The Georgetown Current In this week's issue: Zoning hearings close amid parking scrutiny; Cheh backs lane changes along Wisconsin Avenue; Oak Hill Cemetery wraps up chapel work; Congressional panel to hear height debate
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T HE G EORGETOWN C URRENT Wednesday, November 27, 2013 Serving Burleith, Foxhall, Georgetown, Georgetown Reservoir & Glover Park Vol. XXIII, No. 18 INDEX Calendar/18 Classifieds/26 District Digest/4 Exhibits/19 In Your Neighborhood/12 Opinion/6 Police Report/8 Real Estate/11 School Dispatches/16 Service Directory/23 Sports/9 Theater/21 Tips? Contact us at [email protected]Gonzaga Eagles begin defense of ice hockey title — Page 9 Century-old hatter finds first D.C. spot in Georgetown — Page 3 BUSINESS SPORTS U.S. attorney evokes Gertrude Stein with ‘there’s there there’ — Page 6 SHERWOOD By KATIE PEARCE Current Staff Writer The largest restoration project in decades at Georgetown’s Oak Hill Cemetery is now finishing up, replacing the roof of the small 1853 chapel designed by James W. Ren- wick Jr. The chapel, a national historic landmark located near the front entrance of the hillside cemetery, is the District’s sole example of Ren- wick’s Gothic Revival church style. The architect is best known for designing St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, and in D.C., the Smithsonian Institution’s “Castle” building. At Oak Hill, the nondenomina- tional Renwick Chapel has hosted funerals for the past 164 years, with notable guests including presidents and cabinet members. The chapel has changed little since 1853, aside from replacement of its stained-glass windows in the 1880s, then later upgrades to provide electricity and heating. “What you see is what it was,” Dave Jackson, the superintendent of Oak Hill Cemetery, said in a recent interview. But inspection of recent water damage in the chapel’s interior ended up revealing the need for more significant repairs. “Our board said, ‘No more patching; we really got to do this right,’” said Jackson. The restoration project, estimated to cost more than $200,000, launched this summer to replace the chapel’s mortar as well as its steep slate roof. The new purple roof tiles — the color was selected originally due to its symbolism to multiple religions Oak Hill Cemetery wraps up chapel work Courtesy of Oak Hill Cemetery Replacing the roof on the 1853 chapel cost more than $200,000. By GRAHAM VYSE Current Staff Writer A push to restore a second north- bound travel lane to Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park now has the support of Ward 3 D.C. Council member Mary Cheh, whose com- mittee will hold a hearing on the subject Dec. 4. “The lane change seems not to be working. There seem to be piles of cars just waiting there,” Cheh said in an interview. “If the inten- tion was to get people in traffic jams, well, then it worked.” The D.C. Department of Trans- portation’s 2012 streetscape project included wider sidewalks and a painted median and left-turn lane, with a focus on calming traffic and improving pedestrian safety. The redesigned roadway included the loss of one travel lane in each direc- tion, which the agency’s modeling predicted would result in a modest increase in travel times. But traffic impacts appear to exceed those projections — partic- ularly for northbound drivers — and now even many residents who originally supported the controver- sial project are saying a restored travel lane must replace the new median. The median was already removed north of Calvert Street this past spring. Cheh said the pedestrian safety concerns that prompted this streetscape project were legitimate, but “the solution that is in place now was probably ill-advised.” This is roughly the same case Glover Park advisory neighbor- hood commissioner Jackie Blu- menthal made in a Nov. 22 post on Cheh backs lane changes along Wisconsin Avenue Bill Petros/The Current Tudor Place Historic House and Garden intern Alexandra Endress led children in games, storytelling, a craft activity and a tour of the Georgetown mansion on Saturday morning as part of the “Tudor Tots: Thanksgiving at Tudor Place” program. BUILDING BLOCKS ■ Transportation: Council hearing on issue set for Dec. 4 By ELIZABETH WIENER Current Staff Writer A yearlong study of a century-old federal law concluded last week with a rapid-fire series of conflicting recommendations and reversals — just two weeks before a congressio- nal hearing into possible relaxation of the 1910 Height of Buildings Act. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., will chair a hearing Monday to consider “strategic” changes to the law. On Nov. 17, the staff of the National Capital Planning Commis- sion issued a revised recommenda- tion to amend the act to allow “tar- geted” changes through the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Then two days later, the commission itself rejected that recommendation, vot- ing instead to ask Issa to keep exist- ing height limits in place — inside and outside the city’s monumental core. The next night, the Office of Planning announced it would stick with its original proposal to essen- tially repeal the law outside the so- called L’Enfant City, and to allow somewhat taller buildings inside. Congressional panel to hear height debate By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer When it comes to parking, who is the District’s “silent majority” — residents who rely on the conve- nience of car ownership, or those who prefer other transportation modes? This is one of the key questions the Zoning Commission will begin weighing next month as it considers proposed revisions to the District’s land-use regulations. Since the Office of Planning kicked off the overhaul to the 1958-era zoning code six years ago, parking has been one of the topics that’s seen the most debate. In its series of public hearings on the zoning rewrite this month, the commission dedicated three nights to a section of the zoning code that includes parking, and parking poli- cies also permeated much of wit- nesses’ other testimony. And people on both sides of the debate have claimed they represent the views of D.C. residents who aren’t closely following zoning proposals. At issue is how much parking Zoning hearings close amid parking scrutiny ■ Land use: Commission to consider next steps on Dec. 9 Bill Petros/Current file photo Opponents of the recent Glover Park project say it has increased congestion along the corridor. See Zoning/Page 5 See Traffic/Page 22 See Cemetery/Page 22 See Height/Page 22
Transcript
The GeorGeTown CurrenTWednesday, November 27, 2013 Serving Burleith, Foxhall, Georgetown, Georgetown Reservoir & Glover Park Vol. XXIII, No. 18
INDEXCalendar/18Classifieds/26 District Digest/4Exhibits/19In Your Neighborhood/12Opinion/6
Century-old hatter finds first D.C. spot in Georgetown
— Page 3
BUSINESS SPORTS
U.S. attorney evokes Gertrude Stein with ‘there’s there there’
— Page 6
SHERWOOD
By KATIE PEARCECurrent Staff Writer
The largest restoration project in decades at Georgetown’s Oak Hill Cemetery is now finishing up, replacing the roof of the small 1853 chapel designed by James W. Ren-wick Jr.
The chapel, a national historic landmark located near the front entrance of the hillside cemetery, is the District’s sole example of Ren-wick’s Gothic Revival church style. The architect is best known for designing St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, and in D.C., the Smithsonian Institution’s “Castle” building.
At Oak Hill, the nondenomina-
tional Renwick Chapel has hosted funerals for the past 164 years, with notable guests including presidents and cabinet members. The chapel has changed little since 1853, aside from replacement of its stained-glass windows in the 1880s, then later
upgrades to provide electricity and heating.
“What you see is what it was,” Dave Jackson, the superintendent of Oak Hill Cemetery, said in a recent interview.
But inspection of recent water damage in the chapel’s interior ended up revealing the need for more significant repairs. “Our board said, ‘No more patching; we really got to do this right,’” said Jackson.
The restoration project, estimated to cost more than $200,000, launched this summer to replace the chapel’s mortar as well as its steep slate roof. The new purple roof tiles — the color was selected originally due to its symbolism to multiple religions
Oak Hill Cemetery wraps up chapel work
Courtesy of Oak Hill CemeteryReplacing the roof on the 1853 chapel cost more than $200,000.
By GRAHAM VYSECurrent Staff Writer
A push to restore a second north-bound travel lane to Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park now has the support of Ward 3 D.C. Council member Mary Cheh, whose com-mittee will hold a hearing on the subject Dec. 4. “The lane change seems not to be working. There seem to be piles of cars just waiting there,” Cheh said in an interview. “If the inten-tion was to get people in traffic jams, well, then it worked.” The D.C. Department of Trans-portation’s 2012 streetscape project included wider sidewalks and a painted median and left-turn lane, with a focus on calming traffic and improving pedestrian safety. The redesigned roadway included the loss of one travel lane in each direc-tion, which the agency’s modeling predicted would result in a modest increase in travel times. But traffic impacts appear to exceed those projections — partic-
ularly for northbound drivers — and now even many residents who originally supported the controver-sial project are saying a restored travel lane must replace the new median. The median was already removed north of Calvert Street this past spring. Cheh said the pedestrian safety concerns that prompted this streetscape project were legitimate, but “the solution that is in place now was probably ill-advised.” This is roughly the same case Glover Park advisory neighbor-hood commissioner Jackie Blu-menthal made in a Nov. 22 post on
Cheh backs lane changes along Wisconsin Avenue
Bill Petros/The CurrentTudor Place Historic House and Garden intern Alexandra Endress led children in games, storytelling, a craft activity and a tour of the Georgetown mansion on Saturday morning as part of the “Tudor Tots: Thanksgiving at Tudor Place” program.
B U I l D I N G B l O C K S
■ Transportation: Council hearing on issue set for Dec. 4
By ElIZABETH WIENERCurrent Staff Writer
A yearlong study of a century-old federal law concluded last week with a rapid-fire series of conflicting recommendations and reversals — just two weeks before a congressio-nal hearing into possible relaxation of the 1910 Height of Buildings Act.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., will chair a hearing Monday to consider “strategic” changes to the law.
On Nov. 17, the staff of the National Capital Planning Commis-sion issued a revised recommenda-tion to amend the act to allow “tar-geted” changes through the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Then two days later, the commission itself rejected that recommendation, vot-ing instead to ask Issa to keep exist-ing height limits in place — inside and outside the city’s monumental core.
The next night, the Office of Planning announced it would stick with its original proposal to essen-tially repeal the law outside the so-called L’Enfant City, and to allow somewhat taller buildings inside.
Congressional panel to hear height debate
By BRADY HOlTCurrent Staff Writer
When it comes to parking, who is the District’s “silent majority” — residents who rely on the conve-nience of car ownership, or those who prefer other transportation modes? This is one of the key questions the Zoning Commission will begin weighing next month as it considers proposed revisions to the District’s land-use regulations. Since the
Office of Planning kicked off the overhaul to the 1958-era zoning code six years ago, parking has been one of the topics that’s seen the most debate. In its series of public hearings on the zoning rewrite this month, the commission dedicated three nights to a section of the zoning code that includes parking, and parking poli-cies also permeated much of wit-nesses’ other testimony. And people on both sides of the debate have claimed they represent the views of D.C. residents who aren’t closely following zoning proposals. At issue is how much parking
Zoning hearings close amid parking scrutiny■ land use: Commission to consider next steps on Dec. 9
Bill Petros/Current file photoOpponents of the recent Glover Park project say it has increased congestion along the corridor.
See Zoning/Page 5
See Traffic/Page 22See Cemetery/Page 22
See Height/Page 22
2 Wednesday, november 27, 2013 The CurrenT
The CurreNT wedNesday, November 27, 2013 3
Monday, Dec. 2 The D.C. Department of General Services will hold a public hearing to discuss proposals for the reuse of Sharpe Health School. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW.
Tuesday, Dec. 3 American University President Neil Kerwin will hold a community town hall meeting, followed by a holiday gathering for the university’s neighbors. The event will begin at 7 p.m. at the Abramson Family Recital Hall, Katzen Arts Center, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW.
Wednesday, Dec. 4 The D.C. Council Committee on Transportation and the Environment will hold a round-table discussion on the Wisconsin Avenue streetscape project in Glover Park. The meeting will begin at 11 a.m. at the Guy Mason Recreation Center, 3600 Calvert St. NW.
The week ahead
Goorin Bros., a century-old fam-ily hatmaking company based in California that has helped revive the popularity of this fashion accessory, has opened a shop in Georgetown.
The store opened last Friday at 1214 Wisconsin Ave., marking the company’s 28th location. The site is in a retail-heavy neighborhood that’s devoid of stores dedicated to hats, an opportunity that CEO Ben Goorin described as “amazing” given the many clothing and shoe stores.
“There are hundreds of them and yet there’s not a single hat store dur-ing a time when people are discover-ing that hats are an important style,” Goorin said. “That’s why we’re excited. There’s a been a void in the market.”
Inside the 900-square-foot space, which formerly housed an Aerosoles shoe store, Goorin Bros. offers a variety of hand-made custom hats for men and women, including fedo-ras, flatcaps, woodsman beanies and modern baseball caps, ranging from $30 to $200.
According to market research reports, the $2 billion hat industry is poised to reverse the declining reve-nues of the past few decades thanks to popularity among millennials.
The Goorin Bros. business got its start in Pittsburgh and moved to San Francisco in 1949. Its locations across the country draw inspiration from the traditional hat shops that used to be commonplace.
In line with that old-school ambi-ance, the store offers a personal hat-fitting consultation with one of the employees.
“It’s important to have a personal one-on-one with our merchants so that customers can understand what they feel is comfortable, what they look best in and how [the hat] best fits them,” said Goorin, who is part of the fourth generation of Goorins to run the family business.
Goorin said the shop will also stretch patrons’ old hats, a compli-mentary service. “We’ll teach people about hat care and what goes on in the making of quality hats,” he said.
For three years, Goorin Bros. has been looking for that perfect spot in Georgetown. “Wisconsin and M form one of the most unique retail intersections in America and are a cornerstone of the community,” Tom Morris, director of retail at Goorin Bros., wrote in an email. “The Georgetown customer appreciates the quality and craftsmanship of handmade products.”
In keeping with the block’s his-toric architecture, Goorin said the Georgetown shop’s interior design features reclaimed wooden floors, a tin ceiling, custom mahogany cabi-netry and shelving, antique decora-tions and old-fashioned hat tools.
Coffee shop opensCulture Coffee recently opened
at 709 Kennedy St. in Brightwood. In addition to serving hot coffee, the shop offers coffee shakes, smooth-ies, sandwiches, salads, fruit parfaits and pastries.
Century-old hatmaker sets up shop in Wisconsin Ave. space
By GRAHAM VYSECurrent Staff Writer
The world premiere of a Broadway-bound musical infused the National Theatre with new energy this month, reviving the historic D.C. playhouse’s tradition of testing out shows headed to New York. “If/Then,” starring Broadway giant Idina Menzel of “Rent” and “Wicked” fame, began previews Nov. 5 with an official opening Sun-
day. Performances will continue until Dec. 8, before the show debuts in New York next March. It’s an out-of-town tryout for a cast that includes actor Anthony Rapp (a former “Rent” co-star of Menzel’s) and the same creative team that produced the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning “Next to Normal,” which itself came to D.C.’s Arena Stage before continuing to Broadway. For the National, though, “If/Then” is any-
thing but a tryout. It’s a real test for the the-ater’s new programming and management team, National Theatre Group. Begun last year as a partnership between entertainment companies JAM Theatricals and SMG, the organization aims to usher in a new era at the National. The goal is to revitalize the struggling playhouse at 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. that was once considered among the most venerable in American theater, but which has
If National’s lineup thrives, then D.C. theater sees boost
ON THE MARKET KAT LUCERo
Photo by Joan MarcusIdina Menzel and Anthony Rapp star in the musical “If/Then,” now at the National. See Theater/Page 22
4 Wednesday, november 27, 2013 The CurrenT
New traffic cameras now issuing warnings The Metropolitan Police Depart-ment activated its newest traffic cameras on Saturday, according to a news release. Violators will
receive warnings until Dec. 30, when fines will begin. The cameras rely on new tech-nology to enforce a variety of offenses, including gridlock enforcement units targeting “block-ing the box” at intersections; porta-
ble stop sign enforcement units in residential neighborhoods; portable crosswalk enforcement units near schools, parks and recreation cen-ters; and units that will enforce rules on oversized and overweight commercial vehicles. Additional speed enforcement units have also been deployed. Information about the new cam-eras is available at dcstreetsafe.org. The website lists where each tech-nology is deployed, and a map shows the locations of all of the city’s automated enforcement units
City set to distribute new trash containers The D.C. Department of Public Works will begin distributing new trash cans and recycling bins in January. The process will begin in neigh-borhoods receiving once-a-week trash collection, according to a news release. Households there will receive a new Supercan and a 64-gallon recycling can. In the spring, distribution will expand to neighborhoods with twice-a-week trash collection. Homes there will receive a new 32-gallon trash can and a 48-gallon recycling can. Distribution is expected to con-tinue through July. The use of larger recycling receptacles is aimed at fulfilling the Sustainable DC plan’s target of “diverting 80 percent of the waste stream through recycling, compos-ing and waste conversion,” the
release states. Most Supercans were last replaced more than a decade ago, and their age has led to complaints about containers in poor condition attracting rats and other animals.
