Issuu

MIDCITY JANUARY 2012

Success starts

Enroll your 3 or 4 year old at AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School & prepare your child for success in school! (Free to DC residents!)

NOW.

AppleTree’s evidence-based program helps children develop the strong academic and social skills needed to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. AppleTree campuses offer: Lincoln Park 138 12th Street NE 202.621.6581

•

CARING AND ENGAGED TEACHERS who receive extensive training on early childhood learning & development

Oklahoma Avenue 320 21st Street NE 202.525.7807

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STIMULATING AND FUN CLASSROOMS where children learn important skills & a positive approach to learning

Columbia Heights 2750 14th Street NW 202.667.9490

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AN EVIDENCE-BASED CURRICULUM that increases academic & real-life knowledge for students and supports their individual needs

Southeast - Douglas Knoll 2017 Savannah Ter. SE 202.630.6805 Southeast - Parklands 2011 Savannah St. SE 202.630.6805 Southwest – Amidon 410 I Street SW 202.646.0094

We are hosting Open Houses on the following dates: January 27, 2012, 11am-12pm February 16, 2012, 4pm-5pm March 6, 2012, 9am-10am March 22, 2012, 2pm-3pm

April 17, 2012, 9:30am-10:30am May 3, 2012, 4pm-5pm May 31, 2012, 11am-12pm June 12, 2012, 5pm-6pm

Southwest - Riverside 680 I Street SW 202.646.0500

RSVP for an open house by calling a campus or applying online at: AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School prohibits discrimination on the basis of a student’s race, color, religion, national origin, language spoken, intellectual or athletic ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, or status as a student with special needs.

www.AppleTreePCS.org/Enroll If required, a public lottery will be held on Thursday April 7, 2011 at all campuses.

Apply Today- Now enrolling for the 2012-2013 school year.

capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 3

CONTENTS JANUARY 2012

out and about 08 10 20 22 24 26

Hit the City • Joy Hopkins Calendar • compiled by Kathleen Donner Insatiable • Celeste McCall Retail Therapy • Scott Fazzini Big Shows Come in Small Packages • Barbara Wells Jazz Avenues • Steve Monroe

your neighborhood

27 28 30 31 32 33

The Nose • by Anonymous District Beat • Martin Austermuhle The Numbers • Soumya Bhat & Kwame Boadi Shaw Streets • Ralph Brabham Logan Circles • Mark F. Johnson The Triangle • Amanda Wilson

kids and family 34

Kids and Family Notebook • Kathleen Donner

at home

38 40

Garden Spot • Derek Thomas Changing Hands • Don Denton

Classifieds

COVER:

Chris Stezin, Liz Mamana, Kimberly Gilbert and Will Gartshore in The Religion Thing. Photo by C. Stanley Photography. The Religion Thing runs January 4 through 29. Tickets range from$15 to $60. Theater J at Washington DCJCC 1529 16th Street NW, 202-518-9400.

Washington Mathematics Science Technology Public Charter High School Free To Excel! Small Classes / Individualized Instruction / AP & Honors Courses SAT Preparation / National Honor Society / Air Force JROTC MOS Certiﬁcation Center School Highlights: •

Accreditation by Middle States Association

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99% College Acceptance Rate

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Ranked by Newsweek in top 3% of the Nation’s 14,000 High Schools

Visit Our Website at www.wmstpchs.org WMST is located at: 1920 Bladensburg Road, NW Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 636-8011 Fax: (202) 636-3495

MAKE A DONATION TO THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS (DC) Ninety-two cents of every dollar received goes toward direct services. The Coalition for the Homeless is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. The Coalition fulfills its mission by operating and managing 12 program sites for men and families with children. In addition, the Coalition operates the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center which is the central intake office for all families living in the District of Columbia seeking emergency housing assistance and shelter. In general, our services include case management, employment services, housing placement assistance, substance abuse counseling, life skills training, and social skills development.

#8194

For more details on our program and services, please visit our website at www.dccfh.org. Headquarters: 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW Suite C-1015, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347-8870 / Fax: (202) 347-7279 • Open Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm

capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 5

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

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade Committee Invites you to participate in the Annual

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Holiday Parade Monday, January 16, 2012 Lineup will start at 8:30 a.m. Parade begins at 11:00 a.m.

EDITORIAL STAFF

SOCIETY & EVENTS

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 KATHLEEN.DONNER@GMAIL.COM

Mickey Thompson • socialsightings@aol.com

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

NEWS & NEIGHBORHOOD REPORTS ARTS, DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

ANC6A, 6B, 6C, 6D:

ART: Jim Magner • jjmagner@aol.com DINING: Emily Clark • clapol47@gmail.com 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 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 HILL RAG, MIDCITY DC & EAST OF THE RIVER: CALENDAR EDITOR: Kathleen Donner calendar@hillrag.com, bulletinboard@hillrag.com

GENERAL ASSIGNMENT

Grand Marshals Professional Boxers Lamont Peterson (WBA and IBF World Champion) and Anthony Peterson

Parade will begin at Friendship Public Charter School 645 Milwaukee Place SE Parade will end at Leckie Elementary School 4201 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SW For more information call (877) 576-5421 or visit www.MLKHolidayParadeDC.org

In partnership with the Office of Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry MEDIA SPONSOR

www.facebook.com/ mlkHolidayParadeDC

Michelle Phipps-Evans • invisiblecolours@yahoo.com Celeste McCall • celeste@hillrag.com Heather Schoell • hschoell@verizon.net Virginia Avniel Spatz • virginia@hillrag.com Peter Waldron • peter@hillrag.com Kathleen Donner • kathleen.donner@gmail.com Stephanie Deutsch • scd@his.com Alice Ollstein • alice.ollstein@gmail.com Roberta Weiner • rweiner_us@yahoo.com Gwyn Jones • gwynjones@aol.com John H. Muller • jmuller.washingtonsyndicate@gmail.com Amanda Wilson • amanda.mc.wilson@gmail.com Dana Bell • dana@hillrag.com

Roberta Weiner • rweiner_us@yahoo.com • clapol47@gmail.com BARRACKS ROW: sharon@barracksrow.org H STREET LIFE: Elise Bernard • inked78@hotmail.com THE NOSE: thenose@hillrag.com LOGAN CIRCLE • mark@hillrag.com SHAW • Ralph Brabham: Ralph • ralphbrabham@yahoo.com The Triangle • Amanda Wilson • amanda.mc.wilson@gmail.com ANC6B: EMILY CLARK

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

ADVERTISING & SALES SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Deborah Bandzerewicz 202.543.8300 X13 • deb@hillrag.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Kira Means 202.543.8300 X16 • kira@hillrag.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Lucy Fagon 202.543.8300 X20 • lucy@hillrag.com CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Maria Carolina Lopez 202.543.8300 X12 • carolina@hillrag.com MARKETING ASST.: Giancarlo Fagon

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

DEADLINES & CONTACTS BEAUTY, HEALTH & FITNESS Patricia Cinelli • fitmiss44@aol.com Ronda Bresnick Hauss, LCSW • www.quietwaterscenter.com quiet_waters_center@yahoo.com

KIDS & FAMILY

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

Kathleen Donner • kathleen.donner@gmail.com Susan Johnson • schools@hillrag.com

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

PUBLISHER: JEAN-KEITH FAGON • fagon@hillrag.com @MLKDCParade

capitalcommunitynews.com 6 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

by Joy Hokins

disturbing, I found inspiring.” Homestead is on exhibit from January 19 to February 19 with an opening reception on Thursday, January 19, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The Longview Gallery is open to the public Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. To 6 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 5 p.m. Longview Gallery 1234 9th Street NW 202.232.4788 www.longviewgallerydc.com

Black Cat Features Jucifer For the past 11 years, the hard-edged, indie rock duo Jucifer has literally been on tour all the time, living in their tour vehicle. Drummer Edgar Livengood navigates while vocalist/guitarist Amber Valentine drives. Their many live shows feature their distinctive 150-square-foot “wall of sound” (approximately 15 speaker cabinets and

Chris Stezin, Liz Mamana, Kimberly Gilbert and Will Gartshore in The Religion Thing. Photo by C. Stanley Photography.

Theater J Kicks Premieres Locally Grown Comedy Theater J opens 2012 with a world premiere. The inaugural project of Theater J’s locally grown movement (see Bonus Picks), The Religion Thing was written by DC playwright Renee Calarco and is directed by nationally acclaimed director and local theater ﬁxture, Joe Calarco – her younger brother. A picture-perfect DC couple examines their marriage when the wife’s best friend suddenly announces she’s putting her career on hold because of her newly discovered commitment to religion. This new comedy explores religion, faith, and the line between regret and compromise. It also features explicit sexual content and is not recommended for audiences under the age of 17. The Religion Thing runs January 4 through 29. Tickets range from$15 to $60. Theater J at Washington DCJCC 1529 16th Street NW, 202-518-9400.

Longview Gallery Presents Mixed-Media Exhibit Los Angeles-based mixed media artist Mike Weber premieres 20 new works in Homestead, his exhibit opening this month at the Longview Gallery. Though Weber relocated his studio from DC to LA in 2010, he continues to explore themes of spirituality and genealogy in his work. The 36-year-old Weber spent his childhood exploring rural farmland outside of St. Louis Missouri where he was born. He recalls investigating the abandoned homesteads across the area. “Late evenings provided the most magical experiences. The atmosphere of the home would shift as the light trickled through cracks and revealed the Victorian patterns on decaying plaster walls lined with aged wooden slats and rusted nail heads. The rays of light captured the still dust suspended in ﬂight. Fragments of wall coverings loosened by gusts of ghostly winds would dance thru the air as if nature was setting free centuries of forgotten memories. The materials were dark, stained and rich in texture and color that had evolved, darkened and aged over centuries. This pictorial language that some would ﬁnd haunting and 8 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

Los Angeles-based mixed media artist Mike Weber premieres 20 new works in Homestead, his exhibit opening this month at the Longview Gallery.

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7,000 watts of power). Founded in Athens, Georgia, in 1993, the pair describes their sound as “Blackened Doom/Grindgaze/Brutal Folk,” and “artistic exploration anchored in brutal heaviness.” They list their inﬂuences as war, torture, betrayal, nihilism, cataclysmic natural events, mental problems, stubborness, beauty, and true love. In 2010, Juciﬁer formed their own label, Nomadic Fortress. Their latest release, Throned in Blood, was released in April 2010. Jucifer plays the Black Cat January 20. Tickets are $12; doors open at 9 p.m. Black Cat 1811 14th St. NW, 202.667.7960 www.blackcatdc.com

theater scene. Along with The Religion Thing, Theater J is presenting a workshop and four readings throughout January and February. Tickets are available individually for $10 or via a festival pass for $30. For his second solo exhibition with Irvine Contemporary, artist Gaia presents Urban Interventions, an exhibition of new works on canvas and panel and on-site installations using a combination of prints, paintings, and de-collage works with found materials. Gaia’s street work is a reverse-vandalism, engaging viewers where there once was decay or abandonment. His studio work also considers the questions of urban environments. Urban Interventions is viewable at Montserrat House, 2016 9th Street NW (at U Street), January 28 through February 11.

Bonus Picks: Locally Grown & Urban Interventions

Joy Hopkins has been a resident of the District of Columbia for more than 13 years. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Music Industry from James Madison University and a Master’s degree in Arts Management from American University. She is a Jill-of-all-trades, working as a nonproﬁt fundraiser and administrator, a direct sales consultant, and an artist rep. Her interests include reading, wine, music, crochet, and food. ◆

Theater J showcases local playwrights with its new “Locally Grown” festival. Inspired by the community supported agriculture movement which focuses on supporting and consuming local resources for food, Theater J has adapted these principles to DC’s

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JANUARY MLK DAY RELATED EVENTS NSO & NEWorks: A Mighty Stream. Jan 7, 5:00 PM. The National Symphony Orchestra and NEWorks Productions presents “A Mighty Stream,” a celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the American Freedom Movement through music, video, and spoken word. Featured artists include the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rev. Nolan Williams, Jr., Voices of Inspiration (Washington-based choral aggregation), Shirley Murdock (R&B and Gospel recording artist), Byron Nichols (of Richard Smallwood & Vision), and Frédéric Yonnet (Urban Jazz Harmonicist). $10-$15. THEARC Theater, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org Join the Student Sit-Ins at the Greensboro Lunch Counter. Most Sundays at 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM, and 4:30 PM. No shows Jan. 15. Also Jan. 7 and 14 at 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM; Jan. 20, 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM. Meet a Civil Rights activist in 1960, just after the Greensboro student sit-in began. Take part in a training session based on an actual 1960s manual and prepare for your first sit-in. Would you have the courage to fight for justice during the Civil Rights movement? These 15-20-minute performances reveal the people behind the objects on view and the emotion in their stories. For all ages. Free. Just walk in. National Museum of American History. 202-633-1000. americanhistory.si.edu King’s Dream: Has America Made Substantive Progress in the Age of Obama?. Jan. 9, noon. Washington Post Metro Columnist will discuss how AfricanAmericans have fared under the Obama Presidency. Capitol View Neighborhood Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. 202-645-0775. dclibrary.org/capitolview Mayor Vincent C. Gray “Dr. King: His Impact on My Life.” Jan. 11, 6:30 PM. Reared in the Northeast quadrant of the city, Mayor Gray will speak on how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy have impacted his life. Capitol View Neighborhood Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE. 202-645-0775. dclibrary.org/ capitolview

David Selby as Abraham Lincoln and David Emerson Toney as Frederick Douglass in the Ford’s Theatre production of “Necessary Sacrifices,” by Richard Hellesen. Scott Suchman. Artwork: Gary Erskine. Necessary Sacrifices at Ford’s. Jan. 20-Feb. In his fourth commission for Ford’s Theatre, playwright Richard Hellesen explores the two documented encounters between Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln during a period of national crisis. During the summers of 1863 and 1864, Douglass challenges Lincoln to use his power as president to bring truth to America’s founding ideal that “all men are created equal.” $27-$40. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. 800-982-2787 (for tickets). fordstheatre.org

