be prepared to make yourself comfortable for a few hours. Alcohol may be confiscated. In the event of very inclement weather, the concert may be rescheduled for Monday. This happens rarely but you should check local news broadcasts if you think the concert may be cancelled. Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally. Sunday, May 29, 7:00 AM. North Pentagon Parking Lot, Arlington, VA. The run departs the parking lot at noon and takes several hours (from start to finish) to complete. For the route schedule visit rollingthundermotorcyclerally.com. “Flags-In” at Arlington Cemetery. Memorial Day Weekend, 8:00 AM-7:00 PM. Each year for the past 40 years, the 3rd Infantry (The Old Guard) has honored America’s fallen heroes by placing American flags before the gravestones and niches of service members buried both at Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Soldier’s and Airmen’s National Cemetery just prior to Memorial Day Weekend. Arlington National Cemetery (Virginia end of Memorial Bridge). 703607-8000. arlingtoncemetery.org

Cyrano at the Folger Through June 5. This romance of 17th-century swashbuckling France centers on a fascinating and poignant love triangle. Cyrano secretly adores Roxanne but fears she could never share the sentiment because of his legendary nose. Instead, he uses his gift for wit and wordplay to help his tongue-tied friend Christian woo her. Will she be won by Christian’s appearance or Cyrano’s soul? $30-$60. 202-5444600. folger.edu Eric Hissom as Cyrano, Photo: James Kegley

Memorial Day Wreath Laying at Arlington. Monday, May 30, 11:00 AM. Arrive much earlier. Expect heavy security. Arlington National Cemetery (Virginia end of Memorial Bridge). 703-607-8000. arlingtoncemetery.org National Memorial Day Parade. Monday, May 30, 2:00 PM. Beginning at Fourth St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW and ending at 15th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. Expect a lot of music, color and old-fashioned patriotism. nationalmemorialdayparade.com Docent-Led Tour of Historic Congressional Cemetery. Saturdays at 11:00 AM. Free. 1801 E St. SE. 202-5430539. congressionalcemetery.org

SPORTS, DANCE AND PHYSICAL FITNESS DC United Home Matches. May 4, 7, 14 and 22. $23$52. $15 college night tickets available on Apr. 21. RFK Stadium. 202-587-5000. dcunited.com Washington Nationals Baseball Home Games. May 1, 2, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31. 7:05 PM (Sunday games at 1:35 PM). $5, up. South Capitol and N sts. SE. washington.nationals.mlb.com

View on www.kittykaupp.com 24 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Race to Donate Life 5K. Saturday, May 7, 8:30 AM.

Celebrate the gift of life during Mother s Day weekend. Enjoy a timed 5k run/walk and fun team challenge. Post-race party will include food, music, face painter, activities for kids, awards ceremony, prizes, and more. No race day registration. Limited number of participants. Adults’ fee, $25. Kids’ fee, $7. Rock Creek Park, Picnic Grove 24, 4850 Colorado Ave. NW. 571-228-5150. beadonor.org Congressional Cemetery Dead Man’s Run 5K. Sunday May 8, 8:00 AM. The Congressional Cemetery Dead Man’s Run starts on the grounds of Historic Congressional Cemetery at 1801 E St. SE. Participants gather inside the main gate for registration. The run starts/ ends at the chapel. The course traverses the cemetery grounds out onto the RFK Access Road along the Anacostia River where it loops along the river and back to the cemetery and back to the cemetery chapel. 5K Run limited to 1,000 runners. These are narrow private roads, so no strollers, baby carriages, skates, bicycles, or pets are allowed on race day. $20. Email staff@ congressionalcemetery.org for more information! 202543-0539. congressionalcemetery.org Mother’s Day 5K Dash. Sunday, May 8, 8:00 AM. Capital Sprints kicks off Mother s Day with the Dash 5K. The Dash 5K is a challenging, chip-timed 5K through scenic Rock Creek Park benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society s Team in Training. Rock Creek Park. 202-2711633. capitalsprints.com Capitol Hill Classic 10K & 3K. Sunday, May 15, 7:30 AM. Event offers ChronoTrack timing for a fast certified

Enjoy This Year in a Newly Renovated Home

course through Historic Capitol Hill. Cash prizes offered to top finishers along with awards in 5 year age-groups. All participants receive a colorful t-shirt, refreshments and are eligible for random prizes. Race proceeds benefit the Capitol Hill Cluster School. $10-$30. Peabody School, Stanton Park, Fifth and C sts. NE. 202-546-4789. capitolhillclassic.com

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Run For Freedom 5K. Saturday, May 21, 9:00 AM. Proceeds benefit the Bridge to Freedom Foundation which works to end human trafficking. Course is flat and shaded. Prizes for top finishers. T-shirt for every participant. C&O Towpath at Fletcher’s Cove, 4940 Canal Rd. NW. 202413-7847. Joy of Motion Dance Classes at the Atlas. Adult dance classes and programs are offered on a drop-in basis (start at anytime) or enrollment basis (for a particular period of time). Adult dance classes and programs are for students 18 years and older. For more information call 202-399-6763 or visit joyofmotion. org. Roller Skating at Anacostia Park. Skate weekends, sunrise to sunset. This is a covered, outdoor skating pavilion. Free. One-hour free skate “rental” has started but sizes and supplies are limited. During summer months, open daily. Go east on Penn. Ave. across Anacostia River and make the first right turn onto Fairlawn Ave. and another right onto Nicholson and then into the park. 202-472-3873. Free public tennis courts in Ward Six. King Greenleaf Recreation Center, 201 N St. SW; Garfield Park, Third and G sts. SE; Randall Park First and I sts. SW; Rosedale Recreation Center, 1701 Gales St. NE; Sherwood Recreation Center, 640 10th St. NE. All courts are open daily, dawn to dusk. Some are lighted for extended evening play. Courts are available on a first-come, first-served basis for onehour intervals; extended use of tennis courts requires a permit. Proper shoes and attire is required. 202-671-0314. dpr.dc.gov/dpr Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Closed for the season for maintenance. Will re-open July 5. 3779 Ely Place, SE. 202-5845007. fdia.org

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202.543.5959 Visit www.bobwilliamsrealestate.com

Pick-up Field Hockey on the Mall. Every Monday at 6:00 PM. Meets at the fields in front of the Smithsonian Metro stop for males and females who have a passion for field hockey. No experience necessary. Bring water, shinguards, mouthguard, cleats, a field hockey stick, and either a reversible jersey or a light and dark shirt - no grays please. Free. Tennis on the Hill Adult Singles Ladder. Just looking for a chance to play and meet other players. Sign-up for the adult singles ladder to self-schedule matches and see how you stack up. tennisonthehill.org

capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 25

Tennis on the Hill Adult Doubles League. They are hoping to start a small, low-key adult doubles league this year, but we need to make sure we have enough interest. They need approximately 30 players (any level) to make this work. Learn more at tennisonthehill.org.

products. 20th St. and Mass. Ave. NW, 1500 block of 20th St. NW (between Mass. Ave. and Q St. in the adjacent parking lot of PNC Bank). 202-362-8889. freshfarmmarket.org

CIVIC LIFE YARD SALES, BOOK SALES AND MARKETS Southeast Library Book Sale. Saturday, May 14, 10:00 AM-2:00 PM. 403 Seventh St. SE. 202-698-3377. dclibrary. org/southeast Friends of Northeast Library Annual Book Sale. May 14, 10:30 AM-2:30 PM. Buy a book or donate a book at the annual spring used book sale. The money raised by the sale goes towards programming at the branch. 330 Seventh St. NE. 202-698-3320. dclibrary.org/north North Lincoln Park Yard Sale. Saturday, May 14, 9:00 AM2:00 PM. In the triangle park between the 1300 blocks of North Carolina Ave. and A St. NE (between 13th and 14th streets) St. Peter’s Yard Sale. May 21, 9:00 AM-noon. St. Peter’s Church Parish Hall, 313 Second St. SE. 202-547-1430. saintpetersdc.org Friends of SW Library Book Sale. Saturday, May 21, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM. Most hardbacks, $2; fiction and trade paperbacks, $1; pocket paperbacks, $.10. Become a member at the door for $10 and have first pick of the sale. Questions or Have Books to Donate? Email them at friendsofswlibrary@gmail.com or call the Friends at 202-670-7795. 900 Wesley Pl. SW (K and Third sts. SW). swfriends.org Eastern Market. Daily except Mondays and important holidays. Weekdays, 7:00 AM-7:00 PM; Saturdays, 7:00 AM-6:00 PM; Sundays, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Flea market and arts and crafts market open Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. Eastern Market is Washington’s last continually operated “old world” market. On weekends the market area comes alive with farmers bringing in fresh produce, craft and flower vendors, artists, a flea market and street musicians. 200 block of 7th St. SE. 202-544-0083. easternmarketdc.com H Street Farmers’ Market. Saturdays, 9 AM-noon. Open Apr. 16 through Nov. 20. Parking lot in the 600 block of H Street. The market is a producers-only outdoor market offering fruit, vegetables, meats, baked goods, cheese, flowers and more for sale. freshfarmmarket.org 9th and U Flea Market. Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00 AM5:00 PM. Ninth and U sts. NW. Liberty North Community Market. Open Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00 AM-6:00 PM. The market will have 80-100 vendors selling art, crafts, food, and produce. Fifth and Eye sts. NW. libertynorthcommunitymarket.com Friends in the Market “Funky Flea Market” with a DJ. Saturdays and Sundays, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM. New and used clothing, tools, furniture, jewelry, plants, soaps, art, CD’s, videos and electronics. 6th St. NE (north of Florida Ave. beside DC Farmers Market). 202-399-6040. Dupont Circle Farmers’ Market. Sundays year round (rain or shine), 9:00 AM-1:00 PM. The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times of London named the market one of the top farmers’ markets in the country. During the peak season, there are more than 30 farmers offering fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, cheeses, fruit pies, breads, fresh pasta, cut flowers, potted plants, soaps and herbal

26 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Community Office Hours with Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells. First Thursday of the month in Southwest and third Thursday of the month on H St. NE; both are 89:30 AM. All Ward 6 residents encouraged to come out and meet with Wells and members of his staff. Call Wells’ office for meeting location, 202-724-8072. tommywells.org Champs Business Development Forum: Local Marketing Strategies. Tuesday, May 10, 2:00-3:00 PM. $20-$25. Hill’s Kitchen, 713 D St. SE. 202-547-7788. champsdc.org Congressman Norton’s Government-to-go in Your Neighborhood. Thursday, May 12, 5:00-7:00 PM, Safeway Supermarket, 415 14th St. SE. Get Answers and information on federal programs and policy such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and other federal benefits. 202-2258050. norton.house.gov Southwest Ecodistrict Initiative Public Meeting. Thursday, May 19, 6:30-8:30 PM. The National Capital Planning Commission and the District of Columbia Office of Planning invite you to a joint public meeting on NCPC’s Southwest Ecodistrict Initiative and DCOP’s Maryland Avenue, SW Small Area Plan. Waterfront Station, 1100 Fourth St. SW, second floor conference room. Photo ID required. 202-4827200. ncpc.gov “I Serve DC” 2011 Volunteer Conference. May 25, 8:00 AM-3:00 PM. The 2011 “I Serve DC” Conference connects nonprofits with experts from the region’s most renowned volunteer-driven organizations. Learn best practices to attract and maintain diverse, talented volunteers from across the Washington, DC Metro area. Free and open to anyone who lives or works in the District. George Washington University, Marvin Center, 800 21st St. NW. 202-727-7925. serve.dc.gov ANC Meeting for 6-A. Second Thursday, 7:00 PM. Meeting at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th St. NE. 202-4238868. anc6a.org ANC Meeting for 6-B. Second Tuesday, 7:00 PM. Meeting at Brent Elementary School, 301 North Carolina Ave. SE. 202-543-3344. anc6b.org ANC Meeting for 6-C. Second Wednesday, 7:00 PM. Meeting at Heritage Foundation, 214 Mass. Ave. NE, first floor conference room. 202-547-7168. anc6c.org ANC Meeting for 6-D. Second Monday, 7:00 PM. St. Augustine’s, 600 M St., SW. 202-554-1795. anc6d.org

OUT OF TOWN Zenith Gallery at Chevy Chase Pavilion offers art in all its fabulous forms in its 33 Anniversary exhibition, ZARTiculation. Now through July 3, with a “Meet the Artist” Reception May 18, 6:00-8:30PM. As part of the show, Zenith is hosting a series of art classes with some of the participating artists, to include a Mixed-Media Collage class with Marcie Wolf-Hubbard on Saturday, 1-3pm, followed by a “Meet the Artist” Reception, 3-5pm. For a schedule of classes, visit www.zenithgallery.com for updates. Zenith Gallery, 202-783-2963 or art@zenithgallery.com. Chevy Chase Pavilion, 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC 20015. Zenith Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, noon-6PM, and by appointment. ★

capitalcommunitynews.com â˜… 27

Citizen Opinions Hands Off Ward 6 Residents of Rosedale, a neighborhood of more than 3,800 residents, have launched a campaign to stop the nascent efforts of Ward 7 Council Member Yvette Alexander to redistrict parts of Ward 6 into Ward 7. The campaign, sponsored by the Rosedale Citizens’ Alliance (RCA), was sparked by statements Alexander made at a public meeting of ANC 7D on April 12th attended by several RCA members. The RCA is absolutely against moving Rosedale into Ward 7. Redistricting is more than simply redrawing lines on a map. It dramatically changes the bonds of community and effects how neighborhoods are treated by the city. There has got to be a better way to redistrict without tearing apart a well-established and geographically contiguous community such as Rosedale. Over the last several years, Rosedale has worked hard to unite to tackle our problems. We have successfully obtained resources and attention from the city as a result of relationships we’ve developed within Ward 6. Moving Rosedale to Ward 7 would shatter those gains. This is not the first time a northeastern Capitol Hill neighborhood has been moved into Ward 7. Kingman Park, adjacent to Rosedale, was became part of Ward 7 during the last redistricting process in 2001. This generated widespread neighborhood opposition including two lawsuits. The experience since has been so adverse that Kingman Park 28 ★ HillRag | May 2011

residents are now actively campaigning rejoin Ward 6. Moving Rosedale into Ward 7 would have a wide-range of detrimental effects. Most importantly, residents would suffer the loss of unrestricted parking rights on Capitol Hill, where many now shop, eat and work. We recognize that DC statue and population growth dictate that some parts of Ward 6 may need to be moved. However, redrawing ward lines on a map should neither be capricious nor arbitrary. They should take into account the preferences of the affected residents as well as respecting existing historical and geographic, community bonds. Join our “Hands Off Redistricting Ward 6!” campaign. For more information, visit www.rosedalecitizen.blogspot.com/2011/04/ rca-launches-hands-off-redistricting.html

Rob Stephens 1700 Block of C St NE rgs2010@yahoo.com

Our Position on Hine Many people have asked about the position taken by the Capitol Hill Restoration Society regarding the April 2011 Hine School proposal submitted by Stanton-Eastbanc to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). While we recognize there are many beneﬁts in the mixed-use development, we also had some comments and concerns that are better explained in the original document than can be accomplished in an abbreviated form.

Please check the CHRS website (www.chrs.org) for the letter and comments submitted to the HPRB before its April 28 meeting. Also on the website are background documents and a link to the Stanton-Eastbanc plan. Our thanks to all those who attended the information meeting on April 5, and who submitted questions and comments to us.

Nancy Metzger, Chair of the Historic Preservation Committee Capitol Hill Restoration Society nancymetzger@verizon.net

Make Amidon a School of Choice Located in Southwest DC, Amidon-Bowen is the only Elementary School in the Southwest. The entire student body qualifies for Free and Reduced Meal (FARM) status. One in four students is performing on grade level. On the other hand, the waterfront area surrounding the school is slated for massive investment. As the the area diversifies economically, our collective goal is to make Amidon-Bowen, the school choice for neighborhood children of all backgrounds. Principal LaShante Knight has done a remarkable job since August 2010. We’ve seen dramatic improvements in the climate and culture at Amidon-Bowen that I suspect will lead to dramatic gains in academic achievement. Knight envisions a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics themed school, This vision nicely fits in with the proposed changes at Jefferson and

Eastern. Her effectiveness has resulted for the first time in a wait-list of children diverse backgrounds for the pre-school and kindergarten classrooms. Amidon-Bowen has not met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The school qualifies for restructuring under the No Child Left Behind law. This can occur in several different ways. Southwest parents believe that reconstitution would give Principal Knight the tools she needs to effectively improve the school’s quality of instruction and content. This would give middle class families in Southwest DC and Near Southeast the confidence they need to comfortably choose AmidonBowen for their children. Despite the fact that we achieved all the right ingredients for an amazing Amidon-Bowen in just a short time, a twenty percent funding cut proposed for the next school year threatens to erase these hard fought gains. Middle-class families, considering AmidonBowen as their school of choice, are being forced to reconsider. As a parent that lives in SW I want Amidon-Bowen to be my school of choice. However, before I put my child there, I need guarantee that the City Council will fully financially fund Principal Knight’s vision.

Melissa Rohan Concerned Southwest Parent melissa.rohan@gmail.com ★

Capitol Streets Hill Buzz by Anna Cranage Conathan

ecently, while on a jaunt thru the lovely and under-utilized Yards Park (yardspark.org), I took a detour into the large rounded tent that always incites in me both fear and excitement. I was welcomed warmly, and in no time at all – with the greatest of ease - I was engaged in conversation with the artists of the ﬂying trapeze. With the month of May approaching, along with many fabulous events at the Trapeze School tent (washingtondc.trapezeschool.com), my new aerial friend, Beth Manning, shared a ﬂying fun fact: Traditionally, May 1st was the day circuses came to town, and because there were always new hires at the beginning of the season, a novice performer would be referred to as a “First of May.” Not unlike the term “greenhorn,” this term can be applied to anyone who is a beginner.

Trapeze photo from on 4th Street SE. Photo by In-Vision Photography

two tournaments: The Results Squash Club Championship and the Squash Goddess Slam. I was “squashed” by everyone I played (the thoroughly bored

Like me. With squash. I am not a “strong” squasher, but I’m trying my darndest. Tying my nonmarking sneakers and strapping on my courage, I continue to cross the street, scan my way into Results The Gym, and climb the endless staircase to the western turret where the four pristine courts await me. With the kind guidance of handsome, Irish squash pro, Brian O’Hora and the equally fetching New Zealander, assistant squash pro, Larissa Stephenson, I have grown from a player who whiﬀs mightily, to one who makes contact and occasionally knows where her shot will go. Motivated by their support, I was infused with enough hubris – I mean, enthusiasm - to compete in my ﬁrst

Results Squash Pro, Brian O’Hora and Assist. Squash Pro, Larissa Stephenson. Photo: Michael Conathan

14 year-old hurt most). But I had a fabulous time with the lively, hilarious ladies of the Results Squash Team. I laughed, I learned, I decided a cute squash skirt was the answer to all my problems. In the Results Club Championship I played in a “ladder” of ladies who – to use squash terminology – are not masters of the “T.” But as special as our squash needs may be, we had a blast and forged easy new friendships. Oh, and The Skirt? It beat 3 out of the 4 other players, and I won a bottle of wine! Yay, skirt! Even better than the skirt and the wine: It managed to be a fun family affair. The Husband participated in the tourney as well, while The Boy spent QT with his gal pals in the childcare room. And when we brought him up to the courts to meet our new posse, Brian and Larissa presented him with a tiny racket with which to begin his practice swing. It was, to quote my Irish coach, “lovely.” Squash can be played year-round, in any weather, at any ability, and despite an initial investment of nonmarking kicks and a racket, it’s not terribly expensive. If you’re curious, but not ready to commit, the coaches will lend you a racket, and Larissa oﬀers a free, monthly Introduction to Squash Class, for gym members. The most exceptional thing about the Results Squash Program is the chance to train with two of the most gifted professional squash players in the Mid-Atlantic area. Note to Hill Moms: Larissa and I capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 29

have been planning a special Mom Squash Clinic for moms looking to shake up their athletic routine. Maybe a little Saturday mid-morning squash followed by mimosas, munchies and maternal chatter? (Or, blessed NONmaternal chatter!) So keep a lookout, mamas. VIP squash buzz: What senator was seen leaving the gym with a squash racket and a bodyguard (or perhaps a smartly dressed Goth friend)? Why, Senator Al Franken! Looked a little winded, Al. You wouldn’t happen to be a 1st of May, would you, sir? If so, I’m coming for ya Senator, and your Goth friend can’t help you while I’m dominating the “T.” With my double-threat of squash and comedy stylings, I’ll shut you down, Franken.

Shut Down? Ah, yes, speaking of “Shut Downs”: Adding to the joys of Hill living was this past month’s nervous anticipation about the possible government shut down: the waiting and wondering, right up to the literal eleventh - and a half! – hour, the collective fear of DC’s trash piling up to the ceiling like Sarah Sylvia Cynthia Stout’s ill-fated garbage bin… Still struggling with the agony of prolonged potty training, the husband and I shuddered at the thought of our ripening diaper pail as we watched CNN late into the evening on April 8th. Mike laughed to himself as he stumbled across a popular Facebook initiative to dump uncollected DC trash in John Boehner’s yard, in the event there was a shutdown. “Hilarious,” he said as he turned the computer screen for me to see. “No, it’s not,” I said, shaking my head in disapproval. Speaker Boehner is one of our neighbors, and given the close proximity of Hill living, su garbage es mi garbage. So, no. Not funny. In the least. Exhausted, we clicked oﬀ the un-newsy news and headed to bed. As we climbed the stairs we heard a front gate squeak, a door open and close. Howard, our neighbor was home! We scrambled back downstairs. You see, “Howard” is Representative Howard Coble of the 6th District of N. Carolina. If Howard was home, the verdict was in! Back on the TV went, just in time for “breaking news” of a tentative partisan truce. Turns out we didn’t need to watch the news coverage, we just had to wait for the squeak of Howard’s front gate. Next time? Cocktails on the stoop ‘til Rep. Coble comes home. Speaking of the South and down home antics, I have buzz that Capitol Hill Square Dancing is back! Wholesome family fun meets political positioning. Seems a tad incongruous, doesn’t it? I wonder what the “calls” for that sound like… Pork on the barrel, and slip through the loop, Don’t let the Post get that scoop! Hide your hooker and shred that ﬁle Now you’re dancing Capitol Hill style! Wait. Wrong. It’s not Congressional square dancing. It’s Square Dancing at Eastern Market, brought to you, once again, by lovely, literary local gal, Helen Cymrot. This warrants a new call: Dress in gingham, practice your drawl, Square dancing’s back in the old North Hall. Skip across Penn and do si dos, Bring your kinfolk, n’ bring your beau! Hot cross buns and julep in your glass Don’t stop reeling ‘til ya fall on your… 30 ★ HillRag | May 2011

(Ahem.) What I mean is, y’all come down at 3 p.m., Saturday, May 14 for a hootin’ hollerin’ good time. I leave you now, with some Buzz Bits: *What’s in THE FRIDGE? – (thefridge.com) - Batala, the all-women’s Brazilian drumming group (batalawashington.com) will be performing at on Friday May 6th at 6:30pm. An evening with these two amazing organizations will fill your heart with rhythm, your soul with artistic inspiration, and for your stomach…? *Leah Daniels of Hill’s Kitchen’s www.hillskitchen. com/) has some delicious literary offerings this month: Eric Ripert, May 5th, 6pm - This dashing French gentleman chef, co-owner of DC’s Westend Bistro and regular at Top Chef Judge’s Table, will be signing his latest book, Avec Eric: A Culinary Adventure with Eric Ripert. Come tip your toque to this culinary master. Domenica Marchetti, May 28th, 1pm - DC’s diva of deliciousness will be signing her tasty new tome, The Glorious Pastas of Italy, and serving up samples of authentico pasta Italiano. (Mi piace!) Anna Cranage Conathan is a freelance writer and screenwriter, bumbling squash partner to husband, Mike, and “Hill mom” to son, Sam. Anna is accomplished in the feminine arts of conversation, flower arranging and hiding unwashed hair under a ballcap. To put a buzz in Anna’s ear, email her at bananascabana@yahoo.com. ★

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The Starry Mountain Singers. Sunday, May 15, 7:30 p.m. The Starry Mountain Singers are an ensemble of eight vocalists who wowed a packed audience with their powerful, high-energy D.C. debut last April (2010). They perform a wide range of traditional music from around the United States and abroad. The group’s members are all lifelong musicians who share a deep love of traditional vocal styles and a dedication to studying and performing them. world music vocal ensemble specializing in sacred and secular singing traditions from Georgia, Bulgaria, Corsica and the United States. $15. Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, 201 Fourth St. SE. 202344-7018. capitolhillpreschurch.org

bulletin board CHRS Preservation Café: Backyard Vegetable Gardening If you’re interested in growing vegetables, come to the Capitol Hill Restoration Society’s May 18 Preservation Café on Backyard Vegetable Gardening. Pat Taylor will illustrate her presentation with photos and discuss how to grow veggies and herbs in containers and raised beds; the best kinds of soil, conditions, and locations for success; and how to maintain, harvest and enjoy your plantings. An expert on urban vegetable gardening, Pat Taylor has been growing vegetables for some 30 years and is coordinator of the King’s Court Community Garden. Backyard Vegetable Gardening on Wednesday, May 18, 6:30-7:15 p.m. Ebenezers Coﬀeehouse at Second and F sts. NE. The Café is free, accessible and open to all in the Capitol Hill community; no reservations are necessary. chrs.org

Book Signings at Hill’s Kitchen On May 5, 6:00 p.m., Eric Ripert, chef and co-owner of Le Bernardin in New York and Westend Bistro here in DC, will sign copies of his latest book “Avec Eric: A Culinary Adventure with Eric Ripert.” This book builds oﬀ his PBS series “Avec Eric” and lets the reader follow Ripert as he explores the culture and culinary traditions of re32 ★ HillRag | May 2011

gions around the world, then returns to his home kitchen to create simple dishes celebrating each one. On Saturday, May 28, 1:00 p.m., DC’s own Domenica Marchetti will sign her book “The Glorious Pastas of Italy.” This latest book oﬀers stepby-step instructions for making fresh pasta and oﬀers plenty of variations on the classic egg pasta and includes a glossary of pasta shapes, a source list for unusual ingredients, and a handy guide for stocking the pantry with pasta essentials encourage the home cook to look beyond simple spaghetti. Hill’s Kirchen, 713 D St. SE. 202543-1997. hillskitchen.com

Marvelous Market Opens New Cafe at Results Capitol Hill You don’t have to be a Results member to shop or eat in the cafe, and it’s open the same hours as the gym-great for you early birds and night owls. Monday-Friday, 5:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 7:00 a.m.9:00 p.m. G St. SE, between Third and Fourth. 202-234-5678.

Groovy dc Temporarily Relocated Groovy dc is temporarily located on the second ﬂoor at Monkeys’ Uncle, 321 Seventh St. SE, with their line

of cards, stationery, gift bags & wrapping paper, party supplies, balloons, journals, candles and a few other gift items. Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Thursday, 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Sunday, 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Closed Mondays. 202-544-6633. Groovydc.com

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Summer Tours A guided walk around the garden to experience the seasons of summer. Appropriate for all ages. Saturdays and Sundays, May 29 through Sept. 5, 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Free. Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE. 202-4266905. nps.gov/keaq

National Capital Bank 5th Straight Year of Not Raising Account Fees In a move almost unheard of in the banking world, the National Capital Bank of Washington (NCB) has announced that it won’t increase any fees for the ﬁfth consecutive year. “We know times are tough and many people are facing ﬁnancial hardships. We wanted to make it easier for our customers to manage their accounts and avoid expensive ‘gotcha’ fees,” says

James M. Didden, NCB President and Director. “It has always been our policy to oﬀer quality products at honest prices. This is just one more way we can live up to our customers’ expectations.” nationalcapitalbank.com

Dine Out for Tyler at Fusion Grill May 31 (last Tuesday of every month), 5:30-7:00 p.m. Mention Tyler, and they’ll donate 15% of your check to the Tyler PTA. Fusion Grill oﬀers a special kids menu. You can even place your order for take-out. Have a great night out and support the school. Fusion Grill, Eighth St. SE. 202-546-5303. fusiongrilldc.com

New York Avenue NE Lane Capacity Reduction Around Apr. 25, New York Avenue commuters will encounter a one-third reduction in lane capacity on New York Ave. NE between Penn St. and Florida Ave. The reduction from six to four lanes is unavoidable for the next two phases of construction for DDOT’s rehabilitation of the aging New York Avenue Bridge over the railroad tracks. DDOT estimates commuters can expect delays of 15 to 30 minutes in the project area for the duration of the lane reductions, which

are anticipated to last approximately two years. To help travelers cope with the change, DDOT is debuting a transit incentive program called Bridge Bucks that is designed expressly for New York Ave. commuters. The first 2,000 commuters accepted into the program will receive a monthly incentive of $50 loaded onto their SmarTrip card or other fare media for whatever transportation alternative best suits their individual commuting needs (including bus, rail or vanpool options). The program is available on a first come, first serve basis to commuters who commute over the New York Avenue Bridge, NE. Applications are being accepted now through FixingNewYorkAve.com.

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Capitol Hill Rotary Club Annual Dinner and Founders’ Day Celebration The Rotary Club of Capitol Hill will celebrate its Eighth Annual Induction Dinner and Founders’ Day Celebration on Tuesday, June 28. This year’s dinner will take place at B. Smith’s Restaurant located in Union Station starting with a precocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7:30 p.m. The three course dinner will feature a combination of Cajun, Creole and Southern cuisine, and will be held in one of B. Smith’s grand Beaux Arts style dining rooms with its 30-foot ceilings, period chandeliers and turn of the century elegance. As part of this year’s Founders Day Celebration members and guests will be recognized for their commitments to Rotary and to the Club’s philanthropic enterprises. President Polly will also award the Club’s Annual Rotarian of the Year Award, the highest award a member of the Club can receive in a given year. Maria Nelly Pavisich was last year’s winner for her tireless work to successfully raise more than $70K to help eradicate the mosquito-borne virus,

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Casey Trees’ 25 to Stay Alive Campaign

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Starting on Monday, May 2 through Friday, Sept. 30, Casey Trees will issue weekly tree watering recommendations as part of their 25 to Stay Alive campaign. Trees, especially those that have been in the ground less than two years, require 25 gallons of water per week to survive. Casey Trees will issue weekly watering recommendations to help residents and business owners know when they should water the trees on and surCourtesy of Casey Trees rounding their property, taking the guesswork out of when to water. Many people are not aware that the city looks to residents and business owners to water the trees they plant. Recommendations will be issued at www.caseytrees.org on the 25 to Stay Alive page in addition to notices on Facebook and Twitter.

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malaria, in a province of Mali in West Africa. This event is open to Rotary club members, spouses, partners, children, and friends. The $45 per person is due by Tuesday, June 14. Contact Sean McAlister, Capitol Hill Rotary Club. 202-543-6514 or sdmcaphill@hotmail. com. You may also register online at web.clubrunner.ca/Home

Branches Tree Experts Receives 2010 Best of Business Award The Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) is pleased to announce that Branches Tree Experts has been selected for the 2010 Best of Business Award in the BUSINESS NEC category. The SBCA 2010 Award Program recognizes the top 5% of small businesses throughout the country. Award winners are a valuable asset to their community and exemplify what makes small businesses great. Branches Tree Experts can be reached at 301589-6181 or at www.branchestreeexperts.com

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34 ★ HillRag | May 2011

The Capitol Visitor Center is oﬀering new programs to Capitol visitors. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m., families with children of all ages have an opportunity to explore the Capitol Visitor Center’s Exhibition Hall in greater depth and discover how the Capitol expanded over time and what goes into making legislative decisions. Visitors may also take advantage of a new tour entitled “Capitol and the Congress During the Civil War,” presented in honor of the Civil War’s sesquicentennial an-

niversary. The tour is offered Monday - Friday at 3:30 p.m. and does not require reservations. With stops at the Old Supreme Court Chamber and the Old Senate Chamber, this special 45-minute tour explores how the Capitol was used during the Civil War, critical debates that took place during the Civil War, and key judicial decisions made during this time period. Another special tour takes visitors to the first floor of the Senate wing of the Capitol to view and learn about the ornate paintings on the walls and ceilings designed by Constantino Brumidi between 1857 and 1859. Offered Monday - Friday at 10:30 a.m., this 30-minute tour does not require reservations. Also new this spring is an online exhibition at visitthecapitol.gov/exhibitions where visitors may preview from home the many historic documents, images, and artifacts on display in the Visitor Center ’s fascinating Exhibition Hall. visitthecapitol.gov

DC gets a C on Third Annual Tree Report Card An independent assessment of the District’s trees and tree canopy by Casey Trees gives the City a C, a signiﬁcant drop from the previous year’s B- grade, indicating more effort is needed from Mayor Gray’s Administration and residents to safeguard one of the region’s most precious resources. The Tree Report Card, the only independent evaluation of the District’s trees, and the only such assessment in the nation, uses ﬁve tree metrics – awareness, coverage, health, planting and protection – to generate the overall grade for tree-related activities performed the previ-

ous year. The drop in the overall grade is primarily due to the F given for tree protection which measures the effectiveness of the Urban Forest Preservation Act (UFPA) of 2002. Findings showed the UFPA to be ineffectively administered with funds being poorly tracked and redirected for unintended uses. An analysis of Urban Forestry Administration provided data revealed $117,500 unaccounted for in the Tree Fund, the UFPA-created fund people pay into when issued permits authorizing them to remove trees deemed Special Trees, those measuring 55 inches or more in circumference. This missing sum translates to 428 new trees going unplanted. Also lowering the tree protection grade was the redirecting of $539,000 from the Tree Fund to General Fund in FY11 to offset budget shortfalls. The UFPA specifically designates money in the Tree Fund to be used to replace removed trees and forbids funds being reverted for other purposes. The fleecing of the Tree Fund resulted in 1,960 additional trees not being planted across the District. Positive marks were earned for tree planting and awareness, measuring the total number of trees planted and general level of knowledge of, and participation in, tree-related issues in D.C. respectively. Both received an A+. Of note, for the first time since D.C. announced its Urban Tree Canopy Goal of 40% by 2035, requiring an average of 8,600 trees be planted a year, it exceeded its annual tree planting level by 32 trees. The complete Third Annual Tree Report Card can be accessed at caseytrees.org.

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National Capital Bank of Washington Announces Stellar Q1 2011 Earnings The National Capital Bank of Washington (NCB) reported exceptionally strong earnings for 1Q 2011, driven by robust growth across the balance sheet, despite weak economic re-

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covery. Net income for the period was $994,373, eclipsing Q1 2010 by $101,142, or 11.32%. The earnings gain is attributable to the 7.6% increase in net interest income, a 9.6 % decrease in interest expense, and growth in various non-interest income items, including a 24.7% lift in investment product income. “In turbulent economic times like these, banks with the lowest risk proﬁle are rewarded with the conﬁdence of those seeking safety and value; we provide the best of both,” says James M. Didden, President of The National Capital Bank. The Bank has paid continuous dividends to its shareholders for more than 121 years. The National Capital Bank, Washington’s Oldest Bank, was founded in 1889 and has been managed by the Didden family for 122 years. 202-546-8000. nationalcapitalbank.com.

Byte Back Community Computer Day Byte Back is hosting its ﬁfth annual Community Computer Day on Saturday, May 7, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at Byte Back, 815 Monroe St. NE. All DC residents are invited to enjoy free computer literacy workshops, free barbecue, and a moon bounce and face painting for kids. This event is an excellent opportunity for potential students, donors, foundation representatives, and members of local communities to see the cutting-edge skills that Byte Back, one of the city’s leading adult technology literacy organizations, has to oﬀer its current and graduating students. The 30-minute computer skills and literacy workshops throughout the day will include: Internet Security 101; introductions to twitter, gmail, and facebook; job hunting through the Internet and home networking. 202-529-3395. byteback.org

DDOT Announces City-Wide Pay-by-Phone Parking Program The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and Parkmobile today announced a program that will allow residents, workers and visitors to use their mobile phones to pay for parking at all of the ap36 ★ HillRag | May 2011

proximately 17,000 on-street metered spaces throughout the District of Columbia. “We piloted pay by phone parking in select business districts, with great results, and now we’re ready to oﬀer this service citywide,” said DDOT Interim Director Terry Bellamy. “It provides another, convenient payment option for drivers. Instead of paying with cash or a credit card, all it takes is a couple clicks with the mobile app or a short phone call and you’re on your way.” Parkmobile already provides pay by phone service in the Foggy Bottom, Georgetown Hospital, and Ballpark areas and will start adding locations around the District starting in June. Drivers can sign up at parkmobile.com, where they can also download a mobile app. Once registered, customers can use the mobile app, the internet, or a phone call to pay for parking. The parking transactions appear in real time on the handheld devices used by Parking Enforcement Oﬃcers.