Utility work affects Washington Circle The D.C. Department of Trans-portation has closed the junction of New Hampshire Avenue and the southwest side of Washington Cir-cle due to utility work. The project is slated to continue through Dec. 9, weather permitting. Detours are in effect for traffic on New Hampshire Avenue between 24th Street and Washing-ton Circle. Emergency vehicles are still able to access George Wash-ington University Hospital’s drive-ways, and pedestrians can use the block.
Petitions available for Democratic posts Petitions became available last week for seats on the D.C. Demo-cratic State Committee. The party’s April 1 primary bal-lot will include the positions, along with mayor, delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, and other local offices. The Democratic positions include national commit-teeman and national committee-woman; alternate national commit-teeman and national committee-woman; six at-large state commit-teewomen and six at-large state
committeemen elected citywide; and two state committeewomen and state committeemen elected in each ward. As in previous elections, a can-didate may circulate petitions as an individual or as a member of a slate. All petitions are due Jan. 2. Procedural details are available at dcboee.org.
Corrections In the Nov. 20 issue, an article on the Glover Park advisory neigh-borhood commission’s stance against license renewal for Good Guys Club misstated the history of a previous protest. It was an ad hoc group of citizens, not the commis-sion, that protested the club’s pro-posed expansion; the commission subsequently worked out an agree-ment with the club that included dropping the expansion. In the same issue, an article on height limitations incorrectly reported the National Capital Plan-ning Commission members voting against Peter May’s amendment. The third “no” vote was presiden-tial appointee Elizabeth White, not Preston Bryant. The Current regrets the errors. As a matter of policy, The Cur-rent corrects all errors of substance. To report an error, call the manag-ing editor at 202-567-2011.
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The CurreNT wedNesday, November 27, 2013 5
should be required for newly con-structed buildings. The Office of Planning is proposing reduced park-ing minimums in certain areas — the area it’s designating as downtown (where there would be no minimum) and areas particularly well-served by transit (where the minimum would be halved). In addition to other smaller park-ing minimum changes, the agency also wants to see additional transpor-tation demand management mea-sures for new buildings that provide more than twice the minimum num-ber of parking spaces. But for the most part, the city’s planners say that parking is best left to market forces rather than zoning obligations. “Because otherwise we have a one-size-fits-all that’s based on a zoning category rather than a car ownership rate, utilization rate or many other things that affect how much parking demand there might be in a neighborhood,” Office of Planning director Harriet Tregoning told the commission last Wednesday. Planners and public witnesses testified that it costs roughly $50,000 per space to construct underground parking, which in many cases need-lessly adds to the cost of housing and other development projects. Many residents testified at the hearings that they are able to live car-free or at least rarely use their cars. Michael Forster, who lives at 14th and R streets, said his condo build-ing’s parking spaces far outstrip demand and that the minimums should be reduced. “It seems to be subsidizing something that isn’t good for us, like having a minimum amount of French fries,” he said. The Planning Office’s Jennifer Steingasser added that she’d heard concerns from residents who thought that existing parking supply would be reduced. “People with parking will still have parking,” she said. But opponents of the change say residents who today rely on street parking may find themselves
squeezed out by the overflow of new buildings without sufficient parking space in their own properties. And Friendship Heights resident Sue Hemberger testified that “car-light” residents still need a place to park. “When you drive less in a resi-dential context, your demand for parking increases. Drive less, park more,” she said. Zoning commissioner Peter May said he sympathized with opponents’ worries about an on-street parking crunch. “As much as we’re going to say that the market is going to decide, there are always going to be bad players who are going to throw up a building, rent it out and not care about how people park,” May said. As in past hearings, May said he wanted the Zoning Commission’s decision on parking minimums to be determined by how the D.C. Depart-ment of Transportation reforms the Residential Parking Permit program. If the agency can block residents of certain new buildings from getting parking permits, reduce the size of parking zones or otherwise reduce on-street parking demand, May said, he would be more comfortable reducing on-site requirements. The Transportation Department’s Sam Zimbabwe replied at last Wednesday’s hearing that the agency may have preliminary recommenda-tions for RPP reform this winter, but it would take a lot longer for any-thing to be finalized. He added that the Zoning Commission’s parking minimum decision will also help shape what the department proposes. “I think we’re waiting to see what happens with the zoning update to also inform how we approach park-ing,” said Zimbabwe. Beyond parking, another issue raised at recent Zoning Commission hearings was some residents’ recom-mendation that “big box” retailers be allowed only through the special exception process. This would require them to demonstrate that they weren’t harming the communi-ty in which they would locate. Stein-gasser of the Planning Office said
that many concerns involve such matters as Walmart’s treatment of its employees, which is not germane to zoning regulations. Other witnesses testified that the Zoning Commission should use this rewrite to strengthen the District’s inclusionary zoning rules, which set aside 8 percent of units in most new buildings for lower-income resi-dents. Several witnesses said the percentage should be higher and that more units should be reserved for very low-income residents. Some zoning commissioners indicated
they support those concepts, but that separate proceedings dedicated to the issue would be appropriate. In Zoning Commission hearings earlier this month, residents also testified about apartments on single-family properties, grocery stores in residential neighborhoods, an expan-sion of the area designated as down-town and other issues. The commission is still accepting written testimony on the zoning rewrite proposals. To comment, visit app.dcoz.dc.gov/Login.aspx or send signed testimony in PDF format to
[email protected], including “Case No. 08-06A” and the subtitle of the relevant zoning code. Visit tinyurl.com/zrr-schedule for a chart identifying the subtitles. Commissioners are due to decide on Dec. 9 whether to begin delibera-tions on the zoning rewrite proposals or to delay the proceedings so that residents have more time to weigh in. A number of groups have said there was insufficient time to review the Office of Planning’s proposed changes, though others say the issues are ripe for action.
ZONING: Residential parking reform at issue in commission’s land-use deliberationsFrom Page 1
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Sharing the wealth The District’s development boom has yielded great results for the city’s coffers. Debates about which painful budget cut would hurt the least have been replaced by discussions of how to best use the city’s surplus. The explosive growth that’s raising new revenue for our government is also responsible for making parts of the city less affordable for lower-income residents. We are therefore pleased to support Mayor Vincent Gray’s plan to spend $187 million on affordable-housing initiatives. Mayor Gray committed earlier this year to spending $100 million, and he announced last Wednesday that he was increasing that to $187 million — a combination of federal and local dollars. The mayor says this will cre-ate or preserve 3,200 units of affordable housing in 47 locations across the District. That puts us well on our way toward his stated target of 10,000 units by 2020. “Our city’s economic, ethnic, cultural and age diversity is one of the very things that attracts new residents in the first place,” the mayor said Sunday in his weekly radio address on WNEW. “Ensuring that long-term residents retain the ability to live in the neighborhoods they’ve helped build should be a top priority for any city government.” We agree wholeheartedly. Many D.C. longtime residents have worked tirelessly to improve their neighborhoods and their city, and they deserve the support of their government as costs rise. Affordable-housing produc-tion should also make sure to include units for a mix of income levels. We also strongly support affordable housing that’s targeted at our public servants, including our teachers, police officers and firefighters, who may be priced out of the District’s market-rate units and are particularly valuable to our communities. Separate from the commitment of funding, we believe there are aspects of the District’s affordable-housing policies that require further scrutiny. For instance, we’ve heard complaints from residents who bought subsi-dized condominium units only to find their condo fees double over just a few years. Residents of such units have also recently told the Zoning Com-mission that restrictions on selling their units have left them feeling trapped, and also have blocked them from borrowing against their homes’ equity. The District must continue working to address these concerns, provided the units remain designated as affordable.
Strike a balance D.C. residents have demonstrated impressive willingness to use well-designed mass transit, and the high percentage of our population that gets around without driving has protected us from even worse traffic congestion. We’re therefore generally impressed with the D.C. Department of Trans-portation’s “moveDC” roadmap toward improved transit service. The agen-cy’s draft identifies north-south and east-west corridors that would have dedicated lanes for buses or other transit vehicles, along with routes that would have high-capacity buses sharing lanes with other traffic. In Northwest, 16th Street and parts of Wisconsin Avenue would have dedicated lanes, as would portions of H and I streets downtown and a few others, according to a recently posted draft map. High-capacity transit vehi-cles would use other stretches of Wisconsin, in addition to east-west routes on Calvert, U and Tilden streets, without dedicated lanes. Dedicated lanes address long-standing hurdles to bus travel by promis-ing reduced travel times and improved reliability. So, too, do new technolo-gies that give traffic signal preference to transit vehicles. While we support examining these approaches, we also want to remind transportation planners to not overlook the effects on motorists. If the changes create a traffic bottleneck, the congestion would likely discourage suburban motorists from enhancing the city’s economic vitality — as well as create a backlash against the transit program in general. We urge a very careful review of proposals to identify tradeoffs and avoid serious traffic congestion. We also note that pockets of Northwest are not adequately connected to this improved transit network, including Chevy Chase, Glover Park and the Palisades. Considering that they don’t have Metro stations, leaving these neighborhoods without another convenient transit option practically ensures that many residents there will continue to drive. We recognize that the “moveDC” plan is preliminary. Not only is it still in draft form, but we couldn’t expect to see it implemented in the immedi-ate future. Nonetheless, we are pleased that the Transportation Department is taking a good look at improved transit options in the District, and look forward to seeing better bus service on D.C. streets.
Currentthe GeorGetown
g6 Wednesday, november 27, 2013 The CurrenT
We think U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen last week was channeling a reverse Gertrude Stein.
Stein was famous for saying of changes in her hometown of Oakland, Calif., and reluctance to visit that “there’s no there there.” Our thoughts of Stein came up when Machen was asked in a public forum about his long investigation into Mayor Vincent Gray’s 2010 campaign for mayor. It was at the Hill Center on Capitol Hill. Your Notebook was hosting the interview. Why is it taking so long, we asked? It was a question we get three or five times a week on the city streets. Machen had an answer. First, he said, some of the same people who are complaining about how long it’s taking are the same ones refusing to turn over documents or talk to investigators. And at that point, we got our Gertrude Stein moment. Some folks on the mayor’s staff, we told Machen, think he has nothing on Gray. “You’ve got four people associated with a mayor-al campaign who have pled guilty to felonies,” Machen calmly responded. “It’s not like we’ve been looking at this for three years and there’s no there there. I mean, there’s there there, and we’re trying to gather information, we’re trying to get documents and we’re trying to talk to people.” The hourlong interview was wide-ranging, with comments about Machen’s early childhood, his edu-cator parents, his time at Stanford and his family now. We talked about the multi-layered U.S. Attor-ney’s Office here that handles international and national crimes as well as District prosecutions. We asked a lot, but it was the taciturn Machen’s comments on the Gray investigation that left our audience wanting more.■ Happy birthday news? Last Friday, several reporters gave up our Friday night to attend the may-or’s 71st birthday party. It was held at Lost Society, a spacious, multi-level bar at 14th and U streets. There were rumors that Gray, in front of this friendly crowd, might make his political plans known. No luck. The mayor pointed out the reporters in the room, saying they were all there to write some-thing. (We were.) The crowd sang a few bars of “Happy Birthday” and several chanted “four more years, four more years.” Never mind that many in the crowd were Gray’s own cabinet members — the mayor was having a good time. But he gave no hint of his soon-to-come decision on whether he’ll run or not.■ Thank you for tipping. Restaurant workers hope you’re in the holiday spirit — and tip well. Those workers who depend on tips, especially waiters, are being left out of a plan to gradually raise the D.C. minimum wage from the current $8.25 per hour to $11.50 by the summer of 2016. Tipped work-ers will remain stuck at $2.77 per hour. The D.C. Council’s Economic Development Committee voted 6-0 on Monday for the plan. It was less than the $12.50 that committee chair Vincent Orange (at-large) had wanted.
But the $11.50 apparently is a number that’s veto-proof. Mayor Gray still is supporting a raise to $10 an hour next year, similar to increases supported by business leaders, but with no more increases until a study can be done of impacts on city business. “Lots of people want to open businesses in the city right now,” the mayor said on Monday in an interview with NBC4. “And we need to make sure
we continue to be a place that encourages businesses in the city.”
Orange, who has announced he’s running for mayor, said the booming city is ripe for
better treatment of its minimum-wage workers. “Right now the council is ready to move forward,” he told us. “The citizens of the District of Columbia are ready to move forward.” The council is expected to take its first full vote on the issue next week and may pass final legislation by the end of the year. All of the council members had indicated they wanted to raise the minimum wage; it’s only been a question of how much and how fast. This debate fol-lows a contentious — and unsuccessful — move to force Walmart to pay a minimum of $12.50 an hour. The council passed that legislation but Mayor Gray vetoed it. After months of wrangling, the coun-cil failed to override the mayor’s veto. Walmart had threatened to cancel plans for six stores in the city. But now, the first two are set to open next week. The minimum wage change has been much less contentious. “I think everyone knows that living on $8.25 an hour, the current minimum wage, is just impossible in this city,” said Elissa Silverman, a for-mer council candidate and a chief strategist for the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute.■ New Supercans coming. Mayor Gray has one-upped proposals to make it easier for residents to get new garbage cans. The mayor this week announced that all residents who have Supercans will get a new one by July of next year, along with bigger new recy-cling bins. When we caught up with the mayor on Monday, he laughed when we suggested that would be a good campaign issue if he should decide to run for re-elec-tion. He expressed mock surprise. Staring into the NBC4 camera, Gray solemnly said, “I wouldn’t ever talk about the fact that every-body’s going to get a Supercan in the District of Columbia by next July.” And then he laughed. ■ A final word. Joe Grano died this week. A more obstinate optimist you’ll never meet. He relentlessly padded around Washington for the past 30 years-plus, promoting voting rights, statehood and respect for the once-dilapidated World War I Memorial. He button-holed, cornered, cajoled and — some say — corralled journalists and politicians to please pay attention to the issues that burned so bright with him. Joe Grano, always on the case. He was a living example of my email tag line — “local Washington only is good as the people active in it.” Joe was one of the good guys. Tom Sherwood, a Southwest resident, is a political reporter for News 4.
There’s ‘there there,’ so there …
TOM SHERWOOD’S notebook
metro should look at Georgetown options I have some thoughts in response to The Current’s Oct. 23 article “New push aims to get Metro in Georgetown.” Perhaps the fastest, most effi-cient way to jump-start the Blue/Yellow Line loop — featuring,
finally, a Metrorail stop in Georgetown — would be to sim-ply borrow the monstrous but state-of-the-art machines used to bore massive new sewer tunnels. Another possibility, which could be complementary, would be to open up a station at the increasingly popular and fre-quented Washington Harbour; the existing tracks already abut the Potomac River. A smaller tunnel equipped with a moving carpet (such as those featured often in
airports and several Parisian sta-tions) could then link that loca-tion with the center of George-town at Wisconsin Avenue and M Street. Third, even simpler, why not excavate for a second, western entrance to the Foggy Bottom sta-tion? That also would bring riders closer to Georgetown, while relieving the increasingly cluttered eastern entrance.
Michael KentAmerican University Park
letters tothe editor
The CurrenT Wednesday, november 27, 2013 7
council should delay action on old hardy On Oct. 28, Deputy Mayor for Education Abigail Smith announced the formation of a task force to make recommendations on revising D.C. school boundaries. This review is timely. Every public school in Ward 3 is currently overcrowded. The cur-rent attendance boundaries have not been analyzed comprehensive-ly since the 1970s. After decades of declining enrollment, the number of students in D.C. Public Schools is growing again, and in Ward 3 our local schools can no longer handle the number of students who wish to attend them. The D.C. Office of Planning is projecting enormous growth in the city’s school-age population over the next decade — a 45 percent increase, almost 40,000 new stu-dents. The commission’s recom-mendations are due in September 2014. One solution to the crowding may be to reopen schools that closed when enrollment was drop-ping. However, there is only one such building in Ward 3 that is not currently being used as a public school. That is the old Hardy School on Foxhall Road (not to be confused with the similarly named Hardy Middle School on Wiscon-sin Avenue). When this school was closed in 1996, the city wanted to sell it, but neighbors insisted it be available for future use as a public school if the need arose. Since 1998 it has been leased to private schools with a series of five-year lease extensions. The same week that Deputy Mayor Smith announced her task force, with little fanfare the D.C. Council began the process of declaring the old Hardy School surplus. Legislation is pending to authorize a lease extension that will keep the school in private hands for an additional 50 years after the current lease ends in 2018. The three Ward 3 schools clos-est to the old Hardy School are Mann, Stoddert and Key, and they are among the city’s most crowded schools. We are neighbors of the old Hardy School and have served in volunteer leadership positions at Key Elementary. We have seen firsthand the impact that crowding has on the quality of education at our school. The Hardy building could play a major part in reducing the over-crowding issues facing these three schools and should be factored into the review process. It may well be that overcrowding can be addressed without needing the old
Hardy School. If that’s the case, we will know within 10 months. But until the city can provide a clear road map, it would seem irrespon-sible to tie up this property for 55 years. Given these facts, we — joined by 20 past PTA presidents and Local School Advisory Team mem-bers — ask that the council hold off on any disposition of the old Hardy School until the boundary review is completed and the recom-mendations have been made public.
