east-of-the-river-magazine-2011

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS 08 ............Go See Do

10 ............East of the River Calendar

16 ............The Bulletin Board

20 ............District Beat • by Martin Austermuhle

22 ............The Numbers • by Jenny Reed

24 ............SE Models Green Resources • by Virginia Avniel Spatz

26 ............Library Name Disputed in Bellevue • by John Muller

27 ............The Man from Anacostia • by Charles Wilson

28 ............DCHD Requests Permit • by John Muller

29 ............Barry Farm Activist’s Message • by John Muller

30 ............St. Elizabeths Meeting • by John Muller

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE 32 ............The Synetic Experience • by Amanda Wilson

34 ............Hometown Girl Makes Ward 8 Proud • by John Muller

35 ............A Musical Tribute to MLK • by Candace Y.A. Montague

37 ............GIVING - CFC

KIDS & FAMILY 38 ............Kids and Family Notebook • by Kathleen Donner

HOMES & GARDENS 43 ............Changing Hands • compiled by Don Denton

44 ............The Classifi eds

46 ............The Nose • by Anonymous

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

ON THE COVER:

Th e Fighting Season at Honfl eur Gallery Through Dec. 16. Honfl eur Gallery presents award-winning photographer Louie Palu’s work The Fighting Season which was completed as several related studies of Kandahar and the surrounding region of Southern Afghanistan. Honfl eur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-536-8994. www.honfl eurgallery.com

32

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Ward 1AppleTree Early Learning PCS - Columbia Heights Campus • Capital City Public Charter School • Cesar Chavez PCS--Bruce Prep Campus

Community Academy PCS - Butler Bilingual Campus • D.C. Bilingual PCS • E.L. Haynes PCS - Georgia Avenue • Howard University Middle School PCS • Meridian PCS

Shining Stars Montessori • Booker T. Washington PCS • Carlos Rosario International PCS • Capital City PCS

Next Step-El Proximo Paso PCS • YouthBuild LAYC PCS High School

Ward 2AppleTree Early Learning PCS - Riverside Campus • Center City PCS - Shaw Campus • KIPP DC: Grow Academy • KIPP DC: WILL Academy • Mundo Verde PCS • Options Academy

Ward 4Bridges PCS Elementary • Center City PCS - Brightwood Campus • Center City PCS - Petworth Campus • Community Academy PCS - Amos I • Community Academy PCS - Amos II

Community Academy PCS - Online • E.L. Haynes PCS - Kansas Avenue • Education Strengthens Families PCS • Hope Community PCS - Lamond Campus • Ideal Academy PCS

Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS (LAMB) • Paul PCS • Roots PCS • Washington Latin PCS • William E Doar PCS - Soldier’s Home • Hospitality SHS PCS

Ward 5Center City PCS - Trinidad Campus • Community Academy PCS - Amos III • Community Academy - Rand Campus • D.C. Preparatory PCS - Edgewood Campus

Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS • Friendship PCS - Woodridge Campus • Hope Community PCS - Tolson Campus • Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS

Mary McLeod Bethune PCS • Potomac Lighthouse PCS • Tree Of Life PCS • Washington Yu Ying PCS • William E Doar PCS - Edgewood Campus

Perry Street Prep - (formerly HYDE PCS) • Washington Math Science and Technology High School

Ward 6AppleTree Early Learning PCS - Lincoln Campus • Center City PCS - Capitol Hill Campus • Eagle Academy PCS - SE & New Jersey Avenue Campus

Friendship PCS - Chamberlain Campus • Options PCS • St. Coletta Special Education PCS • Two Rivers PCS • Cesar Chavez PCHS for Pubic Policy - Capitol Hill Campus

Ward 7AppleTree Early Learning PCS - Amidon Campus • AppleTree Early Learning PCS - Oklahoma Avenue (NE) Campus • KIPP DC: LEAP Academy • Friendship Junior Academy - Blow-Pierce

D.C. Preparatory - Benning Campus • Arts and Technology Academy PCS • KIPP DC: Promise Academy • KIPP DC: KEY Academy • Cesar Chavez PCS - Parkside Campus

Maya Angelou PCS • Cesar Chavez PCS • Parkside Campus • Friendship Collegiate Academy - Woodson Campus • IDEA- Integrated Design and Electronic Academy

Maya Angelou PCS • Richard Wright PCS • SEED PCHS

Ward 8Achievement Preparatory Academy PCS • AppleTree Early Learning - Douglass Knoll Campus • AppleTree Early Learning - Parkland Campus • Center City PCS - Congress Heights Campus

Early Childhood Academy PCS • Excel Academy PCS • Friendship PCS - South East Elementary Academy • Friendship PCS - Tech Prep High School

Howard Road Academy PCS - Martin Luther King Av. Campus • Howard Road Academy PCS - Main Campus • Howard Road Academy PCS - Penn Ave Campus

Imagine SE PCS • KIPP DC: AIM Academy • KIPP DC: Discover Academy • KIPP DC: Heights Academy • Septima Clark PCS • KIPP DC: College Preparatory

National Collegiate PCS • Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS

DC’S CHARTER SCHOOLS:LEADING EDUCATION REFORM IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL!

Visit Our Website: www.dcacps.orgor email us: [email protected]

6 ★ EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2011

EDITORIAL STAFFMANAGING EDITOR: Andrew [email protected] & ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Maria Carolina [email protected] NOTES EDITOR: SUSAN BRAUN JOHNSON

[email protected]

KIDS & FAMILY NOTEBOOK EDITOR: KATHLEEN DONNER

[email protected]

ARTS, DINING & ENTERTAINMENT ART: Jim Magner • [email protected]: Celeste McCall • [email protected] THE CITY: Joylyn Hopkins • [email protected]: Karen Lyon • [email protected]: Mike Canning • [email protected]: Jean-Keith Fagon • [email protected] THERAPY: Scott Fazzini • [email protected]: Barbara Wells • [email protected]: Maggie Hall • [email protected] WINE GUYS: Jon Genderson • [email protected]

CALENDAR & BULLETIN BOARDHILL RAG, MIDCITY DC & EAST OF THE RIVER:CALENDAR EDITOR: Kathleen Donner [email protected], [email protected]

GENERAL ASSIGNMENT Michelle Evans • [email protected] McCall • [email protected] Schoell • [email protected] Avniel Spatz • [email protected] Waldron • [email protected] Donner • [email protected] Deutsch • [email protected] Sunukjian • [email protected] Holloway • [email protected] Ollstein • [email protected] Abrahams • [email protected] Kiefhaber • [email protected] Weiner • [email protected] Jones • [email protected] H. Muller • [email protected]

BEAUTY, HEALTH & FITNESSPatricia Cinelli • fi [email protected] Bresnick Hauss, LCSW • www.quietwaterscenter.com [email protected] Sherer • [email protected]

KIDS & FAMILYKathleen Donner • [email protected] Johnson • [email protected]

SOCIETY & EVENTSMickey Thompson • [email protected]

HOMES & GARDENSRindy O’Brien - Hill Gardener • [email protected] Thomas • [email protected] Capen • [email protected]: Mark Johnson • [email protected]

NEWS & NEIGHBORHOOD REPORTSANC6A, 6B, 6C, 6D: Roberta Weiner • [email protected]: GWYN JONES • [email protected] ROW: [email protected] STREET LIFE: Elise Bernard • [email protected] NOSE: [email protected] CIRCLE • [email protected] • Ralph Brabham: Ralph • [email protected]: Eleanor Gourley • [email protected] & U: Catherine Finn • cathefi [email protected]

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DEADLINES & CONTACTSADVERTISING: [email protected] ADS: 15th of each monthCLASSIFIED ADS: 10th of each monthEDITORIAL: 15th of each month; [email protected] BOARD & CALENDAR: 15th of each month;[email protected], [email protected]

HILL RAG MID CITY DC EAST OF THE RIVERFAGON COMMUNITY GUIDESTHE EDUCATION EDITION

Capital Community News, Inc.224 7th Street, SE, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20003 202.543.8300 • www.capitalcommunitynews.com

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BZB Holiday Gift and Art ShowTh e largest upscale African American department store on

the East Coast features holiday cards, black angel tree toppers, African artifacts, fabric and clothes, unique home decor, collect-ible dolls, books, calendars, toys, designer clothes, shoes, hats, fi ne art and crafts, bath and beauty products, leather goods, adornments, jewelry, Negro League collectibles and Black memorabilia. Nov. 26 to 27 and Dec. 7, 11, 18 and 23; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Shilow Family Life Center, 1510 Ninth St. NW. For more information, call 202-610-4188 or visit www.bzbinterna-tional.com.

GO.GO.SEE.SEE.DO.DO.

Andile Ndlovu as The Frontiersman in The Washington Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Photo: Tony Powell

The Washington Ballet: The NutcrackerCelebrate Th e Washington Ballet’s golden anniver-

sary with their holiday classic! For fi fty years, generations of Washingtonians have grown up loving—and introduc-ing loved ones to--Washington Ballet’s Th e Nutcracker. In this 50th anniversary year, Septime Webre pays homage to Washington Ballet founder Mary Day’s 1961 production, restaging her original, a historic jewel, in his lush Washing-ton-themed staging. Discover, rediscover, and celebrate this one-of-a-kind Nutcracker production set in 1882 George-town and starring George Washington as the Nutcracker, King George II as the Rat King, Anacostia Indians, fron-tiersmen, and all-American delights. Whimsical waltzes, glittering snowfl akes, and gorgeous music, Th e Washington Ballet’s Nutcracker is a magical journey not to be missed! $29. Nov. 25 to 27. For tickets, call 202-889-5901 or visit www.thearcdc.org

CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM ★ 9

See the Supreme Court in SessionOral arguments are open to the public, but seating is limited and on a

fi rst-come, fi rst-seated basis. Before a session begins, two lines form on the plaza in front of the building. One is for those who wish to attend an entire argument, and the other, a three-minute line, is for those who wish to observe the Court in session only briefl y. Seating for the fi rst argument begins at 9:30 a.m. and seating for the three-minute line begins at 10:00 a.m. Th e locations for these lines are marked with signs and there is a police offi cer on duty to answer your questions. November oral arguments can be heard on Nov. 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 28, 29 and 30. If you just want to tour the building and learn some-thing about the court, docents lead 30-minute tours, Monday through Friday every hour on the half-hour, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. First St. NE between E. Capitol St. and Maryland Ave., adjacent to the US Capitol and the Library of Congress. 202-479-3000. supremecourt.gov

Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Three Art Weekends at theSmithsonian’s AnacostiaCommunity Museum

Overload with art! Learn cool dance move-ments on Saturday, Nov. 12 with “Da’ Originalz featuring Beat Ya Feet” at 10:30 a.m.; Decorate yourself at “Henna Body Art” on Sunda, Nov. 13 at 2 p.m; Tour “Public Art East of the River” on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 9:30 a.m.; Explore the answer at “What Color is Th is?” on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m.; and “Make Th em Walk” in sculpture workshop with BK Adams on Satur-day, Nov. 26, at 10:30 a.m., plus visit his exhi-bition, “Exercise Your Mynd” any day through Nov. 27. See program details in this month’s EOR calendar or visit the museum online at www.anacostia.si.edu.

Fairlawn Christmas Tree LightingTh e Fairlawn Christmas Tree Lighting is Saturday, Dec. 3, but the fun starts

much earlier on the Friday. Th e fi re department will help string the lights and the public is invited to help with the decoration. Th e Saturday festivities start at about 4 p.m. with hot cider. Th e switch is fl ipped at 5 p.m. You can’t miss it. Look for theMayor and the biggest tree in Fairlawn Park at the intersection of Good Hope Road and Minnesota Avenue, SE.


THANKSGIVING Villagekeepers Annual Thanksgiving Fellow-ship at Union Temple. Nov. 12, noon. Provided by Village Keepers (homeless ministry). Village-keepers is in need of volunteers, clothing, tur-keys and cash donations to make this meal for about 250 people possible. Set and prep begins at 8 AM. Union Temple Baptist Church, 1225 W St. SE. 202-678-8822. uniontemple.com

Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade. Nov. 19, 9:30 AM. 50 foot balloons, fl oats and marching bands. Downtown Silver Spring on Georgia Avenue from Sligo to Silver Plaza. sil-verspringdowntown.com

Help with SOME (So Others May Eat) Holiday Gift Baskets. Nov. 19, 9 AM-1 PM. Basket drop off and deliveries to homebound low-income seniors from 1667 Good Hope Rd. SE. You can also assemble baskets. Sign up with Jenna at 202-797-8806 ext. 1306 or [email protected].

Potomac Valley Track Club Cranberry Crawl 5K & 10K. Nov. 19, 7:30 AM. $20. East Po-tomac Park Golf Course, 972 Ohio Dr. SW. 301-

292-1441. pvtc.org

Annual Safeway Feast of Sharing. Nov. 23, 11 AM-2:30 PM. The program will offer a complete sit down Thanksgiving meal, opportunities to explore the possibility of gainful employment; health screenings; and also information on achieving and maintaining good health. Cen-ter. Please help get the information out to se-niors, churches, senior housing residences and especially to individuals and families in need. Free. No reservations required. Washington Convention Center.

Thanksgiving Service at Union Temple. Nov. 24, 10:30 AM. All are welcome. 1225 W St. SE. 202-678-8822. uniontemple.com Thanksgiving Service at Washington Na-tional Cathedral. Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 10 AM. The Cathedral will reopen Saturday, Nov. 12, for the fi rst time since the Aug. 23 earthquake. Free. Cathedral at the intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin aves. NW. 202-537-6200. cathedral.org

Thanksgiving Mass at the National Shrine.

Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 9 AM, 10:30 AM and noon. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Ave. NE. 202-526-8300. nationalshrine.com

“Season’s Greenings” at the US Botanic Garden. Opens Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 10 AM-5 PM. The US Botanic Garden invites you to remember that the best things in life are free--the fragrance of a freshly cut fi r tree, the magic of holiday lights and sumptuous decora-tions, and the delight of a child discovering the make-believe world of model trains. Free. 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. usbg.gov

Alexandria Turkey Trot 5 Mile. Nov 24, 10 AM. The thirty six annual Thanksgiving Day Alexan-dria Turkey Trot is taking place in the Del Ray area of Alexandria with some exciting new ad-ditions. With a starting line change, this year’s race will be metro accessible, the start line is 2 blocks from the Braddock Metro Station. The DC Road Runners Club sponsors the event and proceeds will benefi t the the A.L.I.V.E founda-tion. $20. alexandriaturkeytrot.com

National Mall Museums Open Thanksgiv-

ing Day. US Holocaust Memorial Museum is open. The National Zoo is open. The national monuments are all available for viewing but Washington Monument is closed. All Smithso-nian museums are open. Newseum, National Archives, US Capitol Visitors Center and Corco-ran Gallery of Art are closed.

EARLY CHRISTMASNational Zoo Gin-GRR-bread Habitat Con-test. Register through Friday, Nov. 18, 4 PM. (Note, the contest is limited to 80 entries, registration will close after 80 entries are re-ceived.) Calling all bakers, artists, animal lov-ers and holiday enthusiasts! Let your imagina-tion run wild and enter today to build a Winter Wonderland Kids’ Farm Habitat, as part of the second annual FONZ Gin-GRR-bread Habitat Contest sponsored by Starbucks. All habitats will be displayed in the Visitor Center Audi-torium as part of the annual ZooLights event from late November through Jan. 1, 2012. Register online at nationalzoo.si.edu and go to “Zoolights.”