American River Taxi Service American River Taxi, Washington, DC’s newest water transportation system, features commuter routes from the Gangplank Marina in SW, Georgetown’s Washington Harbour and National’s Stadium on game days. Hop-on, hop-oﬀ, $9. americanrivertaxi.com

19th Annual National Cinco de Mayo Festival Call for Dancers Sunday, May 1, noon-6:00 p.m., National Mall by the Washington Monument at the Sylvan Theater (closest cross streets Independence and 15th). Cinco de Mayo is a free festival of Latin dance, music, food, workshops for children and a full day of activities for the entire family. Come join the fun and dance the Pre-Hispanic Concheros warrior dance, a fun, easy-to-learn dance in honor of our ancient ancestors. We will teach you the steps. Bring a feathered headdress and maracas if you have them. Come dressed as an ancient Aztec, Inca or any Pre-Hispanic ﬁgure and win a prize! Wear your favorite costume and jump into

the Latin American procession. Children and adults are needed for the show. No experience necessary. Please arrive at 11:00 a.m. for the ﬁrst performance. marumontero.com

Timothy A. Flanagan named Executive Director at WACIF Timothy A. Flanagan was recently named Executive Director of the Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF). Mr. Flanagan originally joined the WACIF in 2006 after successfully running a small business. He previously served as deputy director, with oversight of WACIF’s programs, clients, loan portfolio, and community outreach. He is a frequent resource in economic development program planning as well as a contributor to local and nation symposiums on community development. “The Board values Tim’s dedication to WACIF’s mission,” said Anne Morrison, WACIF’s Board President. “Tim brings to the position core values essential to WACIF’s work and the communities we serve. As we approach WACIF’s 25th Anniversary (in 2012), we are enthusiastic about WACIF’s continued success.” 202-5295505. wacif.org

History of African-American Family Is Subject of Book Discussion Vivian Ann Davidson Hewitt, who, among other achievements, was the ﬁrst African-American president of the Special Libraries Association (1978-1979), has written an autobiographical history of her remarkable life, called “The One and Only” (available at www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1800058, 2011). Hewitt will discuss and sign her book during a program on Wednesday, May 4, at noon in the Mumford Room, on the sixth ﬂoor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. SE. 202707-5221. loc.gov capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 37

Historic Preservation 101/201

DC Circulator Service Changes

On Tuesday, May 3, 9:00 a.m.noon, join the DC Preservation League, DC Real Estate Commission and District of Columbia Board of Real Estate Appraisers for educational sessions that examine historic preservation in Washington, DC. Historic Preservation 101 provides a brief history of the DC historic preservation movement, advice on how to navigate the historic district requirements, tips on historic preservation funding and the value of façade easements. Historic Preservation 201 delves deeper in to the process of designating historic landmarks and districts, renovation of a historic property, the historic preservation review process and integration historic resources with new construction. No cost three hour continuing education credit available to DC Real Estate Licensees and DC Real Estate Appraiser Licensees. Not a Licensee? You can still attend. $40 for DCPL members and $60 for non-members. Gallaudet Universtiy, Kellogg Conference Center, 800 Florida Ave. NE. 202-783-5144. dcpreservation.org

The Mall route has ended. Hours will be extended on the Union Station-Navy Yard route, providing a great travel option for evening activities on Capitol Hill and in the Capitol Riverfront area. Beginning April 1 through September 30, 2011, this route will operate Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 7:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. On Nationals home game days, the Union Station-Navy Yard route will continue to operate later into the evening and on Sundays in order to transport fans to and from baseball games. A 2011 baseball schedule with Circulator service hours can be found at DCCirculator.com under the “Where We Go” tab. In the Southwest Waterfront area, service will be moved oﬀ Water St. SW and onto Maine Ave. SW, a very short distance away. Circulator stops will move to Maine Ave. at Seventh St. SW and Maine Ave. at Ninth St. SW. This change is made necessary due to pending construction of the Washington Kastles stadium on Water Street that will narrow traﬃc lanes. DCCirculator.com

Public Allies, DC is Looking for Young Adult Leaders Public Allies, DC an AmeriCorps program is in search of young adult leaders eager to strengthen their communities through apprenticeships in nonprofit organizations, leadership training, and team service projects. Allies serve four days a week for 10 months at local nonprofits, where they create, improve and expand services that address issues including youth development, education, public health, economic development, and the environment. From Sept. 1, 2011-June 22, 2012, Allies receive a monthly stipend of $1,600; and are eligible for health insurance, child care, and interest-free student loan deferment. Upon completion, each ally receives a $5,350 post-service education award to pay off student loans or fund future education. Visit publicallies.org to complete an application. They will be accepting applications until May 15. For more information, contact Tony Keith anthonyk@publicallies.org or 202-729-8131. 38 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Capital Bikeshare Launches New 5-Day Membership With tourist season in full swing, Capital Bikeshare has introduced a new 5-day membership option. The new 5-day membership, priced at $15, is geared specifically towards visitors to the nation’s capital and offers significant savings over the purchase of five individual day memberships priced at $5 a day. The membership is available for purchase at all Capital Bikeshare stations. CapitalBikeshare. com.

Volunteer at Artomatic Join the team that makes artomatic happen. Artomatic is completely volunteer-run, from ﬁnding a location for the main event to writing emails to supporters, everything is the work of dedicated volunteers. Are you interested in joining the core team that works year-round to make Artomatic happen? Email them at volunteer@artomatic.org. artomatic. org ★

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capitolstreets news

Bad Blood Over Old Land Deal Threatens to Make Streetcar Line More Costly by Lex Kiefhaber

he District of Columbia may be forced to take, by eminent domain, a piece of land crucial to the completion of the H Street Trolley. Potomac Development Corporation, the owner of the 0.15498 acres below the Hopscotch Bridge, is reluctant to cooperate with the District over the use of land because of how the government mistreated them in the past. That previous action by the government, and the sentiment of wrongdoing it fostered with PDC, now jeopardize negotiations crucial to the District’s plan to connect the H St. Trolley to Union Station. If the District does not reach an agreeable settlement with PDC, they will be forced to take the land through eminent domain—a process that will cost the city time and money.

What’s the Beef? In 2005 the District issued a notice of condemnation on two properties owned by PDC in close proximity to the proposed site for the Ballpark. As property values around the stadium steadily increased, PDC claims it was “forced to sit in a legal limbo in which they cannot sell, lease (other than short-term leases) or develop the properties.”

40 ★ HillRag | May 2011

With an order of condemnation looming in the indefinite future, PDC claims they could not effectively rent their properties (which consist of industrial warehouses, largely unsuitable for short-term leasing options), they could not invest in physical improvements which would be undone once the District acquired the property through eminent domain, and they could not sell them—since the District had already made public its intent to take the property, all that a prospective buyer stood to gain was a just compensation lawsuit against the District. Mr. Sullivan, the attorney representing PDC in its case against the District, testified that after two years of requesting information about when the District intended to follow through on the condemnation and take the property, the District finally “stonewalled” PDC, refusing to acknowledge PDC’s continued queries. This, Mr. Sullivan said, amounts to a “deliberate and unjustifiable government misconduct designed and successfully implemented to ensure that the defendants (the government) would be able to suppress the value of the plaintiffs’ (PDC’s) property.” Furthermore, PDC asserts that the District engaged in “gross miscon-

duct” when in June of 2009 the government fired the District appointed appraiser of PDC’s property “for submitting appraisals with too high valuations.” PDC then elected to abandon good-faith negotiations with the government and take their case to court. In order to win a favorable judgment, PDC must prove not only that the District has “taken” the property—demonstrating an imposed moratorium on development and restricting PDC’s ability to capitalize on its financial investment—but they must also convince the Judge that it was never the District’s intent to take the property. In his view, “this is not a case of mere ‘delay’ but of the defendants (the District) having actively, deliberately and consistently, over many years, preventing the plaintiffs (PDC) from making productive use of their properties.” He concluded his testimony with a simple summation of PDC’s grievance against the government: “the District has accomplished for itself what it said it was going to do by buying the properties—that is protect the properties from development—but it has done it without buying the properties.” The District, represented by Carl Schifferle, contends that the delay is

a function of ongoing planning and that the District has not intentionally or unreasonably prolonged taking the property. Mr. Schiﬀerle said “that the government needs to make owners aware of their intentions to acquire property.” He continued saying that while “the highest and best use of this property could have been realized 5 years ago… the government is not responsible for the loss in value because there has not been a taking.” Essentially, the case hinges on whether Mr. Sullivan can prove that through issuing the order of condemnation the District eﬀectually took the property. The case is currently before the District Court of Appeals, and will likely not be resolved until well after the District is scheduled to begin construction on streetcar line below the Hopscotch Bridge.

An Old Grudge, Revisited Although the land under the bridge and the property involved in Mr. Sullivan’s case are entirely unrelated, according to a source within the District Council, “it does seem that the negotiations between DDOT and PDC have just as much to do with a past taking as they do with getting the streetcar into Union Station.” Mr. Richard Bell, the President of PDC, said that “the District has been totally disingenuous with us from the beginning on the condemnation, and has promised us that they were going to take the property within a few months at least four or ﬁve separate times. So when you’re dealing with somebody that does that, and they come to you and they want to talk about another project, you have a tendency not to believe what they are saying.” Scott Kubly, the city’s point-

man in dealing with PDC, said the goal of the negotiations was to avoid taking the land through eminent domain. “Given our approach to try to reach an amicable solution and the overwhelming public benefit,” he said, “everybody has an interest in not having that happen.” Though Mr. Bell recognizes that the property involved in Mr. Sullivan’s lawsuit and the land city needs to connect the streetcar to Union Station “have nothing to do with each other…they are entirely separate matters,” it is the sentiment of wrongdoing fostered by the former that has dominated the negotiations over the latter. While both parties assert that an amicable agreement is preferable to a protracted legal battle, if PDC remains obstinate in their reluctance to cooperate, they cannot significantly impede DDOT’s plan to connect the streetcar to Union Station. Bruce Brennan, a lawyer who oversaw much of the District’s eminent domain litigation leading up to the construction of the Ballpark, said that he “couldn’t see them having any real impact on the planning.” Mr. Brennan said that the legal machination of eminent domain is both “efficient” and “effective,” such that when the District decides to appropriate the property all that is required is an appraisal of the value of the land and a declaration of taking by the mayor. According to Mr. Brennan, any contest from PDC over the valuation of their property will be litigated post-facto, after the District has appropriated the land. While this process will cost the city time and money on a potentially avoidable lawsuit, it does not pose an immediate threat to the planned construction of the streetcar line. What PDC does have, says Mr. Brennan, “is an opportunity to insist on the government talking to them before the government acts.” This, he says, is the “irritation factor,” wherein the District has to meet PDC in negotiations before issuing an order of condemnation. Whether or not Mr. Sullivan will be successful in his case against the District remains to be seen. ★

capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 41

capitolstreets news the NUMB3RS 3.327.649.10

A “One City” Budget? Not a Chance by Ed Lazere

may be starting to recover from the Great Recession, but the news hasn’t trickled down to the city’s finances yet. Mayor Gray just proposed his first budget — for 2012 — with the city facing yet another big shortfall due to the lingering effects of the economic downturn. Gray took some different steps

from his predecessor, perhaps most notably by calling for a tax increase on higher-income households. But that still wasn’t enough to prevent a number of steep cuts. DC Public Schools will not get enough to keep up with rising teacher salaries. The Metropolitan Police Department will struggle to keep the number of sworn officers from dipping. And libraries will get less money for books and will MAYOR’s PROPOSED FY 2010 GENERAL FUND BUDGET close the main MLK Government on Sundays. Direction 6% Economic Development* But the biggest 2% cuts – two-thirds of them – would fall Finance 16% on services for lowPublic income and other Safety 16% vulnerable residents. Public Works 9% Children and residents with disabilities would be espeHuman Services cially hurt, with cuts & Other Low Education Income Programs to homeless services, 25% 26% income assistance for needy families, mental health services for children, and as*Other low-income programs include the following agencies removed from Economic Development: Employment Services, Housing and Community Development, Housing Authority and Housing Protection Trust Fund sistance to residents with disabilities who PROPOSED FY 2012 BUDGET CUTS FALL MOST HEAVILY are waiting for fedON HUMAN SERVICES & OTHER LOW-INCOME PROGRAMS eral disability benefits Government Economic to be approved. Public Works Direction 7% Development* 2 % 5% More important, Gray’s first budget Public lacks a vision. It fails Safety to address the chal9% lenges of an economically divided city. He Education campaigned on the 9% need to tackle unemployment — which Human Services & Other Low makes sense given Income Programs* that unemployment 67% remains at recession levels — yet his bud-

42 ★ HillRag | May 2011

get has no notable jobs initiatives. Affordable housing would be shortchanged even though gentrification continues to spread and more and more DC families are finding it hard to stay. While school funding would remain relatively stable, educational outcomes will be undermined if more children come to school from homes facing troubles.

It is Not a “One-City” Budget. Some argue that at least the budget spreads the pain by asking higherincome residents to pay more in taxes. Some Council members think the tax increases go too far and should be undone. A closer look shows that the increases are relatively modest – less than 0.25% of income for families up to $500,000, for example. Gray’s revenue proposals also include closing tax shelters used by large multi-states corporations, which is long overdue. The following is the DC Fiscal Policy Institute’s early take on the budget. More information is available from the DCFPI “Budget Toolkit” at www.dcfpi.org.

A Budget that Is Still Shrinking DC’s tax collections are growing for the first time in three years, as the economy starts to rebound. But the hole in DC’s finances created by the recession was deep, and both revenues and spending next year still will be a lot lower than before the downturn. Mayor Gray’s proposed budget for 2012 is a little larger than in 2011, but that largely reflects rising school enrollments, the need to replace over $100 million in federal stimulus dollars that will run out, and accounting changes. Putting these together, funding for most services in 2012 would be lower than

in 2011. Gray’s ﬁrst budget is $400 million smaller in inﬂation-adjusted dollars than in 2008.

Budget Cuts that Hurt Given the economics he faced, it is not surprising that Gray’s budget reflects another round of cuts. These cuts are signs that the recession continues to make it hard to maintain basic city services. Schools: DC Public Schools’ funding will go up, mostly due to enrollment increases and added funds for special education. Funding for basic school operations would go up, too, by $18 million. But that is less than the $23 million rise in teacher pay, which means many schools will have to cope with less in real terms. Police: The MPD budget would drop just slightly in 2012, but it includes funding to hire 120 more police officers. But even so, the department is having trouble maintaining the number of sworn officers at the level they would like. Public Works: Gray proposes eliminating 100 positions sanitation positions and charging residents for their SuperCans. These reductions, while serious, pale in comparison with the proposed cuts to services that provide basic support to the city’s most needy residents. Homeless services: Homelessness among children is up nearly 50 percent, and DC is already turning away some families with children due to limited funds, yet Gray’s budget would cut homeless services funding by one-fifth. People with disabilities: Residents applying for federal disability benefits often wait more than a year for approval. Because most are unable to work, DC and 37 states provide

Affordable Health Insurance Plans for individuals, families, small business and the self-employed

modest cash assistance benefits during the waiting period. Mayor Gray would eliminate DC’s program, cutting 1,000 residents off from their sole source of income. Housing: After a short hiatus, rents in DC are rising again. Yet Gray’s budget would take away $18 million from housing construction, and he would make the city’s housing wait list grow even longer. Families with children: Mayor Gray would push benefits down for 7,000 families with children on welfare, but without increasing training or child care that families need to successfully move to living-wage jobs. Mental Health Services: The 2012 budget would increase funding for youth detention but reduce funding for children’s mental health services. Everyone should see what is wrong with that picture.

Tax Increases: Who Pays? Mayor Gray proposed closing a little less than half of the city’s budget gap with new revenues, which kept the budget cuts from being even worse. A closer look shows that many of the choices are reasonable, despite some of the hoopla against them. Income Tax Increase: Right now, DC’s current top income tax rate of 8.5% -- starts at just $40,000. Gray proposes a new rate of 8.9% for those with incomes above $200,000 and to limit the amount of itemized deductions these households can claim. The total impact is less than $400 on average for families up to $350,000 and under $1,000 for families up to $500,000. It works out to less than one-fourth of one percent of income for these households. Other taxes raised in recent year have fallen squarely on middle- and lower-income households — sales tax, gasoline, and cigarettes, among others. Parking tax: Gray proposes raising the rate on parking garages from 12% to 18%, consistent with tax rates in New York and Philly. A good share of parking taxes are paid by non-residents, and higher parking taxes may promote public transit.

Corporate Taxes: The Mayor’s budget would implement a set of rules — known as “combined reporting” — that limit the ability of multi-state corporations to shelter income and avoid paying taxes to DC. The budget also changes the formula for DC’s corporate tax that puts greater emphasis on businesses that sell a lot in DC but don’t have a large physical presence. Beyond that, Gray would raise the minimum tax businesses in DC pay from $100 – which hasn’t been changed in 30 years – to $250 for smaller businesses and $1,000 for larger ones. With a majority currently paying just the minimum, this is a sound change

Needed: A Budget That Brings the District Together Gray’s budget has two gaping failings. First, it fails to see that investments in education, public safety, and human services need to go hand in hand – that cuts in one area make it hard to achieve success in another. His efforts to put more cops on the street or better teachers in the classroom won’t be as successful as possible if families are less stable. Second, the Gray budget does little to address the great economic divide DC has known for years but that seems to be getting worse. Gentrification continues in many DC neighborhoods, in some cases fueled by public investments — such as streetcars. Helping DC residents stay in their neighborhoods and benefit from the city’s growth requires investing in job training and preserving affordable housing, among others. Yet Mayor Gray hasn’t put together a plan or put city resources behind either (other than a modest funding increase for the new-ish community college). It is surprising, and a bit disappointing, from someone who wants to build “One City.”

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CULTURAL TOUR TO TURKEY Anatolian Artisans has organized another exciting trip to Turkey on October 3 - 14, 2011. RSVP by June 1st. This time we will be exploring the Eastern Mediterranean region. Visits to local artisan workshops, birthplace of St. Paul, and Antioch are some of the many highlights. Space is limited. For more information please visit our web site; www.anatolianartisans.org or call or write to Yildiz Yagci at 301-231-8128 and yyagci@anatolianartisans.org or Malcolm Pfunder at mrpfunder@gmail.com for a brochure. Anatolian Artisans is a 501c3, non-profit organization working to provide sustainable economic benefits for low income artisans of Turkey.

Lazere is the executive director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www.dcfpi.org), which conducts research on tax and budget issues that aﬀect low- and moderate-income DC residents. ★

capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 43

capitolstreets news

Coming Soon! National Community Church Brings A Movie House To Barracks Row by Heather Schoell

“J

esus didn’t hang out in the synagogue,” said Mark Batterson, head pastor of the National Community Church. “He hung out at wells where the people were.” This is the impetus for Batterson’s recent property acquisition and investment in the Barracks Row community. NCC has purchased the People’s Church at 535 8th St. SE and the 700 block of Virginia Ave. including the old Miles Glass building. A few years ago NCC turned an abandoned, burned-out eyesore at 2nd and F streets, NE into a thriving community hub – Ebenezers Coﬀeehouse.-- a post-modern well, Batterson calls it. They’re about to bring that same revitalization to Barracks Row.

Mark Batterson eschews the stuffiness of traditional church. Photo courtesy NCC.

Full Circle The National Community Church (NCC) began 15 years ago with a congregation of 19. They bought 205 F Street, NE for an oﬃce, adjoining the blue building on the corner, vacant and forlorn. NCC began to grow, and used the theater at Union Station as their meeting space; it made perfect sense – they didn’t have to pay overhead, and there was plenty of seating. The congregation continued to grow, and now numbers in the thousands. NCC has

branched oﬀ to include Columbia Heights, Georgetown, Alexandria, Ballston, and Kingstowne neighborhoods. On Capitol Hill they bring us the Easter Eggstravaganza and Movies in the Park. When Union Station closed its movie theater, NCC began looking for a new location. They found it in the People’s Church at 535 8th St. SE. “We were expecting a three to four year process – it ended up being three to four weeks,” Batterson said. “[People’s Church] Pastor Hall is great. They have been there for 49 years. When businesses left, they stayed – I think that’s really important to note.” So NCC and The People’s Church will share the space until June 1, when Hall’s congregation will relocate to Maryland, and NCC will begin the transformation of the church into its original purpose – a working theater! “How ironic is it that the only movie theater on the Hill closed, and that we’re restoring the People’s Church back into a 1920s movie house? Barracks Row is already great – adding entertainment will take it over the top,” Batterson said.

the theater restored by fall 2011. It may take a miracle to get it done that quickly, but we’ll see. There is a lot of fluorescent lighting to converted, stark white paint to cover, and Art Deco seating to be restored. The balcony has been sealed. Maybe long-forgotten treasures will be found inside? (Batterson keeps an empty bottle of hooch that was found in Ebenezers’ walls.) The movie house will probably run independent films and second run films. Batterson is thinking of daytime features for families. “Get a pop tart from Ted’s Bulletin, then go to movie,” he’s thinking. In fact, he wants to know what the community is thinking, and asks for feedback. “We are a church that loves being in the community,” Batterson said. “We want to create a cool space where our neighbors can come.” Like Ebenezer’s, which is a business, but also a community meeting facility and a church meeting place, so will be the movie house. Batterson embraces this model because it generates income for their global charity work, brings people together, and doesn’t take up space for just one day’s use. “This is not going to be a church with a steeple,” he said.

Yes, the Whole Block Batterson calls it a “double-miracle” that both the People’s Church and the entire 700 block of Vir-

The Grand Plan Coming attraction – NCC. Photo by H. Schoell. 44 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Batterson will meet with architects in May, and hopes to have

The People’s Church occupies what was the Meader’s Theater c. 1920. Photo courtesy NCC.

ginia Ave. SE landed squarely in the lap of NCC. Yes, the entire block including the old Miles Glass building at the corner and the auto lot. “We’re envisioning another Ebenezers Coﬀee with tons of seating and parking. A child development center, a high-end performance space – something like Arena Stage or the Shakespeare Theater, oﬃce space, retail, and restaurants – something like Ted’s Bulletin,” said Batterson. And of course, the performance theater would accommodate church services.

Working Together “We couldn’t be any more excited about the theater project. I think it’s really going to help turn Barracks Row into a complete destination,” said Martin Smith, the Barracks Row Main Street executive director. “It’s a great component missing right now, and an added advantage is that it is going from a building with occasional use to something that is used every day.” As for the Virginia Ave. project, Smith is just as thrilled – in particular for another venue for Ebenezers’ Black & White coffees. Mark invites the Capitol Hill community’s input on what your next community hub should offer. This is a guy who is not afraid of technology (the New York Times did an article on his astounding number of podcast subscribers), so visit his blog at markbatterson.com, on Facebook, follow him on Twitter, check out theaterchurch.org, or grab a cup of coffee and let him know what you think at Ebenezers’ Saturday evening service at the corner of 2nd and F Sts. NE. Heather Schoell is a regular contributor to Capital Community News and can be reached at hschoell@verizon.net. ★

capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 45

capitolstreets news

Task Force Report Sets Stage for Eastern Market Legislation by Gwyn Jones

roduce may not be the only fresh item at Eastern Market. A recently released task force report recommends that the District take a fresh approach to the market’s governance, operations and maintenance to ensure its longevity and preserve its historic character. The 10-page report, developed by the Eastern Market Task Force (EMTF) at the direction of Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), summarizes the challenges created by the market’s current governance and provides a framework for restructuring Eastern Market’s governance. Wells’ charge to the EMTF, according to the report, was to develop recommendations for “a new governance structure that would ensure the Market and its operations would never again deteriorate as it had under its previous contracted and government management.” “I think they did a great job,” Wells said of the EMTF’s work. “This [report] provides a basis for drafting legislation.” The need for legislation arose out of the sense that “the government does not want to be in the business of managing the market on a day-to-day basis,” Wells explained, “but I didn’t want us to go back to just contracting [the Market’s management] out.”

Key Report Recommendations Key to the EMTF’s recommendations is the creation of a nonproﬁt, quasi-public entity, which it dubs the Eastern Market Preservation and Development Authority” (EMPDA). Similar in structure to the Washington Convention Center Authority, the EMPDA would have jurisdiction over the Eastern Market Square and the Eastern Market Historic Special Use District’s indoor urban fresh food market; outdoor farmers’ market; an46 ★ HillRag | May 2011

tiques and artisan crafts market, and prepared food sellers. The District would retain ownership of the market and continue to be responsible for capital improvements. Both the Eastern Market Square and the Eastern Market Historic Special Use Districts are deﬁned by current District statute. The EMTF recommendations for the new Eastern Market geography would add the Natatorium Plaza, and would take into account changes that will occur with the impending redevelopment of the Hine Junior High School site. Next to creation of the Authority itself, the composition and selection process for its board of directors could be considered the most critical and potentially the most challenging of the EMTF’s recommendations. The EMTF report outlines a board of 11 voting members: * One representative from each of the vendor groups (inside merchants, outside food vendors, outside arts and craft vendors. As proposed each representative would be elected from among his/her peers. * Two mayoral appointees: one a mayoral representative and the other with one or more of the required skill sets laid out in the report. * One representative appointed by the Council chair. * Five representatives appointed by the Ward 6 councilmember. Except for the vendor representatives, the report stipulates that all members must live in Ward 6. In addition, each representative except for the mayor’s and council chair’s representatives must have “proven expertise” in at least one of several skill sets including: food, ﬁnance, business historic preservation, arts, legal, merchandizing and marketing. Each member would be limited to two 3-year terms. The report outlines general re-

sponsibilities of the board, including establishing policy for the management, maintenance and operations of its deﬁned territory; setting budgets; reporting to the mayor and D.C. Council; establishing personnel policy; and hiring, directing and ﬁring of the market manager. Financial arrangements also are an important aspect of the recommended structure, and the report calls for establishing an Eastern Market Enterprise Fund, which would be maintained separately from the District’s general account and controlled by the EMPDA. All Eastern Market revenues would go into this fund. The EMTF also recommends, among other things, that “10 percent of all sales taxes raised in the Capitol Hill Historic District be set aside and dedicated to the capital improvements to the historic Eastern Market building.”

Challenges of Legislation Wells likes much of what he sees in the report, but is well aware of the challenges that drafting legislation presents. Creating the Authority is the starting point, he observes, “and everything comes from there.”

He notes a number of issues that must be addressed as the draft legislation takes place. He wants to address several aspects of EMPDA board, such as who serves, whether the number of members is “right,” how board members are selected, whether there should be term limits, etc. Regarding the recommendation that all board members except the vendor representatives should come from Ward 6, Wells concurred, noting that “we’ll likely have an overabundance of qualified members.” Another challenge Wells sees is the financial arrangements. “What I want to be careful about is to assure the financial stability of the Market,” he said. “So I’m going through the financial reports to see if they can develop a capital reserve fund as well as have sufficient funds to ensure smooth operations. I’m not sure we know what the numbers are yet.” An area of concern for many, including long-time vendors, is the issue of “grandfathering” current leaseholders. As Wells sees it, “The authority will be given to the EMPDA. They would have the responsibility for leases and outdoor licenses. I understand

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people are anxious about the issue of grandfathering. We want to preserve the character of the market – keep the people who make the market special there, but we don’t want to tie the hands of the new Market Authority.” Wells added that because most of the board members would be from Ward 6, “there will certainly be a sensitivity” to the issue among that body. Brian Pate (ANC6B, SMD 05), chair of the ANC 6B’s Eastern Market Committee said that Wells has asked the ANC to look at a few things in particular, such as how board members are selected. The idea of having a professionalized board makes sense as long as you have the ability to change/ add skill sets,” he said. “For example, it [the report] doesn’t have facilities operations and management as a skill set, and I could see wanting add that.” He agrees with Wells that grandfathering is an important issue. “The other real challenge is drafting legislation that allows the market to evolve to meet evolving tastes and diversity of the neighborhood while respecting that a lot of people have sunk their lives into the market,” Pate said. “The challenge going forward is ﬁnding the balance between the two.”

Context for the EMTF Work The April 2007 fire at the Market drew attention and criticism to the Market’s governance and management. A “minimalist management presence” prior to the fire allowed the facilities to deteriorate despite the “doggedness” of the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee in alerting the community to “festering problems.” “With a bifurcated management structure and an advisory group functioning with no power or authority,” the report states, “the Market struggled through the last decade even as it showed considerable promise as a powerful economic engine for the Capitol Hill community.” In developing its recommendations, the task force examined market structures for some 13 similar markets across the country, reviewing governance structures, bylaws, enabling legislation, financial structures and more. In addition, the EMTF also reviewed documentation on Eastern Market itself, including a report prepared af-

ter the 2007 ﬁre, the current Eastern Market legislation, and legislation for other quasi-governmental bodies in the District, such as the D.C. Revitalization Authority and the Washington Convention Center Authority. Numerous meetings with stakeholder groups were also part of the process detailed in the report, as the EMTF gathered input from the Capitol Hill community. The EMTF was co-chaired by Sharon Ambrose and Peter Waldron. Its members, all Capitol Hill residents, are Susan Clampitt, Wally Mlyniec, Gary Peterson, and Bonny Wolf. Acting Market Manager Barry Margeson serves as an adviser to the task force.

Legi lative Process Wells hopes to get the legislation drafted quickly – ideally by mid-May. The legislation would be introduced in Councilmember Mary Cheh’s (DWard 3) Committee on Government Operations and the Environment. The next scheduled meeting for that committee is May 19. “As soon as the legislation is done, I will introduce it to the Council and the ANC (Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6B) and community,” Wells said. He added that he wants to provide ample opportunity for public input throughout the process, which would include a public committee hearing on the draft legislation. Once the legislation leaves committee it would go to the Council for the ﬁrst of two readings. To become law, legislation must pass two votes of the council. “I would like to get the ﬁrst vote before we recess,” Wells said, referring to the Council’s summer recess from July 15 to Sept. 15. His goal is to have legislation in place early enough in the fall to allow the Market to assume its new structure in 2012. Pate said that although Wells has spoken to the ANC about the report, they have not yet discussed its merits. The body is currently focusing on its role in shaping the draft legislation. He said the ANC will schedule a special call meeting as soon as the draft legislation is released to give the community an opportunity to provide input. “We’ll do our own review as well,” he said, “and we’ll likely testify before the Council, too.” ★

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capitolstreets ANC reports

NEWS ANC 6A

by Roberta Weiner

National Marathon Gets Negative Review The National Marathon, now six years old, uses a disproportionate amount of ANC territory for the April race, beginning and ending at RFK Stadium, with runners using both directions on East Capitol Street as well as other local streets. Chris Brown and Diane Thomas of the Washington Sports Alliance came to the Commission for a debriefing. It was not a terribly positive experience for the race managers. The two were thanked for working closely with the affected Commissioners, and were reminded about the commitments they had made to improving 6A’s experience. However, according to the Commissioners, many of those commitments were not kept. According to Chair David Holmes, East Capitol was closed at 6:20 a.m., a good deal earlier than necessary, and special steps designed to enable traffic to cross the course were not effective. “Police refused to open the routes… we had over 100 cars within a block of my house...and buses and trucks decided to double park, without turning off their diesels,” with police unable to leave their posts to ticket the offenders. Police were not adequately trained and were confused when routes were changed at the last minute. Further, he said, there were no vehicles to pick up stragglers, and despite the fact it was supposed to be a timed race, slow people were not being rescued, even after five and half hours. Commissioner Nick Alberti and Elizabeth Nelson were also particu48 ★ HillRag | May 2011

larly concerned, as was Mr. Holmes, about the quantity of shed clothing lining the streets as the weather warmed up, as well as water bottles and cups. It was left to neighbors to pick up the bags and bags of clothing and trash, despite the supposed presence of a truck from an organization serving the homeless to pick up the clothes and another for the trash. Mr., Brown said they would work to make corrections and changes for next, but the Commissioners said they had little faith in the possibility of any change at this point.

Commission Acts on Apple Tree Last month, the Commission voted to revisit the issue of the construction permits for Apple Tree Learning Center to give the new members of the ANC an opportunity to inform themselves on the complexities of the issue. Chairman Holmes said that DCRA had been invited to the meeting of the Economic Development Committee, but because litigation may be pending, chose not to attend. Brieﬂy, the original construction permits for the preschool were granted for a non-conforming use for the property, and, after several one-year renewals, the permits had expired without construction beginning at the property. DCRA had revoked the permits after construction had ﬁnally begun, and subsequently re-issued them. The ANC’s discussion followed its usual pattern, with many local parents speaking about the importance of having Apple Tree in the community as a needed, excellent resource for their children, and members of the Commission and other neighbors reiterating their view that the school was not the issue, but the process of granting permits was. Although it was an acceptable site

when the building was purchased, the use of the Apple Tree site as a school is no longer permitted because of changes in the zoning regulations. Because the permits have lapsed, several Commissioners believe the developer is required to apply for new permits through the BZA. Commissioner Drew Ronneberg said that the Apple Tree case is important for other cases before the Zoning Commission, and it requires action. A motion was oﬀered that the ANC ﬁle an appeal of the reissuance of the revoked and expired permits in violation of the new zoning regulations. The motion passed 6-0-1.

No Support for Child Development Center on North Carolina Avenue Sergio and Ximena Cespedes live at 1329 North Carolina Ave. NE, where they provide child care for seven children, including four of their own. They would like to turn the house into a full-fledged child development center, asking for a permit to service 24 children, including nine infants younger than 24 months. They said, however, that they were looking to care for 18 children. The house is in an R-4 residential neighborhood, and they are seeking a special exception from the BZA to implement their plan. There was a good discussion at the Economic Development Committee meeting that focused on the traffic and transportation problems the center would cause with drop-offs and pick-ups, as well as inadequate space for staff parking and the existence of other child care centers and camps in the immediate area. Another problem is the disposal of trash, especially

with the large amount of diapers. The neighbors are concerned about their property values. A motion was offered that the ANC oppose the BZA application as it does not meet the requirements for a special exception because of the increase in traffic and dangerous conditions for cyclists and children being dropped at the center; insufficient on-site parking; noise; travel to the play area at Lincoln Park is unsafe; and the property has effectively been turned into a commercial use. It passed unanimously.

In Other Actions… In other actions, the ANC * Heard from Chairman David Holmes that he met with DCRA Director Nick Majett about the problem raised at the March meeting about developers misusing federal “reasonable accommodation” language available to increase the lot usage size in constructing residences for handicapped individuals. He said that while no regulatory language exists now, they may have found criteria in Montgomery County and other locations to implement eﬀective changes. * Gave conditional support for valet parking for the Biergartenhaus on H Street * Asked Anwar Saleem of H Street Main Street to process a waiver of the requirement that he get the signatures of 90% of those within 500 feet of the H Street Festival through the Economic Development Committee. Saleem reports that this year’s

ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 6A DAVID HOLMES, CHAIR, 202-251-7079 festival will celebrate the completion of the H Street construction as well as the festival. The next meeting of ANC 6A will be on Thursday, June 9th, at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th Street NE at 7 p.m. ★

ANC 6B by Andrew Lightman Advisory Commission 6B (ANC 6B) met on April 12 at the Church of the Later Day Saints. Commissioners present included: Chairman Neil Glick, Brian Pate, Kristen Oldenburg, Vice-Chair David Garrison, Jared Critchﬁeld, Norman Metzger and Ivan Frishberg. Absent: Brian Flahaven and Francis Campbell.

Community Complaints Regarding RFK Noise Eugene Imhoff, a resident of Bay Street, rose to complain about noise generated by the rave at DC Armory that had occurred the previous Saturday. He likened the event to being “subjected to a form of audio terrorism”that continued until 2 a.m. When Imhoff consulted officers of the Metropolitan Police (MPD) at the scene of the infraction, they informed him that organizers of the event had secured approval from Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) for their violation of DC’s sound ordinance. Imhoff asked the Commission to intervene with DCRA, the Mayor and the DC Sports Authority noting another event was planned for April 30 in the parking lot. He added that this rave was sold out to the tune of 10,000 tickets. Burt Randolph, the ANC’s Executive Director, reported that the Commission had sent a letter to DCRA expressing its concern about the event.

Proposed Liquor Regulations Community member Chuck Burger, a former member of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, informed the Commission that new

alcohol regulations permitting the sale of liquor after 10 p.m. are under consideration as a revenue enhancement method by the District. A hearing was scheduled for April 20. Commissioners were concerned that the proposed changes might impact existing Voluntary Agreements with liquor stores.

Complaint about Conditions at the DC Jail John Rosser, Vice Chairman of DC’s Fraternal Order of Police Corrections Union, warned commissioners about the impact of looming city budget cuts on safety at the DC Jail. Rosser complained that a combination of furloughs and staﬀ reductions constituted a threat to security for both staﬀ and inmates. He requested commissioners to contact their representatives to support proper funding of the city correctional budget.

ABC Issues

Serving the Kingman Park, Linden, Near Northeast, North Lincoln Park, Rosedale, and Stanton Park communities

# # #

ANC 6A generally meets the second Thursday of the month, 7 pm, at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th Street, NE.

www.anc6a.org ANC 6A, 2nd Thursday, May 12 Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee 3rd Tuesday, May 17, 7pm • Sherwood Recreation Center Corner of 10th & G Streets, NE • Chair, Adam Healey, 556-0215 Transportation & Public Space Committee 3rd Monday, May 16, 7pm • Community Room of the Capitol Hill Towers 900 G St. NE • Chair, Omar Mahmud, 546-1520 Economic Development & Zoning Committee 3rd Wednesday, May 18, 7pm • Sherwood Recreation Center Corner of 10th & G Streets, NE • Chair, Drew Ronneberg, 431-4305 Community Outreach Committee 3rd Monday, May 16, 7pm • Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith Annex 1235 C Street, NE • Chair, Elizabeth Nelson, 543-3512

Please check the Community Calendar on the website for cancellations and changes of venue. Attend a meeting! Volunteer for a committee! It’s your ANC!

The Commission dealt was a number of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) issues. First, Carol Green reported that the neighbors of Paciﬁco (514 8th St. SE) had signed an agreement with owner Xavier Cervera including an increase in height of the roof and a minor change in operating hours. Commissioners voted unanimously to incorporate the changes into the Commission’s Voluntary Agreement (VA) with Cervera. Commissioners discussed a request by the owners of Aqua Al 2 (212 7th St. SE) to stay open later for private parties. After some discussion over the technicalities of approving such a change only four years into the agreement, Commissioners approved drafting a letter to initiate the process. Commissioner Norman Metzger took a moment to congratulate all those involved in defeat of the proposed bar at 727 8th St SE, the current location of Capitol Hill Sporting Goods.