10 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

27th Annual Smithsonian Martin Luther King Jr. Program. Jan 13, 7:00 PM. Keynote speaks is Harry E. Johnson, Sr., President and CEO, Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. Free. Baird Auditorium, National Museum of Natural History, Constitution Ave. at 10th St. NW. MLK Film Festival at Frederick Douglass House. Jan. 14, 15 and 16, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM. The Eyes on the Prize film series will be screened over the course

of the three days and end with a lecture by historian C.R. Gibbs concerning Dr. Kings’s interest in Africa. Free. 1900 Anacostia Dr. SE. 202-426-5961. nps.gov/frdo To the Mountaintop-The Words of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 14, 15, and 16, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM, and 4:00 PM. Experience a stirring and inspirational tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as actor Xavier Carnegie presents selections from some of Dr. King’s most powerful and compelling speeches and sermons in a combination of live performance, historic photographs, and audio recordings. Free. American History Museum, Flag Hall, 2nd Floor, Center, 14th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. americanhistory.si.edu Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade. Jan. 16, 11:00 AM. Bands, community organizations, church groups, clubs and individuals are welcome to participate. The parade starts at Friendship Southeast Technology Prep School, 645 Milwaukee Pl. SE and finishes at Leckie Elementary School, 4201 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SW. Anyone interested in marching, volunteering or donating, should go to the parade website. All are welcome. 202-236-8831. mlkholidayparadedc.org MLK Mitzvah Day. Jan. 16, morning shift, 10:00 AM-1:00 PM; afternoon shift, 1:004:00 PM. Grab your hammer and help make a difference. You’ll paint, plaster, and repair the home of Mrs. Smith, 77, a homeowner and beloved neighbor in Northeast DC for 23 years. Over the years, her family’s low-income has left the house in disrepair. We will work sideby-side with her family to make her house a home again. The house is a 15-minute walk from the closest metro station, so volunteers will meet at Sixth & I (9:00 AM and noon) and taking a public bus together. This project is for participants ages 14 years or older. $25 per person. All money collected will be used to purchase building supplies and equipment for this project. sixthandi.org United Planning Organization to support higher education through Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast. Featuring keynote speaker Dr. Cheryl Sanders, Howard University Professor and Pastor of Third Street Church. The event will take place Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 7:45 A.M. at the JW Marriott Washington DC. Tickets for the event at $100 and can be purchased at www.mlkjrbreakfast.charityhappenings.org. To date UPO has raised more than $500K in scholarships to low-income DC high school students.

capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 11

Visit the MLK Memorial. On Jan. 16, 3:00 PM, interpretative talk “Born to the Arc of the Moral Universe” and at 5:00 PM, “Born MLK-A Portrait of Early Influences”. For both talks, meet at the bookstore. Dr. King championed a movement that draws fully from the deep well of America’s potential for freedom, opportunity, and justice. His vision of America is captured in his message of hope and possibility for a future anchored in dignity, sensitivity, and mutual respect; a message that challenges each of us to recognize that America’s true strength lies in its diversity of talents. 1964 Independence Ave. SW. mlkmemorial.org MLK Day of Service. Jan 16. 11:00 AM-3:30 PM. G St. NW, between Nineth and 10th sts. 202-

celebrates his legacy through service projects, interfaith dialogue, and performances of our city’s rich music and dance heritage. Featured groups are the Malcolm X Dancers & Drummers, St. Augustine Gospel Choir, poet Tony Keith, Urban Nation H.I.P.—H.O.P. Choir, Children of the Gospel Choir, and CityDance with singers from School Without Walls. No reservations required. Admission is a donation of either a non-perishable canned food item or a new children’s book. Washington National Cathedral (intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin aves. NW). 202537-6200. nationalcathedral.org Wreath-Laying at the Lincoln Memorial. Jan. 16, 1:00 PM. The National Park Service will place a wreath at the Lincoln Memorial, on the steps

Ring, featuring Bobby McFerrin and the Let Freedom Ring Choir in a musical tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Free tickets available starting at 5:00 PM. kennedy-center.org Alexandria’s Watson Reading Room. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM. Visitors should call in advance for holiday hours. Located next door to the Alexandria Black History Museum, the Watson Reading Room is a non-circulating research repository focusing on issues of African-American history and culture. Black History Museum staff and volunteers are available (by appointment) to work with visitors of all ages who are researching African-American history. Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe St., Alexandria, VA. 703-746-4356. alex-

and folktales. Try on African fashions and make an African textile to take home. Join them for ongoing performances and activities. Suitable for all ages. Free; no reservations required. Part 2, “What’s in Your Closet?” will take place April 21, 2012, 10:30 a.m. Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. 202-667-0441. textilemuseum.org

SPECIAL EVENTS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD The Alliance Française de Washington Opens Chinatown Location. On Dec. 3, The Alliance Française de Washington inaugurated its second location in Chinatown. In the presence of Mr. François Delattre, The French Ambassador, members of the Board, Alliance staff and guests, the satellite campus was launched with great success. The new annex of the Alliance Française de Washington is at 421 Seventh St. NW. This expansion is a result of a strategic partnership with the DC chapter of the American Institute of Architects, who have completely renovated the 10,000 sq. ft. space. Washington Auto Show. Jan. 27-Feb. 5. This year, hundreds of thousands of visitors, including many environmental and automotive visionaries, will explore the more than 700 new makes and models from over 42 manufacturers at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. $12. washingtonautoshow.com Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam. Jan. 27-29, $23-$63. Kids tickets discounts available. Verizon Center. verizoncenter.com Happy Birthday, Renwick! Jan 28, 11:00 AM2:00 PM. Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Renwick Gallery! Enjoy contests, music, hands-on activities, games, gallery talks, crafts, a scavenger hunt through the galleries, and, of course, cake! Renwick Gallery, 1661 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-633-7970. americanart.si.edu

Courtesy of NBC4 Health and Fitness Expo NBC4 Health and Fitness Expo. Jan. 14-15; 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. More than 200 health care providers, businesses, and non-profit organizations will be on site at the Expo. They will provide free assessments, advice and information, and tests, screenings and services. Also, raffles and giveaways, blood drive, dancing, healthy cooking stage and a Winter Olympics pavilion. Free. Washington Convention Center. nbcwashington.com 727-7925. serve.dc.gov Greater DC Cares Volunteer Opportunities. On Jan. 16, Greater DC Cares will continue the proud tradition of honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the role of community service by engaging nearly 2,000 corporate and community volunteers of all ages and backgrounds in service projects throughout Washington, DC, Maryland & Virginia. Join them as they remember his legacy and commitment to service by volunteering with Greater DC Cares! Call 202-7774441 or register online at greaterdccares.org. King Across the Ages Concert at National Cathedral. Jan. 16, 2:00 PM. Their annual event

12 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

where Dr. King gave his 1963 speech. The recitation of the “I Have a Dream” speech will be presented by students of a Washington, DC school. 202-426-6895. nps.gov/linc MLK Day: Not Just Another Day Off. Jan. 16, 11:00-1:00 PM. Combining dramatic readings of speeches and poetry, Folger Shakespeare Library celebrates the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. with this free and family-friendly event. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. 202544-4600. folger.edu Kennedy Center “Let Freedom Ring” Concert. Jan 16, 6:00 PM. The Kennedy Center and Georgetown University present Let Freedom

andriava.gov/historic NAACP: A Century in the Fight for Freedom Online Exhibition. The NAACP: A Century in the Fight for Freedom exhibition presents a retrospective of the major personalities, events, and achievements that shaped the NAACP’s history during its first 100 years. myloc.gov/Exhibitions/naacp Mid-Winter Family Festival: Celebrate Africa! Jan. 21, noon-4:00 PM. This is the first of a twopart collaborative celebration of the many arts and cultures of Africa at the third annual National Textile Museum’s mid-winter family festival. The Anacostia Community Museum joins in this collaboration that offers African dancing, music,

Chinese New Year Parade. Jan 29. 2:00-5:00 PM. Giant firecracker set off at about 3:45 PM. H St. NW, between Sixth and Eighth sts. The event features the traditional Chinese Dragon Dance, Kung Fu demonstrations and live musical entertainment.

MUSIC AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD Burnett Thompson at the Harman. Jan. 18, noon. Burnett Thompson, pianist, composer and educator, will be sharing his musical setting of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Free. Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org Take 5! Andrea Wood Quintet Presents Winter Blues. Jan 19, 5:00-7:00 PM. January can feel long, cold, and awfully blue. Enter Andrea Wood. This graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts brings her rich vocals and talented quintet to the Take 5! stage to teach us a thing or two about the blues. Free. American Art Museum, Ko-

god Courtyard, Eighth and F sts. NW. 202-6337970. americanart.si.edu Washington National Opera Recital. Jan 22, 2:00 PM. Members of the Washington National Opera Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists Program perform during an afternoon of recitals featuring artful operatic music inspired by the paintings displayed in the Grand Salon. Free. Renwick Gallery, 1661 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-633-7970. americanart.si.edu Tuesday Concert Series at Church of the Epiphany. Every Tuesday, 12:10 PM. The Tuesday Concert Series is a major outreach program of Epiphany to the people of downtown Washington. High-quality music—mostly classical, but with occasional performances of folk and traditional music—is presented here every Tuesday. Talented artists from all over greater Washington, and frequently from around the country and world, seek out Epiphany’s fine acoustics, exceptional musical instruments and reliable and appreciative audience. Programs in the Tuesday Concert Series are free, but they encourage attendees to make a contribution in support of the performers of each event, who receive as payment only what the day’s audience contributes. 1317 G St. NW. 202347-2635. epiphanydc.org National City Christian Church Organ Concerts. Every Friday, 12:15-1:15 PM. Free. 5 Thomas Cir. NW. 202-232-0323. nationalcitycc.org

THEATER AND FILM AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD Time Stands Still at Studio Theatre. Through Feb. 12. This searing drama from Pulitzer-Prize winner Donald Margulies follows an injured photojournalist who returns home from the battlefields of Iraq only to learn that some images can never be erased. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org Film Screening and Discussion “The Interrupters.” Jan. 10, 6:00 PM. The award winning documentary tells the story of three activists in Chicago who work to quell conflicts before they explode into violence. A town hall discussion on ways that people can organize to address violence in some of DC’s hardest-hit neighborhoods follows the screening. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. dclibrary.org/mlk After Five Films-The Seven Year Itch. Jan 18, 6:30-8:15 PM. After sending his wife and son off to spend the summer in the country, Richard Sherman finds himself a temporary bachelor. When a gorgeous blonde played by Marilyn Monroe moves into the apartment upstairs, his imagination starts to get the better of him. Directed by Billy Wilder (1955, 105 minutes). Free. American Art Museum, Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F sts. NW. 202-633-7970. americanart.si.edu

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The Religion Thing at Theatre J. Through Jan. 29. Mo and Brian are a picture-perfect DC couple: they’re smart, they’re witty, and they have a beautifully remodeled kitchen. But when Mo’s best friend Patti announces she’s found Jesus and is putting her own career on hold, Mo must take a closer look at the harder truths surrounding her own marriage. A brand new comedy about relationships, faith and the fine line between compromise and regret. Theatre J, 1529 16th St. NW. 202-518-9400. washingtondcjcc.org The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Movie at the Lincoln Theatre. Through Jan. 18. SundayThursday, 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 7:30 PM; Friday and Saturday, 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 7:30 PM and 11:00 PM. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. 202-3286000. thelincolntheatre.org

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Classic Conversation with Michael Kahn featuring James Earl Jones. Jan. 12, 8:00 PM. As Classic Conversations’ third guest, James Earl Jones will open up about his extensive acting career from Star Wars to Shakespeare. Along with winning 3 Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, the 2011 Academy Honorary Award, and a SAG Lifetime Achievement Award, Jones has acted in many Shakespearean productions during his long affiliation with the New York Shakespeare Festival, eventually counting the title roles of Othello, Macbeth, and King Lear among his many distinguished performances for the company. Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Jan. 17-Mar. 4. Possibly Shakespeare’s earliest romantic comedy, The Two Gentlemen of Verona centers on Valentine and Proteus, loyal friends who are transformed into enemies thanks to their fickle hearts. Shakespeare Theatre Company, Lansburgh Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org Two Gentlemen of Verona (a rock opera). Jan. 27-29. John Guare (Six Degrees of Separation) and Mel Shapiro’s rock opera, Two Gentlemen of Verona, adds a spicy, funky twist to Shakespeare’s work of the same name. The musical centers on the relationship between two friends, Proteus and Valentine, as they battle for the affections of the same woman. $45-$65. Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202-5471122. shakespearetheatre.org Banff Mountain Film Festival. Feb. 1-4. For 36 years during the first week of November, thousands of extreme-sports enthusiasts and filmmakers have descended on the little town of Banff, in the Canadian Rockies, to savor the world’s top films on mountain sports and cultures. See the best of that gathering at this popular Nat Geo Live event. $20, 5-night series, $90. National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St. NW. 202-8577588. nationalgeographic.com Tuesdays at Noon National Geographic Movies. Enjoy great selections from National Geographic TV and Channel films, All Roads Film Project, and independent filmmakers. All screenings held in Grosvenor Auditorium. Free. National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St. NW. 202-857-7588. nationalgeographic.com

EXHIBITIONS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD Anglo-Saxon Hoard: Gold from England’s Dark Ages. Through Mar. 4, 10:00 AM-6:00 PM. Don’t miss the only US appearance of the Anglo-Saxon Hoard! On July 5, 2009, Terry Herbert, a metal detector enthusiast, discovered the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found. From farmland near Lichfield in Staffordshire, England, Terry and a team of archaeologists unearthed more than 3,500 pieces from hundreds of individual objects dating to about 650 AD. Valued at close to $5 million, the hoard includes exquisitely crafted artifacts, most of which are military in nature. More than 100 of these artifacts will be on exhibition at the National Geographic Museum including elaborate gold and garnet sword fittings, decorative elements for helmets, crosses, and a gold strip bearing a Latin inscription from the Bible. $6-$8. National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St. NW. 202-857-7588. nationalgeographic.com Investigating Where We Live: Capturing Colorful Communities. Through May 28. Investigating Where We Live is a summer program in which teen students from the D.C. area use multimedia technology to explore, document, and interpret the built environment of local neighborhoods. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202272-2448. nbm.org By, For, and Of the People: Folk Art and Americana at the DAR Museum. Through Sept. 1, 2012. The DAR Museum has an impressive collection of decorative arts, and much of the published work about the museum stresses that fact. Over the years however, important examples of American folk art and Americana have enlivened the collection. Free admission. DAR Museum, 1776 D St. NW. 202-628-1776. dar.org Inventing a Better Mousetrap: Patent Models from the Rothschild Collection. Through Nov. 3, 2013. The exhibition Inventing a Better Mousetrap features thirty-two models illustrating the wide variety of nineteenth-century patented inventions submitted by inventors from across the United States. All of the models on display are from the collection of Alan Rothschild, whose holdings of 4,000 patent models is the largest private assemblage of American patent models anywhere. American Art Museum, Eighth and F sts. NW. 202-633-7970. americanart.si.edu