The Fighting Season at Honfl eur Gallery.Through Dec. 16. Honfl eur Gallery presents award-winning photographer Louie Palu’s work The Fighting Season which was completed as several related studies of Kandahar and the surrounding region of Southern Afghanistan. Honfl eur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-536-8994. www.

honfl eurgallery.com

CALENDAR

Standing in dust from improvised explosive device blast, Nakhonay, Panjwa’i District, Kandahar, Afghanistan.” 2010 Photo: Louie Palu

A Christmas Carol at Ford’s. Nov. 18-Dec. 31. (no performance Thanksgiv-ing Day). Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on a jour-ney of transformation and redemption. Originally conceived by Michael Baron, this music-infused production captures the magic and joy of Dickens’s Yuletide classic. Acclaimed Washington stage ac-tor Edward Gero returns to play Scrooge in the production The Washington Post hailed as “musically high-spirited” and “infectiously jolly.” $35-$75. 202-347-4833. fordstheatre.org

The Washington Ballet: The Nutcrack-er at THEARC. Nov. 25-27. Discover, rediscover, and celebrate this one-of-a-kind Nutcracker production set in 1882 Georgetown and starring George Washington as the Nutcracker, King George II as the Rat King, Anacostia Indians, frontiersmen, and all-Ameri-can delights. Whimsical waltzes, glit-tering snowfl akes, and gorgeous music, The Washington Ballet’s Nutcracker is a magical journey not to be missed! $29. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org

Mount Vernon by Candlelight. Nov. 25, 26 and 27, 5-8 PM. Experience includes a candlelight tour, singing around a campfi re, costumed charac-ters, hot cider and cookies. $14-$20. Mount Vernon, VA (at the southern end of the George Washington Memorial Parkway-16 miles from DC). 703-780-2000. mountvernon.org

The Garden of Lights (Winter Gar-den Walk) at Brookside Gardens. Nov. 25-Jan. 8, 5:30-9 PM, weekdays; 5:30-10 PM, Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday. 940,000 twinkling colorful lights shaped in imaginative displays throughout the gardens. $20-$25 per car. It’s a walk-through, however. Brookside Gardens Wheaton Regional Park, 1800 Glenallan Ave.,Wheaton, MD. montgomeryparks.org/brookside

Old Town Alexandria Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Nov. 25, 7-9 PM, (rain or shine). Enjoy musical entertain-ment, caroling with a community sing along, and greetings from the Mayor and Santa Claus. Historic Market Square in Old Town, 301 King St., Alexandria, VA

BZB Holiday Gift and Art Show. Nov. 25 and 26; Dec. 3, 10, 17 and 23; 10 AM-7 PM. Two fl oors of shopping at the largest African-American Department Store on the east coast. Shiloh Family Life Center, 1510 Ninth St. NW. 202-610-4188. bzbinternational.com

First Ever Capital Holiday Parade. Nov. 26, 11 AM. In hopes of becoming one of Washington’s beloved holiday traditions, the Capital Holiday Parade will serve as the kick-off to a season of celebration. The Capitol Holiday Pa-rade & National Band Festival travels east down the National Parade Route on Constitution Ave. with a reviewing stand on Third St. directly in front of



the Capitol. The parade will feature 18 high school and college marching bands, 25 pro-fessionally designed fl oats, large balloons, clowns, equestrian units, cheerleaders, danc-ers and celebrities. Bleacher seating, $10-$15. capitalholidayparade.com

National Christmas Tree Lighting. Dec. 1, 5 PM. Tickets distributed by lottery, Thursday, Nov. 3, 10 AM-Monday. Nov. 7, 9.59 AM. Go to thenationaltree.org or call 877-444-6777 dur-ing this time period. There is no stand-by line.

Union Station Christmas Tree Lighting. Dec. 1, 6 PM. The tree is a gift to the people of Washington, DC and is a symbol of friendship between the United States and Norway. Join the Norwegian Embassy and DC as the 8,000 lights on Washington’s offi cial holiday tree are lit and enjoy live musical performances.

Sewall-Belmont House Holiday Bazaar. Dec. 1, 11 AM-8 PM. Do not miss this opportuni-ty to pick up great gifts, such as the Votes for Women ornaments, while supporting the Sewall-Belmont House & Museum. A variety of artisans will sell their wares, ensuring you can fi nd the perfect gift for everyone on your list. 144 Constitution Ave. NE. 202-546-1210.

sewallbelmont.org

Rosslyn Lighting the Washington Skyline Lighting Ceremony. Dec. 1, 6:30 PM. Ross-lyn property owners participate in LIGHT UP Rosslyn by placing holiday lights along the rooftops of their buildings. Skyline lit through Jan. 31. Rosslyn, VA.

Living (Gospel) Christmas Tree at Penn-sylvania Avenue Baptist Church. Dec. 2, 7 PM; Dec. 3, 6 PM; and Dec. 4, 4:45 PM and 7:45 PM. $12. Tickets on saleWednesdays and Thursdays, 6-9 PM. You can also send a money order to the church for tickets. This event sells out !!! 3000 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-581-1500. pabc-dc.org

Christmas Concert at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Dec. 2, 7:30 PM (but get there earlier). The National Shrine invites you to their Annual Christmas Concert for Charity featuring the voices and sounds of the Catholic University of America Choir and Orchestra. Free will offering. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Ave. NE. 202-526-8300. nationalshrine.com

Downtown DC Holiday Market. Dec. 2-23,

noon-8 PM. The annual Downtown DC Holiday Market offers seasonal outdoor shopping with a festive atmosphere. It features nearly 180 rotating exhibitors and artisans with approxi-mately 50 each week, offering distinctive gifts for sale including fi ne art, crafts, jewelry, cloth-ing, accessories, pottery, photography, cloth-ing and specialty foods. Centered at Eighth and F sts. NW. downtownholidaymarket.com

Zoolights. Starts Dec. 2, 5-9 PM. Don’t miss your chance to meander through the Zoo when it is covered with thousands of sparkling lights, attend special keeper talks, and enjoy live entertainment. Free. National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. nationalzoo.si.edu

Holiday Boat Parade of Lights. Dec, 3, 4 PM. Alexandria’s harbor lights up when more than 50 illuminated boats cruise the Potomac River at the historic waterfront. Alexandria’s Historic Waterfront at the foot of Cameron Street Alexandria, VA. visitalexandriava.com. 703-838-5005.

Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade and Concert. Dec. 3, parade 11 AM-1 PM; massed band concert 1-1:30 PM. Parade route Begins at the corner of Wilkes and South Saint Asaph sts. in Old Town and ends at King and Royal sts. Concert at King and Royal sts. in front of City Hall at Market Square. Alexandria, VA. scottishchristmaswalk.com

National Museum of the American Indian Na-tive Art Market. Dec. 3-4, 10 AM-5:30 PM. The NMAI Art Market offers one-of-a-kind, handmade, traditional and contemporary items directly from the artisans. More than 35 Native artists from North and South America will participate in this annual weekend market featuring a wide selec-tion of items for purchase including handmade jewelry, beadwork, pottery, prints and sculpture. Free. Fourth St. and Independence Ave. SW. 202-633-1000. nmai.si.edu

Black Nativity at H Street Playhouse. Pre-views begin Dec. 3, 8 PM. Langston Hughes’ retelling of the Christmas story from an Afro-centric perspective, infused with rich gospel, blues, funk, jazz music and dance with griot style story telling from an ensemble cast. Now, today, here in this place, nineteen cen-turies removed from Bethleham — in a land far across the sea from Judea — we sing His songs and glorify His name. Tickets on sale now at $35. Discounts for under 18, students and seniors. theateralliance.com

St. John’s Greens Sale and Christmas Bazaar. Dec 3, 10 AM-3 PM. This benefi t for St. John’s mission features beautifully hand-decorated wreaths, gourmet foods, greenery, holiday plants, gift items and more. A “Vintage Christ-mas and Collectibles Shop” will offer holiday decorations and items from years gone by, children’s holiday dresses and outfi ts, unique antiques, jewelry and collectibles. A delicious lunch will again offer a time for relaxing with friends during the event. St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3240 O St. NW. 202-338-1796.

Logan Circle Holiday House Tour. Dec. 4, 1-5 PM. Ticket pick-up at 12:30 PM at the Studio Theatre. Wassail reception, at Studio 3-5:30 PM. $30. LoganCircle.org

US Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting. Dec. 6, 5 PM. West Lawn of the Capitol. Arrive early

because there will be a security line. No tick-ets required.

National Museum of the American Indian Hol-iday Tree. Arrives Dec. 6. The Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians from Tuolumne, CA are bringing the offi cial NMAI holiday tree to Washington, D.C. The public, representatives from Congress and museum staff are invited to decorate the tree with provided ornaments and enjoy a dance performance by members of the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians. Fourth St. and Independence Ave. SW. 202-633-1000. nmai.si.edu

Daughters of the American Revolution (fam-ily-friendly) Christmas Open House. Dec. 7, 5:30-8 PM. Live holiday music, tour 31 period rooms, cider, hot chocolate and cookies, Santa (bring a camera). DAR Memorial Continental Hall, 17th and D sts. NW. 202-572-0563. dar.org

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Santa Express. Holiday season festivities take on an old world charm in the nearby Maryland Mountains. The history fi lled small cities of Cumberland and Frostburg host traditional community tree lighting ceremonies on the Thanksgiving weekend. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad operates Santa Express trains with morning and evening departures from Cumberland during the holiday season. More information about visiting Mountain Mary-land, about two hours west of the Beltway on I-68 can be found at mdmountainside.com.

Cut-Your-Own Christmas Tree Farms in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Visit pickyourownchristmastree.org for farms and directions. Then follow the prompts.

AROUND THENEIGHBORHOODSome Account of Lacock Abbey at the Gal-lery at Vivid Solutions. Through Dec. 16. Lisa McCarty exhibits photographs taken at Lacock Abbey, the home of William Henry Fox Talbot. Both site and subject of the fi rst photographic negative, the Abbey is hallowed ground in the history of photography and became a point of pilgrimage for McCarty. 2208 MLK Ave. SE. 202-365-8392. vividsolutionsdc.com

Exercise Your Mynd, BK Adams IAMART. Through Nov. 27. BK Adams’s IAMART motto and works of art have appeared in public plac-es and in galleries in Washington, DC., and have attracted a broad and devoted follow-ing. Using exuberant color, toys, and objects scavenged from everyday life, Adams’s work poses a call to the viewer to get involved with art. This exhibition is his latest effort to share with the viewer the landscape of his imagina-tion. There are some familiar motifs and links from Adams’s life—bicycles, airplanes, and the nuclear family—that steadfastly travel through these imaginary landscapes. Anacos-tia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

Avon Dews: An Evening of Elegance and Cool. Saturday, Nov. 12, 8 PM. Jazz musician, Avon Dews returns to THEARC this fall for another evening of smooth jazz with special guest per-formers, Valerie Moten and Carolyn West. For tickets, contact 202-562-4556. THEARC, 1901

CALENDAR

Thanksgiving Day Trot for Hunger 5K.Nov. 24, 9 AM. Kids fun run at 8:30 AM. Start and Finish on Pennsylvania Ave. NW, between 12th St. and 13th St. Event benefi ts So Others Might

Eat 202-797-8806. some.org

Former Mayor Fenty crossing the fi nish line at a previous Thanksgiving Day Trot for Hunger. Photo: Visual Initiatives, LLC

Mississippi Ave. SE. thearcdc.org

Henna Body Art. Sunday, Nov. 13, 2-4 PM. For over 5,000 years, the people of Af-rica, the Middle East, and India have prac-ticed the art of painting on the body with preparations derived from the henna plant. Henna specialist Samirah Ali, a Trinidadian by birth, presents the history of henna art and explains the special properties of the henna plant. Participants will plan and apply designs on their hands and arms with the temporary paint. For reservations, call 202-633-4844. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu

SOS: Steps of Success to Wellness. Nov. 17, and Dec, 15, 5-7 PM. The SOS: Steps of Success to Wellness is a free six session training series, taught by exceptional and experienced medical practitioners including several pediatricians and a dentist. Partici-pants who attend all six sessions receive a $100 gift card. Those who attend 5 sessions receive a $50 gift card, and $25 if you at-tend 4. Participants must be at least 18 to be eligible for the gift card. All attendees also receive a certifi cate. For more informa-tion or to register, contact Ellen Wiggins at 202-436-3076. THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org

The Exposure Group Photographic Exhibi-tion. Opening Reception, Nov. 18, 6:30-8:30 PM. The Exposure Group African American Photographers Association is a membership driven non profi t professional organization open to photographers worldwide. Center for Green Urbanism, 3938 Benning Rd. NE. 202-462-9099. exposuregroup.org

Public Art East of the River. Saturday, Nov. 19, 9:30 AM-12:30 PM. Some of the most ex-citing public art in the District of Columbia is on view east of the river. The artworks make bold statements and refl ect the diversity and craftsmanship of artists through mosaics, paint, and a variety of sculptural materials. Join us on a guided tour as we travel to select sites and view art by Martha Jackson-Jarvis, Roderick Turner, Uzikee Nelson, and others. Mixed-media artist Deidra Bell will serve as your guide. A surprise gift is in store for one lucky participant. For registration, call 202-633-4844. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu

What Color Is This? Sunday, Nov. 20, 2-3:30 PM. Artist Peter Krsko of the art and design group Albus Cavus leads a workshop that ex-amines the phenomenon of color. What is it and how do we perceive it? Why is a sunset red and a rainbow always same? To answer these questions, we will “look” at color from the perspective of an artist, physicist, neu-roscientist, and biologist. Together we will discover the beautiful and unexplored world of color around us. For reservations, call 202-633-4844. Anacostia Community Mu-seum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu

Make Them Walk Workshop. Saturday, Nov. 26, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM. Become inspired by the museum’s Exercise Your Mynd exhibition where you will fi nd the Walking Exhibit. Artist BK Adams will lead you on a creative journey where you will make your own 3-dimensional model of a walking fi gure. For reservations, call 202-633-4844. Anacostia Community

Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu

What’s Blooming at the US Arboretum in November? Conifer foliage and cones, dog-woods in fruit, viburnums in fruit, ornamental grasses, fall foliage, fall blooming camellias, chrysanthemums, native witch-hazels. Free. There are two entrances: one at 3501 New York Ave. NE, and 24th and R sts. NE, off of Blad-ensburg Rd. 202-245-4521. usna.usda.gov

SPORTS, DANCE ANDPHYSICAL FITNESSDa’Originalz featuring Beat Ya Feet. Nov. 12 and Dec. 3, 10:30 AM-noon. Learn how to create your own movements in the dance form of “Beat Ya Feet.” Based on an origi-nal DC dance form, this fi ve-session work-shop will provide demonstrations and group practice supervision by Da’Originalz. If self-expression through movement is your preference, then Beat Ya Feet is for you. For reservations, call 202-633-4844; group size is limited. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu

Free Yoga Class at Anacostia Library. Thursdays, 7-8 PM through Dec. 1. Yoga is a great way to relax, unwind, and get ground-ed. Even if you’ve never done yoga before, this class is for you. Open to people of all abilities, ages and body types. All you need to bring is yourself, comfortable clothing and an open mind. Judgment free zone: hav-ing a great time is encouraged! Register in person at Anacostia Neighborhood Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE or call 202-715-7707. dclibrary.org/anacostia

The Hydrocephalus Association National Capital 5K Run/WALK. Nov. 20, 8 AM. 5k Run/Walk and Kids Fun Run to promote awareness and raise funds for medical re-search to eliminate the challenges of Hydro-cephalus. walk4hydro.kintera.org

Adult Dance Classes. Mondays, 7-8:15 PM, African dance; Tuesdays, 8-9:15 PM, Ballet; Saturdays, 9-10 AM, Zumba. The Washington Ballet @ THEARC offers three adult classes this year. Classes are $10 each or you may purchase a $100 class card for 12 classes. Classes are only $5 for residents who live in the 20020 or 20032 zip codes. (Valid ID required.) THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org

Ice Skating at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Open Thanksgiving Day. Mid Nov. through Mid Mar. (depending on the weather). Monday through Thursday, 10 AM-9 PM; Friday and Saturday, 10 AM-11 PM; Sunday, 11 AM-9 PM. View magnifi cent works of sculpture while skating in the open air and enjoying music from the state-of-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. 202-289-3361. nga.gov/ginfo/skating

Pentagon Row Outdoor Ice Skating. Open Thanksgiving Day and daily through mid-Mar. 10 AM-11 PM. $7-$8. $3 for skate rent-al. 1201 South Joyce St. Arlington, VA. 703-



418-6666. pentagonrowskating.com

Adult Zumba Class. Northeast Per-forming Arts Group. $7 per class or $45 per month. 3431 Benning Rd. NE (next to the Chateau). 202-388-1274

The Hydrocephalus Association Na-tional Capital 5K Run/WALK. Nov. 20, 8 AM. 5k Run/Walk and Kids Fun Run to promote awareness and raise funds for medical research to eliminate the challenges of Hydrocephalus. walk4hy-dro.kintera.org

Free public tennis courts in Wards 7 and 8. Fort Davis Community Center, 1400 41st St. SE; Hillcrest Recreation Center, 3100 Denver St. SE; Kenilworth-Parkside Recreation Center, 4300 Ana-costia Ave. NE; Randle Highlands Tennis Courts, 31st St. and Pennsylvania Ave. SE; Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Dr. SE; Bald Eagle Recreation Center, Martin Luther King, Jr Ave. and Joliet St. SW; Congress Heights Recreation Center, Ala-bama Ave. and Randle Pl.SE; Fort Stan-ton Community Center, 1812 Erie St. SE. All courts are open daily, dawn to dusk. Some are lighted for extended evening play. Courts are available on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis for one-hour intervals; extended use of tennis courts requires a permit. Proper shoes and attire is re-quired. 202-671-0314. dpr.dc.gov