Eastern Market Information Center, Unexpected Controversy Charles “Chuck” Burger presented the Mutatio design for the capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 49

proposed Community Information Hub (CIH) to be built on the Eastern Market Metro Plaza (The Plaza). This concept had been approved by the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), the Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS), the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT), the Capitol Hill Business Improvement District (The BID), the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce (CHAMPS) and Barracks Row Mainstreet, Burger reported. The cost of construction will run between $125,000 and $150,000, funded by monies generated by the Performance Parking District. Construction is expect to commence in early fall. Commissioners Frishberg and Pate questioned Burger as to whether the project included any plans to landscape the Eastern Market Metro Plaza. Burger stated that this was beyond its scope and that there nothing left in the budget to cover such improvements. The two proposed an amendment letter of support for CIH to include a request to secure additional funds for the landscaping of the plaza arguing the two issues should not be considered independently. Commissioner Garrison refused to accept the amendment as friendly. There was extensive discussion amongst commissioners of the appropriateness of such language. Commissioner Oldenburg objected to the amendment’s vagueness, “It could be hardly anything or a lot.” Commissioner Metzger joined Oldenburg reminding his fellows of the long and tortured history of various proposals for redesigning and landscaping The Plaza. He cautioned against adopting the amendment in the absence of extensive prior discussions with residents and neighborhood organizations. He urged a separate process that would provide more detailed instructions to DDOT. “This is in the category of ‘No good deed goes unpunished,’” opined Commissioner Garrison, arguing the issues of the CIH and landscaping must be decoupled. Otherwise, the complexities of landscaping the plaza risk delaying the CIH, he argued. Frishberg objected strongly stating that Garrison had misrepresent50 ★ HillRag | May 2011

ed the language of his amendment. “I don’t think the language that Frishberg provided is any form of poison pill,” concurred Commissioner Pate. “All we are asking for is the planting of flowers, trees, bushes in the existing plan of the plaza.” “You all know this community. You know perfectly well that as someone, anyone, anybody proposes a specific landscaping plan all hell will break loose, because people will have different ideas…It’s a bit naïve to say well to simply put some flowers in the proposal,” retorted Metzger reminding the Commission of past controversies surrounding the redesign of the Plaza. The Commission approved the letter as amended with Commissioners Garrison, Oldenburg and Metzger voting in opposition. More details about the CIH project may be found at www.easternmarketmetroinfohub.wordpress.com.

Eastern Market Report Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells briefed the Commission on the ﬁndings of a commission that he charged to review the governance of Eastern Market. (An extensive discussion of the report can be found in a separate article devoted to its details in this issue of the Hill Rag.) For the full copy of the report, visit http://www.tommywells. org/2011/04/eastern-market16.php.

Pacifico Restaurateur Xavier Cevera presented his plans (HPA #11-216) for the rooftop deck of his new restaurant Paciﬁco (514 8th St. SE), which is the current site of Capitol Video Sales. According to Cervera, the slightly altered design incorporating advice received from The DC Historic Preservation Oﬃce and the suggestions of neighbors included the following elements: 1. Vertical doors will be used on the building’s façade. 2. The size of the rooftop arbor has been reduced. 3. The rooftop’s front railing has been moved four feet back behind the parapet. 4. The rooftop greenhouse has

swapped places with the original location of the service counter giving the neighboring Shakespeare Theater a more appealing view. 5. The second floor stairwell will now have a glass side rather than brick. Cevera reported that he had not as yet settled with HPO on the height of the three rooftop elements: the arbor, the prep kitchen and the service counter. The current drawings show nine foot elevations. HPO has requested a one foot reduction. Cevera did not think this adjustment would be a problem. Commissioners reviewed the drawings carefully. Cevera assured Commissioner Garrison that the new design for the railing would reduce the risk of anyone or anything falling off the roof on either dinners or passersby. Several commissioners were concerned about the visibility of the central rooftop elements from the other side of the street. Commissioner Metzger observed that cars had been parked on the rooftop throughout most of the building’s history. The Commission approved Cevera’s plans with one abstention that of Commissioner Oldenburg. Oldenburg stated her abstention illustrated her concern that there had been insufficient opportunities for community comment on the issue

Eastern Market Report Commissioner Pate, the Commission’s representative to Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC) reported on its deliberations. * EMCAC voted to endorse current plan for the redevelopment of Hine School with nine in favor and Pate himself abstaining. The plan, they concluded, provided suﬃcient parking and new plaza provided ample space to support the Market. * Washington Gas has not as yet resolved the gas line issues on 7th Street SE. * EMCAC unanimously resolved against renting the North Hall to any individual or organization that in turn sublet any portion of that space to vendors, who could otherwise rent spaces as vendors to avoid undercutting the normal rents.

* The window for new vending applicants closed as of the end of March. Sixteen applications were received. * For the ﬁrst quarter of FYI 2011, the Market generated a net income of $16,658 dollars as opposed to a projected deﬁcit of $16,000. The main reasons were savings in janitorial services and trash collection. The Commission unanimously approved a motion to send a complementary letter to that dispatched by EMCAC to Washington Gas to ask for a survey of the current conditions on 7th Street, a plan for the repair of the gas leaks on the street, and then require a written commitment from Washington Gas to return 7th St. SE to its original condition once repairs are completed.

Consent Agenda The Commission unanimously adopted its Consent Agenda that included: * March 8 and March 15 Commission Meeting Minutes * Approving the concept for restoring The Maples (HPA #11-078) including the restoration of the historic structure, new construction and garage access. ★

May Preservation Café: Backyard Vegetable Gardening Wednesday, May 18th 6:30 to 7:15 PM Ebenezers Coffeehouse, downstairs 2nd & F Streets, NE Speaker: Pat Taylor, President, Capitol Hill Community Garden Land Trust and King’s Court Community Garden Coordinator After a brief introduction to community gardens and how to get on a waiting list, Ms. Taylor will discuss what to do at home while you’re waiting in order to produce those fresh vegetables you’re longing for. The Preservation Café is free, accessible, and open to all in the Capitol Hill community; no reservations are necessary.

Preserve and Protect Your Neighborhood Join the Capitol Hill Restoration Society • CFC # 50747

202-543-0425 www.chrs.org Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6C ANC 6C serves Capitol Hill, Union Station, NoMa, Mt. Vernon, Sursum Corda, and downtown as far west as 9th Street NW. The community is invited to attend/participate. Monthly meetings are generally the second Wednesday of the month, 7 pm, Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Avenue N.E. Call for information: (202) 547-7168. www.anc6c.org

ANC 6C by Roberta Weiner

Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee First Tuesday, 7 pm. Contact (202) 669-5184

Planning, Zoning, and Environment Committee First Wednesday, 7 pm., NPR 635 Massachusetts Avenue N.W.

Community Outreach/Grants Committee Contact anc6c07@aol.com

Transportation and Public Space Committee First Thursday, 7 pm. Contact (202) 641-4264

Settled H Street Development Revisited A request that the ANC support a second two-year extension at the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) for variances and exceptions needed for the construction of a project at 6th and H Street NE caused a small rebellion among people from the surrounding community. In 2007, the site, the red brick buildings currently occupied by District oﬃces and home to the Saturday farmer’s market, received Zoning Commission approval for a mixed use development that incorporated the results of months of serious negotiation between community organizations and

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capitolstreets news the developer. Two years ago, as a result of the developer’s inability to obtain financing for the project, they were granted a two-year extension of development plan. Now, they are applying for a second extension and several members of the affected neighborhood feel that they should be allowed to re-visit the project and weigh in on its components. Several speakers said that conditions had significantly changed since the original approval, including the impact that the trolley will have on H Street, and the affect the new H Street traffic patterns will have on the traffic flow for the building. The substantial increase in enrollment at Ludlow Taylor elementary school and its impact on the traffic was also raised. There was also a rumor, put to rest by the project’s attorney Chip Glasgow, that the building, originally planned as a condominium, would be a rental building, making the community less stable. Several speakers were new to the community and, as one put it, “I’m not against the building, I’m just against a bad building,” and want an opportunity to weigh-in on the development. Glasgow did say he didn’t know whether the city was going to remain a tenant of the new building, and admitted that a construction/management agreement, governing such things as the on-going inspection of surrounding houses for damage during construction was yet to be signed, but would be. He also pointed out that the developer has kept the property in very good condition. He said that he would not let the project “go down the tubes” and said they would win any debate with the ANC before the BZA. Commissioner Ann Phelps, saying that the Commission had granted any number of extensions over the past three years, and had asked only that the property had been kept in good condition and has been a good neighbor. Using those criteria, the extension, she said, should be no problem. She pointed out that seven or eight groups had worked on the project, and certainly represented the community. A motion to not support the extension was defeated, and a motion to 52 ★ HillRag | May 2011

hold a special ANC meeting the ﬁrst week in May so that the community may be heard again before the May 17th hearing date was passed, with a single abstention. This will allow the ANC to vote on the extension and weigh in.

at the meeting that it will update its original traﬃc plan, including the impact of the Montessori school. Citing the need to act immediately, the Commission voted 6-0-1 to support Option B, which provides a 60’ foot drop-oﬀ in front of the building, and gives up only six parking spaces.

Kaiser Permanente Looks for Better White Tiger Building has New Access on 3rd Street Kaiser Permanente, which recent- Owner, to be Renovated ly moved into its new facility on 2nd Street NE, next door to the new SEC building, has a serious problem with access to their building for elderly and disabled members. Because the structure was not built as a medical building, no drop-off was constructed at the entrance, and the safety of patients entering the building on 2nd Street NE is now severely compromised. The extra space is needed because of the number of vans and MetroAccess vehicles that use the entrance. Kaiser presented three options to DDOT for a drop-off and the community, one, their preference, would allow a drop-off zone along 2nd Street that would require sacrificing 16 parking spaces on the west side of the street, and two that would have a 60’drop off zone on the east side of the street, with a loss of five spaces in one option, and 11 on the west side in the other. DDOT has rejected the first option. There had been a lengthy discussion at a Transportation Committee meeting about the possibility of using an existing entrance on H Street, but it was determined that MetroAccess vehicles couldn’t clear the entrance, and it was a much longer walk to the desk inside. Beyond that, it was said that it using that entrance would be treating disabled people differently from others, which is illegal. Kaiser did announce at the ANC meeting, however, that its employees would begin using the H Street entrance. Neighbors, of course, were concerned both about the loss of parking spaces and the increased traffic to be caused by drop-off and pickups from the new Montessori School opening around the corner. Another issue that was raised is the lack of a comprehensive traffic study of the area. The Dreyfus Company, the site’s developer, announced

White Tiger, the longtime Hill restaurant with the spacious outdoor patio at 3rd Street and Massachusetts Ave., NE, has been sold, and the new owner plans to keep the popular restaurant, while making substantial changes in the way it looks. On the inside, he plans to move the kitchen, currently on the second floor, to the first. But the most substantial and visible modifications will happen to the outdoors. Joe Reger, the property’s new owner, plans to add more outdoor space on 3rd Street, somewhat change the shape of the space on Massachusetts Ave., and add a retractable canopy to the patio. Mr. Reger and the project’s architect appeared before the ANC for support of a Historic Preservation concept design. Problems were raised about how the changes would fit into the historic district, how the ground floor kitchen would be vented so that the noise wouldn’t distract the neighbors, and the impact that noise from the new 3rd Street seating would have on the residential buildings next door. Both the community and the ANC Commissioners were divided on whether to support the project, and after a vote to withhold commission support failed 3-3-1, the ANC voted 6-1 to request that HPRB delay consideration of the project so that the Committee can reconsider the issue.

In Other Actions… In other actions, the ANC * Voted, without objection, to support a BZA application for three variances and a special exception to allow the construction of a mixed residential and retail building at 450 K Street NW. The building will have rental units and roof-top amenities, including landscaping, and two courtyards.

* Unanimously agreed to support a BZA application for a three-story building to house a restaurant at 705 6th Street NW, across from Verizon Center. *Agreed, without objection, to support a Zoning Commission amendment to Phase II of the SeVerna and Golden Rule development (Bible Way Church) to allow an increase in height of the building from 50’ to 90’. * Supported outdoor seating for Kushi, the Japanese restaurant at 465 K Street NW, and took no position on a similar request from Sidamo, the Ethiopian coﬀee house at 4th and H Street NE. The reason was that noone from the establishment was present at the meeting. * Agreed to support the street closings for the National Building Museum’s Festival of the Building Arts on September 17th and for citywide Bike DC on May 22nd. The next meeting of ANC 6C will be on Wednesday, June 8, at 7 pm, at the Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. ★

ANC 6D by Roberta Weiner

Commission Urges Major M Street Traffic Study After much recent activity with various traffic issues on M Street, in both Southwest and Southeast, Commissioner David Garber presented a resolution urging the Department of Transportation to request funds in its 2012 budget for a comprehensive traffic study of M Street and the streets that feed into it. Calling attention to the amount of redevelopment in the past five years and anticipated development in the next five, without any concomitant change in the design of streets and sidewalks to improve pedestrian safety, Commissioner Bob Craycraft urged that the Commission’s letter to DDOT specifically enumerate the number of serious injuries and fatalities that have recently taken place on

M Street. There was emphasis by several commissioners on the necessity for any study to include the entire ANC area, from Maine Avenue to the 11th Street Bridge, and that it integrate any existing area studies. Michael Stevens, director of the Capitol Riverfront BID said that the BID has put some funds aside for a study and he has talked to Councilmember Wells, among other officials, about its importance. The resolution, which passed unanimously, urged the implementation of a “complete streets” plan to decrease the speed and volume of automobile traffic, and increase multi-modal transportation safety and efficiency as 6D continues to evolve and develop.”

Lumbershed Moves Forward with ANC Approval Last month, Forest City Washington presented its concept design for the Lumbershed, a historic structure originally used to dry lumber located in the Yards Park. It is being restored with restaurants and retail on its first floor, and the new headquarters for the developer on the second. The Commission was asked this month to support a Zoning Commission application to allow the second floor to be used for other than retail. The developer was able to answer several questions the ANC asked last month, specifically about making sure the second floor will be lit at night when the offices will be closed, and also assuring that the evidence of office work will not be evident. The Office of Planning has given permission for the offices to be there for 20 years, and they can be replaced with retail sooner if there is a need. The Commission voted unanimously to support the application.

A Candidate for Landmark Status A very plain late 19th Cencapitalcommunitynews.com ★ 53

tury building at 1024 1st Street SE, standing alone in an empty lot across from two new Southeast apartment buildings has been nominated as a historic landmark, and the Commission was asked for its support. Originally a residence and a store called the Silver Market, the building stands on property that is planned for additional residential development. It was singled out as one of the last remaining typical buildings in the Southeast neighborhood. Several neighbors of the building, owners of condominiums in the adjacent buildings, were adamant in their opposition to the landmarking, saying that they look directly out at the building, and it is unattractive and its continued presence would affect the value of their property. The owner of the building himself said he had filed for a demolition permit prior to the application being filed. He said the building has had a fire and been reconstructed so that it is not the original structure. He said that studies have been done that show the building has no historic significance, and Commissioner Andy Litsky suggested that the discussion be postponed a month until the studies could be presented to the ANC. The Commission subsequently voted 5-2 to support the landmark designation. The Historic Preservation Review Board subsequently voted to deny landmark status to the building.

Summer at the Waterfront The developers of the Southwest waterfront, Hoﬀman/Madison are working hard to make the waterfront a destination even in advance of the start of construction, which is not scheduled to begin for at least another year, and Eleanor Bacon of Hoﬀman/Madison and Bob Koenig, who is managing the seasonal Interim Uses Program and has been meeting with a community committee, presented what’s in store for the summer. There will be. among other activities *a farmer’s market on Thursdays from 4:30 - 7:30 pm, run by the Neighborhood Restaurant Group and Arcadia Farms, that will include a “mobile green bus” that will visit other locations in the neighborhood, as well as bakery and butcher stands * There will be food and beer sales run by ChurchKey Brewpub 54 ★ HillRag | May 2011

* Westminster Church will bring its popular jazz and blues concerts outdoors to the waterfront * On Fridays there will be community-focused entertainment, featuring local performers * Saturday mornings there will be free outdoor yoga classes, with barbeque and family-oriented activities in the afternoon * The Washington Kastles tennis season will get under way on July 5th, with Venus Williams starring against Kansas City. Hoﬀman Madison is making plans for cleanliness and security, and plans to hire local people. They will also be working with slipholders at the marina on plans for greening the waterfront with plantings they will underwrite.

In Other Actions… In other actions, ANC 6D * Approved a resolution offered by Chairman Ron McBee to continue the Circulator bus route from the Convention Center to the Southwest Waterfront, currently threatened with termination, * Unanimously approved letters of support for several upcoming races: the 27th Annual Army 10-Miler, to be run on October 8th; the 2011 Police Week 5K, on Saturday, May 14th; and the Home Run Classic, a new 10K, which, on Saturday, June 10th, be run through Near Southeast. Sponsored by the Capitol Riverfront BID, it will be an opportunity for runners to get acquainted with the neighborhood, including Canal and the Yards Parks, the ballpark and the residential and office buildings. * Supported the issuance of both stipulated and regular liquor license for the Bullpen II, the beer garden next door to the Bullpen across from Nationals Park. * Approved a letter to ABRA with the ANC’s suggestions, at ABRA’s request, for when it should be notified of changes in licenses contemplated by ABRA—e.g. changes in hours, the introduction of live entertainment, ownership changes, etc. The next meeting of ANC 6D will be on Monday, May 9, at 7 p.m. The location will be announced at a later date. ★

Community Life Spotted on the Hill

The Blackburnian Warbler text and photo by Peter Vankevich

hen considering birds of the Washington, DC area, many consider that the best time of the year is the month of May when migratory birds arrive from points south to start a family or pass through heading to their nesting grounds farther north. The DC Audubon chapter’s May field trip to the C&O Canal fills up within hours after the announcement is posted. As I like to note biannually, this particular observation has been immortalized in Louis Halle’s “Spring in Washington” which chronicled a State Department official’s early morning forays in 1945 before beginning the serious issues of war and peace. Indeed, birding in spring can be enriching and a small team of good birders could see 100 or more species in one day in the District by hitting hot spots including Hains Point, Fletcher’s Boat House, Rock Creek and Kenilworth Gardens. Our featured bird this month, the Blackburnian Warbler (Dendroica fusca), is one of the highly-sought after socalled neo-tropic migrants. In this case, its stunning beauty is what makes it such a popular bird. Males can be easily identified by the bright orangecolored throat and yellow/black facemask, blackish streaked back, and in

spring a prominent white wing patch. Females are similarly patterned but have more subdued colors. For nesting habitat, Blackburnian Warblers prefer mature coniferous or mixed woodlands and range across much of Central and southern Canada as far west as Central Alberta and east

to the Maritimes and Newfoundland. In the United States they will nest in higher elevations from the East to the Midwest including along the Appalachians and in small numbers as far south as Tennessee and Georgia. Outside of breeding season and migration, they can be found primarily in the upper montane forests of South America, especially in the northern Andes of Ecuador and Columbia. They are usually nocturnal in migration, and for many individuals, their route from South America includes a marathon cross of the Gulf

of Mexico. In the DC region these warblers are more often seen in fall migration peaking in late August to mid -September than in spring in the DC region when their plumage is particularly brilliant. The song consists of a series of somewhat weak highpitched seet-say sounds and ends with a trill. Blackburnian Warblers prefer the upper canopy of trees which make them a challenge for both observing and photographing. They glean the leaves in search of insects and spiders. In winter they may add berries to their diet. So how did this species get its lofty name? It is one of the very few North American birds named after a woman. (Virginia’s Warbler is one other.) This bird was named in honor of the British naturalist Anna Blackburne (1726 – 1793) who would preserve specimens of North American birds sent by her brother, Ashton, an early collector of birds around the time of the Revolutionary war. If you have any comments, or would like to join me for a stroll on the Hill with your binoculars or camera on a weekend morning, feel free to contact me, petevankevich@gmail. com. ★

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communitylife

role that kept it from happening.”

DICK WOLF

DC’s Comprehensive Plan

A Neighborhood Treasure by Roberta Weiner

apitol Hill as we know it today did not spring full blown into a special DC neighborhood. Despite the uniqueness of having the US Capitol just up the street, by the 1950’s and early ‘60’s, its 18th and19th century houses were run down and its streets were unsafe--even Eastern Market was struggling. But the potential was there for a group of pioneer families with vision, passion, a sense of adventure—and knowledge of the zoning laws—to move in and work toward making the Hill the rich community it is today. And chief among those people of vision and commitment is Dick Wolf, who, according to longtime resident Gary Peterson, “single-handedly brought city planning to the District, and especially to Capitol Hill.” For decades Dick Wolf has devoted his talent, expertise and seemingly limitless energy to the job. Wolf, like many Hillites then and now, came to town as an idealistic young lawyer to do public service, working at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in the heady days of the civil rights revolution. After that, he went to work as an internal counsel for NASA in its headiest early days, where he stayed until his retirement in 1998. A native Michigander, and a graduate of the University of Michigan and Yale Law School, he had married Mimi (Miriam) the day after she graduated from medical school at Yale, and with his job in Washington, and Mimi headed for advanced training at Johns Hopkins (where she still works), for their ﬁrst four years here they lived in Bladensburg, and commuted in two directions. But in 1964 they moved to the Hill with their two daughters, Jennifer and Ann, to a house that Wolf says was a “wreck” when they bought it, and then

56 ★ HillRag | May 2011

received a stellar renovation by a notyet-renowned architect Hugh Newell Jacobson. Today that “wreck” is part of the grand block known as Philadelphia Row on in the unit block of 11th Street SE, a happily comfortable setting for an interview on a rainy spring afternoon, Those were the days of the Capitol Hill Community Council through which Wolf, whose commitment to social justice was deeply ingrained, worked on the problems arising from the end of segregation when the neighborhood changed, with working class whites moving to cheap housing available in the suburbs, and African Americans moving in, particularly after the 1968 riots. He remembers walking or taking the bus to work through what had become a dangerous neighborhood. Former Councilmember Sharon Ambrose remembers that it was then that the Wolfs became active in Temple Micah, then sharing space with St. Augustine’s church in Southwest. “Dick and Mimi live in the Jewish liberal tradition, and are deeply involved in issues of social justice that are so important, and that Temple Micah espouses. Even though Micah is now in Northwest, they are still active there. Their faith is an important part of their lives.” Around the time the Wolfs arrived on 11th Street, a local character named Sid Yudain, the founder and longtime editor of Roll Call, decided to turn a building called the Organ Factory that he owned on 10th Street SE into a club called the Blue Room, not a popular idea. The neighbors, Wolf signiﬁcantly among them, successfully fought the commercial incursion into a residential neighborhood. And that was the beginning. In the late ‘60’s, he joined the Capitol Hill Restora-

Photo: Andrew Lightman

tion Society, which had been founded in 1955 but had never been very well organized, and along with longtime residents Larry Monaco and Peter Powers, brought, as he puts it, a new breed of activism to the organization. “What we did,’ he said, ”was to bring a much more professional attitude toward preservation,” using zoning laws to get the Hill established as a historic district, as part of a federal initiative in the mid-1960’s, with a historic preservation law passed in 1978. “Historic preservation started in DC as a result, and it was an extraordinary time,” he went on, “We were the only game in town, and appeared regularly at hearings, and we were successful in getting laws and regulations enacted.” Peterson, who stands well over sixfeet tall, remembers that he and the much shorter, more wiry Wolf would go to meetings with bureaucrats and “play Mutt and Jeﬀ,” with Dick playing bad cop and Gary good cop. “Dick was a natural at playing bad cop,” Gary reports. “He was always get excited and angry at the stupidity of the city in dealing with certain issues.” Still a fan of the historic district, Wolf is very supportive of extending it at least to H Street, “where it should have gone in the ﬁrst place, except for a lot of regulatory rigama-

Another major initiative that owes a huge debt to Wolf is the development of the District’s Comprehensive Plan. Mandated as part of the District’s original home rule agreement, the Plan defines what each area of the city will look like. Each Ward was to develop its own plan, but, of course, no funding was provided to do so. Wolf, according to Peterson, “cajoled” the Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS) into contributing $10,000 to hire George Washington University planner and professor Dorne McGrath and his students to develop a plan for Ward 6. Under Wolf ’s leadership, it was the first ward to get the job done and submit a plan to the City. Wolf considers the continued survival of the CHRS another feather in his cap, and he is devoted to its continued existence. “People think it’s a secret organization. But it isn’t,” he proudly reports. “We put out a monthly newsletter, hold a lot of community meetings with knowledgeable speakers, and assist Hill homeowners with questions they have about owning historic property. We raise our own money and it’s important to have people renew their membership each year; it gives them a stake in the group. We started the annual House and Garden Tour to show people that the Hill is an interesting and lovely place to live. And look how it’s grown.” He has put his actions behind his words, serving twice as the organization’s president, longer than anyone else. In fact it was during his most recent stint as president that Eastern Market caught fire. Standing on 7th Street on the morning of the fire, Wolf, Peterson, and Nicky and Steve Cymrot of the Capitol Hill Community Foundation agreed that the Market would not be the Market without the merchants, and that steps should be taken to support them. Wolf, without hesitation, said that CHRS would contribute $10,000 as seed money to help the

merchants with things that the City wouldn’t cover. As a result of that initial conversation and contribution, and the $500,000 that was contributed by residents and businesses and managed through CHCF, not a single merchant had to give up their space The merchants were able to rent equipment and use the temporary East Hall until the Market reopened. “Ironically,” Wolf said, “the ﬁre was very helpful to redoing the Market, and the City deserves a lot of credit for what was done.”

Capitol Hill Townhomes Another neighborhood ornament for which Wolf deserves great credit is the Capitol Hill Townhomes which were built on the site of the boarded up Ellen Wilson public housing project at 6th and I Streets, SE. The site, long scheduled for demolition and replacement, had languished for years until federal HUD Secretary Alfonso Jackson committed to doing something. Wolf gathered a group of people together and after much discussion but with Wolf ’s commitment make certain that people who had been displaced had someplace to come back to, a Community Development Corporation was started, local architect Amy Weinwstein was hired, and a developer was ﬁnally found to underwrite it. Now, a successful, handsome, mixed income housing development exists that ﬁts right in with the rest of the neighborhood—again, with Dick Wolf ’s help. Wolf has accomplished a lot, but he’s not resting on his laurels; he still has plenty on his to-do list. According to Wolf, “You can’t pick up your bat and ball and go home, you have to stick around and hope your reasoning will prevail. Capitol Hill is a monument to persistence. If you’re not engaged in the life of the community, you’re not pulling your weight,” and he mused that “for 25 years we’ve had a historic district and it’s worked pretty well; the Hill has a sense of place, and the historic district contributes mightily to that.” Sharon Ambrose calls Dick Wolf a “neighborhood treasure,” and it’s quite clear that’s true. ★ capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 57

communitylife

DC Circulator Now Running Six Days a Week Until 9 p.m. by Sharon Bosworth Buses have never inspired hit songs to lift them to folk fame so their relevance may be lost to future listeners focused on our distant past. But their past is our present. And we’ve got a decision to make in the next 6 months about a bus – our Union StationNavy Yard DC Circulator, to be exact. If you live on The Hill you know the red buses. You can’t miss them.

DC Circulators New Bus DNA The District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) along with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and operator, First Transit, recently expanded the Union StationPatty Brosmer and Andrew Lee of Capitol Hill BID board Navy Yard DC Circulator’s DC Circualtor at Union Station. hours of operation. As of early April. it runs six days a week hen audio archeologists – Monday through Satura thousand years from day until 9 pm – and all day long on now listen to what we’ve Nationals’ game days. But with the left behind, our love of wheeled ve- expanded hours, will ridership go up? hicles will be a unique marker of our That answer is in our hands. And we culture. They will be teleporting, of need to act soon. There’s competition. course. Thinking will take them there. Today there are ﬁve DC Circulator We will seem like a strange and dis- routes (a sixth route around the Natant race, getting emotionally involved tional Mall was cancelled in April due with a Little Deuce Coupe, or wor- to low ridership). As other areas in the rying whether to take that Midnight District see the advantages of these Train to Georgia or the consequences compact neighborhood routes they will of Leaving on a Jet Plane. By then be at DDOT’s door asking for their subways will be obsolete. Poor Charlie own Circulators. on the MTA – “Did he ever return? DC Circulator buses are an examNo, he never returned” – will not reso- ple of entirely new bus DNA… and nate at all. These future archeologists not just here. Since the new millenmight entirely miss that large wheeled nium, Circulator style bus routes have vehicle many of us depend on daily been a successful tool for urban planeven in the 21st century: buses. ners nationwide. They enhance public

58 ★ HillRag | May 2011

transportation options that connect neighborhoods to nearby activity and employment hubs. These compact bus routes deliver reliable and convenient services between a speciﬁed set of destinations, often focusing on commercial corridors with shopping and dining options. They often, but not always, run late at night, but most importantly they address speciﬁc local needs that a large regional transit system cannot tackle. Amazingly, DC Circulators run every 10 minutes. Rapidly repeating routes is another attribute of the new bus DNA.

The Ball Park to Union Station

circle, looping around the ball park area to retrace its route back to Union Station. Michael Stevens, Executive Director of the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District (BID) observes the DC Circulator in use mornings and evenings as people who live in the new residential towers near the ball park ride to jobs in other parts of town and people in other parts of town arrive for work at the many new offices in his BID. “The DC Circulator has been a huge asset for us. It provides a link to Union Station for our residents and a connection to numerous office locations as well as Nationals’ Park. Potential office tenants want to be on the Red Line and the DC Circulator gives us a direct, immediate connection to both the Red Line and Union Station. It also connects us to the restaurant scene on Barracks Row. Employees can easily access restaurants on 8th Street for lunch and residents now have a night time and weekend connection to those restaurants and shops,” he says. Patty Brosmer, President of the Capitol Hill BID, rides the DC Circulator regularly: “It’s so convenient,

About three years ago DDOT was faced with three parallel transformations: the amazing comeback of 8th Street SE; the large number of people traveling to Union Station by public transit; and the new city-within-acity rising up magically around the Capitol Riverfront, the neighborhood around National’s Park. The Union Station-Navy Yard DC Circulator route began mainly as transportation for these daytime populations. Many local residents and business people were early adapters. Today our Union Station-Navy Yard DC Circulator is one of the system’s most innovative and experimental routes. It runs from Union Station to Pennsylvania Ave, to 8th Street S.E. to M Street S.E. and on to the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood and the ball park. True to its name, it makes a When not soaring over Nationals’ Park, Screech rides the DC Circualtor.

comfortable and user-friendly. Our BID office is at Union Station and our boundaries extend down Barracks Row and beyond, so you can’t beat it for getting around Capitol Hill.” Julia Christian, Executive Director of CHAMPS, often rides the DC Circulator on her visits to her 360 members spread out all over Capitol Hill. Founded in 1985, CHAMPS promotes, educates, and advocates for Capitol Hill businesses and connects Hill businesses to the greater community. Julia Christian echoes the thoughts of many of her members. “We are thrilled about the extended service for the Union Station-Navy Yard Circulator line. The new extended hours will help our community to continue to be livable and walkable. The Circulator offers an affordable, easy way to get around the southeast side of the Capitol Hill neighborhood.”

The Circulator Needs YOU Affordable is an understatement. It’s a bargain ride at just $1.00. But this sweet deal comes with a Darwinian choice: use it or lose it. DC Circulator buses are hot properties. Other neighborhoods want them. And every route must earn revenue for DDOT. Survival of the fittest applies to bus routes, too. To keep the revenue coming in so DDOT can propagate the species you must ride it. Tommy Wells, our Ward 6 Councilmember, champions the DC Circulator as a missing link to faraway places: “The Circulator creates a moving bridge we’ve always needed to seamlessly connect Barracks Row and the Ballpark to Union Station. It brings customers to local businesses and links Capitol Hill neighbors to Metro, Amtrak and beyond.” Think of beyond… those trips to Reagan Airport, and soon to Dulles; Amtrak to New York and Boston. It all begins with a ride on the DC Circulator. The red bus is the first step to weekend adventures and month long vacations. Ride one today and this unique service will be there for you tomorrow and beyond! ★ capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 59

communitylife

Washington Post columnist Gene Weingarten. Photo: Michael S. Williamson NPR commentator and food writer Bonny Wolf

The Literary Hill Goes Live!

Novelist Louis Bayard. Photo: Julie Ainsworth

Children’s book author Katy Kelly. Photo: Matt Mendelsohn

by Karen Lyon

he Literary Hill BookFest is almost upon us! On Sunday, May 15, the North Hall of Eastern Market will be abuzz with the ﬁrst annual celebration of books and authors on Capitol Hill. Stop by between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to chat with your favorite local writers. Don’t have one? That’s all the more reason to come and meet your literary neighbors! The BookFest is sponsored by Capital Community News, with funding from the Capitol Hill Community Foundation and many other generous donors, who are listed at www.literaryhillbookfest.org. In addition to providing a forum for writers to meet their readers, the BookFest will feature book sales and signings, author talks, and a special children’s corner with story times and crafts. As of press time, these are the conﬁrmed participants – and we hope to add a few surprises between now and May 15!

Fiction, Poetry, & Humor Louis Bayard, author of the historical mysteries “The School of Night,” “The Black Tower,” “The Pale Blue Eye,” and “Mr. Timothy” Simon Conway, author of the thriller, “A Loyal Spy” Jean Nordhaus, poet whose works include “Innocence” and “The Porcelain Apes of Moses Mendelssohn” Richard Treanor, author of “The Boys’ Ward,” about the 1940s polio epidemic Gene Weingarten, Washington Post columnist and author of “Fiddler in the Subway” and “Old Dogs are the Best Dogs”

Memoir Lucinda Fleeson, author of “Waking Up in Eden,” about her year at the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kauai Barbara Joe, author of “Triumph and Hope: Golden Years with the Peace Corps in Honduras” Margaret Hollister, author of “Inheriting China” about growing up the daughter of missionaries in Peking Nancy Lifset, author of “Back to the Wild Life,” about her experience as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary in southern Africa

Peter Manseau, author of “Rag and Bone: A Journey Among the World’s Holy Dead” and “Songs for the Butcher’s Daughter” Diana McLellan, the former reporter behind “The Ear” gossip column and author of “The Girls: Sappho Goes to Hollywood” Richard Rubenstein, author of seven books, including the recent “Reasons to Kill: Why Americans Choose War” Ariel Sabar, award-winning author of “My Father’s Paradise: A Son’s Search for his Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq” and “In the Heart of the City: Nine Stories of Love and Serendipity on the Streets of New York” David Ian Shaman, author of “The World Bank Unveiled”

Local History Mark Ozer, author of “Massachusetts in the Gilded Age: Palaces and Privileges” and “Washington, D.C.: Politics and Place” Robert Pohl, researcher and writer on the history of Capitol Hill, and co-author with John Wennersten of “Abraham Lincoln and the end of Slavery in the District of Columbia” John R. Wennersten, author of “Anacostia: The Death and Life of an American River”

Food and Drink Maggie Hall, former reporter and author of “The Mish-Mash Dictionary of Marmite” Celeste McCall, restaurant reviewer and author of “Peter, There’s a Bug on My Plate” Spike Mendelsohn, owner of Good Stuff Eatery and author of “The Good Stuff Cookbook” Kevin Kosar, founder of AlcoholReviews.com and author of “Whiskey: A Global History” Bonny Wolf, food commentator for NPR’s “Weekend Edition” and author of “Talking with My Mouth Full: Crab Cakes, Bundt Cakes, and Other Kitchen Stories”

Children Selene Benitone, author of “Mommy Without Hair?” for families coping with cancer Katy Kelly, author of the Lucy Rose and Melonhead books about kids on Capitol Hill Marguerite Kelly, syndicated columnist of “The Family Almanac” and author of “The Mother’s Almanac” Erica Perl, author of the “Chicken Butt!” series, “Dotty,” and “Vintage Veronica” Cathy Travis, author of the bilingual “Constitution Translated for Kids” Peggy Walton, a marriage and family therapist whose first children’s book is “Shine!”

Politics and History

Vendors and Publishers

John Diamond, author of “CIA and the Culture of Failure” Lou Dubose, editor of “The Washington Spectator” and co-author with Molly Ivins of “Shrub,” “Bushwhacked,” and, most recently, “Bill of Wrongs” Kim Fellner, author of “Wrestling with Starbuck’s: Conscience, Capital, Cappuccino” Sharon Hannon, author of “Punks: A Guide to an American Subculture” and “Women Explorers”

Exhibitors

60 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Riverby Books, Fairy Godmother Books, and Toys, Capitol Hill Books, Eastern Branch Press, Dan Farnbach Local Editions, Platypus Media/Science, Naturally!

Capitol Hill Writers Group, Folger Shakespeare Library, Northeast Branch Library, Library of Congress, Southeast Branch Library, Washington Conservation Guild ★

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communitylife

he old saying goes that April showers bring May flowers, and that is certainly true on H Street. The difference here is that the flowers come in the form of new businesses. The H Street NE Corridor has really taken off in the past several months, and the momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Perhaps the most exciting news is how all this new development is pulling together what have previously been somewhat disparate pockets of development all along the H Street Corridor. In short, everything is finally coming together.

h street streetlife life

The Queen Vic Serves up British food to hungry patrons

Roadside Café: Another Sit-Down Option to Benning Road Roadside Café, a newly opened restaurant on Benning Road (http:// roadside-cafe.com2102 Benning Road NE) brings a sit-down upscale Caribbean option to the Corridor. It may be a bit off the beaten path, but an attractively priced ($9.99) brunch buffet, and plenty of outdoor seating await curious visitors. Roadside Café, which recently applied for a liquor license, serves a menu that might look familiar to those who visited Phish Tea. That’s no coincidence. Roadside Café, like Phish Tea, is helmed by Andrew Harris. Phish Tea was a very early sit-down restaurant on H Street that once occupied the space now inhabited by the H Street Country Club (http://www.thehstreetcountryclub. com, 1335 H Street NE). Some have argued that Phish Tea, which opened on H Street more than six years ago, was hobbled by the large scale of the project. In Roadside Café Harris offers a smaller, and more intimate experience. The indoors offers seating for 25, while the seasonal patio can accommodate an additional 40 patrons at tables. On the menu you’ll find offerings like the Georgetown Stew (a 62 ★ HillRag | May 2011

potato and chickpea curried stew with coconut milk), the Mango-Tango Salad (fresh slices of mango with sweet onions, tomatoes, and peppers), or the Jerk Chicken. Roadside Café offers something beyond the menu and outdoor seating. It offers additional evidence of upscale investment on our end of Benning Road. It joins Langston Bar and Grille (http://www.langstonbar.com, 1831 Benning Road), which serves soul food, as a sit-down option on that stretch of Benning Road. A recent influx of new residents adds to the existing demand for sit-down options, and that can only mean a brighter future for the commercial strip.