LITERARY EVENTS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD Jodi Kantor’s “The Obamas” at Sixth and I. Jan. 12, 7:00 PM. When Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, he also won a longrunning debate with his wife Michelle. Contrary to Michelle’s fears, politics now seemed like a worthwhile, even noble pursuit. Together they planned a White House life that would be as normal and sane as possible. Then they moved in. In The Obamas, Jodi Kantor— Washington correspondent at the New York Times— takes us deep inside the White House as they try to grapple with their new roles, change the country, raise children, maintain friendships, and fig-

ure out what it means to be the first black President and First Lady. Kantor will be interviewed by New York Times columnist David Brooks. Book signing to follow. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 the day of the event, or receive two free tickets with the purchase of the book ($29.99) through Politics & Prose. You can purchase the book online at sixthandi.org. 16th Annual Poetry Extravaganza at MLK Library. Jan 14. 3:00 PM. Led by founder and host, Joy “Sistah Joy” Matthews Alford, this African-American female poet ensemble consists of S. Diane “Lady Di” Beverly-Patterson and Angela Boykin-Turnbull. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. dclibrary.org/mlk Zbigniew Brzezinski with Mika Brzezinski at Sixth and I. Jan. 29, 3:00 PM. In his latest book, Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power, the former National Security Advisor looks back to the optimism following the fall of the Communist bloc and outlines a strategy by which the United States can reassert that position of strength. His analysis focuses on the changing distribution of global power and America’s place in that new arrangement, especially in relation to China. Zbigniew Brzezinski, formerly President Jimmy Carter’s National Security Advisor, is a counselor and trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a professor of American foreign policy at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. For this program, he will be in conversation with his daughter Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” Book signing to follow. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 the day of the event, or receive two free tickets with the purchase of the book ($26) through Politics & Prose. You can purchase the book online at sixthandi.org. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Neighborhood Library History Book Club. Second Monday, 6:30-8:00 PM. Next meeting is Jan. 9 and the book to be discussed is Concise History of the French Revolution by Sylvia Neely. The History Book Club is a lively discussion of American historical biographies and how personal histories intersect with historical events. The typical book selected is entertaining and thought-provoking, which always leads to interesting conversations. Books range in reading level from teen books to adult books. Members select the books together, and the group reads the same book for about six weeks. Discussions revolve around the historical narrative and the correlations between history and the contemporary American experience. Check with adult services to find out which book is currently being discussed and to pick up a copy. Open to ages 16 and older. 1630 Seventh St. NW. 202-727-1288. dclibrary.org/watha

CLASSES, TOURS AND TALKS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD Edward Durell Stone: A Son’s Untold Story of a Legendary Architect. Jan 11, 6:30-8:00 PM. Edward Durell Stone’s youngest son and author of his biography, lectures on the breadth of his father’s life and career. $20. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448. nbm.org DC Government Homesaver Program Class. Jan. 11 and 18, noon; Jan. 25, 6:00 PM. DC now offers forgivable loans to homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgages because of unemployment. If you own a home in DC, are receiving or have received unemployment benefits at any time during the last 6 months, and are behind on your mortgage because you were laid off, you may be eligible for a loan to help bring your mortgage current. Call 202-6677006 or attend a free foreclosure clinic to find out more about this program and other realistic options for avoid-

ing foreclosure. Housing Counseling Services, 2410 17th St. NW, Suite #100. housingetc.org Spotlight on Design Lecture. Jan 12, 6:30-8:00 PM. Jim Eyre of London-based Wilkinson Eyre Architects, explores the boundaries of art and science through a variety of building scales. $20. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448. nbm.org Smersh: Stalin’s Secret Weapon. Jan 12, noon-1:00 PM. In the early James Bond novels, the hero battled the villainous forces of SMERSH, a shadowy Soviet intelligence organization. While Bond was fictional, SMERSH really existed. Drawing its name from the Russian phrase smert shpionam or “death to spies,” it was Stalin’s wartime terror apparatus—a collection of torturers and killers unleashed with brutal effect in 1943 to cut a bloody swath across Eastern Europe. Its job was to “filter” the Red Army for spies and, as a result, it was responsible for the arrest, torture, and execution of many thousands of innocent servicemen and citizens of countries occupied by the Red Army. Join historian and human rights activist Vadim J. Birstein as he discusses this ruthless organization and reveals new evidence suggesting that Raoul Wallenberg was one of its victims. Free. International Spy Museum, 800 F St. NW. 200EYE-SPYU. spymuseum.org Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic. Jan. 18, 5:007:30 PM. 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. DC Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Business Resource Center, 7059 Blair Rd. NW, Suite 203. 202-737-4700 ext. 3369 or dmaxwell@dcbar.org Noontime Lectures at National Archives. Adam Goodheart presents 1861: The Civil War Awakening on Jan. 18, and Sydney Nathans explores what it was like for a mother to flee slavery on Jan. 20. Free. 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. archives.gov Alliance Francaise Beer Tasting. Jan 27., 7:00 PM. Take part in the Belgian Year of Gastronomy and explore the richness, variety and flavor of a wide range of Trappist and Abbey brews, as well as other Belgian beers. During the presentation, you will get an in depth look at the brewing process and discover the specific qualities of several venerable brew recipes that are still global favorites today. Whether you’re a connoisseur or a novice, this event will be the perfect place to refine your palette and let your taste buds revel in a wide breadth of flavors. Beer tasting is by Chuck Cook, co-author of “1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die”. $25. Alliance Francaise, 2142 Wyoming Ave. NW. francedc.org Highlights of the American Art Museum. Most days. 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM. This highlights tour of the collection at the Smithsonian American Art Museum may include highlights of the temporary exhibitions. Free. Walk-in. American Art Museum, Eighth and F sts. NW. 202-633-7970. americanart.si.edu Beginning Level American Sign Language. Mondays and Tuesdays, 5:30-7:00 PM. Ongoing class-just walk in and begin any day. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. dclibrary.org/mlk

SPORTS, DANCE AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Washington Capitals Hockey. Jan. 11, 13, 15, 17 and 24; 7:00 PM. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. 202-266-2277. capitals.nhl.com Full Moon Hike at Arboretum. January 8, 9, & 10; 7:00-

capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 15

9:00 PM and February 6, 7, & 8; 7:00-9:00 PM. This four-mile-long, brisk walk is a magical trip through moonlit gardens, meadows and woods. Clear winter nights provide especially bright skies. Not recommended for children under 16. $22. Registration required online at usna.usda.gov or by calling 202245-4521. There are two entrances: 3501 New York Ave. NE and 24th & R sts. NE, off of Bladensburg Rd. Special Happenings Event: Peter DiMuro Curates Local Dance. Jan. 11, noon. This event will feature new work from local choreographers. Free. Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org Ballet Teatro Internacional at the Harman. Jan. 25, noon. The Premiere Hispanic Heritage Dance company in Washington, DC, will present a repertoire of classical and contemporary ballet, and modern dance. Free. Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org Cloud Snapple Half Marathon. Jan. 29, 9:00 AM. The High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon has age-group and overall prizes, raffle drawings, massage therapists, on-course support, sponsored food and beverages, and much more! Start and finish line at Carderock Recreation Area, 13.1-mile course on the C&O Canal Towpath. Race is a qualifier for the NYC Marathon and the Sun Trust National Marathon. $50. 801-209-8822. highcloudevents.org

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SunTrust Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Marathon Registration Open. Mar. 17. This is the inaugural SunTrust Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Marathon & CareFirst Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Half Marathon. Celebrate the history and culture of our nation’s capital as you run alongside the Potomac River, the National Mall, and some of our country’s most majestic monuments. runrocknroll.competitor.com Nearby indoor public swimming pools. Turkey Thicket, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE. Open Monday through Friday, 6:30 AM-8:00 PM; Saturday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM; closed, Sunday. 202-576-9236. Rumsey Pool, 635 No.Carolina Ave. SE. Open Monday through Friday, 6:30 AM-9:00 AM and noon-9:00 PM; Saturday, 1:00-5:00 PM; Sunday, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM. 202-724-4495. The pools are free for DC residents. Have ID with you. dpr.dc.gov Ice Skating at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Open through Mid Mar. (depending on the weather). Monday through Thursday, 10:00 AM-9:00 PM; Friday and Saturday, 10:00 AM-11:00 PM; Sunday, 11:00 AM-9:00 PM. View magnificent works of sculpture while skating in the open air and enjoying music from the stateof-the-art sound system. $7 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under, students with ID and seniors 50 and over. Skate rental is $3. Seventh St. and Constitution Ave. NW. 202289-3361. nga.gov/ginfo/skating Winter Public Skating at Fort Dupont. Fridays, noon-1:50 PM and Saturdays, 11:15 AM-12:15 PM. Dress for warmth and safety! Clothes should be easy to move in, and pants must not fall below the heel of the skate (sweatpants or leggings are a good

16 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

choice). Everyone needs to wear gloves or mittens, and one pair of thin, long socks or tights that fit snugly (no ankle socks). A helmet or knit hat is strongly recommended (loaner helmets are available). Skating is $4$5. Skate rental is $3. Fort Dupont Ice Arena, 3779 Ely Pl. SE. 202-584-5007. fdia.org Saturday and Sunday Road Rides. Every Saturday, 10 AM and Sunday, 8:30 AM. The Bike Rack. The Saturday ride is more of an introductory ride and caters to road riders who are new to the sport, hybrid riders intimidated by the faster pace of the Sunday ride, and anyone who just wants a shorter (approx. 20 to 30 miles) and slower (12 to 14 mph) pace. The Sunday ride is 40-mile, moderately paced ride that emphasizes group riding techniques, newcomers to the group riding are welcome as riders regroup throughout, so that nobody is left behind. Helmets mandatory both rides. Free. 1412 Q St. NW. 202-387-BIKE. bikerackdc.com. Shaw Skate Park. A new 11,000 sq. foot skate park has opened in the Shaw neighborhood. 11th and Rhode Island Ave. NW. Yoga at NW1 Library. Tuesdays, 6:30 PM. Free, walk-in. There is a sign-in sheet and you must sign a waiver to participate. NW1 Library, 155 L St. NW. 202-939-5946. dclibrary.org/northwest Kung Fu and Tai Chi at the Historical Society. Every Saturday (rain or shine). Kung Fu, noon; Tai Chi, 1:00 PM. Suitable for all ages. Kung Fu is a broad term that is used to describe all martial arts of Chinese origin. The ancient art of Tai Chi is a style of Kung Fu that emphasizes internal energy. Free. No RSVP required. Historical Society of Washington, DC, 801 K St. NW (Mount Vernon Square). 202-383-1850. historydc.org Tidal Basin 3K Monthly Run. Third Wednesday of each month, noon. This run is free and informal. West Potomac Park (meet on Ohio Drive at West Basin Drive, near the Tourmobile. stand). 703-505-3567. www. dcroadrunners.org

CIVIC LIFE Hearing on the “District of Columbia Community Schools Incentive Amendment Act of 2011.” Jan. 31, 4:30 PM in Room 500, John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to testify are asked to call Priscilla McIver, Administrative Assistant to the Committee of the Whole, at 202-724-8196 e-mail at pford@dccouncil.us. Congresswoman Norton’s NW District Office. Open weekdays, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. 529 14th St. NW. 202-783-5065. norton.house.gov All-Ways Mount Pleasant. First Saturday, noon-2:00 PM. LaCasa. All-Ways is a citizen’s association primarily for the tenants of the larger apartment buildings of Mount Pleasant. 3166 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. aa-ss.org

capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 17

MIDCITY

It’s Easy to Find The February Mid-City DC! It Will Be at Numerous Locations on February 4, 2012 You can ﬁnd Mid-City DC @ Fine Establishments: Azi’s Cafe Third District MPD Andrene’s Carribean Restaurant Big Bear First Cup Coffee Bus Boys & Poets Catania Bakery City First Bank Coldwell Banker Colonel Brooks Columbia Heights

Coffee CVS Giant Harris Teeter Heller’s Bakery Howard University Kennedy Recreation Center LAYC LeDroit Market Long & Foster Marie Reed Rec

Center Peregrine Expresso Carls barber shop MLK Library Modern Liquors New Reservoir Market Petworth Library Reeves Center Safeway Shaw Mainstreet Habesha market

T Street Market Big Bad Woof Tryst Weichert Windows Cafe Shaw Library Cafe Collage Dunkin Donuts Environmental Working Group Starbucks Starbucks

ACKC Caribou Coffee Love Cafe 14 & U Cafe Java House Chinatown Coffee Chatman’s Bakery The Garden District Green Pets Bioscript Pharmacy Yoga District

Questions about Distribution? Email distribution@hillrag.com or call 202-400-3512 18 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

Chinatown Revitalization Council. Fourth Monday, 7:00-8:00 PM. 510 I St. NW. Chinatown Revitalization Council (CRC) promoting the Chinatown renewal and the preservation of its cultural heritage. The public is welcome. Convention Center Community Association. Last Tuesday, 7:00-8:30 PM. Kennedy Rec Center, 1401 Seventh St. NW. www.ccca-online. Downtown Neighborhood Association. Second Tuesday, 7:00-9:00 PM. US Naval Memorial Center, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. miles@dcdna.org. dcdna.org East Central Civic Association of Shaw Meeting. First Monday, 7:00 PM. Third Baptist Church, 1546 Fifth St. NW. Contact: Al Hajj Mahdi Leroy J Thorpe Jr, 202-387-1596. Eckington Civic Association. First Monday, 7:00-8:30 PM. Harry Thomas Recreation Center, 1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. www. eckingtondc.org Edgewood Civic Association. Last Monday, 7:00-9:00 PM. Edgewood senior building, 635 Edgewood St. NE, nineth floor7-9pm. They encourage all Eckington and Edgewood residents to come out and take part in the lively civic life of our communities. www.theedgewoodcivicassociationdc.org Logan Circle Citizens Association. Please contact Jennifer Trock at jennifer. trock@logancircle.org for meeting dates and times. logancircle.org Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association. Third Tuesday, 7:30-9:30 PM. Yale Steam Laundry, 437 New York Ave. NW. lifein.mvsna.org U Street Neighborhood Association. Second Thursday, 7:00-8:30 PM. Source (second floor classroom), 1835 14th St. NW

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ANC 1A. Second Wednesday, 7:00 PM. Harriet Tubman Elementary School, 3101 13th St. NW. 202-588-7278. anc1a.org ANC 1B. First Thursday, 7:00 PM. Reeves Center, 2000 14th St. NW (second floor). 202-870-4202. anc1b.org ANC 1B11. Second Monday, 7:00 PM. LeDroit Senior Building (basement community room), 2125 Fourth St. NW. 202481-3462. www.anc1b.org ANC 1C. First Wednesday, 7:00 PM. Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Health, 2355 Ontario Rd. NW. 202-3322630. anc1c.org ANC 1D. Third Tuesday, 7:00 PM. 3166 Mount Pleasant St. NW. 202-462-8692. anc1d.org ANC 2C. First Wednesday, 6:30-8:30 PM. Watha T. Daniel Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW (new location). 202-682-1633. anc2C.org. ★

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By Celeste McCall

Logan lowdown The Logan Circle neighborhood welcomes Tortilla Coast, as the Capitol Hill original unveils a spinoﬀ at 1460 P Street NW. The 152-seat newcomer features authentic regional Mexican cuisine from the Yucatan, Puebla, Veracruz, and Baja regions for lunch, dinner and brunch.