Deanwood (indoor) Pool. Mon-Fri 6:30 AM-8 PM; Sat-Sun, 9 AM-5 PM. Free for DC residents. 1350 49th St. NE. 202-671-3078. dpr.dc.gov

Ferebee Hope (indoor) Pool. Open weekdays, 10-6 PM. Closed weekends. Free for DC residents. 3999 Eighth St. SE. 202-645-3916. dpr.dc.gov

East Potomac Driving Range. Open daily except Christmas, 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM. Tuesdays open 10 AM to 9:30 PM. The East Potomac Driving Range features 50 covered and 50 uncovered stalls for year-round golf practice. $6 for 51 balls. East Potomac Golf Course, 972 Ohio Dr. SW. 202-554-7660. golfdc.com

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

MARKETSWard 8 Farmer’s Market. Saturdays (through Thanksgiving), 9 AM-2 PM. Farmers and vendors will be selling their fresh produce in THEARC’s park-ing lot every Saturday. There will also be free food samples and expert advice from a UDC Nutritionist. WIC Coupons, Senior Coupons, and Food Stamps accepted. 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. Ward8FarmersMarket.com

For more information

888.899.5320 • [email protected]

• Personal Training• Customized Meal Plans• Wellness Lectures• Boot Camps

Parkside-Kenilworth Farmers Mar-ket. Closed for the season. Will re-open in spring. This new market is at the corner of Burnham Pl. and Kenilworth Terr. NE, one block from the Minnesota Avenue Metro Station pedestrian bridge on the Kenilworth Ave. side. pkfarmersmarket.com

Aya Community Market. Nov. 18, (third Saturday of every month through Nov.), 11 AM-5 PM, Pennsyl-vania Avenue Baptist Church, 3000 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. The market will provide resources for healthy and sus-tainable communities through farm fresh produce; educational health speakers and live musical perfor-mances; locally produced handmade crafts and baked goods; art, youth activities and more. 202-714-5568. dreamingoutloud.net

H Street Farmers Market. Satur-days, 9 AM-noon. Open through Nov. 20. Parking lot in the 600 block of H Street. The market is a producers-only outdoor market offering fruit, vegetables, meats, baked goods, cheese, fl owers and more for sale. freshfarmmarket.org

Eastern Market. Daily except Mondays and important holidays. Weekdays, 7 AM-7 PM; Saturdays, 7 AM-6 PM; Sundays, 9 AM-5 PM. Flea market and arts and crafts market open Saturdays and Sundays, 9 AM-6 PM. Eastern Market is Washing-ton’s last continually operated “old world” market. On weekends the market area comes alive with farm-ers bringing in fresh produce, craft and fl ower vendors, artists, a fl ea market and street musicians. 200 block of 7th St. SE. 202-544-0083. easternmarketdc.com

CIVIC LIFEBig Chair Breakfast Bunch. Sat-urday, Nov. 12, 10 AM-noon. Big Chair Coffee n’ Grill (upstairs). All are welcome to attend and discuss what’s happening East of the River. 2122 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE. 202-525-4287.

Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic. Tuesday, Nov. 15, 5-7:30 PM. The Enhanced Business Information Center (e-BIC) and the DC Bar Pro Bono Program are working together to offer this free legal clinic. This clinic is for aspiring or existing small business owners. Attendees will meet one-on-one with attor-neys for brief advice on any legal issues their businesses may be fac-ing. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-737-4700 ext. 3369. dcbar.org/ced

Free Seminar for Federal Employ-ees. Nov. 16, 10 AM-2 PM. Seminar will discuss critical human resource and training issues hosted by Gradu-

ate School USA. Box lunches will be provided; seating is limited. Prereg-istration with a valid government email address is required by Nov. 9. Capital Gallery Building, 600 Mary-land Ave. SW, 2nd fl oor. 1-888-744-GRAD. graduateschool.edu

Community Meeting on DC Govern-ment-Run Internet Gambling. Nov. 17, 6:30-8:30 PM. Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-715-7707. dclibrary.org/anacostia

Ward 8 Community Meeting with Councilmember Barry. Nov. 17, 6:30-8:30 PM. Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE

Congresswoman Norton’s NW Dis-trict Offi ce. Open weekdays, 9 AM-6 PM. 529 14th St. NW. 202-783-5065. norton.house.gov

Councilmember Alexander’s Con-stituent Services Offi ce. Open weekdays, 10 AM-6 PM. 2524 Penn. Ave. SE. 202-581-1560.

Councilmember Barry’s Constitu-ent Services Offi ce. Open week-days, 9 AM-5 PM. 2100 MLK Ave, SE, #307. 202-698-2185.

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

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

Capitol View Civic Association Monthly Meeting. Third Monday, 6:30 PM. Hughes Memorial United Methodist, 25 53rd St. NE. capi-tolviewcivicassoc.org

Historical Anacostia Block As-sociation. Second Thursday, 7-9 PM. UPO-Anacostia Service Center, 1649 Good Hope Rd. SE. For further details, contact Charles Wilson, 202-834-0600.

Anacostia High School School Im-provement Team Meeting. Fourth Tuesday. 6 PM. Anacostia High School, 16th and R sts. SE.

Deanwood Citizens Association General Body Meeting. Fourth Monday, except Aug. and Dec., 6:30 PM. 1350 49th St. NE.

Eastland Gardens Civic Associa-tion Meeting. Third Tuesday. 6:30-8:30 PM. Kenilworth Elementary School (auditorium), 1300 44th St. NE. Greg Rhett [email protected] or 202-388-1532.

Fairlawn Citizens Association. Third Tuesday, 7 PM. Ora L. Glover Commu-

nity Room at the Anacostia Public Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE.

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

MPD 7D Citizens Advisory Council Meeting. Third Wednesday, Oct. 19, 7-9 PM. 7D Police Station Commu-nity Room, 2455 Alabama Ave. SE. For details, contact Lendia Johnson at 202-698-1454.

PSA 703 Meeting. Last Wednesday, Oct. 26, 6:30-8 PM. St. John CME Church, 2801 Stanton Rd. SE. For details, contact Lt. Edward Aragona at 202-698-1446.

ANC Meeting for 7-A. Third Tues-day, 7:30 PM. Benning-Stoddard Rec. Center, 100 Stoddard Pl. SE. 202-727-1000. [email protected]. anc7a.org

ANC Meeting for 7-B. Third Thurs-day, 7 PM. Ryland Epworth United Methodist Church, 3200 S St. SE (Branch Ave and S St. SE). 202-584-3400. [email protected]. anc7b.us

ANC Meeting for 7-C. Second Thursday, 7 PM. Sargent Memorial Presbyterian Church, 5109 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave. NE. 202-398-5100. [email protected]

ANC Meeting for 7-D. Second Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Sixth District Po-lice Station, 100 42nd St. NE. 202-398-5258. [email protected]

ANC Meeting for 7-E. Second Tuesday, 7-8:30 PM. Jones Memo-rial Church, 4625 G St. SE. 202-582-6360. [email protected]

ANC Meeting for 8-A. First Tues-day, 7 PM. Anacostia UPO Service Center, 1649 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-889-6600. anc8adc.org

ANC Meeting for 8-B. Third Tues-day, 7 PM. Seventh District Police Station Community Center, Ala-bama and McGee Sts. SE. 202-610-1818. anc8b.org

ANC Meeting for 8-C. First Wednesday (June meeting is on the nineth because of the holiday), 6:30 PM. 2907 MLK Jr Ave. SE. 202-388-2244.

ANC Meeting for 8-D. Fourth Thursday, 7 PM. Specialty Hospital of Washington, 4601 MLK Jr. Ave. SW. 202 561-0774

ANC Meeting for 8-E. Third Tues-day, 7 PM. SE Tennis and Learning Center, 701 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202-561-6616. [email protected] ●●


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Animal Clinic of Anacostia

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2300 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, SE Suite 316WDC, 20032


BULLETIN BOARD

Feet in the Street Attracts 400 ParticipantsIt was a perfect autumn day for Feet in

the Street this year. Th e sun was out and the breeze cooled everyone down from all the run-ning around. Th e rock climbers and cherry pick-ers probably felt the warmest, since they were closer to the sun. However, it wasn’t so bad for the runners, the hikers, or the bikers. Kids got their faces painted and parents got their arms tattooed (airbrushed). Passers-by saw the Farm-er’s Market and then partook of locally grown pumpkins, apples and honey. Visitors learned about bike safety and organic gardening. Feet in the Street had a lot going on this year, and if you did not make it out, bookmark your calendars for next year’s event, on Oct. 13, 2012. Th ank you to all who participated in this year’s event, and the organizers look forward to seeing you again next year.

Olivia’s Cupcakes OpensOlivia’s Cupcakes off ers gourmet

cupcakes that are made from scratch daily. Th ey use the highest qual-ity ingredients--creamy butter, whole milk, eggs, cream, and fresh fruits--to create the perfect cupcake! Open Monday-Friday, 10:00 AM-7:00 PM; Saturday, 10:00 AM-7:30 PM; Sunday, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM 2318 Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-506-7596. cupcakesbyolivia.com

New Library at Charles Hart Middle School

Hart Middle School celebrated the grand opening of its new library on Oct. 20. Th rough a generous grant from Capital One Bank, Th e Heart of America Foundation READesign team worked with the Charles Hart Middle School staff to build out a new library with a vibrant learning area and age-appropriate reading material for students, and a focus on fi nancial lit-

eracy. Approximately 50 Capital One volunteers worked at the school over a two-day period to help build out the library--from assembling furniture and decorating, to sorting books and stock-ing shelves. In addition to the more than 1,000 books provided for the li-brary, including 50 fi nancial literacy themed books, Capital One donated four books for each of the school’s 530 students to take home to add to or be-gin building their own home libraries. Previously, there was no library facil-ity at the school. Charles Hart Middle School, 601 Mississippi Ave. SE.

Announcing Neighborhood Project Micro-Grants

Have a great idea for a volunteer project or program but you don’t know how to fund it? Apply for a HandsOn Greater DC Cares Ward 7 micro-grant! Ward 7 residents are encouraged to ap-ply for up to $250 to create a project that utilizes the neighborhood’s assets,

skills and talents toward the fulfi llment of community priorities. Th e applica-tion is available on greaterdccares.org under “Neighboring Now.” For more information, contact Torey Holling-sworth at 202-777-4453. Applications are due by 5:00 PM, Friday, Dec. 5.

Harris Teeter Makes Community Connection with Jan’s Tutoring House

Barely two years into entering DC, the Harris Teeter supermarket chain is making its presence felt, not only to appreciative shoppers, but also to the broader community in the city, includ-ing at its Capitol Hill store at Pennsyl-vania and Potomac Avenues SE. SE. Th is commitment was recently dem-onstrated with a $10,000 Harris Tee-ter check presented to Jan’s Tutoring House, the 21-year-old youth tutoring and mentoring program, nearby on Capitol Hill, founded by political and

social activist Jan Eichhorn. Council-member Tommy Wells, a former chair of the JTH Board, accepted on behalf of the program. “We welcome this con-tribution for JTH and for Jan’s legacy,” he said. “Contributions like this, big and small, will make sure JTH thrives for another 20 years.” Th e Harris Tee-ter delegation was led by Regional Vice President Dan Marett, who said: “JTH is just the kind of community activity we want each of our stores to support.” Tonya Woods, the JTH executive direc-tor, welcomed the pledge of an on-go-ing partnership. Th e event also featured a tour of the tutoring house by two youths who are in the JTH program.

Urban Waterways and Waterfront Development Community Forum

Th e Anacostia Community Mu-seum is conducting a research and educational initiative that focuses on urban waterways, especially rivers, their watersheds, and associated creeks and

Feet in the Street Event Participants Exercising at Fort Dupont. Photo: Courtesy of the National Park Service

streams. Th e project explores, among other things, social conditions, envi-ronmental burdens, citizen concerns and involvement, and cultural and recreational traditions associated with urban rivers. Th is discussion focuses on waterfront development projects including the Yards Park and develop-ment in other localities. Free. Tuesday, November 15, 7:00 PM Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

Uniontown Bar & Grill Happy Hour

Happy Hour at Union-town means $5 cocktails and selected appetizers and $1 off beer and wine on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4:00-7:00 PM and on Th ursdays from 7:00-11:00 PM. Uniontown Bar & Grill’s Cajun-style menu pairs a natural ingredient menu with a vibrant atmosphere, bringing an urban-inspired ambiance to deliciously fresh foods. 2200 MKL Ave. SE. 202-678-8824. utowndc.com

New Southbound DC 295 Flyover Bridge Opens

Th e District Depart-ment of Transportation has opened the new southbound DC 295 fl yover bridge in SE Washington. Th e opening of the new fl yover bridge, which entails the realignment of the southbound lanes of the Anacostia Freeway (295) be-tween Pennsylvania Ave. and Howard Rd., represents the fi rst major phase of complet-ed work on the 11th Street Bridge Project. Th e fl yover bridge is 1368 feet long and rises 68 feet in the air at the highest point. For more in-formation about this work or the 11th Street Bridge Proj-ect, contact DDOT Project Manager Ravindra Ganvir at 202-359-6948 or visit ddot.dc.gov/11thStreetBridge.

Ward 8 Turkey GiveawayOn Tuesday, Nov. 22, 9:00

AM-5:00 PM, 2,000 turkeys

will be given away at Union Temple Baptist Church, 1225 W St. SE., to Ward 8 residents only. Call 202-698-1668 for more information.

George Washington Carver Nature Trail Tour

On Wednesday, Nov. 16, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, walk the museum’s Dr. George Washington Carver Na-ture Trail and learn about the benefi ts


NOTICE OF COMMUNITY HEARINGS

PUBLIC INPUT SOUGHT ON POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY’S RATE APPLICATION, FORMAL CASE NO. 1087, IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF THE POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY FOR AUTHORITY TO INCREASE EXISTING RETAIL RATES AND CHARGES FOR

ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION SERVICE

This Notice informs the public that the Public Service Commission of the District of Co-lumbia (“Commission”) seeks input on the rate application submitted by the Potomac Electric Power Company (“Pepco”) requesting authority to increase existing distribution service rates and charges for electric service in the District of Columbia. Pepco proposes a revenue require-ment increase of $42.1 million. Pepco is the sole distributor of electric power to homes and businesses in the District; hence the Commission will set Pepco’s distribution service rates in this rate case and not the cost of electricity itself. • Pepco requests authority to earn an 8.64% Rate of Return, including a Return on Equity of 10.75%. Per the PSC’s decision in Formal Case No. 1076, rendered in March 2010, Pepco’s current allowed Rate of Return is 8.01%, including a Return on Equity of 9.625%. • Pepco proposes a Reliability Investment Recovery Mechanism (“RIM”) surcharge that would provide for annual rate adjustments to recover the reliability related costs of certain investments in Pepco’s distribution system. • Pepco seeks cost recovery for its investments in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (“AMI”). • Pepco proposes to recover incremental customer care expenses relating to initiatives that Pepco is undertaking to enhance customer service. Pepco states that this initiative includes four major components: personnel, telecommunication infra structure (hardware and software), storm readiness, and customer education/market research. • Pepco’s proposals would add about $5.00 to the monthly bill for the typical residential customer and increase the minimum monthly customer charge from $6.65 per month to $10.40 for the standard (R) class and from $6.65 to $12.39 for the All-Electric residential (AE) class.

The Commission published a Public Notice on July 22, 2011, regarding this application in the D.C. Register to allow interested persons to intervene in Formal Case No. 1087, the formal case established to adjudicate Pepco’s application. The Public Notice can be accessed online at www.dcpsc.org or viewed at any public library. A hard copy of the Public Notice can be obtained by calling (202) 626-5150.

The Commission will convene eight (8) community hearings at the following locations on the specified dates:

Those who wish to testify at the community hearings should contact the Commis-sion Secretary by the close of business three (3) business days prior to the date of the hearing by calling (202) 626-5150. Representatives of organizations shall be permitted a maximum of five (5) minutes for oral presentations. Individuals shall be permitted a maxi-mum of three (3) minutes for oral presentations. If an organization or an individual is unable to offer comments at the community hearings, written statements may be submitted to the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia, 1333 H Street, NW, Suite 200, West Tower, Washington, and D.C. 20005.