Construction Moves Quickly At the Flats At Atlas District If you’ve passed by the old Sears site recently (behind Hechinger Mall) you’ve no doubt noticed the rapid pace of construction on the new development from Clark Realty Capital. The Flats at Atlas District (http://www. ﬂatsatatlas.com) features 257 residential units, and 5,000 square feet ground ﬂoor retail on Bladensburg Road. Expect full delivery May 2013.

by Elise Bernard

Construction advances rapidly at The Flats at Atlas District

The Queen Vic, Khan’s and Toki Underground Draw Crowds The Queen Vic (http://www. thequeenvicdc.com, 1206 H Street NE) opened in April to excited crowds, who have flocked to the new establishment eager to satiate craving for bangers and mash, or fish and chips. It’s newly born friends Toki Underground (http://tokiunderground.com, 2nd floor 1234 H Street NE) and Khan’s (http://www.khansdc.com, 1125 H Street NE) find themselves similarly popular. Toki Underground, a dumpling and ramen bar, has garnered massive amounts of press attention. With limited seating, this has often meant long wait times as potential patrons seek out the steamy broth. Khan’s too boasts large crowds on weekends. Luckily, the Mongolian Bar-B-Q spot is engineered get patrons their meals very quickly, allowing those who wish to move on an excellent option, while those who wish to linger over drinks may do so. Kahn’s also recently introduced a pan-Asian bar menu for late night diners who miss out on the Mongolian bar-b-q.

HR-57 Jazzes Up the H Street Corridor Another recent addition to the H Street NE Corridor is local jazz favorite HR-57 (http://www.hr57.org, 816 H Street NE), which relocated from 14th Street NW. HR-57 takes its name from a House resolution passed in 1987 recognizing jazz as “a rare and valuable national American treasure.” The BYOB live jazz club serves up soul food, and draws devoted music fans. Covers are inexpensive; often $10-15, and you can snag a great seat at any open table. Just remember to keep the conversation down during performances, because this place really is about the music. HR-57’s opening is notable for another important reason. It brings us one step closer to tying together developments on the eastern (mostly experiencing growth in the 1000-1400 blocks of H Street NE) and western ends (mostly experiencing small business development in 500-600 blocks of H Street NE) of the H Street Corridor.

Steuart To Break Ground at 3rd and H By July Recent reports indicate that the much anticipated mixed used devel-

HAPPY CLIENTS Here, There and Everywhere Call us today to find out why

opment 360°H Street will likely break ground by July. The development features 212 residential apartment and ground ﬂoor retail anchored by a Giant grocery store. Steuart Investment Co. anticipates delivery of 360°H Street about a year and a half from now. This development is widely expected to really kick start development of the western end of the H Street Corridor, which has somewhat lagged behind development on the eastern end.

Streetcar Delayed, But Funding Remains Secure The H Street streetcar is a frequent topic of conversation along the Corridor. It’s no surprise then that a recent update meeting at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (http://www.atlasarts.org, 1333 H Street NE) drew quite a large crowd. The news was mostly good. While DDOT reported a muchanticipated delay in getting things up and running, they also reported that funding for the streetcar is safe. Revised plans call for the streetcar to be up and running by late 2012.

We pride ourselves on getting every last dollar out of every listing!

Current Listings

11 D St, SE photos at www.11dstse.com 10905 Homeplace Lane, Potomac $1,295,000 www.homeplacelane.com 3650 39th St,NW F522 $419,900 www.homevisit.com/dc7542552 3900 Watson Pl, NW A-GE $275,000 www.homevisit.com/dc7516424 5019 Sentinal Dr, 101 Bethesda $300,000 www.homevisit.com/mc7474914 430 Oakwood St, SE $130,000 New Listing

Recently Sold Listings

505 S St, NW $410,000 131 D St, SE $850,000 8502 Loughborough Pl, Chevy Chase $677,500 831 6th St, SW 622,500 1737 Willard St, NW $525,000

Our Buyers Recently Bought

1310 Grandin Ave, Rockville $335,000 (under contract) 23 D St, SE $850,000 (under contract) 1469 Oglethorpe St, NW $470,000 2440 16th St, NW $422,500 1249 South Carolina Ave, SE $725,000 2440 16th St, NW $173,200 1401 Potomac Ave, SE $299,900 58 Rhode Island Ave, NW $560,000 2901 5th St S, Arlington $376,827 12900 10th St, Bowie $210,000 6525 N Capitol St, NE $258,000 (under contract) 1216 Maryland Ave, NE $555,000

Le Grenier Aims For Modern French Fare on H Street A new restaurant from the owners of Friendship Heights’ Le Chat Noir will one day occupy the space next door to Nouveau Fleur (500 H Street NE). Le Grenier (502 H Street NE) has space for 40 patrons, with four additional seats outdoors. It’s to be a modern French bistro. It joins the recently announced Boundary Road Restaurant, which will serve regional American fare at 414 H Street NE.

Pho Heading To H Street A new Vietnamese restaurant, Pho Bar and Grill, is setting up shop in the former home of Sweets and Treats (1360 H Street NE). For more on what’s abuzz on the H Street Corridor you check out my blog at http://frozentropics.blogspot.com. ★

capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 63

communitylife

BYwest

SOUTH Water Taxi Service Begins Along the District’s Rediscovered Waterfront article and photo by William Rich

fter receiving final approval from the U.S. Coast Guard at the end of March, American River Taxi (ART) has finally begun regular water taxi service in the District of Columbia, with the first regularly scheduled commuter run made by the “Dolley Madison” on April 7. According to Anne Tabligan, VP Marketing and Sales for ART, all of the water taxis in the fleet will be named for First Ladies that have been advocates for the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. So far, there is just the Dolley Madison, but more vessels will come online in the next few years. The yellow water taxi is weather protected and can fit up to 27 passengers. Free coffee is available on board for morning commuters and accommodations are being made soon to install bike racks. ART is looking into allowing small pets to board the water taxi too. The idea for starting a water taxi company in the city began in 2007, according to Shaun Guevarra, President of ART. “Many Washingtonians don’t realize we live in a river city,” said Guevarra. It took a few years to get feasibility studies done and obtain approvals from various District and Federal agencies. So far, marketing has been limited to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, as well as word of mouth, but ART will soon reach out to condo boards, apartment management companies, and homeowner associations in Southwest and Near Southeast as well as Georgetown residents. ART had an information booth at the Southwest 64 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Waterfront Fireworks Festival on April 2. For now, riders can get schedule updates via ART’s Twitter page (@ Amer_RiverTaxi). ART fares are currently being oﬀered at a discount of $8 per ride (normally priced at $9) until membership cards become available. Seniors and children under 12 pay only $7 per ride (members of the military will also receive discounts soon). Discounted fares will be available when purchasing multiple trips and area residents will also receive a break. Tickets can be purchased on board or at a kiosk (either at Cantina Marina at the Gangplank Marina or Tony & Joe’s in Georgetown). Kiosks will soon be The Dolley Madison water taxi is docked at the Gangplank Marina along the Southwest Waterfront. American River Taxi began water taxi service in early April. available on board as well. There are currently three stops range from 20 minutes to 35 on Sunday (except for baseball games stops on the route: The Gangplank minutes. The relatively lengthy travel and special events), but this schedule Marina at The Wharf, Washingtime is due to current Coast Guard is just for April and May as the water ton Harbour along the Georgetown regulations that restrict boat speed on taxi service gets underway and may exwaterfront, and Diamond Teague the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. If pand hours in the summer. So far in its Park across from Nationals Park. a canal is eventually built across East early going, Nationals game runs have Plans are in the works to add stops Potomac Park, connecting the Wash- become popular with riders. The Dolin Alexandria and National Harbor. ington Channel and the Potomac ley Madison leaves Georgetown about Eventually, there will be other stops River, travel time between George- an hour before game time for the apat Poplar Point and Reagan National town and the Southwest Waterfront proximately 35-minute ride to DiaAirport. Shuttle service will be availcould be drastically reduced. mond Teague Park. About 15 minutes able between L’Enfant Plaza Metro Regular water taxi service runs after the end of the game, the water and the Gangplank Marina, Foggy from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday taxi departs for Georgetown. HowBottom-GW Metro and the Washthrough Friday (with an 8am com- ever, weather plays an important role ington Harbour terminal, and Capimuter run) and Saturday from 11 a.m. in whether the water taxi can make its tol South Metro and the Diamond – 9 p.m. There is no service currently runs. Severe weather can disrupt the Teague terminal. Travel time between

schedule – for instance, thunderstorms caused the cancellation of service to a Nationals game on a Saturday in mid-April as a safety precaution. Subsequent flooding along the Potomac at Washington Harbour cancelled water taxi service the following Monday. ART will remain open for most of the year, but will shut down for about eight weeks in the winter (December - February) while captains get additional training and the vessels undergo regular maintenance. In addition to offering water taxi service, ART is involved with the Earth Conservation Corps (ECC), a non-profit youth development and environmental service organization that has a presence at the Pump House at Diamond Teague Park, named after a slain youth who used to work at the ECC. The ECC has been around since 1992, working with out of school youth ages 17-25 with hands on workforce and leadership development training, environmental education and media arts training. Tabligan says ART plans to train some of the youth in the ECC as deck hands for their fleet. There is currently one other water taxi company operating along the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. Potomac Riverboat Company provides service between Alexandria and National Harbor, with Nationals game-day runs to Diamond Teague Park. As the waterfronts in the District and the rest of region continue to get redeveloped, water transit will more than likely become more popular, at least that is what ART and Potomac Riverboat Company hopes. Washingtonians now have another option to get around the city. For more information about American River Taxi, including schedules, visit their website (www.americanrivertaxi.com), send a text message to 240-547-0917, or find them on Facebook or Twitter. William Rich is a blogger at Southwest…The Little Quadrant that Could (www.southwestquadrant. blogspot.com) ★

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H Street is Open for Business! Khan’s Bar & Grill 1125 H Street NE Khan’s Bar & Grill is the place for healthy dining. Load your bowl up and let our talented chefs cook you a delicious stir fry. 202.399.6010 | www.khansdc.com

3 Point Teks 935 H Street NE 3 Point Teks offers a full range of computer services including repair, security, setup, as well as software and hardware installation. PrePaid cell phones available 202.547.1007 | www.3pointteks.com

66 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Picture That Photography Studio 905 H Street NE H Street’s premier portrait photography studio is the place for portraits. 202.544.0231

RealEstate The 54th CHRS House and Garden tour An annual Mother’s Day Tradition by Carla Bewmer, photos by Paul Cromwell

From Top to Bottom: 903 South Carolina Ave, SE 1015 East Capotil Street 213 11th Street SE 228 9th Street, SE

he Capitol Hill Restoration Society’s (CHRS) annual Mother’s Day House and Garden tour will be held May 7 and 8. The 54-year-old neighborhood tradition will once again present an exciting selection of about a dozen properties that represent an interesting cross section of Capitol Hill living. This year’s tour is conveniently designed for walking and will focus on southeast Capitol Hill between 9th and 13th streets below Lincoln Park to Pennsylvania Avenue. The oldest house on the tour dates to 1853 while the youngest was built in 1964. There are several four floor houses so be prepared to climb steps if you want to see everything. The selection ranges from one home once described as “a perfect Aesthetic Period home,” to a magnificent threestory brick home overlooking Lincoln Park, to one that was originally built as a stable. Some of the homeowners have chosen to maintain the historic character of their homes while others have taken their space in totally different creative directions. There are beautifully renovated gourmet kitchens and baths with heated floors. One homeowner has taken his unique space and created a great room with a 26 foot high ceiling surrounded by a balcony! Among the architectural details that delight are carved doors from Madrid, terra cotta “hurricane lamp” floor tiles from Mexico and an indoor fountain. Texture, color and

design will intrigue you as you walk through the homes and enjoy original tin ceilings, beautiful wood floors, Brazilian granite counter tops and rustic pink limestone floor tiles. As in years past, the homes are beautifully decorated to reflect the varied interest, collections and travels of their owners. Many of the homes have art and collectables that have come down through their families and many local artists are represented, but the recurring theme this year is international. The art reflects a wide array of countries including paintings, prints and artifacts from China, Japan, Guyana, Viet Nam, Peru, France and Spain, to name a few. Often it is the garden that offers the hidden treasure of our Capitol Hill homes and this year is no exception. As an example, one home boasts a Japanese garden complete with a goldfish pond, Japanese cedars, mahonia, capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 67

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

Close Price

FEE SIMPLE 16TH STREET HEIGHTS 5631 COLORADO AVE NW 1203 DELAFIELD PL NW 1127 BUCHANAN ST NW 4728 13TH ST NW 5518 13TH ST NW 1327 INGRAHAM ST NW

ABOVE: 111 10th St., SE RIGHT: 1016 South Carolina Ave., SE

fragrant daphne and a large European clump birch. Another garden makes us feel we have been taken to Charleston when you enter into a brick courtyard with a black wrought iron balcony, ﬂowering trees, wisteria and in-ground swimming pool. Capitol Hill residents are bound together by a strong sense of community rooted in part by our shared appreciation of the history that surrounds us. There is perhaps no better example of the coming together of our past and present than the renovation of the Old Naval Hospital into the community-focused Hill Center. This year the tour includes a preview of the on-going renovation of the 145-year-old building. On Mother’s Day – Sunday May 8 – CHRS will provide ticket holders with complementary refreshments at The Corner Store, 900 South Carolina Avenue SE. As an additional bonus, ticket holders will receive discounts from a number of Hill restaurants and businesses with the presentation of a ticket. Please check the CHRS website for more information. Tour tickets are $25 if purchased in advance and $30 on the weekend of the tour. They may be purchased on-line at www.chrs.org and at select venues around the Hill (locations available at the CHRS website). CHRS will also have a booth at Eastern Market during weekends where tickets and CHRS memberships may be purchased. The tour hours are from 4 - 7 p.m. on May 7; and noon - 5 p.m. on May 8. CHRS is the oldest and largest civic organization on Capitol Hill. Founded in 1955, the volunteer driven group is dedicated to preserving the historic residential character of the nation’s capital. Proceeds from the tour help support the important work of CHRS in education about Capitol Hill history and architecture, including Preservation Cafe. ★

68 ★ HillRag | May 2011

$735,000 $625,000 $625,000 $475,000 $390,000 $340,000

4 4 3 4 4 4

$1,200,000

ADAMS MORGAN 1814 BELMONT RD NW

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK 4706 YUMA ST NW 4018 VEAZEY ST NW 4628 WINDOM PL NW 4509 WARREN ST NW

$1,100,000 $865,000 $806,000 $750,000

3 3 4 3

$285,000 $229,063 $203,000 $199,999 $175,000 $100,000

3 3 4 4 3 3

$75,000

$2,395,000

$479,000

ANACOSTIA 1614 W ST SE 1645 U ST SE 1414 T ST SE 2320 PAYNE TER SE 1603 FAIRLAWN AVE SE 2120 14TH ST SE

BARRY FARMS 1416 MORRIS RD SE

BERKLEY 1824 47TH PL NW

BLOOMINGDALES 37 FRANKLIN ST NE

BRENTWOOD 1361 DOWNING ST NE

$136,000

$599,000 $530,000 $500,000 $392,000 $350,000 $345,000 $324,900 $290,000 $286,000 $261,000 $249,000

4 3 5 2 3 3 3 4 3 4 3

$690,000 $399,500 $365,000 $359,000 $345,000 $332,000 $300,000 $270,000 $259,500 $215,000 $191,000 $175,000 $168,000 $162,000 $146,250

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

$700,000

BRIGHTWOOD 829 WHITTIER PL NW 1367 SHERIDAN ST NW 5714 5TH ST NW 909 ELDER ST NW 518 UNDERWOOD ST NW 718 PEABODY ST NW 513 RITTENHOUSE ST NW 1212 UNDERWOOD ST NW 6314 8TH ST NW 6620 6TH ST NW 612 RITTENHOUSE ST NW

BROOKLAND 1014 MONROE ST NE 1656 MICHIGAN AVE NE 1247 GIRARD ST NE 1618 OTIS ST NE 19 MICHIGAN AVE NE 1249 LAWRENCE ST NE 739 FARADAY PL NE 326 BRYANT ST NE 43 ALLISON ST NE 4727 7TH ST NE 2905 7TH ST NE 3114 15TH ST NE 130 TAUSSIG PL NE 2400 2ND ST NE 724 TAYLOR ST NE

BURLEITH 3707 S ST NW

$740,000 $735,000 $700,000 $695,609 $685,000 $680,000 $599,000 $579,000 $575,000 $560,000 $555,000 $555,000 $493,000 $489,000 $479,000 $469,000 $460,000 $432,600 $432,000 $399,999 $375,000

4 2 3 2 4 3 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 3 2 2

$909,000

$1,550,000 $939,000 $829,000 $820,000 $783,000 $765,000 $730,000 $676,000 $660,000

5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3

$315,000 $240,000

4 3

$1,750,000

$672,500

CENTRAL 912 F ST NW #506

CHEVY CHASE 6150 30TH ST NW 5420 32ND ST NW 3122 LEGATION ST NW 5504 30TH ST NW 3365 RUNNYMEDE PL NW 3200 MORRISON ST NW 5228 CHEVY CHASE PKWY NW 6007 34TH PL NW 3234 MCKINLEY ST NW

CHILLUM

CAPITOL HILL 1523 ISHERWOOD ST NE 650 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NE 526 6TH ST SE 1104 CONSTITUTION AVE NE 522 G ST SE 16 10TH ST NE 404 10TH ST SE 115 KENTUCKY AVE SE

648 6TH NE 329 7TH ST NE 1317 CONSTITUTION AVE NE 609 G ST SE 1009 K ST NE 301 13TH ST SE 803 MARYLAND AVE NE 1448 C ST SE 443 5TH ST NE 146 DUDDINGTON PL SE 1220 D ST NE 1216 MARYLAND AVE NE 516 13TH ST SE 1338 CORBIN PL NE 1535 D ST NE 1526 D ST SE 1019 15TH ST SE 831 5TH ST NE 1820 A ST SE 111 16TH ST SE 1512 MASSACHUSETTS AVE SE

$440,000 $1,400,000 $1,007,000 $890,000 $800,000 $770,000 $750,000 $743,000

3 5 3 3 3 3 3 3

237 LONGFELLOW ST NW 5612 NORTH CAPITOL ST NW

CLEVELAND PARK 3214 39TH ST NW

COLONIAL VILLAGE 1648 ROXANNA RD NW

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 3603 11TH ST NW 1404 QUINCY ST NW 1367 PERRY PL NW 1017 QUEBEC PL NW 3922 13TH ST NW 1358 GIRARD ST NW #3 3812 10TH ST NW 1309 QUINCY ST NW 752 GRESHAM PL NW 725 PARK RD NW 763 FAIRMONT ST NW 708 OTIS PL NW 3318 WARDER ST NW 735 IRVING ST NW 721 HARVARD ST NW 639 KEEFER PL NW

$641,000 $575,000 $540,000 $530,000 $515,000 $499,500 $450,000 $429,000 $421,000 $399,000 $390,000 $285,000 $285,000 $249,000 $233,000 $495,000

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

$249,000 $245,000 $210,000 $190,000 $182,000 $169,000 $160,000 $160,000 $81,000 $80,000

4 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3

$1,425,000

$260,000 $239,900 $229,900 $185,997 $154,900 $120,000 $80,000 $75,000 $60,000 $60,000 $55,000 $49,000 $45,000 $45,000 $44,000 $40,000

3 3 3 4 3 4 2 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 2 2

$1,565,000

$626,000 $560,000 $392,000 $327,000 $275,000 $260,000 $200,000

4 6 3 3 3 7 3

$2,050,000 $950,000 $879,000

6 5 3

$197,000 $160,000 $105,000 $100,000 $72,300 $66,900

3 3 3 3 4 2

$699,000 $856,000

4 5

$6,750,000 $1,875,000 $1,650,000 $1,390,000 $1,255,000 $1,250,000 $1,247,000 $1,225,000 $1,009,500 $700,000

4 3 3 5 3 3 3 3 3 2

CONGRESS HEIGHTS 1219 ALABAMA AVE SE 3320 7TH ST SE 3310 BROTHERS PL SE 202 MALCOLM X AVE SE 3926 1ST ST SW 1058 BARNABY TER SE 827 XENIA ST SE 57 DANBURY ST SW 808 MALCOLM X AVE SE 1203 CONGRESS ST SE

CRESTWOOD 1940 UPSHUR ST NW

DEANWOOD 514 EASTERN AVE NE 900 48TH ST NE 5719 N. HELEN BURROUGHS AVE NE 806 46TH ST NE 856 52ND ST NE 4525 FOOTE ST NE 322 EASTERN AVE NE 4810 EADS ST NE 1022 47TH PL NE 4647 HUNT PL NE #R2 203 62ND ST NE 244 56TH ST NE 5037 MEADE ST NE 5221 CLAY ST NE 5362 GAY ST NE 4503 EADS ST NE

DUPONT 1832 16TH ST NW

ECKINGTON 61 S ST NW 58 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW 146 RANDOLPH PL NW 216 R ST NE 164 T ST NE 129 FLORIDA AVE NW 127 RHODE ISLAND AVE NE

FOREST HILLS 2808 CHESTERFIELD PL NW 2840 BRANDYWINE ST NW 2934 ELLICOTT TER NW

FORT DUPONT PARK 3353 DUBOIS PL SE 3300 E ST SE 3324 CROFFUT PL SE 4304 GORMAN TER SE 612 CHAPLIN ST SE 4330 GORMAN TER SE

FOXHALL 4464 GREENWICH PKWY NW 4417 Q ST NW

GEORGETOWN 3327 P ST NW 3023 O ST NW 1510 26TH ST NW 1642 35TH ST NW 3540 RESERVOIR RD NW 1631 35TH ST NW 3318 R ST NW 3335 DENT PL NW 3210 P ST NW 3409 Q ST NW

capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 69

Iceman January 1, 1997 – April 11, 2011 Life is too short. I remember when mommy and daddy brought me and my brother, Ricky, home from Florida … it was just 6 years ago and the day was sunny and warm. Daddy says it was the first beautiful day of the year. Mommy and Daddy were new at having to take care of two rambunctious boys. Mommy said I was quiet, smart and stubborn – but I think that I just knew what was best, and, of course, I always got my way. And it helped that I just had a way with ladies … whether they were my nurses, doctors, groomers or bankers, all I had to do was tilt my big brown eyes and act demur and before I knew it I had a lot of cooing and scratches behind my ears. Yep, I liked the attention. Thank you for your taking the time to ask about me this past year, I didn’t have the strength to visit with many of you. Cancer is a terrible disease, and I was just too old and tired to fight it any longer. Did you know that I had ACL surgery, chemo treatments alongside my brother (Ricky) – his was too advanced and I lost him 2 years ago, cushings disease and life long allergies? It isn’t easy being sick, but mommy and daddy tried to help – I did like wearing my red booties whenever I went for a walk, but that darn diaper made me feel like a baby and here I was an old man.

HILL CREST 3737 NASH ST SE 1429 34TH ST SE 2131 BRANCH AVE SE

$330,000 $188,000 $132,000

4 3 3

$3,250,000 $3,150,000 $1,095,000 $915,000

7 5 6 7

$4,000,000 $2,950,000 $2,000,000 $1,375,000

6 3 7 5

$790,000 $544,000 $517,500 $376,000 $262,000

5 4 2 4 4

$212,000

$1,035,000

$875,000

$160,000 $146,500

3 4

$1,139,000

$388,000 $340,000

4 4

$1,125,000 $830,000 $749,000 $720,000

0 5 4 3

$709,000 $675,000 $599,999 $599,000 $550,000 $540,000 $485,000 $469,175 $444,300 $431,000 $420,400 $395,000 $391,000 $385,000 $375,000 $295,000 $290,000 $282,375 $265,000 $262,500 $250,000 $230,000 $141,000 $94,500 $1,005,251 $753,900 $660,000 $651,500 $639,179 $542,990 $430,000 $391,050 $329,000 $300,000

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

$2,499,900 $985,000 $755,500

5 3 3

KALORAMA 2325 TRACY PL NW 1832 24TH ST NW 1947 BILTMORE ST NW 1820 CALVERT ST NW

KENT Anyway, I digress, I wanted to say goodbye and thank each of you for your kindness and well wishes. And if you would, please think of me whenever you pass by my house in the Spring. I always loved playing in the yard, and if you can find the time to say a prayer for me, I know it would help my mom and dad because they will be missing my tiny paw on their knees.

~ Love, Iceman

Iceman is survived by his parents, Brenda Phillips and Bob Williams; brothers, Mikey and Obie; and sister, Icy residing at 329 A Street SE

5031 LOWELL ST NW 2824 CHAIN BRIDGE RD NW 5225 PARTRIDGE LN NW 2840 ARIZONA TER NW

LEDROIT PARK 2305 1ST ST NW 162 ADAMS ST NW 327 ELM ST NW 32 BRYANT ST NW 62 U ST NW

LILY PONDS 501 34TH ST NE

LOGAN / U STREET 1915 13TH ST NW

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MARSHALL HEIGHTS 5108 A ST SE 5127 DRAKE PL SE

MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE 3315 GARFIELD ST NW

MICHIGAN PARK 1614 VARNUM PL NE 4006 21ST ST NE

MOUNT PLEASANT 202.546.3100 210 7th Street, SE. #100. WDC 20003 www.monarchtitle.net

34303432 BROWN ST NW 1857 INGLESIDE TER NW 1822 MONROE ST NW 3215 WALBRIDGE PL NW

OLD CITY 113 13TH ST SE 1612 E ST SE 303 11TH ST NE 1110 E ST NE 1222 WALTER ST SE 334 8TH ST NE 1011 8TH ST NE 326 15TH ST SE 223 K ST NE 1519 EAST CAPITOL ST SE 200 17TH ST NE 718 8TH ST NE 1432 D ST NE 1141 6TH ST NE 1426 MASSACHUSETTS AVE SE 1018 10TH ST NE 111 P ST SW 1507 1ST ST SW 338 19TH ST NE 445 19TH ST NE 727 KENTUCKY AVE SE 1424 DUNCAN ST NE 1623 GALES ST NE 1600 ROSEDALE ST NE 1321 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW 1215 W ST NW 809 T ST NW 2103 17TH ST NW 1323 11TH ST NW 409 R ST NW 303 O ST. NW 311 R ST NW 1606 4TH ST NW 31 Q ST NW

PALISADES 5811 POTOMAC AVE NW 5507 CAROLINA PL NW 4636 Q ST NW

70 ★ HillRag | May 2011

5420 GALENA PL NW 5035 MACARTHUR BLVD NW 4507 Q ST NW

$749,000 $744,000 $740,000

4 4 3

$570,000 $472,500 $469,900 $399,995 $355,000 $350,000 $345,000 $320,000 $320,000 $292,000 $277,000 $270,000 $265,000 $265,000 $260,000 $259,000 $240,000 $220,000 $210,000 $195,000 $185,000

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

$416,500 $329,900 $229,900 $179,000 $165,000 $108,500 $74,000

4 4 3 3 3 3 3

$360,000 $297,000 $247,500 $206,100

4 4 3 2

$580,000 $426,000 $420,000

3 3 3

$335,000 $322,500 $247,000 $203,000 $200,000 $148,000

4 3 3 3 3 3

$500,000

$2,200,000 $1,995,000 $1,675,000 $2,525,000

4 6 5 7

$1,450,000 $1,100,000

5 4

$410,000 $215,000 $195,000 $190,000 $150,000

3 3 3 4 3

$652,500 $500,000

2 2

PETWORTH 5 GRANT CIR NW 831 ALLISON ST NW 4105 4TH ST NW 442 JEFFERSON ST NW 527 SHEPHERD ST NW 5111 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW 4911 9TH ST NW 917 KENNEDY ST NW 440 EMERSON ST NW 3925 ILLINOIS AVE NW 310 UPSHUR ST NW 41 HAMILTON ST NW 128 HAMILTON ST NW 4609 9TH ST NW 5525-5527 ILLINOIS AVE NW 5109 ILLINOIS AVE NW 4918 ILLINOIS AVE NW 500 LONGFELLOW ST NW 4906 7TH ST NW 5024 7TH PL NW 826 DELAFIELD PL NW

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SHEPHERD PARK 8001 14TH ST NW 1206 HOLLY ST NW 7608 ALASKA AVE NW

TRINIDAD 1320 HOLBROOK ST NE 1273 OWEN PL NE 1280 NEAL ST NE 1405 TRINIDAD AVE NE 1266 NEAL ST NE 1811 H ST NE

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TRUXTON CIRCLE 67 N ST NW

WESLEY HEIGHTS 4714 FOXHALL CRES NW 3100 FOXHALL RD NW 4506 EDMUNDS ST NW 4600 CHARLESTON TER NW

WOODLEY 2935 GARFIELD ST NW 3307 CLEVELAND AVE NW

WOODRIDGE 2604 22ND ST NE 2615 MONROE ST NE 2805 BRENTWOOD RD NE 3909 25TH PL NE 3118 ELM ST NE

CONDO ADAMS MORGAN 1676 BEEKMAN PL NW #B 2526 17TH ST NW #102

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK 4101 ALBEMARLE ST NW #326

$360,000

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capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 71

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3 2 1 1 2 0 2

CAPITOL HILL 1100 7TH ST NE #5 424 11TH ST NE #102 1024 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NE #7 1471 A ST NE #1471 117 E ST SE #302 105 6TH ST SE #206 1038 5TH ST NE #1 400 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #1119 2301 N ST NW #214 631 D ST NW #645 1150 K ST NW #1009 1260 21ST ST NW #105

$720,000 $619,000 $530,000 $455,000 $262,000

2 2 2 2 1

CHEVY CHASE 5233 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #301 5233 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #C01

$411,000 $339,000

1 1

$65,000

$479,000 $465,000 $370,000 $295,900

1 3 2 1

$685,000 $480,000 $479,000 $439,900 $425,000 $369,900 $312,500 $269,000 $215,000 $540,000

2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 2

$21,000

$485,000 $468,000 $360,000 $50,000 $599,000 $486,000 $485,000 $415,000 $360,000 $290,000 $287,000 $282,500 $199,500 $1,100,000 $374,500

1 2 1 0 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 2 2

$349,750 $165,000 $145,000

3 2 2

$399,000 $230,000 $200,000 $190,000 $170,000

1 1 0 0 0

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3901 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #200 3824 PORTER ST NW #396 3887 RODMAN ST NW #C-69 3024 WISCONSIN AVE NW #202

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 929 FLORIDA AVE NW #6007 2750 14TH ST NW #PH9 1342 MONROE ST NW #A 1300 TAYLOR ST NW #301 1451 BELMONT ST NW #412 PENT 1436 OGDEN ST NW #4 1105 HARVARD ST NW #1105F 1420 HARVARD ST NW #203 3318 SHERMAN AVE NW #107 1348 EUCLID ST NW #406

CONGRESS HEIGHTS 3876 9TH ST SE #B-1

ECKINGTON 42 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #1 212 T ST NE #4 212 T ST NE #2

FOGGY BOTTOM 955 26TH ST NW #805 2515 K ST NW #711 522 21ST ST NW #311B 522 21ST ST NW #403 2141 I ST NW #311

$899,000 $405,000 $363,000 $251,500 $231,750

3 2 1 1 0

$200,000

$3,325,000 $1,067,500 $773,000

3 1 2

FORT LINCOLN 3216 BANNEKER DR NE #3216

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Q u a l i t y S i n ce 1 9 7 2 72 ★ HillRag | May 2011

3520 W PL NW #101

2900 K ST NW #606 3303 WATER ST NW #O-5 3318 VOLTA PL NW #1

$230,000

$33,075

$225,000 $199,000

0 0

$247,000 $245,000 $177,000

1 1 0

$750,000 $460,000 $275,000 $880,000 $549,000 $500,000 $305,500 $300,000 $442,000 $423,000

2 1 0 2 1 2 1 1 1 1

$1,360,000

$483,000 $426,000 $372,000 $285,000

2 2 2 1

$599,000 $460,000

2 2

$345,800

$710,000 $612,000

1 2

$379,950 $370,000 $295,000 $205,000 $740,000 $640,000 $559,000 $519,000 $470,000 $416,000 $399,900 $378,000 $355,000 $350,000 $275,000 $265,000 $212,516 $100,000

1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 1

$329,000

$260,000

HILL CREST KALORAMA 2003 ALLEN PL NW #201 1831 BELMONT RD NW #301

LEDROIT PARK 2020 FLAGLER PL NW #FL03 150 V ST NW #VL04 150 V ST NW #VL08

LOGAN 1320 13TH ST NW #52 910 M ST NW #627 1133 14TH ST NW #1005 1515 15TH ST NW #430 1445 CHURCH ST NW #32 1300 N ST NW #205 1326 VERMONT AVE NW #1 1618 11TH ST NW #T-104 2125 14TH ST NW #512 2125 14TH ST NW #319

METROPOLE LOGAN CIRCLE 1515 15TH ST NW #222

MOUNT PLEASANT 1801 CALVERT ST NW #501 3409 BROWN ST NW #1 1673 PARK RD NW #303 1708 NEWTON ST NW #304

MT. VERNON/SHAW 1232 4TH ST NW #1 1232 4TH ST NW #2 4444 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #302

OBSERVATORY CIRCLE 2801 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #916 2801 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #611

OLD CITY 401 13TH ST NE #205 1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #302 317 10TH ST NE #11 1609 ISHERWOOD ST NE #3 1117 10TH ST NW #W-8 1622 19TH ST NW #1 2020 12TH ST NW #608 2111 11TH ST NW #2 1930 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #44 1008 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #2 1117 10TH ST NW #413 811 4TH ST NW #116 437 NEW YORK AVE NW #222 1615 Q ST NW #1002 34 Q ST NW #2 1239 VERMONT AVE NW #506 1718 P ST NW #616 420-422 M ST NW #A

PENN QUARTER 801 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW #1224

FOREST HILLS 3901 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #508 2738 ORDWAY ST NW #5 4007 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #511 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #942 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #1035

2 2 2 1 1 0

NORTH CLEVELAND PARK

DUPONT 1516 R ST NW #4 2141 P ST NW #708 1740 18TH ST NW #203 1545 18TH ST NW #P4 1801-1803 SWANN ST NW #301 1727 R ST NW #104 1525 Q ST NW #6 1502-1506 17TH ST NW #10 1825 T ST NW #707 1704 19TH ST NW #4 1330 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #1002 1330 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #1011 1816 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #701 2328 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #417 1621 T ST NW #T2

$769,000 $729,000 $695,000 $390,000 $350,000 $235,000

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$326,500

$367,000 $321,000 $250,000 $238,700 $170,000

2 1 1 1 1

RLA (SW) 743 3RD ST SW #404 1435 4TH ST SW #B706 700 7TH ST SW #420 800 4TH ST SW #S-618 1250 4TH ST SW #W314

SHAW 440 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #304

$432,000

$359,000

$845,000 $297,000

2 1

$205,000

$585,000 $570,000 $510,000 $248,000 $650,000

2 2 2 1 2

$988,500

$350,000

$188,497

$259,900

$285,000 $450,000

1 2

$540,000 $535,000 $470,000 $245,000

2 2 2 1

$289,000 $250,000

1 1

$225,000 $169,000

1 0

$293,400

$260,000

$550,000

$240,000

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U ST NW 2020 12TH ST NW #813 919 FLORIDA AVE NW #1

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WOODLEY PARK 3100 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #430

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CAPITOL HILL TOWER 1000 NEW JERSEY AVE SE #715

CATHEDRAL HEIGHTS 3900 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #207-A 3900 WATSON PL NW #A-2G

CLEVELAND PARK 3031 SEDGWICK ST NW #504 4514 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #107 3031 SEDGWICK ST NW #103 3001 VEAZEY TER NW #1329

DUPONT 1731 20TH ST NW #9 1026 16TH NW #406

FOGGY BOTTOM 730 24TH ST NW #716 950 25TH ST NW #923N

FRIENDSHIP HEIGHTS 5201 WISCONSIN AVE NW #105

GLOVER PARK 3900 TUNLAW RD NW #504

KALORAMA 2122 CALIFORNIA ST NW #357

LOGAN CIRCLE 1300 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #102

MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE HEI 2700 CALVERT ST NW #518

$1,200,000

$435,000 $415,000

2 3

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$324,000 $189,000 $468,600

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SOUTHWEST WATERFRONT 342 N ST SW #T342 429 N ST SW #S101 530 N ST SW #S305

WATERGATE 700 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #1505/06 $1,820,000 700 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #908/909 $950,000 700 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #1202 $650,000 ★

2 3 2

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NOW OPEN! The Finest Selection of Oysters & Chops on The Hill • A Fifty-Foot Long Marble Oyster Bar • Twenty-Four Wines by the Glass • Sixteen Fine Ales on Draft

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74 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Arts & Dining 701 As Elegant As Ever by Celeste McCall

or two decades, discerning diners have always found reasons to return to 701 Restaurant and Lounge in Penn Quarter. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, 701 is the second oldest restaurant in New Delhi-born Ashok Bajaj’s six-member culinary empire. (At 21 years, Bombay Club is the group’s senior member.) A seventh Bajaj enterprise–to be located in the West End’s posh 22 West complex–is poised to open any day now. As I recall, 701 debuted as a caviar bar and champagne lounge. But that was long before the economy tanked and some restaurants scrapped caviar bars for all-you-can-eat buﬀets. But fortunately, not at 701. Beluga caviar might be gone, but elegance still reigns at 701. Diners notice it the minute they walk through the door. The decor, which was stunning before, was revamped in 2009 by Harry Gregory of ARA Design, the Londonbased ﬁrm which has designed most Bajaj restaurants. 701’s beige, brown

Proscuitto-wrapped quail. Photo: Andrew Lightman.

and ivory decor is accented by the sweeping, glass-topped bar which follows the graceful curves of the 155-seat main dining area. Thin curtain panels separate that section from a private party room and lounge. A baby grand piano (which provides soothing dinnertime jazz Thursdays and is joined by bass weekends) is tucked neatly into one of the rounded corners. Striped carpeting complements the blue and brown ﬂoral patterned chairs. Comfy booths line the front windows. Overseeing the 701 kitchen operation is Executive Chef Ed Witt, a Culinary Institute of America grad who honed his skills at San Francisco’s Rubicon restaurant, New York’s acclaimed Restaurant Daniel and the River Café in Brooklyn, and most recently at Morso, a well-received Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant in Georgetown. Comfortably seated for an early spring midday repast, husband Peter and I perused the menu, which is similar for lunch and dinner. Options are

divided among “small plates,” side and entree salads, pasta dishes and other entrees. I like the idea of small plates (aka tapas)–a growing trend which allows you to try several dishes without filling up too soon. Speaking of which: A tempting basket of warm mini-corn muffins and dinner rolls arrived promptly. The jalapeno-spiked cornbread–blessedly free of the sugar which makes some renditions taste more like pound cake–was so moist it did not need its accompanying butter. The soup du jour was a velvety pureed cauliflower potage finished with a bright green swirl of herbed olive oil. A scattering of pink grapefruit segments cut the richness. My calamari “small plate” was actually a big portion, lightly dusted with smoked paprika. The tender squid rings and tentacles were lightly coated with a crisp breading, which tasted like it was made with panko. The accompanying caper dill aioli provided a welcome change from

Chef Ed Witt. Photo: Andrew Lightman. capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 75

calamari’s usual marinara or tomato salsa. Peter was in a barbecue mood, so he went for pulled pork nestled in toasted onion brioche. The generous sandwich was escorted by a thatch of fennel slaw and lovely orange sweet potato wedges. Lunch for two, with a drink apiece (New Zealand pinot noir, Absolut bloody Mary), came to $77 plus tip. However, you don’t have to spend nearly that much. At the 701 bar and lounge, customers may order from a limited but comprehensive menu of entree salads, burgers, sandwiches and pasta. The modest $15 tab includes a glass of wine or soft drink. Since May is National Burger Month, Chef Witt has come up with his own version made with Roseda beef (black Angus cattle raised on a small family farm near Monkton, Maryland). The juicy patties are topped with a fried green tomato, bacon and slathered with herb mayonnaise. Beet escarole salad. Photo: Andrew Lightman. Priced at $13, the burger comes like so many top toques these days, turns to with fries, and is available for weekday lunch in the dining room, and from local, humanely raised chicken, beef, lamb and pork and lamb. He also creates a bounti3 p.m. until closing in the lounge and patio. From the entree salad listing, I requested a ful charcuterie plate laden with pickled beef steak wedge but wound up with a steak Caesar tongue, tete de cochon, liverwurst, and similar salad instead. No problem. The romaine spears cured meats. At dinner a few nights later, we started out were laced with crunchy croutons, Parmesan with a “snack” of a pair of smoked deviled eggs cheese shavings and crowned with a pair of sprinkled with jalapeno powder. Tiny potato boquerones, those divine little white anchobits were infused with a smokey bacon ﬂavor. vies from Spain. The steak slices were perfectly Th ey tasted as good as they looked. Even more cooked (medium rare as requested). colorful was the escarole and beet salad, a colSpeaking of animal products: Chef Witt, orful mosaic sprinkled with Moody blue cheese (from Wisconsin) and fried rosemary sprigs. I was tempted by the red wine braised rabbit with garganfelli (quill-shaped) pasta, but turned instead to the 701 “small plates” inventory. Proscuittowrapped quail was a quartet of dainty morsels swathed with the paper-thin ham slices. The picture-pretty combo was accented 76 ★ HillRag | May 2011

English Pea Fartalle Lemon Buter Sweatbreads. Photo: Andrew Lightman.

with pickled string beans and a rather unusual addition of grilled plum. Chef Witt treats seafood well. A generous filet of Scottish salmon was nicely encrusted with a coating of horseradish, with slightly crunchy cranberry beans, oven dried tomatoes and mild spring garlic. Among 701 vegetable side dishes, sauteed spinach needed a judicious sprinkling of salt to bring out the flavors. Among other options were braised artichokes with basil puree and oyster mushrooms zapped with rapini and chili flakes. Pastry chef Melanie Parker creates such delicacies as Pavlova, (a rich meringue-topped cake named after Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova), chilled bosc pear soup and a divinely decadent chocolate truffle cake. For a European style end to the dinner, try a variety of artisan cheese plates (Green Hill Camembert, Asher Blue, Port Chester) paired with ports and other dessert wines. Parker’s desserts change according to season. Speaking of vino, 701 boasts an impressive cellar with 180 choices encompassing old- and new-world labels. Twenty selections are available by the glass. Although 701 provides valet parking, we strongly advise taking Metro. The restaurant is located practically on top of the Archives/ Navy Memorial Metro/Penn Quarter stop on the Green/Yellow Line.

