hillrag.com • April 2013
Est. 1981
D SOL
BRIGHTWOOD
5708 4th Street, NW
PETWORTH
Listed at $599,999
5611 5th Street, NW #2
We are representing the buyer.
Todd Bissey 202-841-7653 THE BISSEY TEAM
COLONIAL VILLAGE
1731 Willard St., NW #304
DUPONT
CAPITOL HILL
$1,494,500 – CONTRACT
$339,500 Pete Frias 202-744-8973 www.PeterFrias.com
$748,500 – SOLD Todd Bissey 202-841-7653 THE BISSEY TEAM
7610 17th Street, NW
$179,000
Fern Pannill
240-508-4856
Genie Hutinet 202-413-7661
448 NJ Ave., SE
2711 North Capitol St, NE
Renovated 4BR/3.5BA with parking in Ledroit Park!
$749,500 BRIGHTWOOD
THE
6513 7th Place, NW $669,500 Pete Frias 202-744-8973 www.PeterFrias.com
BISSEY TEAM
Todd Bissey 202-841-7653
AT JOHN C. FORMANT REAL ESTATE, INC.
CAPITOL HILL
3616 Conn. Ave., NW #107
$669,500 – CONTRACT
$368,500 – CONTRACT Todd Bissey 202-841-7653 THE BISSEY TEAM
CAPITOL HILL
Stan Bissey 202-841-1433
215 I Street, NE #302 $549,900
Abdo’s Landmark Lofts
Fern Pannill
240-508-4856
ED LIST JUST
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 619 Lamont Street, NW
$718,500 Stan Bissey 202-841-1433 THE BISSEY TEAM
917 G Street, SE
Genie Hutinet 202-413-7661
CLEVELAND PARK
SHAW
1420 5th Street, NW
$949,500 -- CONTRACT Fern Pannill
240-508-4856
CAPITOL HILL 633 E Street, SE
$1,648,500 – CONTRACT Todd Bissey 202-841-7653 THE BISSEY TEAM
“WHERE WASHINGTON SHOPS FOR A NEW ADDRESS!”® 225 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003
Tel: 202-544-3900 www.johncformant.com
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What’s Inside
APRIL ineveryissue 14 16 62 142 150 154
Go ... See ... Do Washington’s Best Calendar Hill Rag Crossword Classified Ads Last Word The Nose
capitolstreets
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29 30 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 59
Ode to Sweet April / E. Ethelbert Miller The Bulletin Board The District Beat / Martin Austermuhle The Numbers / Ed Lazere Free Ride! Is Bike Theft a Profession? / Amanda Abrams Fate of Randall Recreation Center in Flux / William Rich StreetcarSchedule Still May Change / Dana Bell Zoning Rewrite Hits Home / Rindy O’Brien Craft Show Proceeds Support Smithsonian Projects / Susan A. Vallon ANC 6A Re port / Maggy Baccinelli ANC 6B Report / Emily Clark ANC 6C Report / Charnice A. Milton ANC 6D Report / Roberta Weiner
communitylife 63 64 66 68 70 72
St. Peter’s Quake Damage Repaired / Peter J. Waldron Capitol Riverfront: Projects Shape a New Neighbor- hood / Michael Stevens H Street Life: / Elise Bernard Barracks Row / Sharon Bosworth @ Your Service / Ellen Boomer The Table Church / Heather Schoell
ARTSdiningentertainment Special 76 80 82 85
Five Dishes to Die For / Jonathan Bardzik Baguettes and Baseball / Jonathan Bardzik Dining Notes / Celeste McCall Wine Guys: Spring Recommendations / Felix Milner
Capitol Hill $1.0M+ Market Soars Through The Spring!
S 86 90 92 94 96
Earth Day Events and Films / Cyd Price At the Movies / Mike Canning Art and The City / Jim Magner The Literary Hill / Karen Lyon The Jazz Project / Jean-Keith Fagon
The Slave Market on East Capitol /Robert S. Pohl Changing Hands
beautyhealthfitness 109 112 114 116
SETTLED 324 Independence Ave - $1,415,000 2 story elegant Victorian semi-detached row house with parking, 3 bedrooms , 3.5 baths with a great family room or in-law suite. Manuel Cortes (202) 556-5754
18 5th Street, NE - $1,465,000 Gorgeous top to bottom renovation! 5 generous bedrooms, 3 baths! 2 car off street parking! Phyllis Jane Young 202-262-7253
realestate 99 102
o far this Spring, 11 properties for over $1,000,000 have settled and 6 more are under contract pending settlement. Looking like another banner year for the Capitol Hill $1,000,000 market. If you are thinking of selling, with the uncertainty of future tax policy and interest rates, this is the time to act!
WEll Nourished / Annette Nielsen Formidable Flora /Matthew Antkowiak, DVM A Holistic Approach To Dentistry / Ellen Boomer Sound Can Heal / Ronda Bresnick Hauss
28 9th Street NE - $1,495,000 Prominently sited Hill landmark. 1874 2nd Empire splendor, rich in period detail and historic legend. Linda Pettie 202-276-3172/ Michael Tubbs 202-487-7206
656 Mass Ave., SE - $1,535,000 Victorian elegance meets 21st Century functionality in this 3200+ square foot row house built in 2003. Chef style eat-in kitchen, French country dining room. Topher Cushman 202-327-4682 1110 East Capitol Street - $1,250,000 Master suite plus 5 bedrooms. Fabulous Lincoln Park location. John Parker 202-413-5377 (Listed by Judi Seiden PenFed)
UNDER CONTRACT 637 East Capitol Street - $1,495,000 STATELY Victorian on a prime East
kidsandfamily
Capitol Street block. Period Details on 3 levels--thoughtfully restored, well-maintained. 2 parlors, 5/6 Bedrooms. Linda Pettie 202-276-3172 and Michael Tubbs 202-487-7206
119 126
402 Independence Ave. - $1,199,000
Kids & Family Notebook / Kathleen Donner School Notes / Susan Braun Johnson
homesandgardens 133 140
The Hill Gardener / Rindy O’Brien Dear Garden Lady / by Anonymous
Restoration of a circa 1890’s townhome to a bright, cheerful 4bedroom offering the ease of turn-key living. French doors to pretty walled patio. Ryall Smith 202-531-6400/Grant Griffith 202-741-1685/Andrew Glasow 202-285-3600
17 4th Street NE - $1,299,000 This 1857 antebellum is practically NEW FROM TOP TO BOTTOM! Fabulous center hall design invites lavish entertaining on a large scale and incredibly gracious living! Phyllis Jane Young 202-262-7253
ACTIVE 441 New Jersey SE - $1,498,500 5 Bedrooms, 3 Baths, Garage. unlimited potential near HOB’s , Natl Democratic & Republican Clubs! Ryall Smith (202) 531-6400 1118 East Capitol Street - $1,679,0000 Elegant stone porch front, rich in period details w/amazing 2006 highest quality addition. 4 Brs, 3.5 Bas, plus 2 br unit w/ c of o plus lush pvt terrace/garden. Linda Pettie (202) 276-3172 Michael Tubbs 202-487-7206 Cover Info: Timothy Johnson (solo show) Icarus…Flight Cancelled Acrylic on canvas 30 x 30 in. “Icarus is the son of the master craftsman, Daedalus. Held captive on the isle of Crete, Daedalus fashioned wings from feathers and wax, for himself and his son. Daedalus tried the wings first, but before taking off from the island, he
warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, nor too close to the sea, but to follow his path in flight. Overcome by the giddiness that flying lent him, Icarus soared through the sky indulging in his sense of freedom, but in the process he came too close to the hot sun. As the feathers fell loose from the soft wax, Icarus was sent plummeting into the ocean, and drowned.” More information about Johnson can be found at www. touchstonegallery.com
805 A Street SE - $1,029,000
Soaring Edwardian in prime Cap Hill location. FOUR generous bedrooms / 2 1/2 baths. Kitchen with family room plus double parlors. Gary Jankowski 202- 439-6009
Don Denton
Branch Vice President Coldwell Banker Capitol Hill Direct: 202-741-1683 Office: 202-547-3525 ddenton@cbmove.com http://donalddenton.xactsite.com/
20 13 FA G O E N G U ID
LOOK FOR YOUR NEXT HILL RAG ISSUE ON:
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IT TO C AP
EDITORIAL STAFF MANAGING EDITOR: Andrew Lightman • andrew@hillrag.com CFO & ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Maria Carolina Lopez • carolina@hillrag.com SCHOOL NOTES EDITOR: Susan Braun Johnson • schools@hillrag.com KIDS & FAMILY NOTEBOOK EDITOR: Kathleen Donner • kathleendonner@gmail.com ARTS, DINING & ENTERTAINMENT ART: Jim Magner • jjmagner@aol.com DINING: Emily Clark • clapol47@gmail.com Celeste McCall • celeste@us.net HIT THE CITY: Joylyn Hopkins • joylyn@joylynhopkins.com LITERATURE: Karen Lyon • klyon@folger.edu MOVIES: Mike Canning • mjcanning@verizon.net MUSIC: Jean-Keith Fagon • fagon@hillrag.com Stephen Monroe • samonroe2004@yahoo.com RETAIL THERAPY: Scott Fazzini • scott.fazzini@gmail.com THEATER: Barbara Wells • barchardwells@aol.com TRAVEL: Maggie Hall • whitby@aol.com THE WINE GUYS: Jon Genderson • jon@cellar.com CALENDAR & BULLETIN BOARD CALENDAR EDITOR: Kathleen Donner • calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com GENERAL ASSIGNMENT Martin Austermuhle • martin.austermuhle@gmail.com Maggy Baccinelli • mbaccinelli@gmail.com Dana Bell • dana@hillrag.com Elise Bernard • elise.bernard@gmail.com Ralph Brabham • ralphbrabham@yahoo.com Stephanie Deutsch • scd@his.com Kathleen Donner • kathleendonner@gmail.com Michelle Phipps-Evans • invisiblecolours@yahoo.com
L O L H IL
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Gwyn Jones • gwynjones@aol.com Stephen Lilienthal - stephen_lilienthal@yahoo.com Celeste McCall • celeste@hillrag.com Charnice Milton • charnicem@hotmail.com John H. Muller • jmuller.washingtonsyndicate@gmail.com Alice Ollstein • alice.ollstein@gmail.com Will Rich • will.janks@gmail.com Linda Samuel • indabsamuel@yahoo.com Heather Schoell • schoell@verizon.net Virginia Avniel Spatz • virginia@hillrag.com Michael G. Stevens • michael@capitolriverfront.org Peter J. Waldron • peter@hillrag.com Roberta Weiner • rweiner_us@yahoo.com Jazzy Wright • wright.jazzy@gmail.com Jennifer Zatkowski • jenn@hillrag.com BEAUTY, HEALTH & FITNESS Patricia Cinelli • fitmiss44@aol.com Ronda Bresnick Hauss, LCSW • www.quietwaterscenter.com quiet_waters_center@yahoo.com Mariessa Terrell • mterrell@sbclawgroup.com Candace Y.A. Montague • writeoncm@gmail.com KIDS & FAMILY Kathleen Donner • kathleendonner@gmail.com Susan Johnson • schools@hillrag.com SOCIETY & EVENTS Mickey Thompson • socialsightings@aol.com HOMES & GARDENS Rindy O’Brien • rindyob@mac.com Derek Thomas • derek@thomaslandscapes.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.
Judith Capen • judith.capen@architravepc.com HomeStyle: Mark Johnson • mark@hillrag.com Catherine Plume • caplume@yahoo.com COMMENTARY ETHELBERT MILLER • EMILLER698@AOL.COM THE NOSE • THENOSE@HILLRAG.COM PRODUCTION/GRAPHIC/WEB DESIGN ART DIRECTOR: Jason Yen • jay@hillrag.com Graphic Designer: Lee Kyungmin • lee@hillrag.com WEB MASTER: Andrew Lightman • andrew@hillrag.com ADVERTISING & SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Kira Means, 202.543.8300 X16 • kira@hillrag.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Jennifer Zatkowski, 202.543.8300 X20 • Jenn@hillrag.com CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Maria Carolina Lopez, 202.543.8300 X12 • carolina@hillrag.com DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Andrew Lightman DISTRIBUTORS: MediaPoint, LLC DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION: distribution@hillrag.com DEADLINES & CONTACTS 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
HILL RAG • MID CITY DC • EAST OF THE RIVER • FAGON COMMUNITY GUIDES 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
PUBLISHER: JEAN-KEITH FAGON • fagon@hillrag.com Copyright © 2013 by Capital Community News. All Rights Reserved.
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GO NATS! GO SPORTS ON THE HILL! GO CAPITOL HILL LITTLE LEAGUE! THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE - THE HILL IS LOOKING UP! WE ARE HERE IF YOU WANT TO CHAT ABOUT SELLING OR BUYING, LONG TERM OR RIGHT NOW. Our listings sell for an average of 98% of the asking price. Licensed in DC, MD, and VA UNDER CONTRACT 1735 D Street NE $450,000
UNDER CONTRACT 727 11th Street NE $699,000
SOLD 1623 Constitution Ave, NE $530,000 Look Us Up on Facebook! Megan Shapiro (Cell) 202-329-4068 meg@megandgeorge.com
George Olson (Cell) 202-203-0339 george.olson@rmxtalk.com
(Office) 202-547-5600
www.megandgeorge.com Allegiance
The Norris Group HillRag | April 2013 ★ 13
GO.SEE.DO. Volunteer Capitol Hill
On Saturday, Apr 20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., learn about ways that you can make a difference at the Volunteer Capitol Hill fair at Hill Center. This inaugural event will showcase a wide variety of opportunities for volunteer service, featuring 25 non-profit organizations that do work on the Hill. Whether you are looking to make a difference in the community, develop new job skills, Volunteer tutor with a student at Payne Elementary. make new friends, or spend time together as a family, Volunteer Capitol Hill will have opportunities that can easily be matched to your availability, skills, and interests. Organizations attending include: Anacostia Watershed Society, Barracks Row Main Street, Brethren Nutrition Program, Capitol Hill Community Foundation, Capitol Hill Group Ministry, Capitol Hill Village, Community Connections, Eastern Market DC, Everybody Wins! DC, First Book–DC, Girls on the Run–DC, Haye Girl, Hill Center, Homeless Children’s Project, Jan’s Tutoring House, Kid Power, Legal Council for the Elderly/DC Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, Little Lights Urban Ministries, Momentum Dance Theater, Neighbors Feeding Neighbors, Opera Lafayette, Rural Dog Rescue, STRIVE DC and Trees for Capitol Hill. The music will be by Blue Panamuse, a Capitol Hill-based blues and swing group, featuring a washtub base, guitar and harmonica. Light refreshments will be served. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. HillCenterDC.org
Smithsonian Craft Show
Basket art by Kari Lonning. 14 H Hillrag.com
America’s finest craft artists will come to the National Building Museum to participate in the 31st Annual Smithsonian Craft Show. Widely regarded as the country’s most prestigious juried show and sale of fine American craft. Opening Thursday, April 25 through Sunday , April 28, the show will feature One-of-a-kind or limited edition works in 11 different media—from furniture and ceramics to glass and wearable art by 121 artists, 46 first-time exhibitors. Proceeds from the Craft Show are distributed directly to the Smithsonian’s 19 museums and galleries, 9 research facilities, 20 libraries, and the National Zoo by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee through an annual competitive grants program. More than $10 million in grants and endowments has been awarded since 1966. For more information on the craft show and for a list of recent grants, go to SmithsonianCraftShow.org.
Lemonade Day
Support local youth by purchasing a refreshing beverage at a student-operated lemonade stand. Students from Eliot-Hine Middle School, Ludlow-Taylor Elementary, Payne Elementary, and Maury Elementary’s Braveheart Youth Camp have partnered with the GWU School of Business and local non-profit Serve Your City to learn the process of becoming small business owners and engage in community entrepreneurship. On April 14, 10 a.m.-4 pm, buy lemonade at Eastern Market Metro Station Plaza; Safeway parking lot, 415 14th St. SE; and Maryland Ave. between 7th and 8th Sts. NE. On April 15, 3-6 pm, find our young entrepreneurs at Maury Elementary School, at the corner of 13th St. and Constitution Ave. NE. For more information or to volunteer/donate, contact Maurice Cook at 202-341-1732 or mcook.serveyourcity@gmail.com.
Courtesy of Crystal City BID
Crystal City Art Underground
Five blocks of Crystal City’s interior retail space has been transformed into a vibrant arts and cultural destination with galleries, studios, interactive exhibits and activities, performance and classroom spaces, and a host of special events. Art Underground includes: Studios Underground for local artists to create, practice and showcase their talents while providing an engaging cultural experience for area residents, employees, visitors and guests; a Gallery Underground showcasing of original artwork by regional artists with monthly rotating exhibits to excite the imagination, stimulate creativity, and encourage repeat visitation; the Synetic Theater, the premier American physical theater, fusing dynamic art forms such as text, drama, movement, acrobatics, dance and music; and special events such as ArtJamz sessions. 2100 Crystal Drive. crystalcity.org
Support our kids on Lemonade Day.
Out of Site in Plain View: A History of Exhibiting Architecture since 1750
The A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts at the National Gallery of Art were established in 1949 to bring to the people of the United States the results of the best contemporary thought and scholarship bearing upon the subject of the fine arts. Barry Bergdoll, The Philip Johnson Chief Curator of Architecture and Design, The Museum of Modern Art, and professor, Columbia University, will present the 62nd A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts. The series will include the following lectures: April 7 - Framed and Hung: Architecture in Public from the Salon to the French Revolution; April 14 - In and Out of Time: Curating Architecture’s History; April 21 - Not at Home: Architecture on Display from World’s Fairs to Williamsburg; April 28 - Better Futures: Exhibitions between Reform and Avant-Garde; May 5 - Conflicting Visions: Commerce, Diplomacy, and Persuasion; May 12 - Architecture and the Rise of the Event Economy. All lectures take place Sunday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. in the East Building Auditorium. In anticipation of high attendance, the six lectures in this series will be video recorded. A screening of the recording will be shown the week after each lecture at noon also in the East Building Auditorium. nga.gov Barry Bergdoll, 62nd A. W. Mellon Lecturer in the Fine Arts at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, spring 2013. Photo: Robin Holland © 2008 The Museum of Modern Art. HillRag | April 2013 H 15
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APRIL
HillRag CALENDAR
CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. Apr 13, 10:00 AM-noon. Constitution Avenue from7th to 17th streets, NW. $20 for grandstand Sseating; free along parade route. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org Sakura Matsuri-Japanese Street Festival. Apr 13, 10:30 AM-6:00 PM. $5/person (13 years or older). 12th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org Blessing of the Fleets. Apr 13, 1:00-5:00 PM. United States Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org Jefferson Memorial Activities. Through Apr 13. Get moving admist the monuments and blossoms! Spring into action with a variety of group-led exercise and dance activities, such as Silent Meditation and Zumba, on Saturdays during the Festival before the Festival ends with a marching band showcase Saturday, Apr 13. Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org
An Exhibition Featuring Yuriko Yamaguchi, Michi Fujita and iona rozeal brown. Through June 30 (round-the-clock access to the building’s gallery. The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities announces the opening of an exhibition of fine art to celebrate the commencement of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. This special exhibition will bring together the works of Japanese-born sculptor Yuriko Yamaguchi, painter Michi Fugita, and internationally renowned multimedia artist iona rozeal brown to form an other-worldly landscape in bloom. The Gallery @ I Street, 200 I St. SE. For more information, contact Zoma Wallace, or call 202-724-5613.
Gerdan Eastern European Music, April 14. Photo: Courtesy of the Hill Center
WorldPlay: Traditional Music of the World at Hill Center. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital announces the new series WorldPlay: Traditional Music of the World at Hill Center. Curated by Parker Jayne and Thea Austen, WorldPlay offers a unique collection of artists performing a wide variety of music and discussion about the culture and heritage of music that rarely appears on Capitol Hill. Each concert will feature a half hour, moderated discus-
sion about the history of the culture, heritage, music and performers. Tickets are $15. All concerts are on Sundays, 3:30-6 p.m. Here’s the line-up: Gerdan: Eastern European Music, April 14; Karpouzi Trio: Greek Music, May 19, Children’s Choir of Tblisi: Music from the Republic of Georgia, July 21; Dr. Nadar Majd and the Chakavak Ensemble: Persian Music, September 22; Andrea Hoag, Loretta Kelley and Charlie Pilzer: Scandanavian Music, October 20. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-549-4172. hillcenterdc.org
Celebrate the Arts of Japan at the Freer and Sackler Galleries. Through Aug 4. Explore the arts of Japan at the Freer|Sackler Galleries.The museums present the Gerhard Pulverer collection of Japanese illustrated books, a Japanese design festival, tours, and highly anticipated anime workshops and an anime film marathon. 1050 Independence Ave. SW. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org
EARTH DAY Earth Month at Union Station. Apr 1-30. Earth Month will feature a film festival, a farmers’ market, alternative energy demonstrations, a green fashion show and a science fair with local schools. There will also be programmed activities, entertainment, discussion panels, contests, games, giveaways and much more throughout the month, with a full day of special events and entertainment on Earth Day, Monday, Apr 22. The events are free and open to all ages. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org Celebrate Earth Day! at the Botanic Garden. Apr 19, 10:00 AM-2:00 PM. Join the U.S. Botanic Garden as they celebrates the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day! Come enjoy cooking demonstrations with seasonal produce and meet with representatives of environmental organizations from throughout the region. Drop by and learn all the ways that you can make the planet a healthier place and become a more active steward of the plants that support life on earth. US Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. usbg.gov Anacostia River Watershed Earth Day Cleanup. Apr 20, 9:00 AM-noon. Approximately 20 sites around the Anacostia Watershed in Washington, DC, and Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland. anacostiaws.org
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National Zoo’s Earth Day for the Planet. Apr 20, 11:00 AM-2:00 PM. Come to the National Zoo for a free public event to celebrate Earth Day and the Zoo’s commitment to green practices. “Earth Days” at the National Archives. Apr 21, 7:00 PM. In conjunction with our exhibit “Searching for the Seventies: The DOCUMERICA Photography Project,” they present Earth Days (2009; 102 mins.), which looks back to the dawn and development of the modern environmental movement. Denis Hayes, environmental activist and national coordinator of the first Earth Day, will introduce and discuss the film. Presented by the Charles Guggenheim Center for Documentary Film in partnership with the 2013 Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital. William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202357-5053. archives.gov Reclaiming the Edge on Earth Day. Apr 22, 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. Through hands-on activities, tours, storytelling, and more, learn how to live greener and cleaner and leave a smaller carbon footprint. Also, see demonstrations on recycling and green container gardening. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu
SPECIAL EVENTS Washington International Film Festival. Apr 11-21. Now in its 27th year, Filmfest DC is back to entertain and provoke movie lovers in a fun and enjoyable atmosphere. Films presented in the festival are Washington, DC premieres and provide an excellent opportunity to see award-winning cinema and meet internationally renowned directors who will attend the festival to present and discuss their work. filmfestdc.org
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Washington National Cathedral Flower Mart. May 3-4. This wonderful annual outdoor spring festival sponsored by the Cathedral’s All Hallows Guild features plant sales, floral and horticultural displays, boutique booths, tasty foods, music and entertainment, plus fun activities for children, including rides on the antique carousel. Proceeds benefit the Cathedral’s gardens, grounds and woodlands. Free admission. Rain or shine. Tower climbs offered on Saturday, May 4. Climbs are offered from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (except noon) every half hour. $10 per person; tickets available on Saturday onsite only. nationalcathedral.org
MUSIC New Music: International Contemporary Ensemble. Apr 11, 8:00 PM. International Contemporary Ensemble returns to the Atlas for an evening of new works by two incredible young composers. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org
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APRIL CALENDAR H H H show tunes focusing on taking chances, gambling, and more! Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door, available by emailing victor@chaw.org or by calling 202-547-6839. Capital Hill Arts Workshop, 545, 7th St. SE. chaw.org Left Bank Society at LOC. Apr 20, 8:0010:00 PM. The Left Bank Society, with soprano Patricia Green, offers a Brahms masterwork his G major string quintet alongside compositions from George Walker and Dina Koston. Coolidge Auditorium, Ground floor, Thomas Jefferson Building. 202-707-5502. loc.gov John Tibbs with Michael Knox at Ebenezers. Apr 25, 7:30-10:00 PM. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com Dave Farah, Kiirstin Marilyn, Don Kim, & Zia Hassan at Ebenezers. Apr 26, 7:30-10:00 PM. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com
Capital City Symphony
Capital City Symphony’s Opera Scenes and Songs-La Boheme. April 14, 5:00 PM. Join the Capital City Symphony for April in Paris, as they present a semi-staged concert reduction of Puccini’s beloved opera, La Bohème. $16-$25 (student/senior discount). Children age 16 and under free but ticket is required. Get tickets at capitalcitysymphony. org or through the Atlas Box Office at 202-399-7993. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Mike Mangione & The Union and The Future Laureates at Ebenezers. Apr 12, 7:30-10:00 PM. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com VIENNA: Music for Maximilian. Apr 1214. Between 1493 and 1519, the Viennese Imperial Court of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, amassed the largest musical establishment in Europe. Maximilian had a chapel choir filled with famous singer-composers, military bands, an array of chamber instruments, and virtuoso organists. Enjoy lovely, lively, and lusty songs; charming instrumental pieces; and monumental sacred pieces proclaiming the glory of the Habsburg Emperor to the world. $37. Folger shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-4600. folger.edu Christophe Rousset at the LOC. Apr 13, 2:00-4:00 PM. Harpsichordist Christophe Rousset presents works by Couperin and Rameau. Tickets are required. Coolidge Auditorium, Ground floor, Thomas Jefferson Building. 202-707-5502. lov.gov Kelly McFarling at the Corner Store. Apr 16, 8:00 PM. Homegrown and haunting, Kelly McFarling’s voice spirals powerfully and progressively over a bed of old-time instrumentation. Her music has been dubbed “Original rhythm and bluegrass” for bold honest lyrics and au-
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thentic melodies. $15 advance rsvp, $20 walkin. RSVP cornerstorearts.org or call 202-544580. Corner Store, 900 So. Carolina Ave. SE. Stile Antico at the LOC. Apr 17, 8:00-10:00 PM. Stile Antico performs masterpieces from the golden age of choral music, including works by Praetorius, Gombert, Palestrina, Gibbons, de Ceballos and Tallis. Coolidge Auditorium, Ground floor, Thomas Jefferson Building. 202-707-5502. loc.gov Chaquis Maliq, Fat Opie, & THE Dubber at Ebenezers. Apr 18, 7:30-10:00 PM. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com Atlas Presents People Get Ready. Apr 19, 8:00 PM. The Brooklyn-based People Get Ready is Steven Reker, Luke Fasano (ex-Yeasayer), James Rickman (ex-Lizzie Trulie, exSlow Gherkin), and Jen Goma (A Sunny Day in Glasgow). Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org Grace Pettis & Fourteen Hundred Miles at Ebenezers. Apr 19, 7:30-10:00 PM. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com CHAWbaret 10-Take a Chance on Me. Apr 19, 8:00 PM and Apr 20 5:00 and 8:00 PM. An evening of pop songs, standards, and
John Mark McMillan at The Miracle Theatre at Ebenezers. Apr 28, 7:00-10:00 PM. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-5586900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com HR 57 Weekly Jam Sessions. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8:00 PM-midnight. Since 1993 HR-57 has provided a place where aspiring musicians gather to learn the history and cultures of the genres of jazz and blues. It’s a venue for the exchange of ideas and information between aspiring and professional musicians, students, aficionados and the general public. $8. 1007 H St. NE. 202253-0044. hr57.org Church of the Epiphany Weekly Concerts. Every Tuesday, 12:10 PM. Free but free will offering taken. 1317 G ST. NW. 202-3472635. epiphanydc.org Jazz Night (and fish fry) in Southwest. Fridays, 6:00-9:00 PM. Every Friday night. Expect a large, fun and friendly crowd. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW (Fourth and I, south side of intersection). The cover is $5. Children are welcome and free under 16 years old. 202-484-7700. westminsterdc.org/jazz Blue Monday Blues. Mondays, 6:00-9:00 PM. Westminster Presbyterian Church. Local musicians perform, and the Southwest Catering Company provides a fish fry from 5:308:30 PM. $5/general; free/children under 16. Modestly priced food. 400 I St. SW. 202-4847700. westminsterdc.org/blues
THEATER All the Man Need at the Atlas. Apr 6-21. “All The Man I Need” is a stage play about a 39 year old Financial Planner and Investment Strategist named Erica, who has a successful career in finding the right investments for her clients, but has been unsuccessful in
finding love and the “right man” for herself. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org Mart T and Lizzy K at Arena. Through Apr 18. Writer-director Tazewell Thompson stitches together an insider’s look at the unlikely friendship between First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln and her talented seamstress, the successful freed slave Elizabeth Keckly. As one woman’s skilled hands work overtime, creating the most beautiful garments of her career, the other’s reality continues to slip ever further from her grasp. Old wounds and new recriminations explode in this riveting drama about loss, love and the importance of promises, both kept and broken. This world premiere drama is the first commission of Arena Stage’s American President’s Project. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-4883300. arena-stage.org Hello, Dolly at Ford’s. Through May 18. The production features Broadway’s Nancy Opel in the title role and Edward Gero as Horace Vandergelder. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. fords.org American Utopias at Woolly. Through Apr 21. Mike Daisey takes us all over the map to pursue the story: from Disney World and its nostalgic theme park perfection, to the drugfueled anarchic excesses of Burning Man, to Zuccotti Park, where in the unlikeliest place the Occupy Wall Street movement was born. Gun-play, giant glittery dildos, raving animatronic presidents, and brutal police actions come together to paint the landscape of our new American dream. After record-breaking performances in New York, Chicago, and Boston, American Utopias returns to where it all began at Woolly Mammoth. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW. 202-3933939. woollymammoth.net Andy and the Shadows at Theater J. Through May 5. A comedy about family with Freudian hallucinations and pre-marital angst, from Theater J’s Artistic Director and award winning playwright. Zipping from one rite-of-passage (and time period) to the next, Andy Glickstein is the filmmaking son of Holocaust refugees looking back at the wild weekend of his engagement to Sarahas party plans fall apart; a famous film flop is hilariously re-made; duendé is discovered; and two vulnerable, differently indomitable parents and their pasts become more deeply understood. Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW. 202-518-9400. washingtondcjcc.org The Mountaintop at Arena. Through May 12. Hailed as “daring, rousing and provocative” by Entertainment Weekly, The Mountaintop is Katori Hall’s bold reimagining of the last night of the historic life of Dr. Martin Luther King. Exhausted from delivering a significant speech, Dr. King rests in his room at the Lorraine Motel when an unexpected visit from a feisty, young maid compels him to confront his own humanity and the fate of our nation. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-488-3300. arena-stage.org
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URBAN GARDENER SERIES
WITH HORTICU LTU R IST DE R E K THOMAS *
Coriolanus at Shakespeare Theater. Through June 2. A mighty hero, Caius Martius, earns the new name of “Coriolanus” for his triumphs. However his inflexible self-belief and contempt for popular rule cause him to be condemned as a traitor and sent into exile. Desiring revenge against the Romans who banished him, he befriends his blood enemy, Aufidius, to launch an assault on his beloved city. Rome, in its terror, pleads with Coriolanus to end his crusade for vengeance. Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org Auditions for Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance”. Apr 20, 10:30 AM1:00 PM and Apr 23, 7:00-9:30 PM. Or, by appointment, if you are unable to make audition times, email jill@chaw.org or call 202-547-6839. Capital Hill Arts Workshop, 545, 7th St. SE. chaw.org
FREE INTRODUCTION LECTURE SAT. MAY 4, 1 PM TO 2 PM Overview of the series on several key areas vital to urban gardeners. Discussions on: a plan for garden greatness, pruning with a purpose and when good plants go bad. 30 min Q&A period to plan the series with class participants to customize it to “your” needs.
Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE 202.549.4172 | programs@HillCenterDC.org WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES TAILORED TO YOUR GARDENING NEEDS Focus areas: • Proper plant, proper place, why did your plants fail when you did it all right? • Going organic without breaking the bank. • Pocket gardens, gardening in small spaces for big impact. • Recycled materials in the garden.
• Green roofs
• Lawns in the urban landscape
• Children’s gardens
• Trees and the urban canopy
• Gardening in containers
• Invasive plants and their impact on the urban landscape
• Tools of the trade • Proper pruning
• Out in the garden, field trips into the urban jungle
& In PartnershIP wIth
Register at: http://hillcenterdc.org/home/programs/1293 * Derek Thomas is a certified professional horticulturalist and Master Gardener, a member of the Maryland Nursery and Landscape Association, and a member in good standing of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.
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Twelfth Night at the Folger. Apr 30-June 9. Cast away on the shores of a distant land, lost lovers and their unruly servants converge and conspire in this romancefilled comedy. Folger shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-4600. folger.edu St. Mark’s Players Presents Cabaret. May 10-25, (save the date). St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 301 A St. SE. stmarksplayers.org
EXHIBITIONS AND GALLERY OPENINGS Nobility and Newcomers in Renaissance Ireland. Through May 19. Often portrayed as a country in conflict during the 16th and 17th centuries, Ireland was in fact a place of intermingling culture and adaptability. Nobility and Newcomers explores the opportunities and challenges open to both Irish and English nobility, and reveals Ireland as a land of ideas and art. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-4600. folger.edu Hill Center Galleries New Exhibition. Through Apr 28 (reception with artists is Mar 20, at 6 PM). Featured artists include Alan Braley, Deborah Cavenaugh, Gayle Krughoff, Bill Matuszeski, Mary Proctor, and Colin Winterbottom. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-549-4172. hillcenterdc.org The Gibson Girl’s America: Drawings by Charles Dana Gibson. Through Aug 17. “The Gibson Girl’s America,” a Library of Congress exhibition of 24 works, primarily drawings, that highlight the rise of the Gibson Girl from the 1890s through the first two decades of the 20th century. It also illuminates how women’s increasing presence in the public sphere contributed to the social fabric of turn-of-the-20thcentury America. The Graphic Arts Galleries on the ground level of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. loc.gov Touchstone Gallery. All Member exhibition, “Journey to Lo Manthang” by Leslie
DCRA’s Permit Operations Division Announces Two New Initiatives 1) Electronic plans submission & review via ProjectDox now available, and 2) Plats can now be ordered online from the Office of the Surveyor
The SBRC Presents its “DC Farmers’ Market Seminar” April 22nd , 2013: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, Room E-200 In Partnership w/ The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), The SBRC Presents its “Smart Money for Small Business 8 Week Workshop” Week 1: Financial Management – March 21, 2013
DCRA Will Be Closed Thursday, April 11, 2013 for Offsite Staff Training DCRA offices will reopen at 8:30 am on Friday, April 12, 2013.
Available services: Online applications for preparing building permit applications, for getting supplemental and postcard permits, and for scheduling permit-related inspections will be available: · Online permit application · Supplemental permit issuance · Post card permit application and issuance To schedule your permit inspection - call 442-9557 and follow the prompts (more information is available on DCRA’s website).
Week 2: Credit Reporting – March 28, 2013 Week 3: Banking Service – April 4, 2013 Week 4: Insurance – April 9, 2013 Week 5: Organization Types – April 18, 2013 Week 6: Tax Planning and Reporting – April 25, 2013 Week 7: Recordkeeping – May 2, 2013 Week 8: Time Management – May 16, 2013
Note: Each session will be held in room E-4302; from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
To register for the SBRC workshops go to: https:bizdc.ecenterdirect.com For assistance with registering for the SBRC workshops call: 202-442-4538
Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs 1100 4th Street, SW Washington, DC 20024
Johnston, and “Pagan Dreams” Ceremonial Constructions by Janet Wheeler – April 5 - April 28, 2013. Preview: April 3 and 4, 11-6pm. Opening Reception: Friday, April 5, 6-8:30pm. Third Thursday: April 18, 6-8:30pm Pia Mater at The Fridge. Apr 6-28. Opening reception, Apr 6, 7:00-11:00 PM. Three prolific artists, Jenny Sawle, Emily Francisco, and Ashleigh Werner, will be filling the gallery with a series of new works. 516 1/2 8th St. SE. 202-550-2208. thefridgedc.com
LITERARY EVENTS Shakespeare’s Birthday Lecture 2013-Andrew Hadfield. Apr 8, 7:30 PM. Andrew Hadfield is Professor of English at the University of Sussex and Visiting Professor at the University of Granada. He is the author of a number of works on early modern literature, including Edmund Spenser: A Life (2012), Literature, Travel and Colonialism in the English Renaissance, 1540-1625 (2007); Shakespeare and Republicanism (2005); Spenser’s Irish Experience: Wilde Fruyt and Salvage Soyl (1997); and Literature, Politics and National Identity: Reformation to Renaissance (1994). He was editor of Renaissance Studies (2006-11) and is a regular reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement. He will speak on “Graymalkin and Other Shakespearean Celts.” Free. Folger shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-4600. folger.edu One Hundred Years-From the Emancipation Proclamation to the March on Washington. Apr 11, 7:00 PM. Explore the journey from slavery to freedom between the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington. The panelists will discuss the Emancipation Proclamation, and the continuing struggle for freedom, justice, and equality during Reconstruction, as well as the Tilden-Hayes Compromise and Jim Crow laws. William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-357-5053. archives.gov Southeast Library Book Sale. Apr 13 (monthly on the 2nd Saturday), 10:00 AM-2:00 PM. 403 Seventh St. SE. 202698-3377. dclibrary.org/southeast
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Book Talk & Reception with Lucinda Prout Janke. Apr 16, 11:00 AM-2:00 PM. On the 151st anniversary of the signing of the D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act, Janke will discuss its effects on the city’s demographics and how the law got its own local holiday. Carnegie Library, 801 K St. NW. National Archives Espionage Book Fair. Apr 20, 10:30 AM-5:00 PM. Jeff Stein, investigative reporter and “Spy Talk” columnist for the Washington Post, hosts a day of espionage and intrigue. Book signings will follow the programs. Presented in partnership with the International Spy Museum. National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-357-5053. archives.gov
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APRIL CALENDAR H H H Meet the Author-Chef Jenn Crovato. Apr 21, noon-3:00 PM. Create straightforward, simple but satisfying dishes where each ingredient speaks for itself …. simply by using “Olive Oil, Sea Salt & Pepper.” Sapore Oil and Vinegar, 660 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
Washington Nationals Pups in the Park. Apr 14, 1:05 PM. Nat’s vs. Atlanta Braves. Bring your well-behaved dog (on a leash) to the ball park. Tickets for you and your dog are $30 which includes a $8 donation to Humane Society. washington.nationals.mlb.com
Robert Penn Warren Celebration. Apr 24, noon-1:00 PM. Poet Maurice Manning and author Alan Cheuse celebrate the birthday of American poet Robert Penn Warren by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing. Library of Congress Whittall Pavilion, Ground floor, Thomas Jefferson Building. 202-707-5394, loc.gov
National’s Ballpark Tours. Wednesday-Sunday (non-game days), 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM. On day of night-time home games, tours at 10:30 AM. Take the Nationals Park Ballpark Tour for a behind-the-scenes look at Nationals Park. Over the course of an hour and fifteen minutes you will visit the PNC Diamond Club, the Lexus Presidents Club, the Stars & Stripes Club, luxury suites, the Shirley Povich Media Center, Nationals dugout and Nationals clubhouse. Throw a pitch in the Nationals bullpen. $12-$15. All proceeds from Nationals Park Tours will be donated to the Nationals Dream Foundation. washington.nationals.mlb.com
Poet Laureate Billy Collins. Apr 29, 7:30 PM. Former Poet Laureate Billy Collins reads from his body of work. Reception and book signing to follow. $15. Lutheran Church of the Reformation 212 E. Capitol St. NE Library of Congress Displays Gettysburg Address. Through May 4. The Library of Congress will display the John Hay copy of the Gettysburg Address for six weeks, from Mar 22-May 4, in its “Civil War in America” exhibition. The Library also will extend the exhibition from its original closing date of June 1, 2013 to Jan. 4, 2014. The “Civil War in America” exhibition, in the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE., is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. loc.gov Southeast Library Book Discussion. Every third Thursday, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Non-fiction, American and European history, biography, classics, and philosophy including authors such as Jacques Barzun, John Updike, William Hazlitt, Alexis de Toqueville and readings from Journals of Democracy on traditions of independent civic engagement in civil society and the performance of social institutions. Southeast Library 403 7th St, SE. For more information, call 202-3415208.
SPORTS & PHYSICAL FITNESS Washington Wizards Basketball. Apr 6, 10 and 12, 7:00 PM. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. 202-397-SEAT. nba.com/wizards Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run & 5K. Apr 7, 7:30 AM. On the Washington Monument Grounds. cherryblossom.org Nats Baseball. Apr 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28. Nationals Park. 202-675-6287.washington.nationals.mlb.com DC United Soccer Home Matches. Apr 13 vs. New York; Apr 21, vs. Philadelphia; May 8 vs. Houston. $23-$52. RFK Stadium. 202-5875000. dcunited.com Move for Mobility 5K & 5 Miler. Apr 13, 8:00 AM. At Hains Point, 900 Ohio Dr. dcrunningclub.com
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Race to Stop the Silence 8K. Apr 14, 9:00 AM. Freedom Plaza, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 301-871-0400. stopcsa.org/race Intaba 5K. Apr 20, 7:30 PM. Starts in Rock Creek Park (Rock Creek Park by Picnic Grove #24, 16th & Kennedy sts. NW. intaba.org Kettle Classic 5K. Apr 20, 8:00 AM. $15$30. The first ever Salvation Army Kettle Classic 5K Run/Walk will be held on Saturday, April 28, 2012 in the heart of Washington, DC at West Potomac Park along the Potomac River. 202-756-3906. active.com Nike Women’s Marathon Half DC. Apr 28, 7:00 AM. Starts on Pennsylvania Ave near White House. 866-786-6453. facebook.com/ NWM26.2 Free Yoga Fridays at St Marks. 7:00-8:00 AM. All levels welcome. St. Mark’s Yoga Center, 301 A St. SE. All levels welcome. 202546-4964. stmarks.net. WAIT FOR EMAIL Capitol Hill Tai Chi Study Group. Saturday mornings (except when it’s below zero or very inclement weather), meeting to teach and practice Tai Chi, 8:00-10:00 AM. All styles and abilities welcome. First hour form practice, second hour the martial practice of Push Hands. Lincoln Park. Dr. David Walls-Kaufman, a Capitol Hill chiropractor, conducts this class every Saturday morning. Please dress comfortably. Free. E. Capitol St. between 11th and 13th sts. 202-544-6035. Tidal Basin 3K Monthly Run. Third Wednesday of each month, noon. This run is free and informal. West Potomac Park (meet on Ohio Dr. at West Basin Dr., near the Tourmobile stand). 703-505-3567. dcroadrunners.org Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon. Oct 6. Registration open. 703-587-4321. wilsonbridgehalf.com Marine Corps Marathon Registration. Register online beginning Mar 27 at marinemarathon.com. Marathon is Sunday, Oct. 27.