John kennedy’s spirit continues to inspire As a Young Democrat leader, I met then-U.S. Sen. John F. Kenne-dy, D-Mass., in his Washington office in August 1959 when I was 38 years old. I was in the senator’s office for only an hour, but more than 50 years later, it was in retrospect an hour not only to remember but also to cherish. I soon found Sen. Kennedy bright, very knowledgeable and charismatic. He was clearly a born leader, with a very promising future. I was especially impressed with his strong interest in health insur-ance coverage for the American people. Kennedy proved that his interest was real, for when he was elected president, he made health insur-ance legislation an important prior-ity. It was, however, narrowly defeated in the U.S. Senate. When I left Sen. Kennedy’s office in 1959, I was convinced that I had just met and spoken with the next president of the United States. Although he did not admit it to me, I somehow believed that he would run for president the follow-ing year and that he would be elected the leader of our country. After the meeting, I was inspired and became more active politically. I concentrated my work with the Middlesex County Young Democrats in New Jersey. I spoke before various Young Democrat groups, did registration work and also wrote several letters to the edi-tor. I also spoke before senior citi-zens and praised Sen. Kennedy for his progressive views on the issues. On Nov. 8, 1960, a day I have never forgotten, JFK carried New Jersey by the narrow margin of 22,000 votes. Middlesex County, N.J., where I was manager of the county’s Citi-zens for Kennedy headquarters, provided a plurality of 32,000
votes for Kennedy. Oh, happy day for honest, efficient and responsive government! After the historic 1960 presiden-tial election, I was appointed chief of staff and press secretary to U.S. Rep. Edward J. Patten, D-N.J. I held those two positions for the next 15 years from 1963 to 1978. When I joined and headed the congressman’s staff, I moved into the Cathedral Heights neighbor-hood, three blocks south of the Washington National Cathedral. As I write this letter, I’ve lived in the same Ward 3 apartment for 43 years. After Rep. Patten retired at 75, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry appoint-ed me to several positions, includ-ing the D.C. Board of Library Trustees for 10 years and the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics for two terms. But wherever I’ve worked or lived, I always remembered Presi-dent John F. Kennedy — a presi-dent of excellence, who was also blessed with unconquerable hope and a courageous spirit that will live and inspire forever.
Stephen G. CallasCathedral Heights
d.c. minimum wage should rise gradually Central Union Mission avoids political activities, as a well-intend-ed 501(c)3 nonprofit should. How-ever, the current debate on mini-mum wage catches us in an inter-esting position as advocates for poor and homeless people. We at the Mission appreciate the need for a higher minimum wage. Life is very difficult for a hard-working single mother with three children. We regularly help her with food and clothing to make ends meet. At the same time, we’re a small business employing many people re-entering the workforce at the bottom of the employment ladder. Almost all of our employees earn above the current minimum wage, and those who don’t receive room and board. Some of the new minimum wage proposals exceed the Mis-sion’s pay schedule for entry-level employees. Our request as a small business is for a gradual increase in the minimum wage to enable us and our donors to catch up as we move ahead. We also ask that rea-sonable “wage” credit be given for room and board provided to low-income employees by their employers. We look forward to helping all in the greater Washington area achieve a livable wage so that fewer people require our services.
David O. TreadwellExecutive Director,
Central Union Mission
letters tothe editor
letters to the editorThe Current publishes letters and Viewpoint submissions representing various points of view. Because of space limitations, letters should be no more than 400 words and are subject to editing. Letters and Viewpoint submissions intended for publication should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, The Current, Post Office Box 40400, Washing-ton, D.C. 20016-0400. You may send email to [email protected].
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By BRIAN KAPURCurrent Staff Writer
When a league player of the year graduates, his former team usually takes a step back. But for Gonzaga’s ice hockey team, which lost Jack Slater to graduation last summer, that hasn’t been the case. The Eagles come into this season with high hopes off their Mid Atlantic Prep Hockey League title run last year. “We have some big holes to fill, but we have a really deep team this year. We’re as good if not better than we were last year,” said Eagles coach Nate Jack-son. Gonzaga has started the season with a dominant 4-0 record, outscoring opponents 23-4 in those games. In its third win, on Nov. 15, the Eagles flexed offensive firepower by blasting Mount St. Joseph’s 5-1 at Fort Dupont Ice Arena. “We’re a good skating team, we’re fast, we move the puck well, and we have a lot of depth,” said Jackson. “It’s really our speed and our puck movement that’s winning games.” Although they ultimately turned that game into a blowout, the Eagles trailed 1-0 to the Gaels in the early minutes. Instead of getting rattled, they went on the offensive. With 7:55 to go in the first period, Gonzaga senior for-ward Barlow Sanders dished the puck to junior forward Ridge Slater for a goal.
Two minutes later, sophomore forward Jack Sanborn scored off assists from senior Connor Van Hoose and junior Chris Meloni to give Gonzaga a 2-0 advantage. In the second period, the Eagles put the game out of reach with three goals, two by junior forward Dominik Pettey and one by senior forward Bobby Hally. Senior defender Joey Downey, Meloni and Pettey all notched assists on the scores. Pettey’s offensive explosion is something Gonzaga hopes to see more of this season. “He’s a pure goal scorer,” Jackson said of the junior. “He’s fast and barrels down the wing. He likes to shoot it, and usually it goes in.” While the Eagles’ offense lit up the score-board, the defense held the Gaels to just one score thanks to a stingy back line. Leading that was returning starter goalie Nick Platais, a senior, who had nine saves in the rout. “He’s been carrying us for the last three years,” Jackson said. “He’s doing an amazing job again this season.” With talent across the ice, Gonzaga believes a second-straight title is within grasp. “To be honest, we don’t want to not repeat. The goal is to repeat and to win again,” said Jackson. “I’m not going to jinx myself right now. But that’s the expectation. We think we’re the best team in this league and some-body has to prove otherwise.”
Athletics in northwest wAshington November 27, 2013 ■ Page 9
By BRIAN KAPURCurrent Staff Writer
When teams win the Independent School League’s lower division to earn a place in the conference’s upper echelon, they’re usually just happy to escape the cellar. But National Cathedral’s girls basketball team is looking to do more than just play top-level compe-tition. They want to win. “Our girls aren’t just wanting to get by up there,” said second-year coach Brittany Mitch, who played at the high school level for St. John’s. “They’re wanting to win. They talk-ed about that from the first day of practice. They’re ready to make an impact in the upper division.” Cathedral comes in with that con-fidence after playing up to the level of the ISL AA division teams, includ-ing a win against Georgetown Day School, which was in the upper echelon last season. “Luckily for us we played almost every team in the upper division last year and had success against them, so we’re pretty prepared,” said Mitch. The Eagles will once again be led by point guard Marta Sniezek, although the junior began practice two weeks ago a little nicked up. At
the D.C. State Athletic Association soccer championship game earlier this month, she bruised the bone in her knee. But Sniezek is expected to
be ready to play when the season starts next week. “She was a little banged up from soccer,” said Mitch. “But she has been out here every day teaching everyone else the plays, and helping everyone with the drills. She has been a good leader.”
Sniezek’s leadership extends beyond scoring points; she’s also an extension of Mitch’s coaching tech-niques on the court. “I’m accustomed to how it works,” said Sniezek, who has also played for Mitch in the Fairfax Stars Amateur Athletic program. Growing up, Mitch had also played for that organization as well. “Brittany and I have a really good relationship, and we’re on the same page,” the coach said. “We kind of grew up playing the same way.” That close-knit relationship and Sniezek’s talent on the floor — she was among the area’s top scorers last season — give the Eagles high hopes for this season. “As for expectations, of course we want to win,” said Sniezek. “Coming out of the lower division we’re all really happy, but we’re not complacent. We’re going to come out and do our best and see what happens.” The Eagles also bring back senior Sarah Ing, a three-sport athlete who also competes in softball and soccer. And the team is excited about the development of sophomore bigs Isa-bella Alarie and Eva Snaith, who have improved after solid freshman
Eagles hope to make impact in ISL AA
Brian Kapur/The CurrentCathedral junior point guard Marta Sniezek, above right, led the team to the ISL A championship last year. Eagles sophomore forward Eva Snaith, left, will bolster the squad in the post.
Gonzaga eyes repeat title run on ice
n ch g
Brian Kapur/The CurrentGonzaga’s ice hockey team comes into the 2013 season with a deep and speedy roster. The Eagles’ goal for this season is simple — repeat as MAPHL champions.
See Cathedral/Page 10
10 Wednesday, november 27, 2013 The CurrenT
Northwest Sports
By BRIAN KAPURCurrent Staff Writer
The Cadets’ boys basketball team kicked off its season with prac-tices and a signing ceremony, featur-ing six players who will compete at the college level. With its entire starting lineup and sixth man all preparing for that next level, St. John’s comes into the sea-son with high expectations. The future college players are all senior guards: Tre Campbell, who’s heading to Georgetown University; Darian Anderson, to Fairleigh Dick-inson University; Mike Morsell, to Towson University; James Palmer, to University of Miami; Darian Bry-ant, to George Washington Univer-sity; and James Mitchell, to St. Thomas Aquinas College. Despite the pressure that comes with the loaded team, the Cadets have tried to focus on journey rather than the end result. “[We’re] trying to keep our kids insulated in a bubble, put their head in the sand and try to allow them not to read the paper much and not listen to what other people are saying,” said second-year coach Sean McAloon. “Just listen to what the coaches are saying. If we can get them to really concentrate on the process, we can temper the expecta-tions from the inside.” McAloon, now in his second sea-son at St. John’s, is also better acquainted with the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. “What I learned was what I knew anyway,” said McAloon. “[The WCAC] is a beast. Night in and night out, you have to be ready to play. There’s no days off.” The team will be led by Camp-bell, whose evolution over the past year has impressed McAloon. “Last year he did a heck of a job learning how to run a team,” the coach said. “He could always shoot, dribble and pass. But his develop-
ment to me was learning how to be a leader.” The squad’s X-factor may be Morsell, who had a solid outing in a scrimmage Saturday against Flow-ers High School of Prince George’s County. He was the team’s biggest playmaker in that contest on both sides of the court, showcasing unlimited shooting range on offense and tenacity on defense. Aside from their six college sign-ees, the Cadets also welcome sopho-more guard Anthony Cowan and junior guard Mason Gray to the varsity team. Cowan was a freshman standout for WCAC rival Good Counsel last season. “Mason Gray and Anthony Cowan are kind of finding their way in the mix,” said McAloon. “They’ve brought something to the table.” With a roster loaded with guards and their tallest player standing at 6 feet 5 inches, the biggest question for the Cadets is overcoming their lack of size in the post and on the
boards. But they also dealt with that issue last year and fell just a few points shy of hoisting the WCAC championship trophy. “It’s no different than last year,” said McAloon. “We’re really fast. So we’re going to play to our strengths defensively and offensive-ly. We’re going to play fast and force people to hopefully play our pace and impose our will.” St. John’s is also looking to redeem itself after losing last year’s title game 58-55 to Bishop O’Connell. But even if a champion-ship is the obvious goal, the day-to-day focus remains fixed on the smaller details. “Expectations for the year are the same that they were last year, which were basically to improve on a daily basis. If we can do that, I would hope that can translate to games,” said McAloon. The Cadets will open their sea-son Dec. 5 when they travel to play at Laurel High School.
St. John’s enters into 2013 with high hopes
n ch g
Sidwell Quakers fall in inaugural DCSAA A football championship game The Carroll Lions returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown and never looked back, as they throttled Sidwell 52-13 Saturday evening at Wilson.
In the inaugural D.C. State Athletic Association lower-division football title game, Sidwell was led by senior quarterback Ted Hefter, who had 101 passing yards on seven completions and a touchdown pass to junior wideout Diamente Holloway. The Quakers also saw sophomore running back Terrance Horne rack up 71 rushing yards and a score.
Sports Desk
seasons. “They’re not freshmen anymore. They’re doing great. Isabella Alarie has grown — she’s now taller than me,” said Mitch, who stands about 6 feet 2 inches tall. “She’s a force to be reckoned with.” Mitch is also impressed with Snaith, saying she “has developed as a post player. She’s strong; she’s not
intimidated by anyone else in the league anymore.” The Eagles will also welcome soccer star senior Monica Spafford and lacrosse stalwart senior Cathe-rine Arnold into the fold. “I’m really happy they came out,” said Sniezek, who played on the soccer team with Spafford. “It’s good to show team spirit and school spirit. They’re good. Monica is a phenomenal soccer player and plays
midfield, so she knows how to dis-tribute the ball pretty well.” The Eagles also brought up two freshmen to their varsity squad — Selin Everett and Goldie Roth. Both are expected to be in the rotation. “They’ve jumped right in and are picking everything up,” said Mitch. Cathedral will begin its quest for the ISL’s top prize when the team opens the season Dec. 4 against Seton.
CATHEDRAL: Eagles hope to contend in ISL AAFrom Page 9
Brian Kapur/The CurrentSt. John’s has six players committed to play at the college level in 2014. Both Tre Campbell and Darian Bryant will compete locally for Georgetown and George Washington universities respectively.
Between the bustling Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan neighborhoods lies an early-
20th-century Federal-style row house that’s fine-tuned to accom-
modate modern urban living. Its comforts include the private sereni-ty of an outdoor garden and deck, as well as an inviting front porch, stylish kitchen and highly coveted two-car parking area.
Located at 1812 T St., this three-bedroom home with one-and-half baths is on the market for a new price of $1,125,000.
When the present owners decid-ed to revamp the house a few years ago, they thought big for the 1,600-square-foot lot. They made especially efficient use of the limit-ed outdoor space to lay out an attractive, small-scale garden.
The landscaping behind the house is especially noteworthy.
Off the kitchen in the back is a wooden outdoor deck that can accommodate sizable lawn furni-ture, overlooking the scene of the Asian-inspired garden below it.
Anchored by a waterfall and
pond, the extensive garden features a cher-ry tree that provides a natural canopy that will be particularly colorful during the spring and fall. Pond plants include horsetail grass, mondo grass, blue iris, Irish moss and Japanese anemo-nes. Along the fence are the white azaleas and camellias.
Can’t keep track of all the horticulture? A garden scrapbook comes with the house. The current owners compiled a detailed outline of the plants along with mainte-nance instructions. An example: “Double flower pink cherry tree flowers in the late spring. Do cover pond when flowers begin to fall with netting held down with rocks.”
Right behind the long fenced enclosure is parking for two cars, considered prime real estate in this side of the town.
From the back, the inside of the house can be accessed by a kitchen door with glass paneling. This reno-vated area features classic dark-wood and glass custom-made cabi-netry with wine storage shelving
and under-cabinet lighting. Complementing the style are
chic Jenn-Air stainless steel appli-ances and granite countertops. The kitchen also has a deep farmhouse-style sink, a sun-lit breakfast bar fit for two and pendant lights hovering over the eating area.
The adjacent room has an open layout, showing off oak floors with an ebony stain. This space can serve as a living and dining room, featur-ing a wood-burning fireplace and built-in shelf.
Oversized windows on the north and south bathe the area in sun, cre-ating an inviting aura. A unique touch is a wrought-iron candelabra
hovering over the area that current-ly serves as a dining room.
Across from the front door is the staircase with custom wooden bal-ustrade to the second floor. All three bedrooms are on this level, each with wooden flooring. The largest one features a chandelier, three enlarged windows and a hand-carved Victorian-aged mantelpiece that the owners have decided to leave with the house.
A full bath is also on this floor. This newly renovated room includes a skylight, pond-stone
floor, marble vanity with nickel sink, and tub shower with glass subway tile walls.
The basement — accessed from the main floor next to the powder room — is a prime candidate for renovation. The washer and dryer and tub sink are located here, as is an exterior door to the back.
This three-bedroom home with one-and-half baths at 1812 T St. is offered for $1,125,000. For details, contact Robert Hryniewicki of Washington Fine Properties at 202-243-1622 or [email protected].
A Look at the Market in Northwest Washington November 27, 2013 ■ Page 11
Dupont home pairs updated interior, pristine garden
Photos courtesy of Washington Fine PropertiesThis three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath house near 18th and T streets is priced at $1,125,000.