Seasonal Sustainable Responsible Chef Robert Wood is inspired by seasonal offerings from the waters of the Mid-Atlantic and farms and vineyards of the Virginia and Maryland hinterlands. Visit his restaurant to truly taste the bounties of spring. Serving Lunch & Dinner Daily 11 AM to 10 PM Weekend Brunch 10 AM to 3 PM Late Night Dining Available Until 1 AM Daily Patio Open Daily – Available for Private events!

THE CHESAPEAKE ROOM 501 8th Street SE On Barracks Row (202) 543-1445 www.thechesapeakeroom.com

Eat Local!

701 Restaurant and Bar 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW 202-393-0701 www.701restaurant.com 701 is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday; from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5:30 to 11:30 p.m.; Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Sunday 5 to 9:30 p.m. The 701 pre-theater menu, which oﬀers three courses for just $30, is served from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Monday through Friday; from 5 to 6:45 Saturday; available all Sunday evening. ★ capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 77

ARTS& Dining

D I N I N G

N O T E S

by Celeste McCall

n a balmy April evening we climb the stairs to Banana Café’s piano bar. We’re checking out Banana’s Monday Open Mic Night, emceed by Zoe Jackson. Tonight, Zoe is attired in a zany striped outﬁt with a plaid cap. She’s setting up her electronic equipment; her show starts at 7:30 p.m. when she invites customers to try their talents at the microphone. “It might be a slow night,” she warns as she tunes her guitar. “The weather is nice, and people will be sitting outside.” So far, no one has volunteered to perform. “So you’re stuck with me,” she laughs, and sings “Go Your Own Way,” popularized by Fleetwood Mac in the 1970s. I order a margarita, chips and salsa with a side of guacamole. What I get is a bountiful appetizer feast: Besides the basket of chips and zingy sauce, the guacamole is escorted by a mound of pico de gallo and shredded Mexican

cheese, almost a meal in itself. As I munch and sip, I glance around the room. A vintage bicycle built for two dangles from the ceiling. Bar patrons are watching TV. On one screen, the Red Sox are getting clobbered by Tampa Bay; Jeopardy! plays on the other. Still, no Open Mic takers, so Zoe soldiers on. Since rain is threatening, I need to get home, so I request my bill. The tab for a drink and all those snacks comes to a paltry $12.64, (Happy Hour prices are from 4:00- 7:30 p.m. daily, Banana Café’s piano bar margaritas are only $3). The extensive tapas menu oﬀers fried calamari, ceviche, empanadas (Cuban-style and regular), nachos al carbon and much more. You can even order ﬂan. Other evenings also bring piano music and other lively entertainment. We’ve often dined downstairs at

the Banana, ordering from the full menu. On a recent Monday (Zoe was ill so there was no Open Mic), I chose the Monday special: vaca frita–fried shredded beef served with yuca, rice and black beans. Peter had Puerto Rican pionomes–plantain timbales stuﬀed with picadillo (spicy ground beef ) topped with cheese. Our friend Betty chose the house favorite: carnitas Cubanos–savory morsels of pork seasoned with bitter Seville orange. Open Mic Night begins at 7:30 every Monday, with lots of tapas and happy hour drink specials. Located at 500 Eighth St. SE, Banana Café is open daily, including for Sunday brunch. Piano bar hours go from 4 to 11:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; until 12:30 a.m. Friday-Saturday; until 10:30 p.m. Sunday. Call 202-5435906 or www.bananacafedc.com.

Still Feeding Your Senses You have until May 22 to enjoy an evening of culinary

playfulness, theatrical costumes, lighting and music. It’s all happening at the Capitol Riverfront in a 36foot geodesic dome on the east lawn of Yards Park, a few blocks from the Nationals Park . Chef Byron Brown’s lavish, 12course meal comes with wine pairings, and each course will be complemented with an intertwined vignette. Brown brings an impressive resume to this culinary extravaganza: He’s the creator of Artisa Kitchen, a nomadic supper club which travels to art galleries throughout Washington. He’s also worked with Jose Andres in Penn Quarter’s acclaimed MiniBar. Scheduled for Tuesday through Sunday evenings, Sensorium has seating at 5:30 and 8:30 p .m. Sunday to Thursday; at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Each seating is limited to 30 guests. Tickets are $150 per person, all inclusive. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.sensoriumdc.com.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Armed with a blowtorch, Artista Kitchen Founder/Chef Byron Brown does amazing things with eggs. Photo: Stacey Viera Cloud Nine Salmon Salad on of Chef Byron Brown’s gorgeous culinary creations. Photo: Stacey Viera A quartet of spirited Artista performers, Melissa Krodman, Anthony Wells and David London and Designer Jeremy Belemy dazzle their audience. Photo: Stacey Viera 78 ★ HillRag | May 2011

a Capitol Hill landmark since 1967

Senart’s Oyster House To Open Finally, the long-awaited Senart’s Oyster Bar and Chop House is poised to open any day now at 520 Eighth St. SE (Barracks Row). Right before my deadline, I peeked in the handsome space and spoke brieﬂy with busy proprietor Xavier Cervera, who operates numerous other nearby establishments. As I admired the beautiful paintings (one depicting the exterior’s now famous “ghost mural”), Xavier said it was specially commissioned for his restaurant. Ditto for the enormous mural over the 50-foot marble bar. The kitchen gas line was hooked up, and chefs were already making stock. Stay tuned.

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Fresh from the farm Just a quick Metro ride from Capitol Hill, the Penn Quarter Freshfarm market is now open. You’ll find it every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. on Eighth Street NW, just off E. Items–all vendor grown– include apples and apple cider, cucumbers, potted herbs, mushrooms, eggs, dairy products (sheep and cow), pasture-raised meats, baked goods, gelato, hand-made pasta, salsas, empanadas, cut flowers, soap, you name it. Take Metro to Gallery Place/Chinatown (Green/ Yellow/Red Lines). Call 202-3628889. ★

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329 Pennsylvania Ave., SE • 202.543.3300 www.hawkanddoveonline.com

Monday Nights – 5 to 11 PM; Buy 2 Entrees, Get Bottle of Wine at Half Price

Tsunami relief

Capitol Hill’s Marvelous Market, 303 Seventh St. SE, has taken over the café in nearby Results Gym at 315 G Street, SE. The 20seat café provides breakfast fare, salads, sandwiches and such. “We want to see what people want,” The Hill’s Marvelous Market proprietor Seth Shapiro told me. “Foods that Results members can grab on the way to work, like yogurt or energy bars. Coﬀee is already a big seller.” Café hours (same as the gym’s) are 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. And, Marvelous Market has resumed its TGI Fridays concerts through October, from 5-7 p.m. The last Friday of the month brings wine tastings, also from 57 p.m. Marvelous Market is at 303 Seventh St. SE.

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Paik Produce, in Eastern Market across from the Fine Sweet Shoppe bakery, has come up with something nice and simple. The well-stocked Korean grocer sometimes sells two or three celery stalks–nicely wrapped in Saran-for just $1. Rather than buy a whole batch of celery and letting it wilt in the bottom of our fridge–we prefer just a few stalks at a time--to slice up for a crunchy potato or tuna salad, or to garnish bloody Marys. So now we have it. Across the aisle at Capitol Hill Grocery, we’ve discovered Tony Chachere’s Famous Creole “Injectables.” Priced at $5.89, a 17-ounce bottle comes with a syringe which pumps seasonings right into the meat. Cooks do this for a Thanksgiving deep-fried turkey. But why not try it on a roasting hen or ham? “Injectable” ﬂavors include butterand-jalapeno, honey-bacon-and barbecue, praline-and-honey ham.

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Market watch

money for Japanese disaster relief. Priced at $16, the roll is made with tempura cuttleﬁsh and spicy crawﬁsh. Accompanying the Saisei is a glass of Hakushika sake. $10 from each order goes directly to the American Red Cross. Located at 1155 14th St. NW, Zentan is open daily. Call 202-379-4366 or www. zentanrestaurant.com. Or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Stop in Before, or After, the Game Just A 22-Minute Walk from the New Stadium or Take the Circulator Bus for a Buck!

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202.544.5680 capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 79

ARTS& Dining

Wine in the News by Jon Genderson

uring the last few of weeks we have witnessed a couple of interesting and notable purchases of wineries, from California to next door in Virginia. The big surprise is the acquisition of a local Charlotte-based winery, Kluge estate, by presidential hopeful, Donald Trump. He scooped up the winery for a bargain of $6.2 million from a bank auction after Patricia Kluge, ex-wife of billionaire John Kluge, struggled to meet their $34.8 million financial agreement following a rough ride through the 2008-9 recession. Well known for his ‘You’re fired’ catchphrase, Trump admitted he has no interest in wine, but he is, however, “interested in good real estate.” Trump intends to keep Patricia and husband William Moses, on to continue running the operation as they have since 1985. They will also continue using the services of renowned Bordeaux flying wine consultant Michel Rolland. The estate consists of 776 acres with huge potential to expand the area under vines, increasing the current output of just over 30,000 to 75,000 cases per year. There is increasing interest in Virginia wine country as a source of elegant, well made and interesting wine. Both Kluges’ sparkling Blanc de Blancs and rosé were served at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding last year. In California, film director Frances Ford Coppola is in the final stages of reviving the Inglenook estate to its former glory and realizing a 35-yearold dream. One of the oldest, and for a time, one of the most highly acclaimed wineries in the Napa Valley;,Coppola purchased a piece of the Inglenook estate in 1975. His wines have been sold under the current name, Rubicon Estate, ever since. Over the last 20 years Coppola has been putting the estate back together, and has now purchased the Inglenook name from the Wine Group. Coppola intends to once again make Inglenook one of America’s greatest wine estates, with the help of Chateau Margaux winemaker, Philippe Bascaules, who will be starting as estate manager and winemaker this summer.

Rosés for Spring Wine has been produced for almost 8000 years, and as long as there has been wine, there has been rosé. Although it has historically been a by-product in the production of the fine wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and more recently California, many winemakers now produce truly fine examples. Resourceful winemakers found that they could make richer more flavorful wines by siphoning off some of the free run juice from freshly crushed red grapes, increasing the 80 ★ HillRag | May 2011

proportion of tannins and flavor compounds. Sutter Home famously adopted and experimented with this technique, known as Saignée or ‘bled’ in French, when they were seeking more color and grip in their red Zinfandel. However, something had to be done with all this spare juice, and so White Zinfandel was born. It was initially intended to be a light dry wine, but a few years later, in 1975, Sutter experienced a stuck fermentation, when the yeast dies out before it consumes all the grapes sugar. The result was a medium dry pink wine that appealed to many sweettoothed drinkers, producing an overnight commercial success. This “blush” phenomenon made it difficult to sell the finer dry rosé wines from France because consumers believed all rosé was sweet. There are two other ways of making rosé. Macerating red grapes briefly, mere hours for the heartiest grapes such as Mouvedre and up to a day for Grenache or Syrah, is the preferred method for producing the finest rosé. The must is then separated by pressing and fermented in the same process as white wines. Rosés produced in this fashion yield a wine with the bright fruit flavors of red wine but not the color or body. The third method involves blending separately fermented red wine into white. This is frowned upon by finer producers, and even outlawed in most of Europe, but is accepted practice in Champagne. The best Champagne producers, however, prefer to use one of the other two methods. A resurgence of dry rosé began about a decade ago, and the release of a new vintage coincides with the beginning of summer. With few exceptions, rosé should be drunk as young as possible. They are prized for their fresh fruit aromas and flavors. The 2010’s are now on the market and will offer delightful drinking over the next year or two. A young rosé is perfect for a picnic in the park or a glass in your backyard. The red fruit flavors allow it to be served chilled and stand up well to chicken, salmon or tuna. Good rosé can be produced almost anywhere in the world, but the finest seem to come from warmer climates and from heat loving grape varieties like Grenache and Syrah. Exemplar regions include the Rhone Valley and Provence in France, much of Spain and warmer parts of California like Paso Robles.

Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé 2010 ($16) Light pink in color with great minerality; it exhibits crisp, dry, strawberry, and cherry ﬂavors,

as well as surprising texture and intensity. Enjoy this crowdpleaser by itself or with barbecue, Asian, Indian, or Indonesian cuisine over the next year. Bargemone makes one of the best dry rosé’s around.

Chateau de Lancyre Pic Saint-Loup Rosé 2010 ($18) Consistently one of my favorites, don’t let the pale pink color fool you. This full-bodied rosé has weight and character. Pic Saint-Loup is considered the ﬁnest AOC in the Coteaux du Languedoc and it shows in this stunning rosé. It possesses perfectly balanced red fruits along with pear and honey, a silken texture, excellent mouthfeel and a long crisp ﬁnish. You will enjoy your summer twice as much with a case of this rosé on hand.

Le Cirque Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes Rosé 2010 ($12) Strawberry red in color with bright red berry fruit and juicy berry ﬂavors. This is a fatter and softer style of rosé with a ripe, fruity ﬁnish.

Las Lilas Vinho Verde Rosé 2010 ($9) This Portuguese rosé has a beautiful strawberry red color along with a slight effervescence. Serve it in a Champagne glass for a whimsical treat on a warm Spring day. The ripe berry flavors lead to a creamy, spritzy finish. This is a real bargain!

QUO Grenache Rosé 2010 ($10) This is a gorgeous 100% Grenache from Campo de Borja, near Rioja in northeastern Spain. It is deep red in color; I’ve seen red wines lighter than this, with tons of ripe berry fruit, black cherry and cassis flavors that lead to fine structure and balance in the finish. This satin-textured wine is, simply put, a great rosé! Jon Genderson is co-owner of Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, www. cellar.com. ★

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300 Massachusetts Ave., NE • www.cellar.com 1.800.377.1461 • 202.543.9300 • fax: 202.546.6289 capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 81

ARTS& Dining

TH E ATE R Ford’s Is Tied To American History Latest Show Takes Delightful Liberties in “Liberty Smith” by Brad Hathaway

View from the stage of the President’s Box at Ford’s Theatre, following an 18-month renovation. Photo by Maxwell MacKenzie.

merican history and Ford’s Theatre are inseparably linked. You can’t walk into the theater without being transported back to the terrible night in April, 1865 when an actor did the unthinkable, not with words and gestures, but with a gun. After being closed down for nearly a century as a consequence of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the building was saved from the wrecker’s ball by people whose interests were as much about history as about the performing arts. Over the ensuing years, some of the greatest “Ford’s Theatre Memories” have involved performances that tapped into our collective history: Hal Holbrook brought back Mark Twain again and again, James Whitmore gave audiences a chance to spend time with Will Rogers, Harry Truman and others, and musicals carried us back to that hall in “Foul, fetid,

82 ★ HillRag | May 2011

fuming, foggy, filthy Philadelphia!” in “1776” and to the 1840s along that “Big River,” the mighty Mississip. The leadership of the Ford’s Theatre Society - the production company that mounts the shows on the stage which is owned and operated as a museum during the daytime by the United States Parks Service - has tried to tap into that historical connection time and time again first under the late Frankie Hewitt and now with Paul Tetreault at the helm. Most recently, Ford’s recreated the burdens of the Presidency for Mr. Lincoln in “The Heavens are Hung in Black,” using a rousing musical score to explore some of the major issues of “The Civil War;” and premiered a play about the Lincoln/Douglass Debates. Even off stage, Ford’s taps into the deep current of history, offering walking tours led by actors portraying characters from the city’s past who show modern day tourists and history-mind-

ed residents just where major (and sometimes minor) events took place. These “History on Foot” tours last about 90 minutes and cover a mile and a half. One is lead by an actor playing the part of a DC Police detective who actually participated in the investigation into the Lincoln assassination. The other by an actress in the role of a black woman who bought her freedom, established a dress shop in Washington and became a conﬁdante of Mrs. Lincoln. The current immersion into history at Ford’s is a light-hearted musical which doesn’t take history too seriously, while at the same time, doesn’t belittle or denigrate the achievement of the founding fathers (and one mother). Instead, “Liberty

S mith” takes some of the better known stories of the American Revolution and plays with them in a good-natured tongue in cheek romp. “Liberty Smith” tells the story of a fictional character who happens to be on hand for iconic moments from the cutting down of George Washington’s father’s cherry tree to the final surrender of the British. Along the way, he helps Franklin fly his kite, Tom Jefferson draft the Declaration of Independence and Paul Revere spread the word that “the British are coming.” He does all this in the hope of winning the heart of Martha Dandridge who chose instead to become Mrs. George Washington. Musicals often take a long time to reach the stage in a full fledged premiere. Ford’s involvement in the development of this tremendously entertaining slice of pseudo-history

Bobby Smith as Thomas Jefferson, Geoff Packard as Liberty Smith, Christopher Bloch as Benjamin Franklin and Donna Migliaccio as Betsy Ross, with Kelly Karbacz (background) in the Ford’s Theatre world premiere musical Liberty Smith, directed by Matt August. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Richard Pelzman as Paul Revere and the cast of the Ford’s Theatre world premiere musical Liberty Smith, directed by Matt August. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

goes back years to a 45 minute presentation of the draft at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s festival in New York where Ford’s Director of Theatre Programming, Mark Ramont, first heard it. He played a demo of some of the score for Tetreault who decided to offer Ford’s auspices to the team writing the musical, Marc Madnick and Eric Cohen and composer Michael Weiner. “We’d done two readings” Tetrault said “and while we liked the music and the book was clever, it needed more work. Mark said ‘lets set them up with a director’ and suggested Matt August.” August directed Ford’s annual “A Christmas Carol” each year from 2004 to 2008. He came on board for “Liberty Smith” and directed a workshop of the piece. Tetreault slated the show for a full production in the year that they reopened the theatre after renovation, 2009. Ultimately, that premiere slipped to this year. The show is now enjoying its world premiere on the stage at Ford’s where it runs through May 21. It is a colorful, energetic and family-friendly musical told in flashback as an elderly “Liberty Smith” recounts his adventures during the American Revolution. The tone of the approach is clear from the beginning when the famous cherry tree story of George Washington not being able to tell a lie is triggered by Martha’s desire for a cherry pie. Tongues stay firmly planted in cheeks with throw-away gags such as the town crier who provides news around the clock named “Mr. Fox,” Washington ending his dispatches with “I’m George Washington and I approved this message” and James Konicek as Benedict Arnold sporting the biggest pompadour in a musical comedy since Danny Burstein’s getup as “Aldolpho” in “The Drowsy Chaperone.” Of course, it helped a great deal that in

casting “Liberty Smith” Ford’s snapped up some of the best of the local musical theatre talent. Donna Migliaccio is Betsy Ross, Bobby Smith is Thomas Jeﬀerson, Chris Block is Ben Franklin, Lauren Williams is Martha Washington (nee Dandridge). The cast also includes Thomas Adrian Simpson, Harry A. Winter, Richard Pelzman and Gia Mora. Indeed, only two in the cast are from out of town including Geoﬀ Packard who has the title role. Tetrault says that the talent pool in this town is impressive, but so is the competition for their services. Tetreault says he tries to cast between 75% and 80% of roles in his shows with local talent in part for budgetary reasons (they don’t have to pay lodging and living expenses for local talent) and in part because there is such a wealth of talent available here. However, he points out, “I’ve never seen a place where you have to do your casting so early if you want the cream of the crop.” He points out that next season’s shows are already cast. They will be returning to the history component with the local professional premiere of Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Urhy’s musical set in Atlanta in 1913, “Parade,” the world premiere of a play they commissioned from Richard Hellesen delving further into the stories of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass and a revival of the classic American Revolution musical, “1776.” For tickets to “Liberty Smith,” either or both of the “History on Foot” walking tours or next season’s shows, call 202 347-4833 or log on to www.fordstheatre.org. Brad Hathaway reviews theater in Virginia, Washington and Maryland as well as Broadway and writes about theater for a number of national magazines. He welcomes feedback from those he writes about and those he writes for. He can be reached at brad.hathaway@verizon.net. ★

capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 83

ARTS& Dining

ATTHE MOVIES

A Documentary with Wit And a Drama with Grit article by Mike Canning | photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

POM Wonderful Presents The Greatest Story Ever Sold Morgan Spurlock is the somewhat goofy documentary filmmaker who made his name in 2007 with his semi-spoof and cautionary tale “Supersize Me,” wherein he survived on nothing but McDonald’s cuisine for a month until his health began to seriously deteriorate. The nuttiness of his premise, nonetheless, left a residue of real concern about what we as a culture are doing to our selves with fast food. Well, folks, he’s done it again in his new exposé “The Greatest Story Ever Sold,” taking on the ever-growing glut of corporate sponsorship— and especially product placement—in our popular culture. Here again, Spurlock plays the naïf, wondering out loud if he could make a documentary with commercial potential like the big Hollywood flicks, to wit a “doc-buster.” He then sets out to test how far he can go with product placement (now called “brand integration” in advertising jargon) in motion pictures by finding enough real-life companies to underwrite his new film by offering them blatant chances to appear in it (now in limited release in the DC area, the film is rated “PG-13” and runs 88 mins.). The film shows Spurlock touring the country to find backers. With his film budgeted at $1.5 million, he is especially eager to find a company that will shell out a million bucks, for which they will get their company name above the title. Getting “big” corporate names proves elusive. One hilarious sequence has Morgan phoning a string of prominent firms and getting elaborate turndowns from PR people and company staffers, who say this project is “just not for them.” His successes are somewhat vagrant, corralling miscellaneous 84 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Lubna Azabal stars as Nawal Marwan in “Incendies.”

products like Amy’s Pizza, Merrell’s title (see full title above). They also footwear, the island of Aruba, Ban expect Spurlock’s documentary to deodorant, even a strange soap com- make $10 million! pany, Mane ‘n Tail, which makes Whether he knows it or not (and shampoo for humans—and horses! I suspect he does), Spurlock has made His first real breakthrough is a con- a “meta-film,” where the “meta” means tract with Sheetz, the gas station/ one thing all about another thing, or convenience store company. He visits a self-reference. His film, if this is not the family Sheetz too confusing, is in Altoona, PA, one convoluted and they give film product him a nice check placement about on condition that product placehe shoots their ments. Think of it facilities as often as a kind of Moeas possible—and bius strip that only buys Sheetz curls around and gasoline. Which comes back upon he does. itself. A strange The real kickthing happens as er, though, is his you get into the Director Morgan Spurlock adorned with connection with film: as Spurlock his sponsors. POM Wonderpitches to one ful, the 100 % sponsor after anpure pomegranate drink. The own- other, you realize that every scene he ers of POM, based in Los Angeles, is crafting is aimed at actually pluglook understandably skeptical when ging the sponsors he eventually gathhe makes his pitch, but they fall for ered. As he contracts a new company, Morgan and his quixotic idea and that company’s products start to show decide to take a chance on him. They up in unobtrusive, then obvious, ways. agree to the $1 million sponsorship Thus, when you seeing him tying on and, thus, get their name above the his Merrell shoes or getting gas at a

Sheetz outlet, you realize that these were segments used explicitly in his film because they ultimately helped finance his movie. Does this make your head swim? You really don’t have to think too hard about it, because much of what he does in garnering his sponsors is quite entertaining. And, as in “Supersize Me,” Morgan Spurlock is making a larger, more serious point with his shenanigans: the tremendous creep of commercialization in our society, making almost anything for sale or rent. If you need just one current example of this phenomenon in the film business, I can refer to the new comedy “Arthur,” also released in April. It’s a film (only tepidly amusing) about an irresponsible drunk, but it is just as much about the booze Arthur drinks. One premium bourbon, Maker’s Mark, is the product that is overwhelmingly placed, getting just as many close-ups and almost as much screen time as the ingénue in the movie. I wonder what they shelled out for “Arthur”?

Incendies More Middle East turbulence may not be on everyone’s list of things to see at the movies, but the new Canadian film “Incendies” (Scorched)) takes the troubled region’s recent history and crafts from it a terrific family drama (The film opens on May 6, is rated “R” and runs 130 mins). Based on a play of the same name by Wadji Mouawad and expertly directed by Denis Villeneuve, “Incendies” opens with the Marwam twins, a sister, Jeanne (Mélissa DésormeauxPoulin), and a brother Simon (Maxim Gaudette), having their mother’s will being read to them. Their mother, a somewhat haunted woman, had raised the two by herself, and there are no

other siblings, so they are stunned to learn that her last wish is for them to deliver two sealed envelopes to their father and their brother, both of whom are utterly unknown to them. This presents difficulties since mom, Nawal Marwam (the compelling Lubna Azabal), was a refugee from the Middle East who left her home 30 years before. The notary/executor reading the will, Jean Lebel (Remy Girard), a family friend who employed their mother, urges them to try and solve these riddles. Thus begins a journey into Nawal’s past. Simon sees his mother’s request as evidence that she was crazy, and he wants nothing to do with it. Jeanne, however, looks to respect her mother’s wishes and launches a quest to the region (no specific country is named) to trace her mother’s background. That search comes to reveal a personal history filled with tumult, including a lost newborn, a murder, and a prison term. Also, many who knew her mother refuse to speak to Jeanne. She ultimately seeks Simon’s assistance, and he reluctantly joins her in the Middle East, along with the faithful Lebel. In learning about their mother’s past and, thus, their own history, the twins discover why Nawal was the woman that she was, and what they learn provides the stunning twist to this film. “Incendies” was one of the five foreign language films nominated for the Academy Award this year (it is in French and Arabic), and perhaps it should have won the honor. It combines a forceful script (penned by Villeneuve with Mouawad), top-drawer acting from its principals, and a tense, dramatic setting for its story (location shooting was done in Jordan). The drama can be raw—some prison scenes are not for the squeamish—but it is never less than compelling. This is the turmoil of the Middle East brought down to the personal, and heartbreaking, level (the film is rated “R” and runs 130 minutes). Long-time Hill resident Mike Canning has written on movies for Hill Rag since 1993. His reviews and writings on film can be found online at www.mikesflix.com. ★

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202-543-7656 capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 85

Artist Portrait: Harvey J. Kupferberg

hese could be the pictures that drift in your memory like ghost images after you close your eyes. Each is an altered reality with all but the essential truths of the scene filtered away, distilled into lines and curves, bright spots and darks. Look at them for a few seconds and the clean, dominant patterns may induce the illusion of movement. In creating a 2-dimensional image from a 3dimensional reality, photographer Harvey J. Kupferberg uses receding lines of vision and curved surfaces to induce a feeling of depth – the almost endless space within the confined borders of the picture. Harvey spent 32 years at NIH in the field of medical research and he brings that

A Capitol Hill artist and writer, Jim can be reached at ArtandtheCity05@aol.com

discipline to black and white photography. By minimizing variables in the technical process, it gives him more artistic flexibility, the essential ingredient in creativity…that elusive mix of observation, experience and personality. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, a doctorate in pharmacy and a doctorate in pharmacology. He is now retired, but it’s that extensive background in chemistry that guides him in his experiments with exposure and development techniques. In his upcoming show at the Touchstone Gallery (see, At the Galleries) he has concentrated on infrared photography. Capturing solid objects with light that is invisible to the human eye creates its own technical demands and results in images that often startle in their “unnatural” arrangements of lights and darks. They offer a different appreciation of the landscape and the eye of each viewer will provide individual interpretations. Harvey has won numerous awards and has had many solo and group exhibits in the DC region. Those awards do not come solely from technique, but from that inexplicable something that clicks emotionally in both the photographer and the viewer. www. kupferbergphotography.com.

Jim Magner’s Thoughts on Art

Infrared photographs of Brookside Gardens, Maryland, Ice Flow, Frozen Pool west side of Capital, Virgin River, Zion N.P. Utah. 86 ★ HillRag | May 2011

After many years in the making, my book on Vietnam is in the production process. It’s called, “A Haunting Beauty; Vietnam through the eyes of an artist.” I thought I knew what it was all about until I tried to explain it to the promotional text writers. I discovered that I had to explain it to myself ﬁrst. It doesn’t ﬁt into the usual warbook categories: heroic, patriotic, anti-war, history or even memoir. So what is it? I take some solace in knowing that the best books of any

genre defy categorization. Some writers make combat a study of human nature, extending their expressive language to visual descriptions. But for me, art was an integral part of the experience, not stage setting. I needed to look beyond and inward if I was to confront the whole aesthetic of humanity, and how beauty and art deﬁne how we interact, love and even ﬁght. So the book, it turns out, is not just about the beauty of nature but the nature of beauty. That, I realized, could only be translated through the characters – the amazing jumble of people I knew there – and how they became part of the landscape…the ecology of a war in an exotic time and place. That’s pretty much what I have been trying to write about in these columns for the past 10 years: Without people, there is no beauty; human nature creates it. Otherwise, nature just IS – it exists for its own evolutionary purposes. Only man can see nature as wondrous. Only bumbling, emotional, sentimental humans can create art, music, poetry, literature, and theater. And it’s only our mean, selfcentered species that can deliberately destroy beauty. Nature has the power to create and destroy natural forms and that is the beauty of nature. Man has the power to create and destroy art, that is the nature of beauty.

At the Museums George Ault, Smithsonian Amer. Art Museum F St. NW (between 7th and 9th) Through Sept. 5 George Ault (1891 – 1948) was known as a “Precisionist,” but his paintings in this comprehensive exhibit, with a few famous contemporaries, touch your heart more than your mind. His work is a story of personal grief, loneliness and the dark fears and bright hopes that deﬁne the 1940’s. But this is not a melodramatic display of despair. Just the opposite. They capture the beauty of his home in Woodstock, NY, painted with ex-

artandthecity

BY JIM MAGNER

acting observation and skillful manipulation of dramatic lights and darks. Paintings such as “Brook in the Mountain,” and “January Full Moon,” are quietly stunning.

At the Galleries “Coming Home/ Lighting Out”, Capitol Hill Art League 545 7th St. SE May 14 – June 3 This is the second annual juried exhibit entitled Coming Home/Lighting Out. It includes selected artists from the whole DC metro area. The juror is Jack Rasmussen, Director and Curator of the American University Museum. He will discuss the works he selected for the show at the opening reception, Sat., May 14, 5-7. Everyone is welcome and admission is free. www. caphillartleague.org. The CHAL opening is a part of the Capitol Hill Art Workshop’s ARTdays Happy Hour: An Evening of Music and Art on same day, May 14, from 4-7. The free concert begins at 4, featuring The Left Hand Collective, an ensemble of local musicians and National Symphony Orchestra members. 202-547-6839 or www.chaw.org.

Meet Brendan Tharp The New Executive Chef at Lola’s Lola’s welcomes Executive Chef Brendan Tharp, formerly of Blue Hill Tavern. Chef Tharp is introducing a new exciting menu of a new seasonal offerings that will include Charcuterie, local salads and a variety of daily specials. Don’t worry regulars! The Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos are staying with the addition of Brendan’s homemade Salsa Verde. Lola’s is expanding! Look for an intimate upstairs bar and game room.

Lola’s Barracks Bar & Grill 711 8th Street, SE (202) 547-5652 www.lolasdc.com

Harvey Kupferberg, Marcia Coppel Touchstone Gallery 901 New York Ave. NW May 4 – May 29 With “Infrared, The Invisible Light,” Harvey Kupferberg (see, Artist Profile) presents a startling view of the subject through the filtered effects of infrared light. Unexpected arrangements of lights and darks allow individual interpretations of landscapes, architecture, and other subjects. In “Life Is Too Serious,” the playful paintings and drawings of Marcia Coppel take you into a world of uninhibited color, reflecting the folk styles of Mexico. The opening reception for both shows is May 6, 6 – 8:30. www.touchstonegallery.com. ★ capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 87

MAY CALENDAR

★ ★ ★ the LITERARY HILL A Compendium of Readers, Writers, Books, & Events

by Karen Lyon

Simon Conway, a local writer of suspense thrillers, goes after Osama Bin Laden in “A Loyal Spy.”

ark your calendars! The Literary Hill BookFest is only a couple of weeks away. Join us on Sunday, May 15, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the North Hall of Eastern Market, where you’ll meet more than 30 of the local writers whose work you’ve read about in this column. You can chat with the authors, hear a series of book talks, and purchase books for signing. And be sure to bring the kids to meet their special authors, hear stories, and enjoy crafts in the children’s corner. Elsewhere in this issue you can ﬁnd a full list of participants. Or visit www. literaryhillbookfest.org.

Spy Versus Spy From blood diamonds in Sierra Leone to terrorists in the mountains of Afghanistan, Simon Conway brings to life the events of the past 20 years in what “The Times of London” calls “a riveting alternative history [full of ] conspiracy, undercover intelligence and multiple betrayals.” A 2010 winner of the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Thriller of the Year, “A Loyal Spy” begins in 1999, when a group dispatched from “a cashstrapped branch of British military intelligence known only as the Department” is tasked with assassinating Osama Bin Laden in the Kabul 88 ★ HillRag | March 2011 May 2011

River Gorge. When the mission goes south and a CIA oﬃcer is killed, the stage is set for a cover-up with farreaching consequences. The action is seen through the eyes of British spy Jonah Said, who was part of the bungled mission in Afghanistan. Counterpoint to Jonah is Nor ed-Din, a former school friend whom he recruited as an informant and thought he’d left for dead in the Khyber Pass. When Nor resurfaces after 9/11, he agrees to work for the Americans in exposing al-Qaeda leadership -- but the British, nervous that he might reveal details of the coverup, dispatch Jonah to neutralize him. Jonah fails, and when Nor appears again in 2005, he is now threatening to commit a deadly act of terrorism. Once again, it’s up to Jonah to ﬁnd and kill him before he strikes. Conway now lives on Capitol Hill, but he has served in the British army and worked with a group that clears land mines and unexploded ordnance from the world’s trouble spots. His experience lends a vivid sense of authenticity to his descriptions of war-torn lands and covert military operations. If you enjoy suspenseful spy novels grounded in real-life events, “A Loyal Spy” is right up your dark alley. Simon Conway will appear at the Literary Hill BookFest. Visit his website at http://simonconwaybooks.com.