MARKETS H Street FreshFarm Market Opens in April. Apr 20-Dec 21. H St. and 13th St. NE. Vendors are Atwater’s; Blueberry Hill; Cedarbrook Farm; Dolcezza Gelato; Full Cellar Farm; Garden Path Farm; Gordy’s Pickle Jar; Keswick Creamery at Carrock Farm, LLC; Quaker Valley Orchards; Red Apron Butchery; Richfield Farm. freshfarmmarkets.org Fresh Tuesdays at Eastern Market. Every Tuesday, 3:00-7:00 PM. Tuesday afternoon farmers’ line of fresh produce. Eastern Market, 200 block of Seventh St. SE. 202-6985253. easternmarket-dc.com Union Market. Wednesday-Friday, 11:00 AM8:00 PM; Saturday-Sunday, 8:00 AM-8:00 PM. The newly-opened Union Market is an artisanal, curated, year-round food market featuring over 40 local vendors. 1309 Fifth St. NE. 301-652-7400. unionmarketdc.com Eastern Market. Daily except Mondays and important holidays. Weekdays, 7:00 AM-7:00 PM; Saturdays, 7:00 AM-5:00 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. 200 block of Seventh St. SE. 202-698-5253. easternmarket-dc.com
CIVIL LIFE At-Large City Councilmember Special Election Candidate Forum. Apr 9, 6:30-8:00 PM. There will be a condidates forum at EliotHine Middle School, for a candidates forum for the upcoming April 23 At-Large City Councilmember special election. This forum will focus on education and youth issues. This non-partisan forum will be co-moderated by Elliot-Hine Middle School students, and a member of the DC media. Eliot-Hine Middle School, 1830 Constitution Ave, NE. MoveDc Transportation Plan Advisory Committee Meeting. Apr 9, 6:00-8:00 PM. The TPAC is made up of District residents from each Ward that are active in transportation-related issues and other civic endeavors and is charged with acting in an advisory role to the moveDC project team throughout the plan development process. Members of the public are encouraged to attend and participate in the meetings. Each meeting’s agenda will be structured to offer time for presentation and sharing of information, discussion by the TPAC and questions and discussion with the public. National Capital Planning Commission, 401 9th St. NW, Suite 500 (North Lobby). wemovedc.org TENAC Candidates Forum. Apr 10, 6:30-9:00 PM. The forum is intended to inform and educate both candidates and attendees on tenant problems and concerns, and to help advance the discussion on remedies and reforms that will strengthen and promote affordable rental housing in the District of Columbia.
Sumner School, 17th & M Streets, NW (near the Farragut North red line metro station). Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic. Apr 20, 9:30 AM-noon. The Center for Urban Progress and the DC Bar Pro Bono Program are working together to offer this free legal clinic. This clinic is for aspiring or existing small business owners. Attendees will meet one-on-one with attorneys for brief advice on any legal issues their businesses may be facing. Howard University Center for Urban Progress at Reeves Municipal Building, 2000 14th St. NW. Ward 6 Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Town Hall. Apr 25, 6:30-8:30 PM at Logan School, 215 G St. NE. Mayor Gray is holding a series of town-hall-style meetings to introduce District residents to, and receive feedback from them on, his Fiscal Year 2014 Proposed Budget and Financial Plan. The $10.1 billion budget leverages the District’s strong financial position to make major investments in expanding affordable housing, strengthening education and workforce development, and safeguarding public safety without raising new taxes or fees. Follow Mayor Gray on Twitter at twitter.com/MayorVinceGray and on Facebook at facebook.com/MayorGray. Grosso Near You Meeting. First Thursday, 8:00-9:30 AM, Pound the Hill, 621 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. The meetings will provide the opportunity for constituents to bring ideas and issues directly to Councilmember Grosso as part of an effort to make the DC Council more accessible. Community Office Hours with Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells. First Thursday in Southwest at Channel Inn; third Thursday on H St. NE at Sova; fourth Thursday in Shaw. Please call the councilmember’s office for Shaw location as it varies. 8-9:30 AM. All Ward 6 residents encouraged to come out and meet with Councilmember Wells and members of his staff. 202-724-8072. tommywells.org ANC 6A. Second Thursday, 7:00 PM. Meeting at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th St. NE. 202-423-8868. anc6a.org ANC 6B. Second Tuesday, 7:00 PM. Meeting at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-543-3344. anc6b.org ANC 6C. Second Wednesday, 7:00 PM. Meeting at Heritage Foundation, 214 Mass. Ave. NE, first floor conference room. 202-5477168. anc6c.org ANC 6D. Second Monday, 7:00 PM. Meeting at 1100 4th St. SW, DCRA meeting room, 2nd floor. 202-554-1795. anc6d.org H
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Hill Center
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Capitol Streets
An Ode to Sweet April by E. Ethelbert Miller
W
hat should a poet do in April? Walk around the city with a poem in the pocket? Wait, like Walt Whitman, to catch a glimpse of the President? Ponder the blues on the P Street Bridge like Langston Hughes? Now and then I have the urge to walk over to the garden outside the OAS building in that Foggy Bottom part of town and stare at the bust of Pablo Neruda. This sculpture by Galvarino Ponce was placed there on November 21, 1980. I fell in love with Neruda around the time I was coming of age as a poet. Yes, it was a time when my youth knew despair and her many names. Neruda opened the door to Chile and soon names like Pinochet, Letelier, and Dorfman opened windows from which I began to learn about the politics of democracy and the human rights of fractured bones and missing children. When April arrives each year it becomes a time of remembrance. If poetry does nothing else it encourages us to pay attention to every word and line written or spoken. Even when a poem appears complex in structure or meaning it might also offer clarity and insight into some aspect of the human condition. It only requires patience.
April was designated National Poetry Month by the Academy of American Poets in 1996. It’s a way of showing an appreciation for poetry and a chance to highlight it at home or in the office. We can also enjoy poetry at the various entrances to Metro stations around the city. DC Poet Laureate Dolores Kendrick’s work can be found at the New York Avenue station. Walt Whitman’s words are at the National Archives as well as DuPont Circle. My own poetry is outside DuPont Circle (Q Street) as well as the Petworth Metro station. How many of us stop and take a moment to read this public art? What does a poem do to you that the wind or sun can’t? Does it matter? I think it does. Words we find in stone, we must now touch our flesh against. This simple act reminds us what it means to be human. It’s why I think about Neruda’s head across town. Where is the rest of him? Where are Neruda’s arms and legs? What did he make love with? These questions are like the days of April; each one pregnant with meaning and possibilities. Only a few of my poems have been written about the streets of Washington. Does this mean my imagination resides somewhere else? What do poets
see when they look at this city? Is it the picture of democracy and experimentation? How do we hold fast to images of dreams while our monuments continue to dwarf us? April is the month Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., died. He was very much the preacher, prophet, and poet. Where there was for too long the ruins from the riots of 1968, there are now new streets and stores. It’s time to keep a new American Journal. Poets, open your notebooks! Parents and teachers, remind us that we are the children of Whitman – whisper “sweet April” into our ears. The Depth of My Feelings Love is about forgiveness –
so I forgive you for being you – for being beautiful and wonderful (all over) and laughing and giving birth to poems – for being a friend
that makes me howl whenever I dreamabout your nakedness – which is so often I no longer have words for love – only tears. Yes, crying is the river I walk near when I think of you. —E. Ethelbert Miller H
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bulletin board Hill Center Poetry Series Brings Renowned Poets to Capitol Hil
Sr. welcomed church members, elected officials, Mrs. Whitfield’s family and friends and Florida Ave. neighbors who packed the parking lot, sidewalk and street in front of the church. Councilmembers Wells, McDuffie and Bowser also addressed the crowd as did DC Department of Transportation Director Bellamy, a number of ANC’s and Mrs. Whitfield’s friends and colleagues. Children held up signs asking motorists to “slow down” and “be careful.” A letter was read from Dr. T. Alan Hurwitz, President of Gallaudet University, offering his support in addressing safety issues on Florida Ave.
ing the Conscience: A Reporter’s Account of the Civil Rights Movement.” His wife Carol, who collaborated on the book, will join the April 16 conversation. For African Americans in the 1950s, Jet became a vital source of news of the civil rights struggle. As Washington bureau chief for the pocket-size magazine and its glossy companion Ebony, Booker was on the front lines of virtually every major event. His coverage of the 1955 murder of Emmett Till, the Chicago teenager who made the mistake of whistling at a white woman while visiting Mississippi, provoked a wave of outrage and inspired a new generation to demand racial justice. A longtime resident of Capitol Hill, Booker also covered 10 US presidents, from Dwight Eisenhower to George W. Bush, and offers fascinating perspectives on Washington politics and mores over the past six decades. The lecture will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Apr 16, at the Naval Lodge Hall at 330 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. and will conclude with a book signing. As usual, admission is free but a reservation is required due to limited seating. Email OverbeckLecture@CapitolHillHistory. org and indicate how many seats you will need.
Overbeck Lecture: Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, in collaboration with Eyewitness to the the Library of Congress Poetry Civil Rights Revolution and Literature Center and The On Tuesday evening, Washington Post, is launching Apr 16, the Overbeck the Hill Center Poetry Series. History Lecture Series This quarterly series allows nowill present an on-stage table American poets to explore interview with Simeon their work, influences, and inspiBooker, the 94-year-old rations in conversation with The journalist who covered Washington Post book critic and the US civil rights moveeditor Ron Charles. A hybrid of ment from its earliest days in-depth conversation and poetry as a correspondent for Jet reading, the Hill Center Poetry Memorial Concert for and Ebony and as the Series debuts Wednesday, Apr first black reporter hired 10, 7 p.m., at Hill Center with Nadine Hamilton by The Washington Post. award-winning poet Elizabeth To celebrate again and forever the Booker has recorded his Alexander. Elizabeth Alexander life of Nadine Hamilton, there will be a Elizabeth Alexander. Photo: Courtesy of Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital recollections of that era is a poet, essayist, playwright, and concert on Apr. 7, 3-5 p.m. at the Luin a new book, “ShockYale University Professor of Aftheran Church of the Reformation, 212 rican American Studies. She has Pennsylvania Avenue, SE-one block published six volumes of poetry, includfrom the Eastern Market Metro. ing the Pulitzer Prize finalist “American Sublime,” and composed and delivered Mayor Pledges Traffic Light and “Praise Song for the Day” for the first inauguration of President Barack Obama Curbside Parking for Florida in 2009. Alexander grew up in WashingAvenue, NE ton, DC. She is the daughter of former At a prayer vigil for Mrs. Ruby United States Secretary of the Army Whitfield on Tuesday night, Mar 26, Clifford Alexander, Jr. and Adele Alexat the New Samaritan Baptist Church, ander, a Professor of African American 1100 Florida Ave. NE, Mayor Gray women’s history at George Washington promised that the city would install a University. traffic light at the intersection where The series continues Oct 1, with poet Mrs. Whitfield was cut down by a Nick Flynn, the author of three collecspeeding hit-and-run driver on the tions of poetry, including “Some Ether,” evening of Mar 21. Mayor Gray also the winner of the inaugural PEN/Joyce promised to address the lack of curbside Osterweil Award for Poetry and a finalist parking on the street and informed the for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. crowd of about 500 that the stretch of The series is free of charge. However, 11th St. between Florida and K would tickets are required and can be reserved be renamed for the deceased woman. at HillCenterDC.org or by calling 202Bishop Michael Vernon Kelsey, 549-4172. Hill Center is located at 921 Kids hold up signs they made asking motorists to “be careful” and “watch 4 kids.” Photo: Iyabo Alli 30 H Hillrag.com
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E. Capitol St. NE. The concert will conclude with the premiere performance of “Dirge without Music” composed by Stacy Garrop based on the poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay and commissioned in Nadine’s honor and loving memory. Performances will be given by Patrice Michaels, soprano and Dana Brown, piano
CHRS Preservation Café “Garden Design for Small Yards”
The CHRS Preservation Cafe is a free forum with topics of interest to the greater Capitol Hill community. The next presentation will be “Garden Design for Small Yards,” on Wednesday, Apr 17, 6:30-7:15 p.m. at Ebenezer’s Coffee House (downstairs), Second and F streets NE. Gary Hallewell of Garden Arts will provide landscaping advice suitable to Capitol Hill yards. The event is free and handicapped accessible, and the public is encouraged to attend. No reservations required. For more information, visit chrs.org.
Tickets Available Apr. 15 for the Capitol Hill House and Garden Tour
Join your neighbors on May 11 and 12 (Mother’s Day weekend) for the 56th Annual Capitol Hill House and Garden Tour. Tickets are available April 15 @ local outlets and CHRS.org
DC Circulator Summer Service Hours
The DC Circulator will run extended service hours for the summer season on the following two routes: Union Station to Navy Yard route will run Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Extended service will be provided for Washington Nationals baseball games and buses along this route will run additional service on game days. The Potomac AveSkyland via Barracks Row route will run Monday through Friday, 6 a.m.9 p.m. and Saturdays, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Both routes are increasing service by two hours on weeknights and adding Saturday service. The extended hours will run through Sept 30. Known for its convenient 10-minute headways, the Circulator costs one dollar a ride, with additional discounts for seniors and District students. More information about the routes and schedules is available at dccirculator.com.
“The Capitol Hill Psychiatrist”
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Tae Kwon Do with Master Gutman AGES 4 and UP | Small Classes //Ustaekwondocollege.wordpress.com 222 8th Street NE | mastergutman@gmail.com | 202.546.6275 HillRag | April 2013 H 33
CHGM’s Free Tax Clinic
Capitol Hill Group Ministry (CHGM) will once again be offering free tax services for individuals and households with annual incomes of $57,000 or less. Each year unpaid volunteers from the Capitol Hill neighborhood make themselves available to help people prepare their Federal and DC income tax returns. The tax clinic is in its 40th consecutive year. This year they are asking clinic clients to call and make appointments for Thursday evenings through Apr 11, between the hours of 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Clients will be met at Lincoln Park Methodist Church only on days when they have appointments. Please call Rick Halberstein at 202-5461111 or Mike Ambrose at 202-5445605. Please leave a detailed message if there is no answer and your call will be returned. Remember to bring your W-2 forms and any other tax-related documents for your 2012 taxes.
William Penn House April Potluck and Dialogue
On Apr 7, 6:30-9 p.m., the monthly dialogue will be presented by Karen Grisez, Friends Meeting of Washington, on Immigration and Community. Karen will share her spiritual journey, including how her pro bono legal work led her to Quakerism, and how deeply intertwined her faith and work have become. Karen will discuss the current reality of how current immigration law and detention policy affect so many individuals, families, and communities. William Penn House is a Quaker Center on Capitol Hill. They host those seeking a better world and sponsor youth service programs through our work camping. They are a tobacco and alcohol free facility. All are welcome to join in and break bread together. 515 E. Capitol St. SE. williampennhouse.org
Tom Sherwood: DC April 23 Special Election Forum
This launches a quarterly series of programs anchored by News4 reporter Tom Sherwood that will investigate and explore topics and issues pertinent to Washington, DC. Tom Sherwood is a reporter for Washington News4 specializing in politics and the DC government. Tom joined News 4 in 1989 after spending 15 years covering local and national politics at The Washington Post. He is the resident guest analyst each Friday 34 H Hillrag.com
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Ambassador Jean-Louis Wolzfeld (Luxembourg), IFE CEO Kathy Kemper, Ambassador Ritva Koukku-Ronde (Finland), Ambassador Jan Matthysen (Belgium), Mayor Vincent Gray, Ambassador Romand Kirn (Slovenia) and Ambassador Jose Cuisia (Philippines)
IFE INFO hosts Mayor Vincent Gray
On March 7, Mayor Vincent Gray spoke for his third time to an INFO roundtable of Washington insiders on the city’s finances, education, economy, development, crime, sustainability and changing demographics. Gray touted his Administration’s newly released District Sustainability Plan, which he said aims to make Washington, DC one of the greenest cities in the country, if not the world. There are 143 objectives in the proposal, with 58 slated to be fulfilled within the next 2-3 years. Already, 60 embassies have signed on to a sustainability pledge along with all of the District’s colleges and universities. Among them, the Embassy of Finland, which was the first foreign embassy in Washington to be awarded the EPA’s Energy Star rating for superior energy efficiency. Sustainability, Gray said, is one example of how the District of Columbia is moving forward. Now in its 22nd season, the Institute for Education holds regular public policy roundtable discussions and salons with opinion leaders, elected officials, and notable public figures in a non-partisan venue that advances the organization’s mission to recognize and promote civility and leadership locally, nationally and in the world community. IFE also encourages youth global citizenship with programs that foster intercultural understanding, such as Learn Serve International. on WAMU-FM’s Kojo Nnamdi’s Politics Hour. He also writes a weekly column for The Current newspapers. On Wednesday, Apr 17, 7 p.m., Sherwood will be joined by Alan Suderman. Suderman writes Loose Lips, a news column and blog devoted to DC local politics. It is billed as “The definitive guide to hometown politics in the nation’s capital.” In addition to Sherwood and Suderman, Hill Center has invited all eight candidates to participate. Michael Brown, Matthew Frumin, Patrick Mara, Perry Redd, John Settles, Elissa Silverman, and Paul Zukerberg have confirmed their attendance. RSVP online at hillcenterdc. org or call 202-549 4172. Hill Center is located at 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE-one block from the Eastern Market Metro.
CHV Symposium “Addressing the Future-Housing Options on Capitol Hill”
This is an symposium for Capitol Hill Village members and others on the Hill who want to stay in their own homes or in our neighborhood throughout life. This day-long event will enable participants to learn about preparing Capitol Hill multi-floor towhhouses for ease of use throughout life; moving to one-level living on Capitol Hill; choosing co-housing, one-level living on Capitol Hill with communal space; financing changing needs such as rent, ownership or lease hold; and rehabilitating and/or residence in small neighborhood homes on Capitol Hill, when 24 hour professional attention is the best solution. Free for Capitol Hill Village members. $25, general admission. RSVP by COB Wednesday, May
1, by calling the CHV office at 202-543-1778. Space is limited. The event is Friday, May 3, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Hill Center, 901 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.
First Bocce For Hunger Tournament
Capital Bocce announces its first annual Bocce For Hunger Tournament, a one-day Bocce tournament to be held on Apr 20, at Wallenberg Park near the National Mall. Capital Bocce is partnering with Move for Hunger, a national non-profit that works with relocation companies across the US to pick up unwanted, unopened food from those who are relocating and deliver it to local food banks. The Tournament will start at 11 a.m., with each team playing a minimum of 3 games. The top teams will move on to the knockout round, with a “Champions League” Trophy going to the Tournament winner. To date, Move For Hunger is working with over 650 relocation companies in 44 states and has collected more than 1,080,000 pounds of food. For more information or to find out how you can help support Move For Hunger, visit MoveForHunger.org.
Growing the (Capitol Hill) Village Benefit
“Growing the Village” is Saturday, Apr 20, 2-4 p.m. Join a Capitol Hill Village celebration to benefit low income members. You are invited to grow the inclusiveness of the Village. Frank Guzzetta and Paul Manville are opening their E. Capitol St home for an afternoon birthday celebration of the late Stephen C. Rogers; the low income membership fund bears his name, but many Capitol Hill neighbors share his view of in-
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clusiveness. Suggested gift is $150. Call 202-543-1778 or email info@capitolhillvillage.org.
Forest City Development Project to Include Movie Theater
Forest City Washington recently submitted development plans to the DC Zoning Commission for review that propose to build a mixed-use project comprising 600 residential units, 52,000 square feet of retail and a 16-screen movie theater on land across First St. SE from Nationals Park. The land is currently owned by the DC Government and DC Water.
Blood Drive at Hill Center
On Apr 27, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., donate blood to the Red Cross at Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. If you are interested in donating at the blood drive, make sure to reserve a spot via the RedCross website. Visit redcrossblood. org/make-donation and enter Sponsor Code 05314934 to schedule your lifesaving donation! For questions regarding criteria that may affect your eligibility to donate, call 1-866-236-3276.
Yoga for Depression at St. Mark’s
This class, with Bonnie Kendrick, is for anyone who suffers with depression or loves someone who does. The class is at St. Mark’s Yoga Center; Sunday April 28, 2-4 p.m. $15 advance / $20 door. Adams Room, 301 A St. SE. 202-5434964. stmarks.net/music-and-arts/yoga
Netrunner Game Day at Labyrinth
Netrunner Game Day is on Apr 21, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Netrunner is an asymmetrical card game with a cyber-punk theme. Players play as either the Corp, a mega-corporation bent on power and control over the masses, or the Runner, a hacker attempting to steal the Corp’s secret agendas. They’ll be running demos all day, as well! Please RSVP to kathleen@labyrinthgameshop.com. Labyrinth Games & Puzzles, 645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-544-1059. labyrinthgameshop.com
Race and Public Higher Education in Washington
On Apr 23, 7-8:45 p.m., join historians Marjorie Lightman and William Zeisel as they trace the history of the University of the District of Columbia back to 1851, when Myrtilla Miner established a teacher-training school for free black women. Follow the effort of Washington’s black community to gain 38 H Hillrag.com
full educational access after the Civil War, and the establishment of a segregated public school system, including separate teachers colleges for white and black students. With the end of school segregation in 1954, the District made its first attempt at comprehensive higher education, leading finally to creation of the University of the District of Columbia in 1975. Westminster Church, 400 I Street SW, 202-484-7700. westminsterdc.org
Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church “It’s History” Sidewalk Sale
Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church at 201 4th St. SE, will be holding the “It’s History” Sidewalk Sale on Saturday, May 11 from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. In case of rain the sale will be held in the Chapel. Donations will be accepted at the Chapel on the south side of the church, May 6-10 from 6-8 p.m. Gently used donations of household goods, seasonal decorations, clothing and accessories, children’s toys, sports equipment, furniture, office equipment and supplies, books, music and electronics are welcome. For more information or questions about donations to the sidewalk sale go to activitieschpc@gmail. com or call at 202-547-8676.
30 DC Arts Organizations Receive Funding Totaling $2.5 million
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities announces that $2.5 million has been awarded to arts organizations in the District of Columbia through the DCCAH’s Arts Stabilization Grant program. The Arts Stabilization Grant provides one-time general operating support to established arts and humanities organizations that support the sustainability of the District of Columbia’s creative economy. The program, which was introduced this fiscal year, is a result of a $6.8 million budget enhancement grant by to the DCCAH for FY 2013.
DC Streetcar’s New Website
At dcstreetcar.com, the District Department of Transportation has unveiled a redesigned website for the DC Streetcar program. In addition to a new design, the site features up-to-date information on current lines, future Lines and construction impacts. Visit dcstreetcar.com to peruse the new site and for more information on the DC Streetcar program. H
capitolstreets
The Candidates Have Issues
You Have A Choice Between Six Candidates For A New At-Large Member of the DC Council by Martin Austermuhle
I
n three weeks, DC voters head to the polls to choose a new At-Large member of the DC Council. This is the third special election in as many years. Six candidates are vying for the seat: Interim Councilmember Anita Bonds (D-At Large), Ward 3 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Matthew Frumin, Ward 1 State Board of Education Member Patrick Mara, former Washington Post reporter Elissa Silverman, defense attorney Paul Zukerberg, and social activist Perry Redd. Last month we discussed the horse race element of the campaign. We put Mara as a primary contender based on him being the only Republican in a lowturnout race, along with his past electoral experience. We saw Frumin as a potential spoiler and Silverman as the progressive choice given her experience in the I-70 initiative. Anita Bond looked to split the city’s eastern wards with Michael Brown. Since that time, Mara has earned endorsements from the Post, the Sierra Club, the realtors and the DC Chamber of Commerce. Brown has dropped out of the race, but remains on the ballot. Silverman has been endorsed by Councilmember David Grosso and the new urbanists at Greater Greater Washington. She also has been endorsed by former councilmembers Sharon Ambrose and Kathy Patterson, who chairs her campaign. Buoyed by Brown’s dropping out, Bonds has secured endorsements from Councilmembers Jack Evans (Ward 2) and Muriel Bowser (Ward 4). Brown’s sudden retirement also frees many unions to choose other candidates. 40 H Hillrag.com
Silverman, the only former union member in the pack, may well benefit. In absence of any polling data, it is difficult to call the race. So, this month we turn our focus to the issues raised in the campaign. Taxes and Budget On the $417 million surplus that DC banked earlier this year, for example, all the candidates stuck to a cautious line during the early debates. A number wished to spend a small amount of it on pressing social priorities, but otherwise put the rest in the bank to keep Wall Street happy. The exception is Silverman, who pushes for specific investments in job training and affordable housing. Occasionally, she is joined by Bonds. On taxes and the budget at large, Silverman and Mara stand on opposite ends of the spectrum, with the other candidates occupying the middle ground. Silverman has said that she believes that DC needs a more progressive tax code. In her job as a policy analyst for the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, she lobbied for tax increases on the city’s highest earners during the city’s last fiscal crisis. The group was less supportive of a tax on outof-state municipal bonds; Mayor Vince Gray has proposed repealing that new tax this year. Mara, on the other hand, has argued against taxes more broadly. He believes that the city effectively overtaxes residents and businesses. In the past election cycles, Mara even went as far as to sign Grover Norquist’s pledge. Bonds joins Mara on the issue of business taxes. Frumin wants to wait for the DC
Tax Revision Commission to finish its work before committing to either side. Silverman has taken the same stance. Ethics Most of the candidates broadly agreed that the councilmembers should not have outside jobs. A number also agree that candidates should not accept donations from corporations or limited liability corporations. Silverman has done the most work on this issue, having backed the citizen initiative last year that would have prohibited corporate contributions to campaigns. Silverman, Redd, Mara, Zuckerman and Bonds have stated that they will have no outside employment. Bonds has pledged to resign from her position at Fort Myer Construction, one of the city’s largest contractors, if elected. Frumin has stated that he intends keep his second job as an attorney. Silverman and Redd do not accept any corporate donations. The others have accepted such support. Affordable Housing The candidates agree that affordable housing is one of the city’s most pressing issues. Silverman wants to see an annual contribution to the Housing Production Trust Fund made a line item in the budget, rather than funding it through the deed recordation and transfer tax. Frumin advocates for a voucher program that would offer $500 a month towards rent or mortgage payments for police, firefighters and teachers. Zukerberg wants to increase the Homestead Deduction. Education On schools, only Redd openly said he opposed DC Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s plan to shutter schools. He is also opposed to handing over empty and unused school buildings
to private entities. Mara is the group’s most consistent advocate for charter schools. Frumin is less enamored. The remaining candidates somewhat split the difference. Zoning and Development The rewrite of the city’s zoning code has inflamed passions during the campaign. Many of the candidates have taken a cautious approach. Zukerberg supports allowing more Accessory Dwelling Units. He and Silverman are skeptical of plans to do away with parking minimums for new developments near transit. Both point out that the city must conserve street parking for residents near high trafficked corridors such as H Street NE. While Redd and Bonds remain skeptical of increasing urban density, Mara, Silverman and Frumin are for it particularly surrounding Metro stations. Frumin is broadly in favor of the changes to the zoning code. Public Safety Most of the candidates say they support DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier. They generally support an increase in police hiring more officers. Zukerberg has set himself apart from the group, arguing for the decriminalization marijuana possession which he believes contributes to the widespread jailing of young AfricanAmerican residents. The only returning citizen in the race, Redd has spoken repeatedly in support of ending discrimination against ex-offenders and investing in their reintegration. Silverman, who studied the issue of job training in her last position, argues that DC can do a better using its job training dollars to help assist this population. Nearby jurisdictions, she points out, have used bonding powers to effectively bridge the trust gap in hiring ex-offenders. While Mara has called for the resignation of the current fire chief, Sliver-
man is the only candidate that can off the cuff cite the number of firefighters necessary to staff a truck. Candidate Thumbnails So who to vote for? If only it were as simple boiling down the choice to liberal versus conservative candidates. Here are some simple rubrics. Silverman is the policy wonk of the bunch promising to dive into the budgetary thickets to discover effective strategies. Her experience as a reporter and DC budget analyst provide credibility for this assertion. She is an advocate of both progressive taxation and social investments. She supports educational reform with a focus on cost. Redd joins Silverman, but is more interested in opposing both school closings and the expansion of public charter schools. Redd is the only candidate with a specific plan to aid returning citizens. A plucky defense attorney, Zukerberg portrays himself as the fighter for the little guy. He is focused on the decriminalization of drugs. Frumin is the folksy mediator, seeking middle ground between competing factions. His primary interest is educational reform. He cites his ANC service, but has been on the defensive on the stump regarding prior political activities outside the city. Bonds is the party favorite. A consummate insider, she has worked in the DC government, and has earned the support of three councilmembers and the state Democratic organization. Like Mara, she takes corporate dollars, but has pledged to resign her outside employment. Mara is the sole Republican. He earned credibility as an educational reformer on the School Board, and has also lobbied Republicans on the Hill for voting rights. He is a strongly in favor of regulatory reform and lowering taxes. Early voting kicks off on April 8 at One Judiciary Square, and ends on April 20th. The special election is on April 23rd. Martin Austermuhle is Editor-in-Chief of DCist.com and a freelance writer. He lives in Columbia Heights. H
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DC’s Prosperity Dividend Better Funding for City Services
I
t may be cherry blossom time in Washington, but when it comes to the District’s finances, everything is coming up roses. Thanks to an improving economy, Mayor Gray submitted his first budget in three years that didn’t have to focus on closing a budget shortfall. Instead, the mayor happily announced that his 2014 proposal includes new money for many things that will make DC residents happy — including libraries, education, public safety, transportation, housing, public works, and human services. The Mayor’s budget plan is especially notable for its effort to address the city’s increasing affordable housing problems, which are putting the squeeze on a growing number of residents. He committed $100 million for housing, most of it to help non-profits build or renovate low-cost homes. At the same time, many DC residents have not felt the benefits of the recovery, and a number of programs aimed at helping these residents remain strapped. The budget doesn’t do much to solve the homeless crisis that has resulted in 600 children living in the city’s largest family shelter. For the first time in several years, the budget doesn’t call for revenue increases, but it also doesn’t propose any major tax cuts, either. After multiple rounds of cuts in the recession -which resulted in cuts to library acquisitions and alley cleaning, and saw education funding rise slower than needed to keep up with rising costs – I imagine most residents are ok with that. The mayor did throw one tax cut into the mix, for residents who buy bonds issued by other states. Given that no state offers tax incentives to invest in the infrastructure in other states, this
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by Ed Lazere was not the best tax-cut idea that could have been put forward.
Improved Services across the Board It is hard to imagine a DC resident who will not notice an improvement in DC government services in 2014. Every DC library will be open seven days a week. In the almost 30 years I have lived in DC that has never been the case. A number of libraries will get renovated as well. No matter how you move around the city, the Mayor’s budget plan should make it easier. There are new resources to replace the Frederick Douglass Bridge, get the streetcars up and running, open up a Georgetown DMV office, and expand bike lines. You’ll even see a larger Supercan for recycling come your way, though that may take a while since it is on a 5-year plan. Mayor Gray’s proposed budget makes a number
Coming to you in 2014 From the DC Budget Libraries open every day More Circulator buses A DMV office in Georgetown More affordable housing Grants for non-profits Streetcars More bike lanes New Supercans And more!
of notable investments that would help less fortunate residents. The housing increase may be the largest, but there are many others that will prove very helpful. For example, it will be easier next year for families to get help for an infant or toddler struggling with a developmental delay. That means more children will start school ready to learn, which will have long-term payoffs for the city.
Lingering Cuts from the Recession While there is much to like in Mayor Gray’s budget, it leaves some notable gaps. Family homelessness has nearly doubled since the recession and once again the city’s main shelter is filled to capacity this year. Yet the mayor’s budget doesn’t appear to offer a comprehensive solution, which means we may face the same situation a year from now. In another example, the District program for residents with disabilities who are waiting for approval of federal disability benefits — a process that can take up to two years — was cut 80 percent in recent years. The number of residents getting help from Interim Disability Assistance has fallen from 2,900 to 550, but the mayor’s new budget would allow just 40 more residents to get help. Finally, welfare reform also has been a big issue in the District in recent years. The city has done a lot to improve welfare-to-work services, but there is a good chance that many families will see a big cut in assistance this fall without a job to replace the lost income. In particular, DC offers little protection to families in dire situations, such as when a parents is fleeing do-
mestic violence. Most states don’t impose time limits on these families, but DC does. Thousands of DC families will see cash assistance cut to just $257 a month for a family of three next year, and that will have negative ripple effects throughout the city, including increases in children who come to school hungry and stressed.
Misplaced Tax Cut Mayor Gray would like to bring back a tax break for residents who invest in out-of-state bonds, making DC the only place to offer a tax break to encourage residents to invest in other states’ infrastructure. The out-of-state bonds tax break was eliminated just a few years ago and DC’s leaders dealt with the elimination in a reasonable way. Residents who had already made investments got to keep their tax exemption. The new rule was that the tax break would be limited to residents who invest in DC bonds, and it had an immediate positive impact. Demand to buy DC bonds increased, which lowered the cost to the city. The District should not reinstate a costly tax break that encourages residents to invest in other states’ infrastructure. Jenny Reed contributed to this article. Reed and Lazere are staff at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www. dcfpi.org), which conducts research on tax and budget issues that affect lowand moderate-income DC residents. H
Help Keep the Village Open and Inclusive You are invited to attend our annual spring gathering and provide a gift to lower income members. Please join us with hosts and CHV members, Frank Guzzetta and Paul Manville
Saturday, April 20 2–4 pm RSVP to the CHV office for location details: info@capitolhillvillage.org (202) 543-1778.
Suggested minimum gift of $150 Become an underwriter by contributing $5000 or more. Pay Online at www.capitolhillvillage.org/Rogers Fund By check to: PO Box 15126, Washington DC 20003-0126.
HillRag | April 2013 H 43
capitolstreets
Free Ride! Is Bike Theft a Profession? by Amanda Abrams
I
f it’s not obvious already, it’ll be plenty clear come spring: Washington is experiencing a bicycling revolution, with increasingly large hordes of carefree riders crowding bike-laned streets and infuriating the steering-wheel-grippers behind them. But appearing along with the riders will be that predatory companion group, the bike thieves. As biking has grown in the city, so has theft, with what seems like virtually every rider able to recount a story of a loved-but-lost cycle. What’s unresolved, though, is where the ripped-off bikes wind up.
Professional Bike Thieves in DC?
Talk to folks around town and you’ll hear two opinions. In the first camp are the “crime of opportunity” people, who think most theft occurs impulsively and that the stolen bikes are quickly and cheaply sold here. The second, smaller group believes the city’s twowheelers are targeted by professional bike thieves, some from out of town, on the lookout for high-cost vehicles. I fall into the latter group. There’s not a ton of evidence to back up the professional bike thievery theory. True, Los Angeles police reported busting a high-end bike theft ring just over a year ago, and the National Bike Registry writes on its website that “substantial numbers of stolen bicycles are exported on barges through the Port of Miami. Customs officials have also noted shipments of both bicycles and bicycle parts through New Jersey.” But its citations are 15 years old. Still, I’m not the only person who thinks that professional bike thieves operate here. “When I first started couriering,” I was told by a mechanic at 7th Street NW’s Bicycle Space, who declined to give her name, “people said, ‘Don’t free-lock up your bike because a couple times each summer vans come down from New York and take all the free-locked bikes they can find.” Her colleague nodded, and added, “All of the mechanics think there are professional bike thieves. They go to Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, and the bikes they steal there come here.” 44 H Hillrag.com
Nonetheless, my efforts to find evidence for a ring of professional thieves proved fruitless until I heard Robert Schafer’s story.
Firsthand Experience with the Pros
Besides being a young DC professional and Trinidad resident, Schafer is a bicycle obsessive. He fixes neighborhood kids’ bikes and usually has a decentsized collection of vehicles in his garage. Last summer Schafer had at least ten bikes stored there: a couple of commuter bikes, a few beaters, and a racing bike worth around $5,000. But he was taking precautions; he’d recently hired a welder to install an iron security door with a strong lock. “Just in case, I also locked all of the bikes inside the garage,” explained Schafer. One August night thieves broke in. With Schafer and his wife sleeping nearby the robbers got through the iron door. “They must’ve spent a couple hours inside, cutting cable locks, cutting U locks, breaking cinder blocks that were locked to bikes,” said Schafer.
“They were pretty professional about it.” The thieves took nine bikes. You’ve got to feel for Schafer: two weeks before the bike incident, his car had been stolen. But his bicycle saga has a small happy ending. In search of a replacement bike on Craigslist, Schafer came across a photo of one of his stolen cycles, a fixed gear worth around $800. The item was listed for sale by a consignment shop in Severna Park, just north of Annapolis. “I contacted the police. They said they were going to try to send someone to the shop to put a hold on the bike, but they had to talk to their lawyers,” remembered Schafer. “But that took more than a month.” So he took matters into his own hands and contacted the proprietor himself. While Schafer didn’t have the cycle’s serial number, he could describe its details intimately. The owner replied, “OK, that’s definitely your bike,” said Schafer. It turned out that the shop’s owner had bought the bike for $100 at Brumwell’s Flea Market in Pasadena, Maryland, not far from Severna Park. Brumwell’s is a massive market covered by few regulations; vendors set up on a first come, first served basis, no paperwork required. In this case the bicycle sellers apparently showed up for two consecutive weekends with a big rented truck packed with cycles. “There were hundreds of bikes under a huge tent, ten guys [working], selling for cash,” Schafer said the store owner told him. Then they disappeared. Although Schafer is busy rebuilding his bicycle collection (and has installed an alarm system in the garage), he found the experience demoralizing. “The most frustrating thing is that it sounds like what these guys do, they’re pretty professional,” he said. “I’ve had lots of bikes stolen, but they were mostly crimes of opportunity. I never suspected it could be like this.” For anyone who imagines that a ring of professional bike thieves operates in the District, Schafer’s story is exhibit A. But it’s an uncommon one. Still, there are some steps cyclists can take to protect themselves.
What You Can Do to Prevent Theft
The easiest thing? Lock your bike. Believe it or not, it’s a problem. “People just lean them up against a fence or leave them in the backyard and think that’s secure, and it’s not,” said MPD’s First District Commander, Daniel Hickson. Alternatively, a surprising number of people use flimsy cables to secure their bikes, said Denise D’Amour, co-owner of Capitol Hill Bikes. “We strongly advise them not to if they want to hang onto their bikes.” But even a U-lock isn’t tamperproof. Loren Copsey, co-owner of H Street NE’s Daily Rider store, tried getting through one with an electric cutting tool. “I went through [a Kryptonite] in two minutes and 45 seconds,” he said. Of course, it produced sparks and noise that might draw attention, but nonetheless, he said, “there’s no foolproof lock that will protect you from absolutely everything. You’re just buying yourself time.” Still, any lock is more effective if the bike is parked in a well-trafficked area, not under a stairwell or in an alley. Avoid Metro bike racks, where thieves can safely assume commuters will be gone all day. Finally, note identifying information on your bike before it’s stolen. If it’s nabbed you can tell the police all about it. If your bike is stolen? Call the cops right away. Even if they never find your beloved vehicle, getting a police report is useful, particularly if you have renter’s insurance. Second, check regularly to see if your cycle turns up in MPD’s collection of recovered cycles. The department is holding more than 500 bikes in its warehouse, most of which are represented in photos on its Flickr site, http://www.flickr.com/photos/mpd_ evidencecontroldivision/sets/. Finally, if you really want to cut down on bike theft in the District don’t support the stolen cycle market. If you’re buying a used bicycle on Craigslist, for example, “do your homework and ask good questions, like ‘Why are you selling it, and how long have you had it?’” said Greg Billing, WABA’s advocacy coordinator. After all, he added, “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” H HillRag | April 2013 H 45
capitolstreets
BYwest
SOUTH
Fate of Randall Recreation Center in Flux
KIPP DC seeks approval for a high school on prime recreation space in Southwest By William Rich
Current Situation
Telesis Project
For several years Randall Recreation CenNext door to the Randall Recreation Center ter at South Capitol and I streets SW has been complex is Randall Junior High School, which underutilized. Next door to the recreation was shuttered several years ago and is currently center are a community pool, tennis and basbeing proposed as a mixed-use complex by Teleketball courts, ball fields, a playground, and a sis/Rubell. Telesis/Rubell (the Rubell family also forlorn plaza area. While the ball fields, pool, owns the Capitol Skyline Hotel across the street and sports courts are heavily used, the 7,000 from the recreation center) bought the former square-foot recreation center is devoid of proschool from the Corcoran and plans to bring a gramming. KanKouran West African Dance contemporary art museum and restaurants to the Company uses the center as a practice facility. historic buildings as well as build 400,000 square There have been efforts by local organizations, feet of apartments and townhouses. An updated The proposed campus for KIPP DC at Randall would be within view of the Capitol. such as the Near SE/SW Community Benefits Planned Unit Development application is being As a part of the proposal a new recreation center would be built for the community. Coordinating Council (CBCC), to get financing filed for the project, which will be designed by Rendering: Studios Architecture and bring programming to the center. To bring Bing Thom, the same architect who designed the administration’s “Play DC” initiative to build a new more attention to Randall, Eve Brooks, CBCC’s expansion of Arena Stage. Telesis’ Marilyn Melplayground and renovate the plaza area to make the Enrichment Committee Chair, convened several stakekonian has pledged to find financing to renovate the entrance to the recreation facility more inviting and holders starting last summer including the Southwest recreation center at Randall. user-friendly, with construction to occur later this year. Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA)Youth Activities Randall is one of 32 sites across the city to receive Task Force, Advisory Neighborhood Commission KIPP DC Vision funding for new playgrounds in 2013. (ANC 6D), developers, and the Community Liaison Another interested party in the future of RanWith the support of Councilmember Wells, the from Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells’ office. dall Recreation Center is KIPP DC, which proposDistrict Department of Parks and Recreation was es to build a LEED-certified charter high school scheduled to release a request for proposals (RFP) to Renovations Currently Planned designed by Studios Architecture on the site of the select a nonprofit provider of services to Randall back Meanwhile, funding has been secured by the Gray recreation center along South Capitol Street SW in November 2012. Some of the programs envisioned for Randall include those for young mothers and infant/toddlers, an after-school drop-in center for teenagers, and services for adults such as financial management, family counseling, and a variety of classes. Sasha Bruce Youth Works has expressed interest in bidding on the RFP and running the recreation center; however, the RFP has been delayed for several months. The court-appointed receiver for SW House, a defunct nonprofit, is willing to provide between $250,000 and $300,000 of funding for a nonprofit to operate the center, but the delay in releasing the RFP is jeopardizing Last fall DPR designed a new playground and plaza area to replace Randall Recreation Center at South Capitol and I streets SW is the use of these funds. the forlorn space next door to the Randall Recreation Center builda 7,000 square-foot facility that lacks programming and is the ing. Construction is scheduled for 2013. Photo: William Rich subject of a variety of competing interests. Photo: William Rich 46 H Hillrag.com
that will initially accommodate 650 students. There would be space on the ground level for a facility potentially run by Georgetown University Medicine and a gymnasium. In addition, KIPP would refurbish the Randall pool, convert the ball fields to turf fields, move the basketball courts to the northwest corner of the site, and build a community center and pool house adjacent to the pool. The community would have access to the fields when not in use by KIPP, which would have priority usage during practice times, games, and physical education class time, although not all of the fields will likely be used at the same time during school hours. DPR would be in charge of delegating field usage as it does currently. KIPP does not have plans to use the pool and it would be available for community use while it is open for the summer season. The tennis courts would be lost under the proposal. KIPP has an ambitious schedule and plans to deliver the new school by the summer of 2014. According to Lindsay Kelly from KIPP DC, the drop-off zones and entrances to the school will be located on an internal street accessed from I Street SW, and students will take public transit to reach the campus. “We will have staff monitoring arrival and dismissal, school resource officers, and a security team in place to ensure the safety of our students,” said Kelly. “Our students are well versed in traveling to and from school and are reminded to do so in a respectful manner.” As far as any concerns from students overwhelming the McDonalds across the street, KIPP has contingency plans for that as well. “At each site where our schools are located, we work with local businesses to ensure that they have our contact information and feel comfortable reaching out to us with questions and concerns,” said Kelly.
Small Area Plan
At the same time that this is all happening, the Office of Planning is preparing to embark on a Small Area Plan for Southwest at the behest of Councilmember Wells. There is a large amount of public land in SW, including the Randall Recreation Center site, and typically a Small Area Plan provides residents, land owners, developers, city officials, and District agencies with a framework and recommendations to guide future development. The Small Area Plan will take about eight months to complete, but development can still move forward while the plan is underway. ANC 6D voted to support the creation of the Small Area Plan and stipulated that no decisions be made on the Randall Recreation Center site until it is completed. SWNA supports the measure as well. The CBCC also supports the creation of the Small Area Plan, as long as it doesn’t preclude
continuing negotiations with KIPP DC, Telesis/ Rubell, or any other interested parties in the Randall Recreation Center site.
