This Month
4 A Taste of Three
Capitol Hill
Churches
7 The Last Synagogue
9 Kwanzaa on the Hill
12 Great Gifts for the
Pa rty Giver
14 Dress Up for New
Ye a r ’s Eve
15 M i l l e n n i u m
C e l e b r a t i n g
17 Christmas Cookies
D e p a rt m e n t s
Vo i c e M a i l . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Ask Judith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 0
Spencer Say s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 2
Business Bits . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 3
Business Serv i c e s. . . . . . . .2 6
D o w n L o a d. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 0
Capital Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 9
Kids’ Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . .3 8
Religion Calendar . . . . . . . . .3 8
Community Calendar . . . .4 0
In The Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 0
C l a s s i f i e d s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 2
Vol. 1 No. 8 December 17 1999
o f
T h e
H i l l
Not a c r e a t u r e
was st i rring, not
even the H o u s e …
666 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE • Washington, DC 20003 • 202 547-2100
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organization interested
in improving the
park,I find it troubling
that this
group seems to
be rather narrowly
focussed on a
small minority of park
users (families with young children).
Such a group as yours should reach out
and try to connect with all members of
the community that use Lincoln Park. As
a visitor to the park and resident of
Capitol Hill for over 15 years, I have
noticed there are many groups of people
with legitimate uses for the park and its
resources,including:
Dog walkers
Tourists/sightseers
Family members / caregivers with
children in young children’s area
Participants in informal sports—such
as Frisbee,volleyball,catch,etc.
Sunbathers
Picnickers
For each of these groups,improved
management by the Park Service to
address their needs would dramatically
improve community satisfaction. I
strongly encourage you to reach out to
these groups of people and the entire
community and work with all users of
the park in your advisory role to the Park
Service. I am interested in this particular
type of volunteer work in your organization.
A final comment. In the past month, I
have noticed signs publicizing various
activities organized by your group—
something that took place last month,
and then the Christmas Caroling
planned for next Saturday, December
11. It seems weird to me that often,
these signs are placed only in the children’s
play areas,rather than throughout
the park,especially in the western areas
where dog walkers congregate. I appreci -
ate that you are trying to instill community
involvement,but such efforts should
be directed to all users of the park,and
to the community as a whole. Perhaps
putting signs throughout the neighbor -
hood would be useful,as well as publicizing
your events in local media such
as Voice of the Hill and other Hill publications.
I look forward to hearing from you,
and working with you in the future!
Sincerely,
Mark G. Thompson
Do Not Enter signs have recently
been posted from both directions!
This,at a time when I’d
hoped for better signage and some
improvements to the exit,like underpass
lighting. It’s got to be easier and
less expensive to improve an existing
exit that rebuild or create a new one.
Please Help! can we make this exit a
real, legal,marked accessible entrance
to the Freeway? Isn’t this a logical move
considering the imminent closure of the
3rd St. Ramp?
Thank you,
PATRISE HENKEL
The following letter to Leslie Leahy
of the Friends of Lincoln Park was
copied to the Voice of the Hill:
Dear Ms. Leahy:
I read with interest your letter posted on
the bulletin board at Lincoln Park. It is
great that an organization is working for
the betterment of the park,and I
applaud your efforts. Please consider my
letter to you here as an application to
join in your group and help in any way I
can.
The Park Service greatly needs community
guidance in its management of
the park property and its resources. In
the past year, the condition of the par k
has suffered a serious decline. The irrigation
system continues to be poorly
maintained, and despite Washington
having one of the most serious droughts
of the year, Park Service management
failed to use the sprinkler system to mitigate
the lack of rainfall. As a result,the
grassy areas are extremely stressed.
Obviously, greater care must be taken of
the landscaping.
Another serious problem: an
encroaching anti-dog attitude by Park
Service management,as evidenced by
the placement this year of NO DOGS
signs in the center area of the park.
This was done without any public notice
or opportunity for comment. The result
has been further degradation of the
landscaping in the western areas of the
park,where the dog walkers now tend to
congregate. Dog walkers are by far the
largest group of people using the park,
and their interests must be considered
in any improvements considered for the
park.
While it is good that there is an
www.voiceofthehill.com 3
Vo i cem a i l The Voice of the Hill is published and
distributed monthly to Capitol Hill
residence and business locations.
The focus is on the community and
includes contiguous neighborhoods
from Gallaudet University to the Navy
Yard and from the Capitol to the
Stadium Armory Complex.
Publication and distribution is the
third Friday of each month.
Advertising deadline is the first of
the month preceding publication.
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VOICE o f
T h e
H i l l
Duncan Spencer
Bonny Wolf
Dear Voice of the Hill:
Today I attended what I believe to be a
historic event for the District. I was fortunate
enough to be one of 2000 people
who attended Mayor Williams neigh -
borhood action summit. The Mayor outlined
a draft of his agenda and encouraged
citizens to review, criticize,change
and to be a part of its transformation. It
was the first time I felt the synergy that
is possible between goverment and its
citizens. Mayor Williams should be
applauded as a man of tremendous
vision. I felt connected to a city with a
future. I encourage everyone to do
something ,no matter how small, to
make our city a better place to live.
MARK ADA M S
Dear Dr. Gridlock via Voice of the
Hill:
Please come to our aid on Capitol Hill!
We are braving the repairs of the
Southeast-Southwest Freeway, including
the imminent closure of the only onramp
to southbound 395,for an extended
repair. This means wandering down
to Washington Ave. SW, or over to D St
NW to access 395—our link to the airport.
Pentagon City and beyond. Once
they close the 3rd St on-ramp,it will
take 30 minutes just to find a way onto
the freeway, when I could have made it
all the way to the airport by then! (traffic
permitting of course).
There IS another on-ramp — one that
denizens of Cap Hill East may know well:
the ramp at the east end of the freeway
that dumps into RFK lot #8. To enter: at
the foot of 17th St SE turn left just past
the Cemetary. To exit: stay on the
SE/SW freeway beyond the PA Ave exit,
you will go under Barney circle (scary
unlit bridge underpass) and come out at
17th St SE near Kentucky Ave and PA
Ave SE ( just before the avenue crosses
the Anacostia).
For some unknown reason,no onramp
was built for East Bound PA Ave
onto the SE/SW freeway. this would
have also been helpful.
This route is very convenient for East
Hillers—avoiding a trip across the Hill
with lots of stop-go-stop-go at traffic
lights to and from the 3rd St on-ramp
and the 6th St SE off-ramp.
Until recently this was an unmarked
route the locals used to enter and exit
the SE/SW freeway. For some reason,
Breaking News: Bryan School Sold to Developers
The Bryan School in the 1300 block of Independence Avenue has just been sold to Northern-Virginia based developers,
Eakin/Youngentaub. Bryan Furness,president of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, tells us that an upscale townhouse development
is planned for the playground and parking area behind the school building—a parcel that cuts through to South Carolina
Ave.,SE. Houses are expected to sell for between $250,000 and $280,000. The old portion of the school will be turned into
condominiums. Details of the plan will be posted as received on www.voiceofthehill.com.
4 www.voiceofthehill.com
ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, the side streets of Capitol Hill,
quiet most of the week, are suddenly jammed with cars
while crowds of people stream into the dozens of churches
sprinkled liberally through the neighborhood. We decided
to visit a few of these churches after having walked by,
snooped around, and peeked inside the beautiful structures, often wondering,
“What’s it like in there on Sunday morning? What do they talk about?
What do they sing?”
Visiting churches is a precarious experience in and of itself. We realized
that we were walking into sacred spaces, rich with traditions and beliefs,
and wanted to be respectful of the churches and the members. The task of
writing about these visits was equally precarious. Ultimately we decided
that reviewing churches made about as much sense as reviewing families’
holiday celebrations: “I liked the pie at Walshes, but they could not sing to
save their lives. I liked the prayers at Bernstein’s Seder, but the brisket was
dry.” Churches, like other modes of ritual and tradition are not about comparison
- they are about themselves and their participants.
What these visits brought us was a much richer appreciation of this
neighborhood, a place of diverse people, rich traditions and joyous idiosyncrasies.
We now feel as though we better understand the bounty of
blessings on Capitol Hill, its residents and community.
Sampling the
Spiritual Side A Ta ste of
T h re e
C a p i tol Hill
C h u rch e s
BY MOLLY AND PAUL SINGER
www.voiceofthehill.com 5
Unity of Washington DC
700 A St. NE
Our first visit was to Unity and it
served as a very encouraging
entree into church going. It’s hard
not to like a place where everyone
entering the building is g reeted
with a hug (two if you’ve had a
particularly bad week). In a lovely,
subdued church with sunshine ris -
ing and ebbing through stained
glass windows, the congregation
enjoyed music ranging from
hymns to songs to musical interludes.
The worshipers, which filled
the church in bodies and voices,
seemed unified in celebration of
the week—and of each other’s
presence. The congregants
appeared to be about 80% African
American, 20% white and a mix of
other ethnic groups.
The materials that Unity distrib -
utes to guests explain that “we
believe that God is Omnipresent
(everywhere); that all humans are
divine, and have the spirit of God
within them; that there is the
magnificent Creative Mind of the
universe available to all of us,
which we may use to create the life
we choose.”
Consistent with that humanistic
approach, the service was not
based on a particular bible verse, or
even on a biblical teaching as such.
Instead, the Rev. Sylvia Sumter
gave an energetic and evocative
sermon on the theme that “God is
More Than Wonderful.” Citing
some of the more than 700 names
that are used in the Bible to
describe God — “my savior”; “my
champion; “my portion”; “He (or
She) who lifteth up my head” —
Sumter explained to the congregants
that God is more than you
expect, more than you can grasp,
and has more love to give than you
can absorb.
But she emphasized as well that
“God is only as powerful as His
works through you.”
The service also offered time for
individuals to contemplate their
own lives and to meditate in
silence. After an opening reading,
a prayer and some singing, church
goers are left to several minutes of
silence that allows individuals to
find their own meaning and purpose
on Sunday morning.
Unity celebrates the church
community and individual lives as
well as God. Rev. Sumter spoke joyously
about a retreat that the
church sponsored and thanked
members who had given their own
time and resources to make it a
success. The minister also remembered
and thanked those who were
not at service that day because
they were running the Marine
Corps Marathon or had other
engagements. After the celebration
of the community, the room felt
full of freshly rekindled spirit.
We left, as do all visitors, with
one fresh flower and a small packet
of information about Unity.
The church, we learned, is also
active during the week with classes,
book groups, prayer circles and
social activities.
Our trip home that sunny
Sunday morning was rich with
conversation about living life in a
way that reflects the things we
believe.
St. Mark’s Episcopal
Church, Capitol Hill, 3rd and
A Sts. SE
Parishioners and staff members
work very hard to create an all
encompassing spiritual community
at St. Mark’s. The church is a
beautiful cathedral-like building
with massive woodwork, and an
awesome pipe organ. The minister
and lay attendants together create
services that speak to parishioner s’
lives and goals. A family or indi -
vidual could join St. Mark’s and
have a great majority of its social
activities, extra-curricular events,
spiritual and intellectual activities
centered there.