History in the Mystery “What do Sir Walter Raleigh, Harry Houdini, Sherlock Holmes, Edgar Allan Poe, Thomas Jeﬀerson, and a current-day vintner from Virginia have in common?” The Library of Congress answers that question at “History in the Mystery,” a panel discussion featuring local writers of historical mysteries. Moderated by “Washington Post” critic Maureen Corrigan, the event brings together authors Louis Bayard, who has written about an

Elizabethan secret society (“The School of Night”), Edgar Allan Poe (“The Pale Blue Eye”), French detective Vidocq (“The Black Tower”), and Tiny Tim (“Mr. Timothy”); Ellen Crosby, whose “Wine Country Mystery” series includes both present-day and historical aspects of Virginia; and Daniel Stashower, whose nonﬁction books include “The Beautiful Cigar Girl: Mary Rogers, Edgar Allan Poe, and the Invention of Murder,” and “Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters,” and whose novels feature Harry Houdini and Sherlock Holmes. “History in the Mystery” is on May 23 at noon in the Mumford Room of the Madison Building. Admission is free and book sales and signings follow the discussion.

Poetry as Wonk Antidote “I hear a lot about how the Hill is where language goes to die,” says poet Jackie Kruszewski. Having attended her share of hearings, brieﬁngs and lobby meetings, she feared there was more than a little truth to dire assessment. So as an antidote, she started a blog where she invites poets to contribute their impressions of the “untapped little niche of customs and rituals and beauty” that is Capitol Hill. “I wanted there to be a place where people could share their impressions about the unique world they work in with a more whimsical, humorous, or colorful perspective,” she says. Check out the “nonpartisan doggerel” by Jackie and other Hill poets – or submit your own -- at http://capitolhillpoetry.blogspot.com. In other May poetry news, the Library of Congress presents a reading and book signing by U.S. Poet Laureate W.S. Merwin on May 4 at 7 p.m. in the Jeﬀerson Building. And on May 17 at 7 p.m., Poetry Mutual holds its annual reading from the work of international poets at Riverby Books, 417 East Capitol St. SE.

How Dry We Weren’t All eyes were on Washington in 1917 when Congress made a test case of the District by imposing Prohibition two years in advance of the rest of the country. It certainly seemed to work. Saloons such as Shoomaker’s along Rum Row at 14th and E Streets NW shut down, and brewers and bartenders were forced to ﬁnd other lines of work. But, as the subtitle of Garrett Peck’s new book points out, D.C. did not turn into a city of teetotalers overnight—or, in fact, ever. “Prohibition in Washington, D.C.: How Dry We Weren’t” tells the story of the more than 16-year dry spell that wasn’t. Many things did change. Local brewers such as the National Capital Brewery at 14th and E Streets SE were forced to close their doors. Happily, owner Albert Carry ﬁgured out how to use his chilling plant to produce ice cream instead of lager, and he also owned a local bank, the National Capital Bank on Pennsylvania Avenue, which still remains in the extended Carry-Didden family. Others also made the best of a dry situation. Residents of Capitol Hill could visit a number of speakeasies around Lincoln Park. The Tune Inn became a candy store with a twist: a trap door below the bar that allowed the “shopkeeper” to bring up a bottle

Author Garrett Peck shows “How Dry We Weren’t” in the nation’s capital during Prohibition.

DC loves BASEBALL! or two for those who wanted to indulge more than a sweet tooth. But perhaps the most blatant scofflaws were in the U.S. Capitol, where the hypocrisy flowed as freely as the booze. As Peck writes, “Congress was never dry, even if it voted that way.” One of the more egregious examples was “The Man in the Green Hat,” a bootlegger who was given the key to a storeroom in the Cannon House office Building from which he could distribute his wares. As he later revealed, “I have sat in the gallery and heard one of my customers deliver a rattling good prohibition speech. I have heard members of the House and Senate make strong arguments on the floor that prohibition was well enforced when I knew good stuff was being regularly delivered at their own offices.” “Prohibition in Washington, D.C.” pops the cork off this conflicted era in the nation’s capital, complete with vintage cocktail recipes, a walking tour of prohibition-related sites, plenty of entertaining history, and commentary from politicians and journalists such as H.L. Mencken, who serves as a kind of acerbic Greek chorus. Peck is also the author of “The Prohibition Hangover: Alcohol in America from Demon Rum to Cult Cabernet” and leads the Temperance Tour of D.C. ★

Come check out our beer specials before and after all home games. TUNNICLIFF’S TAVERN The Gathering Place On The Hill… Right next to Eastern Market Metro across from Eastern Market Tunnicliff’s Tavern 222 7th Street SE Washington, D.C. 20003

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ARTS& Dining

Following the Civil War Trail in Maryland Discover the Untold Tales by Maggie Hall

hat anything but “Civil” War broke-out 150 years ago. And while for many in the DC region there’s nothing novel about a trip to a Civil War site, any made in the next four years will be. Every battle-site and museum linked to the conflict that pitched father against son, brother against brother and tore a new country asunder, will be studded with special events commemorating the four-year horror. For those of us around here, the first names to trip off the tongue are invariably Gettysburg (Pennsylvania) and Manassas (Virginia). But Maryland is marking the sesquicentennial in spectacular ways. Because of its unique border-state position its Civil War history is huge -- 60,000 men fought with the Union Army, 20,000 served with the Confederacy. The State’s purpose in staging ever-changing exhibitions to fit the four-year commemorative calendar is not to indulge the afficionado, so much as to reintroduce those of a certain age and a new generation to the pivotal events from April 1861 to April 1865. And woven throughout the dozens of special exhibits being staged around the state, hundreds of lesser-known events are being remembered. These stories that are all the more compelling because they relate to ordinary people who -- because of the demands and disruption of war in their backyard -- did extraordinary things.

The Commemorative Path Maryland’s Civil war commemorative path can be followed a day at a time, or as the heart of a three-day road trip. Start, where it all began for Maryland, in Baltimore where the ﬁrst blood of the Civil War was fatally spilled. The Pitt Street riots, April 19, 1861, left 16 dead and dozens 90 ★ HillRag | May 2011

The foreground is 1862, the background today. Union soldiers, from a New England regiment, stand guard over pro-Confederate Baltimore which was under martial law for the entire Civil War. Photo courtesy of Maryland Historical Society/David Colwell.

wounded when Union soldiers were attacked by a pro-Southern mob. It was a tragic sign of how divided Baltimore was. So much so, that the city -- which President Abraham Lincoln feared would secede from the Union and isolate Washington from the North -- was under martial law for the entire war Pivotal to that torn-sentiments role was the railway, which is why the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum has a block-buster of an exhibition, “The War Came By Train.” Even for someone with no interest in historic locomotives, it would to be hard to visit the magniﬁcent roundhouse, and see the compelling array of steam trains, and not be blown away. Alongside each train and its carriages, there are tableaux depicting Civil War stories not just about the famed generals, but the unknown men and women whose Civil War exploits make them worthy of note.

Do not leave Baltimore without visiting the Maryland Historical Society. The name is oﬀ-putting, conjuring up images of $5 annual dues and monthly erudite lectures. But the reality is anything but. The 167-year-old institution is one of the country’s ﬁnest, most fascinating and most comprehensive, museums and research centers. Its Civil War exhibition, “Divided Voices: Maryland in the Civil War,” is stunning. Split into three ‘acts’ -- The Romantic War, The Real War and The Long Reunion -you will be in no rush to make your way through. Many of the artifacts have never been on public display before and all give an emotive insight. The one that will leave most people slack-jawed in awe is the military jacket worn by Baltimorean architect, Confederate Major Richard Snowden Andrews. Parts of it are tattered, torn, where the bullet that virtually disembow-

eled Andrews, tore through. The sight of the jacket, with the grubby, brown stains of his blood, forcefully rams home the message that the Civil War was more than brutal. Like his jacket, Andrews also miraculously survived, despite being wounded again. And until his death 41 years later, he traveled extensively lecturing about those grim days - always showing-oﬀ his battle-ravaged jacket.

From Baltimore Onward Next head 12 miles West to Ellicott City and America’s oldest railroad station. The 1830 charming wooden structure reeks of history and is home for the next four years to an ever-changing satellite exhibit of “The War Came By Train.” It highlights the impact the railroad had on the Civil War homefront by demonstrating the eﬀect on a small town and its residents, of troops passing through.

MEET Molly’s NEW CHEF! Then off to Sharpsburg, 58 miles west, and that most powerful and pristine of Civil War sites: Antietam. All the battlefields, strewn over 26 States, pack an almighty punch. But there is something so mystically awesome in the atmosphere hanging over Antietam’s undulating lands that are so little changed since that bloodwashed day where 3,654 died in the bloodiest day in American military history. But it was that historic massacre that gave the Civil War one of its few upsides: triage. It was in the blood-soaked wheat and corn fields of Antietam that the system of sorting and treating the ghastly, mass wounded, got its start. Which is why you must not leave the area without two ports of call. First, The Pry House Field Hospital Museum which is the birthplace of modern military front-line medicine, and then the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in downtown Frederick, 27 miles east. Among the thousands of fascinating artifacts is an original “Mash” tent. If you’re lucky you’ll run into executive direc-

Molly’s Malone’s welcomes Executive Chef Brendan Tharp, formerly of Blue Hill Tavern. Chef Tharp is introducing a new exciting menu that includes his signature lamb shank and Irish potatoes, hardy Guinness Stew, and a variety of new sandwiches and new brunch items.

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ing force to meet them in the corn and wheat ﬁelds of Monocacy. The severely out-numbered Union soldiers were badly beaten, but the day-long battle was a delaying tactic that gave the Union enough time to marshal a force, further down the road, big enough to stop the exhausted “rebels” entering DC. From then on, until the end of the war nine months later, no further blood was shed North of the Mason Dixon Line. For detailed information on Civil War events in Maryland: www.heartofthecivilwar.org; www.civilwarbaltimore.com ★

Offering whole bean coffee delivered to your home or ofﬁce. See our website for details. From the basement of this farm house - unchanged since the Civil War - six-year-old Glenn Worthington witnessed the battle that saved Washington. His 1932 book Fighting for Time led to Monacacy finally being designated a National Historic Landmark, in 1973. Photo: Maggie Hall.

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tor George Wunderlich, who will tell you such tales that you’ll want to stay all day and listen to him. Before leaving Frederick, call in at the just opened Visitors’ Center, housed in a refurbished canning warehouse. There will be plenty to keep you there, but if nothing else take in the 15 minute movie about the Civil War. In two-minute vignettes, it explores how society, the community, families, education, industry, government, every aspect of everyday life, was turned upside down here in the heartland of the war. After that you’ll be ready for one of the most important but under-headlined sites, four miles south: Monocacy. Here on July 9, 1864, the Confederates were victors in a battle they did not expect to ﬁght, and because of that Washington was saved. They were moving quietly but quickly towards the capital when their movement was spotted by agents of the B & O Railroad. An alert was telegraphed to the Union commander in Baltimore who swiftly organized a small ﬁght-

BALTIMORE: Upper Deck Bar & Grill is the sort of “dive” diner that most cities have lost. The crab soup belies the grotty look of the place. ELLICOTT CITY: Tersiguel’s, in a Civil War-era home, is a delightful French restaurant operated by a French family.

MIDDLETOWN: (16 miles from Antietam) The Main Cup, in an early 1700s property, has reformed the once rundown main street, because the food and ambience are perfecto.

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92 ★ HillRag | May 2011

The Maryland Civil War Trail has plenty hotels, motels, B&Bs. As for eating, there are some special spots.

BOONSBORO: (10 miles from Antietam) Old South Mountain Inn dates back to 1732 and was used as a hospital during the Civil War. Now it serves outstanding food, in paneled rooms crammed with historic memorabilia.

LUNCH SPECIAL: MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 11:30 am - 2:00 pm Buy One Entrée Receive Second at 1/2 price (limit up to 4)

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FREDERICK: Brewer’s Alley, a brew-pub in the heart of downtown, housed in a 1765 building that has a fascinating Civil War history.

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This is believed to be the only surviving medical tent that “served” on Civil War battle-fields. It’s on display at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick. Photo: Maggie Hall.

This bullet-ripped jacket worn by Confederate Major Richard Snowden Andrews, is one of the gut-wrenching exhibits on display in Baltimore. Photo: courtesy of Maryland Historical Society/David Colwell.

ELKRIDGE: (40 miles from DC) The Elkridge Furnace Inn, for an elegant “rest stop”, at the beginning, or the end of the trip. A tavern since 1744, it’s a superb example of the finest Colonial architecture and decor-touches - and serves food to match, including Civil War-era inspired dishes.

capitalcommunitynews.com â˜… 93

94 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Health & Fitness LifeBliss Solutions A Unique Approach to Getting Fit, Losing Weight and Having Fun by Pattie Cinelli

ave you found it impossible to stay on a diet? Are you paying for a gym membership you don’t use? Do you feel uncomfortable in big exercise classes? Do you not like certain parts of your body? Do you want to feel and look better? Lisa Branscomb, owner of LifeBliss Solutions, offers a unique approach to getting and staying healthy. Through movement, eating goodtasting food that’s nutritionally dense, and learning to feel better about yourself, Lisa helps clients keep unwanted weight off while having fun. “It’s not boot camp, there’s no diet and no sacrifice is necessary to get to where you want to be. Since I love food, it’s a part of me and it’s a part of what I do.” Lisa will help you “discover new ways to manage stress, look better, maintain your healthiest weight and, most important, enjoy life. Live like a luscious goddess of health, beauty and abundance while having fun with movement, sensuous nutrition, creative art and spiritual exploration.” Sound a little out of the ordinary? Her program is, and she is. Lisa, who is a mother of a 12-year-old, a wife, a mosaic artist and a lawyer with a day job, holds classes and private sessions in her home near Congressional Cemetery. She describes herself as a free spirit who has been, “obsessed with sparkly costumes, exotic eye makeup and meditative movement in the form of belly dance performance and instruction for more than 16 years.” Lisa is also a certified wellness coach, but says her coaching style is different from traditional coaches. “My

clients and I have a relaxed relationship. We sit together and have tea as two friends would do and share ideas.” Lisa’s belly dance expertise comes from years of study and performance (eight years dancing at Marrakesh restaurant). She started out with classical Egyptian style then experimented with Turkish and Persian belly dance styles and later Bollywood. Then she spent a

few years studying modern (not belly) dance. “I was having fun with technique and flow and different rhythms. After 13 or 14 years of belly dance, I wanted to go deeper than the mechanical, into the emotional and the spiritual.” She discovered Kundalini Tantra during her quest to become more sensual and deeply expressive in her dance form. She journeyed further into and became certified to teach Kundalini Tantra, which focuses on sensuality and the subtle energies inside and around our bodies, which she describes as being the cornerstone of her lifestyle and practice. The movement she teaches awakens a client’s sensuality, which she describes as key to improving health. “Sensuality is not about burning calories trying new sex positions. Sensual awareness positively affects health by greatly reducing stress, generating more physical and mental energy from within, and creating an easy and foolproof method of weight control. Sensuality involves daily practices in which attention is focused on passion, creativity, enjoyment, and sensual perception in order to become and remain deeply connected with life.” In fact, one of Lisa’s clients remarked that she never saw herself as beautiful until she started doing the arm work that’s a part of belly dancing. She said it transformed her feeling about herself. In addition to belly dance classes, Lisa offers yoga classes taught by a different instructor at her home. She says they are a gentle “vinyasa” (flow) that accommodate students. Class sizes are small, no experience is necessary and capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 95

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new sessions are beginning this month. Her “If it doesn’t taste good or doesn’t feel good why bother?” approach to fitness and wellness coaching she says is for people who have decided to live a more healthy lifestyle and are not 100 percent sure how to do it. They also may be tired of ways that didn’t work and want to try something new. “I don’t think of movement as exercise. What I teach is not strenuous and doesn’t hurt.” Lisa believes that things that are good for us don’t need to be unnecessarily unpleasant. “I never bought into the idea that if you want to lose weight and feel fantastic the only choice is to eat tasteless food and run grueling marathons. What if you are one of us lifestyle moderates who are willing to make positive lifestyle changes that actually bring more pleasure than pain?” Her goal is improving a client’s self-confidence and body image, not weight loss. That comes with feeling better about youself. To register for classes, find recipes and learn more about Lisa’s programs log onto: www. lifeblisssolutions.com. Pattie Cinelli is a personal trainer, yoga and Pilates teacher who has been bringing fitness to people in their homes, offices and gyms for 25 years. If you have comments, questions or story ideas please email her at: fitness@pattiecinelli.com. ★

e face so many difficult issues in our community - unemployment, poverty, shrinking budgetary resources - and the idea of extending kindness to one another may seem like a luxury that might be offered after these problems have been addressed - rather than an essential component of our progress. In fact, collaboration, generosity and kindness may hold the key to our ability to solve our problems. Consider this comment by Albert Einstein, “A human being is part of the whole called by us the universe, a part limited in time and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. The true value of a human being is determined by the measure and the sense in which they have obtained liberation from the self. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive.” In the book, “Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life” by Dacher Keltner, director of the Berkeley Social Interaction Laboratory, the author points out that science is now able to empirically show that we are actually happier when we are compassionate -- when we bring out the good in others and in

ourselves. Here are some examples that have been empirically measured: • Devoting resources to others, rather than indulging in materialistic desire, brings about lasting wellbeing. • When we inspire others we improve our sense of connection to people and our sense of purpose. • Talking about what we are grateful for boosts our happiness, social wellbeing and health. • Laughing and playing in the face of trauma gives the person perspective upon life’s inevitable difficulties and improves resilience and adjustment. • Meditating on a compassionate approach to others shifts resting brain activation to the left hemisphere of the brain -- a region associated with happiness -and boosts immune functions. Current research (published by political scientist James Fowler of the University of California and medical sociologist Nicholas Christakis of Harvard University in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) also shows that generosity is actually contagious. A single act of kindness by one person can influence dozens or more people to act with generosity. So, goodness spurs goodness. When one person chooses to act with generosity it can be empirically shown that others will follow. Dacher Keltner’s book also demonstrated that even Darwin, with his principle of the “survival of the fittest” believed that we are a profound-

ly social and caring species. He wrote that our tendencies toward sympathy are both instinctual and evolved and even stronger than the instinct for self-preservation. Developing and expanding these caring qualities is the very task that Einstein called for when he wrote that we must widen our circle of compassion. Dacher Keltner writes that he is optimistic about our future. Here are some examples he points to: medical doctors are now receiving training in the tools of compassion -- empathetic listening, warm touch -- that are likely to improve basic health outcomes; teachers now regularly teach the tools of empathy and respect; executives are learning the wisdom of emotional intelligence -- respect, building trust -- and that there is more to a company’s thriving than just proﬁt or the bottom line; and prisons and juvenile detention centers are now teaching meditation to prisoners. If the future survival of humanity calls for us to be to be kinder to ourselves and others, how might we bring this into our everyday lives? Taking on a daily practice that extends a small kindness to others could be one approach. Recent research has shown that performing ﬁve acts of kindness each day produces a demonstrable increase in the level of our happiness. It also can change the way our day is spent because we actually begin to look for opportunities to be kind. Can you imagine a world in which each one of us is looking for opportunities to be kind to others every day? That would be a “new manner of thinking” that Einstein meant, wouldn’t it? Ronda Bresnick Hauss is a licensed clinical social worker and the founder of the Quiet Waters Center for Trauma, Stress and Resilience, on Capitol Hill. She uses an integrative & holistic approach to psychotherapy – addressing the connection between the mind, body and spirit through the use of traditional talk therapy, meditation, visualization, and creative, non-verbal techniques. She can be reached at: 202-5445050 and is on the web at: HYPERLINK “http://www.quietwaterscenter.com ★

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Oh, the Places We’ll Go Five Neighborhood Destinations to Explore with Your Dog this Spring article by Jackie Cook and photos by Andrew Lightman

t’s impossible to walk down the streets of Capitol Hill without being reminded how many of our residents have canine family members. Dog walking is a necessity of course—our pups need exercise and opportunities to relieve themselves, but it’s also a great way to spend quality time with our furry friends and include them in as many of our outdoor activities as we can. Looking for ideas? These suggestions are perfect for the warmer days ahead, are also suitable for kids, and can be a great way to entertain out of town visitors without spending money or hitting a single museum. • Kingman & Heritage Island – This beautiful park is nestled right behind the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail with an entrance at RFK stadium parking lot 6, and is open all year round between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Leashed dogs can join you on all the hiking trails where you might be lucky enough to see the abundance of birds, beavers and other local wildlife that call this area home. There are terriﬁc water views throughout the walk so if you have a propensity for photography you will not want to forget your camera. • The National Arboretum – Another gem that reminds us we don’t need to venture to NW DC for a rich cultural experience. This large, federally funded arboretum is bordered by Bladensburg Road and New York Avenue with an entrance on R Street NE. There are many exhibits to enjoy including a state tree collection, a national herb display and bonsai gardens. Most of the trails are relatively ﬂat and paved which 98 ★ HillRag | May 2011

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makes getting around easy, and because of the access to both sun and shade this is a pleasant excursion in all types of weather. Leashed dogs are welcome to come along whether you are going for a scenic jog or just a more leisurely stroll. Neighborhood Parks – We are fortunate to have a lot of green space on the Hill, and some of the more popular gathering places are the neighborhood parks. Socialize with neighbors while your dogs do the same at Lin-

coln Park (East Capitol Street between 11th & 13th Streets), Stanton Park (C Street NE between 4th & 6th Streets), Marion Park (E Street SE between 4th & 6th Streets) and Garﬁeld Park (South Carolina Avenue between 1st & 3rd Streets SE just north

•

of I-395). As a bonus, each of these parks have playground areas for kids of diﬀerent ages, and benches to sit down and have lunch or just enjoy people watching. The Farmers Market – Eastern Market (7th Street SE between C Street & North Carolina Ave.) has become a DC metro area at-

traction but don’t let the crowds stop you from making a trip here part of your weekend ritual. Leash up the pooch and enjoying browsing all the vendor booths which include seasonal produce, homemade foods, a wide variety of original arts and crafts, and a ﬂea market that includes everything from furniture to vintage

.FUSP .VUUT

•

posters. The FRESHFARM Market (625 H Street NE) is a small but fantastic farmers market that is open on Saturdays 9am-12pm from May through November. In addition to locally grown fruits and vegetables, you will also find fresh dairy (including homemade ice cream!), meat, flowers and baked goods. A Night at the Movies – You don’t normally think about bringing your dog along for a movie night, but on the Hill there are a few good options for this. During the spring and summer season we have two different groups that feature weekly films all of a similar theme (think 80’s, sci-fi, classics etc.). The first is put on by the NoMa BID and is located on L Street NE between 2nd and 3rd Streets, and the second is put on by the Riverfront BID and is held at 200 M Street SE. Both have live music and food vendors, although many people choose to pack a cooler (don’t forget water and treats for Fido). For those who love the idea of dogs and film together, but don’t want to be caught in a thunderstorm or pack bug spray, Metro Mutts will be holding movie nights in conjunction with Yappy Hours starting in summer 2011. These fun social events will be held in the Spot on Training Studio (508 H Street NE lower level) and will include light refreshments for both human and canine participants. Have a particular movie you’d love to see on the big screen? Let the staff know by emailing info@metromuttsdc.com.

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capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 99

100 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Kids & Family notebook Ann Cameron Siegal, courtesy of Capital City Dragons

Join the Capital City Dragons Washington Yu Ying PCS Has Youth Team Purchased 220 Taylor NE The Capital City Dragons youth dragon boat team for teens is looking for new members for the 2011 season. Youth will learn to paddle a dragon boat, meet new people, get a great workout, and have fun. No experience is required. The 2011 youth membership fee is $60 but you can attend as many practices as you need to see if you like the sport and want to join the team. The fees go toward sustaining NCAWPA as a non-proﬁt organization, covering paddler insurance costs, and maintaining boating and boathouse equipment. Practice started in Apil. and will continue every Sunday, 10:0011:30 AM. Practices will run once a week until it’s too cold to paddle (usually around October), at the Anacostia Community Boathouse, 1900 M St. SE. Contact Sharon Hong at youth@ncawpa.org. capitalcitydragons.org

This site including a beautiful 1902 brick building set on three acres will be Yu Ying’s permanent home. They will open the 2011-12 school year here on Sept. 6. Work has already begun on the site. Charter Schools Development Corporation (CSDC) is the developer. Eichberg Construction is the General Contractor. Russell Sears is the Architect. Financing is being provided by EagleBank, CSDC, and the Oﬃce of the State Superintendent (OSSE). The District Government will be providing Industrial Revenue Bonds. On June 11, they will be holding their Dragon Festival Gala and Auction on the new site. The Parent Association Gala Committee focus is fundraising for the new playground. 202-6351950. washingtonyuying.org

Five-Day Voices of Now Festival at Arena Stage Arena Stage announces the

performances of 10 youth ensembles from the Voices of Now Community Engagement program in the inaugural ﬁve-day Voices of Now Festival. The festival will bring together more than 100 local artists from ages 11-21 who live in DC, Maryland and Virginia and have been participating in workshops and rehearsals focused on movement, vocal expression, creativity and team work for the past eight months. Over this time the 10 ensemble groups have created original plays to be performed in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle on May 25-29. “Voices of Now explores themes that are critical to its participants, and through transforming those issues into art they gain mastery over their experiences,” says Director of Community Engagement Anita Maynard-Losh. “This is important for all young people but particularly with groups who are moving through life challenges. For example, in our partnership

Capitol Hill Brownie Troop 4935 delivered several cases of Girl Scout cookies to the 1st District Police Substation on E Street, SE. The troop selected the police officers as recipients of cookies collected through the Girl Scout Gift of Caring – Neighborhood Heroes program. Brownies from left to right: Kiamsha Tate, Mary Jane Schmidt, Mary Kozeny, Piper O’Donnell, Aman Aine Porter, Perrin Brady, Maisie Arlotto, Julia Buzacott, Chloe Pine, Emma Morris. Photo: Angie Schmidt. Troop Leader capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 101

kidsfamily notebook with CFSA [Child and Family Services Agency] we are working with youth who are aging out of foster care, and with Capital Hospice our ensemble is comprised of young people who have recently experienced the loss of a parent.” Tickets for the Voices of Now Festival are free, though reservations are required through the Arena Stage Sales Oﬃce at 202-488-3300. arenastage.org

Opening Day for Capitol Hill Little League Capitol Hill Little League launched its inaugural season on Apr. 1 with an opening day celebration that featured a game between the AAA Senators and Phillies. Pre-game festivities included the traditional singing of the National Anthem, a ceremonial first pitch thrown by long-time Hill baseball organizer John Parker, words by Councilmember Tommy Wells and a special appearance by Screech, the Nationals’ mascot. The new CHLL kicks off its first season with 200 kids playing on 13 teams organized into five divisions that include baseball and softball. More information on the league, along with team schedules, is available at capitolhilllittleleague.org.

Capitol Hill Day School Spring Admission Tours Capitol Hill Day School is oﬀering tours to families interested in the 2012-2013 academic school year. This

Courtesy of Capitol Hill Little League 102 ★ HillRag | May 2011

is an opportunity to see their historic building prior to the start of renovations in June when they move to their temporary location at Fifth and K sts. SE. Small group tours will be held every Tuesday and Thursday morning throughout May and the ﬁrst two weeks of June. In addition to having 25 spaces available for pre-k, they anticipate limited openings in Kindergarten through grade 7. Call the admission oﬃce at 202-386-9920 to arrange for an appointment to tour the School. To learn more, visit chds.org.

R Street Speaks On H Street The Theater Alliance is partnering with the Duke Ellington School of the Arts to present a monthly premier showcase of Ellington students as part of the Hothouse on H series. Titled “R Street Speaks on H Street” this new series will provide a platform for young artists to share their work and engage with other students. The students are responsible for curating each month’s line up, including performances ranging from live painting, to jazz, dance, and vocal talents. Under the advisement of instructors, the students are charged with responsibilities from being producers and artistic directors to operations and marketing. R Street Speaks acts as a major learning experience to their development as arts administrators and valuable community members. Created and produced by Literary Media and Communications students at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, R Street Speaks is a platform for young creators in the Metropolitan area. The eﬀort provides an environment for youth to share their work and engage with others interested in the arts. This show is an opportunity for high school students around the city to hone their crafts, encourage their peers, and display their gifts. R Street Speaks premiered on Apr. 12. R Street Speaks aﬀects the climate of Washington’s youth culture for the better. It provides a positive, social outlet for young people to gather and discuss the issues they face. Through art they are able to speak truth to power, and change the dynamic of their city. Young people have a voice, and R Street Speaks is the avenue to have it heard. On the second

tuesday of every month at the H Street Playhouse. rstspeaks.eventbrite.com

Maury Cub Scout Pack 3838 Pancake Breakfast On May 21, 8:00-11:00 AM, the Maury Cub Scout Pack 3838 is holding its ﬁrst pancake breakfast at Maury Elementary on the corner of 13th St. and Constitution Ave. NE. They’ll serve pancakes (incl. GF upon request) and Shelton’s turkey sausage. Top your pancakes with syrup, fruit compotes, chocolate sauce, etc. Enjoy Starbucks coﬀee, juice and fun with your neighbors! Tickets are $10 per adult and $5 per child (children under 3 are free). Please secure your tickets in advance by email at maury_cubs@ yahoo.com. Tickets will also be on sale from 8:15-9:00 AM during the week before the event. If anyone is interested in volunteering with this pack in the fall, also email maury_cubs@yahoo. com. There will also be opportunities to register Cub Scouts for the fall and to volunteer as Den leaders and other supportive adults.

DC United Kids’ Day at RFK Saturday, May 7, 6:00 PM. DC United vs FC Dallas, 7:30 PM, kickoﬀ. Join DC United for a series of special matchday events created exclusively for their younger fans. The day features Kids’ Day Passports (The ﬁrst 500 kids that bring their completed Kids’ Day Passports to the prize table will receive a special goody bag.); video game truck; DC United tattoos; Train Like the Pros activity station; speed kick; bean bag toss; meet local mascots--DC United’s Talon, The Nationals’ Screech, Georgetown’s Jack the Bulldog, and the GEICO Gecko. dcunited.com

Friends of Northeast Library Annual Book Sale Buy a book or donate a book at the annual spring used book sale on May 14, 10:30 AM-2:30 PM. The money raised by the sale goes towards programming at the branch. Also on May 14, the winners of the ﬁrst annual Friends of the Northeast Library Student Book Review Contest will be announced. Children ages 5-10 from

across the Hill entered their book reviews in the contest. All of the contestants will get a prize. 330 Seventh St. NE. 202-698-3320. dclibrary.org/ north

US Botanic Garden Children’s Garden Opens for the Season The arrival of warm weather and spring blooms brings out the kid in all of us, and there’s no better place for kids and their parents than the United States Botanic Garden. Come and explore the outdoor Children’s Garden in the US Botanic Garden Conservatory where kids can grow their imaginations while checking out a variety of colorful garden plants. The Children’s Garden, which opened for the season in Apr., gives kids a chance to get hands-on in a garden where they can explore and play with gardening tools and watering cans. When young children use their imaginations to relate to their surroundings, there is evidence that they are also developing a life-long aﬀection for the natural world. Kids are invited to see what’s in bloom and to gently touch and smell the plants in the Children’s Garden. Watch your kids relax, discover and reawaken their sense of curiosity! 202-225-8333. usbg.gov

Citywide Student Art Exhibition at Reagan Airport This exhibition showcases an array of student artistic achievement in the District of Columbia. Many schools have participated and hundreds of artworks are on display. The exhibition is located in Terminal B, in several sections next to the baggage claim area. It is on display through May 30.

DC Youth Orchestra Program Scholarships Available to DC students A generous donation has been made by an anonymous benefactor to the DC Youth Orchestra Program and music education for the youth of the District. This donation will allow the program to provide at least 60 scholarships for students wishing to attend Summer Camp at DCYOP. Scholarships through this contribution are available for the 2011 Summer Camp only. Scholarships will be awarded un-

til the funds are exhausted and on a ﬁrst-come-ﬁrst-served basis. Additional information about the scholarships is available at 202-698-0123 or info@dcyop.org. dcyop.org

Kids World Cinema Children’s Film Festival in DC The goal of this festival is to introduce international children’s films to Washingtonians and compare significant cross-cultural differences in this genre. The festival targets six to thirteen-year-olds, and will showcase a diverse selection of the most significant international productions for young audiences. May 13-22, ten international organizations will offer screenings followed by children’s workshops and discussions addressing the films’ cultural contexts. Each projection will take place at a separate cultural venue which will be paired with a specific country to expose its audience to different children’s films from around the world. The DC International Children’s Film Festival also aims to spark an artistic awakening in children through the discovery of quality foreign films, classic or current. Free admission for all venues. For more information call 202-234-7911 or visit francedc.org to see the complete program of the screenings.

Boy Scout Troop 380 and Summer Camp St. Peter’s Troop 380, for ﬁfth grade and higher, provides leadership and character development for boys of all faiths and backgrounds on Capitol Hill and beyond. They meet Wednesdays, 7:00-8:30 PM, and have monthly outings that include camping, hiking, rafting, rock climbing, and skiing. Troop 380 will go to summer camp at Goshen Scout Reservation in southwestern Virginia, June 25-July 2. A week of room and board and outdoor fun costs $290 (by April 29) or $330 (by June 3). For more information, contact Hank Brothers, Scoutmaster at 202-457-7081 (ofc) or hank. brothers@hklaw.com. ★

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kidsfamily

Set Sail on CHAW’s Island Arts Adventure Camps by Megan Cheek

he days are warmer and parents are buzzing about summer camp! And the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) remains a popular pick for parents in the DC-metro area who want their kids to experience a comprehensive array of arts at a place that’s been doing it for almost 40 years. This summer CHAW presents its Island Arts Adventure Camps from June 20 to August 12, 2011. Each twoweek camp will focus on the arts and culture of a particular island including Indonesia, Crete, Canary Islands, and Hawaii. Students ages ﬁve to thirteen will “travel the world to create wayang kulit (shadow puppets) of Central Java, sculpt ancient Minoan pottery, recreate and celebrate Carnival Spanish style, learn to Hula, and still make it home in time for dinner,” says Amy Moore, CHAW’s Director of Education and Programs. CHAW has always fused the visual and performing arts during its summer camps, giving campers experience in the various visual arts, ceramics, photography, music, movement, theater, and more. Since, 2003, CHAW has speciﬁcally focused their

camps on geographic countries, cities, regions, and areas to explore the arts of the selected place and its people. “Choosing particular geographic areas provides an outlet for CHAW to offer an in-depth artistic perspective of each place,” says Moore. “CHAW uses a holistic approach to studying the culture and people of each island. We also take advantage of the cultural diversity and resources of our city to provide a well–rounded arts and culture camp.” Carolina Mayorga, a teaching artist who has been working with CHAW’s camps for six summers, says that she enjoys traveling around the world and learning about other cultures through the arts. “I also like the program itself which allows me as a teaching artist to introduce the kids to many different visual art concepts that I deal with in my own artistic practice,” Mayorga says. Campers spend each morning (9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.) rotating through various arts classes, learning about the particular island assigned to that camp. CHAW also brings in speakers and performers connected to the islands to further educate campers. For a full-day experience, CHAW hosts CHAW’s 2011 Island Arts Adventure afternoon specialty and Specialty Camps camps from 1:30 p.m. Session I: June 20 - July 1, 2011 to 5:00/5:30 p.m.. Each Morning Indonesia camp session includes a Afternoon Recreation, Musical Theater, Recreation Camp option and Photography Camps where students enjoy Session II: July 5 – 15, 2011 (no camp on July 4) trips to the swimming Morning Crete pool, parks, museums, Afternoon Recreation and Rock & Roll Camps local attractions, and more. Additional afterSession III: July 18 - July 29, 2011 noon Specialty Camps Morning Canary Islands Afternoon Recreation, Ceramics, and (age requirements vary) Musical Theater Camps take a more in-depth look at artistic mediums Session IV: August 1 – 12, 2011 and include two different Morning Hawaii Musical Theater Camps, Afternoon Recreation and Visual Arts Camps

104 ★ HillRag | May 2011

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: Campers from CHAW’s 2010 Summer Arts Adventure Camp. Photo: Bruce McKaig Future rock stars at CHAW’s 2010 Rock n’ Roll Camp. Photo: Megan Cheek Campers participate in Musical Theater Camp’s Thoroughly Modern Millie. Photo: Geoff Ault

Photography Camp, Rock n’ Roll Camp (full), Ceramics Camp (full), and Visual Arts Camp (full). CHAW also hosts two oneweek Jr. Arts Adventure Camps for students ages four to five years the weeks of July 22 and July 29, 2011. From 2:00-5:00 p.m. every day, campers will engage in hands-on activities in music, creative movement, visual arts, and drama to learn about islands and oceans. Each camp ends with an Artist Showcase, highlighting campers’ artwork and performances from the weeks before. Specialty Camps also end with a final showcase. Registration is ongoing. Tuition assistance and payment plans are available. For students ages 13 to 17 years who want to gain valuable leadership training, CHAW offers a Counselor-in-Training program. For more information, please visit www.chaw.org or call 202-547-6839. ★ capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 105

kidsfamily

PLAY BALL Capitol Hill Little League Takes Up the Bat by Heather Schoell includes parents and Sports on the Hill President Larry Kaufer. “We will always have a place on the board for Sports on the Hill,” said Shapiro. It is important to note that CHLL is not at odds with SOTH. SOTH has long provided skills-based baseball training, and was the gateway for Hill families’ participation in citywide competitive baseball. As Larry Kaufer explained, “John Parker oversaw the baseball component of youth sports on Capitol Hill. He wanted to step back at the same time that Seth wanted to step up. Seth took it in a diﬀerent direction with Little League, and has gotten more parents apitol Hill has a long love and coaches who have decided to put in their time.” of baseball. DC entered Kaufer likened it to Tennis on the Hill, which sucthe National League in Phyllis Jane Young, John Parker and cessfully grew through SOTH and now stands as its 1885. We had the Senators and the Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells. own program. All photos courtesy CHLL Homestead Grays. We’ve got the “CHLL is about learning the sport, plus honWashington Senators girls’ fastesty and respect for the game, and playing by League pitch team, the Washington Narules,” Shapiro explained. “We’re all providing sports.” tionals, and now we have the major league players of tomorrow, the Capitol Hill Little League! And the crowd roars!