Neighbors of Southwest Duck Pond
KIPP’s Critics and Supporters
However, KIPP’s plans are incompatible with those of the developers of the former Randall Junior High School site next door. In addition, the Randall Recreation Center could be designated a historic landmark as one of the few remaining buildings predating urban renewal, which could complicate KIPP DC’s plans. Steve Tanner owns a church building next door to Randall and is planning to collaborate with the Telesis/Rubell team on development. Tanner is dismayed by the manner in which KIPP is going about obtaining Randall. “I believe it is improper for KIPP to go to DC officials and attempt to back door an opportunity for themselves,” said Tanner. “There was no public process. They have attempted to have the DC Government prepare an RFP specifically tailored for them, thereby effectively eliminating any other competitive bids [and preventing] possibly sensational proposals for this property next to Rubell’s planned worldclass art museum.” So far, no community group has supported the KIPP DC proposal including Capitol Park IV condominiums next door. In an op-ed piece in The Washington Post, Felicia Couts, President of the Capitol Park IV Condominium Association board, expressed the board’s support of the Small Area Plan. “We support the longterm, comprehensive Small Area Impact Plan resolution unanimously adopted by our Advisory Neighborhood Commission earlier this year,” she declared. “We are not anti-KIPP DC. We are simply advocating for the exhaustion of other land options for the school, including reusing recently closed DC public school buildings and private lands.” In a recent letter to the Mayor and DC Council, the majority of commissioners on ANC 6D wrote that Southwest “does not support turning over the land at Randall Recreation to KIPP prior to completion of OP’s Southwest Small Area Plan.” They continued: “These are the facts. Planning is a result of a fully articulated and transparent community engagement process. And it is precisely the community engagement process – a major plank in your 2010 campaign for Mayor – that we hope you will continue to uphold. If a KIPP high school belongs at Randall, let a proper planning process lead the way and not a couple of well-placed phone calls to the City Administrator’s Office and relentless editorializing by The Washington Post. That is simply not the way to do business in
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Supervised Soccer Play at Amidon-Bowen Playground
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Let’s Get Connected! Facebook: Southwest Duck Pond Twitter: Southwest Duck Pond Join our list serve: southwestduckpond@gmail.com Special Events Welcome Visit our website www.southwestduckpond.org for more information. Neighbors of Southwest Duck Pond (NSWDP) is a fiduciary subsidiary of the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (www.swdc.org), a 501(c)3 organization headquartered at 1101 Fourth Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024. NSWDP is a participant in the District of Columbia Park Partner program and is the ANCendorsed community organization representing the interests of the Southwest Duck Pond. The Southwest Duck Pond is bounded by Sixth, I (Eye), K Streets, and Makemie Place, S.W.
(Continued on page 48)
HillRag | April 2013 H 47
Streetcar Schedule Still Subject to Change By Dana Bell
T
he streetcar line inched toward the completion of its first section with a community meeting at the end of February, a check-in before construction starts on the much anticipated line. By the end of this year the red and yellow cars will be running up and down the streets. The meeting, like most streetcar meetings, was packed, showing both the excitement around the streetcar and the frustration with recent developments.
The Timeline The empty tracks that run down H Street and Benning Road were part of Phase 1 of the streetcar development, completed in 2011. Phase 2, the final 20 percent of construction, officially began in December 2012 and will continue for the following year. December to the beginning of April was devoted to surveying the existing track conditions and track bonding. Starting in March, DDOT has been installing tracks that will be the terminus of the streetcar line – the western terminus at the Hopscotch Bridge behind Union Station and the eastern terminus on Benning Road and Oklahoma, by Spingarn High School. Throughout the summer the substations to power the streetcar will be installed, followed by a training period where the cars will start taking passengers along the corridor. At the meeting the final date for full service was presented as winter of 2014 at the latest, but DDOT spokesperson Dara Ward has recommitted to the fall 2013 deadline. “We’re still hopeful that passenger service can start in 2013,” she said. The timeline and other infor48 H Hillrag.com
mation about meetings and construction updates can be found at www.dcstreetcar.com. The full schedule notes that it is “for informational purposes and is subject to change,” a footnote that is not surprising to anyone living on the H Street/Benning corridor.
The Spingarn Site The Spingarn site has prompted the most controversy over the past year. When DDOT announced it had chosen the lot next to Spingarn as the site for the Car Barn/Training Center (CBTC), the Kingman Park Civic Association launched a successful campaign to designate the recently closed high school as a historic landmark. This changed the process of construction so that the Historic Preservation Review Board must now approve the design to make sure it fits the historical character of Spingarn. While some community members are still opposed to the construction, others see possibility in the proposed location. Kathy Henderson has opposed construction of the car barn and asked at the meeting, “Why are you proceeding despite our vociferous objections?” Other residents were more open to the idea of the streetcar barn and the potential vocational partnerships that could come up. Some have suggested that the school could serve as a technical school for young adults, who would be able to use the CBTC for training. A comment section before the Historic Preservation Review Board will occur on March 28, right after the publication deadline for this issue of the
Hill Rag. It will give residents an opportunity to comment on the proposed design, and the HPRB will give comments going forward.
Misconceptions Remain about the Streetcar The streetcar project has been around for a long time, allowing imaginations to take flight. “There are still a lot of misconceptions about the streetcar,” said Ward. “People are worried about emissions at the car barn, but they’re electric, so they don’t put out any emissions.” One man expressed concern about potential radiation from the tracks, which are electric and do not emit radiation. Several residents have reached out to DDOT, worried that the tracks will be electrified, but Ward maintained that that is not the case. “It’s not like the Metro third rail, there’s not electricity running through them,” Ward said. Before the cars hit the tracks in the fall, DDOT will launch a safety outreach campaign that will focus on teaching residents how to interact with streetcars. “We’re going to start in the summer and into the fall and focus heavily along the H Street and Benning Road Corridor,” Ward said. While it might seem like a foreign concept now, the streetcar itself will not interact with traffic much differently than a bus, except for one critical distinction – it can’t change lanes. Because of this DDOT is preparing for tow trucks to stand by to remove any vehicle that tries to double-park in the designated streetcar lane. As the streetcar moves into the final year of construction and development, the next phases are already being plotted out: an environmental assessment is being completed for the extension to Minnesota Avenue or Benning Road Metro. The remaining line to Georgetown will be completed over the next five to seven years. Updates on meetings or construction notices can be found at the DC Streetcar’s website, www. dcstreetcar.com. H
Washington. Not any longer.” Meanwhile two ANC commissioners support KIPP DC’s proposal and have sent their own letter of support to the Mayor and Council. In their letter of support, Commissioners David Garber and Ed Kaminski stated that the Randall site “has been a place for learning and recreation for over 100 years.” They noted that while the school building on the site “is planned to become a residential and artsbased mixed-use project,” students attending the nearby Amidon-Bowen Elementary, Jefferson Middle, and other schools would gain “new recreation programming and resources at the Randall fields, and KIPP’s Capital Teaching Residency program has committed to working with Amidon-Bowen and Jefferson to develop a partnership that would place high-performing teachers in their classrooms. As partner school site, Amidon-Bowen and Jefferson would also gain access to the Capital Teaching Residency’s award-winning professional development opportunities and resources.” Due to KIPP DC’s timeline for construction and other considerations, a resolution to this situation will most likely occur sooner rather than later. Delays have already caused the loss of funds for the playground and plaza renovation and could further deplete funds available from the receiver of SW House. William Rich is a blogger at Southwest…The Little Quadrant That Could (www.southwestquadrant.blogspot.com). H
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HillRag | April 2013 H 49
capitolstreets
Zoning Rewrite Hits Home
Parking, Alley Development, and Corner Stores among Top Issues of Concern
F
or the past four years the DC Office of Planning (OP) has been working to replace the city’s 1958 zoning code. Since 2008 there are have been hundreds of meetings, special task force reports, hearings by the DC Council, and hours of ANC meetings. The city has now released its 458-page preliminary zoning rewrite, and subsequently Mayor Vincent Gray released the Sustainable DC Plan, a roadmap to make DC one of the healthiest, greenest, and most livable cities in the nation. DC’s zoning code is woefully out of date and is dying under the weight of more than 1,000 amendments added over the years. Many of the proposed zoning changes are noncontroversial, from updating the code to streamlining the system to getting rid of out-of-date elements. One example: deleting a section making provisions for telegraph offices. But some elements will be controversial because rewriting the city’s zoning code touches all of our lives. The new code will make a difference for developers and investors in the city and for local businesses. It will also affect the quality of life for local residents. Already the issue is putting different constituencies at odds. Clearly, finding a code that balances the needs of commerce, long-time residents, and the new urban residents will be hard.
Changing Parking Policies Three issues have received a great deal of attention in the preliminary meetings, and the issue of parking has surfaced as a tipping point. DC’s population has been growing. According to Census data it climbed from 601,723 in April 2010 to 632,323 by July 2012. The increase has put additional strain on the number of on-street parking spaces. City officials estimate that there are 260,000 on-street parking places across the city, and that number has stayed static for almost a decade. They point out that the high Metro ridership, having the largest bike-sharing system in the country, and the increased car-sharing programs are evidence that the city is ready to move 50 H Hillrag.com
By Rindy O’Brien forward to a new era with fewer cars. Under the new rules developers would no longer be required to include on-site parking for new building projects, regardless of the number of units being built, as long as they are within a half mile of the Metro or a high-service bus line. Harriet Tregoning, head of the Office of Zoning, sees the requirement for developers to include parking spaces as outdated and suggests that it contributes to the lack of affordable housing in the city. She is quoted as saying, “While we’re interested in reducing housing costs, alleviating traffic congestion, and providing more transportation options, we certainly have no intention of making parking scarce or driving difficult.” Those in favor of removing the requirement that developers create new parking spaces suggest that the market should determine the number of new parking spaces needed, not government regulations. Others in the community, like Capitol Village, think that this policy will only increase the pressure on residents to find on-street parking places near their homes. Biking or using car2go, they suggest, isn’t practical or affordable for many residents. And there are many who express doubt that developers will pass on the savings to create more affordable housing units. The initial vote by the ANC 6B’s Zoning Committee on March 5 approved the OP’s proposal. A final vote by the full ANC 6B commissioners is scheduled for April 12 at 7:00 p.m. at The Hill Center.
Community Gardens and Density Issues Discussed Another section of the zoning rewrite proposes to change the restrictions on alley lots. Zoning rules allow houses to be built in the alley if the lot is 400 square feet or greater and has adequate plumbing. The alley must also be at least 30 feet wide. The current zoning has kept many of these alley spaces open, and over the years a number of them have been transformed into community garden space. The new rule removes the 30-foot
alley rule and would encourage new development. The zoning changes would still require exceptions to be given by the fire and public works departments to guarantee that the new development would not create a fire hazard or traffic issue. The city experienced overcrowded conditions in these spaces in the 19th century, and some opponents of the change are concerned that history could repeat itself. They also point out that community gardens which might be wiped out by this zoning change have been very successful. Each summer there are long waiting lists for residents interested in being assigned a plot. Nonprofit land trusts and community groups have been able to protect and grow these gardens across the city. They see them as a key part of efforts to create a greener city.
Proposal for More Corner Stores Another proposed change would allow commercial businesses to be built in residential neighborhoods where they have been banned to date. For Capitol Hill, with a history of corner stores mixed among townhouses, this may not seem controversial. But there have been strong concerns expressed in some other neighborhoods. The OP proposal would still place limits on the types of business that could locate in residential areas. In addition the businesses would face other restrictions like hours of operation and number of employees. Over the next few months the Office of Zoning will begin official hearings on the proposed zoning rewrite, and residents will have an opportunity to express their opinions on the proposed changes. The ANC commissioners will make their final recommendations to the Office of Zoning in mid-April. There are plenty of opportunities for residents to call, email, or write to their Hill ANC member, councilperson, or zoning officials. This is the beginning of a very important process that will impact business and neighborhoods for years to come. For up-to-date information and scheduling dates log on to www.dczoningupdate.org and be placed on their email list. H
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HillRag | April 2013 H 51
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Some of the beautiful art to be seen at this year’s Smithsonian Craft Show. From left: glass art by Michael Mikula; wood bowl by Mike Shuler; jewelry by Ken Loeber.
Craft Show Proceeds Support Important Smithsonian Projects Smithsonian Women’s Committee Grants Program Supports Projects at the Smithsonian’s 19 museums and the National Zoo by Susan A. Vallon
T
he next time you visit the National Zoo and marvel at the majestic silverback gorilla, you may have the Smithsonian Women’s Committee to thank for his good health. Most people do not know that the SWC stages both the annual Smithsonian Craft Show (this year from April 24-28) and Craft to Wear in the fall, to raise money for grants that go directly to the Smithsonian’s 19 museums, including the zoo, the Animal Research center in Virginia, the Panama Research Center and the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York. This past year we funded the Portrait Gallery’s family guide, a new five-show presentation for children at the Discovery Theater, exposing them to music experiences from different cultures. You’ll see our handiwork when you visit the Smithsonian website, go to special exhibitions, and use printed materials. Go to the Cooper Hewitt in a few months and see two extremely rare books from the 16th Century about embroidery techniques in Germany that we have granted money to restore. Every year for the last 30, the SWC gets 75-80 requests for grants from various Smithsonian scientists, curators, zoo keepers, botanists and anthropologists. We are able to fund only about 20-25 of these requests, but try to select the most wor52 H Hillrag.com
thy in an exhausting triage of the most promising. In all, we have given over $9 million to the Smithsonian. When you attend the Craft Show, your admission fee will support the grant process
at the greatest museum in the world and may enhance your own enjoyment of visits to the Smithsonian. For more information, please visit our website or www. SmithsonianCraftShow.org.
Susan Vallon is a member of the Smithsonian Women’s Committee. H
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capitolstreets ANC reports
NEWS 6A March Meeting Rife with Drama By Maggy Baccinelli
T
ension was palpable at the March 14 ANC 6A meeting as commissioners had heated debates over two motions. First, Commissioner Sondra Phillips-Gilbert refused to endorse the Community Outreach Committee’s recommendation to provide a $300 grant to the Friends of the Rosedale Library (FORL) organization. Committee members and FORL representatives stirred in disappointment at Phillips-Gilbert’s declaration, as she had previously supported the recommendation at the committee meeting three weeks before. Phillips-Gilbert said that while she looks forward to advocating on behalf of FORL and the Rosedale Library, which is in her Single Member District (07), she could not support the grant in question for a number of reasons. Phillips-Gilbert explained that during a recent visit the library’s acting branch manager said Rosedale already had the arts and crafts items listed on FORL’s grant application. FORL Chair Dana Wyckoff rebutted, explaining that the recently transferred, former branch 54 H Hillrag.com
manager at Rosedale said the staff pays approximately $50 out of pocket each month for extra supplies. Community Outreach Committee Chair Elizabeth Nelson further explained that by including the clause “such as” before listing craft items on the grant application, FORL would be able to purchase a range of supplies and avoid buying what it already has. Phillips-Gilbert then shifted her focus to the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor’s Statutory Guidelines, which say that ANC grants should not be made to District agencies or Districtfunded programs. Phillips-Gilbert declared that because the District of Columbia Public Library gives funds to the Rosedale Library it would be “illegal” for the ANC to give the grant to FORL. This roused many community members in the audience who then spoke out against potential non-compliance. ANC 6A Chairman David Holmes and Treasurer Nicholas Alberti assured the audience and Phillips-Gilbert that the motion was legal because FORL is a nonprofit organization and does not receive District funding. Holmes and Alberti compared the motion to many previously passed motions to provide grants to other “Friends of ” organizations and various PTAs. After 40 minutes of expressive discussion, the motion to provide the grant passed in a 6-1 vote. Attendees and commissioners hardly had time to decompress before arriving at unfinished business and another
controversial motion. Phillips-Gilbert proposed an addendum to the ANC bylaws that would prohibit the commission and its committees from meeting on federal and District holidays. The proposal started taking shape in February, after Phillips-Gilbert took offense at the Community Outreach Committee’s meeting on January 21, which was both Martin Luther King Day and Inauguration Day. Phillips-Gilbert called her proposal “a simple matter where we’re just asking that all meetings are held on days when all the public can come, and not on holidays.” The discussion, however, turned out to be anything but simple. Following Phillips-Gilbert’s initial explanation, Jay Williams proposed an amendment to Phillips-Gilbert’s addendum that would allow for emergency meetings to gather on a holiday if the committee chair deemed it necessary. Williams added that he did not think the Community Outreach Committee was wrong to meet on January 21, but that it is important for the commission to set a specific, written policy. Alberti weighed in with arguments against the amendment, chief of which was that he would trust the committee volunteers’ judgment about when to hold their meetings. “So if it’s a holiday and there are not going to be that many
people in town,” he said, “and it’s an issue where the public needs to have the opportunity to attend, I trust them to change the date.” He added that holidays overlap with the ANC committee schedules so infrequently that “I’m wondering if we’re trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.” Nelson echoed this sentiment and offered insight on practicality, saying that committees have a narrow time frame to meet and still be able to get a full set of minutes into the ANC meeting agenda. She stressed the importance of being able to meet deadlines and the challenges of booking committee meeting space, closing with: “I think that every committee would be willing to be more cognizant, and not meet on holidays if they don’t have to.… But to say that there’s no circumstance whatsoever under which we can meet on a holiday, to me seems disrespectful of the committee members who work very, very hard, and who are basically doing it for nothing.” Commissioner Gloria Nauden responded, saying that while appreciating the volunteers, she still thought that meeting on January 21 showed a lack of cultural sensitivity. She received a round of applause from Phillips-Gilbert and some audience members when she said, “This is more of a human question
ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 6A DAVID HOLMES, CHAIR, 202-251-7079
★ ★ ★
Serving the Near Northeast, North Lincoln Park, Rosedale, and Stanton Park communities
ANC 6A generally meets the second Thursday of the month, at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th Street, NE.
www.anc6a.org
ANC 6A, 2nd Thursday, April 11, 7PM than a technicality or what bylaws say. I think we should be way more open to the concept of whether we were culturally sensitive.… This movement is more symbolic than anything. It’s the right thing to do. It’s the best feeling for the entire commission.” In defense Nelson said, “President Obama recommended that Martin Luther King Day should be a day of public service, and I assure you no disrespect was intended by our working.” This diverted the conversation to a debate about what constitutes public service. Eventually Commissioners Omar Mahmud and Calvin Ward spoke up, with Mahmud saying he opposed the proposal because it put “restrictions on unelected volunteers who sacrifice their time.” Ward said he agreed that they shouldn’t restrict the committees, but that the ANC Commission should not meet when the public is potentially unavailable. Holmes assured him that would not be an issue because the commission meets in Miner Elementary School, which is closed on all holidays. Holmes was mostly quiet during the discussion but did say that he valued the volunteers’ judgment as well. Throughout the commentary, community members offered varying input, and eventually Phillips-Gilbert had the debate’s last words, supporting Commissioner Nauden’s idea about sensitivity training and saying, “It’s obvious from the conversation that some people don’t get it.” When voting time came, the commission adopted Williams’ amendment to the addendum in a 4-3 vote, but rejected the addendum in a 4-2-1 count, as any bylaw change requires a two-thirds vote.
Leak in Lincoln Park Complicates Rehabilitation Efforts Central District Manager of Na-
tional Capital Parks-East, Dr. Joy Kinard, again came to the 6A meeting with an update on Lincoln Park’s rehabilitation project. This week an unexpected challenge arose that is unrelated to the project but is affecting the space being rehabilitated. A significant leak under the base of Abraham Lincoln’s statue is flooding areas of the park. Kinard said the cause of the leak is undetermined but that according to her team’s research the water main is 45 years old and needs to be replaced. She added that the Park Service will most likely engage their current contractors to fix the leak temporarily by the following week, but that replacing the water main is a much larger project that may need to be put on hold because of sequestration. Regardless of this issue the park rehabilitation is on schedule to finish on May 27, which will restore access to the park playgrounds. Kinard said she has been frequently hearing from residents who are frustrated by the park’s playgrounds being closed during the project, but that she is working with Moms on the Hill, Tippy Toes Dance, and Just for Kids to coordinate alternative free recreation. She reported reaching out to five other entities to help support that initiative and said she will have official details of alternative recreation options by the end of March. Kinard promoted the Capitol Hill Parks throughout her presentation, urging community members to “link” the page and refer to it for pictures of the leak at Lincoln Park. She also said the community could visit the site to vote for the date on which to hold a second Movies by Moonlight event this summer. The first is scheduled on July 10, when the park annually celebrates Mary Bethune’s
Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee Thursday, April 18, 7pm • Sherwood Recreation Center Corner of 10th & G Streets, NE • Chair, Jay Williams, 906-0657 Transportation & Public Space Committee 3rd Monday, April 15, 7pm • Sherwood Recreation Center Corner of 10th and G Sts. NE • Chair, Omar Mahmud, 546-1520 Economic Development & Zoning Committee 3rd Wednesday, April 17, 7pm • Sherwood Recreation Center Corner of 10th and G Streets, NE • Chair, Laura Gentile, 744-2014 Community Outreach Committee 3rd Monday, April 15, 7:30pm • 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!
S i d ’ S i n c o m e T a x S e rv i c e “ H o n e ST y i S o u r P o l i cy ”
1 3 2 3 P E N N SY LVA N I A AV E , S E l ow e r l e v e l w aS H i n gTo n , d c 2 0 0 0 3 PHone / 202-546-2028 Fax / 202-546-4708 e-mail / S I D S TA X SVC @ AO L . C O M
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6C ANC 6C serves Capitol Hill, Union Station, NoMa as far east as 8th Street N.E. 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 Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee First Tuesday, 7 pm. Contact (202) 997-6662 Planning, Zoning, and Environment Committee First Wednesday, 7 pm. Contact zoning@eckenwiler.org
Grants Committee Contact 6C05@anc.dc.gov Transportation and Public Space Committee First Thursday, 7 pm. Contact (202) 641-4264
HillRag | April 2013 H 55
birthday. See www.facebook.com/NPS.CAHI for more details.
Community Members Promote Local Efforts and Businesses Attendees heard from Maurice Cook, Community Outreach Committee member and founder of the nonprofit Serve Your City, during the community comments segment of the meeting. Cook promoted the upcoming Lemonade Day (April 13-15), during which Ward 6 elementary and middle schools will set up lemonade stands across the District. Serve Your City, which focuses on creating volunteer opportunities for all community members to help improve educational opportunities for DC youth, is partnering with George Washington University School of Business in running the event to teach youth about starting and operating businesses. Cook asked that the community support the entrepreneurial efforts of student participants by buying lemonade and by volunteering to help work the event. For more information visit www.facebook.com/ServeYourCityDC. June Idrissa, founder of Integrity of Self MovementArts (1361 H St. NE), a studio with the mission of “introducing people to themselves as movement instruments,” announced that the studio has created a class for toddlers (ages four through six). The spring semester begins on April 1.
Parking Changes In Question In his single-member district report, Holmes (03) said he has been requested to join the ranks of some neighboring ANCs and start a parking program that reserves one side of the street for residential permit parking while keeping the existing permissions on the other side. Holmes said he knows this is a positive program for Ward 6 residents but that it will cause guest-pass challenges and will push visitors to the districts north and east of his. He would hold off on making a decision about his district until the 6A commissioners convene with the Transportation & Public Space Committee and talk about which single-member districts are open to this option. If necessary he said the ANC could even implement the program street by street.
In Other Motions The ANC, in a 6-0-1 vote, supported the Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee’s recommendation to protest the license for Red Rocks (1348 H St. NE) unless the owners sign an approved settlement agreement before the protest. Holmes explained that this was a standard motion. “It looks like we’re threatening these people but we’re really not,” he said. “Agree56 H Hillrag.com
ments are almost always signed in advance and I expect this will be signed this week.” In a unanimous vote the ANC also supported the Economic Development & Zoning Committee’s recommendation to support a request for three variances and a special exception at 1116 K Street that would allow for the renovation of a vacant building on the same lot as a single-family dwelling. The ANC supported the project as either two properties, each on its own record lot, or as two principal properties on a single record lot. Acting as the committee chair, Holmes presented this motion, explaining the space as a combination of structures, where a shop owner had a shop on Florida Avenue and lived behind it. He said it was a “really complex and obscure” case but that the committee saw no problem with the applicant’s request. The Commission also voted unanimously to support the BZA application of the owners of 1329 F Street, which asks for a special exception to increase the lot’s occupancy to 70 percent. H
road?” she asked, noting that such a road would run within 20 feet of residents’ doors. Emily Coppedge, another resident of the area, said, “Allowing more transit in what should be a protected area will further degrade the Anacostia watershed. And the traffic would not be local.” Teresa Pugh, who has lived on L Street for four years, said, “Kids play on 14th street because there are no parks. We desperately need green space, not traffic.” The most affecting plea came from longtime resident Matthew Price. “My family has owned a house at 15th and L for close to 50 years,” Price said, pointing out that a former community center, mom and pop stores, and open space had all been wiped out by the Southwest Freeway. “We don’t need more traffic,” Price said. “I have a 12-year-old daughter and I don’t want to get a condolence card saying she’s been hit by a car.” Commissioner Oldenburg stressed that at present “there are lots of ideas but no concrete plans for the area,” adding that “we will get to the point that DDOT will come up with alternatives. Our role is to represent the neighborhood as advisors.”
Public Art or Public Eyesore?
ANC 6B By Emily Clark
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ow much change is too much? At what point do changes threaten the well-being and traditions of a neighborhood? These questions framed an often heated debate at the ANC 6B March meeting. The room was packed to overflowing, and in outpourings reminiscent of a 1960s protest residents lined up to talk about three issues that could irrevocably alter a historic district: road construction, public art, and parking.
Neighborhood or Commuter Shortcut? During Community Speakout, a large group of residents who live along L Street SE, south of the freeway near Nationals Stadium, vigorously objected to an idea being floated by DDOT for construction of a commuter road, high-rise hotel, and tour bus depot near where CSX is upgrading its rail tunnel. Mary Lynn Stevens, who lives in the 1300 block of L, said, “Developers have obviously not read the Sustainable DC proposals” designed to create a more livable, walkable Washington. “How will we discourage car commuting if we’re building a four-lane commuter
The next battle came during a presentation for a proposed mural on the exterior of 524 8th St. SE on Barracks Row. Vanessa Lim – co-owner of the newly opened Tash restaurant and soon-to-open Nooshi Sushi upstairs – brought mockups of the mural by renowned artist Gaia, which would cover most of the wall. Commissioners pointed out that there are no restrictions on paint in the historic district and that Lim did not need permission or approval for the project. But neighbor after neighbor stood up to complain that the mural would not be compatible with the neighborhood. One neighbor was blunt: “We love our neighborhood, so why destroy it with something that looks like it belongs in Vegas?” The artist, who is based in Baltimore, has painted murals in that city and on H Street in the District, exhibited at Art Basel in Miami, and had solo exhibitions coast to coast as well as in Europe. Philip Hutinet, editor of East City Arts, praised the artist, the mural, and Lim. “Gaia is an extraordinary artist, this is an extraordinary opportunity and Ms. Lim is contributing to the vitality of our neighborhood with this project,” he said. Hutinet’s sentiments were echoed by Gail Vollrath, an artist and co-founder of a nonprofit arts programming group, Catalyst Art Projects. “Art brings people together and is a unifying factor contributing to the vibrancy and economic development of a neighborhood,” Vollrath said. “If people could open their minds, they might be more accepting.”
Lim admitted that “art is subjective, and somebody won’t like it but others will.” But not neighbor Helene Quick. “We will have to look at it every day,” she said. “This is a large painting that substitutes for a restaurant sign.”
Zoning Regulations Overhaul Equals Parking Nightmare The bulk of the meeting was taken up with a report by the Task Force on Zoning Regulation, tasked to review the first overhaul of DC zoning rules in more than 50 years. In a bloc vote the commission quickly approved proposed changes regarding front setbacks, alley lots, pervious surfaces and green area ratios, and variance and special exception rules. After some internal discussion, commissioners also approved changes to the number of dwellings per lot and commercial uses in residential areas (the “corner store” issue). The most contentious proposal was to lift parking minimums for new construction of single-family homes and residential developments of fewer than 10 units, as well as apartments or mixed-use developments within a half-mile of the Metro. While the goal is to encourage a less car-centric DC and reduce emissions, neighbors came forward to paint a very different, grim reality, especially for the elderly. Wendy Blair, who lives in the 300 block of 8th St. SE, summed up community opinion with this question: “Why do you give developers more height and density and less parking when it will just mean more congestion and fewer places to park?” Resident Jerry Shrove was even more emphatic: “If this is approved, there won’t be any place to park. New residents aren’t going to abide by the whims and hopes of city planners – they will bring their cars and look for street parking.” An amendment by Commissioner Pate, stating that lifting the minimums alone won’t solve parking HillRag | April 2013 H 57
problems, passed unanimously, and the overall proposal was approved 8-2 (with Garrison and Campbell voting against). According to task force chair David Garrison, the objective is to “communicate the ANC’s views to the Office of Planning, which will issue a draft by the end of April and send it to the Zoning Commission.” Garrison also said that the process will continue over the summer, with proposals broken into sections and meetings scheduled for public comment (see proposed changes at www.dczoningupdate.org).
On a Positive Note James Jones of DC Vote urged residents to get out the vote for Referendum 8, which would amend the DC Charter and put the District in charge of its own budget, currently a function of Congress. Jones said it’s important to send a message and that turnout is especially important. “An incompetent Congress that can’t pass its own budget has authority over ours. It’s time we took control of our own finances.” Early voting on the referendum begins April 9, with the special election April 23 (www.DCVote.org). And finally, residents were encouraged to get involved in the Rock Star community garden at 19th and Burke SE. According to Rachel Trego the garden “grows food and grows relationships among neighbors” (www. Rockstargarden@blogspot.com). H
ANC 6C By Charnice A. Milton
Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Ava Cologne of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer announced that the DC event will take place on May 4 and 5. Part of the 39-mile walk will go through the ANC between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., but no later than 2:00, on May 4. The move would require no street closures as participants will most likely stay on the sidewalks and obey traffic signals. The commission unanimously approved the event.
Race to Stop the Silence 8K The tenth annual Race to Stop the Silence 8K will take place on April 14. Jeff Ruday presented the commissioners with a route map, a site plan for the start/ finish at Freedom Plaza, and event timeline. The commission unanimously approved the event. 58 H Hillrag.com
Maryland Avenue Reconstruction Update Commissioner Scott Price announced that there will be a meeting regarding Maryland Avenue’s redesign at Sherwood Recreation Center on March 18 starting at 7:00 p.m.. The project will have as much impact on those living a half-mile away as H Street’s redevelopment. He encouraged his constituents to attend as he will not be able to make the meeting; Beth Bacon will go in his stead.
DC Public Library Behavioral Guidelines Commissioner Price also announced that all city commissioners received a notice from the DC Public Library System regarding behavioral guidelines, noting there have been some “fairly significant changes.” For instance, if someone is found intoxicated in a library, that person could lose privileges for one to five years. Price feels that some of the guidelines need more study and is currently working on a response with members from his single district, which he will present during April’s meeting.
NoMa Park Space Commissioner Tony Goodman stated that although the NoMa bid district completed 3,000 apartments in the last few years, there is no park space in the area. He proposed that the ANC send a letter to Mayor Vincent Gray, thanking him for initially supporting the idea and asking him to make funds available in the 2013 budget. The motion passed unanimously.
1st St., NE Reconstruction & Streetcar Update Commissioner Goodman announced that DDOT hired a contractor to work on 1st Street NE and they will start in two weeks. The project will rebuild the street from K Street to New York Avenue and resurface it from K to Massachusetts Avenue. Other upgrades include new stormwater features and a two-way cycle track. To accommodate, part of 1st Street will become one-way. However, thanks to extra money in the budget the project should be done by January. Commissioner Mark Eckenwiler noted that DC Streetcar will begin work on the western-end turnaround on March 26. The project has three phases that will run in and around 3rd and H Streets, causing significant disruptions in traffic patterns including a series of disallowed turns.
New Hours for Sunday Liquor Sales Thanks to a new law allowing liquor sales on Sundays, two stores requested changes to their operation hours. First, Oasis Liquors Inc. requested support to keep their store open on Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00
p.m. Second, Capital Fine Wines and Spirits proposed their schedule change: Mondays through Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Although the Alcoholic Beverage Committee supported both proposals, Capital’s came on the condition that they remodel their exterior. After a “gentleman’s handshake” the owner told chairman Tony Richardson that he hopes Sunday sales will help fund Capital’s remodeling efforts. The commission voted to support both schedule changes.
Heritage Foundation Heritage Foundation agreed to postpone the commission’s consideration regarding its upcoming townhouses and parking structure until April’s meeting. However, Commissioner Goodman asked multiple times for an air-quality study, specifically for the garage. Heritage’s representative notes that its design connects below grade to the Heritage building and townhouses, meaning that that the air will filter through both before releasing into the atmosphere. He also assured that the design will meet all building codes and maintain healthy air levels in the garage, townhouses, and Heritage building.
K Street Project Modification According to the Planning, Zoning, and Environment (PZE) Committee’s report, the applicant for a two-phase K Street development requested building two separated buildings on one lot instead of the initial interconnected structures. Commissioner Goodman asked if Phase 1’s owner supported the application; Dennis Hughes answered that the owner did not say anything on record, and the applicant did not speak for both owners. The commission unanimously voted to support the modification.
513 C Street Carmel Greer of District Design presented a revised concept for two new rowhouses. The new plan provides dimensions between the building’s face and sidewalk, adds detail to the railing, adds a small garden to the stoop, and pulls the roof deck back so that it is not visible from the street. Commissioner Eckwiler reminded Greer that the potentially three-story rowhouses will be surrounded by many two-story buildings. This could make the roof deck an eyesore when decorated with umbrellas and other furnishings. Greer explained that the parapet is higher relative to the height of the roof, so furnishings will not be visible. The commission passed the plan, provided that HPO reviews the dimensions.
608 Constitution Avenue The applicant made changes to the concept for an
alteration to a rowhouse’s rear facade. According to the new design the applicant removed a rear canopy and changed window profiles in the back. The PZE Committee also recommended ideas on a downspout that seemed to go beyond the property line. The commission unanimously adopted the new plans and will send a letter of support to HPO.
DDOT Parking Statement Joe McCann, chair of the Transportation and Public Space Committee, presented a “parking statement,” a list of suggestions for DDOT’s Resident Permit Parking (RPP) and Visitor Parking Pass (VPP) programs. For VPPs, suggestions include graduated fees to discourage over-staying visitors and limiting VPPs to individual residents. Commissioner Goodman suggested using simpler language about eligibility (anyone with a DC license). Along with Commissioner Eckenwiler he also suggested removing graduated fees, as the language makes the process seem complicated. The commission voted to send a letter to DDOT supporting the committee’s VPP suggestions with added commentary; the RPP portion will be discussed at April’s meeting.
K and 2nd Streets Traffic Restrictions According the MPD the police have limited resources to combat prostitution issues on Parker Street and can only make arrests if they see a transaction. Therefore, McCann requested writing a letter to MPD suggesting a series of traffic and parking restrictions affecting Parker, K, 2nd, and 3rd streets that could help make more opportunities for police to prevent transactions. The commission voted unanimously.
Grant Committee Appointments Commissioner Mark Kazmierzak presented a list of nominations for the newly reformed grants com-
mittee. The commission approved Michele Rivard (at-large), Katie Baptiste, Laura Marks, Morris Barren (at-large), Trista Etzig, and Sonte DuCote (at-large), with Commissioner Kazmierzak as chair. H
ANC 6D By Roberta Weiner
Fireworks! Navy Bands! Sock Puppets... AND Cherry Blossoms Too Bob Rubenkoenig, event planner for Hoffman Madison, the waterfront developers, delivered a lively presentation on the great day of activities planned for the Saturday, April 6, Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival. Starting at 1:00 p.m. and running through the fireworks display, which will begin at about 8:30 p.m., visitors to the waterfront will be able to hear military and civilian bands, see dragon boats and pinksailed boats on the water, watch the stirring Daiko drummers, see a Japanese style lantern display on the water, and make sock puppets, kites, and origami animals. Co-sponsored by Safeway, Gangplank Marina, the Washington Examiner, Henderson Hall at Ft. Meyer, and a host of other local businesses, there will also be a Kirin Beer Garden in the Kastles Stadium parking lot, signed off on by a unanimous vote of the ANC.
Preservation Cafe
“Garden Design for Small Yards” Wednesday, April 17 6:30 p.m. Ebenezers Coffee House, 2nd and F Streets, NE, downstairs. Gary Hallewell of Garden Arts will provide landscaping advice suitable to Capitol Hill yards. The event is free and handicapped accessible, and the public is encouraged to attend. No reservations required. Details: Elizabeth Nelson, 543-3512. Join us for the 56th Annual Capitol Hill House and Garden Tour! Mothers Day weekend - May 11 & 12, 2013 Tickets available April 15 @ local outlets and CHRS.org Preserve and Protect Your Neighborhood Join the Capitol Hill Restoration Society
CFC #50747
202-543-0425 www.chrs.org
Southwest Playground for Tots: An Idea Whose Time Is Almost Here What they say is true: if you’re a person with a good idea, patience, energy, and chutzpah, things will happen! Felicia Couts is one of those HillRag | April 2013 H 59
people, and the Southwest Playground project is one of those ideas. In 2008 the National Park Service returned a bunch of parkland to the District, including the park in front of the Southwest Library. Couts had a young child, and along with a growing number of Southwest parents with kids saw the need for a playground, both for the children and as a place for the parents to gather. According to her presentation at the ANC meeting, by 2010 she and her group had raised $88,000, and, with the assistance of Councilmember Wells when he chaired the Parks Committee, she holds a grant of $250,000 from the District. It was exciting to hear Couts and the project’s architect describe the imaginative equipment, furniture, and landscaping and to learn that the playground will start becoming a reality within the year.
Southwest Playground for Dogs: Another Idea That’s On Its Way
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A major ongoing project in Southwest is the upgrading and renewal of Lansburgh Park, a large sylvan space behind the Department of Motor Vehicles and the MPD headquarters on M Street. Originally designed as part of the great urban renewal of the 1950s, the park is run down, disorganized, and needful of help. But help is on the way via two projects now in the works: one will bring the first dog park to the Southwest quadrant, the other a community garden. Jessica Seeperstad reported that two years ago a Friends group was begun, and now they have 400 signatures of people who support the park, which will be 10,000 square feet, with 2,000 square feet set aside for small dogs. It is now fully funded, and ground will be broken this summer for construction. While the District will provide funding for basic construction, the Friends group will continue to raise funds for the
project, including selling commemorative bricks. The community garden is also moving forward and, according to Sarah Young, the group organizing the project has won a $50,000 national grant from the Fiskars Corporation, so they too are on their way. Oh No, Not More Tour Buses! A new wrinkle has been added to ANC 6D’s seemingly endless battle against the armies of exhaust-exhaling, illegally-parking tour buses that seem to find the Southwest waterfront such a hospitable gathering spot both day and night. Councilmembers Vincent Orange and Mary Cheh have introduced legislation to establish a tour-bus parking lot on Southwest’s Buzzard’s Point to “save” a historic Northeast school building, whose schoolyard was identified by DDOT as an ideal location for the lot. In response ANC 6D offered a resolution noting that the good intention of the legislation is to save a historic structure, but it was drawn up without any consultation with groups like the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly or the ANC. In fact, Buzzard’s Point, historically a fairly bleak, underdeveloped area, is showing signs of change and development. Gene Fisher, Orange’s staff person, said that the councilmember is willing to work with the community to find a solution. The resolution, which passed unanimously, supports “petitioning the Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment to remove those sections of the legislation that would mandate the establishment of that lot without prior and thorough review by DDOT and in consultation with the Southwest community.”
In Other Actions… •
The commission: Joined other Ward 6 ANCs and Councilmember Wells in protesting the Capitol Power Plant’s continued burning of coal and
the resultant release of damaging particulates into the air near Southeast and Southwest. The Architect of the Capitol reneged on an agreement made in 2009 to switch to cleaner natural gas fuel, currently used in the summer. There was discussion among some commissioners that they did not have adequate information about the existence of the problem, but in the end, they voted unanimously to write a letter expressing their concerns to the Architect of the Capitol. • Approved the closing of 1st and L streets SE on Saturday, April 13, for the Second Annual Street Fair sponsored by Justin’s Café. The fair will be held by the popular Southeast pizza café in celebration of the Nationals’ first home game of the season. • Voted to send letters of approval to the Emergency Management Task Force for three upcoming races: the 10th Annual 8K Race to Stop the Silence, on Sunday, April 14; the Race for Hope, on Sunday, May 5th; and the race that will most seriously impact the area, specifically Southwest, the perennial Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday, October 27. • Okayed a request to the Zoning Commission from Forest City Washington to extend the life of three temporary parking lots in the Southeast Federal Center area until 2017. The lots are in an area where there has been ongoing construction. The application is one lot short of the four that were built in 2007, when the original application was made. The next meeting of ANC 6D will be held on Monday, April 8, at 7:00 p.m., at 1100 4th Street SW, 2nd floor conference room. H
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“Facial Features”
Crossword Author: Myles Mellor • www.themecrosswords.com • www.mylesmellorconcepts.com
by Myles Mellor and Sally York Across:
1. Photo ___ 4. Fibrous foods 9. Makes like 13. Washington locale, with “the” 17. U.N. arm 18. 1994 Peace Nobelist 19. Hindi courtesy title 21. Birthplace of seven U.S. presidents 22. Butts in 26. Sheathed 27. Palace protectors 28. Intangible qualities 29. India’s first P.M. 30. Peaks 31. Barrier in a fairy tale 33. Epiphany figures 36. Chest pain 39. Progeny 43. Changing for the good 48. Research facil. 49. Wife of King Latinus, in Roman mythology 50. Area code 801 area 51. Tamarillo 54. Intestinal pouch 55. Brutal punishment 58. Copier need 59. Besmirch 60. Amount of work 61. High regard 63. Telepathy, e.g. 64. Calamity 66. Public utilities 71. Bar order 73. Blood letters 74. Arnold’s better half 75. Stays focused 84. Acquiesce 85. Err in film processing 86. Old weapon 87. Prevaricators 88. Composes 89. Fourth of July burners 91. They, in Trieste 92. Toot 94. Bailiwick 95. Little squirt 96. Genesis victim 99. Treated with radiation 104. Desk item 108. Certain fur 110. Naughty one 112. A silver dollar, perhaps 116. A lot of lot 117. Kind of personality
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118. Whirlpools 119. Common soccer score 120. Sailing vessel 121. Estimator’s phrase 122. Apprehensive 123. Critical
Down:
1. Flax fabric 2. Cut off 3. “The Temptation of St. Anthony” painter 4. Cheese on crackers 5. “We the Living” author 6. Back at sea 7. A Judd 8. Posture problem 9. “Not on ___!” 10. Hail Mary, e.g. 11. Abate 12. Not worth a ___ 13. Like old recordings 14. “Don’t forget about me” 15. Repeated, singer who sang with Cult Jam 16. Red ink amount 18. Appropriate 20. 1970 World’s Fair site 23. Ring bearer, maybe 24. Discovery grp. 25. Dudgeon 30. Skin problem 31. Purify 32. Altogether 34. Pretentious 35. “That ___,” 60s TV show 37. Pilfers 38. Bite like a beaver 39. Old World duck 40. A head 41. Needle holder 42. Extinguish 43. Montana city 44. Community character 45. Corrupt 46. Losing come-out roll in craps 47. Exploits 49. Campus life 52. Asian tongue 53. Done, to Donne 56. Braids 57. Skimmer, e.g. 62. Bossy remark? 63. Fend off 64. Wild goat 65. Winds
Look for this months answers at labyrinthgameshop.com
67. Pigeonhole 68. Black band of mourning 69. Edmonton hockey player 70. Corporate department 72. Shut 73. Belgium village 75. Bucks 76. Auspices, var. 77. “-zoic” things 78. Title for some priests 79. E-mail, e.g. 80. Gaelic 81. Yellow-flowered cactus
82. Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Tale -of ___ Sultan” 83. “Take one!” 90. Muslim leaders 92. Grand Canyon transport 93. Miles per hour, e.g. 95. Whistler, at times 97. ___ nut 98. Grind down 100. Alicia of “Falcon Crest” 101. Agile lizard 102. Bone-chilling 103. In a laconic manner
104. “Good grief!” 105. Deep 106. ___-American 107. Brood 108. Elevator pioneer 109. National park acronym 110. Brouhaha 111. Unnamed ones 113. Plastic ___ Band 114. Calendar abbr. 115. “To Autumn,” e.g.