We selected an 11 o’clock service,
which is said to be more tradi -
tional. It does have some
pageantry, opening with a procession
of ministers and lay attendants
that offered a touch of for -
mality. (The 9AM service, we were
told, is less traditional and is more
likely to have families with chil -
dren.) The congregation at St.
Mark’s the morning we visited was
perhaps 80% white and mostly
adult, though there were some
children present. Church Rector
Paul Abernathy’s sermon theme
for the day was the human
urgency to “get it right,” addressing
our fear of making mistakes
and our reaction to those who do
so through their own negligence.
Abernathy stressed the importance
of patience with ourselves, and
with others, as we move forward in
our everyday spiritual and secular
lives.
We were honored to witness the
baptism of a new young member,
Emily Menard Clark, daughter of
Paul Clark and Val Menard. In a
lovely ceremony, rich with tradi -
tion, the entire congregation stood
and surrounded the child at the
baptismal font. Emily’s parents
thanked the church community
for all that it has given them. Then
their brave toddler was presented
to the congregants and received
their prayers. The celebrants welcomed
the child into the church
and asked God to give her “the
courage and will to persevere, a
spirit to know and to love God,
and the gift of Joy and wonder in
all God’s works.” At that moment,
a heavy door was slammed, symbolizing
the closing of the devil’s
door. It was all awe-inspiring.
In between the two services on
Sunday, the church holds a discussion
on the day’s sermon, a tradition
that reflects the deep involvement
of the parishioners in setting
the church’s spiritual agenda.
The 11AM gathering, while probably
more sedate than the first,
lightens with a pub lunch after the
service. New attendees can attend
the lunch for free and knock bac k
a beer or glass of wine.
The most striking feature of St.
Mark’s is the high degree of congregant
involvement. In fact,
Abernathy made several jokes to
that effect in his sermon about
“getting it right” in light of new
clergy on staff.
Congregant involvement is
probably most intimate in the
planning of liturgical services.
Interested parishioners, which are
not in short supply, study and
work together to develop a series of
readings and passages to address
issues that the church or individuals
are facing. In this way, there is a
sort of curriculum to the weekly
services wherein each week’s service
builds on the previous ones
over a course of several weeks.
Parishioners speak proudly of this
highly participatory process. The
involvement carries over into a
number of organized committees
and groups. In many ways St.
Marks seems like the perfect
church for Washington residents
who love a well-organized, highly
democratic and efficient social and
spiritual environment.
Beyond Sunday services, St.
Mark’s offers rich and diverse education
courses, social outreach programs,
choirs, women’s groups,
and youth groups. The church also
has its own arts council that spon -
sors discussions, theater and dance
classes, and plays.
Visitors get a sense of the ric hness
of the St. Mark’s community
when listening to the announce-
Unity of Washington,7th and A Streets, SE
6 www.voiceofthehill.com
gospel band assembled itself in one
corner, while ushers in white
gloves prepared a flock of children
for their ceremonial procession to
the front rows.
After a few songs from the choir,
and a few announcements and
introductions (visitors are handed
a wireless microphone and invited
to introduce themselves), Rev.
Lewis left the stage to prepare for
his sermon. The topic of the day
was “Are You Prepared to Die?”, a
question intended to help you
probe whether you are living a life
in accord with God, so that if you
died today, your salvation would
be guaranteed. Prepared to die or
not, none of us were prepared for
Rev. Lewis’ powerful dramatization
of the issue.
As the choir and congregants
stood and clapped and sang a
hymn, a casket was wheeled to the
front of the sanctuary. The top was
raised, and Rev. Lewis, body rigid,
arms folded across his chest, was
lifted out by assistants.
Parishioners cheered as the
Reverend sprang to life and began
an impassioned sermon.
A gifted speaker, Rev. Lewis did
not shy from dangerous topics. He
reminded the nearly all-African
American congregation about the
devastation that AIDS has wreaked
on the black community, and
warned against the dangers of premarital
sex. “The only safe sex is
saved sex, sanctified sex,” he said.
He warned that little secrets kept
from family or friends cannot be
kept from God, and that things we
try to hide will eventually come to
light. Returning to the question
ments during service. The day that
we were there 27 announcements
were made, ranging from the need
for volunteers for AIDS outreach
work, to St. Mark’s bird watching
days, to a St. Mark’s town meeting.
There were also many announcements
for education classes and
discussion groups. The high degree
of parishioner involvement has led
the congregation and the clergy to
address and embrace a number of
controversial issues that some
other churches avoid, including
same-sex marriages, AIDs
Outreach work, and inter-faith
couples.
Lincoln Park United
Methodist Church
A Sunday spent in this large
church at the nor theast corner of
Lincoln Park is not a Sunday you
will quickly forget. We had heard
that Rev. Dr. Harold D. Lewis, Sr. is
doing a marvelous job breathing
new life into the congregation,
and it was obvious upon entering
that this is not a church that is sat -
isfied with a quiet Sunday sermon
that gets you home in time for
kickoff.
When we sat down a few minutes
before 11AM, two parishioners
were warming up the gathering
with prayer and songs of praise.
Large movie screens had been
erected on either side of the dais,
projecting live footage from the
video cameras around the sanctuary.
Rev. Lewis explained during
his welcome that the service was
being broadcast to prisons in the
area, and recorded for later use on
local cable television. A five-piece
among the towering trees. We witnessed
immense faith and good
will among religious communities.
On a personal level, we were
deeply touched. Church life on
Capitol Hill is not a Sunday-only
affair. The communities are active
all week long as they practice their
faith, strengthen their knowledge,
and contribute to making Capitol
Hill and Washington DC a better
place to live. We learned that individually
and through the Capitol
Hill Group Ministries, the communities
of faith on Capitol Hill feed
more hungry, aid more infirm and
reach out to more people in need
than any government agency.
We felt welcome in each church
we visited. Nearly every church
posts a sign out front saying “visitors
welcome,” and in our limited
experience, it is a sincere invit ation.
We are thankful to the
churches that hosted us over the
past few weeks, and are grateful for
the open arms that were extended,
both literally and figuratively. We
were also moved spiritually, intellectually
and emotionally. Each
church we visited gave us something
rich to think about. We
walked out of church each Sunday
morning a little more conscious of
what we believe and how we view
the world, and a little more reflective
about our place in it.
Molly Singer works with local govern -
ments and communities on issues of
downtown revitalization and cultural
resource development. Paul Singer is a
reporter covering state and federal
“Are you Prepared to Die?”, Rev.
Lewis exhorted the cong regation
to come to God and devote themselves
to a Christian life so that
they will know, when the time
comes, that their spiritual debts
are settled.
We left the church a little before
2 PM, hungry but fascinated by
the power of the religious spirit in
this church. The ceremony had
been three hours of nearly nonstop
music, with a pungent message
of personal responsibility and
a call to direct action for God. That
call extends beyond the church
doors: Lincoln Park United
Methodist parishioners are
involved in a long list of community
activities, from distributing food
to the poor, to petitioning the
Federal Communications
Commission to ensure that programs
discussing God and
Christianity are not banned from
broadcast. The church bulletin also
lists 30 “sick and shut in” cong regants,
with the suggestion that
Church members may want to pay
a visit.
As we left, a dozen parishioners
came to greet us warmly, thank us
for coming, and invite us to join
them again.
Our visits to local churches
showed us that spiritual faith and
good works are prospering on
Capitol Hill. They are like the wild
flowers in a forest: You don’t see
them from a distance, but once
you find them, you will always
appreciate their contribution to
the world and seek them out
St. Mark’s Church, 3rd and A Streets,SE
Lincoln Park United Methodist Church,13th and No. Carolina Ave,NE
www.voiceofthehill.com 7
An old Jewish joke holds that
every town needs two synagogues:
one to belong to,
and one not to belong to.
Since 1971, Jews on Capitol
Hill not only have had no
synagogue to belong to,
there isn’t even one not to
belong to. Southeast Hebrew
Congregation was the last to
depart and this is its story.
Southeast Hebrew Congregation
was founded by the second wave of
Jewish immigrants to Washington.
The first wave began with Isaac
Polock, the first known Jew in
Washington, DC, a real estate
developer who arrived here from
Savannah, Georgia in 1796. But it
was not until the mid-nineteenth
century that enough Jews were living
amongst the other German settlers
in “Hamburg” (Foggy Bottom)
to form a minyan, the group of ten
Jewish men required to perform
religious services. And it took until
1863 for the Washington Hebrew
Congregation to establish the first
synagogue in a renovated church
near 8th and H Streets, NW.
By the end of the Civil War,
Washington was a boomtown. The
population had doubled during
the war and the people and the
city continued to grow. That first
group of mostly German Jews had
become a significant presence in
Washington city life. They lived in
Foggy Bottom and along the 7th
Street commercial corridor, where
names like Lansburgh, Kann, and
Garfinckel appeared on storefronts.
By 1876 the Jewish population
was large enough that
Conservative members of
Washington Hebrew, who were
unhappy with the Reform movement
of Judaism, were able to split
off and build an Or thodox synagogue,
Adas Israel, at 5th and G,
NW. Adas Israel was later joined by
Ohev Shalom as a third synagogue
in the downtown area.
The Capitol Hill area was also
growing, and became home to
many of the newer Jewish immigrants
who arrived from Eastern
Europe toward the end of the nine -
teenth century. Most were tradesmen,
shopkeepers, and laborers
who settled around 4th Street, SW,
along the H Street NE cor ridor, and
on Capitol Hill itself.
By the first decade of the 20th
century two congregations had
formed to serve the Hill’s Jewish
population. Ezras Israel established
its first synagogue at 9th and H,
NE, and the Southeast Hebrew
Congregation began to meet in
1909.
The fledgling Southeast Hebrew
congregation did not have a synagogue,
so they met daily in members’
houses and held Sabbath and
holiday services in a rented loft on
8th St, near the Navy Yard gates.
Having no official rabbi, lay leaders
conducted services.
Those lean early years left a profound
mark on the congregation.
Eileen Wieselthier, a long time
member, describes that early
Capitol Hill congregation this way,
“It wasn’t a rich synagogue, but it
was very hamisch.” “Hamisch” is a
Yiddish expression for why you
like your floors and your cooking
more than, say, the Holiday Inn’s.
The congregation finally found a
home in 1922, when Paul
Himmelfarb sold them his building
at 417 9th St., SE for the prince -
ly sum of $10. But it wasn’t until
1939 that they found a permanent
Rabbi with Chaim Williamowsky.
Williamowsky’s son Benjamin,
who is now retired and living in
Silver Spring, remembers, “My
father was Southeast’s first official
rabbi. He also did the circumcisions
and the kosher slaughtering
for congregation members. We had
three services a day, although the
congregation was never very large.