Any person who is deaf or hearing-impaired, and cannot readily understand or commu-nicate in spoken English, and persons with disabilities who need special accommodations in order to participate in the hearing, must contact the Commission Secretary by close of seven (7) business days prior to the date of the hearing. Persons who wish to testify in Spanish, Chi-nese, Amharic, or Korean must also contact the Commission Secretary by close of business three (3) business days before the day of the hearing. The number to call to request special accommodations and interpretation services is (202) 626-5150.

Ward 1Columbia Heights Recreation Center1480 Girard Street, NWMonday, November 21, 2011, 11:00 am

Ward 3Chevy Chase Recreation Center5601 Connecticut Ave, NWFriday, November 18, 2011, 11:00 am

Ward 5Bethesda Baptist Church 1808 Capitol Ave, NEMonday, November 21, 2011, 6:30 pm

Ward 7Deanwood Recreation Center 1350 49th Street, NE 2427Saturday, November 19, 2011, 11:00 am

Ward 2D.C. Public Service Commission Hearing Room1333 H Street, NW, 7th floor East TowerWednesday, November 9, 2011, 11:00 am

Ward 4Emery Recreation Center5801 Georgia Ave, NWWednesday, November 9, 2011, 6:30 pm

Ward 6King Greenleaf Recreation Center201 N Street, SWTuesday, November 22, 2011, 10:00 am

Ward 8Thurgood Marshall Public Charter SchoolMartin Luther King, SETuesday, November 8, 2011, 6:30 pm

Mississippi Avenue Apts. RenovatedTh rough a unique public-private part-

nership, 19 formerly homeless families and individuals will now have a place to call home in Ward 8. Th e ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly-renovated Mis-sissippi Avenue Apartments took place on Oct. 13 at 1320 Mississippi Ave. SE. Th e development is the result of a successful partnership involving multiple District agencies, developer William C. Smith and Co., and DC nonprofi t Community of Hope. Th e District-owned building, a former police station, was vacant for al-most twenty years. Government partners include the DC Department of Human Services, the DC Department of Housing and Community Development, the DC Housing Authority, and the DC Depart-ment of Mental Health. William C. Smith and Co. developed the property and serves as the property manager; rental subsidies for families are supplied by the District; and Community of Hope will provide case management and social services.

Feet in the Street Event Participants Exercising at Fort Dupont. Photo: Courtesy of the National Park Service


of natural recycling, the insect com-munity, medicinal plants, and other outdoor off erings. Th e museum’s trail walk is co- sponsored by the George Washington Carver Outdoor School Inc. Recommended for ages 8 to adults. For reservations, call 202-633-4844. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu

Wacky & Whimsical Tea toBenefi t THEARC

Th e “Wacky & Whimsical Tea to Benefi t THEARC” is a fun-fi lled Sun-day afternoon that will include high tea, a silent auction and creative games for kids of all ages and their families, including magic tricks, hat decorating, exciting games, special entertainment and other surprises. All of the pro-ceeds from the event will benefi t the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC). Sunday, Feb. 12, 2:00-4:00 PM $125, adults; $75, chil-dren 13 and under. Four Seasons Hotel

Georgetown, 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org

Tubman-Mahan Gallery at the Center for Green Urbanism

After Th e Center for Green Ur-banism opened as a green business in-cubator, its substantial wall space, invit-ing light and creative air, inspired the creation of the Tubman-Mahan Gal-lery. Over the past year, the gallery has hosted a variety of shows highlighting local artists and surrounding broad themes including “Making Herstory6” and “Mama Earth.” Th e Gallery’s En-vironmental Art Advisory Group is currently working on a Strategic Plan to ensure a successful future!

If you are interested in sponsor-ing an event, becoming a partner, or have questions, send an e-mail to [email protected]. 3938 Benning Rd. NE. 202-506-3867. centerforgreenurbanism.org

Public HousingResidents’ HealthNeeds Initiative Surveys

If you are a public housing resident of DC Housing Authority, please step forward and be counted. Th e Citywide Advisory Board needs you to complete your household Health Needs Initia-tive Survey as soon as possible. Th e survey is anonymous, so you do not have to place your name on the survey. For a blank copy of this survey, go to your Property Management Offi ce, or contact Kenneth Council at 202-575-3601. Please complete the survey and drop it in the box in the offi ce. If there is no box, ask the Property Manager to provide a “space or place for it to be collected.”

Many Resident Council offi cers and members of the Citywide Advisory Board are working to make the Health Needs Survey Initiative a resounding success. Mr. Council, who is chairing this project, asks that you “Please take a few minutes and do something that makes a diff erence. Th is survey is be-ing done by the residents, and for the residents. It’s an empowerment piece so that we can become more self-suf-fi cient. With your help we can help ourselves improve our health, our chil-dren’s health and the lives of people in the communities where we live.”

New DC Jazz WebsiteCapitalBop is a website dedicated

to promoting Washington, DC’s vi-brant, varied and surprisingly under-appreciated jazz scene. Th is site is de-signed to help everyone from novices to hardcore bopheads fi nd live music that will fi t their preferences on any given night. capitalbop.com

Anacostia Watershed VolunteeringIf you are looking for a good cause

that deserves your time and eff ort, look no further! At the Anacostia Watershed Society no contribution is more valu-able to them than your hard work. Th ey off er a variety of volunteer opportuni-ties that will engage your hands, your head, and your heart in the protection and restoration of our local lands and water. Volunteers are accommodated individually and in groups. Help them with one of these outdoor stewardship projects—river and community trash cleanups; non-native, invasive plant re-

moval; native tree planting and mainte-nance; storm drain stenciling. Regular-ly scheduled volunteer events are listed on their event calendar on anacostiaws.org. 301-699-6204

Randall Neighbor Day at the Corcoran Gallery of Art

On Dec. 10, all ANC 6D resi-dents (ZIP codes 20024 and 20003) can visit the Corcoran for free. Th e annual event came about due to the community benefi ts package the ANC negotiated with the Corcoran in 2007 when they planned to redevelop Ran-dall School at Half & I Street as a col-lege and apartment complex. When the Telesis/Rubell team took over the project in 2010, the subsidy was maintained. In addition, once the new museum planned for Randall School opens, the Corcoran will be free every day for ANC 6D residents. Special exhibitions at the Corcoran include 30 Americans, which showcases works by many of the most important African American artists of the last three de-cades. Th e Corcoran will be open on Dec. 10, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM Corco-ran Gallery of Art, 510 17th St. NW. 202-639-1770. corcoran.org

THE ART OF WARD 8 BlogCharles Wilson has become a

blogger. THE ART OF WARD 8 is his way of applying the strategic prin-ciples in the book the Art of War to ev-eryday life, particularly in Ward 8. Mr. Wilson is a consultant, 8A04 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, Ward 8 State Committeeman, President of the River East Emerging Leaders (r.e.e.l.) and Historic Anacostia Block Associa-tion. artofward8.blogspot.com

Traffi c Shift Planned for Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE

Th e District Department of Trans-portation (DDOT) has shifted traffi c to the south side of Nannie Helen Bur-roughs Ave. NE between Minnesota Ave. and Hayes St. One lane in each direction will continue to remain open along this stretch of Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave. Th e work that is cur-rently underway on the south side of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue be-tween Hayes Street and Eastern Av-enue will continue to advance. DDOT encourages all motorists and pedestri-

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Hillcrests Sophisticated Walkers vist the MLK Memorial.Photo by Andrew Lightman

ans to stay alert as they travel through this corridor. More information about the Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue Great Streets Project is available at: nhbavenueproject.com.

Anacostia Riverwalk Trails Th e Anacostia Riverwalk is a

planned 20-mile multi-use trail along the east and west banks of the Anacos-tia River in DC. Th e vision for this con-tinuous Riverwalk is a key component of the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative (AWI) Framework Plan. It realizes several AWI goals such as enhancing parkland, improving water quality, and increasing access to waterfront desti-nations. Th e District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has taken the lead in planning and constructing the Riverwalk as a recreational ame-nity and transportation alternative for Washington residents. Th e trail will vary in width from 10 ft to 12 ft to en-sure comfort for a wide range of users including bicyclists, inline skaters, pe-destrians, disabled people, and others. Periodic waysides will provide seating, system maps, bike racks, and interpre-tive exhibits.

When completed, it will connect sixteen waterfront neighborhoods to the Anacostia National Park and the Anacostia River. Washington resi-dents and visitors will be able to walk and bike on the Riverwalk to several popular destinations, including the Fish Wharf, the new baseball stadi-um, Poplar Point, the Navy Yard, his-toric Anacostia, RFK stadium, King-man Island, and National Arboretum. At either end, the trail will connect to the National Mall at the Tidal Ba-sin and to the Bladensburg Marina Park in Prince George’s County, MD. Construction started in Aug. 2008. Targeted completion date is Jan. 1, 2015. For more information, visit ddot.dc.gov or call 202-671-4595.

SOME Opens Affordable Housing for 78 Homeless Men and Women

On October 25, SOME (So Oth-ers Might Eat) celebrated the opening of Bedford Falls, which will provide aff ordable and dignifi ed housing to 78 homeless men and women in Wash-ington, DC. Th e building is named in honor of William E. Conway, Jr. of the Carlyle Group and his wife, Joanne, for their support of SOME’s Aff ord-

able Housing Development Initiative and their commitment to providing safe, dignifi ed housing to those who are most in need. Mr. Conway chairs SOME’s Aff ordable Housing Devel-opment Initiative Campaign and is also a member of SOME’s Corporate Advisory Board.

With Bedford Falls’ 78 units, SOME has developed 296 (30%) to-wards its goal of 1,000 units of aff ord-able housing for homeless men, wom-en, and children. Under the Initiative, SOME has developed 10 properties: four of the them serving a total of 68 families, including 160 children, and six properties serving a total of 226 single adults. In addition, 204 units of aff ordable housing, and a family com-munity center are under development or in the pipeline. Th e properties that SOME acquires are generally aban-doned and in severe disrepair. SOME has dramatically transformed Bedford Falls into an attractive, residence for 78 homeless and low-income men and women in the District. Bedford Falls is located at 350-360 50th St. SE.

DC Water, Offi cials Break Ground on Clean Rivers Project

Th e District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) has broken ground on a massive con-struction project to nearly eliminate combined sewer overfl ows into area waterways. Th e groundbreaking cer-emony—and fi rst construction proj-ects in the series– occur at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treat-ment Plant in Southwest. Th e Clean Rivers Project includes giant Metro-sized tunnels more than 100 feet un-derground that will serve as storage for combined sewage during heavy rainstorms. Th e fi rst tunnel will run along and under the Anacostia River. dcwater.com

Weekly Residential StreetSweeping Has Ended for Season

DPW has ended weekly residen-tial mechanical street cleaning for the season. “No Parking/Street Cleaning” restrictions will be lifted and motor-ists may park on posted, alternate-side, daytime sweeping routes without moving their cars on street-cleaning days. Residential street sweeping will resume Mar. 1, weather permitting. ●●



NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSDistrict Beat

Even though it lasted sev-en-and-a-half hours and focused in on 10 diff er-ent legislative proposals,

the long-awaited October 26 D.C. Council hearing on ethics ended with a whimper.

Th roughout the day’s proceedings, both witnesses and councilmembers disagreed about how extensive the Dis-trict’s ethical failings were, what type of tools would be needed to remedy them and how quickly the body should act. Th e 10 pieces of legislation introduced by a number of councilmembers to do everything from impose term limits to ban bundling of campaign contribu-tions were often set aside in a broader discussion of what, if anything, the real problems and solutions were.

But in sensing the need to act, Councilmember Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) pledged to move forward quickly, working a comprehensive bill through her Committee on Govern-

ment Operations by the end of No-vember and through the D.C. Council as a whole before the end of the year.

She didn’t let on much of what would be in the fi nal bill, but she did repeatedly indicate that a central pro-posal would be splitting up the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics into two separate entities, one to deal ex-clusively with running the city’s elec-tions, the other with centralizing eth-ics regulation and enforcement.

“When everybody’s responsible, nobody’s responsible. We need to make somebody responsible. Th ere needs to be a single line of account-ability,” she told WTOP’s Mark Plot-kin on October 28.

Regardless, there was a sense amongst some witnesses and coun-cilmembers that while a new offi ce to deal with ethics would be a neces-sary component, it simply wouldn’t be enough to deal with the allegations of corruption and pay-to-play scandals

that have dogged the District’s gov-ernment throughout 2011.

Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) said that in his 20 years of service, he had seen all manner of ethics-related legislation, and that the only thing that worked was more extensive disclosure requirements and harsher penalties for failing to meet them.

Roderic Woodson, a former direc-tor of the Alcoholic Beverage Regu-lation Administration and currently an attorney with Holland & Knight, argued with Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) over whether reg-istered lobbyists should be able to of-fer free or discounted legal service to councilmembers. Wells has pushed a proposal that would ban the practice; Woodson seemed to think that pro-fessional standards of conduct would be enough to forestall any abuse of the relationship.

Th e situation seemed to speak

directly to Councilmember Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7), who herself was recently represented by David Wilmot, a high-powered lobbyist for Comcast and Walmart. (Wilmotalso threw Bowser a campaign fund-raiser recently.)

But in her only comments of the day, Alexander seemed to imply that things were OK. “People start to ques-tion things where they really don’t real-ly need question things and I think the worst thing we can do is nitpick and micromanage everything,” she said.

Former At-Large councilmem-ber Bryan Weaver was one of the few witnesses to stress the need to crack down on the bundling of campaign contributions, but with election sea-son in full swing, it remains to be seen if a measure proposed by Wells to ban it will go anywhere. (According to a review of campaign fi nance reports, Bowser has collected $24,300 in bun-dled contributions this year.)

Councilmember Vincent Or-ange’s (D-Ward 5) proposals for term limits and bans on outside employ-ment provoked spirited opposition, with Evans, Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) and David Catania (I-At Large) pas-sionately arguing against any mea-sure that would restrict their ability to hold a second job.

Even proposals from various groups to do away with Constituent Services Funds seem in question – various councilmembers and witnesses argued instead for better disclosure of donations to the funds and regulations on how they can be used.

More broadly, political consultant Chuck Th ies argued that the council was failing to recognize the “ethics emergency” that existed in the Dis-trict. His proposal that any member facing indictment lose their commit-tee chairmanship and voting privileges was met with lukewarm support; some witnesses and councilmembers argued that legislators should enjoy the pre-sumption of innocence too.

One of the main challenges be-fore Bowser is that she faces pressure to move quickly, despite whether or not all of the proposals before her en-joy a full airing. For Orange – who, it should be noted, proposed emergency ethics legislation in early October

Half-Way to Ethicsby Martin Austermuhle

Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser. Photo: Andrew Lightman


– this is a problem.“We’re on such a fast pace right

now; I’m unsure of the fi nal quality of the product. I’m a little bothered by the fact that both Bowser and [Kwame] Brown have indicated that they’ll have a bill by the end of the year. I’m more concerned about get-ting it right,” he said.

Yes, He CainOn October 22, the D.C. GOP

got its fi rst candidate for the 2012 race – but it wasn’t whom most peo-ple would have expected.

On that day, Peaceaholics co-founder and longtime political ac-tivist Ron Moten not only formally entered the race against Council-member Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7), but he also switched parties and announced that he’d be running against her – or whomever wins the April 2012 Democratic primary – as a Republican.

In an op-ed published the next day in Th e Washington Post, Moten explained his quixotic decision by saying that Democratic dominance of District politics had led to cor-ruption and an inability to creatively tackle the city’s toughest challenges.

“A lack of political balance has created an alarming trend in our city. With only one cookie-cutter template from which to bring about change, we have created a local po-litical class who all think, act and support the same platform. We seem to be afraid to change the status quo. We support corrupt leadership and blame the messengers who expose the truth, rather than facing facts and withdrawing our support,” he wrote.

As a means to blunt the shock of jumping to the GOP, Moten re-counted the long history of the party in promoting African-American equality – Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass were mem-bers, he noted – and coined himself a “Civil Rights Republican.”

Moten is nothing if not the consummate showman, known for his creative promotion of Adrian Fenty’s 2010 re-election campaign, so the political jump seemed to make some sense. It will likely be remembered as the most memo-rable campaign rollout of the sea-son, no less so since he held it in a cemetery. But there was also some

strategic value hidden within.Had Moten run as a Democrat,

he’d be faced with an uphill race. Currently, three people are challeng-ing Alexander for the seat. With Al-exander having taken in $42,000 in campaign contributions through Oc-tober, Moten was trailing the money race badly – he could only account for $940. Now, he’s got a well-heeled pool of 29,000 Republicans citywide to collect money from.