A colorful sushi roll at Zentan. Photo courtesy of Zentan. 20 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

Signature dishes include marinated grilled pork tenderloin, pan-seared tilapia in lemon caper sauce, and “Mama’s” enchiladas stuﬀed with pulled chicken Mexicana in a ranchera and tomatillo salsa. Complementing the cuisine are Mexican beers, wines from Spain and South America, and cocktails including Margaritas made to or-

der with fresh juices, organic nectars and one of 99 tequilas and mezcals. Tortilla Coast’s vibrant decor is anchored by a 30-foot mural of Mexican street art collected by local designer Walter Gagliano. Tortilla Coast Logan Circle is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 pm; Friday from 11:30

a.m. to midnight; Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight; Sunday 10 a.m.- to 10 p.m. Weekend brunch goes from 10 to 3. For more information call 202-6293280 or visit www.tortillacoast.com.

Dragons on the loose ‘Tis the year of the Dragon, according to the lunar-based Asian cal-

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:RPHQ RI WKH :RUOG endar. From January 23 through January 28, Zentan–near Thomas Circle--is celebrating 4710, the Year of the Dragon. To mark the festive occasion, Executive Chef Jaime Montes De Oca and chef Susur Lee will present a special, four-course prix-fixe banquet for $47.10. This mythical beast is the fifth sign of the Chinese Zodiac calendar, which consists of 12 animal signs, similar to the Western zodiac. Considered divine, the dragon is a symbol of good fortune and power. Therefore, people born during that year are to be especially honored. Dragon character traits supposedly include fearlessness, confidence–but with a quick-temper. Zentan’s imaginative, mouth-watering lineup encompasses Szechuan hot-and-sour soup; Berkshire pork and shrimp dumplings; chef Susur Lee’s famous 19-ingredient Singapore slaw; crispy garlic chicken with sweet-and-sour sauce; long, stir-fried Empress noodles. (In Asia, noodles are not supposed to be chopped up. To do so, a life might be “cut short.” For that same reason, Zentan’s crispy red snapper is presented whole--not cut up–doing the latter could sever good fortune.) Desserts include honey tangerine gelato; egg custard tart with kumquat preserves; fivespice apple tart with salted caramel ice cream. The latter is believed to bring wisdom and peace. As they depart, Zentan guests will receive a red envelopes containing eight lucky coins, which signify wishes of wealth in the New Year. Open daily, Zentan is located in the Donovan House, 1155 14th St. NW. Call 202-379-4366 or visit www.zentanrestaurant.com/.

Oyster (and Tennessee ham) feast On a recent Sunday, Peter and I enjoyed a fun, down-home brunch at Jeﬀ and Barbara Black’s latest enterprise: Pearl Dive Oyster Palace and Black Jack Bar. As we entered the lively establishment, we saw smartly dressed 20 and 30-something hipsters slurping cocktails and munching on oyster po’ boys, seafood gumbo, burgers and egg dishes. Dominated by a large, clattering display kitchen, Pearl Dive’s decor is retro diner, with old fashioned soda fountain stools and formica-

topped, chrome-trimmed dinette tables. Floors are wooden; walls are brick-lined. At our table we found a little wooden chest which held what we thought was a deck of playing cards, but turned out to be cards listing oyster trivia. As we quizzed each other, we sipped spicy bloody marys, and ordered from the lunch/brunch menu. Oysters are king here; Chef Jeff comes from the Gulf Coast region and knows how to cook the briny bivalves. Therefore, I chose the fried oyster po’ boy. The plump oysters were lightly encrusted in corn meal and lightly fried, stuffed into a roll and presented with a thatch of crisp, lightly seasoned fries. Peter, who hails from the Volunteer State, ordered the Tennessee Benedict made with Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Ham, along with spinach and rich bearnaise sauce. Upstairs from the Pearl Dive is the Black Jack Bar, which resembles a night club with red banquettes, fancy light fixtures and subdued lighting. What we did not expect was a bocce ball court. (Bocce is sort of like an Italian version of bowling.) Yes, patrons were trying their skills at the sport and were doing quite well. Open daily, Pearl Dive Oyster Palace and Black Jack Bar is located at 1612 14th St. NW, in the heart of the Logan Circle neighborhood. For more information, call 202-986-8778 or visit www.PearlDiveDC.com.

Gone but still around Next door to the Pearl Dive, we noticed a vacant space. HR 57, the jazz cultural center which had provided live music at 1610 14th St. NW, has moved to the Atlas District. The non-proﬁt center’s moniker comes from HR57, a House Resolution passed by Congress in 1987. That resolution designated jazz as “a rare and valuable national American treasure.” Look for the relocated jazzy hot spot at 816 H St. NE. HR 57 oﬀers more than live jazz; the kitchen dishes out homespun fare like collard greens, red beans, rice and fried chicken. While booze is available, many patrons bring their own wine or beer for a modest $3 corkage fee. Live music runs almost nightly, with cover charges ranging from about $8 to $15. For performance listings, hours and more information call 202-253-0044 or visit www.hr57.org. ◆

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The Children’s Gallery offers hands-on, interactive exhibits that focus on great leaders including: Michelle Obama, Ellen Johnson SirLeaf, Coretta Scott King, Beatriz “BB” Otero, Bessie Coleman, Trinh Minh-ha, Mary McLeod Bethune and Liya Kebede. They had dreams that many would see as impossible but they knew they could achieve. They sought equal rights for their people, raised awareness of injustices, and even formed foundations to bring about change.

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RETAIL THERAPY RETAIL RETAI RETAI RETAI LTHERAP RETAIL L THER RETAIL THER LRETAIL THER RETAIL AP TH YAP YER TH AP YTHERA APY ERA TYHERA PYPY PY by Scott Fazzini

GoodWood 1428 U Street, NW GoodWood is an archetype of lifestyle stores. They are beyond vintage or antique. They’ve developed an environment that doesn’t exist in any other shop in the District. It’s truly unique and truly addictive. Owners Anna and Dan Kahoe have created a space ﬁlled with curiosities, classics, and modern enjoyments. It’s not uncommon to ﬁnd an American Empire chest of drawers ($625) next to an early 19th century document case ($1,295). Or to see a LC-10 Corbusier chair ($525) in the same setting with a mahogany framed Victorian sofa ($695). In recent years GoodWood has layered new products into their antique assortment. Lubin fragrances ($125-$165), American-made candles by Simpatico ($24), and American-made denim by EmersonMade ($145) are but a few of the new items available.

Rock it Again 1528 U Street, NW One of the best vintage clothing spots in the U Street area, Rock it Again also operates an outpost in Eastern Market on Sundays. Owners Aviyah Jacobi and Clint Pierre focus on 1950’s - 70’s items, and display them in a beautifully well-edited setting. It’s easy, I believe, for a shop carrying clothing from the past to sell costumey items, but Rock it Again has a way of choosing vintage pieces that are as relevant today as they were then. You won’t find any tacky flammable pieces here. Instead, they’ve chosen to concentrate on the classics. Upon entering the store one is greeted with an impressive array of shoes. Most impressive about this collection is the amount of adorable Ferragamo flats. (around $85). They’ve got ladies hats and bags --a very Grace Kelly circa Hitchcock leather bag ($85). A huge lot of men’s neckties ($12 each) would surely please any male sartorialist. Speaking of men’s clothing, Rock it Again is the place for jackets and blazers --too many to count. They’ve also got some impressive jumpers. I fell in love with an Irish hand-knitted cotton sweater ($85), but it was too big. Ah well, another visit, another sweater. 22 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

Mimilah 1626 14th Street, NW Mimilah popped up in the former Mid City Caﬀe spot above Miss Pixies and serves as the area’s newest vintage clothing and accessories destination. Proprietress Lish Ephraim merchandises a terriﬁc display of both men’s and women’s wares. The price point is extremely approachable, and the customer service is superb. The assortment ranges from ladylike classics such as a pair of brown crocodile kitten-heels ($30) --tres Holly Golightly, and cropped nautical navy blazer ($28) to men’s ironic tee’s ($18) and a 1970’s leather Etienne Aigner jacket ($65). Lish travels weekly to add to her collection, so it’s a good idea to swing by on a regular basis. The shop expires from its spot in March, so be sure to take full advantage of it while it’s here!

Meeps 2104 18th Street, NW Meeps has been a staple of vintage clothing in DC for 20 years. The shop was named after the original owners grandmother, and has passed hands a few times. Most recently it’s been acquired by the gals who opened Treasury; and is slated to get a bit of a makeover in appearance as well as business model. In the past Meeps has provided a haven for misﬁt polyester muumuus, oversized Hawaiian shirts, and rust colored corduroy suits, as well as vintage jeans (around $18), a vintage French military jacket ($35), a nubby two piece ladies suit ($38) and neckties ($12). But, with the new owners comes a fresh new approach. Meeps will now accept consignment, bump up their product assortment, and surely become a destination for the Districts hip young set. Why shop Urban Outﬁtters when you can get authentic hipster wares at a fraction of the cost? Swing by Meeps and check out the progress as they transition into a cooler version of themselves. ◆

capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 23

out and about

+ THEATER

Shows Come in small

Packages article by Barbara Wells photos by Christopher Mueller

ignature artistic director Eric Schaeﬀer brings “Hairspray” lots of heart and a little soul in a fresh production that feels up close and personal. On Broadway-style stages and movie screens, the show typically comes across as a caricature of something beyond our experience. The time—1962; the place—working-class, segregated Baltimore; the

Tracy Turnblad (Carolyn Cole, center) and the cast of “Hairspray.” 24 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

people—teens obsessed with a dance show they watch on one of just three TV channels; and not least of all an enormous transvestite playing Edna, mother of the show’s heroine. Not so at Signature. Schaeﬀer brings Hairspray an immediacy that lends more weight to the show’s serious undercurrents about prejudice against both blacks

and heavy people—all to an intoxicating rock and roll beat. Scenic designer Daniel Conway gets a large share of the credit. He’s surrounded his audience with music and dancing and put them within spitting distance of vintage billboards, ﬁre escapes and facades that evoke a tired urban neighborhood. Seated next to one of two ramps that carry exuberant, dancing cast members to the stage—itself not more than 20 feet away—I could feel the ﬂoor shake and wished I could get up and dance too. Leading this bouncing cast is Carolyn Cole as Tracy Turnblad, the earnest young fan of the Corny Collins show. Cole is all adolescent enthusiasm and breathless wonder— along with the signature chubbiness that bars her from becoming one of Corny’s “Nicest Kids in Town” who dance on his show. With little more than her inner moral compass driving her to protest racial segregation, her every reaction shows us why she can’t resist the impulse. She can’t even stand next to her idol, Elvis wannabe Link Larkin, without falling into a trance at the scent of his armpit. When she witnesses the dance moves of her black schoolmates during detention, her body unconsciously starts copying them before she even knows what she’s doing. She is simply a slave to her senses—and sensibility. Soon Tracy is captivated by the sweet and sexy Seaweed, the cool black teen played with equal parts danger and charm by James Hayden Rodriguez. He draws Tracy and her sidekick Penny Lou Pingleton (Lauren Williams) into rhythm and blues and then a forbidden black culture—one that might as well be on the other side of the world as on the other side of Baltimore. He introduces Penny and Tracy to his mother, a TV personality called Motormouth Maybell—a jaw-dropping Nova Y. Payton who captures all the

pain, frustration and infinite potential of African Americans and large women alike in two show-stopping songs, “Big, Blonde & Beautiful” and “I Know Where I’ve Been.” For the part of Edna, Tracy’s agoraphobic mother, there’s a certain genius to casting a man who is unaccustomed to appearing in drag. The part was originated by Divine—a transvestite with painted lips and famously arched eyebrows—and usually seems conceived as an ironic inside joke. Edna is shy, awkward, sheltered and clueless about fashion and glamour … Ha! Not. While Divine was Edna’s polar opposite, for once a director has chosen an actor who completely identifies with and humanizes this character. Robert Aubry Davis, the wellknown radio personality and fan of all things classic, rarely acts, never dances and by all accounts wears a tuxedo when he dresses up. Something of a fish out of water in this show, Davis conveys all of Edna’s shy quirks and genuine astonishment and awe at the talents and nerve of the teens surrounding him—and ultimately the discovery that, yes, he is beautiful too. He also has a nice affinity for Baltimore and its accent; hovering over an ironing board in his first scene, Davis shoos his daughter away with a cry of “I’m tryin’ to AHRN in here!!” Davis made a special request for Harry A. Winter to play Edna’s husband Wilbur, saying “If I’m going to kiss a man on stage, I want to feel absolute comfort.” As a result, Winter up-ends one more Hairspray joke—that Wilbur could actually be hopelessly in love with a woman like Edna for 20 years. Exuding warmth, admiration and affection for his old friend Davis, Winter convinces us that not only can Wilbur find Edna completely adorable, but we can too. Beyond the leads, all of the show’s actors are spot on. I couldn’t take my eyes off Lauren Williams as

James Hayden Rodriguez (as Seaweed) shows Lauren Williams (as Penny Lou Pingleton) some trendy new dance moves.