Soon after he came, my father
instituted a second Friday evening
service, which was conducted by
the young people. It proved to be
pretty popular.”
Ethel Jean Saltz also attended
Southeast Hebrew during those
years. Though she now lives in
Texas, she hasn’t forgotten the
neighborhood. “There was
Silbert’s, where every Sunday my
brother and I took turns going to
get bagels, cream cheese and lox
The Last
S y n a g o g u e
BY GENE MI LLER
8 www.voiceofthehill.com
and decided to rebuild the syna -
gogue. In 1949, the Washington
Post reported that Southeast
Hebrew was launching a $250,000
building project, with groundbreaking
ceremonies later that
year. The published drawings for
the new temple show a considerably
more ornate facade than the
one you now see at 417 9th, but
architects often have grand
dreams.
In 1951, the new building was
dedicated and the front of it
looked rather like it looks now. The
Washington Post reported that the
new main floor auditorium seated
320, the balcony seated 110, and
the daily synagogue seated 80. Two
additional classrooms were also
constructed for the school of reli -
gious instruction, a program that
eventually provided training to
more than 1500 students.
While Southeast Hebrew was
busy growing, Washington was
busy changing. After World War II,
Washington’s middle class of
mostly white professionals and
civil servants began migrating to
the suburbs. The ’50s saw the rise
of the Rockvilles, the Wheatons,
for Sunday breakfast.”
Silbert’s, a kosher meat market
and grocery owned and operated
by Nathan Silbert, was located at
526 8th SE and later moved to 713
8th SE. His son, Benjamin, who
now lives in Montgomery Village,
recalls, “We bought the store in
1938 from Brill and Resnick, and
had it until 1957. We sold kosher
meats and groceries. People came
from all over to our market, even
from Anacostia. There were lots of
stores up and down 8th Street and
Pennsylvania Avenue. Groceries,
tailors, hardware stores, department
stores, and then the two the -
atres on Pennsylvania, the Penn
and the Avenue Grand.” When
asked about his favorite memories
of Capitol Hill, he remembers
beauty: “After Sabbath services, we
would sometimes walk to the
Capitol or all the way to the White
House. It was such a beautiful
city.”
When Rabbi Williamowsky left
Southeast Hebrew in 1942, Simon
Burnstein came from New York
City to be the new rabbi. Within
another few years, the congregation
outgrew their small quarter s
left the area: Washington Hebrew
and Adas Israel had moved from
the old downtown; Talmud Torah
in Southwest had merged with
Ohev Shalom and moved during
the urban renewal of the late ‘50s;
and Ezras Israel left its synagogue
in 1959. Southeast Hebrew was the
only synagogue left in the Capitol
Hill and downtown areas. The
denouement sensed by Rabbi
Burnstein in 1962 finally came to
pass in 1969, when the remnant
that was Southeast Hebrew voted
to explore moving to Silver Spring.
“Southeast Hebrew Moves
Synagogue to New Location” read
the headline in the Jewish Week
and American Examiner in May,
1971. Rabbi Burnstein was plainspoken:
“We moved to follow our
members...not because we wanted
to leave the District of Columbia,
the area, or the building.” There
were no ceremonies, no motorcade
to move the Torah Scrolls, the Ark
or the Eternal Flame to a new location
in Silver Spring. It was all very
quietly done. The building at 417
9th St. was sold to the Tried Stone
Church of Christ. The last synagogue
was gone from the Hill.
Gene Miller is the Voice of the Hill
Religion Editor
the Kensingtons, and the Silver
Springs. A 1956 survey of Jewish
communities in the Washington
area showed that fully one-quarter
of the Jewish population in
Southeast/Southwest expected to
relocate in the near future, many
to upper Northwest and suburban
Maryland.
Rabbi Burnstein saw the handwriting
on the wall. In a
Washington Post profile in 1962, he
noted that since he had come to
Southeast Hebrew in 1942, no
fewer than four synagogues had
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Capitol Hill Jewish Services
A Union Station-area minyan conducts afternoon services at 12:45 PM
(winter) Mon.-Thurs. at 2 Mass. Ave., NE. Though this is an Orthodox
group, all are welcome. Contact Bruce Bergman at 202-691-6179 or Carl
Barsky at 202-691-7651.
Rabbi Lev Shemtov of the American Friends of Lubavitch will assist
with arranging services as needed. Phone 202-434-4546.
If you are looking for Jewish fellowship without the formality, a wor -
ship group has recently formed for celebrating Friday evening Sabbath
services, followed by a potluck dinner. For more information, please call
202-544-5675 or email smceagle@aol.com.
Since 1971, Jews on
Capitol Hill not only have
had no synagogue to
b elong to, there isn’t eve n
one not to belong to.
private parties • celebrations • special events
2 Quail 2 Quail
www.voiceofthehill.com 9
As Capitol Hill clothes
itself in holiday finery,
many families
celebrate Hanukkah
(just ended) and
Christmas. Yet others
are decking out their homes in
vibrant colors for Kwanzaa.
Kwanzaa, which means “first fruits
of the harvest” in Swahili, is an
African-American celebration. The
week-long festival focuses on family,
community responsibility, commerce,
and self-improvement.
Created in 1966 by civil rights
leader Dr. Maulana Karenga,
Kwanzaa is now observed by more
than 30 million people worldwide,
including 10 million Americans.
Celebrated December 26 to
January 1, Kwanzaa is based on
nguzo saba (seven guiding principles),
one for each day of the
observance: umoja (unity), kujichagulia
(self-determination), ujima
(collective work and responsibility),
ujamaa (cooperative economics),
nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity)
and imani (faith).
Diane Freeman, an administrative
assistant at Eastern Market’s
Market Five Gallery, plans to celebrate
Kwanzaa for the first time
this year with her two granddaughters,
aged 8 and 16 months.
Growing up in Trinidad, Freeman
was not exposed to this African
American observance before moving
to Washington 20 years ago.
“I believe in the principals of
Kwanzaa,” said Freeman as we
huddled in the heatless Market
Five Gallery early this month. “I
try to incorporate them in my
everyday life.”
Faith: “I believe in the creator
and in our ancestors, those who
came before us and laid our path—
my grandparents, Martin Luther
King Jr., Marcus Garvey.
Creativity? Besides working at
the Gallery, Freeman dances with
two local troupes. She also makes
wearable art; you can see her
Saturdays at Eastern Market displaying
colorful hand painted
vests and baby shoes.
Practicing self-determination is
more difficult. “I’ve always wanted
to dance,” she said. A few years
ago, I gained 60 pounds and was
determined to take them off. It
took a year...I kept dancing and cut
out bread
and dairy
products.” A
trim size 6,
the youthful
looking
Freeman has
kept off the
weight.
“Dr.
Karenga
thought
Christmas
was getting
too commercial,”
added
Freeman.
“He decided
we needed
something
else besides
toys and
gifts, something
spiritual.”
(Dr. Karenga is now a professor
and chair of the Department of
Black Studies at California State
University, Long Beach.)
To do Kwanzaa up right,
Freeman will need a kinara (candelabra
holding seven candles representing
the seven principles (and
days of Kwanzaa), mkeka (straw or
kente cloth place mat), mazao
(fruits and vegetables); vibunzi (an
ear of corn for each child in the
household); kikombe cha umoja
(communal unity cup); mishumaa
saba (seven candles, one black,
three red, and three g reen); and
zawadi (gifts).
Freeman will probably decorate
her house with African motif s
and—for the grandkids—streamers
and balloons in the Kwanzaa colors
of black, red and g reen. For
African art and sculpture, she
won’t have to look far; many fellow
artisans at Eastern Market
make Afro-centric artwork. A
Saturday
morning
stroll with
Freeman
through the
market was
like a visit
to the
United
Nations:
Namory
Keita, from
Mali, carves
handsome
rosewood
kinaras.
Prices
vary...Elie
Koukoui,
from the
Ivory Coast,
fashions
kinaras
from teak
($20) and
ebony ($35)...For the mkeka, Saiyd
Khalid offers place mats ($19 each)
woven from raffia, a wild grass that
grows throughout Africa....Evelyn,
from Togo, sells hand-woven baskets
ftom Ghana.
For the kinara, Freeman could
use her Kuumba (creativity) and
make one. A 2-by-4 or piece of
driftwood, stained a pretty shade
of brown, would do just fine, and
screw-in candle holders are available
at hardware stores. However,
Freeman’s busy schedule might
not leave time, so she’ll check out
Pyramid Books, 2849 Georgia Ave.
NW (328-0190) or simply walk
across the street to The Village, 705
North Carolina Ave. SE (546-3040).
There’ll she’ll find a wooden
kinara made in Ghana ($44), and a
set of seven Kwanzaa candles, complete
with Kwanzaa explanations.
Banana fiber place mats, also from
Ghana, are $8 each. Upstairs are
beautiful Zulu baskets from South
Africa.
Freeman’s communal cup can
come from any of Eastern Market’s
talented potters. Ears of corn and
other produce? Either Eastern
Market or Safeway (14th and
Kentucky Ave. SE) can easily fill
those needs. Arrange the items in a
plain straw basket or bowl to form
the Kwanzaa centerpiece. For each
grandchild, Freeman will place an
ear of corn on the place mat. Even
households without children
should include the corn to symbolize
the African concept of social
parenthood.
Kwanzaa gifts should be affordable
and educational (books are
always good, check out Eddie
Thomas at the Saturday flea market,
who offers Afro-centric book s
for adults and children). People
especially appreciate homemade
gifts; home-baked cookies or holiday
ornaments are always nice.
The Environmental Defense Fund
recommends eco-friendly items
like plants, cloth napkins and canvas
shopping bags. Mechanical
toys should be wind-up or with
rechargeable batteries. Wrap gifts
in recycled paper for adults, and
the Sunday comic pages for kids.
Parents and children usually
exchange presents on the last day
of Kwanzaa, but gifts are welcome
any time!
The Internet is loaded with
Kwanzaa sites. Some are educa-
K WA N Z A A
on the Hill
BY CELESTE MCCALL
10 www.voiceofthehill.com
At some point, pour a libation
(preferably water to symbolize the
essence of life) from the communal
cup to commemorate ancestors.
Pour in the direction of the
four winds: north, south, east, and
west. Then pass the cup to family
members and guests.
A traditional Tamshi la Tambiko
(Libation Statement):
For The Motherland, cradle of civilization.
For the ancestors and their
indomitable spirit
For the elders from whom we can
learn much.
For our youth who represent the
promise for tomorrow.
For our people, the original people.
For our struggle and in remembrance
of those who have struggled
on our behalf.
For Umoja the principle of unity
which should guide us in all that
we do.
For the creator who provides all
things great and small.