Additionally, as a Republican, it’s all but assured that he’ll sail through the primary without com-petition and be able to focus his eff orts and fundraising on the No-vember general election. He essen-tially bought himself an additional six months. (He’s not the only one, either – David Grosso, a long-time Democrat, chose to challenge Councilmember Michael Brown as a fellow independent to extend the time he’ll need to become a known face around the city.)

At the same time, Moten has at-tached himself to a particularly diffi -cult brand to sell in the overwhelm-ingly Democratic District, even more so when one considers that it’s a presidential election year. Further-more, no ward has a larger disparity between the number of Democrats and Republicans – 1,400 Republi-cans to 47,000 Democrats.

Regardless, this could prove to be a winning move for both Mo-ten and the D.C. GOP. Ever since Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large) left the party in 2007, local Republicans have been look-ing for a winning candidate. While they’ve fi elded some creative hope-fuls and came within 2,000 votes of defeating Councilmember Vincent Orange (D-At Large) in the April 26 Special Election, they haven’t managed to send a member to the council since Carol Schwartz was defeated in 2008 primary – by an-other Republican, no less, who went on to lose to Brown.

Still, Moten will have to show that his showmanship can extend beyond his campaign rollout, be-cause he’s got a lot of selling to do.

Martin Austermuhle is the Associate

Editor of DCist.com and a freelance

writer in Washington, D.C. He lives in

Mt. Pleasant. ●


NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSTh e Numbers

Since the end of summer, you’ve probably heard the word “Supercommittee”

tossed around quite a bit. No, this isn’t a new Aaron Sorkin sci-fi ad-venture about a group of crime fi ghting Senators, but a group of 12 members of Congress charged with reducing $1.2 trillion from the U.S. defi cit by Th anksgiving. Th ere’s been a lot of speculation about how the Supercommittee’s actions will impact the federal government’s budget. But what many people don’t realize is that the decisions made by the Supercommittee will also have an impact on state budgets too.

What will that impact look like? Well, it could be quite big.

In the current fi scal year, DC expects to get close to $2.6 billion, or just over one-quarter of its bud-get, from federal grants. DC, like every other state, receives federal grants to help support critical state services like health care, education, transportation, workforce training, and law enforcement.

With state budgets still hurting from the recession, signifi cant cuts to these areas could put the brakes on states’ recovery eff orts, including the District’s. In fact, some areas under consideration for cuts, like education and workforce training, are the District’s top priorities for investment to help our residents and our city move forward out of these tough economic times.

Th e Supercommittee is actually the second major step in an eff ort to reduce the US defi cit. Toward the end of summer, when Congress

ultimately decided to increase the nation’s debt limit, they simulta-neously called for $2.2 trillion in reductions to the federal defi cit. About $1 trillion in reductions took eff ect immediately by placing “caps” on spending in discretion-ary programs — like education, low-income housing assistance, and national parks — the other $1.2 trillion will be decided by the Su-percommittee.

With important states services already on the chopping block, it’s important that DC pay close atten-tion to where, and how, the Super-committee decides to fi nd the ad-ditional $1.2 trillion in savings.

What Exactly is ASupercommittee?

Is it faster than a speeding bul-let or more powerful than a locomo-tive? It might not have the physical attributes of Superman, but it might have a powerful impact on DC’s ability to fund important programs and services. Th is Supercommittee is made up of 12 members of Congress — six from the House of Represen-tatives and six from the Senate with an even split of Democrats and Re-publicans. Th e Supercommittee even includes one representative from the local DC area, Rep. Chris Van Hol-len (D-MD), who represents parts of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.

Th e Supercommittee is charged with coming up with a plan to fi nd $1.2 - $1.5 trillion in savings over the next 10 years. Th is is on top of

the $1 trillion in cuts already made to the defi cit by placing “caps” on annual spending on discretionary programs — programs that include defense, education, low-income housing assistance, the FBI, medi-cal research, and workforce train-ing, among others.

Th e Supercommittee, though, can look for savings on both sides of the budget — spending on dis-cretionary programs and entitle-ment programs, like Medicaid and Medicare, or revenues like closing tax loopholes and adjusting tax rates.

If the Supercommittee fails to come up with at least $1.2 tril-lion in savings, or if its plan is not passed by Congress or the Presi-dent, then across-the-board reduc-tions in spending would automati-cally be triggered to make up for the shortfall.

Impact On State andLocal Budgets

While much of the focus of the Supercommittee has been at the federal level, a reduction of federal dollars directly impacts state and local governments that have seen big budget reductions in the past few years.

Th e federal government provides support to states in many critical ar-eas like education, law enforcement, transportation, and health care. In 2010, the federal government deliv-ered $683 billion to states in grants to support these, and other, critical areas. For its current budget, DC

expects to receive about $2.6 bil-lion, or just over one-quarter of its total, from federal grants.

State budgets have been hit hard by the Great Recession, because residents lost jobs, real estate values plummeted and people spent less. Th at impacts what budget analysts call the big three: income, sales, and property taxes. In fact, in DC, rev-enue collections still remain below pre-recession levels while unem-ployment has more than doubled and poverty has risen by nearly 20 percent.

Th e District has begun the slow road to recovery, although it hasn’t been felt evenly across the city — some neighborhoods are still strug-gling with record unemployment. While DC recorded its fi rst surplus this year since the recession began, we’re still not collecting what we were before the recession hit, and many DC agencies’ budgets are stretched thin as their funding is still well below pre-recession levels. Moreover, DC’s Chief Financial Offi cer projects that revenue col-lections in the next few years to be lower than initially expected.

How Could DC Be Impacted?If the Supercommittee, and

Congress, agree on how to fi nd the $1.2 trillion in savings, the im-pact on DC and other states would depend on how much, and where, the savings come from. If they do not agree on a plan, $1.2 trillion in across-the-board cuts would auto-matically be triggered. Th is could have a signifi cant impact on DC.

Th e Congressional Supercommitteeand Its Power to Impact Local DC

by Jenny Reed


Th e good news for DC, and other states, is that if across-the-board cuts are enacted many key mandatory programs that serve the most vulnerable residents are ex-empt from cuts. Th ese include: Social Security, Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps), Supplemental Security Income, and refundable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit, among others.

But the bad news for DC and other states is that close to $40 billion in cuts would be made to discretionary pro-grams, many of which support critical functions in DC. Across the board cuts would be made in areas like: edu-cation, which could include support for low-income stu-dents, students with special needs, and Head Start; child welfare services; low-income energy assistance; low-in-come housing assistance; workforce development; and law enforcement programs, among others. Th ese cuts would be made on top of the nearly $1 trillion in cuts already made in these areas.

Additional cuts in these areas could put a signifi cant strain on DC’s already tight budget. Making matters worse, the overall reduction in spending has raised some alarm bells for the bond rating agencies. And areas like DC, Virginia and Maryland— whose economies depend heavily on the federal government — have had been put on ‘negative watch’ for a possible downgrade. Lower rat-ings means higher interest payments on debt and could put even more pressure on the District’s budget.

A Balanced ApproachWhile it isn’t clear what the Supercommittee will do, it

is clear that a cuts only approach would be devastating for states. Th e automatically triggered across-the-board cuts would fall heavily on discretionary programs, areas that have already been targeted for reductions. Assistance to states for education, housing, law enforcement and child welfare programs, just to name a few, could be at risk at a time when states have little-to- no fl exibility to make up for the shortfalls.

Instead, the Supercommittee should adopt a plan that has a balance of spending cuts and revenue increases. By adopting this approach, they lessen the likelihood for need for deep cuts to discretionary and entitlement programs — like Medicaid and Medicare — and can potentially avoid derailing DC, and other states, as we struggle to stay on the road to recovery.

Reed is a policy analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute

(www.dcfpi.org), which conducts research on tax and budget

issues that affect low- and moderate-income DC residents. ●

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Some of the most infl uential public health champions in the U.S. are focusing on Wards 7 and 8 for models of

“what is possible.” “Th is area off ers a wealth of re-

sources and shows what is possible in promoting public health,” explains Azibuike Akaba, who helped organize a recent tour of Southeast for mem-bers of the American Public Health Association (APHA). “Healthy prac-tices in aff ordable housing, garden-ing and fresh food options, places to exercise, cultural venues that bring people outdoors....Wards 7 and 8 are booming in these areas.”

APHA, founded in 1872, pro-motes public health and equity in health status. A sub-group explores ways in which “built” elements – roads, shelters, gardens and other hu-man eff orts to shape the environment – aff ect public health: Do building materials out-gas dangerous chemi-cals? Are molds and other allergens present? Is an area walkable? At each

annual conference – which draws over 10,000 health professionals – a “Health and the Built Environment” tour explores these elements in the host city.

Akaba, a health policy associate in Oakland, CA, grew up east of the river. He and Tony Delucia, profes-

sor at East Tennessee State Univer-sity, organized this year’s tour with help from the Ward 8 Environmen-tal Council and Wholeness for Hu-manity, a local organization focusing on “the connection between health, watersheds and estuaries.” Th e tour, Akaba says, was designed “to intro-

duce this area’s great diversity of in-frastructure from the lens of a person who lives in Southeast.”

Aff ordable Housing CanBe Green

First stop: Wheeler Terrace Apartments, 1217 Valley Ave., SE. Th is 116-unit complex, originally built in 1947, was renovated by the non-profi t Community Preserva-tion and Development Corporation (CPDC) between 2007 and 2009. It became the fi rst aff ordable hous-ing community in the District to achieve US Green Building Council LEED®-Gold certifi cation and to meet Enterprise Community Part-ners’ “Green Communities” criteria.

Improvements include a geo-thermal heat pump, dual-fl ush toilets and low-fl ow shower heads, refl ec-tive vinyl roofs, innovative clean-air systems and energy-effi cient insu-lation and appliances. Renovations preserved 99% of the existing struc-ture, conserving costs and materials. Energy consumption in the units was reduced by 30% and potable water use by 40%. Th is means lower bills for residents, as well as savings for the developer in the long run.

Th ere is a perception that “green” buildings are a kind of luxury for the affl uent, suggests Irv Sheff ey of the Sierra Club’s Environmental Justice and Community Partnerships Pro-gram. Th is project proves otherwise. It is “creating a model for individual apartment dwellers, homeowners and similar complexes across the nation to follow.”

Wheeler Terrace was also fea-tured in a Ward 8 Environmental Council tour, earlier in October, sup-porting the City’s new “Sustainable DC” initiative. “Council Member Barry wanted to demonstrate that developers are going green in Ward 8 in a very big way,” says Brenda Rich-ardson, Barry’s deputy chief of staff .

But “green” was not originally a top priority for Wheeler Terrace residents, according to Mark James, who headed the project for CPDC. Moreover, energy-effi ciency alone does not guarantee residents’ health. So, CPDC needed an expanded vi-sion of “green.”

Does Green Mean Healthy?Th e average person in the U.S.

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Southeast Models Green ResourcesNational Association Tours East of the River

article & photos by Virginia Avniel Spatz

Mark James discusses green and healthy affordable housing with national public health advocates.

James_Ward_APHA.jpg. Caption: Jackie Ward, of the Ward 8 Environmental Council, addressing American Public Health Association tour at Wheeler Terrace, Oct. 30.

spends about 50% of any given day indoors, James explains. Jobless individuals and those who can’t aff ord a variety of cultural off er-ings frequently spend even more time in their residences. Th erefore, formaldehyde-free fl ooring and other elements promoting indoor air quality – such as ventilation, moisture control and pest manage-ment – are particularly important to low-income residents.

A Housing and Urban Devel-opment “Healthy Housing” grant allowed CPDC to incorporate indoor air and pest management features. In addition, the Nation-al Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) is tracking health mea-sures in the units. In addition, 50 residents are enrolled in a health study. NCHH’s study is one of the few evaluating health outcomes to help determine the value of various renovation elements. APHA tour participants noted the importance of this type of research for future policy and practice.

“Th is project shows that we can live decently and don’t have to live in sick buildings,” Jackie Ward of the Ward 8 Environmental Council told the APHA tour. Th e Council has arranged tree-plant-ings and clean-ups in the adjacent Oxon Run Park. Together with the Wheeler Terrace renovation, such developments are contributing to a renewed sense of community and improved public safety. “Mark’s work has really revitalized this area, and we’re looking at three ad-ditional spots now.”

Next StopsTh e Wheeler Terrace project,

the NCHH study and the recent APHA tour are part of a “national conversation about the responsi-bilities of developers and how the government can support develop-ers to provide healthier housing conditions,” says James. He wants his new company, Urban Green LLC, to build on CPDC’s success, “working for decent and sustain-able healthy housing.”

Th e APHA tour also made Southeast’s relationship to its nat-ural resources part of a national conversation about “what is pos-sible.”

Tony Th omas, of the Smithso-nian Anacostia Community Mu-seum, recapped DC’s river his-tory, describing jurisdictional and funding issues which have con-tributed to leaving the Anacostia “one of the ten most polluted in the country...running right by the Capitol.” He described some of the City’s eff orts to make the An-acostia “swimmable by 2032” and outlined work with other cities to see how they have revitalized their river fronts.

Julie Kutruff , Site Manager for Fort Circle Parks-East, met the tour at Fort Dupont. Earlier in the day, National Park Service director, Jonathan Jarvis, had ad-dressed the conference, calling NPS “an ideal partner to promote the health of the human commu-nity by protecting and harnessing the power of green spaces.” Kutruff related Fort Circle history and de-scribed some specifi c eff orts: Th e community garden, outdoor music series, high school trail ambassa-dors and other programs “bring the National Park Service to new populations and off er new oppor-tunities to promoting healthy liv-ing and eating.”

Among tour participants was Andrew Dannenberg, affi li-ate professor at the University of Washington with faculty appoint-ments in environmental health and in urban design and planning. “I was impressed with what they have done east of the river,” he said after the tour. “Th e ability to build parks and trails and renovate low income housing to meet green standards has multiple health benefi ts and could be a model for similar renovations elsewhere. Th ey had good leadership to make it happen which is essential.”

Th e National Center for Healthy Housing (www.nchh.org, 410-992-0712) off ers extensive information on the Wheeler Ter-race study and related resources. Contact American Public Health Association (www.APHA.org, 202-777-2742) for additional re-sources. Dannenberg is co-author of Making Healthy Places: De-signing and Building for Health, Well-being, and Sustainability (Island Press, 2011). ●●



“In keeping with Wil-liam’s legacy, it wouldn’t be right if there wasn’t a little controversy,” Ward

6 Councilmember and Chair of the DC Council’s Committee on Li-braries, Parks and Recreation Tom-my Wells said at a September hear-ing. Th e session revolved around a proposal to rename the Washington Highlands Library after the recent-ly deceased William Lockridge, a sitting member of the DC State Board of Education at the time of his death.

Wells called the hearing to re-

spond to swelling community op-position to the name change in the neighborhood of Bellevue located in the far southwest corner of Ward 8.

Th e renaming “would directly contradict the wishes of the Board of Library Trustees, the Bellevue Library Friends, and most impor-tantly, the community and neigh-borhood organizations to be served by the future Bellevue Library,” Wells wrote in a memo to his col-leagues.

With the support of Mayor Vincent C. Gray and Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown, Wan-

da Lockridge, the widow of Wil-liam Lockridge and a Washington Highlands resident, has champi-oned the library’s name change.

Bellevue & Its LibraryAbundant green space, stable

families, and a diverse housing stock defi ne the Bellevue neighbor-hood, according to lifelong resident Eugene Dewitt Kinlow. Bounded by the Potomac River, Joilet and First Streets SW, and South Capitol Street, Bellevue, meaning “beautiful view” in French, off ers stunning vis-tas of the Potomac River.

“I have been telling people for years this neighborhood is called Bellevue,” says Kinlow, a “neighbor-hood kid” who grew up delivering Th e Washington Post in the morn-ing and Th e Washington Star in the evening.

In 1959, the Washington High-lands Library opened its doors at 115 Atlantic St. SW. A location, according to land records dating back to the 1880s, which placed the library squarely within the neigh-borhood boundaries of Bellevue. Th e misnomer was overlooked by a community eager to host the open-

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Library Name Disputed in Bellevue article & photos by John Muller

The view of the new Bellevue Library from Atlantic Street SW.

ing of the second public library ever to be located east of the Ana-costia River.