Travel Time

A New Era Kids’ Spring Competitive Baseball has been around for years, and many families on Capitol Hill have participated in the citywide programs, but this spring opened with the launch of Capitol Hill Little League (CHLL). CHLL has just started, and registration is already ﬁlled. “We’ve gone from 60 kids to over 200 kids – two teams to six teams,” said Seth Shapiro, CHLL president, who we also know as the owner of Marvelous Market. There are six teams of kids ages 7 and 8, ﬁve teams of AAA (9 to 11), one Majors team (11 to 12), and a softball Majors team. Shapiro attributes the quick success of CHLL to a couple of things. Being under the brand name of “Little League” was an advantage – people can identify with the Little League name, and know what they’re about. Being accessible online worked successfully. “We’ve found many volunteers for coaches, marketing, and some young guys found us online and want to get involved because they love baseball.” Being an actual organization was a big step toward growth. They’ve got a board that 106 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Seth Shapiro, CHLL President and Paul Legere, coach and AA Commissioner

A clear, highly valuable result of having Little League on Capitol Hill is the distinct lack of travel time. There are enough Hill teams to play each other, softball excluded. Mary Ann Manley, who herself played competitive softball for years, does not miss the travel time in driving her 10-year-old son Joseph to games all over the city. “Having everything on the Hill has been great,” she said, remembering the times she’d have to drive to Georgetown during evening rush hour, and having the game called for rain by time they were almost there. The challenge to playing on the Hill is the lack of available ﬁelds. Currently CHLL is using ﬁelds at Tyler, Payne, and Ludlow-Taylor elementary schools, and these must be shared with soccer teams, football practices, and the community.

Fair is Fair Manley serves on the General Advisory Board as Player Agent and Secretary. Her role as agent is to “make sure the kids’ best interest is represented – dividing up teams evenly, honoring scheduling requests, and addressing parents’ concerns. “We held Workout Days to assess skills so that teams are evenly matched,” Manley said. “I think we did a good job because all of the games have been pretty close.” Little League is competitive, but these Workout Days are not to see if a child makes the cut – everyone gets on the AAA team. Kids who don’t quite make the Majors are guaranteed a spot in AAA. The AA Division teaches skills; hitting from a machine pitch, ﬁelding, and learning the rules of the game.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY from The AAA Division is kid-pitched, and skills are honed. The Majors are serious business, tryouts to make the team, with games umpired by certiﬁed umpires. All 12-year-olds make the Majors; under 12 must try out. Little League is co-ed. Girls have their choice of baseball or softball. Currently, Emily Woodhull is the only girl who opted for AAA Division baseball.

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Softball Matters “We can grow softball,” said Shapiro. “I’d like to get to a point where we’re playing softball on the Hill.” Currently CHLL oﬀers Softball Majors, which is for 9 to 12year-old girls. As there is only one team, they play teams from around the city. Jennifer Parenti, who has only missed four softball seasons since she started playing at 7 years old (you can’t play pregnant!), is CHLL’s Softball Commissioner, and is working closely with Kaufer and Shapiro to grow and hone Hill girls’ softball skills in SOTH softball clinics, so that the girls matriculate to the Majors at 9, and then maybe go on to the Senators, the Hill’s nationally-ranked softball team. The SOTH clinic has grown in the past couple of years to the point that they can split the clinic into two age groups (8 and under from 3-4:30 p.m. and 9 and up from 4-6 p.m.). This summer, the clinics will begin meeting on Sundays in July (not on the holiday weekend), take Aug. oﬀ, and then return for Sept. and Oct. (excluding Labor Day and Columbus Day weekends). “The vision is to groom the girls while they’re young,” said Parenti, “so as they grow, so will the program.” CHLL’s softball team can then expand to more than one team, and include an AAA Division. Get your boys and girls ready to play ball! CHLL Fall registration begins Aug. 1; look for information by July 1 at www.capitolhilllittleleague.org. Heather Schoell is a regular contributor to Capital Community News, and can be reached at hschoell@verizon.net. ★

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school notes

utes from the Hill. Limited spaces are still available for fall 2011. For more information, please contact E.V. Downey, Director of Admissions, at admissions@saintanselms. org. 4501 South Dakota Avenue, NE, 202-269-2379

Compiled by Susan Braun Johnson

Tyler Elementary News Tyler’s Triumph Over Elements

other projects to provide a structured and healthy learning environment for students. Special thanks to organizers Pilar Suescum, Freddi Brown, Claire Wilson and Mary Ann Brazell as well as the sponsors, parents and students who supported this amazing event. -Ryan Cree and Suzanne Wells, Tyler Elementary, 1001 G Street, SE, http:tylerelementary.net

The forecast was gloomy as clouds darkened the skies above Lincoln Park. But the 82 children who showed up were undaunted. Despite the weather, these fearless athletes took to the starting line for the Second Annual Laps Around Lincoln -- a jog-a-thon geared to promote fitness and healthy lifestyles in children. The intrepid joggers logged an impressive 1023 laps under the gaze of the Abe Lincoln and Mary Macleod Bethune statues. Kindergartner Amina Ford took the lead with an impressive 35 laps by refusing to stop in the first heat. Greta Berglund (PK) followed with 26 laps and Gabriela Suescum (PK) and Brady Briggs (K) tied for 3rd Runners take their mark in Tyler Elementary’s place with 24 laps each. But in the Second Annual Laps Around Lincoln. end, everyone went home a winner -- and avoided the rain that held off until the end. “It is so satisfying to see the children’s joy in this event,” said lead or- Community Service Program ganizer Pilar Suescum. “I heard several kids just blurt out ‘I love to run!’ Pays Off Capitol Hill resident Colin Stas they discover how fun jogging can rylowski is getting ready to put away be.” his winter clothes and pack his shorts In all Laps Around Lincoln raised to head off for a stint in Fiji with the nearly $5,000 to support programs Peace Corps. While in Fiji, Colin at Tyler Elementary School such will be working as a health promoter, as Playworks, Dance for Peace and

St. Anselm’s News

108 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Maury Elementary News Maury at the Market raises $35,000

St. Anselm’s Strylowski family hiking in the Swiss Alps

providing health education, environmental health awareness, and life skills training for youth. He is following in his father’s footsteps; the senior Mr. Strylowski served in the Peace Corps in Brazil. Colin is a 2010 graduate of the College of Wooster with a BA in Philosophy and a 2006 graduate of St. Anselm’s Abbey School in NE Washington. Colin learned about the value of community service during his years at St. Anselm’s where he participated in the school-wide community service program. Juniors and Seniors at the school spend every Tuesday morning serving their community, working in local schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and soup kitchens. St. Anselm’s Abbey School is an independent Roman Catholic day school for academically gifted boys in grades 6-12. St. Anselm’s is located on a quiet 43-acre campus in the North Michigan Park neighborhood of NE Washington, about 15 min-

In March Maury hosted their annual fundraising gala, Maury at the Market. More than 200 attendees bid on 180 items, including: an estate plan, Home Run baseball camp, dinner for 8 from Toscana Cafe, jewelry, a session with a personal trainer, housecleaning, home maintenance packages, children’s toys, restaurant gift certiﬁcates, a stay at the W Hotel, West Virginia cabin getaways, outings with Maury teachers and a pool party for four families at the Principal Albert-Garvey’s house! The event garnered $35,000 for the school, up $7,000 from last year’s total. The reception was catered by Chef Jessica Lowther, and drinks were generously donated by Schneider’s of Capitol Hill.

Maury receives ANC grant Maury PTA received a grant of $1767 from ANC 6A for 3 ELMO projectors for the school. An ELMO projector is a document camera and projection system that teachers can use to illustrate lessons more easilythey can “write” in the books, underlining and highlighting important points without marking on the materials themselves. Maury had previously received a grant from Target to purchase their ﬁrst ELMO, and with

Maury parents vie to outbid each other during the live auction. Photo: Dan Glucksman

the help of the ANC, is able to purchase three more for the school.

Upcoming Events May 21: Maury Cub Scout Pancake Breakfast: 8:00 am-11am, Maury Multi-Purpose Room. Contact maury_cubs@yahoo.com for tickets; adults $10, kids $5, under 3 are free! - Tara Givens. www.mauryelementary.com; 202-698-3838, 1250 Constitution Ave., NE.

St. Peter School News Students Excel at St. Peter School! Congratulations to seventh grader Zach Denton for ﬁnishing third in the National Geographic Geography Bee and ﬁfth grader Adisa Buchanan for taking third place at the DC Science and Engineering Fair. Zach competed against 26 of DC’s

top geography students and correctly answered questions in topic areas including satellite imagery, U.S. national parks, famous landmarks and world geographic features. Adisa took third place in the elementary Physical Science division, with his “Electrolyte Challenge” project. Hats oﬀ to the other school participants: Fiona Campbell, Shu Yu Oﬀner, Nathaniel Rutledge, Celia Herdic, Sally Harris Porter, Mara Herdic, and Zach Denton.

Art Goes Cross-Curricular with Latin and Religion As part of the middle school study of art, religion and Latin, students are examining The Medieval Manuscript and The Illuminated Letter. Students are preparing egg tempera, the medium used during the medieval period in Europe before the innovation of oil paint.

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kidsfamily school notes Preparation of the tempera comes from three sources: the pierced yolk of an egg, the liquid “medium” left from beaten egg whites and from ﬁsh glue (bladders). While listening to Gregorian Chants, students will illuminate (imitation gold), illustrate, ornament, decorate and paint the initial letters of the beginning lines (in Latin) of the Lord’s Prayer.

Newbery Club – Gettysburg Adventures This year, forty one St. Peter School students in grades three through six joined the Newbery Club and committed to reading and reporting on three Newbery medal books of their choice; reading and extensively detailing themes and historical references related to the Club’s featured Newbery medal book, The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg; and reading additional material about the Civil War. As part of Club activities, students recreated the 20th Maine Regiment Encampment and met with military historian Colonel Alan Gropman. The charter bus and the “Gettysburg Travelling Trunk” of historical artifacts were made possible by a generous grant from the Capitol Hill Community Foundation.

Save these Dates! Schoolhouse Rock LIVE! – Plan on attending the St. Peter School musical on May 13 or 14 at 7p.m. in the St. Peter’s Church parish hall. This classic, fun performance is perfect for all ages and audiences! Annual School Yard Sale – Don’t miss the tried and true annual yard sale beneﬁtting St. Peter School on May 21 from 9 a.m. to Noon in the St. Peter’s Parish Hall. As always, festivities will include kid’s activities, grilled food and bake sale treats! –Sally Aman. St. Peter School, 422 Third St., SE ,202-544-1618, www. stpeterschooldc.org

Capitol Hill Day School News It’s a ZOO in there! CHDS Kindergarteners are on zoo-fari, studying zoos and animal behavior and habitats. Armed with clipboards, Kindergarteners made two 110 ★ HillRag | May 2011

visits to the National Zoo, observing and recording animals and their enclosures, and talking with zoo volunteers. In the classroom, they read fiction and non-fiction books about animals, and in the process, learned how to identify describing words (adjectives) and action words (verbs). The children strengthened their math skills, using tiles to measure various animal drawings and models, of which the rock python was the longest, the giraffe the tallest, and the elephant had the largest area and girth! Three research groups studied lions, elephants, or orangutans, made drawings, and learned how particular body features – sharp teeth, trunks, long arms and tails – are suited to each animal’s life and survival. Each group shared its findings with the

class through an original book, poster, or model. Then, using blocks, fabric, sticks, stones, logs, shells, and paper, students created model zoo exhibits tailored to each animal’s habitat and behavior. Inevitably, even very young children think about and want to explore big ideas, and CHDS teachers are skilled at listening and engaging students in developmentally appropriate ways. Thus, the Kindergarteners’ zoo exploration led them to ponder the purpose of zoos, the experience of animals in zoos versus in the wild, and the relative merits of safety versus freedom. CHDS Kindergarteners study rich and varied themes, in depth with a “hands-on” approach, with teachers ensuring that all subject areas are covered within an integrated, holistic curriculum. - Jane Angarola; 210 South Carolina Avenue, SE; www.chds.org

Amidon-Bowen Elementary Amidon-Bowen Library Upgraded Through the Target School Library Makeover program in partnership with the Heart of America Foundation®, Amidon-Bowen Elementary is one of the ﬁve public elementary schools in Washington, DC selected to receive a full library makeover. The Target School Library Makeover program helps schools provide better resources to tens of thousands of kids who need it most. A formal announcement of all the selected schools will be made in May 2011. Work is expected

to begin this summer. Founded in 1997, The Heart of America Foundation® is a national nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C. that promotes volunteer service and literacy. Its programs, Books From The Heart® and READesign®, revitalize school libraries and reading spaces into vital and vibrant centers of learning that become the heart of a school. Since 1962, Target has committed 5 per cent of its income to support communities. Today, that totals to more than $3 million in giving every week. Target has also pledged $500 million by the end of 2015 to support education and help kids learn to read. This will be the largest gift in the company’s history, bringing their legacy of giving to education to $1 billion. A significant portion of this giving will fund programs and partnerships that help more U.S. children reach one of the most critical milestones on the path to graduation: reading proficiently by the end of third grade. -Meg Brinckman. 401 Eye St. SW; 202-724-4867.

At-Large Councilmember Biddle Visits Amidon Amidon-Bowen Elementary School recently hosted At-Large Councilmember Sekou Biddle for a tour of the complex. Councilmember Biddle had promised at a Southwest community meeting that he would visit Amidon-Bowen to learn about its potential to once again become a world-class school. Located in Southwest DC, Amidon-Bowen oﬀers grades PK through 5th. 100 per cent of the student body has Free and Reduced Meal (FARM) status. One in four students is performing on grade level. The waterfront area surrounding the school is slated for massive investment and families in Southwest DC want to have the choice to send their children to a neighborhood school. “Strong community support will help Amidon-Bowen provide high quality education to all neighborhood children” said Eve Brooks, Convener of Near SE/SW Parents and Neighbors for Education Ex-

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kidsfamily school notes cellence Now!, SW resident, and children’s policy advocate. “Councilmember Biddle’s visit demonstrates the increasing interest in making radical upgrades to the school program.

J.O. Wilson Elementary News Cherry Blossoms & Community-Building The students at J. O. Wilson Elementary School celebrated the National Cherry Blossom Festival by participating in two exciting activities. Several students participated in the Cherry Blossom Poster Contest, using paint, watercolors, markers and collage to create mixed media posters depicting themselves enjoying the cherry blossoms. Their posters were on display at Union Station from March 22nd - April 17 and Art teacher Mrs. Wyrsch-Ba organized a ﬁeld trip for the students to view their cherry blossom posters on exhibit. Additionally, both 3rd grade classes, along with a few fourth graders, assisted Casey Trees and the Cherry Blossom Festival Committee with the planting of twelve trees in and around the school grounds, including three new cherry trees, sweet

gums, oaks and willows. At the planting, Casey Trees presented a historical overview of Japan’s gift of the cherry trees to the United States, and an arborist taught students about planting and the tools and methods needed to maintain the trees. Upcoming events: May 25-26, spring musical production, Beauty and the Beast Jr. - Samantha Caruth. 660 K St. NE, www.dcps.dc.gov/jowilson, 202698-4733.

River Park Nursery School News The children of River Park Nursery School performed a “Rhyme Time” program, incorporating classic nursery rhymes and handmade crafts into a delightful show for family and friends. Everyone enjoyed a potluck lunch afterwards. River Park operates with 3, 4, or 5-day programs from 9

River Park Nursery School students perform favorite nursery rhymes

Two Rivers PCS students plant trees in partnership with Casey Trees along 4th St. NE

112 ★ HillRag | May 2011

a.m. to 12:45 p.m. from September through May. For more information about RPNS, please visit the school’s website at www.riverparknurseryschool.org or call 202 546-7767. -Suzanne Nelson.

Two River Elementary Two Rivers Students Roll Up Their Sleeves To Spruce Up The Neighborhood On Thursday, March 24, Two Rivers fourth graders joined forces with Casey Trees to plant six trees along 4th Street, NE as part of the students’ study on ecology. This tree planting at Two Rivers is one 47 sites across the District this spring where more than 750 trees will be planted through the Casey Trees Community Tree Planting (CTP) program. Two Rivers is an Expeditionary Learning school, which means students learn through hands-on, project based learning. This event provided an opportunity for the fourth grade students and all Two Rivers students to learn how trees provide a number of environmental, social, communal, and economic beneﬁts. Over 50 students, staﬀ, and parent volunteers participated in the planting of two London Plane, two Sweet Gum, one Swamp White Oak, and one Single Stem River Birch trees.

These trees will not only beautify the neighborhood just south of Florida Avenue, NE with an array of bright colors in the Fall but it also provided a means of instruction and learning to the Two Rivers community. Students were divided into groups to tend to their assigned trees, prepare the area for planting, place the tree, and ﬁll and mulch. The planting day was followed by a Watering Day on Wednesday, March 30 when Casey Trees worked with Elementary and Middle School students to teach them how to help care for the trees and promote their health and development. –Barbra Silva; www.tworiverspcs.org.

Capitol Hill Cluster School Sports at Stuart-Hobson Spring is here and the StuartHobson Middle School track team is practicing—up and down the gym steps, on the blacktop out back, and round and round Stanton Park. A mixture of energy and innovation has made for a successful athletic program at Stuart-Hobson, which hosts tennis, cross-country, tackle football, and volleyball teams in the fall; basketball, skiing, and indoor track in the winter; and track and tennis in the spring. The teams have met with success. This year, the girls’ cross-coun-

Thumbs up for the Stuart-Hobson ‘s varsity boys’ basketball team, after placing third in the city championship. Back row (from left to right): Willard Johnson, Omar Jabbar, Quarvez Boulware, Joshua Grissom, Lamar Jones, Brian Gibson, and Athletic Director and Coach Leonard Booker. Front row (from left to right): Brendon Westray, Daniel Moore, and Andrew Broadus

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try team, girls’ indoor track, the tennis team, and the ski team were #1 in the city; girls’ basketball came in ﬁrst in its division and fourth in the city; boys’ basketball ranked third citywide; and the 5th- and 6thgrade basketball team won the city championship. “We don’t have the best facilities, but we still try to give kids every opportunity,” says Athletic Director and Basketball Coach Leonard Booker, now in his 24th year at StuartHobson. “When I ﬁrst came to Stuart Hobson, we didn’t even have basketball uniforms,” notes Booker. “We’ve come a long way!”

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Watkins Elementary: Renovating Watkins’ Field and Playground “The field is open!” read an email from an excited (and athletic) Watkins Elementary teacher to school parents. “Your children are playing on the beautiful new field as I write!” The playing field behind the school (formerly dirt with a little grass around the edges) is now a state-of-the-art turf field suitable for football, soccer, and baseball and just running around and having fun. As part of the project, the Watkins playground is also being renovated. The new nature-themed playground will include a tree house and playhouse, climbing walls, a saucer-shaped swing designed for several children at once, slides, a bridge, and individual spinning seats. On the ground will be a scale map of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers, useful for geography and math lessons.

Caps Fans at Peabody The Washington Capitals recently donated $1500 to Peabody Early Childhood Center after a photo of the student body dressed in red (the school color as well as the Capitals’ favorite) received the most vote-

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kidsfamily school notes clicks on the Caps website. -Molly Dewsnap Meinhardt and Julie Somers, Capitol Hill Cluster School. www.capitolhillclusterschool. org (Campuses: Peabody Early Childhood Center and School Within a School, 425 C St. NE; Watkins Elementary and Montessori, 420 12th St. SE; Stuart-Hobson Middle School, 410 E St. NE)

Imagine Southeast PSC Imagine Southeast Public Charter School recently invited the community to a ribbon cutting ceremony, where elected oﬃcials, community leaders, parents and students celebrated the transformation and renovation of the Old Congress Heights School. This exceptional facility was revitalized through a public-private partnership and will provide a safe, high-quality learning environment for 500 students in Ward 8. Imagine Southeast Public Charter School is located at 3100 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave in Ward 8 and serves PreK - 5th grade students. The school offers students a culturally-responsive, single-sex educational environment that emphasizes quality academic content, character development, community involvement, and student leadership.

Eliot Hine Middle School News DC-CAS Pep Rally This month students and teachers worked really hard on the DC-CAS! Everyone had a good time at the annual DC-CAS pep-rally and the students did an excellent job! They performed various dance routines, one of the highlights being the Michael Jackson performance by seventh grader, Anthony Herron. The Eliot Hine steppers and cheerleaders put on a great performance and our Eliot Hine/Eastern Band Marching band got everyone moving. The Eliot Hine Science Fair is coming! Dr. Weech, the 114 ★ HillRag | May 2011

seventh and eighth-grade science teacher, and the students are hard at work as they begin their projects. Mrs. Brown, the eighth-grade math teacher started her annual math projects and the eighth-graders are hard at work preparing to present their projects in May. Mr. Hall, the academic resource teacher, took a group of seventy students to visit the America I Am exhibit at the National Geographic Museum. They all enjoyed taking a journey through trials and triumphs while exploring nearly 500 years of African American contributions to the economic, political, cultural, and spiritual development of the United States. It was a very rewarding experience for all. Eliot Hine Middle School is currently accepting applications for the SY11-12 school year. Some remaining seats are still available in sixth, seventh and eighth grade. Come and ﬁll out your enrollment packet today! -mireille Lopez. 1830 Constitution Ave Ne; 202-673-8666.

Brent Elementary News While the 3-5-graders were working hard on their DC-CAS testing, the rest of the students at Brent Museum Magnet Elementary School using the city’s museums, parks, historical, sites, restaurants,

municipal and recreational facilities as their classrooms. Each day all classes from PK-3 through 2-grade went out into the world with destinations ranging from a Zumba class to the Botanic Gardens, Deanwood Pool, the library, and the Frederick Douglass House. Lessons learned in the classroom on subjects such as ecology, history, and nutrition were expanded to real world situations as Kindergarteners learned about healthy cooking and eating at Cosi and a combined group of PK-3 kids and 2-graders learned about ecology and biology at the Zoo. The older students benefited from a quiet testing environment while the younger students got to enjoy our wonderful city and all it has to offer. If you drive by Brent on the D Street side, you might wonder what the new blue object hanging from the fence is. Why, it’s the Woolly School Garden of course! The pockets in the hanging garden are filled with soil and plant seeds. Within about 2 weeks lettuce will be grown and available to use in Brent’s weekly healthy eating chef demonstrations. There is also a new herb garden and new flowers will soon be emerging on the 3rd street side in the rain garden. On behalf of the entire Brent community, thank you everyone who helped support the Taste of the

Hill Gala. Over $90,000 was raised to pay for much needed programs and supplies. A special thank you to all the chefs who donated their time and talents to make it such a special (and delicious) evening! Also to the many local businesses who donated goods and services for the auction. - E.V. Downey, Brent Museum Magnet Elementary School, 301 N. Carolina Avenue, SE, 202-6983363.

Potomac School News Potomac Robotics Teams Win Nationals, Advance to World Championship Two high school robotics teams from The Potomac School in McLean, VA, took first and second place in a dramatic finish at the U.S. National VEX Robotics Championship in Omaha, Nebraska, March 10-12. After competing together for four years, the two teams faced off in the finals. They were tied leading into the final match, but the first-seed team’s robot had broken down. The team called a time-out for repairs, but ran out of time. Their Potomac opponents then did something unprecedented: they gave their own time-out to their opponents so they could complete the repair. It worked. With a fully functioning robot, the first-seed team went on to win the national championship. Both teams went on to compete in the World VEX Robotics Championship in Orlando, Florida, April 14-16. - Jill Lucas The Potomac School is an independent school located 3 miles from Washington, D.C., at 1301 Potomac School Road, McLean, VA 22101. For more information, contact Jill Lucas at 703-873-5539 or jlucas@ potomacschool.org, or visit our website at www.potomacschool.org. ★

Homes & Gardens the hill gardener

The Etiquette of Tree Boxes on Capitol Hill Sometimes it is hard to know what to do article and photographs by Rindy O’Brien

apitol Hill’s streets Hill residents decide not to are lined with linwait for the city to replace den, elm, oak, maple, the missing tree in the tree sweet gum, and other beautibox in front of their houses, ful trees. Most reside in a tree or decide to embellish the box, which is the rectangular box with special fencing and space between the curb and plants. But few people realize the sidewalk. Hill residents there are rules and regulaare fairly good stewards and tions that must be followed, try to keep the boxes and and trying to locate the intrees healthy and tidy lookformation is not so easy. ing. Whether Hill residents A Tale of Good Intentions know it or not, it really is For more than two years, their responsibility, according G Street SE between 10th to DC rules, to keep these and 11th Streets has been tree boxes clean and tidy. The under construction while requirement to maintain the the DC Water and Sewer tree boxes is just like the law Authority (WASA) worked that property owners must on replacing the water lines. clean snow and ice from the Unfortunately, the job residewalks in front of their quired not just tearing up homes in the winter. Resithe streets but also the sidedents are occasionally sent walks. As a result, a number letters saying that if their tree of the trees were removed, boxes are not cleaned up they and the tree boxes damaged. will be served with a fine. WASA promised when the Ironically, the city itself job was finally done that the has had a pretty bad reputacity department responsible tion with residents when it for replacing the trees would comes to tree boxes. While come back and finish restorTree boxes can provide some color to the sidewalk area, but it is the District has gotten a lot ing the street to its previous important to not over-plant the boxes. better over the years at recondition. Neighbors like moving hazardous trees, and Joanne Kim on G Street say dying trees is clouded in mystery, and replanting them with sturdy new ones, that WASA did a good job during this almost every self-proclaimed street there still are a lot of trees that need period of keeping them informed of historian can tell you a story of a tree pruning or removal. Tree boxes can sit each step. marked with the dreaded “x” being empty for six months or longer due to It turns out that the city departleft and a healthy tree mistakenly cut a serious. tree replacement backlog. ment responsible for replacing the down instead. The process for removing dead or trees is a small agency under the D.C. So, it is not surprising that many capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 115

homesgardens of neglect to the canopy of trees. John P. Thomas, the Urban Forestry Administrative Chief Forester, receives about $7.5 million a year for the street tree budget. With those funds, he has to plant and maintain the trees that die of natural causes as well as keep up with the construction projects of other city agencies. The same budget has to cover the cost of paying contractors or students to water existing plants during summers of intense heat and drought.

Neighbors Step In The tree box in front of Joanne Kim’s house sat empty for months after the street was finally repaved. The neighbors were puzzled why they never heard anything more from the city. Tired of waiting for the city to come back, she and her neighbors decided to replace the tree, fix the broken tree box, and add a little color back to the neighborhood. Joanne said, “It really was a community effort, where neighbors came out to help with their shovels, some brought topsoil, others helped dig out the old roots and cement left behind. It is what I love about living on Capitol

but in the process damaged all the flower bulbs. And just as amazing, the city failed to plant any trees across the street in an empty tree box. “I just don’t understand,” Joanne said, “why there was no communication with us that the city was coming to plant the tree in advance, and when they saw we had taken care of the tree box, why they went ahead and planted their tree.” She feels that not only did the city waste money; it also created a lot of bad feelings on the street about the city’s respect for citizens and their good work. Joanne decided to fight back and started making calls without a lot of success. Finally, she asked Councilman Wells to help her obtain a meeting with the UFA and a member of the forestry staff came out to her house. But, the meeting left her discouraged and still without a resolution to her situation. The forestry agency informed her that she had chosen the wrong kind of tree to plant in the box, and that it wasn’t a good idea to plant other things in the tree box. Furthermore, she needed a permit to plant the tree in the box, which she had not acquired. And with that assessment, the meeting was over. Since my interview with Joanne in late March, the sweet gum tree has been removed and iris are beginning to pop up.

Knowing what to do

CLOCKWISE from TOP 1. Joanne Kim with her Flowering Cherry tree that she and her neighbors worked hard to restore after city work on the street. 2. At the corner of 7th and East Capitol SE is a tree box that is attractive and meets 3. Some tree boxes have lost their trees and are in a state of neglect.

Transportation Department (DDOT) called the D.C. Urban Forestry Administration (UFA). At one time years ago, the task of planting and keeping the city’s public trees plentiful and healthy fell to the Department of Public Works, but by transferring the authority to the Transportation Department the city could use federal highway funds to plant trees. However, the small Urban Forestry Administration is ﬁghting an uphill battle against decades 116 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Hill. We come together.” Joanne decided to plant a Flowering Cherry tree in the box, and surrounded it with iris, hostas, and a butterfly bush. Everything seemed to be returning back to normal when in February, she came home to find that the city had finally returned and had planted a new tree in the box. The tree is a more mature sweet gum tree. Interestingly, the contractor that planted it left her Flowering Cherry tree next to it in the same box,

Unfortunately, there is not an easy way to obtain all the information you might need to care for your tree box in one easy click. The rule of thumb, as best as I can ﬁgure out after many phone calls and web searches, is that you need a permit from the city to plant or cut down a tree in your tree box. If you want to put some structure around the box, it must be 18” tall to prevent tripping. The structure must be three-sided and should allow water to pass under it to increase the amount of rainwater being absorbed. And, if you choose to plant ﬂowers in the box, which is highly discouraged, stay away from annuals that will rob the tree of water, and don’t over-plant it. Here are some suggestions for making sure that you are following the letter of the law in caring for your tree box:

•

The city suggests that you call 311 (the major service number of DC) and ask for the Urban Forestry Department. Your call should be promptly answered by UFA and you can then determine whether you need a permit to go forward, and other restrictions that may apply. The web link is www.dc.gov/DC/DDOT/ Services, and if you click on all services you can find the tree-permitting page that takes you to the Urban Forestry Page. • Casey Trees has a website full of general information about caring for trees in DC, but their work is focused on private property, and their website will refer you to UFA for specifics. The planning pages have some very helpful tips on considering the size of trees and volume of space, as well as list of trees that do well growing in our area. Once again, it is important to remember that trees that will be growing next to a street may need to be a little hardier than those planted in your yard. www.caseytrees.org • Trees on the Hill is the Hill’s very own organization that works with UFA each year to help supplement the number of trees planted on the Hill. Margaret Missiaen is certainly Capitol Hill’s tree expert, especially when it comes to street trees. Trees on the Hill has a website that will put you in touch with Margaret and others, treesforcapitolhill.org. In the case of tree boxes, it is better to ask first and act later, which is the hard lesson learned over on G Street. Rindy O’Brien lives on Capitol Hill and is thankful for all the many citizens that care for their tree boxes. Comments or questions can be sent to rindyob@mac.com ★

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homesgardens

@ Your Service by Heather Schoell

ay is the gateway month. Spring turns warm and closets get turned upside down (the tennis balls are around here somewhere). It’s a great time to get your aﬀairs in order before you head out for summer vacation. Make sure your bike tires survived the winter, your property is adequately covered, and that you’ve got the right stuﬀ to wear to the game!

Big and Wide Shoes Antonio Brooks 4123 Branch Ave. 301-702-1401 Do you ever get that withering and pitied look when you ask if the size 6 shoe on display comes in wide? Take yourself over to Big and Wide Shoes and slip your feet into something new – minus the look! Big and Wide Shoes owner Antonio Brooks specializes in wide sized shoes for women – professional and career casual, mostly. You’ll also find sneakers and wide shoes for men and kids with big feet. Find Big and Wide Shoes right next to Giant in the Marlow Heights Shopping Center. Let Antonio and sons Joe, Stevie, and Tony, find you the perfect fit.

renewed 5-year lease! Rodney thanks the community for their support in keeping Capitol Hill Sporting Goods on Barracks Row!

City Bikes – Capitol Hill Eric Welp 709 8th St. SE 202-688-2099 citybikes.com

Tony, Jr. helps a customer at Big and Wide Shoes.

State Farm Insurance Tim LaCasse 617 Pennsylvania Ave. SE 202-548-4229 InsureMeTim.com Bikes, shiny and new.

Capitol Hill Sporting Goods Rodney Smith 727 8th St. SE 202-546-8078 Show some love for your favorite local teams with merchandise from Capitol Hill Sporting Goods, one of the few remaining retail stores on Barracks Row. Rodney will hook you up with NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLB gear – home teams plus some others. If your oﬃce team needs some uniformity, Capitol Hill Sporting goods can do custom printing and embroidery on hats, shirts, jackets – whatever you need. Help them celebrate their 10th year on Barracks Row and their 118 ★ HillRag | May 2011

City Bikes is new to the Hill, but they opened in Adams Morgan 24 years ago, so they’re not at all new to the bike scene. Their Barracks Row location offers bikes, of course, but also a selection of gear – stuff to wear, stuff to trick out your bike, and everything you need to keep the wheels turning. City Bikes also has a service station – just take in your bike and they’ll fix it up! Open daily.

State Farm’s Tim, Andy, Sarah, and Michael.

Protect your investments with insurance for your home and auto, renters insurance, and for your life. Did you know that you can take out a policy on your bicycle? Even if you’re already insured, it is a good idea to check in with your agent every now and then to compare rates, adjust your deductible, and make sure you’ve got enough coverage. Look for the State Farm sign directly across from the post oﬃce. Just stop in, and Tim and his team will talk you through it. “@ Your Service” is a compendium of what’s happening in the service and consumer industry on the Hill (food and drink excluded). Know something really cool and new for sale or for service? Let us know! Heather Schoell is a regular contributor to Capital Community News and can be reached at hschoell@verizon.net. ★

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homesgardens

Ask Judith

Taking Back the Yard article and photos by Judith Capen, RA

pring is thoroughly here. As I write this, hay fever is plaguelike, the last frost date as well as the coincident tax day are behind us, and it’s time to party! D a y s lengthen and warm; our thoughts turn to the garden. It’s all about fertility, celebrated with notoriously proliﬁc bunnies, eggs symbolic of life, andd spring cleaning! Whether we actually manage much, we all feel we should be cleaning. Spring cleaning goes back a lot further than our mothers. In the Jewish tradition, intense ritual cleaning is required for the spring holiday of Passover. (The ritual imperative is the search for crumbs of leavening in bread, crackers, Cheerios, lurking in corners, under the beds…) In the 19th century before DDT and NIX, one of the strategies for dealing with bed bugs and lice was deep cleaning twice a year. All the rugs, bedding, mattresses, curtains, in short everything cleanable, was taken to the back yard and beaten, shaken, washed, and aired into submission. After spring cleaning, all the winter rugs and curtains were bundled for storage until fall. Lighter colored ﬂoor coverings came out along with lace curtains, themselves cleaned and put away the previous fall. (Anyone who has ever battled head lice or, heaven forbid, bed bugs, knows that cleaning, washing, and more cleaning combined with bagging are key weapons in the bug battle. Does the Victorian summer dress/winter dress ritual sound familiar?) We don’t know how much of this semi-annual decorating change and cleaning frenzy was practiced

120 ★ HillRag | May 2011

CLOCKWISE from Top 1. Creation of outdoor space in a Capitol Hill back yard: an economical additional room for the summer, much simpler than permanent construction. (photo: Judith Capen). 2. Here’s what they really wanted. (advertisement) 3. This is how at least some of our back yards looked historically with a distinct division between the public/front of the house and the utilitarian/back of the house. (unattributed, from Images of America: Capitol Hill. Arcadia Publishing. 2004. This photo is the sort used in the early 20th c. to illustrate crowded and depraved conditions of row house dwellers but still provides rich information. Note the characteristic 19th c. pattern of less expensive windows, 6 over 6 panes like the ones visible in this photo, used on the backs of houses. The 2 over 2 windows, visible on the fronts of the houses beyond, were more expensive. To this day, many of our houses have windows with larger panes of glass in the front and windows with smaller panes in the rear.)

in Capitol Hill’s middle class houses, but must imagine that even if not every household had two sets of interior textiles, people still took the rugs to the back yard and beat them, maybe trading rugs for bare summer ﬂoors. Spring cleaning was a necessity probably until widespread use of clean fuels for central heating. When people had coal-ﬁred quasi-central heat, washing soot from walls after the heating season was annual.

Q. I think it is time for us to come to grips with our backyard, but I’m curious if there are historic things we should do. What did it look like in the decades after the house was built? A. The notion of curb appeal is not new: historically, when people did not have washing machines and dryers, gas or electric central heat, indoor plumbing, internal combustion-based transportation, and twice-weekly trash collection, house yards had to accommodate a lot of bulky activities supporting daily life. It was all in the back yards since no one wanted the laundry and outhouse in the front yard. On farms and in rural settlements, the yard behind the house was frequently hardpacked earth where much domestic life went on: cooking, clothes washing and drying, wood chopping and storage, butchering of chickens for Sunday supper and pigs in the fall. Light and space were often limited inside the small dwellings of most Americans, so the outcapitalcommunitynews.com ★ 121

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door space was indispensible. Archeologists today benefit from the typical, historic, trash disposal method -broadcast trash from the back door. They describe dispersal patterns centered on the back door where residents stood and flung refuse. In urban row house neighborhoods like ours, all the outdoor chores had to happen in our little back yards. Since our late 19th c. houses were built with indoor plumbing, our Victorian-era predecessors were largely spared outhouses. (At least a few Capitol Hill row houses had toilets from the transitional period when they tended to blow up. The solution was to locate toilets on porches almost exterior to the house. Then all that was lost in an explosion was the porch). Historic photos show plenty of laundry in back yards. Fuel storage was another use of the back yard or outbuilding. We know of at least one out building labeled as “fuel shed.” I guess if you want to follow historic patterns of back yard usage you would have to stand at your back door and fling your trash, being careful not to hit your laundry. And you’d have to turn off the central heat and switch to coal stoves. Maybe you can forgo historical accuracy in your back yard and go 21st century. I really like to consider my back yard as a room. Since it has seven foot tall wood “walls” and a pretty amazing canopy of black walnut and red bud, with a contribution of a hemlock, it isn’t such a stretch. I think it is pretty realistic, too, since my back yard, eighteen feet wide by forty feet, is never going to be rich in vista or able to be developed into a sequential arrangement of garden types. What you see standing at the back door is what you get. Last year my spouse was worried about rain when he invited the guys over for alcohol, steak, and a cigar so he hung

our camping fly and our backyard room was transformed. Last summer we used it more than we had for years, aided by several anti-mosquito initiatives. (A fan and smolder-y lantern-like devices). That’s why I show the picture of the canvas pavilion: it turned out for us that a literal roof kept the rain of black walnut-associated vegetative material off us as well as creating a lovely sense of intimacy. This year we are actually buying some yard furniture after sharing some random and aging chairs with the neighbor. I imagine the Capitol Hill yard pavilion in the photo creates the same sense of intimacy since the back yard is otherwise overlooked by windows. One Hill resident I know has a nice big screened pavilion, which, with a fan in the corner, has become the family’s summer dining room. While at the office I am not really interested in experiencing Washington’s summer weather, nor am I interested in sleeping in Washington summer weather, but dinner, a glass of wine, or a chat in the heat and humidity after coming home from an air-conditioned day is very nice. The spouse’s cigar consumption went up last summer as he sometimes reprised summer afternoons from his boyhood on a screened porch listening to the Senators. Now he shares Nats on WTOP with the neighbors. Bottom line: your back yard can be anything you like. Hang the laundry. Weld. Sit. Eat. Garden. (But please be realistic. No grass. Consider the light. Some of our backyards are best suited to growing moss and fungi.) And did I mention hammocks? Who needs a summer vacation if you have a backyard! Judith Capen, although busy with spring cleaning, is available for questions at judith.capen@architravepc.com. ★

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homesgardens

Just Say ‘No’ to Grass! article and Photos by Cheryl Corson

ome people just have to have grass. They had it growing up, and now that they have their own homes, they are nostalgic for the look, feel, and smell of it. I’m talking, of course, about turf grass.