Coming up January 1, 2000: The
30th Annual Children’s Kwanzaa
Party. The free event will be held at
Watoto School, 770 Park Road,
tional and spiritual, others are just
selling things. You can even send
animated Kwanzaa greeting cards
(check out the free ones at
www.bluemountain.com)!
The Kwanzaa karamu (feast) is
usually held December 31, so participants
celebrating New Year’s
Eve should have their karamu early
in the evening. Many families
incorporate ingredients that traveled
with Africans to the Americas:
yams, sesame (benne) seeds, collard
greens and hot peppers made
into traditional African dishes and
modern variations like ham with
black eyed peas, vegetarian stew,
okra cous cous, yam fritters, and
sweet potato pie.
When you’re ready to serve dinner
(buffet style is much easier
than sit-down), place the Mkeka
with ceremonial items on the mat
in the middle of the table. While
guests are dining, they can take
turns presenting an informative
and entertaining program. Dr.
Karenga designed a karamu format
with a welcoming address, remembering,
reassessment, recommitment
and rejoicing, concluding
with a farewell statement and call
for greater unity.
down until moist. Cover and simmer
until rice is done, about 25
minutes. Add Tabasco to taste.
Serves 4.
SWEET POTATO PIE
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and
cooked
4 teaspoons butter or margarine,
melted
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 9-inch pie shell
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Use a food processor, blender or
potato masher to mix sweet potatoes
with melted butter. Blend in
eggs, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Add milk and vanilla. Pour
sweet potato mixture into pie shell
and sprinkle pecans on top. Bake
pie in oven at 375 degrees 35-45
minutes or until firm. Ser ves 8.
Celeste McCall is a freelance writier
living on Capitol Hill.
NW. There’ll be refreshments,
story-telling and entertainment by
Lasana and KCP Afrikan
Drummers. All children must be
accompanied by adults. For more
information call 625-7983, 363-
5887 or 291-3399.
AFRICAN VEGETABLE STEW
Peanut oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems
removed and green part chopped
1 large can chick peas
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup uncooked rice
2 medium yams
Large can tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce, to taste
Heat oil in skillet and saute onion,
garlic and white stems of Swiss
chard until barely limp. Chop
green part of chard and add to
pan. Peel yams or scrub well with a
vegetable brush. Slice thickly. Add
sliced yams and chick peas, raisins,
tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook
two minutes over medium heat.
Make a well in the center of the
mixture and add raw rice. Pat
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www.voiceofthehill.com 11
You know how it is when you throw a party. Your
friends each show up with a bottle of wine, and
you end up with twenty bottles ranging from vinegar
to vintage in taste. The worst hostess gift really
is when someone brings flowers, because then you
have to search around for a spare vase while also
taking drink orders and serving hors d’oeuvres.
Now that the holidays are in full swing, you can
surprise your favorite host or hostess with a thank
you gift that is slightly beyond the ordinary, while
turning the other guests green with envy at the
same time.
When going to a traditional tree-trimming party,
an ornament is always in good taste. Debbie
Danielson, owner of The Forecast (218 Seventh St.,
SE), has laid in a goodly supply of sparkly ornaments
already festively pre-wrapped, starting at
around $8. There are also some really charming
handmade ornaments to be had at The
Village (705 North Carolina Ave., SE),
where our favorites are a rocket ship and
a saucer-shaped space ship for just nine
bucks.
Both The Forecast and The Village
have great supplies of candles, which are
an excellent party gift. The Village has
the most beautiful 12” dripless tapers in
a fabulous array of colors, as well as
brightly hand-painted pillar candles
from South Africa. When choosing the
tapers, consider a color that contrasts
nicely with the color of your hos t’s dining
room: green candles for walls painted
in red or pink; blue or purple candles for
the yellow dining room; pumpkin
orange candles for a formal room decorated
in shades of taupe.
Since the month of December is certainly
the season of sweets, a holiday gif t
of chocolates can never go awry. The
Forecast has delectable chocolates imported from
Maine, wrapped in boxes so lovely they make a gif t
in themselves, starting at $13. Bread and Chocolate
(666 Pennsylvania Ave., SE), also offers wrapped
cookies and treats, and a good selection of
European chocolates and nougats can be found at
Prego (210 Seventh St., SE).
Now, you might laugh, but a quick look around
CVS (661 Pennsylvania Ave., SE or 500 Twelfth St.,
SE) yielded a fair number of hostess gift possibilities.
For the Cat in the Hat devotee, there are Dr.
Suess ornaments at just $3.99.
Going with the candle concept, there is a nice
brass tray loaded with four metallic pillar candles of
varying sizes, just $9.99, and there are holidaythemed
coffee mugs for only $1.99—they make a
great gift when filled with coffee beans from
Giorgio’s (218 Seventh St., SE).
But the queen of all hostess gifts — for a very special
friend throwing a New Year’s bash — has got to
be the Millennium Princess Barbie, who is regally
dressed in blue velvet and selling at the special edition
price of $39.99.
With Millennium parties in mind, New Year’s
hostess gifts must be extra special this year. Check
out the glassware at Two Lions Antiques (621
Pennsylvania Ave., SE), where owner Janet Crowder
has a variety of old-fashioned champagne goblets
which can be a special addition to your host’s collection.
Champagne bottle-shaped candles and adorable
silver place card holders can be had at Art and Soul
(225 Pennsylvania Ave., SE). Dottie’s Boutique (214
Seventh St., SE) has a fun selection of “Y2000”-
themed costume jewelry, priced at a mere $7.
Because everyone will be taking pictures as a
keepsake of the turn of the century, stop by
MotoPhoto (666 Pennsylvania Ave., SE) for “2000”-
imprinted picture frames (under $20). For the hostess
who always forgets to buy film, bring a gift of a
Fujifilm Quicksnap Flash disposable camera, just
$11.99.
And, of course, when it comes to New Year’s Eve,
you really can’t have too much bubbly, so a gift of
champagne will always be appreciated. Many vineyards
are producing special keepsake bottles this
year, but let the proprietor of your favorite local
liquor store (Hayden’s, Schneider’s, and J.J. Mutt’s
are a good start) guide you from the vinegar to the
vintage.
As for flowers, they still make a lovely gift, but
have the florist (Ophelia’s Flowers and Gifts, Pauli’s
Flowerland, and The Floral Studio, to name a few)
create a wonderful arrangement in a vase — proving
that you are a truly thoughtful guest.
Kristen Hartke is a Capitol Hill-based freelance writer.
For the Hostess With the Mostest
G reat gifts for the part yg
i ver that go beyond a
b ottle of wine
BY KRISTEN HARTKE
12 www.voiceofthehill.com
Ringing in the New Year in Style
From Fo rt u ny to Flannel,
The Hill’s Got You Cove re d
BY KRISTEN HARTKE
What to wear for
New Year’s Eve is
always such a
dilemma.
Whether it’s silk
or sequins, a cummerbund or a
cardigan, your midnight attire
somehow manages to set the tone
— at least mentally — for the year
ahead. Fashion choices this year
are even more difficult because it’s
not just any old New Year, but
(drum roll please) The Turn Of The
Century. Take a look back on the
floor-grazing flouncy skirts and
silk waistcoats of 1900; what image
do you want to leave for the New
Year’s crowd of 2100?
An afternoon spent wandering
the shops of Capitol Hill revealed a
variety of New Year’s styles for a
range of budgets, outfits that can
take you from dinner at Two Quail
to a party on East Capitol Stree t
and even out to the Capitol
grounds at midnight for a fireworks
extravaganza. For those who
prefer a private party, there’s also
www.voiceofthehill.com 13
some great loungewear to wow
your significant other as the ball
drops over Times Square.
A visit to one of Capitol Hill’s
fashion hot spots, The Forec ast ,
was just the ticket for getting into
the Millennium spirit. Located
above Giorgio’s at 218 Seventh St.,
SE, The Forecast has a couple of
great ways to celebrate in serious
style. Start out with washable velvets
and silks by Eileen Fisher or
Kiko (starting around $100). Try
pairing a long skirt and tunic with
some Millennium socks by Hot Sox
($7) and finishing with leather
ankle-high boots by Stuart
Weitzman ($270). There’s an elegant
and practical outfit for that
New Year’s bash at 6th and
Constitution, especially when
everyone plans on walking down
to the Mall to check out the
crowds and the festivities as the
bells ring out at midnight.
If you’re going for something
just a bit more dazzling, our partic -
ular favorite at The Forecast was
the metallic-threaded (a color
appropriately called “champagne”)
Our paper dolls are writer Kristen
Hartke and (very good sport) Steve
Sabatini,partner in Red River Western
Wear and the soon to open Sheridan’s
1874 Old West Steakhouse at 713 8th
St.,SE.
14 www.voiceofthehill.com
Let Thom put a S O L D
sign on your house.
Thom Burn s Thom Burn s
Serving Capitol Hill for 22 years and counting.
202 547-5805 Office 202 543-5616 Home
three-piece set by Colette Mordo.
The long skirt ($100), tank ($80),
and cardigan ($140), can also be
bought separately to mix and
match with your own wardrobe.
Right next door, Dottie’s
Boutique (214 Seventh St., SE) is
also full of festive dresses, and to
top it all off has some wonderful —
and warm—coats with faux fur
collars and cuffs, perfect for a
frosty stroll.
But perhaps you were hoping to
spend a little less on your outfit
and maybe a little extra on a good
bottle of bubbly. You are definitely
in luck, because Clothes
Encounters...Of a Second Kind (202
Seventh St., SE), a consignment
store just a few doors from The
Forecast, was chock full of goodies
the day we checked it out.
Here are a few of the highlights,
beginning with a black sequined
miniskirt from the Limited ($18)
matched up a black and silver tank
top ($10). Or try on the gold
embroidered Chinese-style silk
pants ($16), paired with a black
velvet DKNY bodysuit ($25) and
topped off with a gold silk parka
($50) — perfect for that trek to the
Capitol.
But the real fashion winner at
Clothes Encounters was the leop -
ard print Jessica McClintock floorlength
gown with spaghetti straps
($30), which would be perfect with
strappy black patent leather high
heels by Kenneth Cole ($20) and
then finished with a 1960s-era
black faux fur swing coat ($60). Of
course, the racks are constantly
changing at Clothes Encounters,
which means that by the time you
read this there’ll be a host of new
treasures waiting. Just come armed
with a modicum of patience and a
lot of imagination.
Another great resource for gently
(or never) used duds is Less Than A
Fortune (645 Pennsylvania Ave.,
SE). Barbara Fortune’s consignment
store always has a ready supply
of sequined and sparkly dressup
clothes.