Community Life
St. Peter’s Quake Damage Repaired
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enewal and restoration are ordinarily of a different kind in religion, with the mysterious ways of a Higher Power offered to explain away the forces of nature. On August 23, 2011, an earthquake rattled the DC area, causing extensive damage to many buildings. When the tremors subsided the prominently placed Cross of St Peter’s Church had separated and chunks of stone weighing 300-400 four hundred pounds or more had fallen to the steps below. The rest of the Cross fell backwards and seriously damaged the roof. Other damage to the church, the rectory, and the chimney in its rear required significant renovation. Earthquake damage to the DC area is estimated at $200-300 million, only $100 million being covered by insurance. With the deductible insufficient to meet a realistic renovation budget, the St Peter’s parishioners decided to mount a capital campaign to raise more than $650,000 to stabilize the damage and make repairs. The original St Peter’s Church was built on today’s site in 1820. By 1889 the congregants had outgrown the structure, and today’s church was constructed. The stones of its façade are made of sugar marble, which is local to Frederick, Maryland. By mid-20th century the parish’s population consisted mainly of workers at the Navy Yard. Now, according to the current pastor, Father William Byrne, the demographics have shifted again and the parish mirrors Hill growth in leaps and bounds, a torrid “forty five
by Peter J. Waldron per cent clip over the last five years, including 90 baptisms and 70 weddings in the last year alone.” For Father Byrne, who juggles two significant positions, one as pastor of St Peter’s and the other as Secretary for Pastoral Ministries and Social Concerns for the Archdiocese of Washington DC, the Cross was the most significant sign of damage. A structural engineer’s report, however, indicated that the first priority was “stabilization” of the church structure itself and the stabilization and assurance of safety connected to the chimney on the grounds, along with damage to the rectory. Father Byrne reported that many of the large stones, each weighing over 1100 pounds, making up the surface of the church were damaged, and that “step cracks” had appeared on the face of the church. Sections of mortar were jarred loose, and repair required the removal of the threat of pieces falling and causing injury. Work began in fall 2012 with the erection of scaffolding, and the project is expected to be completed in mid-April 2013. One visibly notable feature of the renovation is that for the first time in decades the light in the church tower is again a beacon with the onset of darkness, adding to its historical charm. Parishioner Mike Phillips, winner of the 2013 Capital Hill Community Foundation award for community service and a financial advisor for the parish, pointed to the wisdom and foresight of the leg-
endary Father Michael Sullivan, pastor of St Peter’s for 35 years, among whose enduring legacies was that he pressed the parish’s leadership for a capital fund to respond to natural disasters as well as general maintenance of the property. Father Sullivan passed away on March 15, just as the scaffolding came down in time for Easter services. According to Phillips the capital fund has grown to over $2.5 million during the past 21 years. “It is working as Father Sullivan wanted it to work,” he said, adding that only the income from the endowment is used and not its principal. Parishioner Don Hemmer of IBEW Local 26 has taken on the role of construction coordinator. His principal role is to protect the structural integrity of the project and to monitor work schedules and “change orders” so that St Peter’s is “getting what it paid for.” Hemmer said that the work must be done properly. Stipulations were worked into the contract ensuring that when “Mass is being said they couldn’t be making noise.” Hemmer added another reason for repair: “Once water gets in” where the mortar has been loosened, “there will be further continuing damage. “ Father Byrne, when asked about the inconvenience and disruption the renovation has been to the church’s daily life and its myriad activities in the community, responded with some equanimity: “We haven’t not been able to do what we want to do.” H HillRag | April 2013 H 63
communitylife
Projects Shaping a New Neighborhood By Michael Stevens, AICP, Executive Director Capitol Riverfront BID in 1995 BRAC decisions brought NAVSEA and over 7,000 employees to the Navy Yard campus, leading to over 2 million square feet of new office space being constructed on the base and five new private office buildings being constructed along M Street SE, to house defense contractors. • HUD HOPE VI – more than a decade ago the Arthur Capper Carrollsburg public housing complex was awarded a HUD HOPE VI grant for the demolition of the existing complex and its rebuilding with one-to-one replacement of the publicly assisted units and the addition of 1,100 new workforce and market rate units.
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ometimes we shape our neighborhood and sometimes our neighborhood shapes us. And sometimes other forces shape us and our neighborhoods. I was thinking of these premises recently after reflecting on major projects underway or planned for the Capitol Riverfront. As residents of the District we have opportunities to shape our city and neighborhoods by whom we elect to public office, what public and private projects we support through bond issues or at ANC and Zoning Commission meetings, by attending fundraisers for institutions, by the support we provide to neighborhood schools, through our friendships with neighbors, and even by how we garden and the color we paint our homes. Our neighborhoods and the city often shape us through other forces – major public works projects, transportation initiatives such as the Metro system and now streetcar lines, the DC Clean Rivers project, new bridges, new community/recreation centers, restaurant and retail stores, the location of sports facilities and new public parks, and new private development projects. The policies and plans of our elected officials and the development community can shape or influence our city and neighborhoods for years to come.
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Sometimes tragic events shape our neighborhoods or commercial corridors, such as with the 1968 riots that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It took over 30 years before the H Street, SE, and 14th Street, NW, commercial corridors began to exhibit new investment and regeneration following those riots. The Capitol Riverfront neighborhood is no exception to these premises, and has been and will be shaped by DC residents, major economic development decisions, and both public and private projects for years to come. Major economic development planning and investment by the city and the federal government have led to the rediscovery of our neighborhood and the Anacostia River, after being considered a generally undesirable place to live or work since World War II. Examples of this planning, positioning, and investment that have helped transform the Capitol Riverfront include: • Metro’s Green Line/Navy Yard Station – the Navy Yard station opened in 1991 and immediately connected our neighborhood to the rest of the Metro system and the entire region. • The Base Realignment & Closure Act (BRAC) –
• Anacostia Waterfront Initiative (AWI) – under the leadership of Mayor Williams in 2003 the DC Council adopted the AWI Framework Plan that established a framework for the clean-up of the river, the upgrading and building of infrastructure to support new communities along the river, new access to the river, and the creation of parks and a 20-mile Anacostia Riverwalk Trail system. • Yards Development – in 2004 the federal government selected Forest City Washington to redevelop the 42-acre southeast Federal Center as a highdensity, mixed-use community with a riverfront park. The DC government has invested heavily in the project through PILOT bonds that have funded new roads, water and sewer lines, Yards Park, environmental remediation, and flood plain mitigation. • US Department of Transportation (DOT) Building – the site for the new federal DOT headquarters office building was selected in 2001, and JBG finished the 2-million-square-foot building in 2007, bringing 7,000 DOT employees to the neighborhood. • Nationals Park – in 2005 the Capitol Riverfront was selected to be the home of the new baseball stadium for our baseball team, the Washington
Additions & Basement Experts Nationals. Opening in 2008, Nationals Park has hosted over 2 million fans a year, with 2.4 million attending last year. The ballpark has “mentally mapped” our neighborhood in a region of over 6 million people.
tions with South Capitol Street on both sides of the bridge and include a reconstruction of intersections from Potomac to Eye Street SE.
These major policies, decisions, and investments have led to $2.3 billion in private investment in the neighborhood, including 7.2 million square feet of office space; over 2,800 residential units with another 1,000 under construction; a 204-room Marriott Courtyard hotel; and several hundred thousand square feet of retail completed or under construction. But the “shaping” of the neighborhood is not yet complete, and over the next five years we will see the completion or beginning of several major public works projects that continue to define the quality, look and feel, experience, and accessibility of the Capitol Riverfront.
This project is still in the EIS review and community input phases, and no tunnel design and construction methodology have been approved yet. The reconstruction of this 120+ yearold tunnel will enable the double-stacking of shipping containers as well as adding a second set of tracks. While this will be a major impact on the neighborhood, the post-construction rebuild of the Virginia Avenue ROW offers the opportunity for significant community benefits.
11th Street Bridges Project A bridge construction and replacement project that has been underway for over two years, the new 11th Street Bridges and local connector bridge, will be completed in summer 2014. They provide new highway accessibility to the Capitol Riverfront, Anacostia, and Capitol Hill, with a local connector bridge to Anacostia.
DC Clean Rivers Project The Clean Rivers Project is a multi-year, approximately $2 billion project to clean up the Anacostia River by solving the combined storm water/sanitary sewer issues in the city. Currently underway, the project involves construction of a 28-foot-diameter tunnel from the Blue Plains Treatment Plant to the DC Water pumphouse that will serve as a giant “cistern” for the combined effluent, thereby preventing it from discharging into the river.
CSX Tunnel Project
DC Streetcar Project The Capitol Riverfront is currently slated for two streetcar lines. One will cross the 11th Street local bridge and continue north through Capitol Hill to the H Street “One City” line. An east-west line will run along M Street from 11th Street to SW Waterfront and connect north along 4th or 7th streets SW. The BID’s Urban Design Framework Plan also recommends a new north-south line from Union Station across the South Capitol Street Bridge to St. Elizabeths via the Capitol Riverfront. This line would provide a vital local and regional connection as well as relieve pressure on the Green Line. It would also provide connections to the Green, Blue, Orange, and Red lines at various Metro stations. These projects and more will shape our neighborhood and us as DC residents for decades to come. They will increase our regional and local accessibility, help clean up the Anacostia River, better connect us to adjacent neighborhoods and employment centers, and make South Capitol Street a gateway to the city, while continuing to improve the Capitol Riverfront community. The big positioning is not over, and as we as a neighborhood are shaped by policies and projects, we will continue to try and shape them through input and partnerships to make them the best they can be. H
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South Capitol Street Bridge Project A new South Capitol Street Bridge will be constructed over the next three to five years, replacing the old bridge and adding a memorial ellipse on South Capitol near the ballpark. The project will also reconfigure highway intersecHillRag | April 2013 H 65
communitylife
h streetlife by Elise Bernard
The Elroy Comes to H Street NE Some locals got into a bit of a tizzy, and others just got a little confused, when the owners of the Elroy filed a liquor license transfer application with the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration. The application mistakenly described the license’s old home, which had been an outdoor beach bar on New York Avenue. You can imagine the puzzled expressions on readers’ faces when first seeing that 1423 H Street NE (which is a building, not a vacant lot) would soon be home to a beach themed outdoor bar catering to up to 100 patrons, who would order their food from food trucks while listening to DJs. Thankfully, the actual concept for the H Street NE makes a lot more sense. While an occasional DJ might still be part of the plan, the occupancy is a far more reasonable 60, with seating for 49. The bar will have a futuristic theme (the name the Elroy was inspired by the cartoon son of George Jetson), and a focus on craft brews and cocktails in funky glasses. Expect a short bar menu, with food prepared on site.
Bardo to Break Ground Soon Bardo, the new brewpub coming to 1200-1216 Bladensburg Road NE, recently announced that they have plans to break ground soon. Bardo comes via part of the team from the legendary (but now replaced by condos) Dr. Dremo’s in Arlington. Bardo will be a mostly outdoor affair with seating for 251 patrons outside, and 98 inside (total occupancy of 349). The unconventional plan involves building the indoor bar area from shipping contain66 H Hillrag.com
ers. Food will mostly consist of microwave nachos, and whatever goes on the outdoor grill in the warmer months. The main draw here is definitely the beer,
H Street NE, http://tokiunderground. com). This particular pop-up focused on tortas (Mexican sandwiches). This was the second one they’ve held at Toki, and
com). Their original liquor license application also mentions plans for a rooftop deck that could seat another 49 guests (248 in total).
Ensalata de Nopales from an Impala Catina y Taqueria pop up and they are promising lots of custom brewed stuff on tap.
Impala Cantina Taqueria y Cantina Pops Up at Toki Underground Much anticipated Mexican restaurant Impala Taqueria y Cantina (1358 H Street) offered H Street another taste of their wares at a recent pop-up held at Toki Underground (2nd floor of 1234
might not be the last. They are still working on the build out of their space down the street, but in the meantime you can test drive their tacos at the Pug (1234 H Street NE, http://www.thepugdc.com) on Tuesdays. Once they do get open, you are looking at a decent sized space. Seating for 150 patrons inside, with 49 additional outdoor spots in the courtyard they share with Gallery O/H (1354 H Street NE, http://www.galleryoonh.
Sol Mexican Grill Hopes to Open Soon Sol Mexican Grill, which has henceforth existed only in food truck form, is very close to opening its first brick and mortar location at 1351 H Street NE. People got excited when they tweeted a photo of the interior of their new space. When I asked them about it in late March, they were waiting on a health inspection before
for cornhole, or ping-pong. At 2,100 square feet, this is big rooftop deck. I was up there at night, but the view is great. Expect light fare only on the rooftop, but I have heard that they are planning brunch service.
Carolina Kitchen Owner to Open New Spot on H Street NE The owner of Prince George’s County southern cuisine restaurant Carolina Kitchen (http://www.thecarolinakitchen.com) has acquired a building at 1309 H Street NE. He recently spoke to a reporter from the Washington Business Journal about H Street Country Club now offers rooftop dining and drinking his plans, but didn’t elaborate much beyond saying he hopes making any opening date predictions. For to open a new business there those unfamiliar with their food, Sol serves a by the end of 2013. He also mentioned something mix of Tex-Mex style tacos and burritos. The about a rooftop hookah bar. If the hookah part new spot will feature a full bar, and seating for pans out, that would be the second hookah attrac35 patrons (total occupancy of 49). The origition on H Street. The other one is Sahra Lounge nal liquor license mentions a small summer (http://sahralounge.com) at 1200 H Street NE. garden with outdoor seating. No word yet on This isn’t the first time the owner of Carowhether it will be there when they open, or lina Kitchen has shown an interest in the H will come later. Street Corridor. At one point he planned to open a low country restaurant called Sweet H Street Country Club Prepares Charleston’s in the space that is now slated to become a Red Rocks (1348 H Street NE, to Open New Rooftop Deck http://www.redrocksdc.com). But he would The H Street Country Club (1335 H Street have been leasing at that location, versus ownNE, http://www.thehstreetcountryclub.com) ing the property as he does at 1309. is gearing up to open their highly anticipated rooftop deck. I saw it a few weeks back (beFor more on what’s abuzz on and around H Street fore they had installed the bar top) and it is a you can visit my blog http://frozentropics.blogspot. very nice rooftop area. Beyond the obvious bar, com. You can send me tips, or questions at elise.bernard@gmail.com. H there will also be plenty of seating, and an area
www.hillrag.com
HillRag | April 2013 H 67
communitylife
Barracks Row Restaurants Expand With New Start-Ups By Sharon Bosworth Cloud watchers paradise: 3rd floor Nooshi reflects the heavens
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or the past decade we’ve come to think of our neighborhood as the cradle of great restaurant concepts. This month that trend continues. The protective wraps were recently removed from Nooshi, 524 8th Street, SE, (pending an April opening), revealing a hovering all-glass vision three floors above us overlooking a rooftop Zen garden. At Rose’s Luxury, 717 8th Street, SE, the gut renovation is moving along quickly and at Kraze Burger, 415 8th Street, SE, an early summer opening is expected. Just under the surface of openingsas-usual, a new phenomenon is taking shape: brand extensions by our businesses to neighborhoods far from the Row. Two Barracks Row restaurants, Belga Café, 514 8th Street, SE, and Zest Bistro, 735 8th Street, SE, are poised to launch ambitious new ventures in different DC neighborhoods. In both cases the new start-ups will be twice the size of their Barracks Row siblings, with entirely different names and concepts. Ted’s Bulletin, soon opening its second site on 14th Street, will stick to the winning formula in menu and concept developed on Barracks Row with only the décor changing to adapt to a street-level space in a brand new condo building The staff at Belga Café will remain
in place, hired and positioned gradually over the past year to maintain the impeccable standards set by owner and Executive Chef Bart Vandaele. “Capitol Hill has been so good to me¬; this neighborhood is where I got my start. When I was ready to expand I searched for another area that was tight-knit and emerging, exactly like Barracks Row and I discovered Logan Circle. I couldn’t have succeeded here without the support of this community. I will to split my time between Belga and B Too (on 14th Street, just south of Rhode Island Avenue, NW ) and there will be no drain on Belga, I promise.”
Opening Soon… The mood is sanguine at Zest Bistro, where owners Amanda and Stephen Briggs are preparing to open Agua301 this summer near Nationals Park in the Lumber Shed at 301 Water Street, SE. “We have been working on menu development for Agua for months here at Zest–we’ll definitely be ready,” observed Amanda Briggs philosophically, “but they can only go so fast on the renovation.” The Lumber Shed, an adaptive re-use project by Forest City was originally an open-sided United States Navy facility where wood was stacked to dry in the river breezes. Soon it will be a
The Lumber Shed: Agua301 is Zest Bistro’s new venture in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood.
glowing glass-wrapped beacon housing ten restaurants, visible for miles along the Anacostia, a fifteen-minute walk from Barracks Row in the new neighborhood of high rises with baseball park views. Agua301 will be dramatically positioned at the front right corner of the Lumber Shed directly on the water, as its name implies. Chef Bart also refuses to be pinned down on an opening date for B Too which will be dedicated to exploring modern Belgian dishes. “It’s just like the arrival of a baby, it can’t be rushed. It will arrive when it is ready.” Sidewalk superintendents from near Northwest are betting on a late April-early May opening. Meanwhile, business is booming at Belga Café where the staff is making plans to participate with twenty other restaurants in Barracks Row’s Taste of 8th on April 27th. Always a major crowd pleaser, the Belga booth usually features beer samplings, sweet or savory waffles, and Belgian chocolate. This year there are hints of a surprise on their sampling menu.
Flavors Mirror History Belgium is a small country, roughly the size of Maryland. We asked Chef Bart to explain B Too’s modern Belgian menu concept. Over the centuries many of Belgium’s neighbors became invaders who brought new cuisines with each arrival from Dutch to French to Austrian to German. Then there are the Belgian classics like frites and mussels now served daily from inventive curbside carts and food trucks as well as
at fine Continental restaurants all experimenting, re-interpreting and inventing new dishes. With a big, brash, fun décor including a sweeping staircase, at B Too Chef Bart plans to push the creative limits of European cuisine, while at Belga Café the menu will remain devoted to the finest Belgian classics. It’s clear that Amanda and Stephen Briggs, co-captains of the Zest team, go for punchy, easy-to-find A and Z names for their eateries. But the selection of the cuisine for Agua301 stems from Zest’s Chef Dot Steck’s early career training. Steck began by working in the kitchens of Jaleo, 489 7th Street, NW, and Austin Grille, 750 E Street, NW, when those two Penn Quarter favorites were under the same ownership. As soon as management spotted her talents, Chef Dot was rewarded with two weeks of intense chef-level training at Susanna Trilling’s Season’s of My Heart Cooking School in Oaxaca, Mexico. When the Zest team recruited Chef Dot, they knew of her expertise in Mexican-American cuisine, but had already decided to open their first restaurant here on Barracks Row focused on updated bistro classics from north of the border. Oaxaca is both a place and a state of mind. In Oaxaca you can climb a pyramid built in 900 BC in the morning and spend the afternoon surfing in the Pacific. After unearthing ancient corncobs, UNESCO recognized Oaxaca as the site of “earliest known evidence of domesticated plants on the continent” which brings us, naturally, to Barracks Row today and back to
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Continuing community support from Chef Bart as he prepares duck and cotton candy at Magic and Miracles Fundraiser for Ready Willing and Working.
Chef Dot. Agua301 will be dedicated to Oaxaca’s specialty, mole. Mole means “sauce” in the language of one of the largest Native Mexican tribes indigenous to the Oaxaca region. Mole has also come to be a culinary symbol of Mexican diversity. Pairings of the seven classic moles with different meats will be at the core of the Agua301 menu. Chef Dot promises Modern Mexican cuisine based on the oldest known techniques “no short cuts but with a twist” while owner Amanda Briggs promises “the same family-friendly feeling as Zest but with an amazing front corner location where two glass walls come together for unbelievable river views plus a great park side patio facing southwest, toward Mexico.”
Taste of 8th and the Annual Barracks Row Garden Party Like Belga Café, Zest Bistro will be participating in Taste of 8th. Zest is expecting once again to welcome throngs of newcomers to the neighborhood, ready to try Chef Dot’s latest bistro creations. The first dishes from Agua301, so long in development, will be unveiled at the Barracks Row Annual Garden Party on May 21, 2013. For more information on both events go to www. barracksrow.org or call 202-544-3188. H 70 H Hillrag.com
communitylife
The Table Church
Worship to Reflect the Community
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evin Lum hatched an idea – to bind together the greater H Street community around two main concepts, food and fellowship. He started planning in earnest in October 2012, meeting with others about it, thinking about logistics, and their meetings outgrew their living room.
A Search for Community In early 2012 Capitol Hill residents Kevin and Charla Lum were thinking long-term – settling down, having kids, and wondering where that should happen. “We had lived here for six years,” said Kevin, “but there are challenges with DC. It can be tough raising kids here; it can be expensive and isolating.” So they took an exploratory journey through the Western states, looking for a place they felt called to settle. “We got back and decided we were supposed to be in DC.” They set their sights on the up-and-coming H Street neighborhood and focused on what that might look like. For the Lums, faith is at the center of family, friends, and community, so it was natural for them to start a church. The Lums began planning in earnest and started small, gathering at a friend’s house for dinner to share their vision of a church that would foster an authentic community while addressing many of the challenges that DC residents face (high poverty and HIV rates and a transient population, as examples). “We want to build a great community,” Kevin said. 72 H Hillrag.com
By Heather Schoell “We want to be creative, thoughtful, a fun place for kids, and challenge our congregation to make a difference at schools, participate at ANC meetings, and make a better community for all. We have friends who are consumers of the city – I want us to be a part of it and make a difference.” Kevin’s goal is to become, in say five years, a solid enough church community that people decide to stay in DC because of it.
Partnering with Douglas In their quest to bring people together the Lums met with Rev. Dr. Helen Strafford Fleming of the Douglas Worship Center (formerly Douglas Memorial United Methodist Church), the imposing-looking red brick building on the corner of 11th and H. For seven years Fleming has headed this church, bringing help to the homeless, veterans, and the poor, offering a soup kitchen, a thrift store, computer training, and AA meetings. What she needed was access to the new people in the community. At their meeting Kevin said that Pastor Fleming asked him where the congregation would meet. He was considering a bar or restaurant on H Street, but she offered her church. They would be partners, but separate, sort of. They would work together to embrace the community and to provide support for it, and sometimes their services would overlap (as on Good Friday in March), but mostly they would be community part-
ners. “Our worship styles are different, but we want to bring our people together,” Kevin explained. The Table has a casual style of dress and worship, and Douglas is more traditional and formal. Said Fleming, “Coming together has been challenging and joyful. We are two churches with one mission.” It was to this end that Fleming changed the name of her church several months ago to be more welcoming to the larger community. “We are elated to join forces, to blend, and to reach racial reconciliation.” Together they will adopt a local public school, feed the hungry, and work as a team to realize their vision for a healthy and thriving community.
Food for The Table A huge part of Kevin’s vision for his congregation and community is fresh food and being at the table, sharing meals and conversation. “God cares about creation, that food is grown and harvested in an equitable manner. Our faith is about more than personal piety.” Kevin is working with a group that pairs farmers to organizations. Starting May 4, the first and third Saturdays, The Table will launch Fresh Stops, events offering farm-fresh vegetables on a sliding scale, making healthy produce more accessible to the community. There will be games for kids, cooking demonstrations, and another opportunity for bringing people together. This is what The Table is about – sharing food and
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Pastor Kevin Lum of H Street’s The Table Church. Photo: Heather Schoell
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fellowship. There are twice-monthly potlucks after services. They talk about God but also about culture, such as someone’s native Indian dish, food allergies, or personal backgrounds. The point is that they’re talking, together. If you are interested in dropping in, The Table Church meets at 5:00 p.m. on Sundays, usually in the downstairs portion of the Douglas Worship Center. There’s always a band playing Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers-style indie folk worship music. Check them out on Facebook to see if it’s a night to bring a dish to share. Bring your family if you’ve got one, and join your community at The Table: 1020 H St. NE, info@thetabledc.org, www.thetabledc.org. Heather Schoell is a regular contributor to the Hill Rag and can be reached at hschoell@verizon.net. H
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SPECIAL 2013 SPRING
DISHES TO DIE FOR
by Jonathan Bardzik
Montmartre steams mussels with Pastis liqueur, fresh basil and crisp white white producing a drinkable broth. Ask for extra baguette.
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have fallen in love on the Hill. Twice. It’s where I met my husband Jason and some of our best friends. Many of my most passionate affairs, however, have been with the wonderful foods in this DC neighborhood. Like a mother picking favorites among her children, this is an impossible task, but here are five local restaurant dishes that I can never have enough of.
Pastis Mussels at Montmartre My first spring in DC, a date and I stumbled into Montmartre (www.montmartredc.com, 327 7th St. SE) for a late dinner. We shared their country pâté, a flawlessly dressed green salad, and a large An indulgence in a menu filled with the freshest fish and light, summer pastas, Sonoma’s burger is nothing short pot of mussels. My romance with the mussels long of perfection. outlasted the other brief affair. Well established, Montmartre remains one of the Hill’s best restaurants. Their mussels, amongst a best. Shaved red onion and a blend of Dijon and grain mustard add a sharp strong pool of competitors, are the best I’ve eaten in DC. They offer three bite, balanced by sweet and sour housemade pickles and fresh, bright arugula. preparations, but I am true to my first love. Named Pastis for the aniseJason always adds cheese, usually Vermont cheddar. A fried egg is a treat on flavored, French aperitif they are steamed in, the preparation includes basil, special occasions -- or after a particularly big night of drinking. shallots and white wine. The anise liqueur and basil deliver delicate licorice Hand-cut fries are double blanched to insure crispness, and served flavors that balance perfectly with the sweet shellfish. with parsley, salt and malt vinegar, my favorite way to eat them. FortuJason and I have a grand vision of enjoying an inexpensive evening on nately, Jason shares. Montmarte’s tree-shaded patio, enjoying a bottle of wine and a pot of Pastis mussels. Soaking the drinkable broth in crusty slices of baguette would be Tortilla Soup at Las Placitas more than filling. Montmartre’s kitchen, however, has conspired against us, Of all the foods I love, the world’s chicken soups hold a special place in and we always end up ordering three courses each - a delicious failure each my heart, and stomach. That love has turned finicky with experience, and and every time. I’ve become particular about what constitutes a great steaming bowl of Thai Tom Yum, Greek Avgolemono, or Mexican Tortilla soup. Despite years of The Burger at Sonoma attempts in my home kitchen, I have yet to top the Tortilla soup at Las PlaciJason and I had been going out for three months before we went to tas (www.lasplacitasdc.com, 517 8th St. SE). Sonoma (www.sonomadc.com, 223 Pennsylvania Ave. SE), a magic night of First, a point of clarification: I inadvertently incited a heated debate on fresh fish and brightly sauced summer pasta. Two years later, we played hooky Facebook recently over whether Tortilla soup should be brothy or thick and on one absolutely flawless, Capitol Hill spring day, walking to Sonoma for cheesy. My preference, like the soup at Las Placitas is a bowl of rich broth, a bottle of Prosecco and a late lunch. Jason ordered the burger, grumbling thickened only by a base of roasted tomatoes and chiles. about the $16 price tag, until permanently silenced by his first bite. Las Placitas begins with a rich, roasted homemade chicken stock. A What makes an outstanding burger? It begins with great beef. Newpurée of roasted tomatoes and dried ancho, pasilla and guajillo chiles both ly appointed, executive chef Josh Hutter tells me that Sonoma grinds thicken and add sweetness, depth and a little heat. Chicken breast is poached chuck, brisket and short ribs including the perfect amount of fat for flain the stock and shredded. Placed in a large bowl it is topped with sweet zucvor and moisture. Their housemade rolls, buttered and grilled, are soft, chini and carrots, rich, creamy slices of avocado, fresh cilantro and crisp corn but not insipid. tortillas, which add a distinct flavor of Masa corn flour. When it comes to toppings, every starkly exposed item needs to be the While I don’t want my soup thick with cheese, I love the sharp flavor
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of melted Cheddar and Monterrey at the bottom of the bowl. Like the mussels at Montmartre, Las Placitas giant, steaming bowl of Tortilla soup could easily be a meal itself, but I can never seem to resist a plate of their Salvadoran Puerco al Horno or sizzling skillets of fajitas.
Thickened with smoky roasted tomatoes and a traditional blend of Mexican chilies, Las Placitas Tortilla soup is both light and complex.
Lomo and Lonza at Red Apron Butchery • • • • • • •
A diverse product line of quality beverages from all over the world One of the largest and most unique wine selections on Capitol Hill A friendly and knowledgeable staff Located just minutes form Downtown, DC and Alexandria, VA 1 block south of Eastern Market Metro on the vibrant Barracks Row Owned by the Williams Family since 1978; established before 1919
The best weekly wine tastings on “The Hill”- Sat (3-6pm)
Americans have worked so hard to cut fat from their diets. However, I’ve recently become addicted to it. Our friend Mikey arrived for dinner one night bearing gifts, including paper thin slices of Italian-style Lonza, from Red Apron Butchery (www.redapronbutchery.com) at Union Market (www.unionmarketdc, 1309 5th St. NE). The pork loin, brined in salt, sugar, cinnamon, fennel, rosemary and other spices, then cured for 2-4 months, has an intentionally thick layer of fat across the top. The flavor and mouthfeel of that fat is silky and decadent. Sensually, this is better than the best massage you’ve ever received, akin to rubbing the furry belly of a kitten. As you might guess, this is an awkward addiction, leading one to obsessively describe the sensuality of pork fat to your friends. It gets worse. Red Apron’s owner, Nathan Anda, also brines and cures Berkshire pork in a Spanish style for his
German & American Specialties Old Favorites & Innovative Menu Items Ask About New Beers - Homemade Pastries - Patio Now Open
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Rachael Bronson at Red Apron Butchery.
Lomo charcuterie. The same cut of meat is similarly brined, then rinsed and rubbed with Sherry vinegar and pimentón, a smoky Spanish paprika. Lest the fat get all the glory, let me talk about the rich, and richly-seasoned, meat. I asked Nathan why he chose Berkshire pigs over other heritage breeds. “It’s my commitment to using the whole animal,” he said. “In the two years before opening my first brick and mortar location here at Union Market, I was able to try a lot of different pork. While some pigs produce exceptional bacon or great hams, Berkshires have an even distribution of fat and muscle.” I can attest that the testing was well worth the results.
Baltimore Bomb at Dangerously Delicious Pies After a night of Asian dining on H Street for a Hill Rag article last fall, our friend Sam cajoled us into a visit to Dangerously Delicious Pies (www.dangerouslydeliciouspiesdc.com, 1339 H St NE). Upon recommendation we ordered a slice of the Baltimore Bomb. No, I can’t stop going back. Of course, you can’t call your pies dangerously delicious without a great crust. Their vegan, vegetable shortening crust is perfectly flakey. In fact, we bought an entire Baltimore Bomb pie last week (this is becoming a problem) and observed the crust flaking off in layers as we dug into it with forks. With due deference to the crust, Baltimore
a space to enjoy French Cuisine with a great wine selection or craft cocktail in a vintage attic décor, a cozy atmosphere with intimate ambiance on the vibrant H corridor.
Bomb is all about the filling. The pie starts with Berger cookies. Made in Baltimore since the early 1800’s, Berger cookies top a vanilla wafer with a thick layer of fudge. Inside the pie, these melt and swirl into the custardy, vanilla chess filling. While decadent, the pie is not
502 H Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 202.544.4999 | Legrenierdc.com
Sidamo Coffee and Tea
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Their #1 seller since opening, Dangerously Delicious Pies’ Baltimore Bomb is rich and decadent. One slice is never enough.
cloying. The vanilla custard is rich and eggy, letting the cookies provide the hit of sugar. The pie is best served heated, the soft, warm filling balanced by the crisp crust. Apparently I am not the only one who thinks this pie is amazing. Baltimore Bomb has been Dangerously Delicious pies #1 seller since they opened.
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Jonathan Bardzik is a storyteller, demo chef and food writer in Washington, DC. You can find him outside at Eastern Market, each Saturday morning, cooking with local, fresh produce. Find out what Jonathan is cooking by reading his blog www. whatihaventcookedyet.com or his Facebook page of the same name. H
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Silver Spork, a new name, but the same friendly atmosphere and quality food By Jonathan Bardzik, Photos by Andrew Lightman
“Coach” Seth Shapiro, owner of Silver Spork, is passionate about the bread he serves and the Capitol Hill Little League baseball teams he coaches.
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here are two things Americans hold dear: local baseball teams and really good, freshbaked bread. Seth Shapiro, president of Capitol Hill Little League and owner of the Silver Spork, née Marvelous Market, is no exception. “Changing our name was easy, but there was no way I was giving up my baker,” he laughs, and with good reason. Shapiro has bought from the same “passionate, European-style” baker for 12 years now.
Same Bread When he renamed his market this past fall, Shapiro saw it as an opportunity. “The change came right as we celebrated six years in business. This was a chance to reevaluate everything.” The baker – baguettes and gingerbread included – that tempt Silver Spork’s customers from the front counter stayed the same. So did his loyal staff, many of whom live walking distance from the store. Enjoy Silver Spork’s new sandwiches, and a bottle of wine or beer, on the patio. It is one of the best outdoor dining spots on the Hill.
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New Sandwiches “Our sandwiches and ready-to-eat foods, however, I wanted to take to the next level,” Shapiro says. To do that Silver Spork got serious about freshness. Shapiro literally knocked down the walls of his office in the basement of the store and installed a kitchen. “Now we make our sandwiches, like customer-favorite Jamon Brie, fresh, on-site every morning. The sandwich you swing in to pick up for lunch was made between 8 and 11 a.m.” Making sandwiches fresh on site has also allowed Silver Spork to expand their product line. The cheeses and meats from their sandwiches are starting to appear in the ready-to-eat case. “The fig preserves on our Jamon Brie sandwich are the same ones we offer in jars,” says Shapiro. He has also taken this as an opportunity to help staff member Sarah Frimpong start her own business. Her Broodjes and Co. sandwiches are available in the store.
Wine and Beer al Fresco Silver Spork is an easy stop on the walk home from the Metro, making it a convenient source for the evening’s libations. “Our goal is to have a broad range of types with one or two bottles per grape or region,” says Shapiro. “We’re also value conscious, aiming for an everyday price point of $10-30 per bottle.” While many locals are familiar with Silver Spork’s wine and beer, they are just discovering that they can now enjoy their drinks on the patio, one of Capitol Hill’s best outdoor dining locations. For a small corkage surcharge, you can have a drink while enjoying Silver Spork’s Friday night concert series. “It’s a great way to relax at the end of the week,” says Shapiro. We keep things low-key with classical or jazz guitarists, and also family-friendly the first Friday of each month with Mr. Skip, a well-known local artist.
Coach Seth Family-friendly comes easily to Shapiro, who lives near Eastern Market with his wife, Megan, and son Mitch, 12, and daughter Ry, 5. They were a big part of the motivation to open Silver Spork six years ago. “My job had me running all over town. I wanted to help build this community.” When Shapiro saw the property at the corner of 7th and C streets SE, he called his wife who also works on the Hill as a real estate agent with Re/ Max. “Let’s do it!” she said. Shapiro loves being a part of the local community. He is as passionate about Silver Spork’s baguettes as he is about the more than 300 kids in Capitol Hill Little League, who often call out “Coach Shapiro” as he rides his bike to and from work. “We’re a part of the community and we’re here to stay,” he says. Like Silver Spork’s bread, you can depend on it. Jonathan Bardzik is a storyteller, demo chef, and food writer in Washington, DC. You can find him outside at Eastern Market each Saturday morning, cooking with fresh local produce. Find out what Jonathan is cooking by reading his blog, www.whatihaventcookedyet.com or his Facebook page of the same name. H
By Celeste McCall
North Meets South–Italian style
At Lincoln Park, Capitol Hill welcomes Ninnella Ristorante Italiano, formerly Park Café. Under new ownership the revamped enterprise debuted in February. In their joint venture, northern Italian chef Emanuel Simeoni joined brothers Angelo and Alessandro Forte, who hail from southern Italy. Decor is classy, with handsome abstract paintings and saltillo floor tiles. A gas fireplace provides atmospheric warmth. Ninnella, by the way, is named after Angelo and Alessandro’s grandmother. As we perused the menu, general manager Matthew Campanella brought us complimentary flutes of sparkling wine, warm bread, and olive oil/balsamic dip to “tide us over.” Appetizers like fried calamari and spinach salad looked tempting, but we decided to cut to the chase: lamb lasagna (it also comes with seafood) is a square of layered pasta replete with lamb and spicy tomato sauce. Peter chose crispy-skinned branzino (Mediterranean fish) flanked with zucchini and tomatoes. A grand finale was a decadent chocolate mousse. In the works is a lineup of Italian wines, but Ninnella poured vintages from its New World predecessor. No problem. I enjoyed my Argentine malbec, while Peter sipped New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Located at 106 13th St. SE, Ninnella is open daily for dinner, but watch for changes. Ninnella seats 30 but eventually will expand to downstairs and outdoor seating. Call 202-543-0184. http://www.ambarrestaurant.com/
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mother was a chef, and young Rico learned from watching her. “When he was little, he wanted to become a chef because the kitchen was nice and warm and you could eat all the time,” said Klytie. After two years in Texas, where they operated a catering firm, the couple received a call from Café Berlin co-owner Irene (Peggy) Khashan. Since she was retiring, she offered them the business. They took over on Feb. 17. They now live in Peggy’s house (she retired to Florida) in Maryland. Who cooks at home? “Nobody.” Goals? “We wanted to bring obscure German dishes to the menu,” Rico explained, naming Clytie Roberts and Rico Clage, new owners of Cafe flammkuchen, a flatbread Berlin. appetizer topped with Germany Joins Texas quark (sort of like ricotta), onions, leeks, Cafe Berlin, which has dispensed and bacon. They also added rinderrouTeutonic fare since 1985, has changed lade (beef rollups) and catch-of-the-day. hands. New proprietors are Clytie (proThey cure corned beef in-house; soups nounced Cly-Tai, her grandmother’s and salad dressings are homemade. name) Roberts and German-born husMenus will change seasonally. Rico, band Rico Glage. The couple met in the who heads the kitchen, employs three restaurant in 2007. Rico was cooking, assistants. Klytie was a server. “I had been a cusWe had to try it out. From the retomer for years, and we met and fell in vamped luncheon menu we began with love here,” said Roberts. They were mara cup of zesty goulashsuppe, a hearty ried two years later. beef and vegetable melange enlivened Rico was born in northern Gerwith Hungarian paprika. Sandwiches many; Klytie is from Killeen, Texas. came with choice of the goulash ($2 exBoth come from “foodie” families. Rico’s tra) or the taggessuppe (daily), cream of
mushroom. I chose a hefty turkey BLT piled on pumpernickel with the works, escorted by German potato salad and mushroom soup. Peter went for a bratwurst sandwich, topped with sauerkraut. Sandwiches are all under $10. The menu also includes German mainstays like sauerbraten (marinated beef ) and Kassler rippchen (smoked pork loin). Top sellers? Jaegerschnitzel – breaded pork slathered with mushroom gravy and spaetzel (tiny dumplings). Beet salad is also popular. Located at 322 Massachusetts Ave. NE, Café Berlin is open daily for lunch and dinner. Call 202-543-7656 or visit www.cafeberlindc.com.
Vietnam Returns
We can no longer complain about the dearth of Vietnamese restaurants on the Hill. The Atlas District has the fullservice Pho Bar & Grill, 1360 H St. NE, www.phobarandgrill.com. A modest addition is Vietnamese Corner, a reincarnation of Pacific Café, which closed four years ago. Owners are the same, Nga Thai and Hong Hon. Located at 1123 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Vietnamese Corner is mainly carryout with some seating, and shares its space with Pizza by the Slice. Savory beef pho is ideal for a blustery early spring day. We loved the grilled shrimp with vermicelli, served room temperature with a piquant vinegar dipping sauce. Vegetarian dishes (bean curd) are available. Beverages: Vietnamese-style coffee and tea and jasmine hot tea. Open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Call 202-546-4653. Along the “Avenue,” mounted on a
Del Ray Artisans Gallery at the Nicolas A Colasanto Center
FREE ADMISSION, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Thursday noon to 6pm Friday noon to 9pm Saturday 10am to 9pm Sunday noon-6pm
Mt. Vernon Avenue, Alexanadria VA 22301 703.838.4827 www.thedelrayartisans.org
UPCOMING DEL RAY ARTISANS GALLERY EVENTS: MAY 3 - MAY 12TH: Del Ray Artisans and the T.C. Williams High School Art Department jointly present the 16th Annual Student Art Show at Del Ray Artisans gallery. The exhibit will feature the work of members of the National Art Honor Society (NAHS). MAY 17 - JUNE 1ST: Del Ray Artisans’ Fundraiser Exhibit Art For Good. JUNE 1ST: Fundraiser/Benefit Reception for DRA and American Cancer Society Benefit In Honor of Becky Arnold
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folding chair on the sidewalk in front of Café Recess, was a pair of tee-shirts proclaiming “Pho” and “Banh mi.” I hurried inside to investigate, and met the eatery’s new proprietor, Valerie Nguyen. I returned with Peter and sampled the new items. We shared a generous bowl of pho, flavorful broth laced with chicken and served with Thai basil, cilantro, and sprouts. We also split banh mi, the harmonious marriage of a French baguette filled with pork, ham, or chicken. (Other sandwiches are also available.) Summer rolls (two to a serving) were gossamer thin wrappers plumped with shrimp and vermicelli noodles, with peanut dipping sauce. Café Recess retains its popular hot and cold buffet. Located at 209 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Café Recess is open six days a week for lunch, closed Sunday. Call 202-544-3049.
Turkish/Persian Delight
A welcome addition to Barracks Row’s lunch brigade is Tash, the Persian/Turkish charmer at 524 8th St. SE. It recently added lunchtime service. (Upstairs, Nooshi was due to open this month.) The funky decor sets the stage for an enjoyable repast. Colorful Turkish tiles adorn one wall, across from a huge chalkboard. Customers are given chalk to scribble graffiti or write comments. (We did.) Chef/co-owner Nariman Mondaniou (whose nephew Amir was our capable server) and his team were hard at work in the display kitchen, dominated by the giant charcoal grill which gives Tash (“fire” in Farsi) its name. Hot tea arrived in a beautiful silver and glass service set accompanied by sugar cubes in a dainty silver dish. We started with a scrumptious dip made with olives, olive oil, walnuts, and spices, scooped up with warm flatbread. Peter ordered lemon/saffron chicken kebabs, while I chose spicy lamb kubideh. Entrees – flanked with grilled eggplant and zucchini – were beautifully presented in rectangular curvy white dishes, along with yogurt dip and taboulah. Lunch for two, with a glass of wine apiece, came to $51 before tip. Tash is open daily; call 202-733-1133. H
by Felix Milner
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ow spring is finally here. With the weather warming up and the days getting longer it is often the case that tastes change, moving away from rich, robust reds and creamy whites to lighter, fresher reds and more crisp, floral, and mineral white wines. While sauvignon blanc and unoaked chardonnay are obvious choices for a crisp white wine, there are a number of other varieties worth considering such as albarino from Riaxas Baixas, perhaps a verdejo from Rueda, or even a grenache gris from the Pyrenees. Dark skinned grapes such as pinot noir from Carneros, a nebbiolo from Piedmont, and tempranillo from Rioja can transport you into the summer with aromas of freshly picked cherries, strawberries and raspberries. Here are some of my top picks to get spring off to a good start.