A Brief History The American lawn has been analyzed, celebrated, and lamented by many. Its history dates to the 17th century in France with the tapis vert, or ‘green carpet,’ continuing in 18th century England with enormous greens intended to magnify owners’ perception of their land holdings, and make a castle or chateau seem all the larger by surrounding it an unbroken green expanse.

Transported to 19th and early 20th century American suburban landscapes, contiguous, perfectly mowed, unfenced front lawns became visual shorthand for the status symbol spawned by their northern European predecessors. Along the way, the American lawn also became a symbol of civic virtue. Miniaturized versions of the American lawn exist on Capitol Hill, where they perform some of the same aesthetic functions they always have: setting oﬀ the house and providing a soothing green ground plane against which showy garden trees, shrubs and perennials may be displayed. So what’s the problem?

100 4” pots of Mazus reptans ‘alba’ are laid out for planting (September 2009)

Blooming together with the pink dogwood, the Mazus puts on a show (April 16, 2011) 124 ★ HillRag | May 2011

A Snake in the Grass The problem is that contemporary lawn care is resource intensive and environmentally harmful. Our climate is not like England where lawns need no watering, and DC water is not free. Gasoline lawnmowers account for up to 10% of all pollution from mobile sources in the U.S., and grass needs to be cut. Taken to extremes, the image, or fantasy, of the perfect lawn excludes other plants, like dandelions, which many consider weeds. Although now we know that dandelions can help solve honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder because they are the earliest major source of spring nectar. Lawn pests like grubs and cinch bugs

may be good food for moles and fertilizing, rarely need weeding, and chickens, but are unwanted by most will tolerate moderate foot traffic. homeowners. Consequently, millions Furthermore, these plants flower, addof unregulated gallons of fertilizer, ing seasonal color and nectar for polherbicides, and pesticides are poured linators. Many of these lawn substitute plants are also evergreen. onto American lawns every year. I have successfully used two speWhile professional landscape contractors are licensed to purchase, apply, cies of plants as lawn substitutes on and store fertilizers, herbicides and Capitol Hill. One is called White pesticides, homeowners are not. The Creeping Mazus, or Mazus reptans substances purchased by homeowners ‘alba.’ This plant is low to the ground, are simply watered down versions of evergreen, and likes part shade and/or the same products used by profession- moist locations. It has white flowers als. And these substances cause prob- in spring and forms a dense mat exlems in our rivers and the Chesapeake cluding most weeds. You can see this Bay by adding way too much Nitrogen planting at 903 North Carolina Ave., SE. The client installed turf grass in and Phosphorus to the water. A study released in March by the 1999, and later became tired of the Environment Maryland Research and maintenance. About 100 Mazus in 4” Policy Center stated that turf grass is Maryland’s largest crop by a long shot, “more than twice the acres of the state’s second biggest crop, corn.” The study says that 30% of the Phosphorus and 10% of Nitrogen reaching the Chesapeake Bay is from urban and suburban lawn runoff. To be clean and sustainable, they say the Bay needs 30% less Nitrogen and Sedum one month after planting (May 2009) 8% less Phosphorus than it now has. In addition, experts say that the environmental impact of organic and chemical fertilizer is the same.

What to Do Instead? Fortunately, we can create the same aesthetic eﬀect of grass with other plants that do not require regular watering, mowing or

Sedum is nice and green in April 2011

pots were planted in September 2009, and even after last year’s hot summer, they have now formed a lovely surface, more interesting and much less maintenance-intensive than grass. The straight species of Mazus reptans has purple-blue flowers. Some people like to mix the two colors together, though I have heard that the blue spreads more slowly. A lawn substitute plant I’ve used in sunnier locations is Sedum linare’ Golden Teardrop.’ This plant is bright green and has tiny yellow flowers in late spring. They bloom together with Globe Allium, making a fabulous display. They tolerate moderate foot traffic. In fact, at the Richmond wholesale nursery, Sandy’s Plants, I saw where an 18-wheeler had run over it, and the sedum had barely noticed. In a garden near Union Station, I planted 60 gallon-pots of this sedum in April 2009 and within months it had formed a solid mat. This plant is draught tolerant and tough as nails. I have found it to be evergreen as well.

Resources There are more lawn substitute plants out there. One excellent online resource is the Plant Finder at www.SandysPlants.com. Another resource is www.stepables.com. If you’d like to do a lawn substitute project yourself, either Frager’s or Ginkgo Gardens will custom order the plants you need. If you’d like to read an engaging, scholarly book on grass, consult The American Lawn, Georges Teyssot, ed. If you need further convincing on the environmental consequences of American-style lawns, look at Redesigning the American Lawn, by Bormann, Balmori and Geballe, or read the March 2011 Environment Maryland study, Urban Fertilizers and the Chesapeake Bay, which is available online at no charge. You can read these books with the extra time you’ll spend not mowing your lawn.

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Cheryl Corson is a landscape architect with over ten years of experience on the Hill. She helps create beautiful spaces that are good for people and the environment. www.cherylcorson.com ★

capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 125

homesgardens gardenspot

Fun and Learning Public Gardens at Peabody Elementary Article and pictures by Derek Thomas

eabody Elementary School, part of the Capitol Hill Cluster, is located at 425 C St. NE, south of Stanton Park. “Peabody Elementary School’s mission is to provide a nurturing, child-centered environment that produces highly motivated life-long learners,” according to the school’s information package. For the past seven years Peabody has been producing kids with an added social skill, the skill of nurture. Kids at Peabody grow up in an environment surrounded with plants and vegetables, while studying at an urban school. Peabody students learn the importance that growing plants have on our green earth. In fact, the science curriculum has expanded to include learning how to grow things while never leaving the schools boundaries.

Peabody’s Green Spaces How has their program grown and bloomed in a time when schools budgets seem to be among the ﬁrst victims? Enter Mary Blakeslee, and Vira Sisolak. Since their graduation from the DC

1) Mary and Vira in the pergola of the discovery garden 2) Kids and parents come out to weed the discovery garden 3) Stepping and reading in the discovery garden 4) Vegetable garden 5) Woodland garden detail

126 ★ HillRag | May 2011

6) Peabody garden Volunteers

Master Gardeners Program, Mary and Vira have been turning dirt into discovery gardens and vegetable patches. With them at the helm and Peabody’s parents becoming the surrounding vessel, a great garden program has grown and blooms perennially. You see, the beauty that is Peabody’s green spaces, over 9000 square feet of gardens to be exact, does not include self-maintaining plants. When I visited the school recently, there were over 20 volunteers, both adults and children, who had come out at the end of work and school days to prune, transplant, and weed. “The weeds have been especially vigorous this year,” said Mary as she took a minute out of her garden tasks to show me around their gardens. Peabody has 17 garden spaces and two areas devoted to vegetable gardening -- all maintained by volunteers and the help of kind merchants and the occasional grant.

The Theme Gardens There is a butterfly garden that is filled with great plants that any butterfly, or bird would love. “During the weekend while the kids are not around, Peabody has become quite the bird oasis with many different types of song birds,” says Mary. The habitat garden is a lush overgrown space where plants are left to chill a bit and be more natural and selfsustaining. The woodland garden is reminiscent of a stroll through the woods while never having to take the ride to Rock Creek Park. The Kids Garden has edibles and is a space where the children learn the importance of plants as a food source. And then there is the Discovery Garden, now in its fourth season. The garden was designed as a space where the kids could run among the plants and have fun being kids with no worries of parents saying NO. The garden is a long rectangular space with a labyrinth at one end a pergola on the other. The center is filled drifting plant beds with circular steppingstones throughout. The stones have words printed on each one so as the kids step, or run, or frolic through the space they have mental stimulus in the form of the written word. Perhaps the most amazing part of the garden tour was the kids who

came out that day. No texting and cell phones and little computer play devices. No, these kids, like the gardens, were alive and interacting and learning important social skills. How refreshing to see kids just being kids. And the volunteers were also into their craft, weeding and putting up trellis supports and transplanting overly vigorous plants. The whole experience was worthwhile and reassuring that in this day and age of fourth and ﬁfth generation handheld devices aimed at simplifying and streamlining our lives, there are folks who are taking the time to teach kids of a softer slower time, not so long ago. A time when if you needed to communicate with some one you had the option to write a letter or give them a ring on the phone when you returned home from your day at work. This writer, and gardener, felt joy and hope watching the art of intercommunication being played out at the elementary school level all because a few plants needed some basic care and love from a human. Wonderful.

What You Can Do Every year Mary, Vira and company have two “work” days. You see the 6-10 hours a month, they dedicate to the Peabody garden is not enough to keep plants in good behavior. These work days are a time when the community can come out and give a hand. The next work day is set for May 14th and as always the garden and its stewards are taking volunteers. If you are interested, please contact Mary at blakbock@verizon.net, or Vira at 202-546-2534.

DC Master Gardeners The DC Master Gardener program is an important part of the DC gardening movement. The classes are held once a year in the winter and he program is run by DC’s Extension agent Sandy Farber Bandier. You can ﬁnd out more about the program by contacting her at sfarber@udc.edu . Derek Thomas is principal of Thomas Landscapes. His garden designs have been featured on HGTV’s Curb Appeal. And Get It Sold. His weekly garden segment can be seen on WTTG/ Fox 5 in Washington. He can be reached at www.thomaslandscapes.com or 301.642.5182 ★

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The Capitol Hill Garden Club presents

Dear Garden Problem Lady, How do I care for my hellebores once they have ﬁnished blooming? Do I cut the foliage down to the ground?

Absolutely not. Foliage gives strength to next year’s blooms, and is extremely decorative all summer and autumn. When you do cut it back at the end of winter, you will ﬁnd new green foliage on its way.

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Larry Hodgson 202.236.5800 • H0kilian@aol.com 128 ★ HillRag | May 2011

I just transplanted a fourfoot tall English boxwood to my front garden. It was part of a hedge, and square shaped. I like my boxwood rounded, so how do I prune it? And when?

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Even though you wish to start working towards a pretty rounded shape right away, it would be wise to wait a year until the shrub has begun to thrive in your garden. Right now it is in transplant shock. Next year, before new leaf buds appear – after mid February – but before May – begin by gently, delicately cutting back branches on the inside, from the center,

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top. Your goal is to allow the passage of light and air to the plant’s interior. Vertical branch by vertical branch, reach in and cut off just to the point where the green leaves end. If the twig has green leaves for nine inches down, cut nine inches. This interior pruning will not show from the sides. It will take more than one year to accomplish the rounded shape you wish. Thin annually until all the interior branches are covered with leaves. Then – and only then – will you be able to reduce the outsides of your plant into the rounded shape you wish. I think camellias rarely need pruning – but one of mine has a large branch that is now impeding its neighbor. When may I remove that branch? Now -- just after all the blooms have faded, but before much new growth. Last year I pruned my old, too-tall Mahonia plants and they did well. But this year one plant has many yellowed leaves. I think the soil is still rich and acid the way it likes. I have fertilized with Hollytone. May I cut off the yellowed leaves? There are plenty of new shoots, and also plenty of dark green leaves. Turning yellow can mean that the soil is too wet, not draining properly – but your other Mahonias are OK. Try cutting off just a few of the yellowed leaves and see if more sprout.

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Feeling beset by gardening problems? Send them to the Problem Lady c/o Capitol Hill Garden Club at andrew@ hillrag.com. Your problems might even prove instructive to others, and help them feel superior to you. Complete anonymity is assured. ★

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capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 131

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202-370-7902 www.jimzinn.com • Free estimates • No job is too small Affordable rates • Licensed, insured and bonded

E D D I E

KITCHEN

IRON WORK

Handyman Masters 20 years experience working in ﬁne homes like yours

Bathrooms • Kitchens Masonry • Handyman • Rooﬁng A+ Rating

“I have worked with Masters over the years and have been extremely happy with the workmanship. They are very professional”. - Georgetown Resident

Home Improvement

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F&C

Home Improvement, LLC

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202-247-0104

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202.492.9513 Renovations and Remodeling including Plumbing & Electrical

NWM COMPANY GENERAL CONTRACTORS & HANDYMEN

Property Management’s General Contractor Since 1971 K Kitchen Cabinetry and CounterTops K Flooring: ceramic, vinyl tile, linoleum, marble and quarry tile K Door and Window Repair and Replacement K Locks and Emergency Repairs K Plaster, Drywall and Painting

No Job too Small! 12 years experience licensed • bonded •

insured

•

10% off any job over $1,000

· Painting Interior & Exterior · Carpentry · Drywall · Moulding · Floors · Hardwood · Kitchen & Bath Remodel · Plumbing · Doors & Windows · Brick Pointing · Patios

Suburban Welding Company

Welding & Ornamental Iron Work • Repairs of Original Cast Iron Staircases • Window bars and door security gates • Handrailings & Stair Railings • Fences, Sidewalk Gates, Tree Box Fences • DC code approved bedroom window security bars • Excavating, back hoe services and tree stump grinding • Certified welding

24-hours, 7-day service Free estimates

703-765-9344 www.suburbanweldingcompany.com

JACKS

references

INTERIOR DESIGN

Please call to discuss your needs

301-277-9292 Fax 301-209-8248

• Kitchens, Baths & Basement • All Home Repairs • Interior/Exterior Painting • Fixer Uppers

Open a Window of Possibilities Create a home that nurtures you

SERVING CAPITOL HILL SINCE 1985 With the assistance of

SMALL JOBS SPECIALISTS

Kathleen Soloway Interior Designer/Psychotherapist

202-618-7072 capitolhillsh@gmail.com licensed, bonded, insured

132 ★ HillRag | May 2011

Design for Change 202 543-7040 ksoloway@designforchange.net www.designforchange.net

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER

LANDSCAPING

W.F. Bowman Landscaping 202-234-6282 Yard Clean Up • Sodding Mulching • Trimming Shrubs Aeration • Dethatching Planting Leaf Removal Mowing Seeding & Fertilizing Hauling

START HAVING THE YARD OF YOUR DREAMS

BULK TRASH PICK UP STARTING AT $60.00!!!

HANDYMAN & HAULING CO

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Handyman Hauling

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Junk Removal Demolition Yard Cleanup Estate Cleanup Light Moving

202.396.0105

202-270-8973

license # 1948 • MD DC VA

Bonded, Licensed & Insured

ROUTE TRASH PICK UP SPECIAL ON WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY. $60.00 FIRST ITEM PICK UP , $20.00 EACH ADDITIONAL ITEM & $10.00 SMALL ITEM . 2 DAY NOTICE REQUIRED FOR DISCOUNT. SAME DAY SERVICE AVAILABLE

CALL BOYD F GRAY

202-561-0498 202-210-7439(C)

Tenly Bulk Trash Removal & Moving Junk Removal Handyman Service

Redefining Beauty One Client at a Time

301.642.5182

CONTINENTAL MOVERS

www.thomaslandscapes.com

THOMAS LANDSCAPES

FOR A STRESS FREE MOVE

Specializing in urban landscapes since 1989 Derek Thomas / Principal - Certified Professional Horticulturist, Master Gardener. Member of the MD Nursery and Landscape Association & the Association of Professional Landscape Designers

Owner Operated since 1982

24 hour service Residential & Commercial

202-710-4089 DC, MD & VA • lic #2106

Historic Renovation & Artisan Stonework Award-Winning Mason with over 30 years of experience

REGINALD’S LANDSCAPING

SPECIALIZING IN:

Specializing in perennial gardens, landscape design, yard maintenance, seasonal contracts-free estimates for major cleanups, spring/fall cleanups, mulching, pruning, trimming, weeding, debris removal, leaf removal, light hauling, planting and much, Call today! 301-420-7027, 301-908-8331.

Custom Masonry • Stone • Brick Work Point Up • Restoration • Patio & Water Gardens

Call Tom for a Free Estimate

202-544-4484 www.michaligamasonry.com FORMER HEAD MASON OF THE ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL FROM 1989 - 1996.

MASONRY

PAINTING

Reasonable Prices : Hill Resident Licensed • Bonded • Insured

• Local Moving • Long Distance All East Coast cities from Florida to Maine

• Packing Services • Pianos and Big Objects

202-438-1489 • 301-340-0602 www.continentalmovers.net Cmora53607@msn.com

T.R. Sellheim Construction, Inc. All Masonry Work

JUNK / BULK TRASH REMOVAL

New & Restoration Historic Pointing Over 30 years of Experience Free Estimates • Work Guaranteed Licensed • Bonded • Insured

20% TO 40% OFF SCHEDULED SATURDAY PICK UPS

202-362-1700

5% TO 10% OFF EVERYDAY PICKUP • • • •

Same Day Service Available We demo, load and haul concrete, brick, dirt, and trash. Handyman Services Bobcat Loader for Hire

MOVING & HAULING

WE ARE THE GOOD GUYS

When Trust Matters Most

BOYD F. GRAY 202-561-0498 202-210-7439 (cell)

Residential, Office, Commercial S H O RT N O T I C E M O V E S

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER

Local & Up to 300-mile Radius Expert Packing & Unpacking Temporary Storage by the Day Packing Materials Available

202.368.7492 Licensed & Insured Hourly Rates

SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES!

• Residential • Commercial • Insured • DC LIC 4748 • Established 1974 Interior & Exterior Custom Painting Restoration & Repair Services

202-965-1600 www.jfmeyer.com

capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 133

WAIT NO MORE PLUMBING

PLUMBING Just Say I Need A Plumber®

24 hour plumbing service. Master plumber. No job too small. DC license # 1164. Darrell White. 202-575-1885 or 202-812-7115 (tf)

Dial A Plumber, LLC®

ROOFING / GUTTERS

SUPPORT YOUR

20% OFF

NEIGHBORS

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Ricardo Ramos Licensed Bonded Insured

DC P

AND LOCAL BUSINESSES!

Kenny

202-251-1479 Free Estimates

WITH THIS AD

L U M M E R

’

I C E N S E

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Insured • Licensed

Remodeling • Painting General Repairs Inquire about our cleaning company RamosPainting1956@live.com

301-661-3515 301-680-2065

Stopping Leaks is our Specialty!

ALL TYPES OF ROOFING REPAIRS

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Star Roofing Company

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Specializing in Residential & Commercial Flat Roof Systems

Serving DC Since 1927

202-543-6383

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RELIABLE

All work done by owner • Free Estimates Insured • Licensed • Bonded

PEST CONTROL

F L K Termite, Pest & Rodent Control More than just killing bugs, we take care of your home • Babies, children, pets, no worries, customized treatments • Latest environmentally sound methods and products • One time, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, yearly LICENSED & INSURED

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301.273.5740 301.576.3286

134 ★ HillRag | May 2011

WHS PLUMBING & HEATING

Our Prices Won’t be Beat!

Superior Service and Quick Response

DANIEL PARKS

We are Repiping & Drain Cleaning Specialists

Roofing & Gutters

· Competitive On The Spot Pricing · Same Day, Nights, Weekends & Emergency Service · Licensed Plumbers and Gasfitters · Underground Domestic Water and Sewer Line Leak Detection · Underground Pipe Locator

Hill Family Owned & Operated Call William at

(202) 255-9231 20 years of experience Licensed, Bonded and Insured LSDBE Certified

www.whsplumbingandheating.com

Serving Capitol Hill for 50 Years

OSEPH C. BAUER, INC. Plumbing and Heating Licensed and Insured

DC 202.547.3477 MD 301.420.3200

NO JOB TOO SMALL!!! “Stopping Leaks is Our Specialty”

EMERGENCY REPAIRS WE DO IT ALL RUBBER & FLAT ROOFS WATER PROOFING SLATE ROOFS LEAK REPAIRS METAL ROOFS GUTTER REPAIRS SHINGLE ROOFING CHIMNEY REPAIRS FACIAL/SOFFITS ALUMINUM ROOF COATING

202-489-1728 Licensed, Bonded & Insured Free Estimates Senior and Government Discount 10% SPECIALIZING IN SEAMLESS GUTTERS

Keith Roofing EXPERT WORKMANSHIP AT REASONABLE PRICES! Residential/Commercial Over 40 years in Business Chimney Repairs Storm & Wind Damage Repair

• New or Re-Roofing • Tear-Off & Replacement • Flat Roof Specialist • Copper, Tin, Sheet Metal & Rolled • Seamless & Flat Roofs • Re-Sealing • Tar, Asphalt, Gravel, Hot Coats • Modified Bitumen • Ask about our gutter specials Insurance Claims • Free Estimates • 24Hr. Service

Fully Insured • Licensed • Bonded “No Job Too Large or Small” Senior & Military Discounts Available!

202-486-7359 All Work Inspected by Owner...Deals Directly with Customers! All Work Fully Guaranteed

Stopping leaks has been our specialty since 1962!

FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST WE STOP LEAKS! • Roof Repairs • Roof Coatings • Rubber • Metal • Slate

• Tiles • Chimneys • Gutters • Waterproofing • Roof Certifications

We Do Everything!

BOYD CONSTRUCTION INC.

75 years in service

LIC. BONDED. INS

BBB

We are a family-owned and operated business with three generations of expertise in Capitol Hill. Our customers have trusted us for more than 90 years with their roofing needs. You can too!

ISAAC HOLDEN Roofing, Gutters & Painting OVER 30

• New tin, copper & built-up roof systems • Inspections & repairs • Roof painting • Gutters, spouts & skylights

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

DC Lic. 7610

Member

202-223-ROOF (7663)

HORN&COMPANY ROOFING and GUTTERS ◆ New roofs ◆ Metal ◆ Rubber ◆ Copper ◆ Slate ◆ Shingle ◆ Roof repairs ◆ Roof coatings

◆ Roof decks ◆ Gutters ◆ Skylights ◆ Masonry work ◆ Tuck pointing ◆ Waterproofing ◆ Chimney repairs ◆ and more

◆ Free estimates ◆ Family owned & operated

All Seasons Roofing

• New Roofs & Maintenance • Seamless Gutters • Waterproofing • Chimney • Brick Pointing • Interior & Exterior Painting

202.486.7184 15% off with Ad

Leak Experts • Premium Roof Coatings & Sealings • New Roofs & Repairs • From Small Repairs to Entire Roofing Systems

202-276-7531

Spring Discount Available

LICENSED & INSURED

24 Hour Emergency

Recommended roofer of Capitol Hill Village Licensed-Insured-Bonded

Call now for a FREE ROOF INSPECTION

443.968.0311

tom@rthomasdanielrooﬁng.com www.rthomasdanielrooﬁng.com

Johnston & Johnston Roofing “Try a new coating vs. a roof replacement.” • FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST • WATERPROOFING • BASEMENT LEAKS • ALUMINUM ASPHALT COATING • SLATE REPAIRS • SHINGLE REPAIRS

• CHIMNEY REPAIR • BRICK POINTING • GUTTER REPAIR/GUTTER REPLACEMENT • INQUIRE ABOUT OUR SPECIALS • FREE ESTIMATES

FREE MAINTENANCE! 20% OFF with this ad

GUTTERS

Seamless Gutters Experts

Licensed, Bonded & Insured

Gutters & Downspouts Repairs & Cleaning All Types of Roofing

202.696.3560

Licensed • Bonded • Insured Family owned & operated 40 Years Experience

202-607-4038

www.JohnstonandJohnstonRoofing.com

202.637.8808

Call now mention this ad and save 20%

Licensed, Bonded & Insured

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER

STORAGE WOOD & WHITACRE

Alex Williams Seamless Gutters • Box Gutters • Gutter Guards

202

271 4377

• Gutter Repairs • Gutter Cleaning • Flat Roof Repairs • Water Proofing Free Estimates

(202) 256 6981 (301) 858 6990 Licensed • Bonded • Insured

HISTORIC RENOVATIONS 20 years on the Hill Slate - Tile - Copper Specializing in all Flat Roof Systems and Leaks Free Estimates • Work Guaranteed Licensed Bonded Insured

JEFFREY WOOD cell

301-674-1991 202-828-0713

www.wood-whitacre.com

R.W. ROOFING We offer the most competitive price in town. All Roofing & Rubber Roofs. We do everything: replacements, repairs, maintenance and coatings. See our ad under general contracting. 202-674-0300 or 301-929-0664. capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 135

WELDING

Burn Over 700 Calories in one class WE OFFER 40 CLASSES A WEEK!

Suburban Welding Company

Welding & Ornamental Iron Work â€˘ â€˘ â€˘ â€˘ â€˘

24-hours, 7-day service Free estimates

4UFQIPO 4LJQQFS

Introduction Offer $29

www.synopcwiz.webs.com synopcwiz@gmail.com

for 7 days of unlimited yoga!

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ALL LEVELS WELCOME! No reservations required!

703-765-9344 â€˘ Reduce stress â€˘ Increase Strength + Flexibility

WINDOWS

Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill 410 H ST. NE 202-547-1208

19 D Street, SE

2010 ON THE INSIDE

www.BikramYogaCapitolHill.com Look better, feel better and change your body!

Replacement Window & Door Installation Group Historically Accurate Replacement of Exterior Window Casings Wood, Fiberglass Framed & Vinyl Windows, Replacement & Full Tear Out Installation, Wide Range of Custom Moldings

Windows Craft, Inc. Specializing in historic buildings

202-288-6660

Computer Weenies On-site Service for Homes and Businesses

Larry Elpiner

â€˘ Troubleshooting, Repairs & Upgrades â€˘ Virus and Spyware Removal â€˘ New and Existing Computer Setup â€˘ Network and Wireless Installation â€˘ Data Recovery, Transfer and Back-up â€˘ Webpage Development

301.767.3355

The Best Installation Crew

OTHER SERVICES

202.543.7055

ORGANIZING JILL-OF-ALL-TRADES MAY IS FOR HILL MOMS!! Are you a local mom who has been wanting to get organized during the weekdays while the kids are at school and before summer vacation? Iâ€™m offering a special discount for Hill Moms of $5 off for all rates including consultation, work sessions and marathoning. (Also, starting in June I am raising my rates for the first time in many years so this month has a double benefit.) Check out www.jillofalltradesdc.com â€œratesâ€? and read the Photo Diary of a mom marathon! Jill Lawrence, CPO-CD (R) is Certified, Insured, a CHAMPS member, and has 15 years in the organizing business! Reduce your frustration, get quick and easy access to important stuff, feel nurtured in your home -- Call 202-544-JILL (5455) today to get on the weekday day schedule.

SHOE REPAIR

Eastern Market Shoe Repair â€˘ Shoes â€˘ Boots â€˘ Purses â€˘ Luggage

www.computerweenies.com

645 Penn Ave., SE upstairs M-F 8:30-7 â€˘ Sat 9-6

INSTRUCTION

202-543-5632

Professional Tennis Instruction

Licensed, Insured and Bonded DC Home Improvement License # 69006200

alex@windowscraft.com www.windowscraft.com

Home or Office

www.suburbanweldingcompany.com

1880 ON THE OUTSIDE

Desktop & Laptop Repairs Specialists â€˘ Troubleshooting & Upgrades â€˘ Virus Removal, Data Recovery & Back Up â€˘ New Computer Set Up â€˘ System Tune Up and Clean Up â€˘ Networks and Wireless Installation â€˘ System and Memory Upgrades â€˘ Hardware & Software â€˘ Instruction

ÂŽ

Repairs of Original Cast Iron Staircases Window bars and door security gates Handrailings & Stair Railings Fences, Sidewalk Gates, Tree Box Fences DC code approved bedroom window security bars â€˘ Excavating, back hoe services and tree stump grinding â€˘ Certified welding

4ZOP 1$ 8J[

COMPUTERS/SOFTWARE

ALTERATIONS ALTERATIONS â€œLosing weightâ€? need new clothes just bring your old oneâ€™s to JAG collections and get them repaired 202-669-4021. By appointment only.

BEAUTY/HEALTH/FITNESS Living on & serving the Hill since 1986

Dr. David Walls-Kaufman

LOGOS COMPUTER SERVICE

Computer Set-up â€˘ Computer Tune-up Email â€˘ Back Up Software Installation â€˘ Hardware Installation Technology Consultation Virus and Spyware Removal Security and Performance On-site Service â€˘ Reasonable Rates

Chiropractor 411 East Capitol St., SE All are welcome to Dr. Walls-Kaufman's free Saturday morning Tai Chi class at 8 am in Lincoln Park

202-544-6035

logos.comtech@gmail.com â€˘ 202-250-1215

Davis Cup Veteran 202-415-2807 bailoba@verizon.net

ďŁż MAC ONLY ďŁż Take the puzzle out of operating your computer

All Skill Levels $62 private $35 semi-private $26 group lesson

Professional Tennis Registry

ďŁż Software Installation ďŁż Troubleshooting ďŁż Upgrades ďŁż Reasonable Rates

fagon@hillrag.com 202-250-1217

PET SERVICES Personally Serving our Neighbors since 1999

Lessons on Capitol Hill

Because Optimal Health is Impossible Without Optimal Posture!

136 â˜… HillRag | May 2011

Bailo Ba

SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES!

pets on the hill Support your local Hill business "We live, work and play on the Hill"

Mid-day Dog Walking AM & PM, Weekend Walks, Petsitting â€˘ Women Owned and Operated â€˘ Expert Cat Care - All Areas of the Hill â€˘ Medications, Plant Watering, Mail and Paper â€˘ Trustworthy and Reliable

Kerith Grandelli bonded & insured

202.546.6785 H I L L P E T S @ YA H O O . C O M

Big dogs, puppies, hard to handle and older dogs. I love them all ….and I also love kitties.

Phillip DuBasky

Pet Sitting & Dog Walking

Dog Walking, Kitty Care & Pet Sitting

Serving Capitol Hill Since 1995

• Mid-day dog walks • AM/PM/Weekend Walks • House visits for kitties Insured and Bonded Pet first aid certified

dogdotcatdc@yahoo.com www.dogdotcat.com

202-388-8111

dot

Never missed a walk in 10 years Experienced and Reliable Outstanding Hill References • Insured by PSA

Hilly Award Retailer of the Year Voted City’s Best Pet Culture Best of Yelp Award – 5 Star Rated • Expanded retail section with over 20 brands of premium foods & many local products • Knowledgeable and friendly staff • Now Offering Dog Walking! – SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 99 FOR DETAILS • Proud partner with Spot On Training (now located in Metro Mutts lower level) “They have everything you could ever need for your dog—and your cat, too. It makes me really happy I don’t have to haul myself to Petco.” – Robin Givhan, The Washingtonian

508 H Street NE

www.metromuttsdc.com TOTAL WELL BEING FOR YOUR PET

Dog Walking - Midday, A.M & P.M, Weekdays & Weekends Vacation Dog Sitting In-home and Overnights Cat Sitting

Now Carrying Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets! $2 OFF Small Bag • $3 OFF Medium Bag $5 OFF Large Bag

202.889.0996

PET ADOPTION

MISCELLANEOUS HELP WANTED LOVE PETS? We’re a professional pet sitting service that visits pets in the pets’ homes while their owners are traveling. We are looking to add one additional person to our staff. This parttime position provides great supplemental income for a retiree or can work nicely around a 9-5 job. We are busiest on weekends and your willingness to work a few hours over Thanksgiving and Christmas is a must. Only extreme animal lovers need apply! debbie@sitapet.com or call 202-362-8900.

CAPITAL CATS

Adoption Event at Chateau-Animaux

Sundays Noon to 3 PM 733 8th Street, S.E. a five-minute walk from Eastern Market Metro.

Visit our Web site to view pictures and their engaging personalities at www.capitalcats.petfinder.com or www.homealone.petfinder.com Capital Cats is a non-profit cat rescue organization on the Hill that has many wonderful, personable cats and kittens available for adoption to good homes.

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

* Coupon only good at Metro Mutts *

202.450.5661 (store) 202.450.9258 (dog walking)

202-546-7387

www.pawticulars.com Licensed, Bonded & Insured

NEW ON THE HILL!

zoolatry (zoo-ahl’-uh-tree) the worship of animals – especially a pet

Full Grooming Services

We Pamper your Pooch While you Wait!

* Big or Small We Do Them All

K-9 Training

* Obedience On & Off leash * Family Protection * 8 weeks–8 years * Life Time Guarantee

423 13th Street, NE 202-717-2651

Mid-Day Dog Walking Service Pet sitting – Medications Administered Crate Training Insured – Bonded Member of National Association of Professional Petsitters

has hit The H ILLRAG TWITTER! D N A K O O B E FAC “Like” HILL RAG to stay on top of your local community news on FACEBOOK

And/Or follow us on TWITTER #capitalcommnews

(202) 547-WALK (9255) Meet Our Walkers Online at

www.zoolatry.com

www.capitalcommunitynews.com capitalcommunitynews.com ★ 137

the NOSE

by Anonymous

ike a drunken gambler, the District appears to have stumbled into yet another fiscal crisis. Having recently completed his tax returns, The Nose intimately understands the government’s predicament. In his humble opinion, dealing with one’s accountant is better done after the ingestion of a minimum of three neat bourbons. After all, Elmer T. Lee is The Nose’s best friend. However, even in the midst of an alcohol-induced fugue state, The Nose never loses sight of the Golden Rule of Accounting, “Expenditures Must Always Equal Income.” So, why is it, The Nose asks, that our mayor and councilmembers are never able to duplicate this feat? Living up to his moniker, Mayor Vincent “The Undertaker” Gray has proposed raising the top bracket of the income tax. However, if the Mayor was really serious about distributing the pain, here are a few more revenue enhancements that he might consider. There are many furry citizens of this fair metropolis who completely escape the eagle eye of the District’s Department of Tax and Revenue. Let’s start with our friend, the neighborhood squirrel. Why should someone who spends all day collecting nuts and chewing holes in roofs of people’s houses get a free ride? The Nose suggests these cute miscreants be tagged and taxed a nut apiece. If any of these varmints protest, drop them off in the great state of Virginia, where folks still consider them a tasty appetizer. It is important not to discriminate just against Rocky. What about those canines who are costing The District thousands in dog park construction bills? Give the Metropolitan Police authority to check for DC dog licenses on demand. Fine the ones found without and doubly penalize their owners for every necessity left on the street curb un-bagged. Why stop at dogs and spare the cats? Felines must pay their fair share as well. License their litter boxes. Authorize the Department of Health to do spot checks. No tag, seize the offender and dump out the contents. Now that The Nose has alienated the local wildlife, cat ladies and all ‘dog people,’ let’s get right to the point about the real cause of our budget explosion--children. Yes, Dear Readers, if all District male residents were all legally required to get a vasectomy and while their female counterparts received a tubal ligation (Google that, my Dears!), it would significantly reduce District’s school age population over time. 138 ★ HillRag | May 2011

The Nose fears the knife as much as the next man. What about taxing kids in true mainland Chinese fashion, or bringing back the workhouse? Let them pay for their own schools. Oliver Twist managed to ask for more. No more need for expensive school modernization. Good riddance to poor performing teachers, in fact educators, in general. Sell all the playgrounds to developers. No need to dodge strollers near Eastern Market. In truth, The District would become an adult paradise, sort of like Las Vegas, but with Internet gambling. Dear Readers, caution before grabbing a pen and venting your spleen on this poor satirist. The Nose, at least, did not ‘modestly propose’ that residents dine on their progeny. In truth, The District must soak all its residents equally if it is to avoid a Congressional incursion. With apologies to the Fab Four, this song states it most eloquently: Let me tell you how it will be, Five minutes for you, ﬁve quarters for me, ‘Cause I’m the District, Yeah, I’m the District. Should eight-point-ﬁve percent appear too small, Be thankful I don’t take it all. ‘Cause I’m the District, Yeah, I’m the District. (If you drive a car), I’ll tax the street, (If you go to theater), I’ll tax your seat, (If you dine out), I’ll tax your eats, (If you take a walk), I’ll tax your feet. District. ‘Cause I’m the District, Yeah, I’m the District. Don’t ask me what I want it for (Transparency? Mayor Gray!) If you don’t want to pay some more ( Ja woh! Chair Brown!), ‘Cause I’m the District, Yeah, I’m the District. Now my advice for those who die, (District!) Put two smart cards on your eyes, (District!) ‘Cause I’m the District, Yeah, I’m the District. And you’re slaving for no-one but me, (District!). Remember, Dear Readers, a hearty belt makes writing a check to the taxman much easier. Have a comment for The Nose? Email thenose@hillrag.com. ★

HOMES THAT SHOW BETTER SELL BETTER WITH

JT POWELL!

View Our Marketing Online at www.JTPowell.com/ marketing

933 8th Street NE 2 Bedroom, 1 bath Federal with off street parking located 2 blocks from H street nightlife and eats. $307,000

the lights are much brighter here...

1130 4th Street NE 4 Bedroom 1 full and 2 half bath renovated Federal with off street parking only 2 blocks from Harris Teeter and Metro. $565,000

730 11th Street NE #104 1 Bedroom/1 Bath Condo with Off Street Parking and One Block to new Streetcar. SOLD $246,000

350 G Street SW #N310 Updated 1 Bedroom + Den/1 Bath condo in the middle of growing SW! Steps to Metro and Nats Park! SOLD $289,000

644 L Street NE Recently renovated 3 Bedroom/3.5 Bathroom Victorian located blocks from the Metro! For Sale $549,000

JT Powell â€“ Coldwell Banker 1606 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 202-465-2357 Direct / 202-478-0347 Fax info@JTPowell.com