Before the men start turning the
page, WAIT, because we do have
choice somethings for you. “We
are selling a lot of tuxedos,” says
Greta Bonaparte, proprietor of A
Man for All Seasons (321 Seventh
St., SE), and she’s selling them for
about $100. Like Clothes
Encounters, A Man for All Seasons
is a consignment store, so there are
some great bargains to be found
here. Besides the tuxedos,
Bonaparte also has a couple of
pairs of tuxedo pumps and some
terrific boxed sets of silk bow ties
and cummerbunds in a variety of
colors and patterns. Going slightly
more casual for New Year’s? We
found an Ike Behar white dress
shirt with red stripes ($14) which
would go great with a red flannel
vest ($22) and a Banana Republic
tie with a geometric pattern in red
and brown ($14). Add a pair of
cuffed pants, then finish with
black and tan suede saddle shoes
by Hush Puppies ($20).
For a funky formal look, try a
black tuxedo-style waistcoat ($15)
with a white Windsor pleatedfront
tuxedo shirt with French
cuffs ($16), a pair of $10 blue jeans
and round it all up with some serious
cowboy boots ($75), broken-in
and ready for a midnight mosey
down to the fireworks display.
If you ride a horse of a different
color, Capitol Hill is home to
many former residents of the Lone
Star State who eschew traditional
formalwear. So many, in fact, that
it’s getting to be known as Texas
east. If you’re feeling a little lonesome
for the holiday hoe-down
back home, check out Red Ri ver
Western W ear (641 Pennsylvania
Ave., SE) for some millennium
cowboy suits, complete with
leather in funky colors, lots of
fringe, Texas-sized belt buckles,
and boots, boots, boots.
O.K. back to the girls. Perhaps a
party of two is more of what you
have in mind this New Year’s Eve.
Sitting in the warm glow of Dic k
Clark’s smile, clinking flutes with
that special someone, you want to
be comfortable and cozy. There’s
plenty of slink to uncover at Union
Station’s Victori a’s Secret , but
for festively cozy—enter Art &
Soul (225 Pennsylvania Ave., SE).
They have some wonderful oversized
sleepshirts emblazoned with
“2000” for a mere $33. Alas,
laments Marjorie Tuttle of Art &
Soul, their Old Town store has a
great selection of velvets perfect for
lounging at home. The Capitol Hill
shop is more focused on getting
dressed up for the holidays, and
they have some major head turners.
You can’t do better than their
gorgeous woman’s tuxedo, black
with fuschia or cranberry for about
$400, or perhaps the 2- or 3-piece
silk ensembles created by
Ukrainian artist Tiar Bellomo for
$350 and up. Ever mindful of the
price-conscious consumer, Tuttle
suggests purchasing one of Art &
Soul’s silk organza tops for about
$100: “You can pair that with your
own silk or velvet pants and you’ve
got the most fabulous Millennium
outfit!”
Whether you’re wearing a pair of
Calvins from the Last Stop (405
Eighth St., SE), a black velvet hat
with a purple ostrich feather from
The Village (705 North Carolina
Ave., SE), or pink satin spiked heels
from Nine West (Union Station),
let your New Year’s Eve outfit make
a statement about who you’ll be in
the millennium ahead. Cheers!
Kristen Hartke will be bundled up in
her black leather motorcycle jacket
this New Year’s Eve while she watches
the fireworks with her family at the
Capitol.
let your New
Year’s Eve outfit
make a statement
about who
you’ll be in the
millennium
ahead. Cheers!
www.voiceofthehill.com 15
NO INCOME
DOCUMENTATION LOANS
MAKES BORROWING
EASY
WASHINGTON,
D.C. – In the
heat of this
scorching real
estate boom,
many prospective
homeowners are
suffering from
qualification sickness, unable to
obtain mortgage financing and
frustrated in their attempts to pur -
chase a piece of the American
dream. At the same time, current
homeowners trying to capitalize on
low interest rates by refinancing
their existing mortgages are facing
similar dilemmas.
Navigating the confusing highway
of mortgage products is often
tedious and confusing, but it does -
n’t have to be that way. More and
more borrowers are turning to the
convenience of No Income
Documentation Loans, commonly
referred to as NODOCs. These
loans serve as a qualification tool
for prospective homebuyers and
existing homeowners who wish to
obtain mortgages without the has -
sle of providing mountains of
paperwork normally associated
with this task.
Local realtors have also come to
embrace this product. “Using the
NODOC loan is a great way to
qualify more people for home
ownership,” said Rob Bergman of
Prudential Carruthers.
“Homeowners with good credit
history and substantial down payments
really appreciate the con -
venience of NODOC loans,” said
Craig Strent of Apex Home Loans,
known among his colleagues as the
“Dr. of NODOC,” for his specialty
in this area of mortgages.
NODOCs have emerged as a
favorite among mortgage seekers,
“Refinancing was so hassle-free,”
said one Washington homeowner.
Perfect candidates for these types
of mortgage include self-employed
individuals, recently divorced people,
immigrants, and others who
have difficulty proving their
income.
To receive a free copy of my report
“A Guide to No Income
Documentation Loans,”
call 800-914-9475, ext 2085, or
visit my web site at www.apex -
homeloans.com. To speak with me
directly, call 877-416-2471
A D V E RT I S E M E N T
www.apexhomeloans.com
Just a few days until the big
millennium countdown
and you still don’t have a
clue what to do? You’re not
the only one. Maybe you
didn’t get that much-coveted
party invitation. Maybe there is
not one available babysitter left on
the entire eastern seaboard. Maybe
you’re too busy stockpiling canned
goods.
Never fear — there are still a lot
of options for Capitol Hill’s procrastinators.
The first place to start
is, absolutely, “America’s
Millennium: A Celebration for the
Nation”, a three-day extravaganza
on the Mall which begins at 11 AM
on December 31st. A coordinated
effort between the White House,
Smithsonian Institution, and the
National Park Service, the
Millennium celebration will kick
off on the Mall with performances,
lectures, and hands-on activities
exploring music, art, literature,
sports, science and technology;
the daytime festivities will move to
Constitution Avenue, NW on
January 1st for the “Main Street
Millennium” block party.
At 10 PM on New Year’s Eve, the
“America’s Millennium Gala” will
take the stage at the Lincoln
Memorial, where a 100-piece
orchestra and a host of stars from
stage and screen will perform until
11:30 PM. Massive screens will be
set up all along the Mall, so you
won’t miss a second. Half an hour
before midnight will be the premiere
of the 20-minute film “The
American Spirit,” produced by
Steven Spielberg, which will highlight
the triumphs and struggles of
America during the 20th century.
Composer John Williams wrote
the accompanying score, which
will be conducted live during the
screening.
Millennium Celebra t i o n s
For Dummies
P r o c r a s t i n a t o rs need to part y, too — here’s how
BY KRISTEN HARTKE
16 www.voiceofthehill.com
E QUITY CHECK
Home sale prices are up!
Curious how much equity you have in
your home?
E-Mail for a quick, home equity check!
FAISON@Realtor.com
Tom & Alice Faison
“Spouses Who Sell Houses”
Associate Broker, GRI
REMAX Capital Properties
202.255.5554 or 202.546.5881
The “Midnight Moment” will
include a speech by President
Clinton followed by a high-tech
sound and light display. The celebration
will wind down with a
gigantic sing-along of “uplifting
American music.” Bring the hankies
and be sure to gargle before
you head out.
However, if uplifting just ain’t
your style, stick close to home,
where Capitol Hill’s bars and
restaurants are happy to ease you
into the next century. Lynne
Breaux, proprietor of Tunnicliff’s
Tavern (222 Seventh St., SE), is
touting their “Come as you wish,
eat as you desire, no package
deals” stress-less New Year’s Eve
celebration. Tunnicliff’s will feature
their regular dinner menu,
there will be no cover charge, and
the musical entertainment will be
Louisiana’s own Nick Adde and
Hot Type, who will start jammin’
at 9:30 PM. The Tunni’s 2000 celebration
continues at noon on
January 1st with the “Bleary-Eyed
New Year’s Brunch”.
For those in search of a serious
party with all the frills,
Remington’s Rainbow 2000
Celebration may just fit the bill.
The festivities will include music
by the DC Cowboys, a performance
by puppeteer Jerry Halliday
(featuring his fabric friends Sista
Girl and the Not So Holy Nun),
complimentary hors d’oeuvres, a
champagne toast at midnight with
which you’ll also receive a commemorative
etched flute, and a
country breakfast buffet at 1 AM.
Whew! As of press time,
Remington’s (639 Pennsylvania
Ave., SE) had not yet made a firm
decision about the cover charge, so
give them a call at 543-3113 or
check out their website at
www.remingtonsdc.com.
If you prefer to swing to a different
beat, set your sights on Politiki
(319 Pennsylvania Ave., SE), where
a swing band will take the floor
downstairs and a deejay will be
spinning discs upstairs. At $125
per person, the evening will
include an open bar, appetizers
and a midnight buffet; call 546-
1001 for more details.
The majority of Capitol Hill’s
restaurants will be open for dinner
on New Year’s Eve. Banana Cafe
(500 Eighth St., SE), which has
decided not to have its traditional
New Year’s party this year, will still
have the restaurant open until 9
PM and will be serving from its
regular menu. Post dinner, you can
continue the revels upstairs in the
Piano Bar. Noting that “Most of
the other restaurants are closed on
New Year’s Day,” owner Jorge
Zamorano says the restaurant will
be open at 1 PM on January 1st for
those seeking quesadillas and perhaps
a little hair of the dog.
Just next door to Banana Cafe,
the wonderful Trattoria Alberto
(506 Eighth St., SE) will feature
cold-water lobster tail, roast duck,
and filet mignon on New Year’s
Eve in addition to their already
delectable freshly-made pastas, salads,
and desserts.
For a Millennium meal a little
closer to the festivities on the Mall,
the ever-eclectic Two Quail (320
Massachusetts Ave., NE) is having
a fabulous New Year’s Eve Roaring
Twenties celebration. With three
seatings at 5, 7, and 10 PM, this
five-course extravaganza includes
caviar, asparagus bisque, and duck
confit to start, entrees that include
lobster tails with stuffed shrimp,
prime rib, filet mignon and
“Millennium Chicken” (don’t
worry — it’s not a thousand years
old, just stuffed with herbs and a
creamy boursin cheese), pastries,
and champagne. This extra-special
dinner is $175 per person and
Michelle Sullivan, the owner of
Two Quail, is donating a portion of
the evening’s proceeds to Y-Me, a
breast cancer support group, in
memory of Katie Thompson, Two
Quail’s former owner who died of
breast cancer in 1998. Call 543-
8030 for reservations.
Still looking for someone to kiss
at midnight? Sorry — we’ll help
you find dinner, but you’ll have to
get your own date. Choose wisely
and make it a great millennium.
However, if uplifting just ain’t your style, stick close to
home, where Capitol Hill’s bars and restaurants are
happy to ease you into the next century.
www.voiceofthehill.com 17
Every year on December 1,
Merrie Gilbert—mild-mannered
kindergarten teacher –
turns into what her husband calls
“the cookie elf.” That’s the day she
begins the annual ritual that will
result in 50 dozen cookies.