ON THE MARKET KAT luCeRO
SELLING THE AREA’S FINEST PROPERTIES
CHEVY CHASE4400 JENIFER STREET NW
202-364-1700
DUPONT1509 22ND STREET NW
202-464-8400
Be �e Early BirdBethesda. Impressive new construction on peaceful lane in Glen Mar Park. High quality �nishing w/grand spaces & wonderful �ow. 5 BRs, 4.5 BAs. Options still available. $1,825,000
Marina Krapiva 301-792-5681
Urban OasisColonial Village. Distinguished & grand colonial backing to Rock Creek Park. 5,000 sf. 5 BRs, 4BAs, 2 HBAs. Soaring ceilings, walls of windows. Family rm, library, au pair suite, back stairs. $1,499,000
Dina Paxenos 202-256-1624Lee Goldstein 202-744-8060
�e Place To BeMcLean Gardens. Newly renovated nearly 1600 sf condo w/4 BRs & 2 BAs in this most sought after community. Amenities include pool, play areas & picnic grounds. Steps to shops, restaurants & transportation. $548,000Lelia Harrington 202-330-1717
Grace & CharmForest Hills. Stylish 2 BR at �e Parker House combines convenience w/vintage details. Arched doorways, high ceilings, French drs to solarium. Wall of built-ins & 5 generous closets. Pet friendly. $537,000
Patricia Kennedy 202-549-5167
Sleek & PristineWest End. Spi�y renovated 800 sf 1 bedroom at the St. George. New kit, lge open spaces. Prime location, Roof deck, pet friendly. $355,000
Penny Mallory 202-251-6861
Peace & PlentyBethesda. Sparkling rambler on quiet cul de sac. Updated TS kitchen w/island. 4 BRs, 2 BAs up. LL w/hrdwd �oors, rec rm w/frpl, o�ce & 2nd kit. 9,936 sf lot. $728,000
Linda Chaletzky 301-938-2630
Jaquet Listings areStaged to Sell
ANC 2AFoggy Bottom
The commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, at Heart House, 24th and N streets NW. For details, visit anc2a.org.
ANC 2BDupont Circle
The commission will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, at the Brookings Institution, 1775 Mas-sachusetts Ave. NW. For details, visit dupontcircleanc.net.
ANC 2DSheridan-Kalorama
At the commission’s Nov. 18 meeting:■ Sarina Loy of Ward 2 D.C. Coun-cil member Jack Evans’ office reported that the proposed transfer of Belmont Park between Kalorama Circle and Connecticut Avenue from the D.C. Department of Transporta-tion to the Department of Parks and Recreation will come before the council on Dec. 3. She said there is currently no opposition to the pro-posal. Loy also reported that the inter-section of 22nd and R streets has been named Dimitar Peshev Plaza to honor the Bulgarian parliamentarian who saved the lives of about 50,000 Jews during World War II. ■ commissioner Eric Lamar report-ed progress on the conditions of the Albanian and Moldavian embassies. He described the empty Egyptian military building on Tracy Place as a hazard that has attracted homeless residents, noting that the building’s doors are open in the front. Commis-sion chair David Bender said the U.S. State Department has agreed to pursue that problem, and said a rep-resentative from the mayor’s office plans to tour the property with him.■ Eric Olsen of the D.C. Board of Elections described changes in vot-
ing locations planned for the November 2014 election. Eighty-six Sheridan-Kalorama voters will be shifted from St. Thomas Church to Our Lady Queen of the Americas, and more early voting sites will be opened. Olsen said the goal is to have each precinct composed of two advisory neighborhood commis-sioners’ areas. Currently some pre-cincts have more than 5,000 regis-tered voters from as many as nine districts, creating more room for error. Commission chair David Bender told Olsen that voting was a mess at the last election due to mis-takes by the election supervisor.■ commission chair David Bender announced that letters of support or opposition to the alcohol license renewal for Veritas Wine Bar must be filed by Dec. 13. The commission will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13, at Our Lady Queen of the Americas Church, California Street and Phelps Place NW. For details, visit anc2d.org or contact [email protected].
ANC 2EGeorgetownCloisters
The commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2, at Georgetown Visitation Prepara-tory School, 1524 35th St. NW. Agenda items include:■ public safety report.■ transportation and public works report.■ financial report.■ announcement of a new meeting date of Thursday, Dec. 19, for the commission’s “January” meeting.■ presentation by the DC Sustain-able Energy Utility regarding ener-gy efficiency and renewable energy services.■ discussion of the first annual report for Georgetown University’s 2010-2017 campus plan.■ consideration of a resolution regarding a Metro stop in George-town.
■ discussion of the planned Break-fast With Santa event at Volta Park on Sunday, Dec. 8.■ discussion of Wisconsin Avenue’s lane configuration north of 34th Street.■ consideration of Old Georgetown Board projects: 1351 Wisconsin Ave., former Georgetown Theater, commercial, demolition, rooftop addition, rear addition, alterations, concept — revised design; 1230 29th St., 3111 K St. and 1000 Potomac St., new concrete covers on public space for expanded vaults for Comcast, public space permit; 3106 P St., residence, rear addition at second floor, concept; 1071 Thomas Jefferson St., mixed-use, three-story rear addition with base-ment — options, concept; and 2709-2713 N St., Alexander Memorial Baptist Church, residential project, additions, alterations, site work, curb cut, concept. For details, call 202-724-7098 or visit anc2e.com.
ANC 3BGlover Park
The commission will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at Stod-dert Elementary School and Glov-er Park Community Center, 4001 Calvert St. NW. Agenda items include:■ police report.■ discussion with Tara Morrison of the National Park Service regarding the upcoming sewer rehabilitation project in Glover Archbold Park.■ open forum. For details, call 202-338-2969, email [email protected] or visit anc3b.org.
The commission will meet at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, at the 2nd District Police Headquarters, 3320 Idaho Ave. NW. For details, visit anc3c.org.
ANC 3DSpring ValleyWesley Heights
The commission will meet at 7
p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, at the School of International Service Building, American University, Nebraska and New Mexico ave-nues NW. Agenda items include:■ announcements.■ police report.■ community concerns.■ update from Rock Creek Park superintendent Tara Morrison on the Glover Archbold Park sewer reha-bilitation project. ■ discussion with D.C. Department of Transportation representatives Jim Sebastian and Sam Zimbabwe on the recently installed New Mexi-co Avenue bike lanes.■ consideration of a Board of Zon-ing Adjustment application at 4824 MacArthur Blvd. for a special exception to permit dog boarding as an expansion of an approved dog-
grooming business, Diva Dogs.■ consideration of a Board of Zon-ing Adjustment application by the Lab School of Washington, 4759 Reservoir Road, for a variance from off-street parking requirements and a special exception to allow an addi-tion to an existing private school.■ discussion of a public space appli-cation at 2939 49th St. to renew a previously approved permit to con-struct a new driveway to a single-family home, construct lead walk and steps, construct stoop and step projection.■ discussion on resolutions regard-ing the proposed zoning rewrite.■ discussion of and vote on the commission’s budget.■ discussion of a resolution regard-ing conflicts of interest. For details, call 202-363-4130 or visit anc3d.org.
12 Wednesday, november 27, 2013 The CurrenT
Northwest Real Estate
Citizens Association of Georgetown One of the Citizens Association of Georgetown’s most important missions is historic preservation. This means our association not only seeks to preserve our commu-nity’s character of historic homes, parks and streetscapes, but also values the preservation of the history of those who live here. In pursuit of this mission, years ago we established an oral history project. On Nov. 20 more than 100 Georgetowners were at the historic City Tavern Club to hear four very interesting and entertaining partici-pants in the project. Barbara Downs told of her memories as a new resident and recent college graduate in a group home in the 1960s. Downs is active in our artist community, a former president of our association and a key player in the success of the Georgetown Waterfront Park. Pie Friendly had the audience laughing heartily as she reflected on her introduction to and subsequent life in Georgetown — including Kennedy and Alsop stories. Steve Kurzman regaled us with tales of beginning life in a SMALL house on the neighborhood’s east side and as a staff member for then-Sen. Jacob Javits, R-N.Y. Chris Murray regaled the crowd with “nightlife” stories about M Street, remembering the days when Georgetown was considered a center for music and entertainment. To add to the merriment of the evening, Tom Birch served as mod-erator. Reminding us of the renowned history of the City Tavern Club, he quickly built a dialogue between the audience and the panel mem-bers. If someone could not recall a name or date, it took only a few seconds for another to add the missing data. Thank you to the City Tavern Club and its gracious staff. And a special thanks to member Sue Hamilton, who handled all the arrange-ments for such a successful evening. If being part of the oral history project is of interest and you would like to learn more, please contact Betsy Cooley, executive director, at 202-337-7313 and join the next training session for interviewers. The session is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, at the Citizens Association of Georgetown’s office.
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ANC 3C■ cleveland park / woodley parkmassachusetts avenue heiGhtscathedral heiGhts
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14 Wednesday, november 27, 2013 The CurrenT
The holidays are fast approach-ing, and a varied slate of festivals, markets, theatrical performances and holiday-themed house tours are on tap throughout Northwest. Here’s a sampling:■ The Royal Norwegian Embassy will host a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Union Station at 6 p.m. Dec. 3. Presented as part of the 16th Norwegian Christmas at Union Sta-tion, this year’s tree features decora-tions marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of legendary artist Edvard Munch — as well as 20,000 lights. The tree symbolizes Nor-way’s gratitude for help received during and after World War II, according to event organizers. Next Tuesday’s event’s will open
with Christmas carols at 5:45 p.m. Santa Claus will attend, with sur-prises for children in attendance; there will also be Gløgg and cook-ies for audience members. U.S. Marines will collect new, unwrapped toys for this year’s Toys for Tots campaign. The tree will remain on display throughout December. Union Sta-tion is located at 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE, and the Christmas display is outside the West Hall on the 1st Street NE side.■ The Heurich House Museum will host a holiday craft market and Christmas open house Dec. 6 and 7. Visitors will have a chance to take self-guided tours of brewmas-ter Christian Heurich’s home deco-rated for the holidays as the Ger-
man immigrant’s fami-ly would have designed it almost 100 years ago. In the garden, a Christkindlmarkt will feature locally made jewelry, housewares and more. Sponsor Cafe Berlin will offer traditional treats, including sausages and pastries, and a silent auction will feature rare nutcrackers. Hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, and noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $5 for children. The Heurich House is located at 1307 New Hampshire Ave. NW. heurich-house.org.■ St. Albans School will showcase five festively decorated houses in the Woodland Normanstone neigh-borhood as part of its 31st annual Christmas House Tour on Dec. 6 and 7. The tour will feature two Geor-gian brick homes, a former ambas-sadorial residence, a Mediterranean-style villa and a newly constructed home. One of the selected houses has a White House marble mantel on display, and another was once home to a former U.S. senator and a treasury secretary. The days’ activities will include a holiday market from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a luncheon at the school from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A compli-mentary shuttle will depart from the school every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Tour tickets cost $40 at the door or at stalbansschool.org/cht.■ The Tenley WinterFest will take place Dec. 7 at Janney Elementary School and other local spots. At Janney, the event will feature musical performances, a train
exhibit, the “Winter Garden of Lights” and a holiday market with 70-plus vendors from noon to 4 p.m. In the morning, the school will host a 5K and Kids’ Fun Run at 10 a.m., followed by a post-race celebration. The day’s festivities will also include a sto-rytime, craft activities and a children’s book sale at the Tenley-Friendship Library (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) A kids’ scavenger hunt during the week leading up to the event will encourage kids to hunt for more than a dozen “Tenley Yetis” — little abominable snow monsters hidden in shops and other places in Tenleytown. Prize collection will take place Dec. 7 at Janney. Janney Elementary School is located at 4130 Albemarle St. NW, and the other sites are on the same block or nearby. For details, visit tenleywinterfest.org.■ The Logan Circle Community Association will host its 35th annu-al Holiday House Tour from 1 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 8. The self-guided event will fea-ture visits to nine properties in the
historic neighborhood, including a unit in the District Apartments with 900 square feet of outdoor space, a painstakingly renovated natural-brick house that was boarded up just one year ago, and a Victorian with ultra-contemporary design and sleek finishes. The Studio Theatre will host a Wassail Reception, and the Unity Washington, D.C. Choir will pro-vide a musical interlude. Tickets are $30 in advance at logancircle.org or several area stores; “day of” tickets will be available at the Studio Theatre for $35.■ Weichert, Realtors, will host a toy drive through Dec. 13, collect-ing gifts for financially and physi-cally disadvantaged children at local offices, including 5034 Wisconsin Ave. NW. weichert.com.■ The Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens will host its annual Russian Winter Festival Dec. 14 and 15. Spotlighting Grandfather Frost and his granddaughter the Snow Maiden, the festival will offer a chance to meet and pose for pic-tures with the characters, a hands-on art activity, shopping, dining and more. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 14 and 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 15. Tickets cost $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, $12 for members, $10 for students, and $5 for children 6 through 18; they are free for chil-dren under age 6. Hillwood is locat-ed at 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. 202-
Tree lightings, house tours kick off holiday festivities
Party, Play & Shop...Holidays inWashington
See Holidays/Page 15
Courtesy of the Royal Norwegian EmbassyThe 16th Norwegian Christmas at Union Station will kick off with a tree lighting cere-mony next week. This year’s tree will feature decorations honoring artist Edvard Munch and his famous painting “The Scream.”
DECEMBER 5–29 at the historic Warner Theatre
Tickets now on sale!
washingtonballet.org or 202.397.SEAT
“SIMPLY GORGEOUS!” ~The Washington Post
Francesca Dugarte by Tony Brown, imijphoto.com*Includes $2 preservation fee.
Ticketsstart at
$32*
The CurrenT Wednesday, november 27, 2013 15
By GRAHAM VYSECurrent Staff Writer
As colder weather arrives in the District, theatrical stages and con-cert halls citywide are providing the warmth of wholesome holiday entertainment, offering annual end-of-year traditions. Organizers report that many of these reoccurring events draw reli-able crowds as patrons make the family-friendly performances year-ly rituals around Christmas, Hanuk-kah and New Year’s. Ford’s Theatre, for example, is staging “A Christmas Carol” for the 26th consecutive year. In an inter-view, theater publicist Lauren Beyea said the show’s appeal comes largely from its source mate-rial, with themes of compassion and charity. She said many patrons have long personal histories with the classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, the miser who finally opens his heart to humanity after his ghostly travels on Christmas Eve. “There is something so timeless about Dickens’ story,” Beyea said. “So many of us saw it when we were children, and now we can bring our own families. It’s a fun way to spend time and remember the important things in life.” Edward Gero returns as Scrooge in this year’s rendition, which runs through New Year’s Day. Beyea said the play’s cast and crew are also continuing an annual tradition
of using curtain calls to solicit char-itable donations for organizations fighting hunger and homelessness. This year’s organization of choice is the nonprofit Covenant House Washington, which serves youth in Northeast. Another holiday performance tradition that will be on display next month is the Washington Rev-els’ 31st annual Christmas Revels, Dec. 7 through 15 at George Wash-ington University’s Lisner Auditori-um. The winter solstice celebration of singing and dancing “draws on traditions and rituals from many lands and peoples, focusing each year on a different culture or related cultures,” according to the Wash-ington Revels website. This year’s performances celebrate Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. Event spokesperson Jo Rasi said the biggest draw for annual patrons is audience participation. “This is something different in that you don’t just watch it — you’re in it,” she said, describing how audience members often hold hands and sing in unison. “People in the audience become
a community,” Rasi added. “A lot of people say they open their holi-day season with the Revels and carry its joy with them throughout the season.” Other upcoming holiday perfor-mances include the Washington Ballet’s version of “The Nutcrack-er” at the Warner Theatre, which runs Dec. 6 through 29, and the Keegan Theatre’s “An Irish Carol,” a humorous and modern take on Dickens’ story running Dec. 13 through 31. The Kennedy Center, arguably the District’s leading arts venue, has scheduled an expansive roster of holiday events throughout Decem-ber. Among them are The Joffrey Ballet’s take on the “Nutcracker”; the musical “Elf”; the Washington National Opera’s family opera “The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me”; and a National Symphony Orchestra con-cert series featuring Broadway singer and actor Brian Stokes Mitchell.
Party, Play & Shop... Holidays inWashington
Local stages host seasonal favorites
Photo courtesy of Ford’s TheatreFord’s Theatre is featuring a stage adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” for the 26th consecutive year.