In the fall of 2008, interna-tionally renowned architect David A. Adjaye was selected to design a replacement for Washington High-lands. At a cost of $15 million, the new 22,000-square-foot library will host 40 computers, a private study space, two small conference rooms, a meeting room that can accom-modate upwards of 100, an outdoor terrace, as well as separate areas for children, teen, and adult programs. Th e multi-story structure will host over 40,000 books, DVDs, and other library materials with the po-tential to expand its collection to over 80,000 items. It is scheduled to open in early 2012.

Opposition to LockridgeTh e Bellevue name change was

fi rst requested publicly by neigh-borhood groups in the fall of 2008 during a DC Public Library spon-sored planning session. In 2009, the Board of Library Trustees adopted a policy to name librar-

ies after their respective neighborhoods. In fall 2010 the Bellevue Civic Associa-tion and the local library’s Friends organization sub-mitted a formal request to DCPL Chief Librarian, Ginnie Cooper seeking to change the neighborhood library’s name to Bellevue. ANC 8D voted to oppose renaming the library for Lockridge and formally support the Bellevue name last month.

President of the Board of Library Trustees John Hill has not wavered in his opposition to the Lock-ridge name.

“[W]e respectfully re-quest this bill not be given further consideration on the grounds that Mr. Lockridge did not tirelessly work on

libraries in his community,” Hill off ered in written testimony to the DC Council in September.

“I think it’s very personal,” Mrs. Lockridge says characteriz-ing Hill’s position. Her husband and Hill had sparred in the past, she states.

William Lockridge “opposed the construction of the new library saying the money could be better spent on social service programs,” states ANC 8D07 Dionne Brown, president of the Friends of the Bellevue Library (FOBL). “Mr. Lockridge had an opportunity to make library advocacy part of his legacy. He refused to support the construction of the new building when asked to do so directly. Nor did he speak up as DCPL’s op-erating budget was cut by $10.2 million over the last three fi scal years,” Brown adds.

Asked about her husband ’s widely re-

ported opposition to the new library,

Mrs. Lockridge replied, “I honestly

can’t remember.” ●●


“Redistricting is a contact sport.” Th at’s what they said when

I signed up to participate in the re-districting process and that is exactly what I got. To quickly recap, every ten years the U.S. Census conducts a count of all residents in the coun-try. Th e count in DC concluded that the District’s population has grown but Ward 8’s population decreased in size. Th e City Council members bargained on how to redistrict the Ward, and Ward 8 ended up with some parts of Ward 7 that included the areas near Anacostia Library and Marbury Plaza.

After new Ward boundaries were established, it was time for Ward resi-dents, as part of a Ward Redistricting Taskforce, to get involved and redraw the Single Member District (SMD) boundaries. Th is was a very important step in the process because each SMD is represented by an Advisory Neigh-borhood Commissioner (ANC) and these boundaries will stay the same for the next 10 years . In order to do well in this process, the Task-force Members needed to know their neighborhoods well, because certain neighborhoods have specifi c bound-aries like Bellevue, Congress Heights and Historic Anacostia. Th ere were some enthusiastic and spirited con-versations on keeping neighborhoods together, and of course, there were some residents trying to position themselves as leading voice for future development.

What did I learn?

Process Never FairTh ere were at least 28 residents

on the Ward 8 Redistricting Task-force. Th eir involvement in the Ward ranged from being an ANC Com-missioner, Civic Association Presi-dent or simply a concerned resident.

Dealing with that many personalities there is bound to be some confl ict and someone is going to be disappointed in the outcome. Although we strived to get as much as we could, we all re-alized that we had to compromise in the best interest of moving forward.

Closer togetherOne of the benefi ts of serving on

the Taskforce was the opportunity to get to know other Ward 8 residents. We see each other at community meetings or pass each other and give a quick hello. Serving on the Task-force aff orded some to spend real quality time with folks who live in ad-jacent neighborhoods. Conversations extended beyond counting census tracts. I got to know that the Citizens Association President was also a D.J., while another colleague had come-dic talent. I learned a little about the Muslim faith, and I now know who I would consider the best dressed per-son in Ward 8.

TechnologyYou had to actually serve on the

Taskforce to understand this next point. If we can put people on the moon and bring them back to earth, then there has to be some computer program out there that can allow Taskforce members the ability to tally numbers without using a hand-held calculator. We learned that if you make one change to the map it aff ected the entire process. At times we started over to make sure we were within our allotment of residents in the SMD.

In closing, I think we all learned that we have a great deal of passion for our Ward. We also have a great deal of passion for our own neighbor-hoods. Th at puts Ward 8 in a great position. Th ere are leaders on every level with the enthusiasm to push us to another level. ●●

Redistricting is aContact Sport

by Charles Wilson

A sign announces the reopening of the new library.


When Rosalind Wheel-er Styles was a young girl growing up in the sixties on the 2200

block of Nichols Avenue SE, she often sat on the front porch. To her immediate right was a used car deal-ership. Ms. Ellie Beall, a denizen of Anacostia for more than a half cen-tury, lived to her left. Further down the block was Gertie’s Grocery, later Big K Liquors. Diagonally across the street was the 11th Precinct of the Metropolitan Police Department, now Whitman Walker Clinic’s Max Robinson Center.

“You could watch people going into the Safeway, going to the drug-store to get an ice cream fl oat or go-

ing to the Curtis Brothers furniture store,” Styles recalls fondly.

Th e Anacostia recalled by Styles is long gone. Nichols Avenue has been renamed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Soon, the very house Styles grew up in may disappear as well.

Tearing Down Th e HouseIn late September, the DC De-

partment of Housing and Commu-nity Development (DHCD) applied for a raze permit for 2228 MLK Jr. Ave. SE. Due to the property’s location in the Anacostia Historic District, the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), after being delayed a month by additional review, has scheduled a review of the permit

during its November hearing.Th e early 20th century homes, lo-

cated at 2228, 2234, and 2238 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, have been active cases on the Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Properties (BCIB) Prop-erty List for a couple of years, states Tim Dennee, with the Historic Pres-ervation Offi ce. According to city directories, 2228 MLK Ave. SE has been vacant since the late 1970s.

As previously reported in East of the River, DHCD acquired the so-called “Big K Lot” in July 2010. Th e property included the three dilapi-dated homes and the liquor store on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Morris Road SE. Over the summer, DHCD prom-

ised community members it would stabilize the crumbling homes be-fore the onset of winter. Th e agency, however, has failed to perform any repairs. For example, no eff ort has been made to minimally cover the open crown of 2228 MLK’s roof with a canvas sheet.

“DHCD continues to work with the maintenance crew to moni-tor site conditions,” states Najuma Th orpe, the agency’s Public Aff airs Specialist. “DHCD’s overall plans for the property have not changed. We are using the input gathered from the community meetings to move forward in preparing the So-licitation for Off ers.”

However, according to a public notice posted on the fence in front of 2228 MLK in late September, DHCD has drastically changed course and is now seeking a raze per-mit for the property.

“Th ere has been no BCIB recom-mendation to raze [2228 MLK]. In any case, the city must comply with its preservation law,” states Dennee. Th e law requires a review by HPRB of the home’s contribution to the historic fabric of Anacostia neighborhood be-fore a raze permit can be granted.

Is Th ere A Plan?“It’s heartbreaking DHCD feels

they cannot save the property,” says Charles Wilson, Historic Anacos-tia Block Association President and ANC 8A Commissioner. “As a neighborhood, we are wondering if this is part of a greater plan to have the remaining properties suff er the same fate.”

DHCD’s ongoing neglect of its own vacant properties undermines economic development in downtown Anacostia, Wilson strongly believes. Over the past two years, Wilson has attended more than a half dozen meet-ings and sent around twenty emails to DHCD offi cials about the Big K properties with no tangible result.

“Th ere’s been talk about stabilizing the properties but there seems to be a lack of urgency on the part of DHCD to actually do it,” Wilson says.

Styles joins Wilson in mourning the neglect of her old home. “It’s been a most dramatic thing to witness the deterioration of such an historic property before they even address its restoration,” she says. ●

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

DHCD Requests Raze Permit For2228 MLKarticle & photos by John Muller

CLOCKWISE 1. DHCD has failed to tarp the broken roof of 2228 MLK Ave. SE.

2. Large openings in the roof of 2228 MLK Ave. SE allow rain to stream into its interior.3. A raze permit was recently posted on the fence in front of 2228 MLK Ave. SE.

“They didn’t know we take vacations down here in Barry Farm,” local activist

Gregory Baldwin scoff ed. A cross-town listener might have assumed he was referring to some out-of-town jaunt, but in this forgotten locale it is a statement about the neighborhood’s reduced homicide rate.

According to Homicide Watch DC, a website that tracks every mur-der in the city, Barry Farm had not witnessed a murder this year until the third week of this October. In one of the most historically dangerous neighborhoods of the District, this is a palpable sign of progress.

Recent Deaths Mask ProgressIn the early morning of Oct. 17,

25-year-old Antonio Headspeth was found unconscious in the rear of the 1100 block of Stevens Road SE. He had been shot and was pro-nounced dead on the scene. Police

have yet to charge anyone with Headspeth’s murder.

On the evening of Oct. 20, Jodie Ward was found unconscious in a child’s bedroom in a home in the 1100 block of Eaton Road. Th e 30-year-old male had been stabbed and was pro-nounced dead on the scene. Police ar-rested 30-year-old Felicia Jones.

“It’s a struggling community that has tried hard to improve itself, and has had some successes. Th ese two new slayings have shattered the peace,” says Lloyd Wolf, an intrepid photographer whose blog documents street memorials throughout the city. “I trust that proper resources will arise from within the neighborhood, and within the city, to properly honor the lives that have been lost,” he adds.

Before the two October murders, the last homicide in Barry Farm oc-curred in November 2010. Within recent memory annual neighborhood murder statistics tended towards the double digits.

Th e sweeping reduction in Barry Farm’s murder rate, in part, refl ects citywide reductions over the past de-cade. In the last two years, there have been less than 150 homicides record-ed citywide.

Since 2004, when Mayor Wil-liams identifi ed Barry Farm as one of 14 “hot spots,” the Metropolitan Po-lice Department (MPD) has moved aggressively to police the neighbor-hood. In 2006, the neighborhood, fi rst inhabited and built by freedmen in the 1860s, was chosen as one of four New Communities foreshadowing what maybe an eventual transformation of the 600 plus public housing units within Barry Farm and Park Chester into more than 1200 mixed-use units.

In November 2007, under Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, Barry Farm became a “Focused Improvement Area.” Th is program attempted to combine com-munity policing with improved so-cial service delivery. Barry Farm has now been designated a “focus area”

by MPD according to Joel Maupin, Commander of the Seventh District.

“Our offi cers have really bonded with the community,” says Maupin citing a recent meeting in which the police received a standing ovation from residents. “We have a constant level of patrol, 24 hours a day,” Mau-pin confi rms.

Regardless, Baldwin, a repeat sur-vivor of gun violence, is not waiting around.

A Survivor Gives BackBaldwin employs bold tactics to

deliver a message of non-violence to the residents of Barry Farms. Speak-ing to local youth, Baldwin often lifts up his shirt to expose the colostomy bag that fi lters his excrement.

“Th ere’s a shock value,” says Ten-dani Mpulubusi, a multi-discipline artist and activist in Barry Farm. “Even those that might be desensitized be-cause of all they’ve seen. Greg’s story hits them. It’s a reality check.”

Th rough Helping Hands Inc., his own non-profi t and with the support of the United Black Fund, Baldwin backs his words with actions. At a recently organized back-to-school event, he distributed 100 backpacks to area youth. Th is month, he is pre-paring for his annual Th anksgiving-themed banquet held on the neigh-borhood’s basketball courts when talent from the region and National Basketball Association compete in the summer’s Goodman League.

“We need something we can put our hands on,” says Mike Taylor, Di-rector of the Barry Farm Recreation Center on Sumner Road. With the pending re-development of Barry Farm there is “a lot of anxiety in the community,” Taylor points out.

To allay resident’s fears, commu-nity activists like Baldwin need to be given greater access to city offi cials to relay popular concerns, Taylor says. “He can get the people involved.”

Baldwin’s eff orts have drawn the attention of city offi cials. Mayor Vince Gray recently fi lmed a Public Service Announcement with Baldwin, who walked him through the neighbor-hood making recommendations on how the city could improve services.

“Th e coffi n [Baldwin] carries in his truck helps send a message that resonates,” Maupin says. ●


Barry Farm Activist Spreads Message of Non-Violencearticle & photo by John Muller

Barry Farms activists Gregory Baldwin (right) and Tendani Mpulubusi.


Describing her vision of the ideal development of the city-owned Saint Elizabeth’s East Cam-

pus; fourth grader Lanaya Horne is eff usive. She dreams of a Target with an enlarged toy section, a public hospital, Boys and Girls Club, and a public library that can host children to do their homework.

Lanaya, a student at Friendship Public Charter’s Southeast Elemen-tary Academy, was one of four win-ners in a competition that sought input from children at eleven area schools. After receiving her $100 prize, Lanaya pulled out prepared remarks written on loose leaf papers. Before an audience of more than one hundred gathered at Malcolm X Elementary School, she stood on her toes to reach the microphone to

thank teachers and family.Th e auspicious beginning to the

third and fi nal public meeting on the Saint Elizabeth’s East Master Plan did little to diminish residents’ grow-ing suspicions.

Th e PlanAt the meeting, a presentation by

the DC Offi ce of Planning (OP) iden-tifi ed the need for a mix of land uses to support community requirements. OP’s plan recognized the importance

of pedestrian access, the integration of public transportation and preservation of open space. Historic preservation was given precedence with limitations on vehicular access, the preservation of the historic Blackburn building and landscape improvements.

Th e desire to create a “sense of place,” stated Evelyn Kasongo, OP’s Neighborhood Planning Coordina-tor for Ward 8, was the primary prin-ciple behind the offi ce’s two alterna-tive plans for development.

OP’s plans for St. Elizabeths seem to be at odds with the offi ce of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development (DMPED).

“Microsoft has toured the site, but has not made any decisions about its future plans,” said Jose C. Sousa, DPMED’s Director of Communications.

“We’ve been touring St. Eliza-beths East Campus with many dif-ferent organizations over the past few months,” said Sousa. “Our goal is to make sure that companies, institutions and universities are aware of what the site has to off er in the near future. It is important to make sure that these organizations have St. Elizabeths on their radar as they prepare for their expansion needs in the future.”

Many residents at the meeting questioned whether DMPED’s plans include them.

Community Skepticism“Th e cause is right, but inevitably

you’re going to be pushing so many people out of DC,” said Jerome Petti-colas, a maintenance worker at nearby Malcolm X Elementary School.

“I believe these meetings are im-portant and necessary, but they need to move from appearing to be a wish list meeting and move into what’s ac-tually in place now,” Alice Th ornton of Congress Heights said. “Th ere are things happening behind the scenes, and we need to be informed.”

“It’s hard watching this oppor-tunity come and knowing the com-munity might not benefi t at all,” said John Harper, a resident of Anacostia and a journeyman electrician with Local 26. Harper has worked on the US Coast Guard construction site since February. He attributes his em-ployment to “going to all the meet-ings and raising hell.” ●

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

St. Elizabeths Meeting Reaffi rms Community Suspicionsarticle & photos by John Muller

LEFT: Fourth grader Lanaya Horne lays out her vision for St. Elizabeths East Campus.

RIGHT: Fourth grader Lanaya Horne’s plan for the redevelopment of the East Campus ofSt. Elizabeths.

A lively conversation ensues among the participants at the third planning meeting for the development of St. Elizabeths East Campus.


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QualificationsBachelor’s degree, preferably with a concentration in Finance, Entrepreneurship, or

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It is 4 p.m on a weekday in Crystal City where the Syn-etic Th eater box offi ce opens onto a lab-yrinthine underground corridor. When a pass-erby tries to open the theater door to pick up a Synetic season brochure, she accidentally sets off the security alarm. Th eater director Paata Tsikurisvili, hearing the alarm, goes to greet the woman at the door and kindly gives her a pro-gram. Synetic Th eater is currently in the middle of its “Speak No More” silent Shakespeare Fes-tival, running through December 23. Macbeth has closed, wordless Othello is running now, and Romeo and Juliet is up next.