Rias Baixas Orballo Albarino 2001 ($20) – This charming white comes from the green and relatively cool climate of Rias Baixas in northwest Spain. Made by Bodega La Val, Orballo is one of our best finds from the region. Incredibly refreshing, it has hints of grass, gooseberry, and lemon on the nose. Meanwhile the palate is packed with citrus notes and ripe fruit. This is summer in a glass!
Rueda Mania Verdejo Viura 2011 ($15) – From the Denominación de Origen (or DO) of Rueda, an hour and a half drive northeast from Madrid, comes this vibrant and effortless wine. Made by Bodegas Felix Lorenzo Cachazo, a small family-run winery, the Mania is a blend of 50 percent verdejo, 50 percent viura (Macabeo). With over 80 percent of the region’s wine made from just from one grape – also a similar situation in Rias Baixas with albarino – it is no wonder verdejo and
Rueda are almost used synonymously. The Mania has an attractive and vibrant nose of pear and apple backed up with herb and aniseed notes. Plenty of fresh fruit carries through onto the palate with lots of zip.
Roussillon Le Cirque Grenache Gris 2011 ($15) – Not an obvious choice, this grenache gris, named after the grey colored grape skin, from Les Maitres Vignerons de Tautavel, is a delight. Grenache is more commonly known and understood to be a darkskinned grape that contributes in the famous blends of the Rhone Valley. Le Cirque comes from the tiny village of Tautavel, a beautiful, unspoiled part of Roussillon that forms the base of the Pyrenees. Vineyards are generally small plots jumbled up by the rugged white limestone hills. Where vines cannot grow spots of green garrigue dot the landscape. It is the higher elevation and Mediterranean climate, with chalky clay soils, that seems to provide the perfect terroir for this humble grape. The Le Cirque is lively, bright, super fresh, unoaked, and delicious. The intense fruit and floral and spicy notes make it a joy on its own, but it also pairs wonderfully with fish and seafood.
shows typical Carneros elegance. Mediumbodied with a refreshing acidity and soft tannin, while drinking well now, it will continue to improve for several years in the bottle.
Piedmont Ratti Nebbiolo d’Alba Ochetti 2009 ($22) – While the villages of Barolo and Barbaresco may demonstrate the apex of what nebbiolo is capable of, wines made just outside, in slightly less sought-after areas – particularly Alba – can make for a great spring drink. At half the price of a Barolo, Renato Ratti’s 2009 Ochetti does exactly that. It shows soft, juicy red fruit with a hint of rose petal and other flowers on the nose. On the palate it is round, soft, and has a generous mouth-feel with deep dark fruit flavors and smooth finish.
Carneros
Rioja
Barrique Cellars Pinot Noir 2010 ($25) – This delicious pinot noir hails from Carneros in Sonoma County. One of our most exciting ventures over the last couple of years has been seeking out excess juice from high-end producers. We bottle under our name, Barrique Cellars, and sell the wine for less than half the price the producers’ own bottles go for. The wine is identical, it just has a different label on the bottle. For this reason we can’t name the famous Napa vintner who made this wine, but we can assure you of its quality. Packed with bright fruits including black raspberry, blueberry, and black cherry, this pinot
Ladron de Guevara Rioja 2011 ($12) – Tempranillo can vary hugely depending on terroir and the wine-making techniques used. In hotter climates it can make big wines with tons of structure and depth (think Ribera del Duero) rivaling the likes of cabernet sauvignon, yet in cooler climes it tends to produce wines with fresh strawberry and cherry like fruit, which can be easily mistaken for pinot noir. Ladron de Guevara’s 2011 Rioja is a case in point, with fragrant and zesty aromas of blueberry and raspberry that follow gracefully onto the palate with a hint of earthiness in the finish. H HillRag | April 2013 H 85
‘Yes, In My Back Yard!
Earth Day Screening of Potomac and Anacostia River Documentaries at the Corner Store on April 22
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istrict residents interested in finding out how they can bring Earth Day concepts home to their neighborhoods all year long – via their annual block parties and other community events – are invited to an Earth Day (April 22) evening screening of several locally produced environmental films that reveal the links between saving the Chesapeake Bay and improving the health of its two main DC tributaries – the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers. The films to be presented include Potomac: The River Runs Through Us (2012, 27 min.), Restorying the Anacostia River (2011, 10 min.), and Urban Wildlife on the Anacostia River (2013, 9 min.). These brief documentaries will be shown at 7 p.m. at The Corner Store Arts Center at 9th and S. Carolina Ave., S.E, Washington, D.C. The film screening will be followed by a discussion/ information session featuring RiverSmart Homes “success story” profiles of area homeowners in Wards 6, 7 and 8 who have enrolled in this District-based, grant-funded program and have had shade trees, permeable pavers, and $1,200 worth of native grasses and plants installed
If You Plant It, They Will Come... Spring if finally here! And to help celebrate, District residents who have gone “green” – by installing native grasses and plants, edible (“Victory”) gardens, co-op or community-garden plantings, drought-tolerant “xeriscapes,” green roofs, rock gardens, pervious (permeable) pavers or vertical gardens – are invited to submit photos and smart-phone videos of their creative endeavors for an upcoming “If You Plant It, They will Come…” feature. Please include your name, address phone number and a brief description of the plants and other materials you are using in your effort to reduce soil erosion and pollutants in stormwater runoff, and send your submissions to riversmarts1@yahoo.com.
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by Cyd Price in their new “BayScapes” and rain gardens, resulting in a significant reduction of nitrogen-and-phosphorous-pollution runoff into the Bay from green-grass turf lawns and soil erosion. In addition, other local environmental/conservation group chapters have been invited to Kayaking on the Potomac River. Photo: Peggy Fleming share information regarding how our individual and collective munications Community Voice Project to document the choices at home and in the local community can make a stories of Southeast residents and their call to activism difference in reducing pollution and improving the enaround conservation of the Anacostia River; for more, vironment. see www.american.edu/soc/communityvoice/riverstories. “The idea is to unite forces between all these various cfm. (See related Anacostia Community Museum article environmental and conservation players, and to create a for details.) bridge between those forces and local area residents who are interested in making a difference at the local level,” About The Films said Peggy Fleming, director of Potomac: The River Potomac: The River Runs Through Us (co-directed, Runs Through Us. Fleming will also be on hand for the produced and written by Peggy Fleming and Sean Furfilm screening and discussion. mage; editor and director of photography Toby Mues), “This is really only the beginning,” Capitol Hill resioutlines the serious threats that continue to endanger the dent Lylla Childress, noted, “because as local Potomac River and the six million people who rely on residents who care about the environment, our their drinking water from it. (For details, contact Peggy goal is to have these and similar films and sucFleming at peggyf@13x.com or see www.peggyflemingcess stories featured elsewhere – including at photographer.com.) block parties and other community events – in Urban Wildlife on the Anacostia River (2013, 9 min.), order to truly make a difference, starting one by Daryl Wallace, Environmental Education Coordinayard, one block, one neighborhood at a time.” tor at the Earth Conservation Corps, was shot entirely Seating is limited; to RSVP for the 7 p.m. to via an iPhone on or around the Anacostia River and 9 p.m. program, contact Cyd Price at cydprice@ highlights the wildlife activity that takes place there. For msn.com. details, email Daryl Wallace at darylwallaceecc@gmail. Other related Earth Day films and events com or see http://www.ecc1.org.) include the Anacostia Community Museum’s Restorying the Anacostia River (directed by Emma Reclaiming the Edge Earth Day, which runs Boorboor with Danny Peters and Rasheda Khan) makes from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes the eight the compelling case that the best way to improve the short films from the Riverstories Series feahealth of the Anacostia is to change how we talk about it, tured in the museum’s current exhibition, and that the perception of its value to the community can “Reclaiming the Edge: Urban Waterways and be shifted through the telling of stories about its beauty Civic Engagement.” The Riverstories series reand wildlife. For details, see www.american.edu/soc/ sulted from a partnership between the museum communityvoice/dc-digital-storytelling-anacostia.cfm. and the American University School of Com-
The film is part of American University’s Community Voice Project.
tainer garden will be raffled off to audience participants. All materials will be provided.
About RiverSmart Homes
12:30–1:00 p.m. Reading of The Lorax by Dr. Seuss Eboni Curry, children’s librarian at the Anacostia Public Library, reads from the book The Lorax by Dr. Seuss and displays children’s books that focus on the topic of Earth Day.
A joint effort between the District Department of the Environment (DDOE)and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, RiverSmart Homes offers incentives worth up to $1,200 to homeowners interested in reducing stormwater pollution from their properties. For details, call DDOE at 202-535-2252 or see http://green.dc.gov/riversmarthomes.
About the American University Community Voice Project A collaboration between the American University (AU) School of Communication and Anthropology Department, this project documents the voices of and empowers the people and communities of Greater Washington; for details, see www.american.edu/soc/ communityvoice/about.cfm. H
Reclaiming the Edge
Anacostia Community Museum Features Earth Day and Arbor Day Events Activities by Cyd Price
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he Anacostia Community Museum is celebrating our planet on Earth Day 2013 during its “Reclaiming the Edge” Earth Day event Monday, April 22, and again with its Arbor Day program on Friday, April 26. On Earth Day, learn how to promote ecology and respect the earth by leaving a smaller carbon footprint. See demonstrations on recycling, green container gardens, and living greener and cleaner. Hands-on activities, tours, storytelling, and more, for persons of all ages, are featured.
1:00–200 p.m. The Honorable BaBa-C, GMS. Presents “Stories from our Earth” The Honorable BaBa-C, Grand Master Storyteller, presents storytelling that focuses on the African perspective in dealing with the consequences of not respecting our earth and resources through the destroying of our rivers, waterways, and communities. 2:00–3:00 p.m. An Earth Day Trail Tour with George Washington Carver Outdoor School Jawara Kasimu-Graham of the George Washington Carver Outdoor School conducts an Earth Day tour of the George Washington Carver trail. Don’t miss the museum’s main exhibition, “Reclaiming the Edge: Urban Waterways and Civic Engagement” which also features the eight short films of the Riverstories Series. On view through Sept. 15, 2013, “Reclaiming the Edge” focuses on the abuse and restoration of the Anacostia River and five other rivers nationally and internationally led by citizen involvement. Riverstories offer the expe-
Earth Day Schedule 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Creating a Green Container Garden with the Garden Guy Join Derek “Garden Guy” Thomas from Thomas Landscapes. Thomas provides a demonstration and workshop in creating green container gardens. A con-
RiverSmart Homes rain garden and permeable surface. HillRag | April 2013 H 87
riences of persons who interact with the Anacostia in their own words. The museum is located at 1901 Fort Place SE. For reservations for the free museum event, call 202.633.4844.
Arbor Day at the Anacostia Community Museum Friday, April 26, 2013 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Arbor Day originated in the U.S. in 1871 by Sterling Morton as a holiday to encourage the planting and care of trees. Arbor Day at the Anacostia Community Museum highlights the importance of trees in our community with a series of demonstrations, plantings, workshops, and hands-on activities for all ages with experts from Groundwork Anacostia River DC, Smithsonian Gardens, and Casey Trees. For reservations, call 202.633.4844. Arbor Day Just for Kids! 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Create stick dolls made from collected tree limbs from the museum’s trail. The workshop is targeted for youth ages 3 to 12. Adults are also welcome! 12:30–1:00 p.m. Reading of The Tree Doctor by Dr. Seuss Eboni Curry, children’s librarian, reads from the book The Tree Doctor by Dr. Seuss and displays children’s books that focus on the topic of the importance of trees. 1:00–2:00 p.m. Tree Planting with Monty Holmes from Smithsonian Gardens Monty Holmes and Kevin Hill from Smithsonian Gardens will lead a tree planting session on the grounds of the Museum. 2:00–3:00 p.m. The History of Arbor Day in the U.S. Monica M. Lear, PhD, deputy associate director and state forester, Urban Forestry Administration, will talk about the history of Arbor Day in the United States. Free Arbor Day resources for all participants is provided by Casey Trees. H
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Vicchiomaggio Ripa delle Mandorle White 2011 . . . . Le Plan Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2011 . . . . . . . . . Henry Fuchs Riesling 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fat Barrel Sauvignon Blanc 2011 . . . . . . . . . . Elicio Rose Grenache-Cinsault 2011 . . . . . . . . . Villa di Corlo Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro Dry . Battle Axe Malbec 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Le Plan Cotes du Rhone Classic 2010 . . . . . . . . . Thorne Pinot Noir Rio Vista Estate 2009 . . . . . . . Gueret Moulin-a-Vent 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perception Pinot Noir 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Veridien Tinto Alicante 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Sunday, April 14, 2013 9:45am Anniversary Sunday Program Shout for Joy Gospel Sing Beginning our 150th year! 9:45am Continental breakfast With guest Gospel ensemble Celebrating 149 Years 11am Worship and History Program With special music by CHPC Sanctuary Choir and guest soloist Natalie Carter (from April 20th Lifepieces to Masterpieces Benefit Concert at CHPC) 12pm Coffee Hour with Birthday Cake
Saturday, May 11, 2013 “It’s History” Sidewalk Sale 8:30am - 4pm Donations to the sale accepted May 6-10, 2013
visit www.capitolhillpreschurch.org for more information. 201 4th Street, SE (at Fourth and Independence Ave SE) Washington, DC 20003 • 202-547-8676
ANDREW WALTON, Pastor HillRag | April 2013 H 89
ATTHE MOVIES
One Seeking “Reality” and One Tracing Vintage Kerouac By Mike Canning
Reality Director Matteo Garrone swept the Italian national film awards in 2009 with his unsparing look at the Neapolitan criminal underclass in “Gomorrah.” For his subsequent film, “Reality,” Garrone has returned to Naples but using an entirely different tone. How that tone changes throughout the film is what marks Garrone as a thoroughly talented,
Luciano (Aniello Arena) is a hardworking guy, selling fish, running a shady sales gimmick on the side, raising a family with Maria (Loredana Simioli), and living with an extended one in a broken-down palazzo. He is also a bit of a show-off, occasionally performing silly bits at a garish wedding resort outside town. It’s at that latter gig where he meets Enzo (Raffaele Ferrante), anoth-
a paranoid belief that the show’s producers are watching him always, judging whether he is fit for the show. He sells his business, feeds greedy beggars, and ignores his family, all in expectation for his dreamed-for debut. When he doesn’t get the call and the show
ily’s apartment building as each soul readies himself for the evening in a homely and touching panorama. Later, another Neapolitan atmosphere is introduced in the lively, humane piazza where Luciano’s fish shop is located, where he works with his faithful assis-
Aniello Arena and Loredana Simioli in “Reality.” Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories if also troubling, filmmaker. (“Reality” runs 116 minutes, is rated R, and opens April 5.) “Reality” here means “reality television,” in this case the manufactured reality of random people thrown together and subjected to a voyeuristic camera in a “constructed” space for months at a time. The show featured here is “Big Brother” (“Grande Fratello” in Italian), which originated in the Netherlands and has spread to dozens of other countries, including the United States and Italy. It is this program, featuring unknowns who become well known, that fishmonger Luciano aches to participate in. 90 H Hillrag.com
er regular guy who became a national celebrity through his appearance on “Big Brother.” Encouraged by friends and family, Luciano applies for a spot on the show and, surprisingly, passes a local audition to qualify for the final selection phase at a Rome cinema studio. Thoroughly energized, Luciano begins to fantasize about making the show, and his expectations for the call from the capital begin to take over his life. His support group continues to supply hope, but they clearly see his chances are fading as the weeks go by. He doesn’t. His desire to become somebody cannot be slaked. He succumbs to
Sam Riley (left) and Garrett Hedlund (right) in “On the Road.” Photo: Gregory Smith. An IFC Films / Sundance Selects Release airs, his yearning drives him to Rome to invade its premises, with strange and disquieting results. “Reality” (which won the 2012 Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival) has an intriguing arc. It begins as a lush fantasy, showing in supersaturated colors the wedding factory that opens the film. It then switches to another kind of reality when Luciano and his whole family come home. In an exquisite sequence Garrone pans through the windows of the fam-
tant, Michele (Nando Paone). This limning of Italian life will bring back memories for buffs of Italian cinema of yore, made over the years by noted directors from De Sica to Tornatore: the carefree comic Latin with a ripe accent and taste for the fast buck. Luciano is a character that would be comfortable fitting into a Fellini vignette or performing some Benigni shtick. It is familiar territory and is readily appealing. But Luciano’s fixation turns from
comic to crazed. Garrone takes his time with the conversion. It doesn’t take a sharp turn but rather spins out in a wide arc as the protagonist’s quirks become less and less funny. In Garrone’s own words he thinks of Luciano “as a modern-day Pinocchio, one of childlike innocence and naïveté. I followed him with my camera as if he were living a fantastic adventure.” Whereas the film’s opening brought the wondrous helicopter shot of the bright Naples landscape zooming down, down to a fairytale carriage, that take is reversed at the ending as we zoom away from one lit room in the grand “Big Brother” set up, up into the eerie nighttime blackness of Rome. The finale, with Luciano desperate to live his dream, is not horrific – nor cathartic – but it is disconcerting and raises, as surely Garrone wanted to raise, questions about where our international celebrity worship may be taking us. You might wonder too. A stunning sidebar to this film: it is the first movie role for Aniello Arena, who is in fact serving a life sentence in an Italian prison. The director discovered him working in a prison theater group and took him on, a real challenge for the production.
On the Road Readers of a certain age, especially if they ever admired the Beat Generation, will remember fondly the revelations of Jack Kerouac’s autobiographical novel “On the Road” (published in 1957). The book came to represent a new sensibility among rootless, seeking youth. Though a keystone of American writing, only now has it finally come to the screen (rated R and running 125 minutes). The film traces the halting peregrinations of Sal Paradise (Sam Riley), a budding but blocked writer, and his hopped-up muse, Dean Moriarity (Garrett Hedlund), as they cruise, snort, and screw around the nation, from New York to the West Coast, in the late 1940s. The originality of “On the Road” and its aesthetic of young roving spirits dosed with
drugs, urgent sex, and “new” experiences seems dated by now, and the film reflects that. The novel’s fervent qualities are compressed into random rides around random scenery, with stops for easy infidelities (especially from the horny Dean) and occasional bouts of scribbling in Sal’s ever-present notebooks. The ladies get their innings, with Dean periodically attached to jailbait Mary Lou (Kristen Stewart) in New York or to Camille (Kirsten Dunst) in Colorado, both frustrated with his ramblings. The proceedings are enlivened a bit when the Allen Ginsberg stand-in, Carlo Marx (Tom Sturridge), hangs out (there is a great deal of hanging out), and a series of cameos (from Amy Adams, Elizabeth Moss, Terrence Howard, Steve Buscemi, and Viggo Mortensen) promise leavening. Yet it all feels like thin gruel rather than hearty fare. It took decades to get a finished “On the Road” script. This version was finally penned by a Puerto Rican, José Rivera, a man perhaps possessed by the novel when young. Adding to its off-kilter nature is the fact that it was directed by Walter Salles, a Brazilian noted for work in Latin America (“Central Station,” “The Motorcycle Diaries”) and less so for his work in the United States (“Dark Water”). Salles’ involvement doesn’t mean that he couldn’t have pulled off this project, but the fact that he was born in the 1950s and is not American himself means he may have missed the antic rebel spirit the film might have evoked. Sadly, it consists of mostly hot car rides, seedy flats, and drunken mishaps. Yet “On the Road” does sport one neat finishing touch: Sal Paradise, laden with notebooks from his travels, begins, as Kerouac famously did, to type his magnum opus on one 120-foot piece of tracing paper. Hill resident Mike Canning has written on movies for the Hill Rag since 1993 and is a member of the Washington Area Film Critics Association. He is the author of “Hollywood on the Potomac: How the Movies View Washington, DC.” His reviews and writings on film can be found online at www.mikesflix.com. H
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Artist Portrait: Deborah Cavenaugh
A Capitol Hill artist and writer, Jim can be reached at ArtandtheCity05@aol.com
which to fly. www.deborahcavenaugh.com
Jim Magner’s Thoughts on Art
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his is a story about flying – the rhythms of migration, leaving home to go home. Deborah Cavenaugh is soaring above the hard trials of life. You can see it in the bright, playful watercolors with the happy field plants and the happier birds always taking to wing. You hear it in the titles: “I Kept Hoping I Could Fly” and “At Daybreak I Go.” You feel it in the red/green and orange/violet harmonies. For Deborah it’s all part of the theme of her show, now at The Hill Center on Capitol Hill: “Leaving Home-Going Home.” After 20 years in North Carolina she is coming home. Deborah turned to art with a toy watercolor set, a gift from her young daughters, at a difficult time in her life. It became a way to cope, “to turn hard times 92 H Hillrag.com
Here I am, writing about the nature of beauty again. Why do I care? Because the very concept reaches beyond art to the ultimate survival of the human race. Too dire? Maybe, but sloppy interpretations of aesthetics appear to excuse every expediency, every convenient way to make money without paying the cost of ugliness, disorder, and destruction. Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder. That’s too slack. Too easy. It’s like saying truth is in the ear of the listener, or good is just a matter of interpretation. No. Not everything is true or good, and not everything is beautiful. You can find aesthetic qualities in garbage, but garbage into truth and beauty.” She is also a life-coach to preteens and teens, using art to explore the same chance to fly, to lift off, to explore the life story that leaves the hand and finds itself on the paper, fashioning a new spirit from shy dreams. That is another important element in her work: the hand that physically connects the mind to the surface and actually enters the picture plane. You will see original pencil drawings under the watercolors and other media – the painting within the painting. It’s the understory, the imprint of the artist’s hand. Also in the show are new works, torn paper mosaics. In these energetic larger pieces the images play hide and seek, creating new perspectives. The overall patterns introduce your eyes to Cavenaugh’s stories, pictures with
is not beautiful. It contributes nothing positive to the aesthetic nature of man, the thing that lifts us beyond rationalization and the base, savage, self-serving impulses of our species. Some philosophers believe beauty has a definable and universal value and plays an indispensable part in shaping the human world. I agree. I would add the non-human world as well. But still, there is a deeper reality that seems to get lost. Beauty is in ecological balance, the health of the earth, which humans have always recognized intuitively. Whenever we ignore beauty in nature, in our surroundings, and in our art, we borrow from that balance. Whatever small payments we make are simply overdue installment payments on a loan that just keeps getting bigger. Too dire? Naw.
artandthecity
by Jim Magner
At the Museums Pre-Raphaelite Art National Gallery of Art 3rd and Constitution NW May 19 The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, the notorious PRB, shocked Britain in 1848 by questioning the rigid rules of the Royal Academy of Arts. The three responsible scamps, Millais, Rossetti, and Hunt, were students who rejected their teacher’s premise that Raphael, the flamboyant Italian Renaissance painter of saccharine, over-the-top religious scenes, was the acme of aesthetic attainment. So, they looked to masters who predated the Prince of Painters. But not completely. They are also said to have crafted a modern aesthetic in their observations and precise interpretations of nature. The exhibition is organized in themes that pretty much include the universe of artistic subject matter: literature, salvation, nature, beauty, and beyond. The curators do a remarkable job of documenting each theme and its manifestations. There is plenty to learn, but, with no written exam you can just wander through and marvel at the work. The commonality that seems to unify the leaders of the movement and their followers, despite the almost unlimited diversity of style and technique, is the fascinating attention to detail. It often manifests in intricate patterns, becoming the true subject matter. Early works are often history lessons, with painstaking attention to historic accuracy in manner and dress. Later beauty trumped truth as they explored the “purely aesthetic possibilities of painting,” often with the female form. Ironically they made it cool to shock the establishment. They in turn would be shocked to see where that has gone. “Out of Southeast Asia” The Textile Museum 2320 S St. NW April 12-October 13 This last exhibit at the museum’s historic location before moving to George Washington University features four artists who are reinventing traditional Asian techniques and designs through original interpretations. www.textilemuseum.org.
At the Galleries April Art Events The Hill Center 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE The current art exhibit has Deborah Cavenaugh’s bright, playful watercolors and large torn paper mosaics that give you pictures to fly with.
Gail Krughoff ’s flower photographs are quietly beautiful with delicate compositions and color tones. Colin Winterbottom, with “Elegant Corrosion,” is exhibiting color photography here for the first time with very subtle treatments. Alan Braley is known for his intense color effects and flowing compositions that encompass all of his subjects. Tsolmon Damba brings traditional Mongolian art forms to both traditional and contemporary subjects. Painting classes with Nana Bagdavadze provide that elusive opportunity to join a beginning painting class with a professional artist and teacher. The classes run for four to six weeks and include instruction in color values, composition, and other elements of style and technique that are more easily discovered in a group of enthused beginners. This is a fun, no-stress way to get started. www.nanabagdavadze.com. The Hill Center is holding its first juried exhibit, open to all area artists, offering cash prizes of $1,000, $750, and $500 for first, second, and third places. Work can be any medium and any size and must have been created within the past five years and available for sale. The show runs from June 25 to September1, but you have to apply online before April 22. There is a small entry fee, so check online for that and other entry guidelines. www.hillcenterdc.org. Washington Society of Landscape Painters Arts Club of Washington 2017 I St. NW April 5-27 Reception April 5, 6:30-8:00 p.m. The WSLP is celebrating 100 years of painting the natural landscape. The original members began as The Ramblers and painted outside once a month, and that tradition continues with the 40 current members. www.wslp.org. “Cherry Blossoms in Springtime” Zenith Gallery Washington DC Economic Partnership 1495 F St. NW May 31 These works share a link to the annual blooming of the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial. Some are direct representations, others celebrate the month of April or just America. Ken Girardini, Phil Hazard, Jim Magner, Michela Mansuino, and Bradley Stevens. They can be seen Mon.-Fri., 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. www.zenithgallery.com. A Capitol Hill artist and writer, Jim Magner can be reached at Artandthecity05@aol.com. His awardwinning book, “A Haunting Beauty,” can be acquired through www.ahauntingbeauty.com. H
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22 Years on Capitol Hill HillRag | April 2013 H 93
the
LITERARY HILL
A Compendium of Readers, Writers, Books, & Events
by Karen Lyon
Going the Distance At age 37 Georgetown University physics professor Frances Slakey decided to attempt “the first global surf-n-turf ”: he would climb the highest mountain on every continent and surf every ocean. “To the Last Breath: A Memoir of Going to Extremes” is the story of that quest. From perilous life-or-death decisions made while face to face with a sheer wall of stone to the sensory deprivation of frigid, lifeless Antarctica, he documents the breathtaking immediacy of it all. But his book is about much more than thrills and chills. With unsparing honesty Slakey describes how the death of his mother when he was 11 turned him inward. “The lesson I drew… seemed so obvious, so unmistakably clear: don’t form attachments; avoid more loss.” He retreated into science, attracted to “its ability to render cold, detached assessments, predict outcomes, tease order out of the world.” But on some level he knew that he still “needed to restore the heart of the boy I had been.” Through his journey he comes to realize the interconnectedness of people with the world. “What I hadn’t realized until now,” he writes, “is that we live in a world of bound threads. And here is the corollary: some things stand apart from scientific calculation. Those things are the stories, the color, the texture of life, and reducing them to equations would be like trying to trap a warm welcome breeze in my hand.” Eventually he turns his energy and determination from his own selfish pursuits to the larger goal of solving the world’s problems through science and humanity. Today Frances Slakey is the Upjohn Lecturer on Physics and Public Policy at Georgetown University and
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A local professor tests his mettle and finds his heart.
Auerbach, when double-digit scoring was difficult and dunk shots were considered unsportsmanlike. He follows the team’s history through five leagues and 90 years, providing play-by-plays of key games, describing the front-office personnel, coaches, and players, and analyzing the changes in the game that the decades have wrought. “What initially started as a game that offered dancing afterward to entice patrons,” he writes, “developed into a multibillion-dollar worldwide conglomerate that spurred the development of subsidiary enterprises.” The book concludes with the authors’ hopes for the 2011-12 Wizards’ season. But, of course, there’s always next year. Brett Abrams is also the author of “Capital Sporting Grounds: A History of Stadium and Ballpark Construction in Washington, D.C.” Come talk sports with him at the Literary Hill BookFest on May 5.
Born to Roam Associate Director of Public Affairs at the American Physical Society. He and his wife, photographer Gina Eppolito, live on Capitol Hill with their twin daughters.
Round-up of Roundball It all started with a glimpse of the old Uline Arena from the window of a train outside Union Station. As an archivist and a naturally curious guy, Brett L. Abrams just couldn’t let it go. And in digging into the history of the cylindrical building he discovered the beginnings of basketball in Washington. The result is a 2013 book, “The Bullets, the Wizards, and Washington, DC, Basketball,” co-written with Raphael Mazzone. An extensively researched biography of our local professional basketball teams, it begins in the 1920s with the Laundrymen – so called because the team owner was heir to the Palace Laundry Dry Cleaning Company. Abrams traces the game from the stutter starts of the early leagues through the post-World War II birth of what was then the Washington Capitols under coach Red
Archivist Brett Abrams digs up the roots of basketball in Washington.
Bill S. Ashley was born to travel. “From a very early age,” he writes, “I had this urge to see other places. I am of the full understanding that people are born with a ‘travel gene.’” The local author grew up to fulfill his yen – and then some. Ashley can now claim to have circumnavigated the globe four times and visited more than 200 countries. In his new book, “The Diary of a Compulsive World Traveler,” he documents his adventures and the people he met, as well as the vicissitudes of taking to the road: the lost luggage, electrical outages, rough seas, dubious roadside eateries, and extreme temperatures. But it’s clear that he has loved every minute of it. Arranged chronologically and illustrated with photos of the author all over the world, the book starts with Ashley’s first trip to Europe following his college graduation in 1962, and ends on Easter Island in 2011. But he wasn’t done yet. Later that year, he planned trips to New Guinea, Bhutan, and India.
A secondary school teacher for more than three decades, Ashley writes that “it is never too late to learn from someone who is from a different culture” – even when that lesson is that it’s okay to spit cherry pits out the window of the train to Odessa. Meet Ashley at the Literary Hill BookFest on May 5.
This Month on the Hill Join Hill authors Ronald and Abby Johnson for a discussion of their new book, “In the Shadow of the United States Capitol: Congressional Cemetery and the Memory of a Nation” (reviewed here in February), at the Hill Center, April 7, 2:00 p.m. Other readings at the Hill Center include A retired teacher relates his tales of traveling Daniel Stashower, author around the world.
Meet local authors at the third annual Literary Hill BookFest on Sunday, May 5, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the North Hall of Eastern Market. For more visit www.literaryhillbookfest.org.
of “The Hour of Peril” about a failed assassination attempt on Abraham Lincoln (April 6, 4:00 p.m.), and Liz Clarke, author of the UK bestseller “My Animals and Other Family” (April 29, 7:00 p.m.). April is National Poetry Month! Celebrate with poet Elizabeth Alexander at the Hill Center (April 10, 7:00 p.m.), with former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins at the Folger Shakespeare Library (April 29, 7:30 p.m.), or with poets Maurice Manning and Alan Cheuse, who commemorate the birthday of poet Robert Penn Warren at the Library of Congress (April 24, noon). H
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Thoughts Of A Jazz Lover Jazz can be enigmatic, an alchemy of mysterious sounds and moods that is spontaneous and yet deliberate in its free flowing creativity. The music can be complex, but good jazz feels as simple as first love—it goes straight to the heart and rests there, beating gently. At times, the music can be so life-like that it speaks to you with honesty and love. One still gets a keen sense of understanding of the complexity of the music. There is such a high note of haughtiness, perhaps a sort of natural aristocracy from a kind of inbred austerity about jazz that puts it in a class by itself, elevating one to a higher ground of one’s consciousness. It almost borders on elitism, and yet jazz strikes one as a beautiful music for everyone. And it is, especially for those of us who not only enjoy but truly love the music. True, most good jazz musicians more than likely think of jazz as the arbiter of modern music. And on a good day, I think they are correct. You can walk in your door after a hard day’s work and a harrowing Metro ride, put on Sarah Vaughn and your world is transformed. Your mind clears, your body relaxes and suddenly life is pretty good. There’s no drug in the world that can do that. Jazz is beautiful music.
Wislawa •••• Tomasz Stanko New York Quartet, ECM
Let’s face it. Fiction is fiction, and fact is fact. When you’re good, you are good. Trumpeter Tomasz Stanko is a fine example of good jazz player. Mr. Stanko woos his listeners, enriches and tantalizes them with emotional attachments, and then softly lures them into a world from which they later emerge spiritually uplifted. Mr. Stanko’s latest album, Wislawa, is a brilliant collection that is engrossing, thrilling and ultimately satisfying; each piece has the embodiment of a journey. The rhythm is perfect, mesmerizing from the opening title track, “Wislawa,” to the beautiful, quixotic “Oni” and then down to the extraordinary minutiae of the piano in “Tutaj-Here.” The whole album flows with the sheer 96 H Hillrag.com
power of a big, majestic river swimming towards the open, swirling waves of a sun-lit ocean. The music is faultless, masterfully crafted and enshrined with the breadth of each musician. Purity, beauty, and perfection are at work here. “Metafizyka,” “Song for H,” and “April Story,” are truly counterpoints of modern jazz matured like fine, vintage wines suitable for the most discerning palates.
soul into a world of your own desires, longings, and reflections. Here is music to celebrate life with not where we are coming from, but where we are going. Music is the art of our humanity, and like some great painting that is timeless, it can change us forever. “God Only Knows,” and Bob Dylan gospel-influenced social-protest anthem “I Shall Be Released” is a fitting addition to Mr. Lloyd’s latest anthology.
Hagar’s Song•••• Charles Lloyd and Jason Moran, ECM
Seems Like I Know You ••• Peggy Duquesnel
The release of Hagar’s Song marks Charles Lloyd’s 75th birthday, on March 15 of this year. The album features compositions by Billy Strayhorn (“Pretty Girl” a/k/a “Star-Crossed Lovers”), Duke Ellington (“Mood Indigo”) and George Gershwin (“Bess, You Is My Woman Now”) to a standard strongly associated with Billie Holiday (“You’ve Changed”). Other highlights include Brian Wilson’s most famous Beach Boys ballad (“God Only Knows”) and a Bob Dylan song (“I Shall Be Released”). The centerpiece of the album is the title suite composed by Mr. Lloyd and dedicated to his great-great-grandmother, who was taken from her home in south Mississippi at age 10 and sold to another slave-owner in Tennessee. According to Mr. Lloyd “The “Hagar Suite” mirrors the stages of my greatgreat-grandmother’s life: loss of family, loneliness and the unknown, her dreams and sorrows, and songs to her newborn children.” As for the rest of the songs, Mr. Lloyd went on to that “The songs we chose for the recording are part of the continuous thread of music that is my life.” Accompanying Mr. Lloyd is Jason Moran (piano), a much-lauded modernist who has collaborated with the elder musician on four albums now. What is true about great musicians like Mr. Lloyd is their interpretative power of the music which wraps itself around you, comforts you, opens your heart and
Peggy Duquesnel’s new album, Seems Like I Know You, features prominent fusion keyboard pioneer Jeff Lorber and bassist Jimmy Haslip from Yellowjackets. For the classically-trained pianist who possesses a comforting voice and down-to-earth delivery, “Seems Like I Know You” marks a new day for Ms. Duquesnel, whose previous releases explored the jazz expanse and inspirational genre. The new collection puts the focus on Ms.Duquesnel’s well-crafted songs about love and romance, which are brought to life by stellar accompaniment and organic live production. “When I Think of You,” an urbane R&B groove, gets a jolt from Rick Braun’s trumpet and flugelhorn. Underscoring Ms. Duquesnel’s despair in the search for love, Mr. Haslip’s bass provides somber statements on “That’s How It Always Goes.” Before the track concludes, Michael Thompson’s searing electric guitar solo seems to reflect a joyous outcome. A fresh perspective on the Carpenters’ classic “Rainy Days and Mondays” soothes the spirit and provides an opportunity for Ms. Duquesnel to display her prowess on the piano. A song that began with a lyrical concept contributed by vocalist-songwriter Dee Dee McNeil, allows Mr. Braun’s muted trumpet to coo on the admonishing “Bird on a Leash,” which is enhanced by classy counterpoints from Ms. Duquesnel’s piano.
5 ••• Paris Combo Quintet
This is the fifth album from the Paris Combo Quin-
tet, a cultured collage of riveting rhythms and melodies from around the world, clever jazz components, playful cabaret, and spunky Europop. This Paris Combo’s first album in nine years. Chanteuse Belle du Berry leads the charge with her alternately sassy and classy vocals with lyrics she penned ruminating on every aspect of love – from pain, loss, disappointment and anger to the rapture and giddiness of love at first sight and dreams of love come true. The astute ensemble is completed by Mr. Potzi (guitar), François Jeannin (drums, percussion, vocals), David Lewis (trumpet, flugelhorn, piano) and Emmanuel Chabbey (bass). “5” was produced by Bénédicte Schmitt and Dominique Blanc-Francard. A sumptuous slice of new wave, ska and quirky pop, “Je Te Vois Partout” opens 5. After building tension and mystery, “Lux” erupts into a festively swinging dance party. The pitter-patter beat of the snare drum, cool jazz guitar and muted trumpet blasts create an elegant ambience in the face of departure on “Goodbye Pinocchio.” A cascading melody embellishes the bouncy beat as Ma. du Berry’s voice makes “Tout Excusé” an enchanting excursion about enduring love. Jangly jazz guitar, tantalizing trumpet and danceable drums decorate du Berry’s charmed story of instant love on “Chaque Fois.” The dreamy torch song “Morphée” finds Ma. du Berry’s breathy vocals dancing a lusty tango with Lewis’ loquacious trumpet. The swoon-worthy “Fantôme Adoré” leaves the listener with a gorgeous keepsake of love guaranteed to linger long after the final note.
Upcoming Concerts On April 30th the Craig Taborn Trio will play at An Die Musik, Baltimore, Maryland. All CDs and DVDS reviewed in this article are heard through Bowers & Wilkens 802D Speakers and ASW 4000 subwoofer, and Rotel Preamp 1070, amplifier 1092 and CD player 1072. CDs are available for purchase through amazon.com For more information about this column, please email your questions to fagon@hillrag.com. H
Impress your Guests... Let The Chef Take Care of your Party! Whether it’s a gourmet feast for friends, or throwing an elegant cocktail party, Chef James will give you the freedom to be a pampered guest in your own home.
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Celebrate the 4th in a New Home! All Properties Listed On: BobWilliamsRealEstate.com ColdwellBanker.com CBMove.com Realtor.com
Yahoo.com Google.com Trulia.com WashingtonPost.com
1014 D Street NE • Victorian of Rare Proportions w/ front & rear staircases, 6 brs, 2 bas, full basement, garage. $650,000
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Celebrate the 4th in a New Home! All Properties Listed On:
COMING SOON!
BobWilliamsRealEstate.com ColdwellBanker.com CBMove.com Realtor.com
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3 BR / 3 BA Corner Home 1.5 Blocks to Metro $684,500
1014 D Street NE • Victorian of Rare Proportions w/ front & rear staircases, 6 brs, 2 bas, full basement, garage. $650,000
1214 C Street SE • Sweet serenity from the front porch to the rear garden. Unassuming facade belies the exquisite renovations within. $689,500
ently Sold:
ndependence Ave.SE elafield Pl.NW heridan St.NE 3rd St.NE Clay St.NE h Street NE
It’s a Great Time to Buy or Sell While Interest Rates Are Low! Recently Sold:
1811 Independence Ave.SE 3110 26th Street927NEDelafield • Deliciously Pl.NW deep yard, 908 Sheridan gorgeous new renovation of aSt.NE 3br/3.5ba bunga511 23rd St.NE low. $529,000 4223 Clay St.NE 3110 26th Street NE • Deliciously deep yard, gorgeous new renovation of a 3br/3.5ba bunga103 8th Street NE low. $529,000
1214 C Street SE • Sweet serenity from the front porch to the rear garden. Unassuming facade belies the exquisite renovations within. $689,500
Looking for Results AND Straight Talk about or selling your contact today. Our properties have sold buying in less than 3Ourweeks at orhome– near asking (if not,usabove). properties have sold in less than 3 weeks at or near asking (if not, above). References can and will be provided. References can and will be provided.
Former Owner of Burns & Williams Real Estate • Coldwell Banker’s top 2% in 2011 1st Qtr. Former Owner of Burns & Williams Real Estate Coldwell Banker’s topOn: 2% in 2011 1st Qtr. All•Properties Listed Third generation Capitol Hill resident - dating back to 1918 • Selling Real Estate on Capitol Hill since 1977 BobWilliamsRealEstate.com • ColdwellBanker.com CBMove.com • Realtor.com ird generation Capitol Hill resident - dating back to 34 1918 • Selling Real Estate on Capitol• WashingtonPost.com Hill 1977 YEARS EXPERIENCE WORKING ONsince YOUR BEHALF Yahoo.com • Google.com • Trulia.com • NYTimes.com HomesDatabase.com • OpenHouse.com
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it www.bobwilliamsrealestate.com Serving Capitol Hill Since 1977 98 H Hillrag.com
Real Estate The Slave Market on East Capitol A Capitol Hill Urban Legend
W
e’ve all heard the stories – the missing kidney, the vanishing hitchhiker, the pilot locked out of the cockpit. They never happened to you, or someone you know; they always happened to some mythical friend of a friend. They’re urban legends, and they have been around as long as people have been telling stories. Sometimes they offer morals, but often they are just good stories. They appear spontane-
by Robert S. Pohl ously, are passed by word of mouth, and grow and change over time. Sometimes they are not even a fullfledged tale but just a short – but insightful – fact thrown into a larger narrative. For instance, in his 2002 book “Following in Lincoln’s Footsteps,” Ralph Gary writes of Abraham Lincoln’s time in Washington DC in 1847 as a representative from Illinois: “East Capitol Street between First and Second Streets was an
open market in the middle of the street, which could be seen by Lincoln from the windows of his boardinghouse and from the Capitol. He called these ‘a sort of Negro Livery Stable.’” It’s a vivid picture of the young representative confronting the reality of slavery from the comfort of his boarding house. It even has a quote from Lincoln himself to add verisimilitude. But what is the truth of the story?
View from the Capitol in 1863, with the location of the slave pens circled in red. Photo: Library of Congress HillRag | April 2013 H 99
Location, Location, Location 1530 Pennsylvania Ave SE $619,500 – Under Contract Three level townhouse approximately 2160 SF main house with 2 Bedrooms 2.5 Baths, 2 parking spaces. Open layout Dining Room & wide Living Room with hardwood floors, wood burning fireplace. New windows. Rear garden. Zoned C2A . Good layout for small office users, retail business or live work combo. First floor 1 Bedroom unit w/ wood burning fireplace easily opened to main house for large family home. New construction built in 1979. 1 Block to Potomac Avenue metro, Harris Teeter, shops, Jenkins Row condos.
703 D Street SE $1,100,000 Unique commercial property facing Eastern Market Metro Plaza at 7th & Pa Ave SE across from future Hine development (600,000 SF mixed used project). C2A townhouse with bay front, 6 office suites, historic renovation, gas fireplace, kitchenette, powder room, rear yard with deck, storage shed. On retail block with Kinkos, Starbucks, Hill's Kitchen & Radio shack. Great office and/or retail location
1520 Pennsylvania Ave SE $619,500 – Under Contract 1 Block to Potomac Avenue metro, Harris Teeter, shops, Jenkins Row condos. New construction built in 1979. Three level townhouse approximately 2384 SF main house with 3 Bedrooms 2.5 Baths, Open layout Dining Room & wide Living Room with hardwood floors, wood burning fireplace. Rear garden, Attached garage. Zoned C2A . Good layout for small office users, retail business or live work combo. First floor efficiency unit easily opened to main house for large family home.