Penny Lou. For two-thirds of the show she embodies the rigid, repressed, bespectacled geek—whose mother literally ties her to the bed when she steps out of line. But her jerky movements and tiny bursts of pent up energy hint she’s about to combust. When she finally does, her transformation is one of the most gratifying in the show. Other stand-outs include Patrick Thomas Cragin as the suave Link Larkin, who gives up shallow dreams of becoming the next Elvis to stand by Tracy in her crusade for integration; Sherri L. Edelen as the wicked TV producer Velma Von Tussle, who relegates black teens to her show’s “Negro Day” and plots to make her daughter Amber—played with sugar-coated venom by Erin Driscoll—the next Miss Baltimore; and Stephen Gregory Smith as Corny Collins himself, a TV star who plays along with racist management while seizing every chance to break the confines of their mold. What more can we ask from a musical? It’s like a great party—plenty of music, fun and laughter, with just enough authentic humanity to raise our consciousness along with our spirits. Barbara Wells is a writer and editor for Reingold, a social marketing communications firm. She and her husband live on Capitol Hill. ◆ capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 25

out and about

+ Music

JAZZ AVES by Steve Monroe

Mo’ Better Blues Alley Among the jazz presenters we wish all good things for the New Year is Harry Schnipper, owner of Blues Alley, the venerable Georgetown supper club with quality sounds lo these many years. How many years? “We will be celebrating our 48th birthday in 2012,” said Schnipper, who said in an interview recently that among his goals for the New Year is “expanding our reach of jazz to other areas.” One way is by having the first Indian jazz series this month at Blues Alley. Schnipper has had week-long series in the past featuring Israeli, Dutch and Puerto Rican artists. “I think everyone in business should have New Year’s resolu- Blues Alley owner Harry Schnipper says the club will tions,” said Schnipper, a D.C. native feature an Indian jazz series in January. Photo— Harry Schnipper and resident. “They should promise themselves they will do everything performs at the club.) … within their capacity to reach the Schnipper points out that the Blues greatest number of people possible.” Alley brand includes more than the And going global, especially in D.C., club, with entities that include talent is a good way to do that. buying, and performance production, “It [jazz] is no longer [just] Amerincluding concerts and shows at other ican jazz … it is Asian jazz, South venues like the Kennedy Center, WarAmerican jazz, European jazz,” says ner Th eater and the Strathmore Music Schnipper. “We are importing just as Center. “I think that’s where we’ll find much from them as we used to export our future,” says Schnipper. to them … and we have a huge dipThen there is the non profit piece, lomatic community here in Washingwhich includes the Blues Alley Youth ton and all the embassies. So there Orchestra, with Schnipper saying he are a lot of opportunities for alliances takes “personal pride” in that part of that can be utilized, manifested and his operation because, “for the last grown to hopefully incorporate othtwo decades I have developed it into ers from abroad.” a functioning, cultivating program to The Indian jazz series Jan. 16-19 provide primarily children with the includes performances by acclaimed saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa opportunity to expand their musical – named top alto saxophonist this year horizons.” See bluesalley.com for more inforby Down Beat magazine --as well as mation. guitarists Rez Abassi, Sanjay Mishra, and vocalist Sachal Vasandani. (Also, apart from the Indian series, earlier in New Year’s Wishes As always, heartfelt wishes for a the month, Jan. 13, Cheikh Ndoye, the happy and prosperous New Year go world music/jazz bassist from Senegal 26 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

out to all our jazz masters, including Buck Hill and Butch Warren, and to our extremely valuable educators and players like Davey Yarborough, Ron Kearns and Paul Carr, whose third Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival comes up next month. You can deliver Happy New Year greetings and a Happy Birthday in person to Washington’s Jimmy Cobb, who will be in town -- thanks to our own renowned producer Bill Brower -- at Bohemian Caverns Jan. 20-21 for his 83rd birthday celebration. Brower says “world-class American jazz drummer” Cobb will be appearing with the George Cables, one of our essential pianists, Javon Jackson, tenor sax and John Webber, bass.

New man at Ken Cen Best wishes also to pianist Jason Moran, who has extra large shoes to ﬁll in his new post, being named in November as Artistic Advisor for Jazz at the Kennedy Center. He takes over for the late great Billy Taylor, who was Artistic Director for Jazz there from 1994 until his death in 2010. According to the Kennedy Center, Moran, on the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music and a lecturer/ instructor for many schools and organizations, “has proven more than his brilliance as a performer since his formidable emergence on the music scene in the late 90s. The Blue Note Records recording artist has established himself as a risk-taker and innovator of new directions for jazz as a whole.” Some in the jazz community welcome Moran taking over, thinking he will provide a direction that includes more contemporary, diverse oﬀerings of jazz in all its genres. Steve Monroe is a Washington, D.C. writer who can be reached at steve@jazzavenues.com ◆

January Highlights: Lyle Link, Jan. 10, Twins Jazz … Cheikh Ndoye & Friends, Jan. 13, Blues Alley … Leonard Brown & Joyful Noise, Jan. 13, Bohemian Caverns … Benito Gonzalez, Jan. 13-14, Twins Jazz … Rudresh Mahanthappa, Jan. 19, Blues Alley … 13th Jazz Night Anniversary, Jan. 13, Westminster Church … Jimmy Cobb Birthday Celebration, Jan. 20-21, Bo Caverns … Lori Williams, Jan. 25, Blues Alley … Antonio Parker & Friends, Jan. 26, Westminster Church … Grace Kelly, Jan. 27, Kennedy Center … Kenny Rittenhouse, Jan. 27-28, Twins Jazz … Antonio Hart Organ Group, Jan. 28, Kennedy Center …

January Birthdays: Frank Wess 4; Kenny Clarke 9; Max Roach 10; Jay McShann 12; Melba Liston, Joe Pass 13; Gene Krupa 15; Cedar Walton 17; Jimmy Cobb 20; J.J. Johnson 22; Gary Burton 23; Antonio Carlos Jobim 25; Bobby Hutcherson 27; Roy Eldridge 30.

the nose

The Councilmember of La Mancha by Anonymous

ecently, The Nose was out drinking in the wilds of Outer Caucasia. Where might you ask is that, Dear Readers? Well, it is the region just behind the Capitol that never tiring of Fenty fell deeply in love with Mara. This once down-on-itsheels neighborhood, known colloquially as “The Hill” now boasts, some of the most expensive Victorians in our fair metropolis. Yet, despite its steadily climbing rents, The Hill remains home to some of the best dive bars in the District. On a warm winter’s eve, The Nose had taken up residence at the bar of just such establishment; one distinguished by the installation of a doe’s hindquarters directly above the entrance to the gentlemen’s facilities. Now, Dear Readers, when The Nose decides to imbibe his choice of fine southern liquor, it is generally a solitary occupation. Yet, his lips had not even touched his glass before the local councilmember, a favorite son of Alabama, settled on to the adjacent stool. Was The Nose being stalked? Were his fedora and Groucho glasses insufficient camouflage? Was there no oasis in this fair metropolis safe from the twittering, blogging members of the politicati? Ordering a glass of wine, Tommy “Don Quixote” Wells turned to The Nose. Before the sainted councilmember could even begin to spin this poor scribbler’s barstool on the subject of his lone dissent on the ethics reform, The Nose interposed a question. “Why do you do these things?” asked The Nose. “What things?” Don Tommy said. “These ridiculous votes that you do!” “I hope to add some measure of grace to the world,” retorted the starry-eyed councilmember. “The world’s a dung heap and we are maggots that crawl on it!” observed The Nose staring into his bourbon.” “John Q. Public knows better in his heart.” “What’s in my heart will get me halfway to hell. And you, Don Tommy--you’re going to take such a beating!” The Nose retorted glumly. “Whether I win or lose does not matter.” “What does?” “Only that I follow the quest.”

The Nose spit on the bar floor emphatically. “Take that for your Quest!” The Nose got off of his barstool and began tottering towards the door. Then, curiosity piqued, he turned back suddenly asking, “What does do you mean...Quest?” “It is the mission of each true Councilmember... His duty... nay, his Destiny!” replied Don Tommy, launching into song: To dream the impossible dream, To fight the unbeatable foe, To bear with unbearable isolation To run where the corporate funded dare not go; To win the unwinnable race. To campaign, pure and chaste, on Twitter, To try, when your contributors are too small, To reach the unreachable Sixth Floor!* This is my Quest to go the Sixth Floor, No matter how hopeless, no matter how far, To fight for the bikes and the dogs Without question or pause, To be willing to march into hell For a walkable-livable cause! And I know, if I’ll only be true To this glorious Quest, That my heart will lie peaceful and calm When I’m laid to my rest. And the world will be better for this, That one candidate, scorned and covered with scars, Still strove, with his last ounce of courage, To reach the unreachable Sixth Floor! A bit befuddled by his bourbon, caught up in Don Tommy’s lofty rhetoric, The Nose thought, “Who says white men can’t jump?” *For those of you who do not have the dubious pleasure of frequenting The Wilson Building, the Sixth Floor is the lair of our current Mayor. The Nose loves to hear from his Dear Readers. Email him at thenose@ hillrag.com. ◆ capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 27

your neighborhood

+ District Beat

Closing the Book on Ethics Reform by Martin Austermuhle

eemingly intent on having 2012 start better than 2011 ended, on December 20 the D.C. Council approved a comprehensive ethics bill that seeks to tamp down on the ethical and legal transgressions that dogged the city’s legislators and largely dominated the tail end of last year’s political discussions. At some point in the next few months, a new three-person D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability will take shape, elected officials will face stricter reporting requirements and conflict-of-interest standards, the D.C. Attorney General will gain new powers to prosecute scofflaws and legislators will be more easily censured or expelled for violating the public’s trust. This is all good news, right? Yes and no – it’s tough to weigh who won, who lost and where local politics will end up this year. But we’ll try.

Bowser and Brown For Councilmember Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), the bill looks like a win. After having been handed the chairmanship of the Committee on Government Operations in July, Bowser set out to craft a bill from up to 10 competing proposals in a charged political environment. Given that she largely got her way while receiving ample credit from her colleagues for individually approaching them for their insights, Bowser couldn’t be happier. Not only did she shepherd a signiﬁcant piece of legislation through the council in a timeframe that she established, but she did so ahead of her own 2012 reelection bid. Of course, many good government advocates will argue that her victory is merely symbolic. Her bill may have tweaked a few laws for the better and created a new insti28 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

Orange and Wells

Councilmember Tommy Wells voted against the recent ethics reform bill. Photo: Andrew Lightman

tution to better police compliance (cost: $1.5 million over the next four years), but it left untouched one of the more corrupting elements of any political system – money. Amendments to ban bundled campaign contributions and more aggressively attack pay-to-play politics were set aside, with only vague promises that the new board will consider them when it is up and running. And while a new amendment would allow 11 members to vote to expel one of its own, Bowser pulled back on making it easier to recall city officials. Initial versions of the bill knocked down the signaturegathering requirement to get a recall on the ballot from ten percent of registered voters to five percent, but in a last-minute move she backed off on the change. Then there’s the issue of timing. She moved quickly, leaving some of her colleagues to wonder whether speed was winning out over substance, and whether her own electoral hopes we’re getting in the way of eﬀective ethics enforcement. For D.C. Council Chair Kwame

Brown, it also looks like a win – if only temporarily. Brown faithfully stuck to Bowser’s side throughout the debate, going so far as to threaten his colleagues with additional pre-Christmas legislative sessions if that’s what it would take to get the bill passed before the close of 2011. When the bill was on the verge of ﬂoundering during a November committee markup, Brown – who can vote in any council committee – appeared to speak on its behalf, convincing a skeptical Councilmember Michael A. Brown (I-At Large) to set aside his doubts and vote to move the proposal forward. The victory for him isn’t forever, though. As much as Kwame Brown may have taken Bowser’s side, he likely did do so with an eye towards his own ethical troubles in 2011. He may have turned a page insofar as his colleagues are concerned, but he still faces an ongoing federal investigation into 2008 campaign irregularities. If the investigation leads to an indictment, he may well ﬁnd himself at the mercy of the very provisions he worked so hard to pass.

For both Councilmembers Vincent Orange (D-At Large) and Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), the picture is similarly complicated. Throughout the debate, Orange pushed back on Bowser, claiming that she was moving too quickly on a bad idea – namely, the creation of a new government agency to police ethics, when the existing Board of Elections and Ethics could well do fine with more resources. He floated his own competing proposals, including an emergency ethics taskforce, and made waves when he introduced legislation that would have introduced term limits and prohibited outside employment for his colleagues. But when it came time to vote, Orange cast his lot in with a bill that he had heavily criticized. Some said he was simply being pragmatic, seeing that the bill would pass anyhow. Others attribute larger and more cynical goals – in making himself a loud voice during the ethics debate, he gives himself a talking point for his 2012 re-election campaign, despite having raised over $30,000 in bundled corporate campaign contributions according to a December 2011 filing. (Shortly after the session ended, Orange’s office blasted out a press release titled touting his efforts to “put teeth in ethics reform.”) As for Wells, he was the sole dissenting vote on the bill, tweeting after the session, “[F]rankly the changes to protect status quo on constituent services funds put me over the edge as much as the votes against transparency.” Wells was referring to an amendment sponsored by Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) that removed a prohibition on the use of money from Constituent Services Funds on sporting tickets (it passed on an 8-5 vote), along with a slate of

On Jan 20, 2012, Please Help Us Remember Bill Mitchell

proposals he put forth that would have eliminated the funds, scrapped bundled campaign contributions and prohibited contractors with business before the city from donating to political campaigns. (None made it into the ﬁnal bill.) With his amendments and his vote, Wells became the principled idealist on the council. Gven the toxicity of DC politics in 2011, that’s certainly not a bad place to be – especially if he has ambitions for higher office in 2014. (Local pundits love to think he does, yours truly included.) But in more immediate practical terms, some have argued that he let the perfect be the enemy of the good. His proposals gained the support of many good government advocates, while his colleagues insisted that they deserved further discussion. Bowser promised to have the new board more fully investigate how to tamp down on bundled campaign contributions – shouldn’t Wells focus on energies on making sure that happens?

Evans and Barry It’s not often that Councilmembers Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) can be equated, but their actions during the ethics debate were similar enough to merit it. After spending much of the time dismissing ethics proposals floated by his colleagues – notably anything to do with a second job, which he has – Evans managed to convince enough colleagues that he should still be able to use his Constituent Services Fund for tickets to sporting events. It’s yet unclear which of his constituents benefit from the tickets, but he’s certainly spent lavishly on them – $135,897 over a decade, according to The Washington Post, more than he put towards charitable causes. For his part, Barry spent as much time grousing about the local media as he did insisting that there really

Bill was shot to death assisting another bystander who was being harassed. He died as he lived: standing up for what he knew was right. His family is extremely proud of his bravery, and hopes that his senseless death can help in some way to make the North Capitol Corridor area he lived in NW in a safer place. Bill had a very outgoing and approachable disposition, and a special relationship with the children in his life. Especially generous to his family and friends, he also believed in local volunteering. He never passed up the chance to make someone else’s life better, whether that meant babysitting for his family and friends, helping a friend move, or tutoring at-risk kids at Horton’s Kids in DC. He volunteered for the National Botanical Gardens, and he was also part of his neighborhood’s Bloomingdale gardening effort a few years back, which planted trees and cleaned up the triangle park at the intersection of Florida and North Capitol Street in NW, ironically, where he was killed. Bill was a son, a brother, a father-figure, an uncle, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin, a brother-in-law, and a friend to many. We miss him, we love him, and we hope that someday, senseless deaths like this cease to plague our nation’s capitol.

wasn’t any reason to be discussing ethics in the first place. That says enough about both him and where the council currently finds itself. For as different as they are, both Barry and Evans spent much of the debate acting like their combined longevity on the council and in District politics should grant them a distinct insight into what will work and what won’t. While there’s something to be said for institutional memory, it’s hard to see how arguing that “This is the way things have always been done” is a good thing.