686-5807; hillwoodmuseum.org.■ The National Zoo will present “ZooLights” Nov. 29 through Jan. 1. The annual celebration features lighted displays, access to a number of zoo houses, a “conservation car-ousel,” snowless zoo tubing on 150-foot-long tracks down Lion/Tiger Hill, gingerbread habitat con-tests and holiday treats, among the many attractions. ZooLights is open from 5 to 9 p.m. daily (except Dec. 24, 25 and 31). Admission is free, though some of the activities require a fee. Park-ing costs $10 for members of Friends of the National Zoo and $20 for nonmembers. nationalzoo.si.edu.■ The Downtown Holiday Market will return for its ninth year, setting up shop Nov. 29 through Dec. 23. More than 150 exhibitors and artisans will offer gifts and fun at an outdoor marketplace in front of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery (on F Street between 7th and 9th streets NW). The market will be open daily from noon to 8 p.m. down-townholidaymarket.com.■ The National Museum of Amer-ican Jewish Military History, Jewish War Veterans and the Jew-ish Study Center will commemo-
rate Hanukkah with a Dec. 4 event featuring stories of holiday observa-tions by Jewish American service members in the field. The event from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. will feature traditional fare such as latkes, jelly doughnuts and chocolate gelt. Guided tours of the museum will be available. The National Museum of Ameri-can Jewish Military History is located at 1811 R St. NW. Admis-sion to the Dec. 4 event is free, but reservations are requested by Nov. 27 at [email protected] or 202-265-6280.■ The Duke Ellington School of the Arts will stage Langston Hughes’ “Black Nativity” Dec. 4 through 15. The school’s co-founder, Mike Malone, directs the production, which retells the Nativity story and celebrates the African-American experience through gospel music, song and dance. Before each show, the Ellington Theatre’s lobby will feature a Nativity Village with costumed singers, dancers and musicians. A market will offer a chance for holi-day shopping. Performance times vary. Tickets cost $25 to $40. The Duke Ellington School of the Arts is located at 3500 R St. NW. ellingtonschool.org.
HOLIDAYS: ZooLights returnsFrom Page 14
Spotlight on Schools16 Wednesday, november 27, 2013 The CurrenT
Aidan Montessori School Hello! At Aidan Montessori School, in the upper elementary class, we have a pet bearded dragon named Lopez. We made Lopez a harness, but he scrambled out of it, so we ordered him a new one. Sadly, he did not walk in it. He mostly tried to wiggle out of it. Luckily our teacher had put the harness on tight-ly. Since then Lopez has not gone for a walk. On Nov. 11 Lopez got a ham-mock. He does not like to go on it; it seems like he is afraid he will fall off. He likes to use it as a tent though. Lopez also enjoys crickets, Adult Bearded Dragon Food and Adult Iguana Food. We both love Lopez. So does the majority of the class.— Stella B. and Isabelle Murdock,
fourth-graders
Blessed Sacrament School As you’re driving past Blessed Sacrament in the morning, you see two middle-schoolers wearing
bright orange belts. Who are they? They’re the school safety patrols, there to make sure kids and adults cross the street safely. The patrols are chosen by Ms. Ryan and are sta-tioned morning and afternoon at a variety of spots surrounding the school, including Patterson Street and Nevada Avenue, in front of the school, and at the flagpole. The patrols have a variety of other jobs besides helping people cross the street, such as raising and lowering the flag and showing new patrols what to do. The time and effort are not in vain — at the end of the year, the patrols, as well as the Children’s Choir, school band and eighth-grade cantors, are rewarded for their hard work with a day trip to Hershey Park! “Patrols are a good way to start or end your school day!” said Caro-line, also a morning patrol. Caroline and her partner, Maddie, have made colorful posters to display to the cars driving past the school in the
morning. It’s easy and fun to be a patrol, and it keeps the kids safe!
— Emily Orem, seventh-grader
British School of Washington Our house music contest (this year’s theme is disco) is not just a singing contest. It is a leg warmer-covered, feather boa-shaking, day-glo extravaganza. The halls are filled with glitter, and the teachers have swapped their suits and but-ton-downs for neon tights and wigs. House sing is taken very serious-ly in primary school. The choreog-raphy and harmonies are complex, the costumes elaborate and the dancing frenetic. This year’s high-lights include eventual winner Potomac House’s spirited rendition of “YMCA” and Patuxent’s intri-cate use of decorated signs and a paper-shirt-ripping finale. The bar has been set for second-ary, and the standard is high. Shenandoah hits it off with a Survi-vor mashup, clever choreography and an electrifying duet, complete with decorated denim. Chesapeake makes good use of the miniature stage in a cool dance routine. Potomac’s performance includes a mini drama and an impromptu and wildly energetic Harlem Shake. Last to perform is Patuxent. We are feeling the pressure. We have no song within a song, surprise dance or complicated choreography. We rely upon our singing alone. As we take the stage, the tension is palpable. It goes off without a hitch. Our choreography is in time, our soloist is fantastic, and “Danc-ing Queen” carries loud and clear over the heads of our fellow booty-shakers. Our performance is electri-
fying, and our house explodes. Afterward, the tights and head-bands are put away for another year. But the sense of camaraderie and house spirit will linger on.
— Poppy Noble, Year 13 Princeton (12th-grader)
Deal Middle School Enter Alice Deal Middle School on a Monday afternoon and you may hear a sound like a drummer boy on the war field. That sound is the African Drumming club, lead by math teacher Mr. Assael in one of the music rooms. Each week, the African Drummers learn a new beat, which is part of a song. The instruments that we use are bells (made in Ghana), a shaker (made out of a gourd), two African drums and two Cuban drums. In order to play the African drums, you have to hold them in front of you at an angle. The shaker is present to keep the rhythm in the song. “The bell keeps everyone in check,” said 12-year-old African Drumming club member Morgan May. “The drum call tells you when to go and when to stop.” The call is usually played by Mr. Assael, when he wants to get our attention.
— Erin Harper, seventh-grader
Eaton Elementary We learned about D.C. history and we had a mission. In groups, our job was to advertise a monu-ment or memorial so people would HAVE to visit it. We started the project by looking up facts, writing them down and using them to make a poster that was hung up in school. After this project we got to see the real monu-ments and memorials that we were studying! We took the Metro and
met Ranger Jen, who had a tour bus that took us to four memorials. Ranger Jen made the trip fun by creating a scavenger hunt at each place. It was a beautiful day and we had lunch outside. On the way back to the Metro we passed the White House and saw a helicopter on the lawn. Ranger Jen thought it belonged to President Barack Obama and we did, too. After our trip we had another mission. This time we did a research project that included mak-ing mosaics. We chose postcards of monuments and memorials, researched them, and when we were finished, we walked to All Fired Up (AFU) Pottery Studio and made mosaics. We took our postcards and glued them to blocks of wood. Then we glued clear glass squares on top of the postcards and decorated the perimeter with colored glass. The AFU staff grouted our artwork and voila, mosaics were made!
— Amera Al-Sarhan, Camille Anderson,
Amelia Gaston, Anna Cain and Kathryn Carline, third-graders
Edmund Burke School Burke has many sport options throughout the year. In the fall we have soccer, cross-country and vol-leyball. In the winter we have bas-ketball, swimming and wrestling. And in the spring we have track and field, golf and Ultimate Frisbee. The teams at Burke are generally good and lots of kids participate in sports. This year the girls varsity volleyball won the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference championships, which was the first time they won it in 12 years. There is a no-cut policy at Burke
School DISPATCHES
See Dispatches/Page 17
3500 Woodley Road, NW · Washington, DC 20016 · www.beauvoirschool.org
“The Beginning is the Most Important Part of the Work” —Plato
Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School invites you to attend an Admissions Open House:
Wednesday, October 16 at 9:15am Sunday, November 10 at 1:00pm
Wednesday, December 11 at 9:15am
Register for our Open Houses and Tours online at www.beauvoirschool.org or call 202-537-6493
4121 Nebraska Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016 www.nps-dc.org 202-537-7508
The CurrenT Wednesday, november 27, 2013 17
but when you get to high school you make either varsity or junior varsity although you still get to play. I think the no-cut policy is good because possible players won’t get scared to try a sport they have never played before. It allows us to try lots of different challenges, which might result in a new passion. That is what Burke is about.
— Billy Conte, eighth-grader
Georgetown Day School Last week was the last full week of school for students before Thanksgiving break. Last Friday, the Young Men and Women of Color affinity groups welcomed Allison Brown, a civil rights attorney and president of Alli-son Brown Consulting. Along with discussing her career path, Brown talked about her experiences with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, where she and her colleagues enforced various civil rights acts and constitutional protec-tions. Brown has received the attor-ney general’s Meritorious Award, Special Achievement Award and Special Commendation Award. Recently, the graphic design and digital media graphics class at the high school was presented with a special opportunity to get involved in an upcoming Smithsonian exhib-it. Using our skills and knowledge in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator, students have worked diligently to create logo designs for an upcoming Apollo 11 exhibit slat-ed to open in late 2018, the mis-sion’s 50th anniversary. We were lucky to have a Smithsonian cura-tor, exhibit designer and graphic designer come to present the exhib-it’s statement of purpose, in what Studio Art Department chair Michelle Cobb called a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” — Carlton Marshall II, 12th-grader
Hearst Elementary It was difficult to pick a topic to write about because we have so many exciting things happening at our school! One of the things hap-pening in our classroom is that we have class pets. We have two leop-ard geckos named Chris and Rocky. They are both girls and are 2 1/2 years old. The geckos need a lot of moisture to help them shed. In our school we have a lot of student clubs that we participate in, such as: GeoPlunge, student coun-cil, safety patrol, display case com-mittee, tennis, robotics club, year-book club and many more. These clubs are a lot of fun! We want to tell you about two of our clubs. Student council is made up third- though fifth-graders who help make our school better and support our smart thinking. Geo-Plunge is for third- though fifth-graders and focuses on U.S. geogra-phy. We recently competed in a tournament where we got eighth place in the District and won the Sportsmanship Award. We are also
going to the national tournament!— Mrs. Gassert’s
fourth-grade class
Murch Elementary More than 200 D.C. students have been training hard since the beginning of the school year. But for what? And is it just a coincidence that the same students have miraculously gotten much bet-ter at geography? No! Improvement took hard work. They have been playing the game GeoPlunge and recently participated in a citywide tournament. To prepare, these elementary and middle school students have studied and played with a deck of 50 cards. No, not 52, 50 — one for each state. Each card in the deck has information about a state, such as size, population and how early they gained statehood. The cards also list top cities, border states and much more. There’s a lot of information, and a lot of learning. The game includes several rounds that each test the students’ knowledge in dif-ferent ways. The kids trekked into the Nation-al Portrait Gallery plaza for the ninth annual GeoPlunge Tourna-ment on Nov. 14. The winning teams of three were Deal Middle School and Shepherd Elementary School. Murch placed second in the junior advanced league and ninth in the intermediate.
— Olivia Roark and Nathan Sigel, fifth-graders
Our Lady of Victory School The Power of One Assembly at our school was really fun. I liked being with the older kids. I got to learn that you should not bully your friends. We learned about it last year, but this assembly was awe-some! The characters in the play were called the Target and the Bully. The Target was being bullied; he got his feelings hurt because the Bully left him out of a birthday party. I did not like the Bully because he was very mean. All of the students got to sign a poster to STOP Bullying if we ever see it! Every time the Target was being bullied, the Target asked us, “What should I do?” and we said, “Tell a teacher!” really loudly! We got to hear really fun music at the end and at the beginning of the play. I learned a lot. All of my friends are nice and don’t bully. I love my school.
— Lane Kimball, first-grader
Ross Elementary Our preschool and pre-kinder-garten continued celebrating the Thanksgiving season with home-made Turkey Bobbing Head Hats. During their library class, Mr. Fla-nagan, our librarian, did turkey fin-ger plays and read the book “The Know-Nothings Talk Turkey” by Michele Spirn. Ms. Abrams helped Mr. Flanagan put the paper hats on the students’ heads and attached colorful feathers. Prekindergarten continued its unit on Family Traditions and Homes Around the World. In the
library class, Turkey Bobbing Head Hats were used to celebrate some family traditions such as Thanksgiv-ing and turkeys. The students also drew their favorite house or home from around the world. Then, the some students got up to talk about their drawings. Fourth- and fifth-graders are still in their science unit on magnets. They are learning about the stron-gest magnets. We have also received about 100 brand-new books. I’m glad I saw a Lemony Snicket book — “Who Could That
Be at This Hour?” — bought for our library. Our second-graders are finishing up their unit on birds. The last day before we break for the Thanksgiv-ing holiday (Nov. 26), the second-graders will have a Bird Study Cel-ebration. Also, the kindergartners will be taking a trip to the Kennedy Center. Also, I want to thank Ross par-ent Claudia Grinius for helping our GeoPlunge teams compete in the recent citywide tournament. One of our teams earned a Spirit Award and
another earned an Explorer Award. — Jonathan Velasquez,
fifth-grader
St. Ann’s Academy With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, the sixth-graders at St. Ann’s Academy are hard at work. In math we are converting fractions to decimals. For language arts we are studying action and linking verbs in English, and reading the novel “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen. During religion classes we are
See Dispatches/Page 27
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The Current welcomes submissions for the calendar, although space con-straints limit the number of items we can include. Items should be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event and include a summary of the event and its date, time, location with complete address, and cost to attend (indicate “free” if there is no charge). Send entries to [email protected] or The Current, P.O. Box 40400, Washington, D.C. 20016-0400.
Wednesday, Nov. 27
Class■ The Vajrayogini Buddhist Center will
host a weekly class on “How to Solve Our Human Problems,” about Buddha’s teach-ings on the Four Noble Truths. 7 to 8:30 p.m. $12 per class. Vajrayogini Buddhist Center, 1787 Columbia Road NW. 202-986-2257.
Concert■ Singer,
songwriter and guitarist Owen Danoff, a Strathmore art-ist in residence, will perform. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
Films■ The “Muslim Journeys” film series
will feature “Prince Among Slaves.” 6:30 p.m. Free. Chevy Chase Library, 5625 Con-necticut Ave. NW. 202-282-0021.
■ “Retro Movie Night” will feature Woody Allen’s 1979 film “Manhattan,” starring Woody Allen and Diane Keaton. 6:30 p.m. Free. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188.
■ The Reel Israel DC series will feature Arik Lubetzky’s 2011 film “Little Simico’s Big Fantasy,” about a 30-year-old romantic who becomes obsessed with the idea of making a film on the subject of strippers. 8
Performances■ The Joffrey Ballet will present Tchai-
kovsky’s family classic “The Nutcracker.” 7:30 p.m. $34 to $155. Opera House, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600. The per-formance will repeat Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.
■ The Wonderland Circus, a variety show by the producers of the Capital City Showcase, will feature musician Rachel Levitin, burlesque artist Aurora Wells and comedians Randy Syphax, Brandon Wardell and Tim Young. 8:30 p.m. $5 donation suggested. The Wonderland Ball-room, 1101 Kenyon St. NW. 202-431-4704.
■ DeWayne b will host an open mic poetry event. 9 to 11 p.m. $5. Cullen Room, Busboys and Poets, 1025 5th St. NW. 202-789-2227.
Special event■ The Washington Harbour ice rink will
offer public skating. Noon to 9 p.m. $8 to $10. Washington Har-bour, 3000 K St. NW. 202-706-7666. Regu-lar hours are Monday through Thursday from noon to 9 p.m., Friday from noon to 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sporting event■ The Washington Capitals will play the
Ottawa Senators. 7 p.m. $33 to $443. Ver-izon Center, 601 F St. NW. 800-745-3000.
Thursday, Nov. 28
Concert■ A Thanksgiving Day Swing Dance
Party will feature music by the Tom Cun-ningham Orchestra with special guest Jean
Veloz. Dance lessons from 6 to 7 p.m.; dance party from 7 to 9 p.m. Free. Millen-nium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
Dinner
■ St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Church of the Annunciation and Washington Hebrew Congregation will present their annual Thanksgiving Day Community Din-ner. Noon. Free; donations accepted. St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 3001 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-362-7100.
Special event■ So Others Might Eat will host its 12th
annual Thanksgiving Day Trot for Hunger, a 5K run and family walk to benefit pro-grams for the homeless and hungry. 8:30 a.m. $25 to $30. Freedom Plaza, Pennsyl-vania Avenue between 12th and 13th streets NW. some.org.
Friday, Nov. 29
Children’s program■ Barefoot Puppets will present “Ooey
Gooey Thanksgiving,” featuring an interac-tive look at favorite characters from chil-dren’s rhymes and stories (for ages 4 through 8). Noon. $3 to $8. Discovery The-ater, S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jeffer-son Drive SW. 202-633-8700.
Concerts■ Adam Swanson, a multiple-time win-
ner of the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest, will perform ragtime piano music. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
■ “Maiden Voyage: The Music of Her-bie Hancock” will feature musicians Mike Pope, Allyn Johnson, Kenny Rittenhouse, Jeff Antoniuk and Todd Harrison. 8 and 10 p.m. $17. Twins Jazz, 1344 U St. NW. twinsjazz.com. The concert will repeat Sat-urday at 8 and 10 p.m.