More than butter, sugar and
flour goes into her holiday cookie
batter. There is a large measure of
memory, tradition and heritage as
well.
Gilbert, who has taught at the
Capitol Hill Day School for 13
years, says she and her sister started
baking cookies as children
growing up in Pittsburgh. They got
a recipe from the Betty Crocker
children’s cookbook for something
called “Ethel’s Sugar Cookies.”
“We call them Ethies,” says
Gilbert. “I’m the only one who still
bakes, so when I go to my mom’s,
they all ask ‘did you bring the
Ethies?’”
On that first December day,
Gilbert starts mixing the dough for
rolled or shaped cookies. It takes
her two or three nights, and all
these doughs are in the freezer by
the first weekend in December. Her
children Emma, 8, and Max, 10
help.
As the holiday gets closer,
Gilbert says she has “a major bakeoff”
for several nights in a row
when she does nothing but roll,
decorate, bake and package. “Once
the oven’s on, I just keep going
until the dough’s all done,” she
says.
Gilbert has worked in early
childhood education on the Hill
since 1980. She’s very organized.
She groups ingredients used in different
cookies, so, for example, she
can make the cookies dipped or
rolled in chocolate at the same
time. She makes a batter using egg
whites right after she completes
one using egg yolks.
While there are some standards
every year, Gilbert varies her output
from recipes she has from
childhood, gathered from friends,
or gotten from magazines.
The all-time favorite, she says, is
her Russian almond strips. Other
favorites are “my mother-in-law’s
icebox pecan cookies,” wedding
tea cakes, pralines TDF (to die for),
chocolate peanut butter bars (“kids
love them”) chocolate chip
meringues (“sinfully rich”) and
anise pizzelles.
Each year, she adds something
with a cream cheese or short bread
pastry and one of her many ginger
cookie recipes. She says she also
usually makes a cookie with mint.
And, of course, every year she
bakes Ethies.
Gilbert tries to limit her holiday
baking to 12 varieties but says she
sometimes gets carried away.
Many of the cookies – “what my
family doesn’t get into” – she gives
as gifts, packaged in the cookie
tins she has collected over the
years. Her closest friends, she says,
each have their own designated
cookie tin which includes a note:
“For refill return by December 1.”
She always gets the tins bac k.
She bakes the rest of the year,
too—usually chocolate chip cookies.
And for their “arrival day” —
the day each of her adopted children
came to live with her and her
husband, Craig—Gilbert bakes
Ethies in the shape of airplanes.
She bakes more than Christmas
cookies this time of year. Her husband
is Jewish and she says many
of their friends have interfaith
marriages. “I make rugelach too,”
she says. Rugelach— “little twist”
in Yiddish— are popular cookies at
Hanukkah.
Gilbert says she doesn’t know
many people who take holiday
baking quite as seriously as she
does anymore. In a world of cell
phones and instant messaging, it is
an old-fashioned, time-consuming
ritual.
Cookie exchanges are one way
would-be bakers have found to
A Holiday Tradition
You Can Sink Yo u r
Te eth Into
stretch limited time resources. This
is a get-together of usually six to 12
people who each bring a batch of
their favorite holiday cookie—and
the recipe—for swapping. Each
person makes one kind of cookie—
a dozen for each person participating
—but takes home eight to 12
different kinds. Less effort, lots of
cookies.
And because this is the
Information Age, you can collect
recipes and tips online. There are a
number of cookie exchange/information
sites. Epicurious.com, for
example—the site featuring recipes
from Bon Appetit and Gourmet
magazines—has an ongoing cookie
exchange as well as hundreds of
archived recipes for “absolutely
divine caramels,” the Chocolate
Peanut Butter Cup Cookie that
won the Blue Ribbon at the
Arizona State Fair, an answer for
someone “desperately seeking
apricot cookies,” tips from someone
in Switzerland for preparing
springerle and many “secret” family
recipes.
There are also cookbooks dedicated
solely to Christmas cookies.
Two popular ones are Joy of
Cooking: Christmas Cookies by Irma
S. Rombauer and Rose’s Christmas
Cookies by Rose Levy Beranbaum.
Beranbaum provides 600 cookie
recipes both for eating and decoration.
Rombauer’s book includes a
master recipe called Fourteen in
One that allows you to make 14
different kinds of cookies—cornmeal
citrus to raisin-spice—with
just one dough. The Joy book also
reminds us that, “freshly homebaked
cookies are one of life’s most
satisfying pleasures.”
BY BONNY WO L F
18 www.voiceofthehill.com
Cream butter and sugar until light.
Add egg yolks and vanilla; beat
until fluffy. Gradually add flour
and almonds alternately, kneading
with hands as dough stiffens.
Chill. Roll out half the dough on a
floured surface to a scant 1/4 inch
thick rectangle. Cut into 3” x 1”
strips with a knife or pastry wheel.
Place 1 inch apart on cookie
sheets. Using a pastry brush, glaze
with slightly beaten egg whites
then sprinkle with sugar cr ystals
(plain sugar will do if cr ystals are
not available).
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately
15 minutes or until golden
brown. Remove quickly from
sheets as they become crisp and
brittle when cool.
Cookie-Baking Tips (From
Joy of Cooking: Christmas
Cookies)
Measuring
The most precise method of measuring
dry ingredients is to weigh
them on a kitchen scale. Some
recipes indicate weights as well as
volume. If you don’t have a scale,
use dry measuring cups or spoons
in the exact measures called for
Ethel’s Sugar Cookies or
simply “Ethie’s”
3/4 cup shortening (50% butter)
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Cream room temperature shortening,
sugar, eggs and flavoring thoroughly.
Add sifted dry ingredients
and blend to form a stiff dough.
Chill at least one hour or, better,
overnight. Roll 1/8 inch thick on a
well-floured surface and cut out
shapes. Decorated with sugars or
sprinkles, if desired.
Bake at 400 degrees for 6 - 8 min -
utes until the edges just begin to
turn golden. Remove from cookie
sheets promptly and cool completely
before frosting.
Russian Almond Strips
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 lb. finely ground almonds
(approx. 1 cup)
White sugar crystals for decora t i n g The cookie elf and her tools of the trade.
www.voiceofthehill.com 19
Wa rm Holiday Wishes
f rom all of us to all of you.
Many thanks for your business during 1999
and may 2000 be pro s p e rous for all of us.
Call LARRY CHARTIENITZ Pardoe/ERA
(Direct) 202-546-7000 x 228
(Cell) 202-255-3731
top of another—simulates a heavygauge
pan and prevents burning.
Bake only one sheet of cookies at
a time, unless you have an extra
large oven (or extra-small cookie
sheets). Don’t bake partial sheets of
cookies. If you have just a little batter
left, use a smaller cookie sheet.
Don’t leave big gaps between
cookies which may affect spreading,
browning, crisping and baking
time.
Cool cookie sheets between
batches. Placing dough on hot
metal will cause it to spread and
cookies will be too flat.
Storing
Never put cookies away until
they’re completely cool. Warm
cookies produce steam, which will
cause them to soften and spoil.
Pack each variety of cookie in a
separate container or they will take
on each other’s flavors and textures.
Cookies can be frozen for up
to 3 months in airtight containers
with waxed paper between layers.
Bring to room temperature before
serving.
Giftwrap
Metal cookie tins, ceramic cookie
jars, clear glass jars and decorative
wooden boxes secured with ribbon
make nice cookie packaging.
Bonny Wolf is a freelance writer liv -
ing on Capitol Hill.
draw moisture from the dough and
make cookies dry.
Always use “pure” vanilla and
other extracts. The imitation tastes
tinny and artificial.
Use large eggs for baking. Their
size is closely regulated for uniformity.
An egg is a liquid ingredient,
and substituting extra-large or
jumbo eggs will throw the recipe
off.
Unless otherwise noted, let butter,
flour, eggs, nuts and other
ingredients that have been refrigerated
warm up almost to room temperature
before using.
“Softened” butter should not be
too cold and firm (which makes it
too stiff to fluff up properly) or
nearly melted (which will make it
too thin to fluff up at all).
Baking
Always turn the oven on 20 minutes
before baking.
Use medium- to heavy-gauge
shiny metal cookie sheets so the
heat can circulate evenly. A pan
with high sides will bo th deflect
the heat and make cookies hard to
remove. Dark sheets may cause
overbrowning or burning. Double
panning—one baking sheet set on
(precision is important in baking).
Scoop out dry ing redients directly
from the container with measuring
cups, then level them by
sweeping a knife across the surface.
Do not pack, shake or tap.
Use clear glass or plastic measuring
cups to measure liquid ingredients.
Mixing
How you mix the dough determines
the texture of the cookie –
from flaky and crisp to soft and
chewy. Unlike cake batter, which
can be made in an electric mixer,
cookie doughs call for a variety of
mixing methods from the electronic
to the manual. Follow
instructions for the best results.
Ingredients
The best cookies are made from
the best ingredients.
Use unsalted butter and, if possi -
ble, unsalted nuts. Make sure nuts
are fresh. Nuts are oily and the oil
can turn rancid with age. Nuts
keep well in the freezer. Dried
fruits such as raisins, dates and
candied citrus should be plump
and moist. If they’ve hardened,
they’ll be difficult to eat and will
545 7th Street, SE
Washington, DC 20003
B a b y, It’s Cold
Outside!
Come snuggle
up with our kilns
capitol hill a rts
w o r k s h o p
HOLIDAY GIFT CERTIFICATES Available for all classes
CAPITOL HILL CHORALE AUDITIONS
January 3 (Sopranos and Tenors only) call
(703) 998-0987 to schedule.
Visit www.chaw.org for more information.
202-547-6839
FILMS ON
THE HILL
“Love Me
Tonight” (1932)
Friday, January
7, 7:30 p.m. $5
SPRING
SEMESTER
CATALOGUES
COMING IN
JANUARY!
Register
early —
classes
begin
February 7.
THEATER ALLIANCE
“Spoon River Anthology”
Opens Friday, January 21
OPEN HOUSE
Saturday, January 29, 2000,
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
20 www.voiceofthehill.com
Ask Judith
Dear Judith:
We’re getting ready to redo our kitchen. Any particular
do’s and don’ts?
THE BAC K - B U R N E R S
Dear Back-Burners:
I was interviewed by HG TV about a kitchen we
did and the interviewer asked me for recommendations
for any kitchen. I drew a complete blank
at the time, of course, but here’s what I remembered
later:
1. Not always possible in a row house, but if
you have space: I recommend a planning desk
with a drawer for files. Put your phone there and
let it be the place where you keep all the phone
lists, calendars, and stuff that ends up in the
kitchen but is not about cooking. Include some
shelves for cookbooks though.
2. Run your back-splash (the little four-inch
vertical extension of the counter) from the top of
the counter to the bottom of the wall cabinets.
Make it the same material as your counter top.