Thomas Maybe the oddest contributions came from Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. (D-Ward 5), who by any measure faces the most consequences from allegedly misappropriating $300,000 of public funds. Still under the weight of a federal investigation, Thomas cast a number of votes on the legislation and its amendments, voting “Present” on the latter while casting his lot in with the rest of colleagues on the former. Like Brown, it’s likely not lost on him that once the legislation goes into effect, he could well be its first victim.

The Candidates Though they didn’t cast votes on the bill, challengers in the 2012 races made their presence felt, and will likely continue to harp on the issue as April approaches. Ward 4 contender Max Skolnik testified twice, once attacking Bowser for her own use of her Constituent Services Funds and acceptance of bundled campaign contributions. Peter Shapiro, vying for Orange’s seat, also expressed his disappointment with the bill, as did David Grosso, who is going after Michael Brown’s AtLarge chair.

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your neighborhood

+ The Numbers

Critical Needs Constituents Are Best Served By Ensuring That Critical Needs Are Met In the Budget by Soumya Bhat and Kwame Boadi

f you followed the DC ethics debate late last year, you probably heard members of the DC Council defend the use of constituent service funds as the safety net of last resort for those seeking emergency assistance. Some members told stories of families camped out in council offices with no place to go, but critics said the funds were not often used for these purposes. What was left out of the debate is that the District provides emergency services through its budget though many of these programs have been cut in recent years, and that you don’t need to know a councilmember or someone else at City Hall to get help. Constituent service funds, which are privately raised and not part of the city’s budget, have been used for a wide range of purposes such as helping a resident with rent or bills, paying for funeral services, and purchasing sports and theater tickets. In the end, the council decided to reduce the yearly limit on constituent service funds, from $80,000 to $40,000. By and large, the council rejected calls to eliminate constituent service funds, and part of the pushback against their elimination was based on the notion that these funds are important to meet critical emergency needs of constituents who have nowhere else to turn. Unfortunately however, these services that council members talked about as critical have

30 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

been on the chopping block during the last few budget cycles, right at a time when residents have needed them the most due to the economic downturn. Take the DC Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), for example, which was reduced to $2.7 million, an almost 70 percent cut to the program since FY 2009. ERAP offers onetime assistance to eligible low-income District residents that need immediate help paying rent to avoid eviction. The program offers funds to help residents pay overdue rent, court/late fees, security deposits and first month’s rent for those who have recently moved. In 2008, DC ERAP issued $7.5 million in payments assisting over 3,700 households. Three out of four of these payments went to households with children, which included households that also had an elderly member or a member with a disability. In the same way, DC households unable to pay their utility costs may find it even more challenging to access emergency utility assistance in FY 2012, with Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) cut by 23 percent. LIHEAP, an energy program designed to help eligible low-income DC households with their heating and cooling costs, is operated by the District Department of the Environment’s Energy Office (DDOE) with a blend of local funds and federal

funding from the US Department of Health and Human Services. In 2010, DC LIHEAP provided 36,607 vulnerable households with financial assistance, with about 70 percent of the beneficiaries either elderly or children under age five. Eligibility for assistance is based on an individual’s annual gross income (below 150 percent) and the size of their household. The amount of assistance provided is based on household size, total household income, heating source (gas, electricity, oil, coal, wood or propane), and type of residence. Another critical program utilized by DC residents is the Interim Disability Assistance (IDA) Program, which provides temporary financial assistance to individuals who cannot work due to a disability and are on the waiting list to receive federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. IDA payments are offered to approximately 1,500 eligible individuals a month until their SSI eligibility is approved or denied. Without this critical support, these individuals are likely to be homeless or destitute. The IDA program was in a particularly vulnerable position this past budget cycle when Mayor Gray proposed to stop all IDA benefits to current recipients as well as reject any future applications for the next year. Fortunately, the cut was not approved by the DC Council and the program is currently funded at $3 million, a significant de-

crease from FY 2008 funding of $5.6 million. Similar to the practice for other states, DC’s IDA Program receives reimbursement from the federal government for any funds distributed once IDA recipients are approved for SSI disability. For the past several budgets, programs that support low and moderate-income District residents have been on the chopping block due to projected deficits. But trimming the budgets of these programs does nothing to decrease the need for them in neighborhoods across the District. The benefit of programs such as LIHEAP, ERAP, and IDA over constituent services funds is that while the latter help a select few people who must first know that the funds exist and second use some sort of personal relationship to access them, the former are made widely available to any District resident that meets their eligibility requirements. Early indications are that the FY 2013 budget will face a deficit. As city leaders begin to determine what program will be funded next year and how, hopefully they will remember their statements about how important it is to have funds to meet the critical needs of residents. Soumya Bhat and Kwame Boadi are with the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www. dcfpi) which conducts research on tax and budget issues that affect low and moderateincome Dc residents. ◆

Shaw Streets ets by Ralph Brabham

New Italian Restaurant Opens on 11th Tortino Restaurant (1228 11th Street, NW) opened in December in the 1100 block of 11th St., NW, and is already delighting neighborhood residents behind its unassuming storefront. The new Italian eatery is the product of executive chef and owner Noé Canales. Canales’s culinary career began about twenty years ago. As he moved up in kitchen ranks, he worked at such culinary powerhouses as Bice, Al Tiramisu, and Ristorante Tosca. Canales’s travels and experiences in the kitchens of esteemed chefs have culminated in a wonderful expression of contemporary Italian cuisine. The Howard Theatre nears completion. Photo: Ralph Brabham Canales’s favorite item on the remained closed to the public and have menu is linguine with seafood, white wine and cherry tomato sauce ($15). largely remained untouched. Behind Other delectables range in price from the scenes, however, the Park Service $8 to $21 and include such dishes as has been making progress on the steps a chestnut soup with lamb sausage, required to resurrect the national landricotta gnocchi with prosciutto, aru- mark into a tourist attraction. The Park Service has almost comgula and tomatoes, and veal scaloppini, wild mushrooms, garlic mashed pota- pleted its General Management Plan, Environmental Assessment and Intoes with a Marsala wine sauce Tortino is open for lunch and din- terpretation Plan for the site. The plan includes two alternative approaches ner Monday through Saturday. to managing the site. Alternative one proposes a continuation of how it is Carter G. Woodson currently managed. Alternative two is Site Renovation Forethe Park Service’s preferred alternative, which proposes preserving Dr. cast for 2015 In 2005, the National Park Ser- Woodson’s home and the adjacent vice acquired Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s two row houses (1540 and 1542 9th home and two adjacent properties in Street, NW ) and developing them the 1500 block of 9th St., NW. On into a dynamic place where people February 27, 2006, the building was can visit and learn about Dr. Woodoﬃcially dedicated as the Carter G. son and his legacy. In early 2012, the plan will be reWoodson Home National Historic Site, the 389th unit of the National leased for a 30 day period of review and comment. The Park Service will Park System. Since that time, the properties have host a public meeting during the re-

view and comment period. Be sure to check the Park Service’s website for the Woodson Site, http://www.nps.gov/cawo/index. htm, for the plan, to submit comments over the web, and for the announcement about the time and location of public meeting. Construction could begin in 2015, according to Park Service oﬃcials at the 136th Commemoration of the Dr. Woodson’s Birthday hosted by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the National Park Service and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity on December 19, 2011.

Howard Theatre Grand Opening Scheduled The rebirth of The Howard Theatre – the historic theater located at 620 T Street, NW – is imminent. Almost a year and a half after its $29 million renovation began, the theater’s reconstruction could be com-

ary. plete in Febru February. Anyone yone w who has passed by reth he recently has su surely noticed the vamped façade, which was designed esigned to recreate the original 1910 façade. The new w elevation replaces the build-ing’s window-barren ndow-barren art decoo frontt that adorned orned the structure from m 19422 to 2010. Inside, the revamped, state of the art facility has a standing room capacity of around 1,000, and seating capacity of between 400 and 500. The first floor will not have “fixed seating,” but will instead be able to accommodate either standing or banquet seating, an important differentiating factor from the nearby, challenged Lincoln Theater. . The renovated stage will include DJ booths set to either side. A newly excavated basement has bathrooms, dressing rooms, a green room, and a large kitchen. A Grand Opening Gala and Tribute Concert will be held on Thursday, April 12, 2012. The list of performers will be announced soon, with unprecedented performances.

Art Tour Planned for February 8 The Promotions Committee of Shaw Main Streets and ANC2C Commissioner Rachelle Nigro are organizing an art crawl to take place on Wednesday, February 8, 2012. The aﬀair will highlight the wonderful galleries in the neighborhood/within walking distance of each other with an unguided gallery open house and will include a guided tour of the Convention Center’s extensive art collection. For details about the event, including participating galleries, descriptions of shows on view, and times, please visit www.shawmainstreets.org or http:// www.facebook.com/votenigro. ◆ capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 31

your neighborhood

Logan Circles by Mark F. Johnson

Today, in addition to the unmistakable sounds of construction work going on inside the building, the liquor license application on the window refers to an establishment to be called Local 14. That would imply that the restaurant is ﬁnally about to come to fruition. However, there had been talk that Capital Carpet and Home Furnishings is interested in moving into the building from their current location across the street, next door to the dearly departed Post Oﬃce at 14th and Wallach Pl. That block of buildings will make way for a new condo development which is slated to begin construction this year.

hen the clock struck 2012 at the beginning of the year, I just had a feeling that we were in for an interesting ride! I’m not sure why I feel this way but, it’s safe to say that with the continual change going on around here, this new year should be anything but boring. As these ﬁrst few minutes of 2012 ﬂash by this is what is happening as we blink:

Taylor Gourmet Taylor Gourmet worked feverishly through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays in order to deliver on its goal to be up and running by the start of the year. And, as of the third day of January they had made it! At noon on the first day back to work for most, the deli, located at 1908 14th Street, was packed. Contractors had been turning the building over since it was vacated back in September by Ruff and Ready furnishings. Now that the space is no longer filled with treasures of the antique kind, you can really see just how large and wide-open that building is. This is Taylor Gourmet’s third location in the city and fifth overall. The shop opened on H Street, NE originally and then opened a second District location in City Vista in Mount Vernon. They also have a location in Bethesda, Maryland, and are planning to touch down in Merrifield, Virginia later this year.

MOVA Serving up specials of the wet kind already is MOVA. The bar, catering to a predominantly gay crowd, used to be on P Street across from Whole Foods, you may remember. MOVA, which stands for the initials of the owner’s name, has moved to 14th and W Streets in a glass 32 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

Taylor Gourmet Opens Just After New Year’s Day. Photo: Mark Johnson

front building renovated a couple years back that used to house a bike shop. The space is still ultra-modern, but not in the way the former MOVA, nee Halo, was. Darker tones and a more plush interior signify the decorating style this time in the multi-level space. It will be interesting to see whether the club will be able to hold on to a consistent crowd this time and whether or not they will ﬁnd a way to blend diﬀerent groups. They apparently had a bit of trouble with this at the P Street location.

In Other News The property at 1821 14th Street, next door to El Centro Taqueria and the former home of the Icon Lighting Company which went dim after a short time in the space, is to be the new home of a stone, tile and bath company called Lux.

Also, Miss Pixies Furnishings and Whatnot, next door to the AYT auto parts store at 14th and R Streets has announced that they will be around for at least the next ﬁve years since the owner, Pixie Windsor was able to renegotiate her lease with her landlord. At a time when other businesses have had to leave the area, it is comforting news when we hear of one that will stay. Unfortunately AYT is bound for that auto parts dealership in the sky. Likewise, Well Built Furniture on 14th at Que will be picking up and leaving. The shop, which opened in 2010 and sold expensive contemporary modern furniture, is to be replaced by an Italian restaurant, according to a liquor license application. That particular end of 14th Street is becoming quite restaurant heavy with several new openings in 2011 and with the expected opening of a new restaurant from New York owners across the street at the former shirt laundry later this year. ◆

LOCAL 14 TO OPEN? About three years ago, there was talk of Local 16 opening a new location on 14th that would be called Local 14. The new restaurant, according to the talk, would be moved to 1832 14th Street, in a still-vacant building owned by the same team that own Dupont Italian Kitchen on 17th Street. In the years since, the property, next door to Room and Board, sat vacant, boarded up and collecting ﬁnes from the District government for various degrees of neglect. Lux Stone and Tile Comes to 1821 14th Street. Photo: Mark Johnson

The Triangle by Amanda Wilson

New Businesses coming to Mount Vernon Triangle in 2012 Last year was a banner year for Mount Vernon Triangle, according to area CID director Bill McLeod. During the CID’s annual Photos With Santa event at 5th and K Streets NW in December, McLeod said the streets were busy with passersby and pedestrians, more than in 2010. “There was a constant stream of people,” McLeod told MidCity DC. “There are just so many people on the street.” If those are the signs of a growing neighborhood, McLeod said he hopes that growth is set to continue. “Our neighborhood has changed so much in one year’s time,” McLeod said. “We made so much progress in one year; I hope that 2012 is as successful as 2011.” Three new businesses are set to open here in 2012: a bakery, Ray’s Hell Burger, and a Vida gym.

wait for us to get downtown.” Cheryl Lofton, a third generation tailor, has worked in the District for decades, but she and business partner Mayes saw the clients’ shoe care was not up to the same level of quality as the rest

Divine Shine comes to Mount Vernon Triangle New businesses moving to Mount Vernon Triangle in 2012 include a complete leather care business and professional tailor already well-known in the District. Cheryl A. Lofton and Associates, a tailoring businesses, teamed up with Stanley J. Mayes last year to open Divine Shine, a complete leather care business at 719, 721 and 723 T Street NW. Now, they plan to expand in Mount Vernon Triangle to offer their custom tailoring and leather care at a second location in this neighborhood. Lofton and Mayes hope to open The DC Convention Center. Photo: Andrew Lightman. doors in Mount Vernon Triangle in the next 50 to 90 days, Mayes told MidCity DC. The combined tailor and shoe care of their apparel. They teamed up last year to open business will be located close to Bus Boys and Poets a complete shoe care business that would meet a near 5th and K Streets. The businesses already has a clear market need, and to complete the apparel significant customer base coming from the Mount picture. Divine Shine offers shoe shine, but Mayes Vernon Triangle area, Mayes said. “They just can’t estimates that is only about 25 percent of what Di-

vine Shine does. The store not only repairs heels and shoe soles and repairs leather damage, it also rebuilds and restores shoes, even shoes that customers might think are beyond repair. Divine Shine also oﬀers luggage and handbag cleaning and repair services, and it doesn’t matter if items are leather or pleather. “If you want it to be leather, it’s leather to us,” Mayes said. Customers should bring their items to Divine Shine for a thorough evaluation. Cheryl Lofton and Associates oﬀers custom clothing designs and alterations, including formal wear, bridal wear, and custom shirts that have been very popular in the District. Lofton also works with clients to develop apparel concepts and turn those ideas into reality. Her work has been featured on NPR, The City Paper, and MidCity DC. More information about the businesses can be found on their web sites at www.cheryllofton.com and www.adivineshine.com/.