“Come back and see us!” Paata calls. Paata and his choreographer wife, Irina, are the cre-ative forces behind what Paata says is the United States’ only “physical theater,” the project they “built from scratch” in the years since arriving from the country of Georgia in the mid-1990’s. Paata’s hospitality seems to refl ect a broader

Synetic Th eater conviction: that a theater style that has been called “avant-garde” can have broad appeal. So far, they’re doing something right. In 2010, about 38,000 people saw shows at Synetic where performances fuse the dynam-ic art forms of movement, acrobatics, dance, and fi ght choreography with music and acting. Although only about 10 of its 50 productions have been wordless, the theater is perhaps best known for its take on Shakespeare-most of the productions it does without words.

Wordless ShakespeareWhen Synetic fi rst put on wordless Shake-

speare in 2002, a version of Hamlet in which Paata starred, “everybody was like ‘what the hell is this guy is doing?’” Paata recalls. Th ey had established Synetic under the umbrella of the International Stanislavski Th eater Studio in 2001, and Hamlet was the theater’s own fi rst production. When the project was announced, some people saw it as heretical. ‘How dare you

Th e Synetic ExperienceD r a m a W i t h o u t W o r d s

article by Amanda Wilson | photos by Graeme B. Shaw

From King Arthur, 2010, Brynn Tucker as Guinevere and Ben Cunis as King Arthur

touch Shakespeare’s works,’ they opined. It would be unconscionable, ‘like a meal without the food’ or like the ‘Bible without the text.’ Paata sees it in terms of boxes – some people were in a box. But if people couldn’t see, or hear, or imagine beyond the box, Syn-etic would show them.

Th e Synetic team was convinced that Shakespeare could be more than just words – the love, betrayal, hate, jealousy, and power--themes rich with symbol-ism--all of it was, according to Paata, so human, so boundless. Th e Washington Post wrote “this is the Hamlet we know in our bones.” As Paata describes the theater’s various productions, his eyes light up, and he uses his hands as much as his voice.

His hand cuts across a fl at plane as he describes the theatre’s 2010 production of King Arthur, one of the theater’s non-Shakespearean wordless plays. Be-cause King Arthur, an English story so rich with im-agery of rain and water the production featured three inches of water covering the stage. It was adapted for dynamic theater with collaborator Ben Cunis, a fi ght choreographer who has been with the theater

for more than fi ve years and brings infl uence from par-kour, stage combat fi ght-ing, and gymnastics. As Paata describes it, it had the theatre’s trademark inten-sity of high-energy physi-cal expression combined with “weapons, real swords, sticks, plus water – it was craziness, so dynamic, and it was dangerous,” Paata re-calls. People have been in-jured. Actors have suff ered broken legs, broken heads, arms, fi ngers and knees.

Many have described the theater’s style as “cinematic” and the scripts look more like fi lm storyboards instead of scripts, which could be explained by Paata’s MFA in fi lm.

Why the Board?But why Shakespeare, exactly? In part, it’s be-

cause the Tsikurishvilis were counting on the fact that American audiences were already familiar with Shakespeare and could follow along. Th ey also want-ed to make it accessible. “I have heard from many people that [Shakespearean] English is not accessible anymore, especially to young people,” Paata explains, His hunch, and Irina’s, was that Shakespeare could be translated into the language of movement and dance “Whatever Shakespeare describes with words, trans-lates into action, there is so much movement in it, so many things going on,” Paata explains.. And with Synetic’s production of Othello recently landing nine Helen Hayes Award nominations and three wins in 2011 - for outstanding director, outstanding costume

design by Anastasia R. Simes, and outstanding ensemble - there are many who say they are right.

In the theater’s 2010 staging of Shakespeare’s Anthony and Cleopa-tra, sparks fl ew on stage as actors had real sword fi ghts. Th e play also in-tegrated dances, spin-ning and jumping from the Georgian folk dance tradition. Th e physicality of Georgian storytelling is a key infl uences on the theater’s style and during.an intense training period in the summer, actors learn Georgian folk dance. But although he and Irina were in Georgia when he prom-ised her they would one day have their own theater,

Paata insists, Synetic was born in America. “It’s my American baby,” he says.

Coming to AmericaWhen Paata fi rst came to America, Irina was

already working as a choreographer in Baltimore. Paata spoke almost no English and suff ered from culture shock after landing in Washington, DC. Ev-erything was diff erent. It was a country he would eventually come to love – for its culture of philan-thropy, for its openness to new art forms – but in 1995, the future was unknown. Paata suff ered from a year of depression. Eventually, he decided to work solo doing something he knew--miming. Although in America miming “has no reputation whatsoever,” Paata says, it has a long tradition in Europe. So he painted his face white, put on his pantomime gloves, and went out into the city. An immigrant from the ex-Soviet Union who could barely speak English, Paata had few words, but he could speak the silent, motion language of the mime. He was discovered in a restaurant when someone asked him to perform at a children’s classical theater. He went on to start directing and never stopped.

In 2012, the company will present two pieces meant to “nurture new work and new artists in the Synetic style”, including Ben Cunis’ directorial debut, Genesis Reboot, in February. Th ere are no stunt dou-bles and no lines to memorize, but the work is com-plex. Also on the schedule, in March, is a play by a Dadaism-inspired Czech physical theater group from Prague called the Spitfi re Company. Synetic will also stage Taming of the Shrew at the Shakespeare Th e-ater. “It is an amazing fact that they are going to let me in to do non-verbal Shakespeare there,” Paata says. Th e season will also feature an original play called Home of the Soldier, about a soldier recruited from California’s Georgian minority community.

With Synetic, theatergoers have the chance to see something that could very well be unique in the world. “Nobody is doing it,” Paata says. “Just us in Washington, DC. You don’t need to go to Europe, to Paris, to London, or Berlin to see that kind of thing. It is right here. And it is world class.” ●


Philip Fletcher, Irina Tsikurishvili, and Alex Mill as Iago

Salma Shaw as Desdemona and Roger Payano as Othello

“NOBODY is

doing it,”JUST US

in Washington, DC. - Th eater director Paata Tsikurisvili


Jessica Adair has come a long way from battling her twin sis-ter, Jazmine, one-on-one every day on the asphalt basketball

courts behind Charles Hart Middle School on Mississippi Avenue SE. Last month, Adair was instrumental in helping the Minnesota Lynx defeat the Atlanta Dream to win their fi rst WNBA Championship, before a na-tional broadcast audience.

Before her freshmen year at Ana-costia Senior High School, Adair, al-ready 6 feet tall, was playing a summer league game at Jelleff Boys & Girls Club off Wisconsin Avenue. “She grabbed a rebound above the rim and I saw the potential,” says Coach Frank Briscoe, who has been a surrogate fa-ther for Adair and her twin sister.

Under Briscoe, the Adair twins, Jes-sica with her fi nesse and Jazmine with her aggressiveness, became a domi-nating inside presence at Anacostia. Although, a DCIAA championship evaded them twice, they were recruited by the top women’s college basketball programs in the country. Committed to staying together, they decided to at-tend George Washington University.

While at GWU, Jessica was a three-time All-Atlantic Ten First Team Selection and made two NCAA tour-nament appearances. After graduating in 2009, she was drafted by the Phoe-nix Mercury in the 3rd round of the WNBA Draft. Less than two months later, four days before training camp began, Jessica was waived.

Out of basketball, she stayed in DC and worked for a non-profi t while working out and playing pick-up games on the side. Unexpectedly, she received a call from Joe McKeown, her coach for her fi rst three years at GWU, with an off er to help her get a second chance at the WNBA. McKeown had given the coach of the Minnesota Lynx her fi rst professional coaching job and asked her to giver Adair a shot.

On April 22, 2010 Adair joined the Minnesota Lynx’s training camp roster. Less than three weeks later she was, again, waived. Cheryl Reeve, the Lynx’s coach, had a message, “You never know

when the call is going to come so stay on top of it,” remembers Adair. “Th e call came and I was ready.”

While at GWU, Adair, who stands 6’4, was susceptible to chicken tenders and fries from the popular neighbor-hood Wingos. As a senior her play-ing weight was 270. To contend in the WNBA she would have to lose weight. With a change in diet and strenuous training sessions, Adair dropped nearly 40 pounds.

Th ree days after signing a contract with the Lynx, on August 22, 2010, she made her WNBA debut against the Indiana Fever with 5 points and 8 rebounds. Th e Lynx did not make the playoff s, but Adair received an op-portunity to play overseas where many WNBA players go during the off sea-son.

Last winter, Adair played for Sam-sun in the Women’s Turkish League. In 25 games, she averaged 14.4 points and 10.3 rebounds. She plans to return to Turkey this winter where she enjoys

“learning about new cultures.” After fl ourishing abroad, Adair

was again invited to the Lynx’s train-ing camp. Now just over 200 pounds, Adair competed for a roster spot and made the team as the back-up center. Th roughout the season she did the dirty work – boxing out on defense, grabbing off ensive rebounds, blocking shots – and slowly moved up the depth chart. Coach Reeve told Th e Star Tri-bune. “And the reason that happened is she plays so hard and plays with so much energy. Teammates love playing with her.”

On August 18, Adair made her homecoming as the Lynx defeated the Mystics at the Verizon Center. She grabbed 2 off ensive rebounds and had 6 points in twelve minutes. “We talked after the game,” says Coach Briscoe. “It was like watching your child play at the highest level. Th ere’s no greater feeling.”

“Growing up in DC and playing for Coach Briscoe impacted my game

by making me tough, with a bit of el-egance,” Adair told East of the River. “I like to call it aggression in its most elegant form.”

Th e Lynx fi nished the season as the best team in the Western Confer-ence and made the playoff s for the fi rst time in seven years. In 31 regular sea-son games, Adair averaged more than 4 points and nearly 3 rebounds.

In the playoff s she stepped up as the Lynx coasted into the Finals. In game 2 of the Finals, Adair had her best game with 13 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Th e Lynx won in a three game sweep.

“Winning a championship is a dream come true,” Adair said. “I’ve been working so hard to get it for years. Th e feeling is indescribable,”

“Washington, DC has innateness,” says Coach Briscoe. “Once someone goes to the next level they become the pride of Washington, DC. Jessica per-severed and did it the right way.” ●

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE

Hometown Girl Makes Ward 8 Proudby John Muller

Last month’s highly antici-pated dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial commenced

with a night of accolades and music. Th e Strathmore Music Center was the setting for the concert; which brought younger and older gen-erations together for an evening of celebration. Morehouse College, a predominantly black and all male college in Atlanta, Georgia, present-ed the concert. Dr. King graduated from the institution in 1948. Th e concert was preceded by an awards presentation to two pioneers in the movement to make Dr. King’s birth-day a holiday: Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) and Stevie Won-der. Morehouse President Robert Franklin lauded not only Dr. King but also others who have fought for civil rights. “I’m especially proud because this monument also recog-nizes countless others who helped advance the cause of freedom, jus-tice and equality.”

Robert Davidson, president of the Trustee Board, presented the Morehouse Presidential Renais-

sance Medallion to Conyers and Wonder. John Conyers, in his ac-ceptance speech, said that the holi-day is not a day off . “It’s not a day in the sense that you can just fi gure it into your work schedule.” He recollected about how Dr. King came up through the ranks of the civil rights movement after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus. He talked about how J. Edgar Hoover targeted King and spied on him through wire-taps and reading his mail. “Th is man deserved [to have] a holiday for the fi rst African-American in the country. Th is great monument between Washington and Lincoln is such a great tribute. We have to continue to reignite the passion for justice as King did.” Stevie Wonder, also an honoree that night, said, “I touched the dream and it touched me. It should touch all of us in our hearts in a place that we hold close and sacred. Faith without sight is so powerful.” Wonder has been work-ing for King’s birthday to become a holiday since the 1960s. He penned the famous “Happy Birthday” song


A Musical Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. Includes a Night of Timeless Voicesby Candace Y.A. Montague

36 ★ EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 201136 ★ EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2011

in honor of the civil rights champion and worked tireless-ly with King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, to lobby Congress. “We must touch the dream of Dr. King. As we did with the dream of the monument, let us remember Dr. King’s dreams of peace and solidarity among all people. Let’s put our best love forward.” A video montage played to show how much work and progress was made to bring the monument into fruition.

R & B singers Eddie Le-vert, Dennis Edwards and Johnny Gill took the stage for a musical concert after the presentation of awards. Ste-vie Wonder did an impromptu concert before leaving the stage and was joined by Gill. Sing-ing songs like “Love’s in need of love today” and the felicitous “Happy birthday to you”, Gill and Wonder used their voices to unite the crowd and send prais-es of gratitude for a monument that seemed like an intangible dream at one point. Eddie Le-vert and Dennis Edwards both spoke between songs about how Dr. King’s dream is a live and well and about how the au-dience must not let it go now.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is the fi rst African-American to have a monument created in his honor on the National Mall. After graduation from More-house College, he went on to study theology and religion at Crozer Th eological Seminary and at Boston University. He was a minister, civil rights lead-er, and social justice icon. His birthday became a national hol-iday in 1983. Th ere are several highways, schools, and build-ings named in his honor to this day. Th e question that remains after the celebrations for this historic monument have con-cluded is: is it enough?

Candace Y.A. Montague is a free-

lance writer in DC. ●

202.544.3316

We are the District’s

Kitchen Experts

Access Housing, Inc. CFC #22663

Access Housing, Inc. (DC) operates the South-east Veterans Service Center and Chesapeake Vet-erans House in Southeast DC. Th is agency pro-vides support and housing to formerly homeless veterans, both male and females. Veterans from all branches and wars have been served by the SEVSC; which celebrated its 10 year anniversary last Novem-ber. 820-840 Chesapeake Street, SE, DC, 202-561-8387, Accesshousingdc.org

Capital Area Food BankCFC #30794,United Way #8052

For 30 years, CAFB has been the D.C. metro area’s hub for food sourcing, distri-bution and nutrition educa-tion - serving over 478,000 people struggling with hun-ger. Th rough direct service and a network of 700 non-profi t partners, the CAFB distributed 27 million pounds of food last year, in-cluding 10.8 million pounds of fresh produce. For more on hunger, visit our website at CapitalAreaFoodBank.org. 645 Taylor Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017, 202-526-5344, www.Capi-talAreaFoodBank.org

Casey TreesCFC# 24598

Casey Trees is a Wash-ington D.C.-based nonprof-it committed to restoring, enhancing and protecting the tree canopy of the na-tion’s capital. Since 2002, Casey Trees has planted more than 10,000 trees and educated thousands of youth and adults on the benefi ts of trees. For more information, visit www.caseytrees.org.

Coalition for the Homeless CFC #83436,United Way #8194

Th e Coalition for the Homeless was established in 1979. Our mission is to help transition homeless and at

risk individuals and families in the Washington area to self-suffi ciency through housing programs and supportive services. Th e Coalition fulfi lls its mis-sion by operating and managing 12 program sites for men and families with children. 1234 Massa-chusetts Avenue NW., Suite C-1015, DC 20005, 202-347-7279, www.dccfh.org ●


COALITION FORTHE HOMELESS

For more details on our program and services, please visit our website atwww.dccfh.org.

Our mission is to help homeless,at-risk individuals and families return to self-sufficiency and independent living, through a range of residential

and social services.

In 2010 the Coalition served• 440 homeless individuals and families daily• 304 individuals and families were placed into permanent and stable housing• 203 adults were placed in employment• 9 families with children were prevented from becoming homeless

1234 Massachusetts Ave., NWSuite C-1015, Washington, DC 20005

Main Office: (202) 347-8870 / Fax: (202) 347-7279Open Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm

Please support us by donating through theCombined Federal Campaign (CFC) # 83436 or United Way #8194

Rebuilding lives and strengthening communities

They helped you, now it’s YOUR TURN to help them!

Hear are some of the ways you can give back:• Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walkathon

Saturday, November 19th, 2011• Give to the Max Day - November 9, 2011

visit: www.give2max.razoo.com•

To Register to walk visit: www.helpthehomelessdc.orgRegister Under Access Housing, Inc(DC) Code DC002

For more information on how you can assist please call

202-561-VETS (8387) Get Involved!