3. Put under-cabinet lights under all your wall
cabinets. Buy cabinets designed for under-cabinet
lights (with a deep enough lip on the front so
that you can’t see the lights) and hard wire all
the lights to a wall switch.
4. Avoid corners. Counter corners just provide
temptations to park a bunch of stuff that should
be put away anyway (see 7 below). And corner
cabinets are so inefficient that the lazy susan had
to be invented to ameliorate them. You’re much
better off with efficient, accessible cabinets.
5. Avoid white, unless your hobby is cleaning
—or you like to replace things when they get
dirty.
6. Keep your spices in a drawer, labeled on their
tops.
7. Join the Clean Counter Club and take the
pledge that everything in your kitchen will have
a place to be put away. This means designing a
place to stash all of that stuff with the quilted
covers (food processors, blenders, and that mystery
appliance), a place for a built-in microwave,
a place for the toaster oven (maybe a little shelf?),
a place to put away the coffee maker (or another
shelf if it is to stay out), and a place for the to a st e r.
So many people have filled up most of their
counter work space with appliances that should
be stored. How can you wipe down a counter
with all that stuff on it? It goes without saying
that you keep your cannisters of flour and sugar
in a cabinet.
8. Finally, if you are just going to yank out all
your old cabinets and appliances and replace the
same configuration with new cabinets and appliances,
think twice.
Redoing a kitchen is an opportunity to spend
some serious money—and gain some seri o u s
benefits. Most kitchen layouts are ordinary at
the best and stupid at the worst. Why recreate an
o rd i n a ry layout in newer or more expensive
materials? Why not either save the money and
go to Paris for two weeks or really consider what
your hopes, dreams, peeves, etc. etc. are and go
for a kitchen re-design.
Dear Judith:
It seems like eve ryone gives advice for bri ck
buildings, but my house is wood. What color
should I paint it?
G E P E T T O
Dear Gepetto:
The Capitol Hill Historic District has over 8,000
contributing structures, a number of which are
wood buildings. The same period color recommendations
for your brick neighbors probably
apply to your house, depending on its age.
Wood houses were still being built in parts of
the Hill relatively late (1880s-90s). They were
prohibited by fire laws earlier, but the prohibition
line was not an absolute boundary as it kept
being extended outward from the Capitol. So,
the material of a house, brick or wood, doesn’t
necessarily mean it is really old.
Actually, Capitol Hill probably has fewer really
old buildings than some people believe. There
was astonishingly little built on the Hill before
the Civil War. If there was an occasional house
from before 1791, it is long gone. And, as far as we
know, there were no “farm houses.” The part of
the city that is now Capitol Hill was not farmed.
Capitol Hill’s oldest house is the Maples, now
Friendship House, which was built as a totally
state-of-the-art, drop-dead mansion in 1795-6.
Many of our other oldest structures were close to
the Capitol and we re lost to the Libra ry of
Congress, the Supreme Court, the House and
Senate Offices, the Folger Shakespeare Library,
and various parking lots.
So you can assume that most of our wood
structures, with the gabled roofs sloping back
from the street, date from a decade or two before
and after the Civil War. Many of these rather
generically “Federal” houses were Italianized in
the 1870s to 90s. However, some wood houses
were being built new in those years, too, just as
most of Capitol Hill’s brick buildings were.
About color: there are good books about the
stylish colors of the various historical periods
represented on the Hill. Thus, determining the
age of your house is your first challenge. If you
want your house to look as if it had a style-conscious
owner in the period in which it was built,
you might pick from those colors.
If you decide to paint your house in “colors
you like” you may. Exterior color is not regulated
under the Histo ric Dist rict legislation. Just
remember, to those with a more educated eye, a
nineteenth century house painted in colors stylish
or popular in the late twentieth century may
look like a prom dress with Nikes.
Judith Capen, AIA, practicing restoration architect is
the author of many of the Capitol Hill Restoration
Society’s award-winning guidelines for work on
Capitol Hill Homes.
H&W Contracting, Ltd.
MAURICE HILL, CEO
Home Improvements
Don’t let your house get you down.
Let H&W Contracting keep it up.
We can take care of it all.
Home Improvements
Kitchens and Baths • Painting • Plumbing •
Doors & Locks • Drains and Downspouts •
Drywall and Plastering • Brickwork • Carpentry •
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202 x 544 x 7831
www.voiceofthehill.com 21
Aatish on the Hill
The city’s finest Pakistani
restaurant featuring delicious
Tandori charcoal cuisine.
609 Pa Ave., SE
202-544-0931
Banana Cafe &
Piano Bar
Serving the best Cuban,
Puerto Rican & Mexican
food in town. Come join us!
500 8th St., SE
202-543-5906
Bistro Bis
Located in the ultra modern,
ultra stylish, ultra smashing
Hotel George.
15 E St., NW
202-661-2700
Caffe Italiano
Ristorante
Classic Italian-European
cuisine, quiet, romantic
atmosphere & extensive,
reasonably priced menu.
1129 Pa Ave., SE
202-544-5500
Capitol City
Brewing Co.
Unique brewpub with 15
barrel brewery on premises,
featuring a dozen beer styles,
and reasonably priced American
cuisine.
2 Mass Ave., NE
202-842-BEER
Capitol Lounge
Enjoy Capitol Hill’s first
pub. 15 tap beers, 3 billiard
tables, 18 televisions. American
grill menu.
229 Pa Ave., SE
202-547-2098
Hawk and Dove
Washington’s oldest sports
bar. Four TVsatellites;
hearty American food;
twelve draft beers; private
party rooms.
329 Pa Ave., SE
202-543-3300
Il Radicchio
Washington’s most extraordinary
pizza & pastaria.
223 Pa Ave., SE
202-547-5114
Jimmy T’s Place
Chow down with the Hill’s
most famous faces. Breakfast
& lunch with a view of
history.
501 East Capitol St., SE
202-546-3646
Las Placitas
Specializing in Mexican and
Salvadorian cuisines. Great
margaritas!
Open 7 days a week.
517 8th St., SE
202-543-3700
The Monocle on
Capitol Hill
Experience the neighborhood
dining tradition.
107 D St., NE
202-546-4488
Mr. Henry’s
Restaurant
A Capitol Hill tradition for
33 years. Your neighborhood
pub. Smoke free upstairs.
601 Pa Ave., SE
202-546-8412
Szechuan House
Restaurant
“Hidden treasure” on the Hill
-Washington Post. New
cuisine coming soon!
515 8th St., SE
202-546-5303
Tortilla Coast
A fun, hip restaurant on
Capitol Hill serving up great
Tex-Mex food and excellent
margaritas!
400 First St., SE
202-546-6768
Tu n n i c l i f f ’s
Tavern, circa 1796
A great good place with a
British name and a Cajun
accent! www.tunnicliffs.com,
e-mail: BigEZdc@aol.com
222 7th St., SE
202-546-3663
Two Quail
“has that special something
that makes hundreds call it
the most romantic, most
comfortable and charming
restaurant in Washington.”
Zagat Guides. Intimate
dinners, cocktail receptions
& private rooms available.
320 Mass Ave., NE
202-543-8030
Xando Coffee
and Bar
A specialty coffee house
offering a creative food menu
and a full liquor bar featuring
coffee cocktails.
www.xando.com
301 Pa Ave., SE
202-546-3345
Sizzling Express
Where freshness sizzles &
the service is express!
600 Pa Ave., SE
202-548-0900
Antique &
Contemporary
Leasing
The only furniture company
in the metropolitan area that
specializes in the selling &
leasing of high-quality furniture
as well as antiques.
709 12th Street, SE
202-547-3030
Antiques on
the Hill
A general line antique store
specializing in lighting
restoration, ethnological and
period antiques.
701 N. Carolina Ave., SE
202-543-1819
Art & Soul
Contemporary wearable art,
jewelry & crafts.
225 Pa Ave., SE
202-548-0105
Asman Custom
Photo Service
Serving the nation’s capital
since 1961. Offering professional,
digital and photographic
services.
924 Pa Ave., SE
202-547-7713
Capitol Hill
Art & Frame
Currently exhibiting
Australian Aboriginal art and
artifacts in the Walkabout
Gallery.
623 Pa Ave., SE
202-546-2700 &
202-547-8317
Clothes
Encounters (...of
a second kind)
Women’s consignment
clothing.
202 7th St., SE
202-546-4004
Doolittle’s Pet
Supplies, Gifts
& Grooming
Save 10% on your next
purchase with this ad!
Shop on-line at
www.doolittles.com!
224 7th St., SE
202-544-8710
Frager’s
Hardware
On Capitol Hill since 1920.
Open 7 days a week.
1115 Pa Ave., SE
202-543-6157
Frame of Mine
Offers both do-it-yourself &
custom picture framing.
522 8th St., SE
202-543-3030
Grubb’s
Care Pharmacy
& Medical
Equipment
Nutritional supplements,
Medicaid/Medicare billing,
pharmacy & medical equipment
company, delivery,
braces/mastectomy products.
326 East Capitol St.
202-543-4400
Holly Ross Art
Services, Inc.
Excellent custom framing &
art consulting services. By
appointment.
703-538-5385
fax: 703-536-0984
Juleon
Personalized
Books
Make your child the STAR of
the STO RY! Take $1.50 off
by ordering through our web
page at www. j u l e o n . c o m .
1020 13th St., SE
202-547-2214
Less Than
a Fortune
Antique home furnishings,
linens, quality resale
menswear & Queen of
Memphis gowns.
645 Pa Ave., SE
202-544-9433
Morton’s
Pharmacy
Herbal products, hospital
supplies, wheelchairs, canes,
crutches, orthopedic supports.
724 East Capitol St., NE
202-543-1616
Newman’s Gallery
& Custom Frames
We offer conservation quality
picture framing and design as
well as rotating exhibits by
local and international artists.
513 11th St., SE
202-544-7577
Pauli’s Flowerland
Fresh cut flowers at bargain
prices, delivery throughout
DC. Custom arrangements,
charge by phone.
650 Pa Ave., SE
202-546-3835
Red River
Western Wear &
Dance Studio
Where the real cowboy
shops! Clothes & boots for
men, women & children.
641 Pa Ave., SE
202-546-5566
Taylor and Sons
Fine Art
When art is a basic necessity.
666 Pa Ave., SE
202-546-0021
Trover Shop
Books, cards, gift wrap, party
goods, balloons, Beanie
Babies™, newspapers, magazines,
office supplies.
Open 7 days.
221 & 227 Pa Ave., SE
202-547-BOOK
Two Lions
Antiques &
Interiors
Antique furniture, decorative
mirrors & lamps; custom
ordered upholstered furniture,
accessories & gifts.