Historical Society of Washington (HSW) to share Carnegie Library Historical Society of Washington (HSW ) announced in December that it will share use of the Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square with Events DC and has signed an 88-year lease. The organization, which has seen organizational diﬃculties, announced that the new agreement will help reduce its operating costs. It also announced that it will house the Kiplinger Washington Collection, a collection of more than 4,000 prints, photographs, paintings and other items from the District’s history since its founding in 1791. In December, the HSW also announced the adoption of a turnaround strategic plan for “staﬃng, public relations, fundraising, marketing, board relations, and community engagement,” according to a press release. HSW is accepting new members and donations online at www.historydc.org/join. ◆ capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 33

kids and family

+ Notebook

by Kathlee

n Donner

notebook Multi-Prints Family Day at American Art Museum Press, stamp, and rub to make an artistic impression during this printmaking family day. Artists from George Mason University will demonstrate a variety of printing techniques to kids of all ages, who can then visit our workshop tables to create a print of their own to take home! Saturday, Jan. 21, 11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F sts. NW. 202-6337970. americanart.si.edu

DCJCC Registration Open for Infants, Toddlers and Preschooler Classes

Bancroft Elementary School students celebrate winning third place at the DC SCORES Poetry Slam! held at Columbia Heights Education Campus. Photo: Courtesy of DC SCORES

The 14th annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam! The 14th annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam!, the largest youth slam in the District, showcased original poetry and songs written by over 800 students who participate in the after-school program and represent 27 schools in six of DC’s eight wards. This year’s two-night event was held at Columbia Heights Education Campus and the brand-new HD Woodson High School. On the first night of the Poetry Slam! in Northwest, students from 14 schools used the spotlight to wow the audience of over 400 guests with group and individual performances about everything from the city they live in; to a salute to US troops; to a poem about why women are mysterious. Elementary school winners of the first night of the Slam! were Perry Street Prep Public Charter School, HD Cooke Elementary School and Bancroft Elementary School, while Deandre Walters of Perry Street Prep took home the individual Shine Award. Middle school winners were Shaw Middle School at Garnet-Patterson, Lincoln Middle School and Lorenzo Moore of Shaw, who was given the Shine Award. DC SCORES builds teams through after-school programs for over 800 low-income DC youth at 27 schools by instilling self-expression, physical fitness, and sense of community. To learn more, visit DCSCORES.org 34 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

Registration is now open for our winter and spring classes for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers (and their caregivers) at the Washington DCJCC, 16th and Q sts. NW. Some of their more popular classes have already sold out, but they still have lots of great options including Sunday gymnastics for 3-4 year olds, Creative Movement for 2-4 year olds, music classes for all ages (including newborns!), Spanish for 18 months and older, and Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Babies for newborns through almost crawling. Check out their classes and register at washingtondcjcc.org/kids-andparents.

Now Enrolling for 2011-2012 School Year Program Features: • Before Care and After School Care program. • Small classroom size and well trained staff. • Individual planning for each student. • Hands-on and project-based curriculum.

Now accepting Applications for the 2012-2013 school year. Applications accepted January 1, 2012 – April 17, 2012. Applications received after April 17 will be placed on our waiting list. Applications are available at the school or on our website, www.bridgespcs.org. Current grades served preschool and pre-k. Age eligibility: • Preschool - 3 yrs. old by September 30th • Pre-k - 4 yrs. old by September 30th OPEN HOUSE / INFORMATION SESSIONS AT THE SCHOOL ON THE FOLLOWING THURSDAYS: January 5 from 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. • February 2 from 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. March 1 from 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. • April 12 from 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Bridges Public Charter School 1250 Taylor St. NW Washington, DC 20011

p. 202 545-0515 f. 202 545-0517 www.bridgespcs.org

Bridges Public Charter School is free and open to all DC residents. Tuition paid by non-residents.

Accepting applications for 2012-13 year, grades PS-6 Download your application at www.ewstokes.org

With a French and Spanish immersion program and a dual focus on academic excellence and community service, Stokes School prepares culturally diverse elementary school students to be leaders, scholars, and responsible citizens who are committed to social justice.

Upcoming Open House January 26, 2012 from 9:30am – 11:00am RSVP to Ms. Jo-Anne Hurlston, Parent Coordinator, jo-anneh@ewstokes.org

Visit us at www.ewstokes.org 3700 Oakview Terrace, NE | Washington, DC 20017 | 202.265.7237 capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 35

A team of 12 youth under the direction of teaching artist, Helina Metaferia, designed and produced a mural in the Park View neighborhood. The mural is located on an exterior wall of the Park View Recreation Center at Warder and Otis streets. Photo: Courtesy of Art + Media House

Art + Media House Youth Programs The creative abilities of youth ages 11-18 are developed with handson training in digital media--radio, photography, beat-making, music/ poetry, graphic design; and visual arts--drawing, painting, graffiti, sculpture, stenciling and murals. Through the creative process youth develop leadership skills and learn how to collaborate and manage their own projects. They share their ideas with a wider audience through community exhibitions, performances and dialogue. The Art + Media House 2nd Nature Summer Program employs 40 young people, ages 14-21 for 6-weeks. The kids are divided into four different art or media tracts. The 2nd Nature program is a partnership with the National Park Service of the National Capitol Region. The program develops creative skills in arts and media while introducing environmental issues and resources through visits to National Parks in the National Capital Region. The youth create work that reflects what they learned as they researched, observed and asked questions about the environments they explored. A final public installation and performance is held at the conclusion of the program. The program is free. Apply online. Art + Media House, is a community-based arts center dedicated to Discovering the Power of Your Art! through educational programs and exhibitions. The Art + Media House is a division of the Latin American Youth Center. Art has been an integral part of the LAYC since its’ beginning. In 1979 the Taller de Artes Graficas (Barrio Graphics) was formed headed, a Chilean artist next store at the Centro de Artes. LAYC youth started doing typesetting for local newspapers, beginning with El Pregonero. Later in 1980, LAYC started their own newspaper, El Barrio, which set a standard for the rest of Latino newspapers in terms of the quality of its reporting. Chilean artists also brought a form that was new to the area: guerilla murals. They trained youth at LAYC to make the murals. Art + Media House, 3035 15th St. NW. 202-3192293. artmediahouse.org

36 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam Kids Discount Tickets Tickets are on sale now for Jan. 27-29 at the Verizon Center. Kids tickets are available for $11 on the $23 ticket price only. Children between the ages of 2-12 years old are eligible. Children 2 years and older require a ticket. Ticket prices go up $2 on the day of the show. verizoncenter.com

Spy Fest: Tradecraft Try-Its Sitting in your comfy chair watching James Bond makes spy tradecraft look easy—now’s your chance to ﬁnd out if you could be the next 007. Do you have the savvy to beat a lie-detector? The smarts to break a top secret coded message? The wits to identify threats in a spy satellite photo? The moves of a Ninja? Families are invited to ﬁnd out how they measure up at the Museum’s Annual Spy Fest. Mini-missions, tradecraft demonstrations by the experts, and the chance to try spy skill challenges will give KidSpy agents and their handlers an insider’s peek into the shadow world of spying—and who knows, there just may be a spy or two in your midst… Jan. 22, 11:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Event targeted for families with children ages 7, up. Space is limited—advance registration required. $10. 202-6540991. spymuseum.org

The mission of Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts is to transform students in grades 8-12 into well-versed media contributors by providing a student-centered environment that connects them to the classics and modern languages and a curriculum focused on strong writing skills and vocabulary.

Now Enrolling – 8th,9th and 10th Graders – SY 2012-2013 Apply Online • www.RichardWrightPCS.org or call 202.388.1011 For general information, admission process and online application, visit us on the web at www.RichardWrightPCS.org

Shaw Library Ongoing Kids’ Programs Pre-school storytime, ages 35, is Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m.; 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Baby and toddler storytime, ages 0-3, is Fridays at 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Family storytime for all ages in Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Art Club for ages 8-18 meets after school on Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. Come express yourself through a diﬀerent artistic medium each week. All programs are free. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Neighborhood Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. 202-7271288. dclibrary.org/watha

100 41st Street, NE Washington, DC 20019

“Rewriting The Future One Student At A Time” · · · ·

Tuition free High School grades 8-12 for DC Residents Early High School enrollment beginning with 8th grade First Latin-Based Curriculum Model of Instruction East of the River Programming Areas: Broadcast Journalism, Print Media, Newspaper and Magazine Design, Graphic Arts, Vocal Recordings, Film Making, and Video Design

· · · · · ·

Strong emphasis on writing and vocabulary development Laptop provided to each student for school and home usage Student-centered environment Highly Qualified administrative and instructional staff Solid blueprint to graduation Student Government Association, Clubs, and Athletics

· · · · ·

Located on both Blue and Orange Metro Lines Several Metro Bus Routes within one block of school All students “COLLEGE READY” Uniquely professional uniforms Community Parent College

RWPCS Uniform Vouchers for Newly Enrolled Student *Must be accepted and successfully enrolled capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 37

Stead Rec Center After School Retreat

For ages 8, up. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-2722448. nbm.org

Stead Rec Center at 1625 P St. NW offers a club-like atmosphere and a fun place to kids to go from 3:30-9:00 p.m. on school days and Saturdays, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Boards games, computers and arts and crafts materials are available. There’s also an outdoor basketball court and playing field. 202-673-4465. dpr.dc.gov

School Transit Subsidy Application

Young Prose Tickets at Shakespeare Theatre Every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., STC releases an allotment of $15 tickets to patrons ages 35 and younger. Tickets are usually limited to performances through the following Sunday and are available in person at the Box Office and via phone at 202-547-1122. There is a limit of four tickets per person. ID is always required to pick up Young Prose tickets. ShakespeareTheatre.org

Black History Month Family Day at American Art Museum Celebrate the start of Black History Month with a day of craft activities and live music for the whole family. Join us for a day of music, dance, a special tour of the related exhibition, and hands-on activities. Saturday, Feb. 4, 11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. American Art Museum, Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F sts. NW. 202-633-7970. americanart.si.edu

A Day of Flying in the Great Hall Construct your own rubberband proplled model airplane with the DC Maxecuters, then try a test ﬂight in the Great Hall. $8. Jan. 8, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (model airplave workshop 9:00-11:00 a.m.). 38 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

Students and parents may begin applying online for the school transit subsidy program at dconecard.dc.gov/manage. Students and parents are advised not to wait until school resumes after the holidays to apply for the transit subsidy program as this may cause a delay in receiving the beneﬁts. Beginning Jan. 1, eligible students at all DCPS high schools and middle schools will need a DC One Card to access transit subsidy passes. The school transit subsidy program provides reduced fares for District students who use Metrobus, Metrorail or the DC Circulator to travel to and from school. Additional information about obtaining the DC One Card can be found by visiting dconecard.dc.gov or by calling 202-671-2273.

Announcing BASIS DC STARS Program BASIS DC will oﬀer scholarships through their STARS program for under-served and at-risk students interested in growing their foundational knowledge. The program will provide Washington, DC students with focused and intensive extra help after school and will run from Feb.-June. Students who enroll will get at least three hours of academic exploration each week, and the program will culminate in a celebratory project week, where students present what they’ve learned to the BASIS DC STARS community. BASIS schools are open enrollment schools which do not require entrance examinations and do not charge tuition. Any student can attend if there is space available; a registration lottery determines admission if there are more students interested than the school can accommodate. For more information go to basisdc.org or email mary.siddall@basiseducation.net. ◆

Winter beauty in your landscape Color, texture, and contrast in a winter garden. Photos and article by Derek Thomas

he beautiful flowers of fall have faded. Frost has withered even our toughest annuals. Our show stopping perennials have had their final encore. The ghostly silhouettes of stark leafless trees have replaced the beautiful fall foliage. Our lush landscapes are beginning to take on that grayer feel that confirms winter is here. There are many things to keep a gardener busy during the early winter; amending soils, final pruning, and the last clean up of the season. However when considering our fall tasks many gardeners forget that January is a great time to plant a tree or shrub in your landscape. Trees and shrubs are dormant and if the ground is not frozen you can easily dig the hole and

get your new plant in and settled before the ﬁrst robins return in spring. Another reason that planting now is a good idea is that you can pick trees that have beautiful winter bark. Plant beauty does not only come in the form of lush green foliage. The following list is some of my favorite picks for winter beauty. You can add plants that will provide you with everything from wonderful peeling bark to attractive evergreen foliage and red berries. These plants shine and glow in our otherwise quiet, wintry gardens.

Paper Birch, Betula papyrifera.

Paper Birch’s bark has a ghostly glow in the winter landscape.

This is perhaps the tough-

at home est of all birch species. It is found natively throughout the Northeast, the South and in parts of the Midwest. It is very tolerant of poorly drained soil, heat, humidity, and an array of pests. River birch can be found along riverbeds in our area. They thrive in the very moist, silty soils. This Birch has a beautiful cinnamon to creamy brown ﬂaking bark that becomes darker with age. It gets to be large and is a great shade tree in the summer garden. Due to its ease of care, disease and drought resistance and beautiful, peeling bark it is one of the best Birches in the winter garden.

Kousa Dogwood, Cornus kousa. This dogwood blooms about three weeks later than the native dogwood. The blooms Acuba adds color and contrast in winter’s stark landscape. are just as memorable and give quite a different show since they emerge after the tree’s leaves have opened. Both species are known have two colors on the same flower. The flowers for their showy flowers, colorful fall display and are single, semi-double, and double and can mimred berries. The Kousa has a habit of forming a ic other flowers like peonies or roses. The species more multi-bough, umbrella shaped, medium sasanqua blooms in the late fall to early winter. In canopy that is very attractive when planted as a our Washington gardens you can have blooms in specimen tree. The most striking aspect of the mid to late December depending on the mildness Kousa is its beautiful flaking bark that displays of early winter. Plant all camellias in well-protectvarious shades of tan, gray and brown. The pic- ed areas since winter winds can burn the leaves. In ture-perfect growth habit and bark make the our gardens the best exposure is western or northKousa Dogwood a memorable addition to the ern. They will thrive in moist well-drained winter landscape. acidic soil high in organic compost.

Gold Dust Plant, Acuba japonica ‘Variegata’ This shrub is a good example of the beauty that broad leaf evergreens add to the landscape. This variety has dark green shiny leaves with irregular splotches, freckles, and splashes of gold to yellow. The patterns are reminiscent of a painter’s canvas. The green stems are thick and smooth. The gold dust plant will easily reach 6 to 10 feet high with a spread that is slightly less. Plant in partial shade in well-drained soil and add ample organic matter annually. Placing it in full sun will cause bleaching or scalding of the leaves. Cuttings can be harvested and used for decorations during the holiday season.