Kitty Kaupp & Tati Kaupp Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage 605 Pennsylvania Ave SE 202-255-0952 • 202-255-6913 kkaupp@cbmove.com
www.kittykaupp.com
www.hillrag.com
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East Capitol Street and the location of the old market as it looks today. Photo: Robert S. Pohl
Slave Pens in Sight of the Capitol
Although born in Kentucky, a state that continued to accept slavery until ratification of the 13th Amendment, Abraham Lincoln moved with his family to Indiana in 1816, and thereafter he lived only in free states. It was thus not until 1847, when he moved to Washington to take up his seat in the House of Representatives, that he again lived in a slave-owning state. Lincoln had observed slavery during trips to New Orleans and visits to Kentucky, but during the two years that he lived on Capitol Hill he was frequently confronted with the realities of this blight on the United States. The Lincoln family lived directly east of the Capitol, in the middle of a row of houses that extended from A Street SE to B Street (today Independence Avenue) . In 1854, Lincoln described what he could observe from his place of work: “The North clamored for the abolition of a peculiar species of slave trade in the District of Columbia, in connection with which, in view from the windows of the capitol, a sort of negro-livery stable, where droves of negroes were collected, temporarily kept, and finally taken to Southern markets, precisely like droves of horses, had been openly maintained for fifty years.” Lincoln was here referring to the slave pens in
Southwest on Maryland Avenue, where the slavetraders Robey and Williams had their premises. Lincoln was far from the only one to comment on their proximity to the Capitol. An English traveler, Edward Abdy, described them as being “about half a mile” from the Capitol. Abdy described the Robey’s establishment as a “wretched hovel” whose inmates were “exposed alike to the heat of summer and the cold of winter.” A depressing picture, no doubt, but where did the bit about the market on East Capitol Street come from?
The East Capitol Market
The city fathers concluded in 1812 that residents who lived near the Capitol were underserved by the food markets. They decided to build a new market, closer to the Capitol. Accordingly, on December 21 the city council appropriated $300 to erect a market building “in or near east capitol street.” The last proviso proved to be troublesome as the city did not own any suitable tracts of land there. It was thus decided to build in the middle of the street. Given the width of the street, and the paucity of traffic, this seemed to be an excellent decision. The new market opened on February 1, 1813. Additional appropriations in succeeding years paid for enclosing and paving the market, and re-
finements were made to its operation, whether to allow it a Saturday market, to pay the clerks, or to allow tin peddlers to hawk their wares alongside the butchers and vegetable merchants. An attempt to undermine the market came in 1816, when the city passed an ordinance – never implemented – that would have used its buildings “for the temporary accommodation of the circuit and supreme courts.” Instead, the market continued operating until 1838, when the city council passed a law providing “for the sale and removal of the Capitol Hill market house.” The city would then regrade and re-gravel the street, leaving it as it once was. No reason is given for
this action, though perhaps it was felt that a market was not the appropriate neighbor to the newly completed Capitol and grounds. It is thus clear that Lincoln arrived in the District ten years after the removal of this market. Nonetheless, the two markets have merged in popular memory and made this urban legend. As bad as it is to have a congressman seeing slaves being kept in bondage out the window of the Capitol, it gives a far more visceral reaction to think of the same representative watching the sale of a slave transpire from the comfort of an armchair in the parlor of a boarding house. None of the sites mentioned exist today. Lincoln’s boarding house was torn down to make way for the Library of Congress; the slave pens were obliterated long ago and two FAA buildings have taken their place. In fact, two Smithsonian museums block the view of those buildings from the Capitol. And of the old market on East Capitol, nothing remains but a smooth stretch of asphalt between the Folger Library and the Supreme Court. Robert Pohl is working on a book about the urban legends of Washington DC. H
Antionette Marie Stokes …beloved daughter of Rosetta “Rosie” Brooks of St. Mark’s Dance Studio and the late Arthur D. Brooks went home to the Lord on Tuesday February 26, 2013 from her battle with breast cancer. She leaves behind her devoted husband, Doug Stokes, brother Joseph A. Brooks, Sr., nephew Joseph A. Brooks, Jr. and many other relatives and friends. Antionette was a graduate of George Mason University in psychology. Her interests were reading, crafts and dance. The family asks that donations be made to the Cancer Society for Breast Cancer…in her memory.
Steve Hagedorn Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Search listings at cbmove.com/steve.hagedorn Licensed in DC & MD
Direct: Cell: Office: Fax: Email:
202-741-1707 202-841-1380 202-547-3525 202-547-8462 shagedorn@cbmove.com
I look TO THE HILL for my buyers, sellers, friends and neighbors!
I live, work, serve and play ON THE HILL!
View from the Capitol of the Library of Congress, the site of Lincoln’s old boarding house. Photo: Robert S. Pohl
John Bratton Bratton Realty LLC 202-744-2642 (c) john@BrattonRealty www.brattonrealty.com HillRag | April 2013 H 101
realestate
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
BR
FEE SIMPLE
16TH STREET HEIGHTS 1207 EMERSON ST NW $775,000 1318 KENNEDY ST NW $640,000 1508 VARNUM ST NW $480,000 5521 13TH ST NW $450,000 5734 13TH ST NW $385,000
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK 4401 DAVENPORT ST NW 4316 ALBEMARLE ST NW 4540 49TH ST NW 4320 44TH ST NW 4705 48TH ST NW
$1,104,000 $952,525 $935,000 $885,000 $765,000
ANACOSTIA 1328 MORRIS RD SE 1411 S ST SE 1257 U ST SE
$215,000 $199,990 $75,000
BARRY FARMS 2349 HUNTER PL SE
$69,000
5 4 3 4 3 5 3 3 3 3 3 4 2 2
BERKLEY 2112 DUNMORE LN NW 2338 KING PL NW 4516 FOXHALL CRES NW
$3,150,000 $2,300,000 $1,650,000
BLOOMINGDALE 18 W ST NW 2219 2ND ST NW
$655,000 $590,000
BRENTWOOD 1519 MONTANA AVE NE 2230 16TH ST NE
$278,000 $191,000
BRIGHTWOOD 400 WHITTIER ST NW 6400 LUZON AVE NW 6005 4TH ST NW 728 WHITTIER ST NW 715 VAN BUREN ST NW 6629 PINEY BRANCH RD NW 808 TUCKERMAN ST NW 5618 KANSAS AVE NW 811 SOMERSET PL NW 6211 7TH ST NW 615 TUCKERMAN ST NW 514 TUCKERMAN ST NW 6322 5TH ST NW
$580,000 $525,000 $517,000 $509,875 $450,000 $430,000 $420,000 $377,000 $350,000 $350,000 $340,000 $325,000 $290,000
BROOKLAND 1437 IRVING ST NE 571 REGENT PL NE 2821 12TH ST NE 1328 TAYLOR ST NE 1843 MONROE ST NE 3303 20TH ST NE 1003 OTIS ST NE 2403 3RD ST NE 214 BRYANT ST NE 3620 12TH ST NE
$675,000 $640,000 $582,500 $577,000 $525,550 $480,000 $460,000 $429,000 $399,900 $385,000
6 5 4 3 2 3 3
$1,265,000
CAPITOL HILL 15 8TH ST NE 1110 EAST CAPITOL ST NE 412 10TH ST SE 719 10TH ST NE 1308 MASSACHUSETTS AVE SE 646 6TH ST NE
102 H Hillrag.com
$1,370,000 $1,250,000 $1,200,000 $1,010,000 $950,000 $918,000
$897,900 $860,000 $829,000 $815,000 $792,000 $764,000 $685,000 $685,000 $669,000 $635,000 $630,000 $600,000 $599,000 $595,000 $545,000 $495,000 $485,000 $474,000 $450,000 $406,000 $453,500 $799,999
CHEVY CHASE 4209 HARRISON ST NW 3234 QUESADA ST NW 5709 26TH ST NW 2916 RITTENHOUSE ST NW 3284 ABERFOYLE PL NW 3620 INGOMAR PL NW 5222 42ND ST NW 5300 NEBRASKA AVE NW
$1,199,000 $1,175,000 $1,011,000 $845,000 $805,000 $803,000 $772,299 $715,000
CLEVELAND PARK 3732 CHESAPEAKE ST NW 3430 34TH PL NW 3113 QUEBEC PL NW
$2,025,000 $1,750,000 $877,000
COLONIAL VILLAGE 4 3 4 6 4 3 4 3 2 3 3 3 3 6 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 4 2
BURLEITH 4022 CHANCERY CT NW
606 E ST NE 1100 PARK ST NE 163 D ST SE 602 F ST NE 219 5TH ST NE 332 E ST SE 822 I ST NE 401 E ST NE 534 16TH ST SE 1125 5TH ST NE 709 D ST NE 628 I ST NE 1206 MARYLAND AVE NE 918 14TH ST SE 735 12TH ST SE 1018 9TH ST NE 124 16TH ST SE 1535 A ST SE 915 9TH ST NE 1006 G ST SE 1443 G ST NE 325 K ST NE
4
1900 PLYMOUTH ST NW 1643 PRIMROSE RD NW
$1,315,000 $659,800
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 2814 13TH ST NW 824 OTIS PL NW 3103 11TH ST NW 626 PRINCETON PL NW 747 PRINCETON PL NW 752 PARK RD NW 1429 PARKWOOD PL NW 3923 14TH ST NW 3116 PARK PL NW 448 LAMONT ST NW 121 ROCK CREEK CHURCH RD NW 453 IRVING ST NW 724 GRESHAM PL NW
$1,150,000 $750,000 $737,000 $660,000 $581,000 $579,900 $550,000 $500,000 $485,000 $475,000 $399,990 $360,000 $330,000
CONGRESS HEIGHTS
1264 BARNABY TER SE $205,000 4338 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR AVE SW $138,000 630 CHESAPEAKE ST SE $82,000
CRESTWOOD 1605 VARNUM ST NW 4869 COLORADO AVE NW 4641 BLAGDEN TER NW 1617 WEBSTER ST NW
$1,270,000 $1,255,000 $910,000 $600,000
DEANWOOD 5 6 3 4 4 3
101 40TH ST NE 106 47TH ST NE 518 45TH NE 1111 46TH ST NE 1047 48TH ST NE 5360 GAY ST NE
$310,000 $300,000 $255,000 $235,000 $205,000 $130,000
2 4 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 4 2 2 2 2 3 1 2 3 3 2 3 4
1038 45TH ST NE 4321 MINNESOTA AVE NE 4920 SHERIFF RD NE 5036 JAY ST NE
$109,900 $70,000 $65,000 $59,000
DUPONT 2130 O ST NW 1820 16TH ST NW
$1,387,000 $1,050,000
ECKINGTON 24 T ST NE 158 R ST NE 33 Q ST NE 1928 2ND ST NE 28 Q ST NE 325 W ST NE 2027 3RD ST NE
$730,000 $610,000 $537,000 $530,000 $500,000 $290,000 $260,000
FOREST HILLS 2801 BRANDYWINE ST NW 2907 ELLICOTT ST NW
$1,470,000 $1,250,000
FORT DUPONT PARK 5 6 4 4 3 3 4 3 5 4 3
3 3 3 2
1235 CHAPLIN ST SE 706 BURNS ST SE 1314 44TH PL SE 4533 C ST SE 3525 MINNESOTA AVE SE 4034 ALABAMA AVE SE 1545 41ST ST SE 1571 41ST ST SE 4417 TEXAS AVE SE
$225,000 $185,900 $185,000 $155,000 $150,000 $150,000 $138,000 $120,000 $100,000
FOXHALL RIDGE 1405 RIDGEVIEW WAY NW 4535 WESTHALL DR NW
$1,658,535 $1,082,145
5 3 7 3 3 4 3 4 3 5 5 3 2 2 3 3 2 3 3 2 3 3
GARFIELD 5 5 6 5 4 4 3 4 4 3 3 2 4 6 3
2745 WOODLEY PL NW
$1,099,000
GEORGETOWN 1236 POTOMAC ST NW 3045 P ST NW 4043 MANSION DR NW 2703 O ST NW 3140 DUMBARTON ST NW 3311 P ST NW 3215 VOLTA PL NW 3072 Q ST NW 1625 33RD ST NW 3228 O ST NW 1660 34TH ST NW
$2,175,000 $2,006,000 $1,400,000 $1,260,000 $1,250,000 $1,250,000 $1,135,000 $1,100,000 $937,000 $933,000 $830,000
GLOVER PARK 2209 39TH ST NW
$920,000
HILL CREST 3 2 2 5 7 4 4
2822 FORT BAKER DR SE 1708 29TH ST SE
$449,000 $250,000
KALORAMA 2107 WYOMING AVE NW 2118 S ST NW
$3,825,000 $1,705,000
5 4 3 3 3 3 3 5 3 2 3 4 3 3 8 4
3351 CLAY ST NE 3455 EADS ST NE
1431 SWANN ST NW $875,000 MARSHALL HEIGHTS 5058 B ST SE $290,000 5209 D ST SE $135,000 232 54TH ST SE $115,000 5348 C ST SE $113,900 $112,000 5437 B ST SE 5454 C ST SE $106,000 4702 B ST SE $94,000 MASS AVE HTS 3222 WOODLAND DR NW $2,720,000
MICHIGAN PARK 3906 21ST ST NE
5621 MACARTHUR BLVD NW
$1,690,000
45 BRYANT ST NW 401 U ST NW 416 U ST NW 432 OAKDALE PL NW
$912,000 $763,000 $700,000 $372,000
LILY PONDS 205 34TH ST NE
$215,000
5 6 3 6 2 2
$180,000 $131,000
2 3
LOGAN
KENT 4848 QUEENS CHAPEL TER NE LEDROIT PARK
4 4 3 4 2 3
4
4430 19TH PL NE 4005 20TH ST NE 2012 OTIS ST NE
$470,000 $435,000 $375,000 $360,000 $343,000
MOUNT PLEASANT 1875 INGLESIDE TER NW 3307 18TH ST NW
$861,500 $810,000
MOUNT VERNON SQ
2 4 2 3 2 2 2 3 5 3 3 4 4 3 3 6
1225 5TH ST NW
$715,000
NORTH CLEVELAND PARK 3725 VEAZEY ST NW 3718 WINDOM PL NW
$923,100 $740,000
OBSERVATORY CIRCLE 3812 FULTON ST NW
$1,810,000
OLD CITY #1 656 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NE 719 15 ST SE 1738 POTOMAC AVE SE 1306 CAROLINA AVE SE 712 C ST NE 1402 MASSACHUSETTS AVE SE 525 14TH ST SE 704 15TH ST SE 1811 INDEPENDENCE AVE SE 1228 I ST NE 218 F ST NE 825 4TH ST NE 1393 F ST NE 812 K ST NE 318 14TH PL NE 1632 ROSEDALE ST NE 1661 KRAMER ST NE 1352 D ST SE 514 25TH PL NE 228 15TH ST NE 121 18TH ST SE 804 I ST NE 1650 KRAMER ST NE 2035 GALES ST NE 69 Q ST SW
$1,535,000 $820,000 $775,000 $730,000 $728,000 $705,000 $670,000 $665,900 $660,000 $660,000 $651,000 $625,000 $624,000 $600,000 $498,129 $475,000 $460,000 $455,000 $425,000 $405,000 $390,000 $350,000 $325,000 $207,000 $205,000
OLD CITY #2 1828 15TH ST NW 450 M ST NW 916 FRENCH ST NW 53 P ST NW 133 BATES ST NW 117 NEW YORK AVE NW 1714 5TH ST NW 1653 NEW JERSEY AVE NW
$1,200,214 $920,000 $810,000 $647,000 $612,500 $477,000 $400,000 $300,000
SPRING INTO A BLOOMING
4
MARKET!
4 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 3 3 4 3 2
G IN ! M N O O C O S
$1,500,000 $1,250,000 $969,000 $832,000
G IN ! M N O O C O S
More than renovation - Ultra modern REINVENTION! Steps to Atlas Entertainment District. Completely rebuilt with custom layout, casework, fixtures - YOU MUST SEE TO BELIEVE! ! Tall ceilings, Brazilian tiger wood floors, gleaming glass and steel. PLUS completely selfcontained 1BR/1BA LL rental unit and off-street parking!
G IN ! M N O O C O S
4000 Tunlaw Road, NW Unit # 1024 $275,000 1BR/1BA
5 5 4 4
1609 D Street, SE $700,000 3BR/3.5BA Newly renovated by Quest home builder with new HVAC, windows, floors, doors, open kitchen, 3 and a half baths and more!
R T DE AC N U TR N CO
1543 E Street, SE $800,000 3BR/2.5BA A RARE opportunity! Historic corner store TRANSFORMED into giant gallery style residence with STUNNING dimensions and style, historic accents, new windows, hvac, and roof. First time available in 35 yrs - don’t miss it! Did we mention the garage, private courtyard, and 3-car driveway!
Beautiful 1 bedroom 1 bath condo with amazing 10th floor with view. Open and bright floor plan. Stainless appliances, granite counters, and hardwoods. Includes 1 assigned parking space. Full service building with convenience store, cleaners and swimming pool.
PALISADES 5142 SHERIER PL NW 5360 MACARTHUR BLVD NW 5018 SHERIER PL NW 4529 MACARTHUR BLVD NW
1531 Gales Street, NE $699,000 4BR/3.5BA
PETWORTH 424 ALLISON ST NW 4516 8TH ST NW 4106 5TH ST NW 4103 3RD ST NW 335 ROCK CREEK CHURCH RD NW 5409 ILLINOIS AVE NW 5030 8TH ST NW 4840 7TH ST NW 206 EMERSON ST NW 423 INGRAHAM ST NW 403 UPSHUR ST NW 414 DELAFIELD PL NW 832 JEFFERSON ST NW 4012 7TH ST NW 4911 4TH ST NW 5018 4TH ST NW 814 EMERSON ST NW 729 KENNEDY ST NW 322 GALLATIN ST NW 5311 1ST ST NW
$700,500 $691,500 $629,900 $625,000 $604,000 $600,000 $590,000 $574,000 $530,900 $509,720 $499,000 $489,000 $480,000 $456,000 $450,000 $445,000 $375,000 $365,000 $350,000 $250,000
RANDLE HEIGHTS 1924 17TH ST SE 2208 GOOD HOPE RD SE 1885 SAVANNAH PL SE
$270,000 $259,000 $163,900
RIGGS PARK 5504 4TH ST NE 1012 GALLOWAY ST NE 1233 FARRAGUT PL NE
$513,000 $266,000 $249,900
4 4 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 5 3 6 4 3 3
R T DE AC N U TR N CO
1835 A Street, SE $675,000 4BR/3.5BA WIDE 18-ft porch-front at end-of-row means broad dimensions and gleaming sunlight all through the day over three levels. New systems, walls, fixtures, and finishes throughout, and restored historic floors and façade. Deck and deep rear yard with possible parking, but just 50 steps to Metro escalator so who needs a car? Great guest suite on LL with separate entrance for long-term stays)
R T DE AC N U TR N CO
534 16th Street, SE $669,000 3BR/ 3BA A LABOR OF LOVE! Newly renovated by European luxury home builder with new HVAC, windows, floors, doors, open kitchen w/ cherry+granite, 3 FULL baths and more! Semi-detached home half of unique pair at end of row with HUGE side yard, just steps to Potomac Ave Metro, Harris Teeter, parks, cleaners, pubs, restaurants and more!
3 3 2 4 3 4
SHAW 1536 1ST ST NW 1535 5TH ST NW
$565,000 $547,500
SHEPHERD PARK 1307 FERN ST NW
$674,900
3 2 5
SPRING VALLEY
HillRag | April 2013 H 103
FIRST OPEN HOUSE
5027 SEDGWICK ST NW
SUNDAY, APRIL 7 2-4PM
TAKOMA PARK
Exquisite 1BR + den/DR, renovated kitchen and bath with granite and stainless. Wonderful wood floors, exposed brick wall, copious closets, large rooms, light and bright. Fabulous location ½ block to Metro, 1 block to House Office Building. $369,900. 115 D St SE #207.
TRINIDAD
FIRST OPEN HOUSE
6634 EASTERN AVE NW 6611 1ST ST NW 1413 MORSE ST NE 1716 M ST NE 1432 MONTELLO AVE NE 1923 BENNETT PL NE 1119 MONTELLO AVE NE 1420 ORREN ST NE 1201 QUEEN ST NE 1629 LANG PL NE 1619 LANG PL NE 1243 OWEN PL NE
WESLEY HEIGHTS
SUNDAY, APRIL 14 2-4PM
4450 DEXTER ST NW 4529 LOWELL ST NW 4437 WESTOVER PL NW
Columbia Heights. WOW! Grand and gracious renovated extra wide townhome. Four big bedrooms, one with attached sitting room. Finished third floor for giant office/playroom. Amazing wood floors, marvelous moldings, dramatic coffered ceiling. Leaded glass windows, cool kitchen with granite and stainless, copious cabinets and countertops. Fabulous fireplace. Flagstone patio for fun-filled summer entertaining. Legal 2BR rental unit. Hot! Hot! Hot! Neighborhood. Absolutely sensational. 1445 Euclid St NW.
WOODRIDGE
2219 TAYLOR ST NE 2615 RANDOLPH ST NE 2800 26TH ST NE 3600 24TH ST NE 3040 THAYER ST NE 2224 QUINCY ST NE 2718 HAMLIN ST NE 2630 BRENTWOOD RD NE 3014 VISTA ST NE 3710 24TH ST NE 1494 DOUGLAS ST NE
COMING SOON
14TH STREET CORRIDOR
Licensed in DC, MD & VA
1634 14TH ST NW #503 1634 14TH ST NW #201 16TH STREET HEIGHTS 1301 LONGFELLOW ST NW #308
ADAMS MORGAN
1700 KALORAMA RD NW #405 2363 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #22 2505 17TH ST NW #PENTHOUSE 2038 18TH ST NW #202 1725 EUCLID ST NW #3 2505 17TH ST NW #1 1855 CALVERT ST NW #403 2633 ADAMS MILL RD NW #404 2426 ONTARIO RD NW #305 2627 ADAMS MILL RD NW #402 1801 WYOMING AVE NW #2 4101 ALBEMARLE ST NW #314
BLOOMINGDALE 2201 2ND ST NW #14
BRIGHTWOOD
343 CEDAR ST NW #108
BROOKLAND
Joan Carmichael Realtor 202.271.5198 joanvcarmichael@gmail.com Bridgette Cline Realtor 202.271.4196 bcline8041@aol.com
104 H Hillrag.com
$659,990 $481,500
4 3
$525,000 $430,000 $422,000 $375,000 $300,000 $297,000 $224,000 $199,000 $185,000 $518,083
4 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 2 4
$2,551,546 $1,840,000 $1,200,000
6 5 3
$560,000 $499,500 $480,000 $475,000 $419,700 $415,000 $262,000 $252,000 $210,000 $200,000 $188,000
4 5 4 4 3 3 2 3 2 3 3
$650,000 $614,900
2 2
$159,000
1
$699,900 $650,000 $529,900 $525,000 $485,000 $469,900 $441,000 $428,000 $413,000 $350,500 $569,900
1 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK
KNOWLEDGE!
1000 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Wash., DC 20003 office #202-546-0055
5
CONDO
Loft living. Dramatic contemporary 1BR + den New York style loft. Fabulous kitchen with granite and stainless. Polished concrete floors, vaulted ceilings, copious closets. Historic school building. Parking, very pet friendly building (multiple pets allowed). Reasonable fees. $395,000.
for all you real estate needs
$1,950,000
420 EVARTS ST NE #3 330 RHODE ISLAND AVE NE #206
CAPITOL HILL
631 N CAROLINA AVE SE 1306 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #202 600 KENTUCKY AVE SE #B 737NE 6TH ST NE #1 1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #431 1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #218 90 15TH ST NE #90 317 10TH ST NE #5 1840 D ST NE #3 101 NORTH CAROLINA AVE SE #405 101 NORTH CAROLINA AVE SE #408
CENTRAL
1099 22ND ST NW #809 2425 L ST NW #212 1111 25TH ST NW #616 809813 6TH ST NW #44 2301 N ST NW #404 1111 25TH ST NW #910
$439,000
1
$289,900
1
$384,000
2
$130,000 $116,250
1 2
$799,000 $539,000 $515,000 $500,000 $421,000 $355,000 $341,000 $338,500 $305,000 $277,000 $236,500
3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 0
$665,000 $572,000 $500,000 $470,000 $469,900 $460,000
2 1 1 2 1 1
1 6 2
C
4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
C
9
C
3 3 3 3 3
C
1 3 1 1 1 7 1 1 1 3 7 1 1 3 1 3 1 1 7 1 3 2 2 1 1 7 4
D
2 2
D
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
E
1 1 1
F
8 1 2 2
F
4 4 2 2
G
2 2
G
3
1111 25TH ST NW #411 616 E ST NW #420 2130 N ST NW #206
CHEVY CHASE
4301 MILITARY RD NW #PH08 5231 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #102 5231 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #301 5231 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #302 5231 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #202 5231 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #201 5201 WISCONSIN AVE NW #205 5410 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #314
CHINATOWN
912 F ST NW #1109
CLEVELAND PARK
3883 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #318 3883 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #108 3540 39TH ST NW #648 3824 PORTER ST NW #395 3701 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #605
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
1425 EUCLID ST NW #12 3532 13TH ST NW ##2 1348 EUCLID ST NW #405 1442 HARVARD ST NW #5 1417 CHAPIN ST NW #505 732 LAMONT ST NW #403 1447 CHAPIN ST NW #203 1430 NEWTON ST NW #401 1326 GIRARD ST NW #G1 3500 13TH ST NW #401 754 PARK RD NW #02 1300 TAYLOR ST NW #4 1237 KENYON ST NW #A 3727 9TH ST NW #3 1401 COLUMBIA RD NW #104 3515 HERTFORD PL NW #32 1438 COLUMBIA RD NW #203 1447 CHAPIN ST NW #101 754 PARK RD NW #01 1495 NEWTON ST NW #102 3534 6TH ST NW #3534 2576 SHERMAN AVE NW #301 2639 15TH ST NW #B-4 1321 FAIRMONT ST NW #305 14 DANBURY ST SW #14C 748 BRANDYWINE ST SE #204 4715 1ST ST SW #203
DEANWOOD
250 35TH ST NE #102 210 43RD RD NE #101
DUPONT CIRCLE
1830 JEFFERSON PL NW #21 1545 18TH ST NW #713 1700 15TH ST NW #301 1615 Q ST NW #812 1601 18TH ST NW #508 1717 T ST NW #31 1702 Q ST NW #1 1753 Q ST NW #B 1821 RIGGS PL NW 2130 N ST NW #509
ECKINGTON
1809 3RD ST NE #2 14 S ST NE #102 150 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #102
FOGGY BOTTOM
800 25TH ST NW #1004 1010 25TH ST NW #205 2515 K ST NW #712 2030 F ST NW #509
FOREST HILLS
4707 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #407 4007 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #111 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #226 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #1244
GARFIELD
2737 DEVONSHIRE PL NW #419 2801 CORTLAND PL NW #2
GEORGETOWN
3318 VOLTA PL NW #2
$445,000 $428,500 $235,000
1 1 0
$1,625,000 $684,000 $550,000 $540,000 $469,000 $464,199 $300,000 $262,000
2 3 2 2 2 2 1 1
$817,500
2
$670,000 $497,000 $417,000 $329,000 $228,000
2 2 2 1 1
$740,000 $681,000 $650,000 $629,900 $489,900 $482,500 $479,000 $459,000 $409,000 $359,900 $349,000 $340,000 $320,000 $311,200 $306,500 $301,000 $299,000 $295,000 $289,000 $278,300 $275,000 $266,000 $245,000 $232,000 $85,000 $67,000 $40,000
2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 2 2
$45,000 $36,900
2 2
$1,140,000 $395,100 $379,500 $310,000 $242,500 $625,000 $525,000 $501,188 $395,000 $320,000
3 1 1 1 0 3 2 1 2 1
$569,900 $265,000 $479,900
3 2 3
$1,125,000 $323,000 $270,000 $248,000
2 1 1 0
$415,000 $330,000 $300,000 $237,500
1 1 1 1
$542,500 $240,000
2 1
$775,000
2
Prime Office & retail OPPOrtunity! lOcated at 660 Pennsylvania ave se
fOr mOre infOrmatiOn, cOntact stantOn develOPment
202-544-6666
Kitty KauPP & Ken GOldinG KKauPP@cbmOve.cOm
http://capitolhill.lnfre.com
214 13th St SE $1,395,000 • Capitol Hill
838 Yuma St SE $195,000 • Congress Heights
There is a difference. Call Today!
3922 South Dakota Ave NE $425,000 • Michigan Park
319 5th St NE $1,499,999 • Capitol Hill
Office (202) 547-9200
TERRI B. LAHLOU – BRANCH MANAGER CAPITOL HILL OFFICE LONG & FOSTER REAL ESTATE, INC. 721 D STREET SE WASHINGTON, DC 20003 TERRI.LAHLOU@LNF.COM HillRag | April 2013 H 105
Making More Real Estate Success Stories!
402 Independence Ave, SE SOLD $1,199,000
The GranT, ryall, andrew real esTaTe Group Grant Griffith 202.741.1685
GLOVER PARK
2320 WISCONSIN AVE NW #410 2320 WISCONSIN AVE NW #109 2320 WISCONSIN AVE NW #104 4114 DAVIS PL NW #216 4114 DAVIS PL NW #210 4100 W ST NW #410
HILL CREST
3810 V ST SE #101
KALORAMA
2141 WYOMING AVE NW #22-41 2006 COLUMBIA RD NW #43 1807 CALIFORNIA ST NW #203 1910 KALORAMA RD NW #302 1880 COLUMBIA RD NW #100 1954 COLUMBIA RD NW #407
LEDROIT PARK
74 ADAMS ST NW #3 74 ADAMS ST NW #2 523 FLORIDA AVE NW #1 523 FLORIDA AVE NW #2 2035 2ND ST NW #GL02
LOGAN CIRCLE
Ryall Smith 202.741.1781 Andrew Glasow 202.741.1654 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage 605 Pennsylvania Ave. SE • 202.547. 3525
Property Management At Its Best: Over 80% of our condominium and coop associations have been with us for over 9 years. Compare our services and fees high quality at a very fair cost. We will be happy to provide a quote and references. Switch to us now and we will wave first month’s fee. JOEL TRUITT MANAGEMENT, INC. 734 SEVENTH STREET, SE (202) 547-2707 FAX: (202) 547-1977
www.joeltruitt.com
Quality Since 1972 106 H Hillrag.com
3225 GRACE ST NW #217 2500 Q ST NW #413 1045 31ST ST NW #11 2516 Q ST NW #Q-108 2500 Q ST NW #624
Your Neighbor On The Hill
“The road to success is not always straight; let me help you through the real estate maze to a happy and successful destination”
Deborah Charlton
Long and Foster Realtors Christie’s Great Estates
(202) 415-2117 (202) 944-8400 DC.DC@LongandFoster.com www.yourneighboronthehill.com
1300 13TH ST NW #506 1212 M ST NW #402 1133 14TH ST NW #406 1314 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #701 1111 11TH ST NW #902 1314 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #306 1111 11TH ST NW #609 1450 CHURCH ST NW #603 1401 Q ST NW #504 1210 R ST NW #110 1313 VERMONT AVE NW #2 1401 CHURCH ST NW #323 1308 12TH ST NW #B 1239 VERMONT AVE NW #805 1634 14TH ST NW #102 1300 N ST NW #208 1239 VERMONT AVE NW #206 1634 14TH ST NW #1 1300 N ST NW #13 1324 14TH ST NW #1 1324 14TH ST NW #4 1001 L ST NW #611 1117 10TH ST NW #805 2125 14TH ST NW #621 751 P ST NW #2 751 P ST NW #10 751 P ST NW #12 751 P ST NW #8 751 P ST NW #4 751 P ST NW #9
MARSHALL HEIGHTS 4939 C ST SE #4939 5000 CALL PL SE #201 300 50TH ST SE #204
MOUNT PLEASANT
2200 17TH ST NW #213 1706 SUMMIT PL NW #1/2 2328 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #320 1663 NEWTON ST NW #2 2505 17TH ST NW 1750 HARVARD ST NW #2D
MT VERNON SQUARE 475 K ST NW #424 430 M ST NW #2 430 M ST NW #1 430 M ST NW #4 430 M ST NW #5 430 M ST NW #3 430 M ST NW #6
OBSERVATORY CIRCLE
2501 WISCONSIN AVE NW #9 2800 WISCONSIN AVE NW #202
OLD CITY #1 910 S ST NW #1
$577,000 $520,000 $489,000 $412,000 $259,000
2 2 1 1 0
$390,000 $360,000 $318,000 $314,900 $299,900 $251,000
1 1 1 1 1 1
$150,000
3
$1,395,000 $517,000 $480,000 $319,900 $275,000 $225,000
3 2 2 0 1 0
$720,000 $650,000 $480,000 $470,000 $455,000
2 2 2 2 2
$672,400 $530,000 $442,000 $399,999 $382,500 $368,000 $342,000 $1,190,000 $826,000 $535,000 $465,000 $442,500 $417,028 $375,000 $319,900 $309,900 $294,000 $279,900 $239,900 $679,900 $603,900 $395,500 $292,000 $519,000 $724,900 $649,900 $649,900 $609,900 $609,900 $574,900
2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 1 0 1 2 2 2 2 2 2
$219,900 $92,000 $92,000
3 2 2
$773,000 $590,000 $535,000 $532,500 $519,900 $268,000
2 2 2 2 2 1
$635,000 $492,501 $474,900 $450,000 $449,900 $399,900 $370,000
2 2 2 2 2 1 1
$850,000 $160,000
2 0
$785,000
2
809 MARYLAND AVE NE #B 1025 1ST ST SE #616 1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #411 1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #419 1025 1ST ST SE #203 1391 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #207 1363 K ST SE #302 420 16TH ST SE #104 1514 ISHERWOOD ST NE #2
OLD CITY #2
2100 11TH ST NW #PH-2 1229 12TH ST NW #204 301 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #1204 811 4TH ST NW #1105 1229 10TH ST NW #PENTHOUSE # 3 1525 Q ST NW #13 1933 18TH ST NW ##301 811 4TH ST NW #1119 1724 17TH ST NW #44 1317 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #406 522 R ST NW #2 910 M ST NW #425 1418 W ST NW #401 1300 N ST NW #602 1401 CHURCH ST NW #312 811 4TH ST NW #1202 437 NEW YORK AVE NW #501 2250 11TH ST NW #305 555 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #410 1211 13TH ST NW #T-3 224 Q ST NW #A 1441 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #615 80 NEW YORK AVE NW #302 1 SCOTT CIR NW #511 1440 N ST NW #1010
PALISADES
4471 MACARTHUR BLVD NW #303 4866 MACARTHUR BLVD NW #4
PENN QUARTER
715 6TH ST NW #704 715 6TH ST NW #1001 915 E ST NW #309
RLA (SW)
214 G ST SW #115 228 G ST SW #138 1101 3RD ST SW #513 800 4TH ST SW #N-511 300 M ST SW #N311 1425 4TH ST SW #A6
SOUTHWEST
700 7TH ST SW #734
TRINIDAD
1241 18TH ST NE #2
U STREET
1418 W ST NW #202 929 FLORIDA AVE NW #3003
WAKEFIELD
4740 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #903
WATERFRONT 410 O ST SW #108
WESLEY HEIGHTS
4201 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #1215E 3259 SUTTON PL NW #3259C 4201 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #915E 3101 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #807 4201 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #1013E 3101 NEW MEXICO AVE NW #256 4201 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #411W
WEST END
1177 22ND ST NW #1-A 2301 N ST NW #712 2301 N ST NW #508 2301 N ST NW #112
$565,000 $540,000 $485,000 $470,000 $450,000 $399,900 $238,000 $229,900 $180,000
2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2
BLOOMINGDALE
$1,100,000 $723,000 $694,500 $627,000 $625,000 $572,000 $565,000 $565,000 $515,000 $496,500 $489,000 $475,000 $420,000 $412,500 $398,000 $392,000 $390,000 $385,000 $375,000 $365,000 $363,000 $324,000 $275,000 $260,000 $220,000
2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 0 2 1 0
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
$253,000 $227,850
1 1
$550,000 $440,000 $399,999
2 1 1
$447,500 $419,000 $376,000 $228,000 $225,000 $209,000
2 3 1 0 1 1
1661 CRESCENT PL NW #205
BRIGHTWOOD
6445 LUZON AVE NW #307
CLEVELAND PARK
3024 PORTER ST NW #101 3026 PORTER ST NW #101 3620 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #33 1415 GIRARD ST NW #302 429 KENYON ST NW #T-2 1415 GIRARD ST NW #403
DUPONT
1526 17TH ST NW #101 1701 16TH ST NW #101 1701 16TH ST NW #146 1701 16TH ST NW #508 1701 16TH ST NW #518 1514 17TH ST NW #500
FOGGY BOTTOM
2500 VIRGINIA AVE NW #703-S 2510 VIRGINIA AVE NW #212-N 2700 VIRGINIA AVE NW #704
FOREST HILLS
3001 VEAZEY TER NW #701 3001 VEAZEY TER NW #603 3001 VEAZEY TER NW #903
GEORGETOWN
1657 31ST ST NW #206 1657 31ST ST NW #208
GLOVER PARK
2520 41ST ST NW #4
HILLCREST
2712 TERRACE RD SE #A-605
KALORAMA
1901 WYOMING AVE NW #2 1875 MINTWOOD PL NW #36
MOUNT PLEASANT
1705 LANIER PL NW #108 1801 CLYDESDALE PL NW #104
NORTH CLEVELAND PARK 4514 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #308
$359,000
2
$130,000
2
OBSERVATORY CIRCLE
3900 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #211 A 4000 CATHEDRAL AVE NW #324B
OLD CITY #2 $329,000 $406,000
1 1
$356,000
2
$349,000
2
$1,900,000 $629,000 $590,000 $320,000 $275,000 $219,900 $179,900
7 2 3 1 1 0 0
$1,545,000 $680,000 $415,000 $344,500
2 2 1 1
1701 16TH ST NW #754 1725 17TH ST NW #209 1440 W ST NW #407 1725 17TH ST NW #305
RIVER PARK
1311 DELAWARE SW #S332
COOP ADAMS MORGAN
150 V ST NW #V309
$1,225,000
3
RLA (SW)
380 N ST SW #T-380 1301 DELAWARE AVE SW #N625 520 N ST SW #S-127 1311 DELAWARE AVE SW #S344 1311 DELAWARE AVE SW #S-141 1311 DELAWARE AVE SW #S145
VAN NESS/FOREST HILLS 3001 VEAZEY TER NW #614
WATERGATE
2500 VIRGINIA AVE NW #1012-S H
$395,000
1
$95,000
1
$287,000 $274,000 $269,000
1 1 1
$260,000 $162,550 $160,000
2 2 1
$347,500 $335,000 $303,000 $199,000 $146,500 $375,000
1 1 1 0 0 1
$525,000 $355,000 $240,000
2 2 1
$440,450 $223,000 $209,900
2 1 1
$550,000 $100,000
1 0
$259,000
1
$68,000
2
$364,000 $268,000
2 1
$349,000 $90,000
2 0
I want to be Your Agent!
$499,000
2
Let s get together to review the market and design a winning strategy!
$380,000 $313,900
2 1
$360,000 $219,000 $149,416 $365,000
1 0 2 1
$162,000
2
$385,000 $145,000 $125,000 $115,000 $102,000 $70,000
4 2 0 1 1 0
$265,000
1
$300,000
1
Serving Capitol Hill since 1988
UYERS. SERVING B LERS. EL SERVING S MUNIT Y. M O C R U O ween SERVING sor of Hillo Proud Spon
Jackie Von Schlegel 202.255.2537 Mark Spiker 202.341.9880
jackie@jackiev.com 202-547-5088 Licensed in DC, VA, MD & FL
Looking to Buy or Sell on the Hill?
Dee Dee Branand At
home on the Hill
605 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003 Office: 202 547-3525 Cell: 202 369-7902 Email: dbranand@cbmove.com Web: www.deedeebranand.com
“We are part of Capitol Hill, We don’t just work here... We live here, too. Let our neighborhood experience work for you...�
202.546.3100 210 7th Street, SE. #100. WDC 20003 www.monarchtitle.net HillRag | April 2013 H 107
Health & Fitness Well Nourished A Spring Awakening
E
by Annette Nielsen
ringues, mousse and cream puffs rely on Boiled, scrambled, sunny-side up ggs are a symbol of new begineggs emulsified, whisked and whipped. or adorned Benedict or Florentine style nings, a universal and versatile Eggs provide limitless inspiration for – eggs rise and shine as breakfast fare. food used in every cuisine. They nutritious and delicious sweet or savory Lunchtime offers opportunities for egg exist in a wide range of colors even bemeals and desserts. The columnar chef ’s salad, Croque Madame (the French verfore they’re roasted for the Passover Seder hat, or toque, boasts 100 pleats, represion of grilled ham and cheese with a plate, dunked in vibrant dyes for Easter senting the number of ways to prepare fried egg; the Croque Monsieur omits the egg hunts, or used as the focal point topan egg, and chefs in training often spend egg), eggs poached, and perched on beauping a Greek Easter bread. days learning to cook sophisticated dishes tiful spring asparagus. Egg drop soup, While the egg’s health benefits are or perfecting culinary technique with the eggnog, aioli, crepes and brioche provide touted or disparaged, depending on the egg. Here, you’ll find a couple of easy-toample recipe options, too. Quiches and diet du jour or the latest medical journal execute recipes that make good use of the frittatas (the Italian version of an omelet) study, it remains one of the most ecomost perfect food. make for an easy supper paired with a salnomical sources of protein and one of ad and baguette, where an elegant dinner the few foods to naturally contain vitaparty might spotlight a savory airy soufmin D. Eggs are nutrient rich and a large The Fabulous Frittata flé with spinach or salmon. Side dishes of egg has a mere 70 calories. The whites of The frittata can be made substituting egg noodles or spaetzle wouldn’t exist if the egg (albumen) provide the majority a variety of cheeses, meat, vegetables, or not for the egg. Desserts like flans, meof the protein, while the yolk offers all herbs (a great way to use refrigerator leftof the egg’s fat and most of the vitamins. To understand egg carton labeling, remember that ‘cage free’ means only that the chickens are not living in a cage. ‘Free range’ designates the hens have access to the outdoors (not necessarily a pasture or grass), and ‘pasture raised’ indicates they are living outdoors with access to shelter. Pastured (outdoor based) poultry’s diet usually includes plants and insects, and you’ll be able to see the difference in the egg’s brighter orange colored yolk contrasted with a paler yolk of a hen fed primarily As spring arrives, we turn to cooking dishes with a lighter focus. With the egg as inspiration, we can create meals from the simple to sublime. Here, the ingredients to prepare a light supper or brunch – easily sourced from what is most corn and soy. likely already in your refrigerator. HillRag | April 2013 H 109
Waterside Fitness & Swim A Holistic Approach to Weight Loss
1st month free with enrollment* *Not to be combined with any other offer. Expires on 5/31/13.
• Weight Loss Consultation • Muscular Strength • Cardiovascular Training
• Stability & Balance Flexibility • Nutrition Inner Fitness • Physical Therapy
Waterside Fitness & Swim Club 901 6th Street, SW (next to Arena Stage) Free Parking! 202.488.3701
Give Yourself a Chance This Spring Train with Pattie Cinelli, a certified personal trainer with experience, versatility and sensitivity. Spring is here and so is your opportunity to feel and look better: • Shed the winter weight for good. • Feel better in your summer clothes. • Be stronger and more flexible. • Learn tools for releasing stress, sleep better and feel better.
Single, partner or small group sessions held in your home, Results Gym or Effervescence Fitness Studio in NE. Let’s talk. Call or email today!
202-544-0177 fitness@pattiecinelli.com 110 H Hillrag.com
Allen A. Flood, M.D. DERMATOLOGY • • • • •
DISEASES OF THE SKIN, HAIR AND NAILS SKIN CANCER SCREENING NARROW BAND UVB PHOTOTHERAPY -Psoriasis -Vitiligo BOTOX JUVEDERM FILLERS
• • • • • •
HAIR REMOVAL HAIR RESTORATION SPIDER VEINS SPIDER VEINS LEG VEINS LEG VEINS SKIN REJUVENATION SKIN REJUVENATION HYPERPIGMENTATION
LASER TREATMENTS
650 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. Suite 420 Washington, DC 20003 (202) 547-9090 (O) • (202) 547-9092 (F)
Eat Fresh from the Farm!