■ Gypsy Sally’s will present “Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison’s Holiday Shindig.” 8 p.m. $30 to $35. Gypsy Sally’s, 3401 K St. NW.
gypsysallys.com. The performance will repeat Saturday at 8 p.m.
■ The Tim Whalen Septet will perform. 8 and 10 p.m. $17. Twins Jazz, 1344 U St. NW. twinsjazz.com. The concert will repeat Saturday at 8 and 10 p.m.
■ Elikeh will perform at a Black Friday Afrofunk Dance Party. 9 p.m. $12. Tropica-lia, 2001 14th St. NW. tropicaliadc.com.
Discussion■ Poet, writer,
commentator, activist and educator Nikki Giovanni will discuss her newest collection of poetry, “Chasing Utopia.” 6 to 8 p.m. Free. Busboys and Poets, 1025 5th St. NW. 202-789-2227.
Film■ A retrospective of the films of Pier
Paolo Pasolini will feature the director’s 1964 film “The Gospel According to Mat-thew.” 2 p.m. Free. East Building Auditori-um, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.
Special events■ Union Market will present “Thread at
Dock 5,” a fashion event featuring more than 30 local and national brands in the fashion, beauty, lifestyle, art and home arenas. 1 to 8 p.m. Free admission. Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. unionmarketdc.com. The event will continue Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
■ The ninth annual Downtown Holiday Market will feature exhibitors, local food and live music. Noon to 8 p.m. Free admis-sion. Sidewalk of F Street between 7th and 9th streets NW, in front of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Por-trait Gallery. downtownholidaymarket.com. The market will continue through Dec. 23 from noon to 8 p.m. daily.
■ “ZooLights” will feature environmen-tally friendly light displays, a model train exhibit, two 150-foot-long “snow tubing” tracks, the Conservation Carousel and live entertainment. 5 to 9 p.m. Free admission. National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-633-4470. The event will repeat each
daily through Jan. 1 (except Dec. 24, 25 and 31).
Sporting event■ The Washington Capitals will play the
Montreal Canadiens. 5 p.m. $53 to $510. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. 800-745-3000.
Saturday, Nov. 30
Children’s programs■ Barnes & Noble will host an “Elf on
the Shelf” storytime and activity program. 11 a.m. Free. Barnes & Noble, 555 12th St. NW. 202-347-0176.
■ A park ranger will present a planetar-ium film on “Oasis in Space,” about the quest for water and life throughout the solar system (for ages 7 and older). 1 to 1:30 p.m. Free. Rock Creek Nature Center, 5200 Glover Road NW. 202-895-6227.
■ Children will hear a story about Sit-ting Bull and then create a special piece of art. 1 to 4 p.m. Free. National Portrait Gal-lery, 8th and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. The program will repeat Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m.
■ A park ranger will present a planetar-ium program on the history of space explo-ration, from the launch of the first artificial satellite to the construction of the largest spacecraft ever built (for ages 7 and older). 4 to 4:45 p.m. Free. Rock Creek Nature Center, 5200 Glover Road NW. 202-895-6227.
Concerts■ Richmond-based pianist Jim Pettis, a
former child prodigy who is celebrating his 50th anniversary year of public perfor-mance, will perform works by Bach, Beethoven and Gershwin. 2 p.m. $25 to $45. Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
■ Vocalist Irina Sarbu and the Marius Mihalache Band will perform. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
■ The Walkmen, an indie rock band featuring five D.C. natives who attended St. Albans School together, will perform. 8 p.m. $25 to $125. Dock 5, Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. unionmarketdc.com.
Discussion■ National Portrait Gallery historian
and curator Amy Henderson will discuss American dance icons during a tour of the exhibit “Dancing the Dream.” 2 p.m. Free. Meet in the F Street lobby, National Por-trait Gallery, 8th and F streets NW. 202-633-1000.
Films■ The National Gallery of Art will pres-
ent Allan Dwan’s 1927 silent film “East Side, West Side,” about a self-made archi-tect in a New York City literally on the rise. Musicians Donald Sosin and Joanna Seaton will provide live accompaniment. 2 p.m. Free. East Building Auditorium, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Con-stitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.
■ A retrospective of the films of Pier Paolo Pasolini will feature the director’s 1962 film “Mamma Roma,” about a prosti-tute on the fringes of Rome who tries to rise above her tormented past into lower middle class respectability for the sake of her son. 4 p.m. East Building Auditorium, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Con-stitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.
Performance■ Josh Kuderna, Jason Saenz and
Events&Entertainment18 Wednesday, november 27, 2013 The CurrenT
Thursday november 28
Wednesday november 27
Friday, november 29■ Concert: NSO Pops will present “An Evening With Matthew Morri-son,” featuring the Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony Award nominee per-forming his own compositions and selections from his upcoming album “Where It All Began.” 8 p.m. $20 to $85. Concert Hall, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600. The performance will repeat Saturday at 8 p.m.
See events/Page 19
Friday november 29
Saturday november 30
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Stavros Halkias will star in “Wake & Bacon,” a weekly brunch and comedy show. 3 to 5 p.m. $10. Shaw’s Tavern, 520 Florida Ave. NW. lygodc.com.
Special events■ The Washington Harbour ice skating
rink will hold a weekly “Cartoon Skate” event. Noon to 2 p.m. $8 to $10. Washing-ton Harbour, 3000 K St. NW. 202-706-7666.
■ As part of Sherman Alexie’s “Indies First” movement, authors George Peleca-nos and Natalie Hopkinson will recom-mend their favorite books. 2 to 5 p.m. Free admission. Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW. 202-387-7638.
■ The Washington Harbour ice skating rink will hold a weekly “Rock n Skate” event. 8 to 10 p.m. $8 to $10. Washington Harbour, 3000 K St. NW. 202-706-7666.
Sporting event■ The Washington Wizards will play the
Atlanta Hawks. 7 p.m. $6.55 to $529. Veri-zon Center, 601 F St. NW. 800-745-3000.
Walk■ Writer Rocco Zappone will lead a
weekly “Ulysses-esque” walking tour of Washington, filled with his reminiscences and impressions of a lifetime in D.C. 10 a.m. $20. Meet at the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square, 16th and H streets NW. 202-341-5208.
Sunday, Dec. 1
Children’s program■ Barnes & Noble will host a reading of
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” by Dr. Seuss. 1 p.m. Free. Barnes & Noble, 555 12th St. NW. 202-347-0176.
Concerts■ Washington Metropolitan Philhar-
monic will perform works by Haydn, Beethoven and Weiss. 3 p.m. $20; free for ages 18 and younger. Church of the Epiph-any, 1317 G St. NW. 703-799-8229.
■ Pianist Anne-Marie McDermott will perform. 4 p.m. $15 to $30; reservations suggested. Phil-lips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. phillipscollection.org/music.
■ The professional Choir of Christ Church will perform the music of William Smith, Thomas Tallis and Charles Wood. 5 p.m. Free. Christ Church, Georgetown, 31st and O streets NW. 202-333-6677.
■ In celebration of Hanukkah, the New York-based vocal band Six13 will per-form its unique style of Jewish music, featur-ing thumping beatbox, intricate arrangements and soul-ful harmonies. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
■ The National Gallery of Art Piano Trio will present a Hanukkah concert featuring works by Bloch, Rosowsky and Stutschews-ky and other composers. 6:30 p.m. Free. West Garden Court, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-842-6941.
■ Dahlak Restaurant will present its weekly “DC Jazz Jam” session. 6:30 p.m. Free. 1771 U St. NW. 202-527-9522.
■ Pro Musica Hebraica will present “The Voice of the Clarinet in Jewish Classical Music,” featuring Alexander Fiterstein and Friends. 7:30 p.m. $38. Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
Discussions and lectures■ Director and screenwriter Agnieszka
Holland will discuss “Viewing History Through the Filmmaker’s Lens,” followed by a screening of her new three-part HBO Europe miniseries “Burning Bush.” Lecture at 2 p.m.; film at 3:30 p.m. Free. East Building Auditorium, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.
■ The Middle East Cafe will present “The Soldier and the Refusenik: Two Israe-lis, Two Choices, One Conclusion,” featur-ing Eran Efrati and Maya Wind discussing their efforts to encourage Israelis to shed their country’s ingrained militaristic culture. 6 to 8 p.m. Free. Cullen Room, Busboys and Poets, 1025 5th St. NW. 202-789-2227.
Films■ The Palisades Library will present
Mark Sandrich’s 1942 film “Holiday Inn,” starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. 2 p.m. Free. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. 202-282-3139.
■ “A Continuing Talk on Race,” an open discussion series, will present Shakti But-ler’s film “Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity.” 5 to 7 p.m. Free. Langs-ton Room, Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW. 202-387-7638.
Performance■ Regie Cabico and Danielle Evennou
will host “Sparkle,” an open mic event for LGBT-dedicated poets. 8 to 10 p.m. $5. Langston Room, Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW. 202-387-7638.
Special event■ Washington National Cathedral
choirs will lead a service of lessons and carols in the tradition of the Kings College offering. 4 p.m. Free. Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin avenues NW. nationalcathedral.org.
Tour■ “Close-up Tour: Angels High and
Low” will explore the Washington National Cathedral (for ages 10 and older). 1:30 p.m. $10. Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin avenues NW. nationalcathedral.org. The tour will repeat Thursday at 3 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 2
Children’s program■ Discovery Theater will present “Sea-
sons of Light,” an interactive program about the history and customs of Rama-dan, Diwali, Sankta Lucia, Hanukkah, Los Posados, Kwanzaa, Christmas and the First Nations’ tradition of the Winter Sol-stice (for ages 5 through 10). 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. $3 to $8. Discovery Theater, S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW. 202-633-8700. Performances will continue through Dec. 20.
series will kick off with performances by singer-songwriter Jason Paul Curtis and the Baltimore Vocal Jazz Ensemble. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Free. Lobby, The Willard Inter-Continental, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-628-9100.
■ Members of the Washington Nation-al Opera Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Pro-gram will perform musical highlights from the new holiday family opera “The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me.” 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
■ The Italian Society for Chamber Music will present the Eurasian Symphony Orchestra and violinist Aiman Mussakha-jayeva in a Gala Concert for Kazakhstan. 8 p.m. $20 to $50. Concert Hall, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
Discussions and lectures■ Panelists will discuss “Historical
Reconciliation and Prosperity in Northeast Asia: 70 Years Since the Cairo Declaration.” 8:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Free;
reservations required. State Room, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, 1957 E St. NW. go.gwu.edu/cairo.
■ The group 40Plus of Greater Wash-ington will present a talk by Seth Karafin on “Resumes and Interview Skills for Pro-fessionals Over 40.” 9:45 a.m. to noon.
Events&Entertainment The CurrenT Wednesday, november 27, 2013 19
See events/Page 20
Continued From Page 18
Watergate Gallery will hold a four-day show and sale of holiday ornaments and jewelry made by Alfredo Ratinoff beginning Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. The event
will continue Monday from 2 to 6 p.m., Tuesday from 2 to 5 p.m. and Wednesday from 2 to 8 p.m. An opening reception will take place Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m., and Ratinoff will demonstrate his creative skills every day during gallery hours. The gallery is located at 2552 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-338-4488.■ “Seeing With Spiral Eyes: An Artist’s Journey Through South and Central America,” featuring photos and abstract paintings inspired by artist Madeline Susan Lynch’s recent travels through Argentina, Peru, Costa Rica and Mexico, will open Tuesday at the Fondo del Sol visual Arts Center. The exhibit will continue through Dec. 17. A reception will take place Dec. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. Located at 2112 R St. NW, the center is open Wednesday through Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m. 202-483-2777.■ neptune Fine Art opened an exhibit last week of monotypes, screenprints, etchings and lithographs by Wolf Kahn that span the years from 1969 to 2010. The show will continue through Jan. 11. Located at 1662 33rd St. NW, the gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. 202-338-0353.■ “Explorations,” a group show featuring the D.C., Maryland and Virginia winners of the final phase of the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series nationwide art competition, opened recently at International
visions Gallery, where it will continue through Jan. 25. Located at 2629 Connecticut Ave. NW, the gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 202-234-5112.■ Jane Haslem Gallery recently opened an exhibit of paintings and prints from the last 40 years by Glover Park artist Carlton Fletcher and will continue it through Dec. 23. Located at 2025 Hillyer Place NW, the gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. 202-232-4644.■ “EnterTwined,” featuring works made from paper by Amy Genser, opened last week at Long view Gallery, where it will continue through Dec. 31. Located at 1234 9th St. NW, the gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. 202-232-4788.■ “Curio,” offering a contemporary twist on 16th- and 17th-century cabinets of curiosity, opened recently at Heiner Contemporary, where it will continue through Jan. 4. Addressing such issues as why certain things are collected and the way information is cataloged, the show features works by Christine Gray, Sue Johnson, Caitlin Teal Price, Olivia Rodriguez, Esther Ruiz and Julie Wolfe. A panel discussion will take place Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. Located at 1675 Wisconsin Ave. NW, the gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 202-338-0072.■ The Freer Gallery of Art recently returned two rare antique biblical manuscripts to view in the Peacock Room. One of the manuscripts is the so-called “Wash-ington Codex,” the third-oldest parchment manuscript of the Gospels in the world. The other is an ancient
parchment volume of Deuteronomy and Joshua. The light-sensitive documents will remain on view through Feb. 16. Located at 12th Street and Jefferson Drive SW, the gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 202-633-1000.■ “60 Years of Made in Italy,” highlighting the sartorial genius of leaders in Italian fashion and design, opened recently at Arena Stage, where it will continue through Jan. 10. Located at 1101 6th St. SW, the theater complex is open Tuesday through Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. and Sat-urday from noon to 10 p.m. 202-488-3300.
Exhibition features holiday ornaments, jewelry
On exHIbIT
Watergate Gallery will feature ornaments and jewelry made by Alfredo ratinoff.
Sunday DeCember 1
Monday DeCember 2
Free. Suite T-2, 1718 P St. NW. 202-387-1582.
■ Architects Chris Wood and Brian Cof-field of SmithGroupJJR will discuss “Build-ing in the 21st Century: Sustainable Uni-versities,” featuring a look at the new American University Washington College of Law project and how an integrated design process can be leveraged to create high-performance buildings in the world of high-er education. 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Free; res-ervations required. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448.
■ The Dupont Circle Village Live and Learn series will feature a talk on “How to Combat Depression” by Bill Amt, a licensed clinical social worker at Iona Senior Services. 3:30 to 5 p.m. Free for Dupont Circle Village members; $10 for others. St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 1772 Church St. NW. 202-234-2567.
■ George Washington University profes-sor Fran Buntman will discuss “The Need for Prison.” 6:30 p.m. Free. Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. 202-727-0232.
■ James McBride will discuss his book “The Good Lord Bird,” winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction. 7 p.m. Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.
■ MedStar Medicare Choice will pres-ent a workshop on “Medicare and You.” 7 p.m. Free. Takoma Park Library, 416 Cedar St. NW. 202-576-7252.
■ Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life will host a public dialogue on “The Pope and the Poor: Challenges of Pope Francis and
Catholic Social Thought for American Poverty.” 7 to 8:30 p.m. Free; reservations required. Gaston Hall, Georgetown University, 37th and O streets NW. berkleycenter.georgetown.edu.
Films■ “Marvelous Movie Mondays” will fea-
ture the 2003 film “I’m Not Scared,” about a young boy who accidentally finds a deep hole in the ground — where another boy is being kept prisoner. 2 and 6:30 p.m. Free. Chevy Chase Library, 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW; 202-282-0021.
■ The Goethe-Institut will present Hans-Jürgen Syberberg’s 1972 film “Lud-wig — Requiem for a Virgin King.” 6:30 p.m. $4 to $7. Goethe-Institut, 812 7th St. NW. 202-289-1200.
■ “RSC Live” will present a screening of David Tennant’s “Richard II” from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage in Stratford-upon-Avon. 7 p.m. $18 to $20. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Cap-itol St. SE. 202-544-7077.
Sporting event■ The Washington Wizards will play the
Orlando Magic. 7 p.m. $6.55 to $357. Veri-zon Center, 601 F St. NW. 800-745-3000.
Tuesday, Dec. 3
book signing■ Richard Kurin, the Smithsonian Insti-
tution’s undersecretary of art, history and cul-ture, will sign copies of his book “The Smithso-nian’s History of Ameri-ca in 101 Objects.” 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Free admission. Mall Store, National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW.
202-633-1000.
Classes■ Teacher and therapist Heather Ferris
will lead a weekly yoga class. Noon. Free. Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. 202-727-1288.
■ The group Yoga Activist will present a weekly yoga class. 7 p.m. Free. Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-282-3080.