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Giving


Anacostia Gracious Arts ProgramAnacostia Gracious Arts Program (AGAP)

is participating in Razoo.com’s “Give to the Max: Greater DC Cares” marathon online fundraising campaign for DC area nonprofi ts, on Wednesday, Nov. 9. AGAP is a Ward 7-Benning Heights/Ter-race arts and faith organization. Th ey meet on Mondays, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and hold classes in drawing and painting; photography; voice; drums;

dance; drama and spiritual discussions. Th eir cur-rent enrollment is 35 childen, ages 6-14. At AGAP, they encourage students to make life-affi rming choices for positive self-expression via the arts, and through character and community-building ex-ercises in personal spiritual development and the resulting societal change. Visit razoo.com/story/Agap to learn more and to donate. Th ey are also on Facebook.com; greatnonprofi ts.org; idealist.org,

good360.com, and volunteermatch.org. First Rock Baptist Church, 4630 Alabama Ave. SE. 202-321-6502. [email protected]

Black Student Fund School FairLearn about private schools options for stu-

dents, pre-kindergarten to grade 12. Speak with representatives from over 50 day and board-

KIDS & FAMILY

Talented dancers of the Dance Institute of Washington. Photo: Courtesy of the Dance Institute of Washington

The Dance Institute of Washington In-School ProgramDIW is dedicated to building self-esteem, discipline, and the drive for excellence among children and youth through dance train-ing, arts education, life skills, and youth employment; enhancing Washington’s rich cultural diversity. It is for DC residents, ages 14-21 who meet DOES income eligibility requirements. The program includes high-quality dance training, academic enrichment, life skills workshops, job readiness, youth employment and performances. You can be employed during the school year while tak-ing dance classes. Contact Mary Connole at [email protected] or 202-371-9656. For DOES, information, visit does.

dc.gov or call 202-724-7000. danceinstitute.org

Th e Kids & Family Notebookby Kathleen Donner

ing schools in the DC Metro area (DC, MD, VA) and beyond. Attend workshops in school admissions and personal fi nance. Free admission. Sunday, Nov. 20, 2:00-5:00 p.m. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Pl. NW. 202-387-1414. blackstudentfund.org

Register for Fall/Winter Dance Classes at Northeast Performing Arts Group

Register your children for ballet technique, jazz, hip-hop, modern, tap, and liturgical dance. $20 regis-tration fee; $45 per month for ages 3-7); $65 per month ages 8-18. Call 202-388-1274 or visit the studio at 3431 Benning Rd. NE (next to the Chateau). Children enrolled in the year round program will have fi rst option in participating in Northeast Performing Arts Group Summer Arts Academy.

Kids and Money ClassesOn Friday evenings, 6:00-7:15

p.m., kids can learn about and dis-cuss earning, spending and saving money. Learn how to make money work for you, creative ways to earn money and banking and checking accounts. Learn abourt how the Bi-ble sees money and whether or not the desire to make a lot of money is a bad thing. You will visit a bank, open a savings account and deposit $25 into an account if you meet certain participation targets. Th e class will include videos, workbook exercises and interactive games. In-structors are from the Church of Th e Resurrection. Southeast White House, 2909 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-575-3337.

Moving Beyond EarthInnovations in SpaceFamily Day

Saturday, Nov. 19, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. As they mark the 50th anniversary of human spacefl ight, come explore the role of invention and technology in space explora-tion and space history. Meet a real astronaut and enjoy an array of hands-on demonstrations and fam-ily-oriented educational activities occurring throughout the Museum. Free. National Air and Space Mu-

seum National Mall Building. 202-633-2340. nasm.si.edu

BabyLove DC VolunteeringBabyLove DC provides cloth-

ing, products, gear, and other ne-cessities to pregnant mothers and their children from 0-6 in DC’s inner city. Th ey can only accept items that are clean, in working or-der, and have all of their parts and pieces. If you have a manual please include. Th ey can never accept used car seats, used breast pumps, used feeding supplies, drop-side cribs, or stuff ed animals. Th ey are always in need of volunteers to help sort and repair clothing and prepare gift baskets for their baby showers and various charity events. Volunteer-ing is a great way to give back in your community and city. Contact them at [email protected] to learn more about how you can help distribute donations to children in need. babylovedc.org

An American Girl Experience at Mount Vernon

On Nov. 13, American Girl fans of all ages are invited to bring their favorite dolls to Mount Ver-non for a chance to meet the book series’ creator and one of its au-thors, Valerie Tripp. Guests enjoy a special presentation and book signing with the author plus a tour of the Mansion and grounds with Nelly Custis. Th e event also includes a colonial craft project, refreshments, plus a discount in the Shops. Share an audience with “Martha Washington”! Th is event is limited in capacity; tickets are $50 per person. Ticket Sales Begin at on Oct. 3, 10:00 a.m., at MountVernon.org or at the Mount Vernon Ford Orientation Center. 703-780-2000. Mount-Vernon.org

Guitars, not GunsGnG conducts after-school

music programs for youth ages 10-18; children as young as 8 may be accepted if they have the maturity to learn how to play guitar; older students may be accepted if they are completing their high school edu-cation. Classes consist of up to 10 students and last for 8-10 weeks.



Th ey meet once per week for a one hour lesson. Level 1 lessons are for beginners; Level 2 are geared to the student’s skills. Th eir goal is to run Level 1 and Level 2 once per quarter; doing so is dependent on teacher and student availability. Lessons are free and guitars are loaned. Find classes in DC at gngnca.org/dc-classes

Capitol Hill Day School Infor-mation Sessions

On Wednesday, Dec. 8 from 6:00-8:00p.m. at the Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Neighborhood Library. Th ere will be a presentation fol-lowed by Q&A with the Head of School, Jason Gray. Middle School Information Night is Th ursday, Dec. 8, 7:00-8:30 p.m. and is for students entering grades 5, 6, and 7. Students will perform scenes from Shakespeare and give tours to visitors. Learn about our Middle School curricu-lum, student leadership op-portunities, and high school placement process.

Students and parents wel-come. RSVP to their Admis-sions Offi ce at [email protected] or call 202-386-9920. chds.org

Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth

CTY conducts the nation’s oldest and most extensive aca-demic talent search and off ers educational programming for students with exception-ally high academic ability. CTY parallels and complements a gifted child’s regular school ex-perience. CTY is now accept-ing Talent Search applications from students in grades 2-8 who have scored in the ninty-fi fth percentile or higher on a subsection of a nationally-normed standardized test or the highest level of a state test. To enroll a bright student in the Talent Search, go to cty.jhu.edu/discover. 410-735-4100.

Community ChildDevelopment Center

Open Year round 6:30am to 6:00pmAges 2 to 4 plus School age

Developmentally Appropriate ProgramsToilet Training • Certified Educators

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Model Trains at Botanic Gardens“Season’s Greenings”

Th e US Botanic Garden invites you to remember that the best things in life are free--the fragrance of a freshly cut fi r tree, the magic of holiday lights and sumptuous decorations, and the delight of a child dis-

covering the make-believe world of model trains. Free. Open daily, Th anks-giving Day through Jan. 2, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and until 8:00 p.m.every Tuesday and Th ursday in December with live holi-day music.100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333. usbg.gov

Archbishop Carroll High School Open House for Prospective Students

Archbishop Carroll High School is holding its fi rst prospective student Open House for the school year 2012-2013 on Sun-day, Nov. 20, 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on the campus at 4300 Harewood Rd. NE. Archbishop Carroll, serving grades 9-12, is a Catholic coeducational college preparatory school committed to serving a diverse student popula-tion since 1951. Th e Open House will give prospec-tive parents and students the opportunity to partic-ipate in student-led tours of the building, and to meet the administration, faculty and staff . Visitors will also learn about the International Baccalaure-ate Programme, athletic off erings and other extra-curricular activities. For more information, contact the Admissions Offi ce at 202-529-0900 ext. 134. archbishopcarroll.org

NASA SpaceSettlement Contest

Th is annual contest is for 6-12th graders (11-18 years old) from anywhere in the world. Individuals,

small teams of two to six, and large teams of seven or more (often whole classrooms with teacher leadership) may enter. Grades 6-8, 9-10 and 11-12 are judged separately, except for the grand prize. Students de-velop space settlement designs and related materials. Th ese are sent to NASA Ames


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Last year’s winner in the fi rst-third grade category Brayden Wood. Photo: Maureen Hsia

Frederick Douglass Annual Oratorical ContestApplication Deadline

Attention future political leaders. You have to know how to talk in front of people. Here’s a chance to hone your shills. Th e goal of this Oratorical Contest is for students to experience the same transformative power of language that Frederick Douglass did as a young man. Th e contest is open to all students in grades 1-12 and is hosted on Dec. 8, 9 and 10. Students memo-rize and present a portion of a Douglass speech from a stage at his home of Cedar Hill. Applications for the Oratorical Contest due on Nov. 14 by 4:00 PM. You just have to sign up by the 14th. You then have almost a month to learn your speech. Frederick Douglass Na-tional Historical Site, 1411 W St. SE, (corner of 15th

and W sts.). 202-426-5961. nps.gov/frdo

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for judgement. Submissions must be received by Mar. 15, 2012. For details, go to settlement.arc.nasa.gov

National Wildlife Federation Kids Photo Contest

Ranger Rick magazine, pub-lished by the National Wildlife Federation, has been delighting kids with amazing wildlife pho-tography for over 40 years, and now kids have the opportunity to see their own cool nature photos in the magazine. Today, NWF is announcing its fi rst ever Ranger Rick “Your Best Shots” Photog-raphy contest for kids under 13 years old. Th e contest is free to enter, and the winner could have their photo featured on the Rang-

er Rick web site and in the maga-zine. Judges will select a winner every month and children do not need to subscribe to Ranger Rick to enter the contest. Children can enter with parent’s or guardian’s permission at nwf.org/rrbestshot. Two free printable picture frames are available for simply entering the contest. Even if you don’t enter the contest, you can vote for your favorite entries on the web site. More info on Ranger Rick and the magazine can be found at nwf.org/Kids. ●

Inside the DC Water Mobile Water Quality Van, children learn fi rst-hand about the equipment and tools used to conduct water monitoring tests, as well as the testing process. DC Water has three mobile water quality labora-tory vans that are dispatched daily to provide on-site water monitoring services in the District of Columbia.Photo: Courtesy of Ted Coyle, DC Water

DC Water Makes First Splash with Children’s Water Drop FestivalTh e District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Wa-

ter) teamed up with the District Department of Parks and Recreation to host the fi rst Children’s Water Drop Festival at Watkins Recre-ation Center on Oct. 28. Th is free environmental education event was designed to educate and engage students about a variety of wa-ter-related topics and environmental issues impacting the quality of our waterways. During the festival, staff from DC Water and several environmental organizations gave students a hands-on environmen-tal lesson about drinking water, wastewater treatment, water quality, and the Anacostia watershed. Additionally, students learned how they

can protect and conserve water resources.

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305 47TH ST NE $149,000 24127 MINNESOTA AVE NE $140,000 3909 PORTER ST NE $75,430 3244 56TH PL NE $39,000 2

FORT DUPONT PARK 3955 S ST SE $245,000 327 ANACOSTIA RD NE $215,000 31630 40TH ST SE $205,000 3503 HILLTOP TER SE $178,000 41548 41ST ST SE $150,000 31701 41ST PL SE $130,000 3636 BURNS ST SE $120,500 24004 Q ST SE $110,000 33346 C ST SE $87,000 31681 FORT DUPONT ST SE $65,000 3

HILL CREST 3355 FRANKFORD ST SE $536,900 53305 ALABAMA AVE SE $365,000 43238 T ST SE $347,900 43810 CARPENTER ST SE $342,000 33206 G ST SE $240,000 33831 POPE ST SE $280,000 3

RANDLE HEIGHTS 2800 BRUCE PL SE $145,000 41805 18TH ST SE $128,950 33407 24TH ST SE $117,000 23433 24TH ST SE $66,000 2

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FORT DUPONT PARK 3956 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE #102 $119,900 2

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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 offi ce on Capitol Hill. The list includes address, sales price and number of bedrooms.

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capitalcommunitynews.com


THE NOSE

Why is everyone so contorted by cor-ruption? From the rarifi ed heights of Th e Post’s 15th Street offi ces to the

ethereal realm of the blogosphere, the pundits dun readers daily about the dismal District.

Th e Nose has developed a terrible allergy to grass cutting contracts.

Do citizens really want to know any more gory details about Councilmember Harry “Hand in the Cookie Jar” Th omas’s entertainment hab-its?

Th e Nose gets it. Th e underpaid, overworked members of his declining fraternity of scribblers are uniformly jealous.

While reporters chase councilmembers down hallways, barge into closed meetings courting ar-rest and risk repetitive strain injury redialing cell numbers, there are fi ve lobbyists who never have any diffi culty arranging quality time with District politicians: David “Th e Parking Valet” Wilmot, John “Bulldoze Litteri’s” Ray, Kevin “Lucky Lot-to” Chavous, Kerry “Little Bundler of Joy” Pear-son and Frederick “Get Th em Off ” Cooke.

Yes, Dear Readers, Th e Nose’s brethren envy the access and privilege aff orded the metropolis’s preeminent lobbyists. Hence their recent loud baying about corruption on the DC Council.

Yet, Th e Nose cannot help but admire so tal-ented a group.

David Wilmot pivots from defending the honor of Councilmember Yvette “Miss Conge-niality” Alexander before the Board of Ethics and Election to touting the virtues of Walmart. Kevin Chavous shepherded the dreaded Lottery deal to fruition for Interlot. John Ray, who seems to have forgotten an antipathy towards gambling displayed in an earlier mayoral run, now defends gasoline magnate Joe Mamo. When not lobby-ing on behalf of clients such as Fannie Mae, Fred Cooke spends his spare time defending Marion “I Forgot to File (Again)” Barry and Council-member Th omas. And, last but not least, is Kerry

Pearson, who according to Washington City Pa-per represents Clyde’s Restaurant Group among others, when not raising campaign funds for a bountiful bevy of DC politicians.

Speaking of Clyde’s, Th e Old Ebbitt Grill, one of the group’s many properties, famous for its raw mollusks, holds a special place in Th e Nose’s heart, an affi nity it seems that is shared with Lower Caucasia’s councilmember, Jack “Mr. Undersight” Evans.

Not only did Evans hold a recent fundraiser at one of the group’s many establishments, but his current campaign fi nance report boasts identi-cal $500 contributions from Clyde’s of Gallery Place, Clyde’s of Tyson’s Corner, Clyde’s of Co-lumbia, Inc., Clyde’s of Broadland, Inc., Clyde’s of Mark’s Center, Inc., Clyde’s of Georgetown, and Clyde’s Incorporated. Th e Nose is sure that whenever Clyde’s expands to the moon, its lunar branch will show up on a future Evan’s campaign report as well.

Th e Nose didn’t even have to purloin Dorothy Brizill’s ruby reading glasses to fi gure this one out. Clyde’s is spelled the same way in seven separate entries in Evans’s October campaign fi ling. Th is type of ‘bundled’ cash, while technically legal, is in Th e Nose’s opinion intrinsically questionable.

In the case of Clyde’s, Th e Nose opines, set-ting his usual cynicism aside, the cash probably was awarded in recognition of the hundreds of bivalves consumed during Jack’s many years of patronage of the group’s many establishments.

Rather than joining his colleagues in their loud complaint, Th e Nose prefers to celebrate talents of DC’s ‘lobbynistas.’ Gentlemen, in the spirit of Th e Fiddler, here is a song for you:

Lobbyist, Lobbyist, make me a match.

Find me a BFF, catch me a catch.

Lobbyist, Lobbyist, look through your book

And make me a perfect match.

Lobbyist, Lobbyist, I’ll bring the cash.

You bring the Pol, I’ll throw a bash.

Bring me a deal, for I’m longing to be

the envy of all I see.

For voters, make sure they don’t bother.

For Politicians, make their cell phones sing.

For me, well, I wouldn’t holler

If my contributions weren’t limited by anything.

Lobbyist, Lobbyist, make me a match.

Find me a fi nd, catch me a catch.

Deal after deal, in the dark, I’m alone.

So, fi nd me a politician of my own.

Th e problem is not Wilmot and company’s talent for short-circuiting governmental bureau-cracy. Rather, it is the corruption’s entire lack of transparency. All citizens, in Th e Nose’s humble opinion, should have the same access to politi-cians granted to these fi xers.

To promote transparent and even handed infl uence peddling, each councilmember in the manner of Luther should nail to his door a list of fees for services rendered. At the bottom end, the schedule might start with the cost of making traf-fi c infractions disappear and work its way up to more complex transactions such as land banking public property for private, tax-free gain. Th row in the prices for obtaining questionable permits, a prix fi xe special for PUDs (Planned Unit De-velopments) and life in this metropolis would be perfect.

In Th e Nose’s sage opinion, the problem in Th e District is not corruption, but the secrecy of required fees. Let’s make the menu of incentives public so that all may contribute their fare share.

Have a comment for Th e Nose? Email thenose@hill-

rag.com. ●

Corruption, Corruption! Corruption!by Anonymous

east-of-the-river-magazine-2011

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