Community Supported Agriculture A frittata or a flat omelet, Italian style, makes great use of leftovers like herbs, cheeses, meats and vegetables. overs). Yield: 6-8 single servings. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 shallot, diced or ¼ cup chopped onion or ramps (wild leeks) 7 spears of asparagus, woody base discarded, cut into 1-inch pieces ¼ cup feta, diced or grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup parsley (or favorite herb) 7 large eggs (or approximately 2 cups liquid measure) ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a 10-inch castiron (or oven-proof ) skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and asparagus (or other vegetable of choice) and sauté for a few minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Add parsley, increasing the heat to medium-high. While vegetables are cooking, lightly whisk the eggs in a mediumsized bowl with salt and a grinding or two of pepper. Add egg mixture to vegetables in skillet; sprinkle cheese over the top. Do not stir or mix the eggs while in the skillet. When the top of the egg mixture starts to set, take the pan off the burner and place in the oven (or under a low broiler), watching closely for a couple of minutes or so until the top turns a golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for a minute. Slide the frittata out of the pan onto a serving platter.
Slice into wedges and serve hot or at room temperature with a side salad of spring greens (arugula, baby spinach or mesclun mix) drizzled with your favorite vinaigrette, and a crusty baguette.
Crepes
Locally grown vegetables delivered weekly to the Hill.
Join our CSA NOW ENROLLING FOR THE 2013 SEASON!
oneacrefarm.com
Yield: 10-12 crepes 1 cup flour 2 eggs 1 ¼ cup milk 2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled Oil for pan Fresh berries or jam Confectioner’s sugar
Lightly whisk together milk and eggs; slowly mix in flour. Drizzle butter into batter and mix completely. Place approximately one teaspoon of vegetable oil in skillet (non-stick works best) and heat over medium-high heat. Place one ladle (approximately 4 tablespoons) of batter in pan. Let batter cook until it loses its sheen, then flip crepe and cook for a few seconds. Fold in quarters and serve with fresh berries or jam; sprinkle lightly with sifted confectioner’s sugar. Annette Nielsen is a writer and a cook who has been engaged in food, farming and sustainability issues for over 15 years. A native of the Adirondacks, and a long-time resident of both NYC and DC, she lives in Southwest near the waterfront with her husband and son. Follow her on twitter: @ The_Kitchen_Cab; reach her by email: annettenielsen@mac.com. H
Dr. Karen Y. Cooper
Comprehensive & CosmestiC Center, LLC Enhancing lives, one smile at a time 3801 Minnesota Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20019 202-399-2300
Did you know that April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month? Oral cancer screening saves lives, set yours today!
HillRag | April 2013 H 111
beautyhealthfitness
Formidable Flora Lily Toxicity in Cats
by Matthew Antkowiak, DVM
Part 4 of Seven Veterinary Emergencies Deconstructed
S
Day Lilies
Easter Lilies
Asian Lilies
Stargazer Lilies
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pring and the arrival of Easter celebrations always bring flowers, both sprouting from the garden and being displayed in the home. A vase of fresh flowers from Eastern Market or Frager’s or as a gift from a friend is a delight to humans and animals alike. However, certain flowers should be avoided; especially if you are a cat owner. The primary plant culprit for cats is from the lily family (Lilium). Examples of these plants are the Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum), tiger lily (Lilium tigrinum), day lily (Lilium hemerocallus), stargazer (Lilium orientalis), and Asian lily (Lilium asiatica). Any part of the plant can be toxic including the stem, the leaves, and the flower. Even ingestion of the pollen or drinking the water the lilies are standing in can be dangerous. The first clinical signs a pet owner will see with lily toxicity are vomiting and/or decreased appetite. This can progress to severe lethargy or weakness. However, the best way to diagnose lily toxicity is through direct observation. Witnessing the ingestion or presence of lily material in your cat’s vomit is the only ways to definitively diagnose lily toxicity. All “lilies” are not equally toxic. Some (calla lilies, Calla palustris, and peace lilies, Spathiphyllum) cause gastric upset (drooling, vomiting, and
loss of appetite) from the sharp calcium oxalate crystals found in the plant. These can be irritating but not dangerous. However a good number of lilies will cause serious kidney damage and can start injuring the kidneys within four hours of ingestion. If a cat that has consumed this type of lily goes untreated, its kidneys can fail in two to four days, and prognosis for recovery, even if treatment is initiated, is poor to grave. It is best not to debate which type of lily your cat may have ingested and get him or her to the veterinarian immediately. The keys to avoiding lily toxicity if you are a cat owner are: 1) Do not introduce lilies to your home. 2) If you have lilies in your home, remove them immediately. Make sure you clean up any leaves, flowers, or pollen from where the lilies were kept and dispose of the water safely. 3) If you have an indoor/outdoor cat or even just a cat who hangs out in your fenced back yard, avoid planting lilies. Note that lilies are perennials, so if you are moving into a new home make sure to scour the backyard for spring growth. If you should see your cat nibbling on a portion of lily, get the lily away from the cat and try to remove the plant material from the cat’s mouth (while avoiding your cat’s teeth, please). Then bring your cat to a 24-hour veterinary facility for imme-
diate treatment. If possible, bring the lily plant with you as the veterinary clinic may be able to help identify the type of lily. If a cat consumes a portion of lily, the best treatment is to induce vomiting at your veterinary clinic, get blood work as a baseline, and start IV fluids immediately. IV fluids should be administered for at least 24 hours or longer if there are already signs of kidney damage. If gastric evacuation and IV fluids are implemented within four hours of ingestion, the prognosis is good to excellent. If I had my way, all lilies would come with a warning sign for cat owners. But until that time, cat lovers should be aware of the information contained in this article and should be share it with all friends of felines. If you would like more information on lily toxicity in cats or would like a resource for other potentially toxic plants to your pets, check out the ASPCA Poison Control website: http://www.aspca.org/ pet-care/poison-control. Here you can find lists (and photos!) of toxic and non-toxic plants. Questions can always be sent to Dr. Miller or me at info@atlasvetdc. com. Enjoy your spring, and see you ‘round the Hill! Dr. Antkowiak and Dr. Miller reside in Capitol Hill and are the owners of AtlasVet (the Atlas District Veterinary Hospital) at 1326 H St. NE. www.atlasvetdc.com. Twitter: @atlasvet. Facebook: atlasvetdc H
S PM UR to 8 PM HO M to 7 PM W 10 A AM to 6 NE days ys 9 0 AM k a 1 ee rd s W atu day S un S
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Full Service Grooming 7 Days a Week DOG ADOPTIONS (www.ruraldogrescue.com) Every Saturday 12-3
CAT ADOPTIONS Capital City Cats Every Sunday 12-3
Howl to the Chief • 733 8th Street SE 202-544-8710 www.HowlToTheChief.com HillRag | April 2013 H 113
beautyhealthfitness
A Holistic Approach to Dentistry by Ellen Boomer therapy.” A graduate of Howard University College of Dentistry and a practicing dentist for nearly 15 years, Victor said his interests and passions led him to dentistry. “I like to work with my hands, I wanted to have my own business, I like to work with people, and I wanted to be in the health field,” Victor explained. “He takes into account each patient’s individual needs and profile,” according to Bizzell-Palmer. “Dr. Victor asks himself what he can do to give each patient the best experience that is as natural as possible.” “My aim is to always treat the patient with the utmost care, dignity, and respect,” said Victor, adding “We want to make patients feel they are coming into our home.” Victor’s “home” is on 11th Street across from Frager’s, and the space capitalizes on all available light with a picture window in the front of the building, several skylights throughout the office, and walls painted a calming, light sage green.
D
r. Terry Victor, The DC Dentist, has hung out his shingle on Capitol Hill and is showing the neighborhood what eco-friendly dentistry means. With one of the first ecological dental practices on the East Coast, Victor is committed to taking care of both his patients and the environment by providing individualized care and by using recycled materials throughout his office. He hopes to lead by example, one patient at a time. What Is an Eco-Friendly Dentist? “I want to be in balance with how I see the world,” Victor explained when discussing why he spent the time and money to renovate his office to LEED-certified specifications. “We really need to tread lightly on the Earth,” he said. In addition to restoring the original terrazzo flooring and using ceiling tiles made from recycled plastic bottles, Victor installed a green roof and film on the windows that filters ultraviolet rays and cuts down on energy costs. To minimize his practice’s impact on the environment Victor and his staff do not keep
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A Holistic Approach
paper copies of patients’ records and instead rely on electronic records. He also pays for a service that uses an amalgam separator to prevent mercury from entering DC’s wastewater. “I use natural irrigators to kill bacteria,” Victor said, as well as an ultrasonic scaler, which is a machine that uses water and vibrations to remove built-up plaque on teeth. “The x-rays we use are digital to minimize exposure to radiation, which is especially important for expectant mothers and children,” said Viveka BizzellPalmer, Dr. Victor’s strategist, who also relies on him for her family’s dental care.
Caring for His Patients
“Dr. Victor sticks with you and spends time explaining each procedure,” according to Stephanie Brown of Silver Spring, who has been a patient of his for the past ten years. “He doesn’t rush you and makes sure the patient is comfortable,” even offering “reiki and aroma-
“I see my patients’ care in relation to their overall care,” said Victor, adding that what he does “has to have a non-toxic effect on the rest of the body.” “The things we do in dentistry will stay in
a patient’s mouth 24/7. You need to make sure that whatever you’re doing for that patient won’t have an adverse effect over time,” he noted. Therefore, he uses bio-compatible materials in all his procedures. “Some of my best patients are my little ones,” Victor explained, and added, “Treat them well, tell them what you’re doing and make it interesting for them.” While most of the children he treats “like coming to the dentist,” Victor acknowledges that some adults fear dentists. To lessen their anxiety he offers apprehensive patients sedatives to take the night before an appointment.
Giving Back to the Hill
“I wanted to be on the Hill because [residents] will appreciate the eco-friendly, holistic approach,” Victor explained. He also acknowledged that Hill residents tend to be very busy; therefore his practice offers patients the opportunity to schedule their own routine appointments and to ask dental questions via Skype. In addition to making the latest dental innovations available to Baby Boomers, Victor said he’d like to work with children in the neighborhood.” “We’ll start targeting some schools and let them know that we’re here.” The DC Dentist will offer a post-Halloween candy buy-back and will host an Earth Day and Arbor Day event at their office on Sunday, April 21. During this event The DC Dentist will provide plantings for children who stop by the office, collect toothbrushes to recycle, and give out new toothbrushes. They will also hold a workshop for children and their parents that will teach children how to be socially responsible by recycling toothbrushes and using toxin-free, environmentally safe products. For more information on The DC Dentist call 202-544-3626 or visit www.thedcdentist.com. Ellen Boomer is an Eastern Market resident, former teacher, current tutor, and freelance writer. She can be reached at emboomer@gmail.com. H
Holistic, Biological and Eco-Friendly Dentistry A Balanced Approach to Your Oral Health
THE DC DENTIST Terry Victor, DDS
Supports Earth Day and Saving the Planet
Earth Day Celebration
Everyday is Earth Day at our Eco-Friendly Office Sunday, April 21st at 2:30pm
• Get Tips on How to Recycle, Reduce and Reuse • Free Arts and Crafts and Free Tree Saplings To the First 50 Kids • View Our Green Roof and Our Eco-Friendly Office
509 11th Street SE (near Fragers Hardware) call 202.544.3626 or visit www.thedcdentist.com
A NEW LOCAL COMMUNITY PHARMACY!
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812 H Street NE
202.621.9667
www.hstreetcare.com HillRag | April 2013 H 115
Claire P. Cargill, DDS Capitol Hill family Dentist
We offer complete Dental Care for adults and children. Eastern Market Metro Stop 1009 E Street, SE • Washington, DC
202-547-2491
clairecargilldds@verizon.net Free parking • Handicapped Accessible • Major Insurance Plan Accepted
Acupuncture
Massage
Sound Can Heal
Meditation
It Can Restore Your Balance and Energy
Wholistic health care for adults, children and teens.
320 G Street, NE • 202.544.9389 www.healingartscapitolhill.com
Psychotherapy
Herbs & Nutrition
Ronda Bresnick Hauss Licensed Clinical Social Worker
by Ronda Bresnick Hauss, LCSW
Sound as Healing
We’ve all had the experience of listening to music or the sounds of nature and finding them deeply moving and relaxing. It is not surprising to think about sound as having the possibility to heal or help us to restore our sense of balance and energy. Sound healing is one of the oldest-known healing forms. The first person credited with using music to promote healing was Pythagoras, the Greek philosoper (ca. 500 B.C.). Mitchell Gaynor, M.D., in his book “The Healing Power of Sound: Recovery from Life Threatening Illness Using Sound, Voice, and Music,” quotes Pythagoras as saying that “each and every atom produces a particular sound on account of its movement, rhythm, or vibration.” Physics tells us that the whole universe is in a state of vibration. All of our cells, our organs, are vibrating, as are all other beings around us. Gaynor (an oncolgist affiliated with Cornell University and New York Hospital) explains that when the
multitude of ways. Gaynor cites examples of how the human body responds to sound through the process of entrainment. For example, research has demonstrated that babies who fall asleep to the sound of lullabies begin to breathe in rhythm with the music. Again, in a series of studies on how music affects the autonomic nervous system, participants’ heart rates were found to respond to both the volume and the rhythm of the music, and in some cases the heart rate or respiratory rhythm synchronized with the beat. Research has also shown that women have lowered responses to pain while in childbirth during periods when music is played. Gaynor posits that, through the process of entrainment, sound can transform us on an emotional and spiritual level as well as a physiological level. We know from our own experience that music can relax us, excite us, or move us to emotional states such as joy or sadness. Other kinds of sounds, such as toning (using vowel sounds to alter vibrations in
Supporting you in having a healthy & productive life.
Psychotherapy for adults using an integrative & holistic approach: traditional talk therapy, meditation, & creative, non-verbal techniques.
1308 Constitution Ave., N.E. 202.544.5050 www.quietwaterscenter.com on THE
Hill Sharon L. Bernier PhD, CNS, BC
Psychotherapy 236 Massachusetts Ave., NE Washington, D.C. 202-546-5311
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“Being in harmony with oneself and the Universe may be more than a poetic concept,” – Steven Halpern, PhD
more powerful vibrations of one object are projected upon a second object with a similar frequency, the second object begins to vibrate in resonance with the first object. That is called entrainment. Entrainment was discovered in 1665 by a Dutch scientist who observed that two pendulum clocks hung side by side would of their own accord begin to swing to the same rhythm. Physicists have duplicated this discovery and have also learned that entrainment occurs in a
the body), singing very simple chants, and listening to the vibrations of Tibetian or crystal singing bowls have also been found to create a sense of calm centeredness that resonates thoughout the body. Achieving a state of calmness and deep relaxation is also highly conducive to healing. In today’s busy world we are often subjected to sounds like honking horns, ringing phones, television programs, and radio broadcasts that can create stress, but we do not often seek out sounds that
are healing or centering. Consider deliberately listening to sounds that are soothing and promote a reflective, meditative state – even if for just a few moments – as a way of calming and focusing your mind. Notice how sounds that are relaxing or centering affect your level of energy. Experiment by listening to different kinds of sounds: nature sounds, classical music, and other kinds of uplifting music. Try making sounds like humming, sighing, singing, or chanting and notice their effect on your body and mind. Sound can produce a powerful meditative state. Simply by listening to certain sounds we are able to alter our consciousness quickly and effortlessly. Certain sounds stimulate the theta waves in our brains, much as traditional sitting meditation does. When theta waves are present our bodies move into a deeply relaxed and healing state, allowing us to rest, rejuvenate, and center. In this state we have the opportunity to receive insight that is difficult to access when we are rushing around in our busy lives. When you find yourself tense, anxious, or under stress, try taking a few minutes to calm and center yourself before continuing. Consider music and other sounds as a resource to help return you to a positive, productive state. We live in a sea of sound. It’s up to us to choose when to surf the exhilerating deep water waves and when to rest in the gentle shallows. 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 and holistic approach to psychotherapy, addressing the connection between the mind, body, and spirit through the use of traditional talk therapy, hypnosis, meditation, visualization, and creative nonverbal techniques. She can be reached at 202-544-5050 or at www.quietwaterscenter.com. H
Capitol Hill Animal Clinic 1240 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
202-546-1972
capitolhillanimalclinic.com Monday-Wednesday: 8 AM to 6 PM Thursdays: Hours by appointment only
Friday: 8 AM to 7 PM Saturday: 8 AM to 12 Noon “Don't forget to help the Washington Animal Rescue League for all they do for animals and our community” HillRag | April 2013 H 117
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kids&family N
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by Kathleen Donner
Regiser for Spring Classes at CHAW The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop is now registering students of all ages for new classes in the visual and performing arts. CHAW’s innovative Youth Art Program provides students in kindergarten to sixth grade with a high-quality arts education in a unique, multidisciplinary environment. CHAW also hosts a special teen Studio Jam: Wheel Throwing class for students in sixth through eighth grades. Limited spaces are available. Van pick-up is available from local schools to CHAW. Students ages zero to five years old can participate in Music Together, Color Theory, Books Alive: Maurice Sendak, Pre-Ballet and Ballet classes. CHAW also offers private music instruction in a variety of instruments for students of all ages. Tuition assistance and payment plans are available for all classes. For a complete list of workshops, classes or registration information, visit CHAW at chaw.org or call 202-547-6839.
DC Birth and Babies Fair at Hill Center DC’s inaugural Birth and Babies Fair will feature a variety of local realtors, classes and panel discussions. More than just a market, this event offers DC families a place to come together and to learn from experts in the field. Offerings include “What is a doula and how to hire one”, “What is the best birth setting for me?,” prenatal and post-partum health, cloth diapers, babywearing, parenting support, VBACs, baby foods and more. Apr. 28, noon-5 p.m. at the Hill Center,
Teen ceramic class at CHAW. Photo: Leslie Mansour 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Learn more at dcbirthandbabiesfair.com.
Family-Friendly Shakespeare’s Birthday Open House On Apr. 21, noon-4 p.m. help celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday with jugglers and jesters, music and theater performances, birthday cake, and a tour of the Folger’s reading rooms! Free. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-5444600. folger.edu
National Cherry Blossom Festival Lantern Making Family Day in Yards Park To celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the Capitol Riverfront BID will host its 3rd Annual LanternMaking Family Day on Saturday, Apr. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Yards Park, 355
Water St. SE in the Capitol Riverfront. There will be two lantern making sessions for children and adults at 10 a.m. and noon. Each lantern making session will be followed by a parade through Yards Park. There will also be entertainment for all to enjoy, including a performance by Hapmudo martial arts group on the boardwalk. A moonbounce and games will be set up for children, and Asian food can be purchased at nearby Kruba Thai and Sushi.
Probing the Myth of the Ideal Mom Workshop If you believe a Mom should be able to do it all, you have bought into the Myth of the Ideal Mom. Using the Myers-Briggs -Type Indicator, you will learn when it comes to mothering, one size does not fit all. This workshop will help identify your natural parenting style and shift focus from your parenting struggles to HillRag | April 2013 H 119
ATTENTION
PARENTS of KIDS AGED 3-13
KIDFIT!
THE BEST SUMMER CAMP ON THE HILL
Martial arts/bully proof classes 2x per day! Weekly field trips! And more!
ENROLL NOW Tiny Ninjas 4-5 Years Little Dragons 6-8 Years Jr. MAFA 9-13 Years Online registration is now available at capitolhillmartialarts.com
CAMP HOURS: 9am - 5pm Before Care 8am-9am After Care 5pm-6pm
CALL NOW! 202.455.4662 Visit www.capitolhillmartialarts.com for more info
your strengths. You will also receive tips on how to recharge your batteries in ways unique to your personality type. $130, materials and refreshments included. The workshop is on Apr. 19, 7-10 p.m. at Little Loft, 511 11th St. SE (across from Frager’s). Presented by JoAnn Laboy LICSW, a psychotherapist working with individuals and couples on the Hill for over 20 years. For more information, visit JoAnn Laboy.com or call 202320-1524.
National Zoo’s Elephant Community Center “Elephant Trails” Opens Elephant Trails, which opened on Mar 23, spans 8,943 square meters, which is large enough to accommodate up to three separate groups of elephants, including a natural, matriarchal herd of elephants and individual bulls. Altogether, the facility can house between eight and ten adult Asian elephants and their young. The Zoo’s goal is to provide all elephants with indoor-outdoor access year round. The Elephant Community Center and Elephant Barn contain nine indoor living areas, or “suites.” The outdoor component of Elephant Trails contains seven enclosures, including four exhibit yards, two paddocks, and an Elephant Trek. Sliding doors separate each area and can be opened for full access or closed for isolation of individuals or groups. By enabling or restricting access, keepers vary the level of visual and tactile access among the Zoo’s elephants. nationalzoo.si.edu
CHAW this is the perfect opportunity to come meet their camp staff and see what a camp day is like. If you already know the ropes, stop by anyway, say hello and bring a friend. Camps are for students in K-5 with some options for pre-k 4 and 5 year olds. Call the office at 202-547-6839 or visit chaw.org. Capital Hill Arts Workshop, 545, 7th St. SE.
Shake Up Your Saturdays: Fun at the Folger These family workshops provide a morning of history, activity, performance, and fun! Join us to explore Shakespeare’s life and language the best way we know how to: with Fun! Play with his words and enjoy learning about the world he lived in! It’s free but registration is required. Apr. 6, May 4 and June 1. Folger shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202-544-4600. folger.edu
Princess Dance Camp at The Hill Center Once upon a time in a not so far away land, Tippi Toes Dance (with the help of Tippi the Turtle) planned a beautiful Princess Dance Camp. Young campers will come from near and far dressed in princess or ballerina outfits and meet princesses like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. They will dance, hear stories about famous princesses, attend the princess beauty parlor, work on crafts, play games, eat healthy snacks, and receive wonderful gifts from our princesses. At the end of their time, they will invite their Queen Moms and King Dads to attend a dance performance, award ceremony, and tea party! Camp is open to ages 3-7 and will be held at the Hill Center June 24-28 and Aug 12-16 from 9a.m.-noon. For more information, visit tippitoesdance.com.
Get Kids Outdoors, Active, and Hooked on Fishing! Mehgan Murphy, Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Tarantella & Pizza Family Arts Night and Camp Open House at CHAW Eat a little pizza, dance a little Tarantella, paint a little fresco, have family fun at CHAW’s family arts night and camp open house! If you’re not familiar with the summer camp experience at 120 H Hillrag.com
Family & Youth Casting Call is on May 4, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Fletcher’s Cove on the C&O Canal. Spend a day fishing in the C&O Canalthey provide the instructors and all the gear you will need to catch fish. When not fishing, children will participate in fun, educaitonal activities like water quality testing, fly casting or fly tying, fish art, scavenger hunts, touch tanks and so much
OPEN
ENROLLMENT ABOUT US: •
Founded in the fall of 1999
•
Accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
•
Pre-school – 5th Grade
•
Independently run with a strong Board of Trustees
•
Challenging Curriculum
•
Exciting Creative Arts and Technology Program
•
Positive school culture
•
Open to all DC Residents
for School Year 2013-2014 in Grades Pre-school through 5th grade (All DC Residents welcome to apply).
5300 Blaine Street, NE Washington, DC 20019 202-398-6811
Please visit us at www.artstechacademy.org
HillRag | April 2013 H 121
more. Partner agencies and organizations will have displays set up to learn about how they are helping fish and fishing across the country. Don’t miss this fantastic day of family fun! Read more at familyandyouthcastingcall. com.
iCivics Website for Kids and Teachers iCivics prepares young Americans to become knowledgeable, engaged 21st century citizens by creating free and innovative educational materials. In 2009, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor founded iCivics to reverse Americans’ declining civic knowledge and participation. Securing our democracy, she realized, requires teaching the next generation to understand and respect our system of governance. Today iCivics comprises not just a board and staff, but also a national leadership team of state supreme court justices, secretaries of state, and educational leaders and a network of committed volunteers. They are committed to passing along our legacy of democracy to the next generation. So far, iCivics has produced 16 educational video games as well as vibrant teaching materials that have been used in classrooms in all 50 states. Today they offer the nation’s most comprehensive, standards-aligned civics curriculum that is available freely on the Web. Visit at icivics.org.
DC International, a New School On Mar 1, a trio of organizations that support charter education in DC (CityBridge Foundation, Charter Board Partners and FOCUS) brought a group of visitors to Yu Ying as part of their tour of high performing charter schools. The visitors got to see both an English and a Chinese classroom in addition to talking to administrators, teachers and students. As part of their strategic planning, Yu Ying has partnered with four language-centric partner schools (EW Stokes, Latin American Montessori Bilingual, Mundo Verde and DC Bilingual) in order to create a new school, DC International, that will serve students from these partner schools. DCI 122 H Hillrag.com
will serve students through 12th grade and allow students to pursue the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme and eventually obtain an IB Diploma before they move on to college. Washington Yu Ying PCS, 220 Taylor St. NE. 202-6351950. washingtonyuying.org
Kids Run the Bases at Nat’s Park Kids ages 4-12 can run the bases after select Sunday home games. Kids Run the Bases begins immediately following the game, weather permitting. This year’s dates are Apr. 14 and 28; May 12 and 26; June 9 and 23; July7, 21 and 28; Sept 1, 15 and 22. An adult must accompany runners to the field. One adult per child on the field. Once the game has ended, it takes the grounds crew approximately 20 minutes to prepare the field. Kids and parents/guardians can begin lining up at the end of the 7th inning, however fans that would like to stay and watch the entire game will still be able to line up once the game has ended. Participants must exit the ballpark through the Right Field Gate. The line forms outside of the park on the sidewalk along First St. washington.nationals.mlb.com
Let’s Celebrate Cinco de Mayo On Sunday, May 5, 2-4 p.m., celebrate the spirit of the Cinco de Mayo holiday by making a variety of Mexican art-and-craft items in a workshop led by independent art and cultural historian Teresa Grana. Free. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu
DCPS Launches Campaign to Attract Top Educators from Across the Country District of Columbia Public Schools is engaged in a new recruitment campaign to bring the best teachers and principals in the country to the nation’s capital. As part of the campaign, the school system launched a new recruitment website, joindcpublicschools.com, featuring HillRag | April 2013 H 123
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National Speech / Language Therapy Center
Now Open on Capitol Hill • Language delays
• Hearing impairment
• Special needs
• Developmental delays
• Articulation
• Autism
FREE SCREENINGS 412 First St SE Rear Building, Lower Level Washington, DC 20003 www.nationalspeech.com | 202-470-4185 124 H Hillrag.com
over 20 professionally produced videos showcasing top teachers, principals, and central office staff in DCPS. In addition, the school system has doubled the size of its recruitment team, and is launching the “Capital Commitment Fellowship,” a prestigious program for the 50 best teacher recruits of the year. As DCPS launches this new recruitment campaign, it is also committed to retaining its top educators, particularly as it undergoes a district-wide school consolidation process.
DC United Summer Camps Open for Registration DC United Summer Camps registration is now open. The camps include the popular summer camp series at DC United’s Training Complex at RFK, two Striker/Goalkeeper camps also at DC United’s Training Complex and several week-long camps at satellite locations around the area. Series 1, 2 and 3, at RFK Stadium, will feature First Team player appearances from Brandon McDonald, Chris Pontius, Nick DeLeon, Lewis Neal, Perry Kitchen and Dejan Jakovic. The Striker/ Goalkeeper camps will also feature First Team player appearances from Carlos Ruiz, Bill Hamid and Chris Pontius. Additionally, DC United’s annual residential camp will be held at St. Timothy’s School in Stevenson, Md., from July 6-10. An elite training environment, the five-day residential camp will provide on-field and classroom instruction of the highest level. For more information, visit dcunited.com/camps/summercamp-information.
Kids Opening Day & Screech’s Birthday at Nat’s Park On Apr. 14, 1:35 p.m. at the Nat’s vs. Braves games, kids can enjoy games, “bounces” and giveaways. Kids can also run the bases after the game. washington.nationals.mlb.com
Chess Challenge in DC Rescheduled The 2nd Annual Chess Challenge in DC Citywide Elementary and Middle School Chess Tournament has been rescheduled to Apr. 20, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at Woodrow Wilson High School. This is an unrated four round tournament with a blitz playoff. Registration is free and all participants receive a t-shirt, wristband, lunch, prizes and raffle tickets. To register go to chesschallengeindc.org. For more information call 202-579-5551.
DDOT and Metro Roll Out Pilot Program
With Giant Stores The District Department of Transportation, in collaboration with Metro and Giant Stores, will give District students the ability to purchase or renew their 10-trip Metrobus pass at any Giant Food store in Washington, D.C. under a new pilot program. The pilot program is designed to give students additional options for purchasing a 10trip bus pass in areas closer to their neighborhood or school. The pilot will run through July 1, 2013. The Giant Stores participating in the pilot are located at 1050 Brentwood Rd. NE; 1345 Park Rd. NW; 4303 Connecticut Ave. NW; and 1535 Alabama Ave. SE. For more information about the pilot, please visit ddot.dc.gov/schooltransitsubsidy or contact DDOT’s Transit Subsidy Program at 202-673-1740.
Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Babies-April Mini Session Baby Itsy Bitsy Yoga classes contain dozens of unique yoga postures designed to support baby’s development. Each class is filled with calming, nurturing ways to enhance bonding and improve baby’s sleep. Ages 6 weeks to almost crawling. Saturdays, Apr. 13-27, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Register online at hillcenterdc.org. Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. HillCenterDC.org
Options Public Charter School Selected to Partner with Microsoft This year, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education selected Options to participate in the pilot program of Microsoft’s IT Academy. The Microsoft IT Academy Program provides students with the technology skills necessary to obtain certification, whether they decide to attend college or compete in the 21st century workforce. Managed by CCI Learning Solutions, the Microsoft IT Academy Program will serve 50 of Options’ high school students. Options’ staff will receive timely access to the latest Microsoft technologies and have the opportunity to integrate these updates into the curricula in real time. optionsschool.org
Saturday Morning at the National Free Performances for Children On Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. there are free live performances for children in the Helen Hayes Gallery. Tickets are required and distributed first come-first seated. Tickets are distributed 1/2 hour prior to performance. One ticket per person in line. The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. 202-783-3372. Apr 6-Mat-
thew Pauli: The Sword in the Stone. Fresh from his last appearance as Captain Nobeard, Matthew Pauli returns as the hapless serf who, with a little help from the kids, attempts to draw the legendary Sword from the Stone to find the one true King. Slapstick, silliness and a little bit of magic brings order to the realm and a guaranteed smile to everyone’s face! Apr. 20-Jackie Urbanovic: It’s a duck! No, a hamster. Join children’s illustrator and author Jackie Urbanovic as she sings, growls and quacks up a storm while reading from her best-selling children’s books. Afterwards, Jackie will speak on how a picture book is created and draw a special character imagined by the kids in the audience! Apr. 27-Uno, Dos, Tres, con Andrés. Andrés Salguero, and his iguana named “Juana”, leads the kids on an interactive Latin American adventure exploring Spanish culture. Kids are invited to sing, shake, and sound out rhythms with Andrés, all to music filled with a contagious Latin beat! May 4-Brian Curry: Magic and Mischief. Water vanishes in midair moments before drenching a hapless volunteer, bottles appear out of nowhere, and the world’s most difficult card trick happens in a flash! Magician Brian Curry keeps even the most skeptical of audiences laughing with befuddlement in a morning filled with mystery.
Appreciation of the Military Child Family Day at National Museum of the Marine Corps On Apr. 13, noon- 3 p.m., come to the museum for crafts, games, puppets and book readings along with Marine Corps Base Quantico family organizations in showing appreciation for children of our military families. Free admission and free parking. National Museum of the Marine Corps, 18900 Jefferson Davis Highway. usmcmuseum.org H
Grays ReturnBaseball to DC by Peter J. Waldron
R
ising interest in baseball throughout the District, after the absence of a major league baseball team for 33 years, helped launch the newly reconstituted DC Grays, a Cal Ripken League collegiate-based team, in the summer of 2012. Staffed and run by an all-volunteer group whose motivation is an inordinate love of baseball, the DC Grays (www.dcgrays.com) are one of a 12-team wood-bat league made up of teams from the metropolitan area. The Grays are the only representative from the District. General Manager Antonio Scott, a former collegiate baseball player at Howard University with previous experience in the now defunct Griffith League, was approached in 2011 by Mike Barbera, a former baseball player at Williams College and now a DC lobbyist. Along with an eight-member Board of Directors they named their new team after the legendary Negro League team that played at Griffith Stadium intermittently throughout the 20th century. Each team recruits a 30-member squad comprised of topnotch collegiate talent for a 44-game season that begins on June 6, completing its season as the month of July unwinds. Last year’s team compiled an 18-21 record with a strong 7-3 finish. There is no charge for games and parking is free. Games start at 5:00 p.m. at Gallaudet’s Hoy Field, now undergoing a major upgrade to its ball diamond. Gallaudet has added sunken dugouts as well as a large scoreboard, with the promise that lights will be available for the 2013 season. One enhancement this season is the commitment of quality food trucks selling pizza and BBQ and of course hot dogs, a sign that interest has grown. As ambassadors to baseball and in an effort to grow the game locally among talented local youth, the Grays sponsor six summerlong clinics, two of which are for players who have some experience. The rest of the clinics stress game fundamentals and involve more intensive instruction. Both are led by the staff of the Grays as well as recruits from the collegiate team and any present or former major leaguer players the Grays can draft for the clinics, which are free of charge and target low-income youth. A division of responsibilities accompanies this labor of love. Scott Burr, owner of Tech Painting, is in charge of securing housing
for the undergraduate players. One test of his commitment in last year’s maiden season was that he placed two players in his own home. The other players were housed at Gallaudet. General Manager Antonio Scott described his role as being the one who has to “scout and recruit all the players we have locally or from other colleges.” In addition he is responsible for “putting together the youth clinics during the season.” Scott pointed to the wide array of college scholarships available for baseball and the Grays’ role in making the scope of these programs known to DC youth. Asked why he spends countless hours each week during the baseball season, Scott thought a moment and replied, “I’m passionate about it. I want someone like me to push them,” referring to his young clinic recruits. “I can encourage kids in a way that I was not encouraged.” CEO Barbera described his role as managing and steering a committed board and group of volunteers. He emphasized that no one is involved in it for the money: “In year one our goal was to get launched and pay our bills.” First-year expenses were $50,000, with a disproportionate share being consumed by housing at Gallaudet. A growing corporate sponsorship helps alleviate some of the burden. This year’s plan is to secure more housing in private homes both as a way to control spending and as an experience he suggests will be mutually beneficial for both players and their residential hosts. With a directness that characterizes his approach Barbera stated: “Last year was way more work and effort than I thought it would be. But it was worth it. Emphasizing the wide scope of the voluntary nature of the Grays’ undertaking, he noted that his three children also volunteer, adding with a chuckle that they have become free labor with their many duties at the games. He attends almost every home game (attendance last year averaged 50 per game) and at least one game at the opponent’s venue. He remarked on a growing collegiality among the other team executives, with information-sharing helping to reduce the trial-and-error aspects in a new league. Barbera is a self described baseball guy. Asked about the time and effort involved, he said without hesitation that the reward is the “high quality of baseball and the great kids who took in our camp last year.” H HillRag | April 2013 H 125
kids&family
School Notes Compiled by Susan Braun Johnson
CHDS Students Participate in “Making Schools Safe” Conference
As part of Capitol Hill Day School’s Human Development and Sexuality Education program, seventh-graders participated in the “Making Schools Safe” conference for the fourth consecutive year. Organized by the Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools Capitol Hill Day School seventh-graders discuss what they learned at the Making Schools Safe Confer(AIMS), this conference brought ence. Photo: Luis Correa-Power together students to hear from lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender with other schools. Students carried the Brent banner in people of all ages talk about their school Diversity is a key tenet at Capitol Chinese along with American flags and experiences, followed by Q&A with stuHill Day School, where differences of all a dragon and snake that they created afdents who have established LGBTQ kinds are embraced as opportunities for ter school with art teacher Sara Gibson. support groups in their middle and high people to learn from each other as they It was a great event, and many students schools. Finally, students proposed toplearn with each other. are already talking about marching again ics for further discussion, such as same –Luis Correa-Power and Amy Sellnext year. sex parents, incorporating LGBTQ isers. Capitol Hill Day School, 210 South Chess Federation President Visits sues into the curriculum, gay-straight Carolina Ave. SE. www.chds.org Brent Elementary. US Chess Federation alliances, and the role of the media in President Ruth Haring visited Brent Elperpetuating stereotypes. ementary’s popular Chess Challenge in Brent Elementary Highlights In preparation for the conference DC afterschool program last week. The Brent Students March in Chinese Capitol Hill Day School’s students anaUS Chess Federation is the membership New Year Parade. Nearly 100 Brent Ellyzed stereotypes based on race, gender, organization for more than 80,000 chess ementary students and parents joined and age and discussed examples of steplayers in the United States and repBrent’s Chinese teacher, Qinghua Wang, reotypical comments they have heard, resents the nation in the World Chess and marched in the annual Chinese New seen, or faced. Through guided personal Federation. Brent students had an opYear parade in Chinatown last month. reflections about stereotypical comments they have made or witnessed, students outlined positive, supportive responses. This introspective exercise served as a framework for their conference participation, and deepened their understanding of what many LGBTQ people experience at school and how to make schools safer for everyone. Post-conference, students proposed ideas for possible implementation at Capitol Hill Day School, including teacher/student conversations about integrating LGBTQ issues into the curriculum, adding an LGBTQ elective in middle school, making appropriate early childhood picture books, sponsoring a Day of Silence, or hosting a bake sale for a relevant charity, as well as conferences 126 H Hillrag.com
portunity to play chess and work on drills with President Haring while she was in DC to promote afterschool chess programs. Reggio Emilia is Coming to Brent Elementary. Brent Elementary is excited to announce that its strong Early Childhood program will become even stronger with the implementation of the Reggio Emilia approach to learning. Principal Peter Young and his team met earlier in the year and decided that becoming a Reggio-inspired school would be a very positive move for the program. Teachers will provide a formal presentation to Brent’s Early Childhood parents this spring. Both preschool and prekindergarten will implement the program next year. –Denise Diggs. Brent Elementary, 301 North Carolina Ave. SE. www.brentelementary.org.
Capitol Hill Cluster News
Community support made the 1st Capitol Hill Cluster’s Gala and Auction a great success. The Capitol Hill Cluster School is collaborating in the Smithsonian’s EdLab program to train public school teachers in mission-based learning, which brings classroom content to life. EdLab challenges students to use real objects in museums, along with digital tools, to investigate and solve real-world problems. The EdLab arranges missionbased field trips to Smithsonian museums and asks students to use objects as a launching point for further investigation into broader challenges. To see highlights from museum field trips by Peabody, Watkins and Stuart-Hobson school students go to their website at www.e-torch. org/2013/02/questions-come-alivewith-the-smithsonian-edlab/.
Peabody News Brent students marching in the Chinese New Year Parade
Peabody Families logged nearly 11,500 books during Peabody’s “Reading around the World in 90 Days” winter
come] school at the fair. Please congratulate them! Khadijah El Shabazz Matthew Nolan Charlie Horne Will Kammerer Ashley Harris Nora Ripley-Grant
Ski Team Champs at Stuart-Hobson
Stuart-Hobson’s Frances Penny and Ma’kia McMillan, star skiers reading program. Ms. Bloom declared, “Congratulations on so much wonderful reading! Keep that momentum going and be sure to include reading in every day of your busy lives.” She also reports the following, from Dr. Seuss’s Birthday and Winter Reading celebrations: On February 28, “each grade level had their own assembly during which we sang highlights from our songs from around the world, we applauded those students who ‘read around the world’ once, twice, or even thrice, and each student selected a free book to keep at home.” “The real treat,” she continued, “was having fellow Cluster School students from Stuart-Hobson Middle School come to our classrooms to read Dr. Seuss books with us. A huge thanks to those students and to their librarian, Ms. Ledford, and to the other staff who joined them.”
Science Fair Winners
The following students are winners of the schoolwide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Fair, held at Wilson Senior High School on March 23: • Animal Science: Hanna Scofield 1st, Jasmine Hobbs 2nd • Behavioral and Social Science: Taijah Cobb 1st, Nya-Simone Spann 2nd, Katherine Sanders 3rd • Biochemistry: Nora Ripley Grant 1st, Kayla McMillian 2nd, Natalia Gardullo and Massiah Butler tied for 3rd • Chemistry: Hans Capozzi 1st, Sydney Fletcher 2nd, Kambria Jeffery 3rd • Earth and Planetary Science: Joseph Soltani 2nd • Engineering: Zachary Greene 1st, London Shields 2nd, Julian Smith 3rd • Environmental Science: Ashley Harris 1st, Melady and Marie Brown and Joseph Edwards tied for 2nd, Jordan Davis and Aaron Harper 3rd • Mathematical Science: Charlie Horne 1st, David Brewer 2nd, Amina Mohammed-Christmas 3rd • Medicine and Health: Sophie Healy 1st, Alyssa Taylor and Kristopher Harris tied for 2nd, Kyla Earles 3rd • Microbiology: Khadijah El Shabazz 1st, Meliah Donnell 2nd, Sky Stringer 3rd • Physics: David Soltani 1st, Joyce Thomas 2nd, Niamh Nolan and Will Kammerer tied for 3rd • Team Competition: Nick Person and partner 1st, Lia Johnson and partner 2nd, Zoe McPherson/ Georgia Smith 3rd The following winners represented the [name to
The Stuart-Hobson Middle School team won the DC Interscholastic Athletic Association Championship this year. Students skied to victory with a total of 78 points. Stuart-Hobson’s ski team competes in the DCIAA event annually. It welcomes students of all skill levels and offers free lessons to beginners while experienced skiers have their pick of the snowy slopes. Skiers can ski for fun or qualify in time trials for one of four skill-based brackets (beginner, novice, advanced, and expert) to compete in the championship. –Mr. Munz. Stuart-Hobson Middle School, 410 E St. NE.
Scrabble Contenders take Division D at J.O. Wilson
Four fifth-grade students participated in the DC School Scrabble Classic at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in early March. J.O. Wilson students competed in the D Division (Novice) year 2, and played four 55-minute games with three schools from Maryland, Virginia, and the District. Fonnae Webb and Lance Swinton won first place with a 4 and 0 win, and Chloe Rollins and Brianna Gross went 2 and 2 in their matches.
Market Day for All to Enjoy
Everyone is invited to attend the J.O. Wilson Market Day on April 27, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (rain date May 4). It offers fun for all ages and helps support the school, local businesses, and the community. Market Day is a combination yard sale and artisan market, featuring a talent show/open mic, games, food – and a terrific playground. Businesses and individuals may reserve space at $15/table and a suggested donation of 10
J.O. Wilson Student Scrabblers
percent of sales, and may sell yard sale items or other creations (any legal items may be sold, except water). Download the registration form at www.jowilsonelementary.org, pick up a form from the school office at 660 K St. NE, or contact Amal Disparte at adisparte@ hotmail.com for more info on the yard sale. –Samantha Caruth. J. O. Wilson Elementary School, 660 K St. NE. www.jowilsonelementary.org, jowilsonpta@gmail.com.
A Montessori Night’s Dream Auction
Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan is pleased to announce its annual auction, A Montessori Night’s Dream, scheduled for April 19, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at The Hill Center. A Montessori Night’s Dream benefits Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan, a District of Columbia Public School (DCPS). The proceeds will be used to fund Montessori materials and other special classroom necessities that are not fully supported within the DCPS budget. In addition the proceeds will help to fund an affordable, quality aftercare program from which many children benefit. All are invited. Buy tickets here: http://capitolhillmontessorischool.org/ get-involved/auction-action/. The Hill Center is located at 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.