Concerts■ The Tuesday Concert Series will fea-
ture the Washington Bach Consort and organ soloist J. Reilly Lewis. 12:10 p.m. Free. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. 202-347-2635.
■ The “Holiday Lobbying” concert series will feature the Potomac Harmony Chorus, a barbershop-style ensemble. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Free. Lobby, The Willard InterContinental, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-628-9100.
■ An evening of classical Indian and Pakistani music will feature 2013 VSA International Young Soloist winner Zohaib Hassan on sarangi and world-renowned sitarist, vocalist and composer Abhik Mukherjee accompanied by tabla and tan-pura. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Ken-nedy Center. 202-467-4600.
■ “Camelot in Tune: Music in the Ken-nedy White House” will feature cellist Ken-neth Slowik, violinist James Stern and pia-nist Lura Johnson presenting a re-creation of Pablo Casals’ 1961 performance of Mendelssohn’s Trio in D minor at the White House. A discussion with Slowik, artistic director of the Smithsonian Cham-ber Music Society, will follow. 7 p.m. Free. McGowan Theater, National Archives Build-ing, Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th streets NW. 202-357-5000.
■ Singer-songwriter Dan Miraldi will per-form rock music. 7 p.m. Free. Davenport Coffee Lounge, School of International Service Building, American Uni-versity, Nebraska and New Mexico avenues NW. danmiraldi.com.
■ The Nth Power will perform soul music. 8 p.m. $10 to $14. Gypsy Sally’s, 3401 K St. NW. gypsysallys.com.
Discussion and lectures■ A conference on “The Economics of
Oceans” will explore issues such as the need for ocean governance and maritime spatial planning. 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Free; reservations required. House of Sweden, 2900 K St. NW. embassyofsweden.eventbrite.com. The conference will contin-ue Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
■ The Asian Community Service Center will offer an illustrated presentation on Chi-nese culture. 11 a.m. Free. Seabury at Friendship Terrace, 4201 Butterworth Place NW. 202-244-7400.
■ Orit Bashkin will discuss his book “New Babylonians: A History of Jews in Modern Iraq.” Noon. Free. McGowan The-ater, National Archives Building, Constitu-tion Avenue between 7th and 9th streets NW. 202-357-5000.
■ Cait Miller will discuss “The Belle of the Ball: An American Opera Student at the Turn of the 20th Century.” Noon. Free. Whittall Pavilion, Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, 10 1st St. SE. 202-707-8437.
■ On the 20th anniversary of the gal-lery he founded, George Hemphill will dis-cuss “Moving Art,” about his career as a conceptual artist and his venture into art dealing. 6 p.m. Free. Hemphill, 1515 14th
St. NW. 202-234-5601.■ Linda Wharton-Boyd, director of
external affairs and stakeholder engage-ment for the D.C. Health Benefit Exchange Authority, will lead a discussion of DC Health Link with representatives of insur-ers Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, United Health and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. 6 to 8 p.m. $10 to $15. Wom-an’s National Democratic Club, 1526 New Hampshire Ave. NW. 202-232-7363.
■ U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., and Andrew Aydin will discuss “March, Book One,” the first volume in their graphic novel trilogy about Lewis’ lifelong struggle for civil and human rights. 6:30 p.m. Free. Barnes & Noble, 555 12th St. NW. 202-347-0176.
■ Ed Bearss, chief historian emeritus of the National Park Service and a long-time tour leader for the Smithsonian Asso-ciates, will discuss his encyclopedic knowl-edge of Civil War battles in conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning author James M. McPherson. 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. $35 to $47. Baird Auditorium, National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Consti-tution Avenue NW. 202-633-3030.
■ Nutritionist Marion Nestle will dis-cuss her book “Eat, Drink, Vote: An Illus-trated Guide to Food Politics.” 7 p.m. Free. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321.
■ Thom Hartmann will discuss his book “The Crash of 2016: The Plot to Destroy America — and What We Can Do to Stop It.” 7 p.m. Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.
■ The French-American Global Forum series will present a debate on “The United Nations at Seventy: Is Global Governance Broken?” 7 to 9 p.m. Free; reservations required. Abramson Family Founders Room, School of International Service Building, American University, Nebraska and New Mexico avenues NW. american.edu/sis/events/FAGFUnitedNations.cfm.
Film■ The Georgetown Library will screen
the 1990 film “Rosencrantz & Guilden-stern Are Dead.” 6 p.m. Free. Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. 202-727-0232.
meeting■ Recovery International will host a
weekly group discussion for people suffer-
ing from stress, anxiety, panic, depression, sleep problems, anger, fear and other mental, nervous or emotional problems. 7 p.m. Free. Chevy Chase Community Center, 5601 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-2680.
Performances■ A stand-up comedy show will feature
Stavros Halkias. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. $10. Desperados, 1342 U St. NW. lygodc.com.
■ SpeakeasyDC and the Sixth & I His-toric Synagogue will celebrate Hanukkah with the fifth annual “My So Called Jewish Life,” featuring funny, poignant, powerful and peculiar autobiographical stories. 7:30 p.m. $20. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. 877-987-6487.
■ The Washington Improv Theater’s “Harold Night” will feature performances by Love Onion and People Like Us, fol-lowed by an improv jam. 9 p.m. Free. Source, 1835 14th St. NW. washingtonimprovtheater.com.
■ Busboys and Poets will present an open mic poetry night. 9 to 11 p.m. $5. Langston Room, Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW. 202-387-7638.
Special events■ The Fairmont Washington, D.C.,
Georgetown’s 10th annual tree lighting ceremony will feature holiday entertain-ment by the Georgetown Visitation Madri-gals, holiday card decorating for children, family photos with Santa Claus and Rudolph, and complimentary hot chocolate and cookies. 5:30 to 7 p.m. Free admis-sion; guests are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy to donate to the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Program. Fair-mont Washington, D.C., Georgetown, 2401 M St. NW. 202-429-2400.
■ The Royal Norwegian Embassy’s 16th annual “Norwegian Christmas at Union Station” will kick off with a Christ-mas tree lighting, seasonal carols, a visit from Santa Claus and treats for all ages. 6 p.m. Free. Outside the West Hall, Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE.
Sporting event■ The Washington Capitals will play the
Carolina Hurricanes. 7 p.m. $40 to $527. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. 800-745-3000.
Teen event■ A holiday party for teens will feature
a movie, a mini hot chocolate bar and a chance to make origami gifts and decora-tions. 4 p.m. Free. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188.
Wednesday, Dec. 4
Classes and workshops■ Kripalu yoga teacher Eva Blutinger
will lead a “Yoga in the Galleries” class. 10 a.m. Free. American University Museum, Katzen Arts Center, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-1300.
■ A hands-on workshop will focus on making holiday wreaths and tabletop cre-ations from boxwood branches, pine cones and berries. 11 a.m. $25 to $30. Woman’s National Democratic Club, 1526 New Hampshire Ave. NW. 202-232-7363.
■ Ballet Hispanico will present a mas-ter class for intermediate to advanced-level adult dancers. 7 p.m. $15. Rehearsal Room, Hall of States, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
■ Susan Lowell will lead an introducto-ry class in T’ai Chi. 7:30 p.m. Free. West
Events&Entertainment20 Wednesday, november 27, 2013 The CurrenT
Continued From Page 19
Tuesday, DeCember 3■ Concert: The Young Concert Artists Series will feature pianist Ji-Yong performing works by Bach, Brahms, Ligeti, Schubert, Schumann and Bach. 7:30 p.m. $35. Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
See events/Page 21
Wednesday DeCember 4
Tuesday DeCember 3
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Concerts■ A monthly concert series will feature
the Madrigal Singers from St. Albans and National Cathedral schools performing “Music of the Season.” 12:10 to 12:45 p.m. Free. St. John’s Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, 16th and H streets NW. 202-347-8766.
■ Ballet Hispanico will perform to live music by D.C.-based salsa band Timba Street, which combines native African and Cuban rhythms with Afro-American funk, jazz, soul and go-go. Dance lessons at 5 p.m.; performance at 6 p.m. Free. Millenni-um Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
■ The “Holiday Lobbying” concert series will feature the Cathedral Choral Society’s symphonic chorus. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Free. Lobby, The Willard InterConti-nental, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-628-9100.
■ Vocal Arts DC will present bass-bari-tone Brandon Cedel in recital. 7:30 p.m. $50. Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
■ The Catholic University Wind Ensem-ble will perform. 7:30 p.m. Free. Great Room, Pryzbyla University Center, Catholic University, 620 Michigan Ave. NE. 202-319-5416.
■ The Georgetown University Concert Choir and Orchestra will present a sing-along of the Christmas portion of Handel’s “Messiah” led by professor Frederick Bink-holder and professional soloists. 7:30 p.m. Free. Gonda Theatre, Davis Performing Arts Center, Georgetown University, 37th and O streets NW. 202-687-2787.
■ Singer, songwriter and pianist Anna von Hausswolff will perform. 8 p.m. $12. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993.
■ Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys will per-form American traditional music. 8:30 p.m. $10 to $14. Gypsy Sally’s, 3401 K St. NW. gypsysallys.com.
Discussions and lectures■ Michelle Krowl of the Library of Con-
gress will discuss “Antonia Ford Willard: A Confederate Spy.” Noon. Free. “The Civil War in America” exhibition, Jefferson Build-ing, Library of Congress, 10 1st St. SE. 202-707-4604.
■ The National Museum of Women in the Arts chief curator Kathryn Wat will present a gallery talk on “Tupperware Ladies,” about ceramic pieces by Honor Freeman and Beatrice Wood. Noon to 12:30 p.m. Free. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. 202-783-7370.
■ Deborah Solomon will discuss her book “American Mirror: The Life and Art of Norman Rockwell.” Noon. Free. National Portrait Gallery, 8th and F streets NW. 202-633-1000.
■ David O. Stewart, known for his award-winning nonfiction works on Aaron Burr, President Andrew Johnson and the Constitution, will discuss his first novel, “The Lincoln Deception.” 12:30 p.m. Free. Dining Room A, Madison Building, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. SE. 202-707-2138.
■ “Faster, Better, Safer: Lean Design and Construction” will feature panelists
Chris Jahrling, vice president and general manager of federal services for Turner Construction Co.; Bill Seed, vice president of design and construction for Universal Health Services; Tom Sorley, CEO of Rosen-din Electric; and Jan Tuchman, editor in chief of Engineering News-Record. 6:30 to 8 p.m. $12 to $20; free for students. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. 202-272-2448.
■ John DeFerrari will discuss his book “Historic Restaurants of Washington, D.C.: Capital Eats.” 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free; res-ervations required. Dumbarton House, 2715 Q St. NW. dumbartonhouse.org/events.
■ Emilie Aries, founder and CEO of Bossed Up, will discuss the holistic career counseling her organization provides to women. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. $5 to $10. Woman’s National Democratic Club, 1526 New Hampshire Ave. NW. 202-232-7363.
■ The Second Service Speaker Series will feature a talk by U.S. Rep. Brad Wen-strup, R-Ohio, on how he uses his experience as a doctor, Army reserve officer, Iraq War veteran and small-business owner to help Congress tackle eco-nomic and security challenges. 6:30 to 9 p.m. Free; reserva-tions required. National Veterans Center, George Washington University, 2013 H St. NW. secondservice.gwu.edu.
■ Dr. John Whyte, an internal medicine physician and former medical expert for Discovery Channel, will present “Boost Your Brain Fitness.” 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. $18 to $25. S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jef-ferson Drive SW. 202-633-3030.
■ The Friends of Tenley-Friendship Library will host a talk about the War of 1812 and the burning of Washington by Steve Vogel, author of “Through the Peril-ous Fight: Six Weeks That Saved the Nation.” 7 p.m. Free. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-727-1488.
■ Author and jour-nalist Katy Butler will discuss her book “Knocking on Heav-en’s Door: The Path to a Better Way of Death.” 7 p.m. Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.
■ MedStar Medicare Choice will pres-ent a workshop on “Medicare and You.” 7 p.m. Free. Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. 202-727-0232.
■ “What Makes Angry Birds Soar?” will feature Rovio’s Peter Vesterbacka, creator of the Angry Birds franchise, and physicist Rhett Allain, author of National Geograph-ic’s “Angry Birds Furious Forces!: The Phys-ics at Play in the World’s Most Popular Game.” 7:30 p.m. $21.60 to $24. Grosve-nor Auditorium, National Geographic, 1600 M St. NW. 202-857-7700.
Films■ La Maison Française and the Next
Generation Foreign Policy Network will present the documentary “Who Cares?” about social entrepreneurs from a wide range of countries. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free; reservations required. Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Road NW. [email protected].
■ The Corcoran Gallery of Art’s “Alex Prager Selects Film Series” will feature the 1948 movie “The Red Shoes,” about a young ballerina torn between her loyalty to
a ballet impresario and her love for a tal-ented composer. 7 p.m. $5; free for mem-bers. Reservations suggested. Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St. NW. 202-639-1770.
meeting■ The Bibliophiles’ Book Club will dis-
cuss “Hope: A Tragedy” by Shalom Aus-lander. 7:30 p.m. Free. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. 202-243-1188.
Performances■ The Happenings at the Harman
series will feature the Synetic Theater Teen Company in a silent retelling of Shake-speare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Noon. Free. Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202-547-1122.
■ The Second City, Chicago’s legendary sketch comedy theater, will present “Nut-Cracking Holiday Revue.” 6:30 and 9 p.m. $20 to $25. Baird Auditorium, National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-633-3030.
■ The Duke Ellington School of the Arts
will stage Langston Hughes’ “Black Nativi-ty,” a celebration of the African-American experience through gospel music, song and dance. 7:30 p.m. $25 to $40. Elling-ton Theatre, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, 3500 R St. NW. ellingtonschool.org. Performances will continue through Dec. 15.
■ “Chanu-Comedy: A Festival of Laughs” will feature performers Eugene Mirman, Kurt Baunohler and Derrick Brown. 8 p.m. $20 to $25. Sixth & I Histor-ic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. 877-987-6487.
■ Holly Bass will host an open mic poetry event. 9 to 11 p.m. $5. Cullen Room, Busboys and Poets, 1025 5th St. NW. 202-789-2227.
Special events■ The Daughters of the American Revo-
lution’s 12th annual Christmas open house will feature live choral music, tours of period rooms decorated for the holidays, a visit from Santa Claus, a chance for chil-dren to play with replica 18th- and 19th-century toys, and more. 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Free. DAR Headquarters, 1776 D St. NW. 202-572-0563.
■ The National Museum of American Jewish Military History, Jewish War Veter-ans of the USA and the Jewish Study Cen-ter will commemorate Hanukkah with sto-ries of holiday observations by Jewish American service members in the field. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free; reservations requested by Nov. 27. National Museum of American Jewish Military History, 1811 R St. NW. 202-265-6280, ext. 502.
Events&Entertainment The CurrenT Wednesday, november 27, 2013 21
Continued From Page 20
Theater J will host a return engagement of “Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie” Nov. 29 through Dec. 14 at the Washington DC Jewish Community Center. Celebrating the creator of American classics like “This
Land Is Your Land” and “The Ballad of Tom Joad,” this play is a boisterous retelling of Guthrie’s life as an American trouba-dour. It blends musical numbers, scenes from his life and excerpts from his progressive newspaper column. Tickets cost $15 to $50. The center is located at 1529 16th St. NW. 800-494-8497; theaterj.org.■ Faction of Fools Theatre Company will present “A Com-media Christmas Carol” Nov. 29 through Dec. 22 at Gallaudet University’s Elstad Auditorium. The whimsical retelling of Charles Dickens’ holiday favorite — nominated for a 2013 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play — features the troupe’s characteristic blend of histor-ical Commedia dell’Arte archetypes, inventive masks and ensemble physicality. Tickets cost $12 to $30. The Gallaudet University campus is located at 800 Florida Ave. NE. 800-838-3006; commediachristmascarol.brownpapertickets.com.■ Arena Stage will present Todd Kreidler’s new theatrical adaptation of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” Nov. 29 through Jan. 5 in the Fichandler Stage. Tickets cost $40 to $90. Arena Stage is located at 1101 6th St. SW. 202-488-3300; arenastage.org.■ The Keegan Theatre will present Stephen Mallatrat’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s 1983 horror novella “The Woman in Black” through Nov. 30. Tickets cost $30 to $35. The Andrew Keegan Theatre (for-merly known as the Church Street Theater) is located at 1742 Church St. NW. 703-892-0202; keegantheatre.com.■ Folger Theatre will present Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” through Dec. 1. Tickets cost $40 to $72, with some discounts available. The Folger Shakespeare Library is located at 201 East Capitol
St. SE. 202-544-7077; folger.edu/theatre.■ Woolly mammoth Theatre Company will present the East Coast premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ comic drama “Appropriate” through Dec. 1. Tickets start at $35. Woolly Mammoth is located at 641 D St. NW. 202-393-3939; woollymammoth.net.■ The In Series will present two shows in repertory — “Pock-et Opera x 2: Puccini & Zarzuela” and “A Family Reunion” — through Dec. 8 at GALA Theatre. “Pocket Opera x 2” pairs Puccini’s “Le Villi (The Spirits),” an opera-ballet in which the spirit of a jilted young woman returns to haunt her unfaithful lover, and “Heart of Madrid,” an assemblage of hits from Spanish light opera. “A Family Reunion” is a new American opera-musical by Chris Patton with libretto by Bill Moses. Love, loss, duty and memories of happier times converge as a family wrestles with strained relationships and issues of care for their aging, dementia-addled grandmother. Tickets cost $21 to $42. The GALA Theater is located at 3333 14th St. NW. 202-204-7763; inseries.org.■ The national Theatre will host the world premiere of the Broadway-bound musical “If/Then” — starring Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp, LaChanze and James Snyder — through Dec. 8. Tickets start at $53. The theater is located at 1321 Penn-sylvania Ave. NW. 800-514-3849; thenationaldc.com.