+ Garden Spot

that this plant is not related to the aggressive bamboo plants. In fact this plant forms a rather neat clump as it matures. The dark shiny green leaves are sets of leaﬂets and the appearance is graceful and fern like. The foliage is evergreen and changes color to beautiful shades of reds in the winter. The white clusters of springtime ﬂowers mature into grape-like bunches of red berries in fall. If left on the plants the berries will last the entire winter. The culture of this plant makes it a must for anyone looking for a low maintenance attractive addition to the landscape. It will grow in many soil types and light exposures and is very tolerant of dense shade. Regular pruning by removing the entire oldest cane will help to keep young shoots coming.

Western Arborvitae, Thuja plicata This arborvitae has a wonderful pyramidal growth habit. It is evergreen, and has an emerald green to golden cast on its leaves. This large shrub is perfect for use in screening and can mature to 50 feet tall. However it responds quite well to pruning and can be sheared into a very attractive hedge. During the winter it is quite durable to the damaging weight of snow. It is also very tolerant of either full sun or shade. This is a great replacement for the often over-used Leyland Cypress. (Continued at bottom of Pg. 40)

Mahonia, Mahonia japonica This close relative of barberry has a very pre-historic look and feel. Their leaves are thick and leathery and have an artificial appearance that commands a closer inspection. The leaves are composite leaflets that are very spiny and together make up the entire leaf. Plant will grow 6 to 10 feet high with a very irregular growth pattern. In late winter to early spring clusters of fragrant, yellow flowers appear. They are quite showy when in bloom. The fruit that appears when the blossoms fade are small deep blue berries that provide a treat in early spring for many birds. Grow in well-drained acidic soils in the partial shade.

Camellia, Camellia sasanqua Camellias are close relatives to the tea plant (Camellia sinensis); they are beautiful, glossy, dark leaved evergreen, shrubs that have many different ﬂower colors and types to choose from. The ﬂowers range from white to pink to red and some

Heavenly Bamboo, Nandina domestica The common name that has been give to this native of China may deter many gardeners from planting it. However, rest assured

Fall Camellia adds color when most plants are going dormant. capitalcommunitynews.com ◆ 39

at home

+ 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 Address Close Price FEE SIMPLE

737 MORTON ST NW 3402 SHERMAN AVE NW 524 PARK RD NW 2319 SHERMAN AVE NW

ADAMS MORGAN 1710 LANIER PL NW

$970,000

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK 4453 WARREN ST NW 4922 ALBEMARLE ST NW 4410 49TH ST NW 4919 44TH ST NW 4401 RIVER RD NW 4232 RIVER RD NW

$1,013,000 $870,000 $820,000 $709,000 $695,000 $690,000

5 3 3 3 3 3

$655,000 $525,000 $515,000 $465,000 $459,000 $399,999 $397,000 $249,000 $213,000

6 5 5 3 4 4 4 3 3

$625,000

$960,000 $572,100 $540,000 $515,000 $475,000 $465,000 $450,000 $419,000 $365,500 $340,000 $306,000

5 4 4 3 5 3 3 3 4 3 2

BRIGHTWOOD 839 RITTENHOUSE ST NW 411 RITTENHOUSE ST NW 1350 TUCKERMAN ST NW 6927 9TH ST NW 6209 12TH ST NW 1370 TEWKESBURY PL NW 5815 4TH ST NW 613 SHERIDAN ST NW 502 RITTENHOUSE ST NW

$766,200 $760,000 $653,700

4 4 3

$2,325,000 $1,050,000 $1,435,000

6 6 7

$2,500,000 $1,495,000 $1,245,000

5 4 5

$1,020,000 $1,000,000 $825,000

3 3 3

CRESTWOOD 1625 VARNUM ST NW 4413 COLORADO AVE NW 4226 18TH ST NW

DUPONT 2023 R ST NW 1636 19TH ST NW 1735 19TH ST NW

KALORAMA 2131 WYOMING AVE NW 2123 R ST NW 1847 CALIFORNIA ST NW

LOGAN 1337 VERMONT AVE NW 1436 S ST NW 1418 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW 2860 WOODLAND DR NW

$7,700,000

$769,724 $755,000

3 4

$920,000 $781,500 $750,000 $720,000 $710,000

3 3 4 3 3

$970,480

MOUNT PLEASANT

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 1414 EUCLID ST NW 623 IRVING ST NW 3548 HERTFORD PL NW 2631 13TH ST NW 2819 11TH ST NW 1341 NEWTON ST NW 3205 WARDER ST NW 453 LAMONT ST NW 2629 SHERMAN AVE NW 514 KENYON ST NW 3035 SHERMAN AVE NW

5 2 4 2

MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE HTS

CLEVELAND PARK 3506 34TH ST NW

$275,000 $265,000 $260,000 $195,000

3227 ADAMS MILL RD NW 1696 LANIER PL NW

NORTH CLEVELAND PARK 3904 YUMA ST NW 4218 RENO RD NW 3826 WARREN ST NW 3824 VAN NESS ST NW 4411 35TH ST NW

$720,000 $670,000 $624,000 $515,000 $502,000 $380,000 $340,000 $290,000 $244,000 $232,000 $210,000 $609,000 $520,000

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

$945,000

PALISADES

OLD CITY 906 3RD PL SE

815 K ST NE 718 8TH ST NE 723 G ST NE 831 FLORIDA AVE NE 914 C ST NE 1254 CARROLLSBURG PL SW 519 K ST NE 548 25TH PL NE 2010 C ST NE 1905 D ST NE 2506 E ST NE 1621 4TH ST NW 2227 12TH PL NW 5837 SHERIER PL NW

5018 V ST NW 5814 MACARTHUR BLVD NW 5212 MACARTHUR BLVD NW

$680,000 $658,500 $550,000

3 3 2

$470,000 $469,900 $469,000 $435,000 $404,000 $390,000 $379,000 $350,000 $295,000 $228,500 $225,000

4 4 4 4 3 3 4 4 4 3 3

PETWORTH 27 SHERMAN CIR NW 316 GALLATIN ST NW 508 DECATUR ST NW 626 INGRAHAM ST NW 5304 5TH ST NW 3725 9TH ST NW 4820 ILLINOIS AVE NW 432 UPSHUR ST NW 312 TAYLOR ST NW 521 LONGFELLOW ST NW 5400 4TH ST NW

Give this shrub moist well-drained fertile soil and watch it thrive. These are just a few of the great choices for winter beauty. We could add to it plants that flower in the winter, plants that begin to grow in the fall and have their best foliage by Mid February, and plants that never truly go dormant. In fact the late fall and early winter is just as full of beautiful landscape plants as any other time of year. So during the next visit to your garden center or nursery, ask them to show you the plants that have winter interest. I am confident you will be surprised how many choices there are to help you bring winter beauty to you garden. Enjoy. Derek Thomas is principal of Thomas Landscapes. His garden designs have been featured on HGTV ’s Curb Appeal, and Get It Sold. His weekly garden segment can be seen on WTTG/Fox 5 in Washington. He can be reached at www.thomaslandscapes.com or 301.642.5182. You can find and friend us on Facebook at Facebook/Thomas Landscapes. ◆

#4 Nandina’s red berries add a pop of red to an other wise dull winter palate. 40 ◆ Midcity DC | January 2012

5519 4TH ST NW 308 WEBSTER ST NW 3914 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW 525 CRITTENDEN ST NW

$220,000 $210,000 $577,000 $525,000

3 3 4 4

SHAW 1612 6TH ST NW

$610,000

$599,000 $575,000 $360,000

4 5 3

SHEPHERD PARK 7315 13TH ST NW 1214 HOLLY ST NW 1219 GERANIUM ST NW

$1,700,000 $1,600,000 $1,375,000 $1,303,000

6 5 4 5

$667,000 $865,000 $499,000

2 3 2

$1,795,000

U STREET 1209 W ST NW 1461 FLORIDA AVE NW 2258 12TH PL NW

CONDO ADAMS MORGAN 2328 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #401 1700 KALORAMA RD NW #408 1701 KALORAMA RD NW #403 2440 16TH ST NW #512

$1,650,000 $885,000 $474,000 $340,000

2 2 1 1

$210,000

BRIGHTWOOD 6425 14TH ST NW #206

$925,000 $765,000 $674,500 $590,000 $525,000 $445,000 $418,000 $399,999 $375,000 $344,800 $329,900

2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1

$475,000 $363,000 $325,000 $315,000 $305,000 $267,500 $250,000 $135,000

2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0

$699,900 $402,000 $389,000 $315,000 $284,900 $280,000 $269,900 $249,900 $240,000 $233,000 $230,000 $18,000

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

$1,057,500 $662,500 $650,000 $640,000 $546,000 $435,000 $417,000 $353,000 $336,600 $335,000 $315,000 $307,500 $263,000 $215,000 $188,000 $549,000

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

CLEVELAND PARK 2818 CONNECTICUT NW #5 3100 WISCONSIN AVE NW #402 2723 ORDWAY ST NW #3 3880 PORTER ST NW #D352 3800 RODMAN ST NW #1 3217 WISCONSIN AVE NW #6C 3026 WISCONSIN AVE NW #209 3701 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #317

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 1425 EUCLID ST NW #11 3013 11TH ST NW #3 2910 GEORGIA AVE NW #203 1437 SPRING RD NW #12 2910 GEORGIA AVE NW #305 1417 NEWTON ST NW #408 2910 GEORGIA AVE NW #201 2910 GEORGIA AVE NW #304 1439 EUCLID ST NW #106 1321 FAIRMONT ST NW #205 609 NEWTON PL NW #1 1451 BELMONT ST NW #P-55

4007 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #501 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #340 2939 VAN NESS ST NW #1139 3310 27TH ST NW #5

1 1 1 1

$282,000

$1,250,000 $1,199,000 $560,000 $527,500 $525,000 $480,250 $454,500 $425,000 $339,900 $960,000

2 3 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 3

$408,000 $399,000 $340,000 $899,900 $747,500 $720,000 $720,000 $554,000 $534,900 $373,355 $380,000 $381,000 $445,000

1 1 1 2 3 2 3 1 2 2 2 1 2

$649,000 $388,000 $299,000

2 2 2

$275,000

$565,000 $305,000 $110,000 $620,000 $549,900 $449,900 $437,000 $425,000 $399,000 $397,000 $380,000 $345,000 $303,000 $234,000 $187,000 $175,000

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

$548,000 $416,000 $245,000

2 1 0

$244,000

$281,000

$620,000 $467,500 $820,000 $515,000

2 2 2 1

$629,000 $599,900 $599,900 $460,000 $437,500 $415,900 $321,500

2 2 2 1 1 1 1

GALLERY PLACE 616 E ST NW #1008 2301 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #2A 2022 COLUMBIA RD NW #114-116 2415 20TH ST NW #24 2420 19TH ST NW #1027 2149 CALIFORNIA ST NW #K 2201 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #9 1810 KALORAMA RD NW #A3 1954 COLUMBIA RD NW #803 2010 KALORAMA RD NW #406 2001 19TH ST NW #4

· Comprehensive Design and Maintenance Services · Installation, arbors, retaining walls, walkways, lighting, water features · Patios, roof top gardens, townhomes, single family homes • Trees & shrubs, formal & informal gardens • Custom Masonry, Fencing and Iron work · Restoration and Enhancement

1325 13TH ST NW #705 1205 N ST NW #D 1314 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #804 1413 P ST NW #503 1325 13TH ST NW #12 1209 O ST NW #1 1441 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #713 1400 CHURCH ST NW #308 1300 N ST NW #706 1239 VERMONT AVE NW #302 1001 L ST NW #809 910 M ST NW #402 1447 SWANN ST NW #B 1606 BELMONT ST NW #A 1752 PARK RD NW #B 3510 16TH ST NW #304

Redeﬁning Beauty One Client at a Time

301.642.5182 www.thomaslandscapes.com

THOMAS LANDSCAPES

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

OBSERVATORY CIRCLE 2111 WISCONSIN AVE NW #106

OLD CITY 1335 A ST SE #D 32 15TH ST NE #32 1815 A ST SE #206 2238 11TH ST NW #2 811 4TH ST NW #405 1109 O ST NW #202 1444 CHURCH ST NW #107 1401 17TH ST NW #814 440 L ST NW #713 437 NEW YORK AVE NW #806 925 WESTMINSTER ST NW #1 1401 17TH ST NW #207 1423 R ST NW #506 1133 13TH ST NW #204 66 NEW YORK AVE NW #305 1727 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #317

PENN QUARTER 616 E ST NW #646 616 E ST NW #505 777 7TH ST NW #502

PETWORTH 804 TAYLOR ST NW #307

TENLEYTOWN 4801 WISCONSIN AVE NW #504

U STREET

DUPONT 1414 22ND ST NW #42 1607 T ST NW #A 1721 21ST ST NW #302 1520 16TH ST NW #303 2024 N ST NW #4 1740 U ST NW #3 1751 U ST NW #2 1621 T ST NW #804 1730 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #13 1621 T ST NW #203 1621 T ST NW #207 2119 N ST NW #5 1330 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #416 1825 T ST NW #701 1615 Q ST NW #906 1926-1930 NEW HAMPS AVE NW #52

$337,500 $235,000 $235,000 $215,000

FOREST HILLS

MOUNT PLEASANT

CENTRAL 2425 L ST NW #114 2425 L ST NW #204 2425 L ST NW #418 915 E ST NW #1005 1112 25TH ST NW #2 601 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW #612 616 E ST NW #1020 400 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #1001 400 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #1009 915 E ST NW #312 1010 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #211

1 2

LOGAN

WOODLEY 2858 29TH PL NW

$318,000 $390,000

KALORAMA

SPRING VALLEY 3812 48TH ST NW 4977 GLENBROOK RD NW 5208 UPTON TER NW 5119 WARREN PL NW

1727 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #502 2008 16TH ST NW #203

START HAVING THE YARD OF YOUR DREAMS

2020 12TH ST NW #709 2001 12TH ST NW #218 2125 14TH ST NW #322-W 2250 11TH ST NW #104

WOODLEY PARK 2801 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #11 2818 CONNECTICUT NW #201 2818 CONNECTICUT NW #104 2818 CONNECTICUT NW #101 2725 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #302 2725 CONNECTICUT AVE NW #807 2501 CALVERT ST NW #805 ◆

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42 ◆ Midcity DC | December 2011

Derek Thomas / Principal - Certified Professional Horticulturist, Master Gardener. Member of the MD Nursery and Landscape Association & the Association of Professional Landscape Designers

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