CHM@L Is Growing Up ... To 8th Grade
Capitol Hill Montessori School at Logan has received the good news that it will grow from a PK3-grade 5 school to a PK3-grade 8 school over the next few years. That will bring the first public Montessori middle school to DC. Growth will come in stages, with 6th grade added in SY13/14, 7th grade in SY14/15, and 8th grade in SY15/16. The expansion officially launched last month, when David Kahn, Executive Director of the North American Montessori Teacher Association, spoke to nearly 70 parents and educators to give a feel for what a Montessori middle school will look like. Kahn will consult closely with planning and implementing the expansion. Capitol Hill Montessori @ Logan has a bright future!
Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School News
Capitol Hill has a secret, which readers are invited to guess. The answer is embedded in the following questions: Which school’s fifth graders scored highest on DC Comprehensive Assessment System (CAS) tests in Cluster II, which includes sought-after Capitol Hill schools? Where do teachers convene from across the city to observe model teaching of reading? Which school offers a dedicated science teacher? Which school’s fourth graders scored second highest on DC CAS in Cluster II? Which school feeds into Stuart-Hobson, which boasts the second highest DC CAS scores among all public middle schools in the District for the past three years? Which school’s principal is committed to keeping class sizes down to 20 students? Which school recently hosted a pancake supper and literacy night with activities that encouraged kids to read more books and ensured they left with some too? Which school’s teachers and parents are passionate about HillRag | April 2013 H 127
Volunteer reads to a Ludlow-Taylor student at the “Give a Parent a Pancake” pancake supper and literacy night in January. helping our kids thrive? The answer to all the questions is LudlowTaylor Elementary! What’s more, the school will be getting a facelift over the summer to complement its excellent teachers and programming. To get acquainted with Ludlow-Taylor, at 659 G St. NE (202-698-3244) and enjoy excellent brownies please attend the parents and teachers’ next bake sale on April 10, 3:15-4:00 p.m. and 5:005:30 p.m. For good coffee meet Principal Carolyn Cobbs at “Java with Cobbs” on April 12, 8:00-9:00 a.m. Chat with parents while kids play on Ludlow’s playground, April 27, 10:00 a.m. And for answers to questions see www.ludlow-taylor.org.
SWS Jazz Gala. While the Dream Fish Quilt is no longer in the classroom, it remains a symbol of learning and community for the children who created it. Thank You to Auction Sponsors. This year’s SWS Jazz Gala and Auction in March was a success largely because of the support of the community’s residents and the business sponsors. Thanks are due Meg Shapiro & George Olson/REMAX Allegiance, Guire and Harrison Realty Group, Joel Nelson Group of KW Capital Properties, Credit Union House, Fowler Architects, National Capital Bank of Washington, Mr. Mike’s Music, Redux Garden Home, Tech Painting, DC Access, Capital Community News, Fulcrum Properties, Capitol Hill Residential Mortgage Office of Chris Cox, Andrew and Danleigh Kaplan, Jason Martin of the Jason Martin Group, Linda Pettie & Michael Tubbs-Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Judi Seiden-Prudential PenFed Realty, The Grant, Ryall and Andrew Real Estate Group-Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Professional Technicians LLC, Skills on the Hill LLC, Chat’s Liquors Capitol Hill, and NOKKAM Inc. –Diane Beasley. School Within School at Logan, 215 G St. NE, 202-673-8275. schoolwithinschool.org.
Eastern’s Ski Club
Eastern Senior High School competed in DCIAA Club Alpine Skiing for the first time since its re-launch in fall 2011. More than 40 students
School Within School at Logan Annex
Spotlight on Science. Spring is in the air – and in the ground at the School Within School gardens. Science Atelierista Ms. Bassler is leading SWS scholars in the planting, cultivating, and harvesting of crops. Students of all grades are honing their science skills by measuring out special mixtures of soil, observing the flowers and vegetables as they grow, and investigating key issues. Is one or five carrot seeds per hole best? How does spinach grow when planted shallow versus deep? How do the flavors of different radishes compare? Students discover the answers through scientific observation, and will soon taste the fruits of their labor. The Amazing Dream Fish Quilt. “Once upon a time there was a class of kids who were interested in fish. They pretended to be fish, made fishing poles out of anything they could find, and loved to hear stories about fish.” Mr. Jere’s PK-4 classroom transformed a passion for underwater creatures into a months-long project that involved researching how fish breathe underwater, why fish have scales, and visiting the Anacostia River to view the subject up close. As a culmination of the project students made a Dream Fish Quilt and wrote an accompanying book, which were auctioned off to one lucky family at this year’s 128 H Hillrag.com
SWS@Logan PK-4 students assist Ms. Bassler with prepping the beds for planting. Photo: Diane Beasley Mr. Jere’s PK-4 class poses in front of their Dream Fish Quilt. Photo: Michael Showalter
participated in two full-day outings at Ski Liberty, Pennsylvania, which culminated with the DC Interscholastic Athletic Association (DCIAA) Championship on March 5. On the first day students received group skiing instruction and practiced in extremely frigid temperatures under the direction of coaches Ulrich Levi-Goerlich and Randall White (respectively Eastern goes skiin Eastern’s 10th-grade Spanish and physical education teachers). On the second trip students practiced Labyrinth gift cards. for the downhill skiing event and parMaury at the Market – Thank You. ticipated in qualifying races. This years’s Maury’s flagship fundraiser, Seven students competed in the “Maury at the Market” (March 16 at final championship. In the beginner’s Eastern Market’s North Hall) was a category Eastern was represented by great time for all. The raffle and silent Robert Morina (class of 2016), Derauction help pay for activities like Think rick Johnson, Eric Hilliard, and Elliott Tank and Mathedemics that make the Mack (all class of 2015). Donnetta school unique. During fiscal hard times Blackmone and Juanita Blackmone when the city makes cuts that shock a (both class of 2015) competed in the school’s climate, funds from the PTA novice category, and Bridget Shiel are especially welcome. The school has (class of 2015) represented the Ramplaced a thank-you ad in this issue of blers in the intermediate category. the Hill Rage and hopes readers will As a school Eastern won second reward event sponsors and participatplace in the high school division, falling businesses with their patronage. ing only behind School Without Walls. –Heather Schoell. Maury ElemenFor many students the cost of particitary, 1250 Constitution Ave. NE, 202pation ($65 per trip) was fully covered 698-3838. mauryelementary.com. Folby Companies for Causes, a nonprofit low them on Facebook and Twitter. partner that has a long-term commitment to help Eastern be the top-performing comprehensive high school in DCPS. –Ulrich Levi-Goerlich and Danielle Whiteman. Eastern Senior High School, 1700 East Capitol St. NE. www.easternhighschooldc.org. Twitter: @ EasternHS. Facebook: http:// www.facebook.com/easternhighschool
Maury Elementary
Jousting with Math. Mathademics, Maury’s annual nailMaury mathletes at Mathademics 2013 biting math tournament of epic proportion, saw five five-student teams (Math Wizards, Fast Facts, Math Geniuses, Math Dragons, and Calculating Nerds) go head to head to St. Peter School News solve math problems. Third-, fourth-, Faith Integration. While Catholics and fifth-graders on each mixed team from around the world were welcomworked together to solve multistep word ing Pope Francis I, St. Peter School puzzles, area challenges, and measureheld a staff-retreat centered on the ment questions, culminating in a wager integration of the Catholic faith with of team points and ending spectacularly primary education. The faculty spent with the winning team of Math Dragtime discussing practical approaches to ons taking home the grand prize of integrating aspects of faith into various HillRag | April 2013 H 129
THE DANCE INSTITUTE OF WASHINGTON
2013 SUMMER DANCE INTENSIVE Registration Is Now Open! Community Youth Intensive Dates June 29th - August 3rd Pre-Professional Intensive Dates June 24th - August 2nd For More Information On How You Can Register, Give Us A Call At:
202.371.9656
Or Visit Us In The Heart Of Columbia Heights:
3400 14th Street, NW We’re Also Online At,
www.danceinstitutewa.org
Members of the St. Peter School Science Bowl Team academic disciplines. One of St. Peter School’s central objectives is providing students with a holistic education that internalizes the unity of faith and reason. Student Scholars. In the waning days of winter St. Peter School scholars in grades four through eight were busy finalizing projects for the annual science fair competition. Each student presented a project to a panel of scientists serving as volunteer judges. First-place winners in each grade move on to the Washington DC Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Fair. The District-wide competition for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders was held at Wilson High School on March 23. St. Peter School also participated in the regional competition for the Department of Energy’s National Science Bowl. Led by science instructor John Kendra, the team emerged with a second-place finish. Only eight points separated the top two teams. Congratulations are due eighth-graders Quinn Aitchison and Ethan Johnson, seventh-grader Delina Sheth, and sixth-graders Robby Hickmott and Gabriella Grimaldi. Congratulations to the Mathletes. Students in grades four through eight competed in the third annual school math bee, answering a host of questions focused on mental math, estimation, measurement, and more. Seventh grader Andy Beckham was the winner. Three students also competed in a contest to determine who could recall the most digits of pi. Seventh grader Delina Sheth walked away with the prize after reciting more than 260 digits from memory! –Sally Aman. St. Peter School, 422 3rd St. SE. www.stpeterschooldc.org
Saturday School Begins at Amidon-Bowen
Sitting in class might not be every student’s preferred way to spend the weekend, but for those who attend Saturday School at Amidon-Bowen the enthusiasm and the payoffs are real. “The kids absolutely love it,” said Amidon-Bowen Principal Izabela Miller. “They get semi-private attention from their teachers and immediate feedback on their work.” 130 H Hillrag.com
Saturday School, which began in January, is an innovation born of the realization that students need additional time learning effective test techniques in order to improve their scores. “We did not want to take time away from classroom instruction to focus on evidence-based test practice” said Miller. But with the growing importance of standardized testing, teachers, parents and students recognized that a certain amount of test-taking acumen helps students achieve good results. The 20 students who regularly attend Saturday School enjoy a 5-1 student to faculty ratio, and spend 1.5 hours on math and 1.5 hours on reading, plus additional time on computational fluency using computers. They improve their skill at reading test questions and prepare short readings and written responses. Principal Miller hopes to expand Saturday School next year, with longer hours and more students and volunteer teachers. “This is our innovation based on where we see we need to push the most,” she said. –Lucy Rojansky. Amidon-Bowen Elementary School, 401 I St. SW. http://profiles.dcps. dc.gov/amidon-bowen+elementary+school
John Tyler Elementary School
Spring Jog. The advent of spring means it’s time for Laps Around Lincoln, Tyler Elementary’s fourth annual jog-a-thon on April 20 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. This event is normally held at Lincoln Park but will take place at the Tyler outdoor classroom this year due to renovations at Lincoln Park. All children (from any school) PS3-5th grade are welcome. For more information, please contact Liz at eyoungweeden@me.com. Got a Green Thumb? Help Tyler get ready for spring by volunteering in its outdoor classroom. Community members who love gardening or want to support the students at Tyler are invited to join on one or more of the following garden work days: April 1, May 19, and June 9, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The Alchemy of Great Taste The very successful “Alchemy of Great Taste” fundraiser was held at the North Hall of Eastern Market on March 9. The event was generously supported by underwriting from CSX and sponsorships by Akin Gump, Dila Construction, Zeyno Kitchen and Bath, The Smith Team/Prudential PenFed Realty/Peter Grimm and John Smith. Additional support came from Phil Guire and Jeanne Harrison/Coldwell Banker, and friends included Fowler Architects, Fulcrum Properties Group, the Joel Nelson Group, Redux Home and Gardens (food and beverage), the Liberty Tree, Dov’è Designs, Zest, Granville Moore’s, Smith Commons, DC Central Kitchen, the Silver Spork, Chocolate City Beer, Trusty’s Tavern,
twisters for “Oh Say Can You Say?” and made fantasy vehicles to send off Marvin for “Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!” Fifth graders read “Oh the Places You Will Go” and had a lively discussion about what lies ahead for them as they prepare for middle school and beyond. Plans are already underway for next year’s celebration. –Payne Elementary School, 1445 C St. SE.
Payne Elementary Students enjoy Read Across America Day Chat’s Liquors, Bacchus Importers, and Schneider’s. Special thanks are due Daniel Traster, Sarah McPhie at Cutting Edge Design, and the entire team at DC Central Kitchen for helping coordinate the event. –Colleen Cancio. Tyler Elementary, 1001 G St. SE. TylerElementary.net
Ayo Magwood Named 2013 Educator of the Year
Ayo Magwood, a social studies teacher at the Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy – Capitol Hill Campus, was recently announced by Street Law Inc. as the recipient of its 2013 Educator of the Year Award. She is being acknowledged for her student-centered, concept-based transformation of the curriculum. In all of her courses, Magwood strives to create and simulate real-life civic experiences for her students. Her students interview and videotape local advocates and activists and have created an “Advocacy & Activism in DC” oral history website. Magwood revolutionized her school’s senior thesis class, in which students write a 15-page paper on a public policy issue of their choice. She has shaped the course to engage students in deeper thinking and motivate them through real-world experiences and controversial issues. “I have seen students come alive in her classroom … even struggling learners have produced college-level work on complex topics,” said a colleague of Magwood’s work. –Christine Lai. Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy – Capitol Hill Campus, 709 12th St. SE. www.chavezschools.org.
Payne News
March 1 was Read Across America Day. Volunteers including parents, grandparents, professors, police officers, and firefighters became readers and engaged each class from preschool through fifth grade in their favorite Dr. Seuss book and a follow-up activity. Of course “Green Eggs and Ham” was a popular selection and the yummy meal that followed. Preschoolers made apple turnovers after reading “Ten Apples Up on Top.” Primary students tied their tongues while devising tongue
Making Lemonade at Eliot Hine
she said. “I’m excited to expose my students at EliotHine to GW students who are studying the same business topics that I am teaching.” –Elizabeth Nelson. Eliot-Hine Middle School, 1830 Constitution Ave. NE. http://eliothinemiddleschool.com.
Friends Community School Kindergarten Students Learn about the Rain Forest
Kindergarten students at Friends Community School welcomed the spring by studying the Amazon rain forest and integrating lessons in environmental science, art, music, and dance. They learned about the four major layers of the rain forest ecosystem – the emergent layer, the canopy, the understory, and the forest floor – and especially about the animals that live in each. They learned how rain forests are important to life on earth and how to protect them. A professional teaching artist and dancer from InterAct Story Theatre, Maria-Ines Tripodi, helped the students compose a collaborative dance program to showcase their understanding of the rain forest’s plants and animals. Parents attended the final performance of the dance program. Students in the two kindergarten classes also created a tropical rain forest in their classrooms. Sloths slept and monkeys played on twisted brown-bag vines hanging from the ceiling, and red-eyed tree frogs hid in bromeliads, all made by the children. This integrated-arts curriculum was funded by Maryland State Arts Council and the Friends Community School Parent Association. –Eric Rosenthal. Friends Community School, 5901 Westchester Park Drive, College Park, MD 20740. www. friendscommunityschool.org H
Eliot-Hine Middle School students will be doing the squeezing for Lemonade on Sunday, April 14th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Eastern Market Metro Plaza. The Eliot-Hine seventh grade students from Annie Zanobini’s business/entrepreneurship elective course were selected to participate with the District’s citywide kickoff of the Lemonade Day Program, an experiential learning program created by a Texas nonprofit organization called Prepared for Life. This program has engaged communities throughout the nation to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in young people in their efforts in starting and operating lemonade stands. Eliot-Hine Middle School, one of four DCPS Ms. Zanobini advises a business student participants, will benefit from at Eliot-Hine Middle School. the support and mentorship of its community partners, Serve Your City, a local nonprofit organization that creates volunteer programs for direct service in improving the educational outcomes of DC youth, and the George Washington University School of Business Undergraduate Programs, which will send business school students to assist Zanobini’s business/entrepreneurship course in delivering the Lemonade Day curriculum. Zanobini was formerly a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area. “At UC-Berkeley students were heavily involved Kindergarten students at Friends Community School perform a collaborative dance they in the local school system,” created to showcase what they learned about plants and animals that live in the Amazon rain forest.
HillRag | April 2013 H 131
Homes & Gardens The Perfect Gardening Pair Frager’s and FONA Join Forces This Spring
E
It may look like a circus tent from the outside, but the FONA Garden Sales Tent is full of perennial and annual plants selected for good growing results on Capitol Hill. Photo: Rindy O’Brien It may look like a circus tent from the outside, but the FONA Garden Sales Tent is full of perennial and annual plants selected for good growing results on Capitol Hill. Photo: Rindy O’Brien
by Rindy O’Brien
very spring the Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA) puts on a grand garden fair that has received accolades
bring a wide variety of flowerpots and plant containers, and FONA and other plant specialty groups, like the Herb Society, will bring
up and down the mid-Atlantic coast. For two days the garden fair is held on the grounds of the US National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. This year the fair is scheduled for April 26 and 27. What makes it so special is the exceptional selection of plants brought together under one giant tent. In 2013 the fair is breaking new ground by pairing up with Capitol Hill’s longadmired garden supplier, Frager’s. FONA has crafted the 2013 fair to reach out to the many new condo owners along Bladensburg Road and the H Street corridor. Frager’s will
the plants. For first-time gardeners this is like receiving an engraved invitation from Martha Stewart to come over for a weekend of gardening.
Preparing for the Fair
The Friends of the National Arboretum is an independent nonprofit organization established to support the US National Arboretum. FONA’s Board of Directors puts in hundreds of hours of preparation reviewing and selecting plants for the annual fair. This year Linda Findlay, a FONA board member, is serving as HillRag | April 2013 H 133
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the chair of the Garden Fair. “We started very early, scouring garden literature, making trips over the summer to local nurseries, to learn more about the plants that we will be offering,” says Findlay. “I think with changing climate conditions there are plants that may survive in our area that previously wouldn’t be possible,” she noted. “We wanted to make sure we have some of these on hand.” “We also know that there are more and more young people moving into our neighborhood who may not have a yard or patio, but do have balconies or lots of window light to grow plants in their condos,” says Kathy Horan, Executive Director of FONA. “We are excited to expand our plant sale to meet the needs of the new urban gardener.” “We heard from many new members that they really want to eat home-grown tomatoes and other vegetables that they grow themselves on their balconies. We searched hard to bring an organic vendor, like Radical Roots, to the fair,” says Horan. Radical Roots is a five-acre family farm that produces high-quality, ecologically grown vegetables and plants in Keezletown, Virginia.
Starting with the Right Pot
A look up and down a large garden center aisle full of pots can be intimidating for any new urban gardener. FONA reached out to Frager’s to bring their expertise to the fair. “Frager’s will be bringing a good variety of pots and containers, and I look forward to helping gardeners pick out the right container for the plants they want to grow,” says Kristin Sampson, point person for Frager’s on this special project. “Sometimes gardeners have to think about what they are putting in the pots,” says Sampson. “For instance, a large shrub or tree needs a large mouth on the pot so that it can be removed for root expansion, and
The bright red ceramic flowerpots are just some of the colors that will be offered by Frager’s at the FONA fair this year. Photo: Rindy O’Brien if it is put in a tall narrow pot, then the pot has to be broken when it is time to do maintenance on the plant,” she explains. Weight is also a consideration. “Once soil and the plants are added to the pot, it can quickly add up to a pretty serious weight,” Sampson points out. She has selected a wide variety of handcrafted ceramic pots, terracotta containers, and lighter pots. Frager’s will also be bringing
coasters with wheels along with the pots. Besides the practical considerations in choosing a pot or container there is the chance to make a fashion statement with the style and color of the pot. “Last year we sold a lot of bright lime green pots,” says Sampson, “and I am sure we will have a mixed-palette of pots for gardeners to choose from.” “One of the great advantages of container
Kathy Horan, Linda Findlay, and Hannah Urrey have been working all winter to put the 2013 FONA Garden Fair together. Photo: Rindy O’Brien 136 H Hillrag.com
Redefining Beauty One Client at a Time! Over 20 years of experience gardening,” according to Sampson, “is that you can move it around to capture the sun or move it to another spot if it isn’t doing well in its original location.” Soil on the Hill has often been contaminated by past uses including lead chips from paint on houses. Putting your plant in new soil in the pot may be a better bet.
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For more seasoned gardeners the FONA fair is an opportunity to pick up new or special varieties of plants. FONA will offer nine varieties of the always-popular hydran-
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Frager’s Kristin Sampson checks her pot and plant containers before finishing her orders to be ready for the late-April Arboretum Sale. Photo: Rindy O’Brien geas, including two new USNA introductions, Hydrangea serrate (Ruby Slippers) and Munchin. There will be several varieties of roses, including the indestructible Knock Out Roses and the smaller Drift Roses. “I think the new non-invasive Buddleia is also going to excite a lot of gardeners,” says Findlay. The Podaras’ Buddleia is a groundcover butterfly bush and blooms continuously from early summer to frost. This plant not only brings
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Earth Matters to Smithsonian Gardens Garden Fest 2013
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An elegant urn-style plant container at the corner of 11th and Independence Ave. SE combines the use of special spring plantings to coordinate with plants in the ground. Photo: Rindy O’Brien.
color to the garden, but also attracts butterflies and birds. FONA will also have an outstanding selection of annual plants that are well priced, and some will be native plants. There will be demonstrations on container gardening throughout the fair, and garden designers and plant experts are always on hand to help you select the right combination of plants to put in a pot or fill in spaces in your established garden. Non-gardeners don’t despair. FONA will have food trucks to satisfy your appetite; musical performances by the Washington Revels on Saturday, April 27; and a sensational used book corner that will feature out-of-print garden books and journals. The fair is free and open to public Friday, April 26, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., and Saturday, 9:00 to 4:00 pm. For a list of plants for sale, hours of the fair, and daily schedule check the FONA website for up-to-date details, www.fona.org. Rindy O’Brien will be helping unload the plant trucks and hopes to see you at the fair. For comments contact Rindy at rindyobrien@gmail.com H
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“I know pruning is tricky. What shrubs must be pruned just after blooming in the spring?” Prune spring-blooming perennials in the spring. These include camellia, pieris, rhododendron, azalea, most clematis, viburnum and fruit trees. The reason is that most spring-flowering shrubs bloom on so-called old wood – that is, the wood that grows during the year before the spring, a whole year from now. They need a year’s time to form flower buds. “Our new property has lovely landscaping provided by former owners. However, several small trees have what I believe are ‘mulch volcanoes.’ I know these harm trees, so I began removing them. But under the mulch the tree trunks are all wet. After removing down about nine inches of the mulch, I wonder – am I doing the right thing? The mulch is packed and tough to dislodge. How far should I proceed?” If you have not yet dug down far enough to see the flare of the big tree roots at the base of the trunk, it is possible your little trees were planted too deep. Keep digging the impacted mulch away until you come to that root flare. It should be level with the
Kitchens, Baths, Windows & Doors top of the soil, not any lower. Then mulch on top of the soil with a light layer – just two inches – of organic mulch. Keep mulch well away from the trunk. Why are mulch volcanoes tree killers? They deprive tree roots of much-needed oxygen. Your new mulch can also help retain water by making a kind of receptive trough around the base of the tree. “My darling Granny calls them jonquils. I know them as daffodils. A local master gardener said they are all narcissus. What is the difference?” Ah yes, they are all members of the botanical genus Narcissus. The difference among the three names seems to be mostly historical and geographical. Clusters of gardeners in some parts of the United States and Europe call daffodils jonquils, and vice versa. In some books jonquils are the paler and more fragrant narcissus, and some have tubular rather than flat, sword-like leaves. Indeed, there are many narcissuses – of differing heights, shapes, and colors – some with flatter and others with more protuberant “trumpets.” Some have no scent, and others are most fragrant. All three names go back to Greek or Latin etymological roots. The name one uses probably does depend on what one’s own grandmother called them. Capitol Hill Garden Club programs are free. John Sonnier, head gardener at the British Embassy, will offer a case study on integrating sustainable, eco-friendly practices into a modern English garden. April 9, 7:00 p.m. at the Church of the Brethren, corner of North Carolina Avenue and 4th Street SE, 4th Street door. Membership details at 202-544-4261. Feeling beset by gardening problems? Send them to the Problem Lady c/o gardenlady@hillrag.com. Your problems might prove instructive to others, and help them feel superior to you. Complete anonymity is assured. H
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thelastword Southwest on the Future of Randall Playing Field Dear Mayor Gray: We are writing as Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D, representing the 15,000 residents of Southwest and Near SE. Our ANC wishes to correct the impression conveyed in a letter to you from two of our Commissioners misrepresenting that there is overwhelming support for the immediate development of a KIPP High School at the Randall Recreation site in Southwest. Southwest does not support turning over the land at Randall Recreation to KIPP prior to completion of OP’s Southwest Small Area Plan. These are the facts. Planning is a result of a fully articulated and transparent community engagement process. And it is precisely the community engagement process – a major plank in your 2010 campaign for Mayor – that we hope you will continue to uphold. If a KIPP high school belongs at Randall, let a proper planning process lead the way and not a couple of well placed phone calls to the City Administrator’s Office and relentless editorializing by The Washington Post. That is simply not the way to do business in Washington. Not any longer. Without prejudice to the KIPP organization or its well greased public relations plan for expansion, the premature approval of this unsolicited proposal will bypass the Southwest Small Area Action Plan that our ANC has long sought and is currently underway. It will also potentially derail other development options that could
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confer greater mid-to-long range benefits to our community. Indeed, overwhelmingly, our constituents favor a more measured and thoughtful approach to community planning through the Small Area Plan process to which the entire membership of our ANC unanimously agreed on January 14, 2013. During the past six weeks, community groups and residential associations representing the vast majority of residents in ANC-6D have signed off on similar letters supporting the completion of a Southwest Small Area Plan – specifically urging you to hold off on prematurely requisitioning the Randall Recreation parcel for use by KIPP until Office of Planning’s Southwest Small Area Action Plan is completed. Those organizations include: • The Southwest Neighborhood Assembly – our SW civic association; • The Washington Waterfront Association – our largest SW business group; • The Amidon-Bowen Parent Teacher Association • The Waterfront Gateway Neighborhood Assn. – representing 527 townhomes; • Fourth Street Neighborhood Group – representing the residents south of M Street; • Capitol Park IV – the TH association adjacent to the Randall Recreation site; • Capitol Park II – the largest TH condominium association in Southwest; • And the boards of directors of Tiber Island; Edgewater; Riverside; and Waterfront Center Condominium
representing an additional 2,300 residents in Southwest. That’s because our Southwest residents recognize that our neighborhood is one of the fastest growing in the District. The residential population south of the Expressway is expected to grow by more than 50% within the next decade even as our daytime population doubles. It makes absolutely no sense that we should remove from public use the largest area of recreational land in our neighborhood because Randall Recreation offers extraordinary potential for renovation that should be enjoyed by residents of all ages – and would otherwise be significantly restricted should a high school be located on that site. If any high school belongs there, it should be decided as part of an organized planning process not because KIPP board members have friends in high places. Mr. Mayor, ANC-6D again asks you to ensure that Southwest be accorded the same as 18 other District neighborhoods have been provided in seven of our Wards -- an organized, inclusive and thoughtful Small Area Planning process. That’s the only way to properly review, evaluate and set shared goals for future development of public assets. Additionally, we ask that should you choose to endorse KIPP’s March 8 application for $125 million to the District of Columbia Revenue Bond Program to provide debt (re)financing for their KIPP facilities, that you specifically remove any reference that those proposed bonds may be used to acquire or develop a permanent campus for a high school to be located at or near 601 South Capitol
Street, SW prior to it being submitted to Council. We reiterate our support for our January 14 ANC-6D resolution and urge that you to provide us great weight in that request. We await your written response to this letter. Sincerely, Andy Litsky, Chairman of ANC-6D and Commissioner for ANC-6D04 Ron McBee, Treasurer and Commissioner of ANC-6D03 Donna Hopkins, Secretary and Commissioner of ANC-6D01 Roger Moffatt, Commissioner of ANC-6D05 Rhonda Hamilton, Commissioner of ANC-6D06
Cuts in Arts Funding Jeopardize Neighborhood Revitalization While the Mayor has proposed increasing the city’s capital budget by $5 million dollars over the next five years to support public art, he has also proposed reducing the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) grant making budget from $14.435 million in fiscal year 2013 to $6 million dollars in fiscal year 2014. This cut will reduce the DCCAH’s grant making ability by 60 percent, impacting community-based non-profit organizations such as the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW ), ARCH Development Corporation (ADC), the Atlas Theater and THEARC, just to name a few. The link between economic development and the arts is irrefutable. Can anyone deny that the arts helped spark the transformation of H Street NE? It began with the opening of the
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Anacostia Playhouse, then the Atlas Theater, numerous galleries and, of course, the arts-centered H Street festival, now the most popular festival in the region which brings people to H Street in droves. The opening of these venues coupled with the festival’s popularity led to increased interest in the neighborhood, new restaurants and retail. In Anacostia, a similar transformation is now underway. The owners of the H Street Playhouse have decided to cross the 11th Street bridge and re-open as the H Street Playhouse. ADC will add a 10,000 square foot arts center this spring that will include a performance space and several art galleries. The annual LUMEN8Anacostia arts festival (also run by ADC) draws hundreds of people and provides local restaurants with their single highest revenue day, the equivalent of roughly three months of business in a 12 hour period. Much of the programming, operations and general support of arts organizations depend on grants from the DCCAH. The grants help purchase costumes, pay electric bills and fund employee salaries. Most arts professionals receive minimal compensation while working long hours to curate art exhibitions and produce theater programming. In many cases, groups like CHAW are the sole providers of arts education for neighborhood children. $15 million for arts grants is a minimal investment in a key component of our city’s infrastructure which yields enormous economic benefits. How large is this yield? The DCCAH estimates that the arts contribute $1.4 billion to the local economy. Despite the importance of the arts as a catalyst for bolstering economic development and strengthening communities, in this discussion one should also never lose sight of art’s most important role- its ability to lift the human spirit through a common language that transcends class, race and gender- an intangible quality which one cannot quantify in dollars and cents. Phil Hutinet is the Chief Operating Officer of ARCH Development Corporation and the Editor-in-Chief of East City Art.
No to the Barney Circle/ Southeast Boulevard! Capitol Hill residents again face a challenging question: Can we hold our city’s governing bodies to their promise to make this One City, a place where people want to live? In return, the City Council needs to answer our question: Is the Sustainable DC law a guide to gov-
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erning, or political propaganda? Is their goal longterm sustainability? Or is it invasive ways to grow tax revenues? Walkable Southeast, a coalition of concerned neighbors, opposes the Barney Circle/Southeast Boulevard (BC/SEB) Project, which devalues a diverse neighborhood (15th St SE to 11th St SE; Pennsylvania Avenue SE to the Anacostia). Building a four-lane commuter road connecting the ramps of the SE Freeway to Barney Circle imposes upon a residential neighborhood the wrong solution to a traffic problem. And routing speeding traffic and tourist buses through too-narrow streets (800-1000 blocks of 13th, 14th & 15th SE) is a safety hazard for our quiet neighborhood. We assert that the BC/SEB Project: • Will send rush-hour traffic through streets at the times when children are walking to and from school; • Will negatively impact our health with an increase in toxins and air quality deterioration; • Will increase damage to the Anacostia wetlands making them more difficult and costly to restore; • Will route northbound MD commuters through a residential neighborhood north of the river, rather then moving them seamlessly downtown via 295 and the 11th St. Bridge. The Capitol Hill Restoration Society also questions whether the BC/SE Boulevard plan is the best use of taxpayer money. This project flies in the face of Sustainable DC, enacted in January 2013 which calls for the reduction of commuter trips by car to only 25% of total trips, 50% increase in wetlands, 50% reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions and parks within a 10-minute walk of all residents. The land between L St SE and the Anacostia River was a wooded area where neighborhood families would picnic and children would play. In the late 1960s, the Southeast Freeway construction tore out all the trees, blocked our access, and turned a natural area into a source of pollution. We have been given a second chance: say “NO” to building an unneeded road; say “YES” to restoring our green area, our park , our access to the river and the trails along it. We believe the City’s best future is in restoring the river and our natural area, not burying it under an unneeded road and more development. Respectfully, Mary Lynn Stevens Walkable Southeast stevens.marylynn@verizon.net
We Choose Eliot-Hine It’s school lottery season, time to fret about where to apply, where you are on the wait list, and then if your first choice school will call before school begins. I spent a year trying to figure out what we were going to do for middle school. Finally, I had enough. We made the decision – before DCPS and charter school results. We chose Eliot-Hine as the middle school for our daughter. She wants to go there, and we’re supporting that. DCPS has given us everything we’ve asked - they are fully supporting Eliot-Hine in their IB candidacy. It’s close enough that I can volunteer, the teachers are great, the IB framework is great, and maybe best of all, we won’t have to go through the gut-wrenching lottery season when our 3rd grader is in 5th. We’re done! We’re getting in there and helping with the extras, just like many of us did so many years ago with elementary. We’re done fretting and we are HAPPY. Heather Schoell heysassy@yahoo.com
Capitol Hill Village Inclusiveness and Staying Put Readers of the Hill Rag know that Capitol Hill Village is a membership organization that has the capacity to make life easier and more fun for any who join. Capitol Hill Village is not only an organization that provides exceptional services to its members through trained volunteers and professionals, it is an intentional community of Hill residents who have committed to making staying on Capitol Hill possible for a the long-term for all its members. Nationally recognized, Capitol Hill Village is on the cutting edge of creating a community that is accessible and open to people of all ages and all incomes. Keeping the Village Inclusive On Saturday April 20 2-4 PM you can participate by bringing a suggested gift contribution of $150 to Growing the Village, tour the East Capitol Street home of Frank Guzzetta and Paul Manville, and receive a thank-you gift in return. Funds raised will go to the Stephen C. Rogers Memorial Fund, so low income Capitol Hill residents can be part of Capitol Hill Village. Thanks to past neighborhood generosity , 15 % of our membership benefit from this program through deeply discounted dues. The aim is to double the low-income membership proportion in the years ahead, so Capitol Hill Village reflects the economic
diversity of Capitol Hill. Contact us if you want to come to our home and garden party. Staying Put on Capitol Hill Another community-building event, generated to fulfill inquiries from Capitol Hill Village supporters, will be held Friday, May 3 8:30-4 PM at the Hill Center. The Capitol Hill Village Housing Symposium will examine the topic, Addressing the Future— Housing Options on Capitol Hill. Capitol Hill Village members and others on the Hill want to stay in their own homes or in the neighborhood throughout life. The symposium will enable participants to learn from experienced Capitol Hill Village members and experts about: • preparing Capitol Hill multi-floor towhhouses for ease of use throughout life • moving to one-level living on Capitol Hill • choosing co-housing, Capitol Hill one-level living with communal space • financing changing needs: rent, ownership or lease hold on Capitol Hill • rehabilitating and/or residence in small neighborhood homes on Capitol Hill, when 24 hour professional attention is the best solution Furthermore developers will be on hand to converse with you individually about their current and proposed projects on Capitol Hill. Join us. Please tell your friends and neighbors to contact Capitol Hill Village, if you would like to come. Katie McDonough apitol Hill Village Executive Directo nfo@capitolhillvillage.org
Matter-of-Right Becomes Matter-of-Wrong: The Office of Planning (OP) has proposed extensive zoning revisions that will undermine our ability to influence development on Capitol Hill. These revisions greatly extend what residents and developers can do as matter-of-right, and represent a major shift of power within our city. As a long-time resident with no democratic representation outside this city, I am troubled. The first shift of power is from my neighbors to me and would take place in our homes and back yards. Today, I am required to consult my neighbors and go through an approval process if I want to convert my garage to an accessory dwelling, start a variety of home occupations, or sell milk from my mid-block store (misnamed “corner store” in the zoning revision). OP’s extensive matter-of-right zoning revisions would be great for me, but not necessarily for my neighbors. Luckily,
I won’t have to consult the folks next door about my plans or consider the impacts on anyone but me, myself and I. The second shift of power is from me, my neighbors and our elected ANC commissioners to to developers whom I will call the Market-Deciders. More power might be fine for the Market-Deciders, but it’s not great for the rest of us, even the guy with the not-socorner store whose milk delivery truck needs a parking space. With no minimum parking requirements along the probable transit corridors of Pennsylvania Ave., H St., or maybe 8th St., the Market Deciders will now determine what they alone deem necessary and sufficient for the rest of us. Under current zoning, we begin conversations with developers knowing that they are required to provide parking for at least a portion of the inevitable vehicles their project will generate -- from families raising kids, medical people who work odd hours, older people and the permanently disabled, and service providers. Under the zoning revisions, the Market Deciders, who rarely have any commitment to the neighborhood, will be able to add 10 units on my block, or 100+ units along a transit zone a few blocks away, with no parking required and no responsibility for parking spillover onto neighboring streets. Markets make mistakes, especially when given free rein unchecked by citizen interests. The third shift of power is from me, my neighbors and ANC commissioners -- who now have a voice in zoning changes appropriate for our particular neighborhood -- to to the Office of Planning with its one-size-fits-all approach. The zoning revisions are, if you will, at variance with the Comprehensive Plan Council adopted for DC’s 130 neighborhoods. Georgetown has worked with OP with some success for several years to “customize” the revisions so they won’t damage that historic village, achieving a lower height limit, setbacks, and a few other things. But OP has not agreed to reinstate minimum parking requirements, limit matter-of-right accessory dwelling units (ADUs) or commercial intrusions on residential streets. If OP has the power to “customize” for Georgetown, why not for all our neighborhoods? Customization would take years and seriously damage collaboration with the Office of Planning on other pressing planning and sustainability goals that most people can support. ANC 6B and 6C commissioners and Councilmember Wells need to hear from residents: The shift in power proposed in the zoning revisions is not sound governance. OP’s matter-of-right has become a matter-of-wrong. Oppose any measures that diminish our
voices about what is right and wrong for our beloved Capitol Hill! Meg Maguire megmaguireconsultant@msn.com
Marathon Misery The Saturday morning ritual in the District of Columbia cuts across all Wards and neighborhoods. Obviously the first order of business is to get some sort of caffeine. Second, check your local paper, blog, or news feed for the weekly marathon route that is sure to disrupt traffic. Finally, do some serious route planning on Google maps to try to figure out how you’re going to get from your residence to that thing you needed to get done this weekend without using any of the normal routes you would to navigate the city. Forget any notion that weekend traffic will be better than weekday rush hour traffic. This is one issue that should unite us all as District residents, regardless of race, age, neighborhood, quadrant, income, or education level. When a large marathon comes to town, everyone in the District becomes a second- (or third-) class citizen, hundreds of thousands who’s sacred weekend lives are deprioritized against the desire of a few thousands of runners, most who live outside the District, feeling the need to prove that all that gym time was worth it. The worst example of such misery was the recent “Rock’ n Roll Marathon”, held Saturday, March 16, 2013. This was an epic 13.1-mile circular path that cut across all four quadrants of our city, and disrupted automobile and bus traffic for hours. As I sat in my vehicle, idling my life away, I wondered if the participants in the race would see the finish line before I was able to park my car. As I was able to confirm later, several, in fact, did. I have never understood the willingness of our elected officials to even consider events that close down major portions of our city on a weekend without a serious consideration of the impact to residents. My only explanation is that we don’t work hard enough to make our marathon misery known to them. We have a unique city with unique challenges that should be addressed if people want to hold an event that will restrict traffic flows for residents. Let’s put the blame where it should rightly be – squarely at the feet of our councilmembers and mayor. I’ve found my councilmember’s office and ANC officers receptive to criticism of these events, but if anything is to change everyone who has had a weekend ruined by a marathon needs to yell at someone about it. Matthew Studer studermw@gmail.com H
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the NOSE
One of These Pols Is Not Like The Others
A
nother election is nearly upon us. Almost nightly, Dear Readers, political candidates for Mendo’s old at-large seat are entertaining future constituents with traveling road shows. Six candidates vying for a single office creates confusion rather clarity in the mind of this poor scribbler. No presidential contest has six contestants. In a joust, there are only two knights. In marriage, there are only two spouses. Noah saved only two of each beast. Walking into the booth, faced with six choices, under pressure to make an instantaneous decision, The Nose fears his sagacity will desert him. So, Dear Readers, let the Nose share with you the mnemonic device he has created in aid of his paltry memory. Here are our candidates in all their gory glory: 1. Anita “The Apparatchik” Bonds has been endorsed by Councilmembers Muriel “I’m on Fire” Bowser, Marion “Mayor for Life” Barry, and Jack “King of Undersight” Evans. She is the current occupant of the council seat, drafted into the position by the unelected State Democratic Committee (aka the Mafia). She therefore is the candidate of the Democratic establishment. With former Councilmember Michael “The Real” Brown out of the race, although still on the ballot, she hopes to pull enough African-American votes from the city’s eastern wards to squeak through. During the campaign Bonds has played it safe, advocating no positions outside the mainstream of District politics. Vote for Bonds if you want more of the same. 2. Patrick “The Kinder, Gentler Republican” Mara is backed by big business with endorsements from the Greater Washington Association of Realtors, The Washington Post, and the DC Chamber of Commerce. He earned their support by his opposition to tax increases and strong advocacy of regulatory reform, central
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by Anonymous planks in Ronald Reagan’s presidency. Mara is a firm backer of school reform and educational choice. Consistent support for marriage equality and the endorsement of the Sierra Club earn him his kinder, gentler label. Vote for Mara if you believe your taxes are too high, the number of charter schools too low, and in the privacy of your bedroom. 3. Elissa “Wonkette” Silverman is mistress of the budgetary thicket. Her facility with numbers is a product of recent work for the DC Policy Institute, the progressive voice on District finances. Dogging local pols for several years as Loose Lips makes her no stranger to the Wilson Building. Silverman’s support for progressive taxation and social investments in affordable housing and transportation, as well as school reform, with an emphasis on responsible spending, earned her a nod from the new urbanists at Greater Greater Washington. Her campaign for true ethics reform secured her the endorsements of Councilmember David “Blue Cross” Grosso as well as former Councilmembers Sharon “Fear Me” Ambrose and Kathy “The Smartest Girl in the Room” Patterson. Vote for Silverman if you enjoy watching agency heads squeal on DC cable access. 4. Matthew “The Spoiler” Frumin is the quintessential Clintonian Democrat. His tenure on a Ward 3 Advisory Neighborhood Commission and involvement in the Wilson High School renovation must be balanced against his occasional forays into Midwestern politics. Frumin’s slogan of “Let’s Grow Together” positions him as a centrist. He supports educational and zoning reforms but remains fiscally conservative. With lots of money raised from old White House buddies, but no real stature outside his home ward, Frumin will undoubtedly draw votes from progres-
sive Silverman and conservative Mara in Upper and Lower Caucasia, possibly throwing the election to Bonds. Vote for Frumin if you are a true believer in the Third Way and don’t care who wins. 5. Perry “Just Say No” Redd is the candidate of the DC Statehood Green Party. A returning citizen, he is the only candidate with a detailed agenda to address the problems faced by this increasing population. He has been the sole voice against school closings at the debates. Vote for Redd if you think school reform is bunk and returning citizens need a New Deal. 6. Paul “Legalize It” Zuckberg is the campaign’s sole proponent of drug decriminalization. He does a good job entertaining audiences during candidate forums, coming off as a folksy lawyer intent on defending the little guy. Vote for Zuckerman if you want to light up legally. Dear Readers, when you enter the voting booth, hum this ditty cribbed from our friends at Sesame Street: One of these Pols is not like the others, One of these Pols belongs on the dais. Can you tell which Pol is not like the others Before you tick the box on your ballot? Did you guess which Pol was not like the others? Did you guess which Pol belongs on the dais? If you guessed this one is not like the others, Then you’re absolutely right! Five of these Pols belong in private life. One of these Pols is not the same. Can you guess which one of these Pols belongs on the dais? Now it’s time to play the voting game. Make sure to vote on April 23. Every vote counts in what is likely to be a low-turnout election. The Nose loves to hear from Dear Readers. Email thenose@ hillrag.com with comments or complaints. H