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Theater J will host “Woody Sez,” a retelling of Woody Guthrie’s life, nov. 29 through Dec. 14.
Guthrie play revisits D.C.
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recently struggled to attract pre-Broadway or other top-flight productions. Aiming to make an impression, National Theatre Group lined up a 2013-2014 series that includes “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,” the first D.C. run for Green Day’s “American Idiot,” and the return of “West Side Story,”
which premiered at the National in the 1950s. And it secured “If/Then,” the National’s first pre-Broadway show in many years. “The new management could be transfor-mational,” said Linda Levy, who heads the D.C. theater promotional group theatreWash-ington. Levy said the National was once renowned for its pre-Broadway performances, and she
hopes the theater can brighten its future by bor-rowing from its past. She also said a renais-sance at the National could inspire increased theater attendance across the District, which produces more performances than anywhere else in America besides New York. “The ripple effects could only be positive,” Levy said. The National Theatre Group is also opti-
mistic. “We’re now in the middle of our run and we’re getting a very strong response,” JAM Theatricals co-founder Steve Traxler said. He added that he hopes the current offer-ings can live up to the theater’s legacy. “You hope that in another 50 years people will be talking about the time ‘If/Then’ opened in Washington, D.C.”
And then on Thursday, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts agreed unanimously that it wants no change to the height act at all.
That sets up a potent conflict before Issa, who asked a year ago for a joint study by the city Planning Office and national commission. Instead, his House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will weigh warring recommenda-tions from the two groups.
It’s not clear if Issa will propose any legislative fix. But he told Roll Call newspaper last week: “We don’t expect to have a radical or signifi-cant change to the Height Act as a result of the study, but we do expect to empower the parties to bring forth future plans.”
Committee spokesperson Ali Ahmad said Issa has invited both the D.C. Office of Planning and the national commission to discuss their respective plans. Others will be able to submit statements for the record.
Issa’s role adds irony to an already-touchy issue. D.C. planning director Harriet Tregoning has argued repeatedly that the city should be able to set its own devel-opment limits as a matter of home rule. But she’s now asking the Cali-fornia congressman to reject the views of what appears — at least from testimony and turnout at numerous presentations and hear-ings — to be broad support from District residents to keep the existing height act in place.
And last week, 12 of the 13 mem-bers of the D.C. Council co-spon-sored a resolution saying the Height of Buildings Act should not be amended.
But Tregoning’s office says the true issue has been confused. “The opposition to the District’s recom-
mendations are primarily about opposition to raising height. That is not what we are asking Congress to do,” said agency chief of staff Tanya Stern. “The District is asking for the ability to determine, with our resi-dents, council and NCPC, whether to increase any height, and if so, when, where and how to do it. This is not about more height. This is about who gets to decide.”
Pedro Ribeiro, spokesperson for Mayor Vincent Gray, elaborated on his administration’s view. “A lot of folks missed the point,” Ribeiro said in an interview. “It shouldn’t be up to people in Ohio or California how high we go. The mayor, council and people who live here should be the ones.”
The lopsided split in opinion sur-faced again Thursday at the Fine Arts Commission, which was await-ing its turn to weigh in. All eight public witnesses pleaded to keep existing height limits, saying the city still has plenty of room to grow within existing zoning and height act restrictions.
“Rumors of running out of space are wildly exaggerated,” said archi-tectural historian Sally Berk. “There are expanses of undeveloped land, but developers prefer to build down-town where the profit is.”
“The notion that [taller buildings] would bring trickle-down, cheaper housing is absurd,” said Dupont resident Ann Selin.
But it appeared that the arts com-mission, which fiercely guards the horizontal skyline and openness of the federal city, didn’t need much persuading.
“I don’t understand why D.C. seeks to enter the fray of manipulat-ing the zoning code with different heights — it allows a tremendous amount of mischief,” said member Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. And she
added, “there doesn’t seem to be any development community pressure” for changes.
“We all agree, from different points of view, the NCPC position is very appropriate. Our support for it is unanimous,” said chair Rusty Powell.
Meanwhile, the Office of Plan-ning is marshaling its arguments again. In a Nov. 20 news release, the office reiterated its desire for “rea-sonable and modest modifications to the Height Act that would give the District more autonomy to set differ-ent building height maximums through a collaborative future Com-prehensive Plan process … in limit-ed areas in the city.”
It’s also sticking by its recom-mendation to allow somewhat taller buildings inside the L’Enfant City by tweaking the formula that correlates height limits to the width of various streets. That would raise the current limit on the widest avenues, for example, from 160 to 200 feet — another approach soundly rejected by the national planning commission and D.C. Council.
“The alternative — of retaining unchanged a century-old law that artificially constrains the city’s abil-ity to accommodate growth — will place the District on the path of becoming a city comprised primarily of national monuments, surrounded by exclusive neighborhoods afford-able only to the very few,” the Office of Planning’s news release says.
Next week’s hearing, dubbed “Changes to the Height Act: Shap-ing Washington, D.C. for the Future, Part II,” is set for Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. in Room 2154 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Citizens, civic organizations, business groups and other stakeholders can contact [email protected] to sub-mit statements for the record.
HEIGHT: Congressional panel to hold Dec. 2 hearingFrom Page 1
— came from a quarry in Vermont. The work, expected to wrap up
completely by early next year, also includes repairs and repainting in the chapel’s interior.
“It’s one of the biggest projects for the cemetery in decades,” said architect Robert Tarasovich, who has provided technical consulting.
During the roof replacement, workers discovered a challenge. Without a substantial barrier between the exterior and interior of the roof, the construction shook off plaster decorations from the chapel’s high ceiling. But one gold-painted medal-lion that fell to the floor came with a surprise: the initials of Oak Hill Cemetery’s founder, William W. Corcoran.
“We didn’t know it was up there,” said Jackson, who intends to pre-serve and mount the piece. “First of all it was a miracle that it didn’t bust into a million pieces.”
Corcoran, who co-founded Riggs National Bank, was one of D.C.’s most notable philanthropists. His
extensive art collection served as the foundation for the Corcoran Gallery — initially housed in the building that is now the Smithsonian’s Ren-wick Gallery.
Over its history the chapel has hosted a number of significant events. An intimate second funeral for President Abraham Lincoln’s 11-year-old son Willie took place there in 1862, according to an Oak Hill newsletter. In 1882, Corcoran arranged for an elaborate ceremony honoring his longtime friend, author John Howard Payne, who was bur-ied in front of the chapel. The build-ing was added to the National Regis-try of Historic Places in 1972.
Today the Renwick Chapel, which can accommodate pews for about 48 people, continues to be used for about 50 funerals each year, along with the occasional wedding or community meeting, according to Jackson.
More information about the cem-etery, which is funded through the nonprofit Oak Hill Cemetery Preser-vation Foundation, is available at oakhillcemeterydc.org.
CEMETERY: Work under wayFrom Page 1
a community listserv. “We wanted this to work, but it doesn’t,” she wrote. Blumenthal and fellow commissioner Brian Cohen plan to bring that argument before Cheh’s Committee on the Transportation and the Environment on Dec. 4. At a hearing taking place at the Guy Mason Recreation Center, they will also present a community survey in which hundreds of residents agreed that the changes should be reversed. One group that takes a different view of the situation is the smart growth organization Ward3Vision. Tom Hier, spokesperson for the group, said it may be too soon to consider changes to the streetscape project. In a statement, he argued “the problems on Wiscon-
sin Avenue may have been exacerbated by the recently completed project at 37th and Tunlaw, other construc-tion projects, and even underground utility repairs.” Hier went on to say there should be formal data col-lection to discern how road conditions have changed under the streetscape project. He said anecdotal evi-dence should not take the place of data. “The D.C. Department of Transportation needs to make it clear to the public why the project was done and if it accomplished the stated goals,” the statement reads. In an interview Monday, Transportation Department spokesperson Reggie Sanders declined to discuss the streetscape project in advance of next week’s hearing. “We continue to study the area and will comment at a later date,” he said.
TRAFFIC: Council to examine Glover Park changesFrom Page 1
THEATER: Premiere of new musical ‘If/Then’ revives National’s pre-Broadway traditionFrom Page 3
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learning about Abraham and his descendants Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. During social studies we are studying the people, economy, government, and arts and recreation of South America. During our sci-ence classes we are learning about kinetic and potential energy. Outside the classroom, the stu-dents at St. Ann’s Academy are all helping the community through our annual Turkey Feathers competi-tion, which raises money for the homeless.
— Sixth-graders
St. Ann’s Academy recently inducted three seventh-graders into the National Junior Honor Society. The three inductees were welcomed by the four current eighth-grade members and the faculty advisers. The ceremony took place in St. Ann’s Catholic Church. The induc-tion included a candle-lighting cere-mony for each of the following five criteria: scholarship, leadership, ser-vice, citizenship and character. The St. Ann’s Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society is committed to school and communi-ty service. Members are busy coor-dinating a schoolwide coat drive to help people who do not have coats. They organized a “guess the num-ber of candy corn in the jar” con-test. The kindergarten winner of the contest led the school’s Halloween parade around the block. The St. Ann’s Academy chapter of the National Junior Honor Soci-ety is planning to have more school and community based projects throughout the year.
— Patrick Snee, seventh-grader
St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School Grade 5 recently visited two exhibits at the National Museum of Natural History. Sant Ocean Hall illuminated an amazing underwater kingdom; it helped us to learn more about how marine organisms have adapted to their habitats. At St. Patrick’s, Grade 5 students invent a marine organism in science class. We design all of its characteristics and figure out how it will survive. Afterward, we bring the organism to life using the Scratch computer programming language. It was interesting to see a variety of marine animals at the museum and learn how each really survived in the different regions of the ocean. We also visited the Hall of Human Origins. We could not believe how different we look from the people who lived millions of years ago. A full-grown woman in that time was shorter than we are now! As we walked past the differ-ent skeletons, newer each time, we watched their bones morph into the shape we recognize today. We all enjoyed our trip to the museum. If you had poked your ear into any conversation as our bus rumbled along back to school, you
would have heard conversations like, “There are so many endan-gered species underwater! We should definitely help them!” or “The people in the Human Origins Hall looked so weird! How did we change so much?” We can’t wait to learn more about both subjects.
— Sophie Mansfield and Tia Piziali, fifth-graders
School Without Walls High School Today marks another year of a beloved tradition — our annual Thanksgiving feast and assembly. The feast is organized by the Stu-dent Government Association to create a nice break before students leave for a long weekend. Every-body waits in line to get their food and then meanders in the hallways — chatting with teachers, visiting friends who have graduated, and talking to other students. The feast is also an opportunity for alumni to come home and visit the school. It is most common for students to come when they are still in college, most likely for the free food, but we also occasionally see visitors who graduated in the early 2000s or ’80s and ’90s. It is a special treat for these alumni because our school has recently been remodeled, and it looks a lot different from when they went here. Last week, in the spirit of giving and to give back to the community, we held a shoebox drive for the nonprofit So Others Might Eat. Dif-ferent homerooms created boxes of toiletries and warm clothes to give away in time for the holidays. For instance, some were geared toward teenage women, while others were geared toward a young boy. We also held the traditional canned food drive.
— Eleonore Edgell, 12th-grader
Shepherd Elementary Hi, this is Henry again. It’s been very busy around our house because my sister, Colyar, broke her toe slipping on toothpaste. But on to other matters. The school renovations are going very well. The new library is still being built in the basement. I’m very excited about the Winter Con-cert. We will be doing it with our new music teacher, Ms. Bryant. Rehearsals have started and there will be singing, dancing and lots more. I am very excited that Mr. Giles (our former music teacher) is coming back to teach violin. If you are interested, please contact Star Achievers (the aftercare program). My art project, which is to draw a natural phenomenon, is almost due. I am drawing a tsunami. Final-ly, it’s a short school week. I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving!
— Henry Trimble, fourth-grader
Stoddert Elementary We are reading and finding things in books. We used the book “Tuesday” by David Wiesner. We had to gather information from the illustrations, and it was all about time. We discovered that there is equal importance in the illustrations
as there is in a text. We discussed the illustrations and we gave evi-dence about the illustrations. Writing has been fun. We’ve been learning about adverbs. Ms. Orlando used the name sticks and called us up to pick a word from one bag and another word from a different bag. One word was an adverb. We made combination words like “wiggling proudly” and “jumping quickly.” This was a fun way to learn about adverbs. When we come across adverbs now, we try to use them. We also learned about idioms. We illustrated idioms. I had “on top of the world” and I drew a person sitting on top of the world. This idiom means you’re really happy. I got the idiom “let the cat out of the bag” and I drew a cat escaping from a bag. It means you let out a secret.
— Sophia Lubov Hall and Ian Cassidy, third-graders
Washington Latin Public Charter School Our school held the annual Merit ceremony and in the spirit of Thanksgiving had students and fac-ulty members speak about what they are thankful for. Chemistry teacher Kate Lewis from Australia talked about how thankful she was to have her first Thanksgiving with Washington Latin and how much the school has made her feel at home. Many of the students who spoke talked about how they feel comforted by our community. John Drury, a history teacher who had wanted to teach at Latin for two years, explained how he loved and was thankful for the opportunity to teach at this school after persistently trying to get a job at the school. Others acknowledged the profound loss of the president that occurred 50 years ago and noted how grate-ful they were for our school and its idealism in a difficult time. The cer-emony was a peaceful and warm gift for the school.
— Niara Tarleton Allen, 10th-grader
Wilson High School Wilson students have more to be excited about this Thanksgiving than just pumpkin pie. For the first time in 21 years, the Wilson Tigers football team will be competing in the annual Turkey Bowl. Wilson will play H.D. Woodson. For quar-terback Scot Beumel, this will be the last game in a four-year high school football career. For others, like freshman and backup quarter-back Steve William, it’s just the beginning. The Tigers have had a great sea-son, defeating Dunbar three times — including in the playoff game to qualify for the Turkey Bowl. The team has worked harder than ever this season, and it will continue to work hard until the whistle blows for the end of the game Thursday afternoon. Want to help support the Wilson football team? Fans are wel-come to come watch the game at 11 a.m. Nov. 28 at Eastern High School.
— Rachel Page, 10th-grader
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28 Wednesday, november 27, 2013 The CurrenT
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Chevy Chase, MD 5009 Westport Road $1,129,000 Brookdale area of Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights. Bright, flowing spaces, flexible floor plan, 3-4 bedrooms and 4 full baths. Read more on our website.
Georgetown 2500 Q Street $449,000 Super convenient 1 BR condo in East Village, close to Dupont Metro, too; has private patio w/lovely lawn views plus garage parking. Read more on our website.
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Happy Thanksgiving - From Our Group to Yours!As we prepare for Thanksgiving and we look back at most of 2013, we can’t help but be thankful and gracious for your support. The photos above are just a portion of the pictures that represent new beginnings and happy memories for our clients – and for us. THANK YOU!
Chevy Chase, DC, 3342 Stuyvesant Place NW, $1,100,000. Ready for move-in! A new-ly-renovated center hall Colonial on 4 levels with 3BR & 2BA. Read more on our website.
Tenley Town, 3621 Everett Street, $769,000. Very large, convenient 4-level semi-detached home awaiting a kiss from Prince Charming. Read more on our website.
Capitol Hill, 644 G Street SE, $599,900. Two-bedroom home ready for your magic touch. Tempting location close to Metro. Read more on our website.
Chevy Chase, DC, 3218 Oliver Street NW, $779,000. Three-bedroom brick Colonial near parks, schools & Broad Branch Market! Read more on our website.