621 Pa Ave., SE
202-546-5466
The Village
Collection of art, clothing &
unusual stuff from artisans
around the world. Across
from Eastern Market
705 N. Carolina Ave., SE
202-546-3040
Make this holiday season a special one with gifts and
fine dining right here on Capitol Hill. The Capitol Hill
Association of Merchants and Professionals
(CHAMPS) is proud of its Retail and Restaurant
members and encourages you to patronize businesses displaying the
CHAMPS member sticker. CHAMPS member businesses are dedicated to
improving the quality of life in “Our Nation’s NeighborhoodTM. ”
Look for the CHAMPS member
sticker in member windows.
Snowflakes on the Hill are provided
through the efforts of CHAMPSmembers and their supporters
To contribute call Kitty Kaup at 202-544-6666.
For more information about the Capitol Hill
Association of Merchants and Professionals call
202-547-7788 or visit their website www.capitolhill.org.
Eastern Market, a bazaar for the holidays.
Holiday Dining on Capitol Hill
Holiday Shopping on Capitol Hill
22 www.voiceofthehill.com
Spencer Says
BY DUNCAN SPENC ER
Let’s see. Over five kids and thirty some
years on the Hill, I’ve paid about a quarter
of a million dollars in what I call
“avoidance tax.”
That’s the tax you pay to avoid the city’s
h o rrific schools and still live here with
school age kids. The other word for it is
tuition.
Mea Culpa! I know the barbs and sneers
are headed my way already. Elitist, racist,
cop-out, call me what you will. 13 years of
daily newspaper reporting, plus a long freelance
career, gave me a thorough feel for—
and a dread of—the public schools of the
D i st rict of Columbia located on or near
Capitol Hill.
This dread is not felt by middle class people,
or by whites or by any other category.
I t’s eve ryone. In fact it has been black
District residents who formed the majority
of the latest rush leaving Capitol Hill and
adjacent neighborhoods, voting with their
feet against the schools here.
Beneath that dread was one in-your-face
fact. What is the one thing that must be
present for a school to be good or great? It is
good or great students. Nothing else is as
important. And though there are a few brilliant
students at local public schools, kids
who have survived and flourished against all
odds, the naked digits of ach i eve m e n t
re c o rd s — the perc e n tage of students who
read at national levels or below—show that
we don’t have good students in our public
schools. Why? A familiar vicious circle of
neglect, poverty and indifference over many
generations.
The sad fact is that DC public schools are
not how to get the Hill’s sons and daughters
into Harvard or Cornell.
Throughout all of my three decades here
on the Hill, in spite of their reputation, the
news from DC public schools has been generally
rosy. We know (they said) that there
are problems, but we are working on solutions.
If only the schools had more money. If
only they had better leadership. If only more
middle-class homeowners would send their
kids to the public schools. If only there were
more volunteers. Many people went so far as
to run for DC School Board, or to campaign
for others who ran. Yet for all the effort, the
hopefulness, and the waiting, the public
schools of DC continue to score dismally on
a ny comp a ra t i ve rating with surro u n d i n g
public schools.
For middle class Hill parents th e re are
I t ’s Time for a Charter High School On the Hill
L e t ’s End the Avoidance Ta x
some options. They can use the public schools
up to their kids’ academic age, say up through
grade five. Or they can go the private school
route from the beginning. The freight va ri e s
widely—St. Peters, subsidized by the Catholic
Diocese of Washington, is very much cheaper
than its neighboring private first through eighth
grade private school, Capitol Hill Day School. An
average year at the latter runs about $10,000.
People with less money are trapped. They must
send their kids to schools that are a disgrace and
a scandal at worst, and mediocre at best—or
move out of the city.
But the charter school movement may change
all that. Charter schools are blooming like snowdrops
all over town, with three of them springing
out of the Friendship House organization in the
past two years. Charter schools are succeeding in
drawing pupils away from the public schools for
one paramount reason. Parents consider anything
is worth a try rather than the DC Public
Schools. Are these parents also to be accused of
elitism? Not exactly.
They are parents faced not with functioning
schools, but places where students often do not
even have books. Where schooling amounts to
warehousing. And where, in some cases, to do
well in studies merits scorn from peers.
T h ey feel the ch a rter school movement will
escape the mantle of bure a u c racy and mismanagement
that has caught the DC schools in such
a spiral. The best known of the Hill’s ch a rt e r
s chools, Edison-Fri e n d s h i p - C h a m b e rlain, Wo o dridge,
and Blow- P i e rce, now enroll over 2,000 st ud
e n t s .
These schools are successfully competing with
the DC public schools says Mary Proctor, a director
of Friendship House, which has been responsible
for the three startups under the leadership
of Donald Hense.
“It’s been quite amazing,” Proctor explained,
while crediting a focus on technology and science,
inspired principals, an orderly curriculum -
and even the smart white shirt, blue or green
trousers and skirts students are required to wear -
at their parents’ insistence.
Ironically all three Hill charter schools are run
by former public school personnel: John Pannell
of Chamberlain Public Charter School served at
Malcolm X School; Clara Whitley Canty at
Woodridge was a principal there when it was a
DC public school; and Vonelle Middleton of
Blow-Pierce served in the public school system of
St. Louis, Mo.
What about a charter high school? Proctor
says she has heard little groundswell on the sub -
ject, but Edison-Friendship is scheduled to open
a campus for 9th and 10th g raders next year and
is actively seeking a home for what would essentially
be a charter junior high in Ward 7.
One person ready to put influence behind
a Hill charter high school is the Ward’s City
C o u n c i l woman, Sharon Ambrose (D). “I
would love to have a charter high school on
the Hill, a small academic high school would
serve a very great need.” So far no one has
thought of such an institution here. The
nearest charter high is in Southwest at 401 M
St re et, Wa s h i n g ton Math Science Te chnology
Public Charter High School at
Wa t e rf ront Mall. Oth e rs just off the Hill
include Caesar Chavez at Florida Ave n u e
NW, and Tech World also in Northwest.
One serious problem even for a “small academic
high sch o o l ,” which Ambrose est imates
at under 500 students, is where to put
it. One logical location, the old Buch a n a n
S chool campus at 13 th and D St re ets SE is now
owned by Walter Boek’s National Gra d u a t e
Un i ve rs i t y, a language and general education
s chool which moved its headqu a rt e rs here
f rom Arl i n g ton two ye a rs ago, but since has
s u f fe red long delays in opening its doors .
Some have told The Voice that NGU will
never achieve its dream of being licensed by
the District. Boek insists that he will apply
for the proper permit next year (2000) when
he has assembled a faculty. The campus is
now under renovation. But if Buchanan fails
to be allowed to operate by the city, Boek
may be forced to sell it.
Ambrose says such a sale would not be difficult
in this period of real estate boom on
the Hill. “I get calls every week from developers
looking for properties on Capitol Hill.”
A Hill charter high would compete with
Eastern High at 19th and East Capitol, NE, a
school that is rated as one of the better DC
high schools, but which is completely outclassed
in achievement by most suburban
highs. There would be considerable resentment
and competition for funds between the
charter and public schools.
Whatever the political minuses, pressure
must mount for a high school choice for Hill
residents. Our taxes are the highest of all
local jurisdictions, and in spite of decades of
work and hand wringing, that portion of Hill
residents’ tax money spent on education is
wa sted for many parents. Mayor To ny
Williams has made education the benchmark
of his administration’s future. Perhaps
a charter high will break a cycle that has led
far too many parents to leave when their
children hit the teen years.
Duncan Spencer is a freelance writer and regular
columnist for the Voice and the Hill Newspapers
www.voiceofthehill.com 23
Business Bits
It’s probably a good thing that I work out of
a home office. If I wo rked near S i z z l i n g
Express I’d be the size of the Bethune statue
by now. By next Thanksgiving I expect we’ll
be able to organize a Sizzling Express Parade
down Pennsylvania Avenue, with residents lofted
like rather leaden balloons.
The Capitol Hill re sta u rant and carry- o u t ,
which opened last July, is the third location in
what is fast becoming a sizable chain in the DC
area. The original restaurant opened two and a
half years ago at 1445 K St., NW. A second at 1400
I St., NW followed 6 months later. A Herndon
b ra n ch opens this month, and one on
Connecticut Ave., NW will be completed next
spring. A lease has been signed for a restaurant at
300 M St., SE, in a building that’s not due to be
completed until 2001. Still in negotiations are
restaurants in Silver Spring and at the Chevy
Chase Pavilion.
Sizzling Express owner T.H. Chon’s story is the
kind of classic they make musicals about. Twenty
years ago he moved to the United Sates from
Korea, speaking not a word of English and without
a spare nickel in his pocket. His fir st job was
as a dishwasher at a supper club in Hyattsville.
Within a few months he was washing dishes full
time at a Chinese restaurant in L’Enfant Plaza. He
stayed there ten years, learning and moving up
to bartender, then to assistant manager, then
general manager. When he left, he opened a
mom and pop grocery in Alexandria. Then he
created a salad bar at DuPont Circle called Oh
Salad Mio, which is now run by his brother-inlaw.
Watching the bustle around the circle and in
downtown DC prompted the idea for Sizzling
Express. Chon noticed that business people had
little time to spare for lunch, “so I was thinking
about how we could come up with something
where everything was ready and that they could
finish lunch in 30 to 45 minutes. It’s a concept
they have in New York, where I’ve been many
times. There they combine a convenience s tore
with a salad bar and a deli.” So he took the New
York idea and went them one better, providing a
hot buffet in addition to salad and deli.
The concept is a simple one, but difficult to
execute well, and Chon does it very, very well.
With the exception of sandwiches that are prepared
at a special station and individually priced,
most of the food is served cafeteria style. Trays of
e n t rees line one wall. They’re heaped with
Chinese and American dishes, ten or fifteen at
each meal. A mammoth salad and sushi bar takes
center stage. Then there’s a coffee kiosk, a candy
and snack section, a wall of juices, sodas and
designer waters, and a bar.
A typical lunch spread might include orange
duck, kung pao shrimp, roast pork with onions,
Cajun catfish, peppercorn flank steak, and five
cheese lasagna. The salad bar might offe r
Waldorf, cucumber and other prepared salads
along with va rious lettuce combinations, 35
trays of salad garnishes (I counted) and 10 dressings.
Food from the buffet and the salad bar is
priced by the pound: $3.99 for breakfast; $4.59
for lunch; and $5.59 for dinner.
Chon says he scouted Capitol Hill for two years
looking for the right location. He noticed plenty
of bars, but few good eating-places. That was a
positive. On the other hand, he says, “For this
kind of concept you need a big crowd, a large
number of people coming through for lunch so
you move the food fast enough to keep it fresh. In
this area, I didn’t see the big high rise office
buildings so I didn’t think that th e re we re
enough people to have the business I expect. But
then I was surprised when I opened that I had
more people than I expected... This block was
pretty much dead, now you see a lot of people
passing by. I think I’ve created a lot of traffic.”
More than he expected? I talked to one storekeeper
who said he eats at Sizzling Express at
least 10 times a week between breakfast, lunch
and dinner. A Capitol Hill mother and her son
eat there nightly, both like different things and
it’s just easier than shopping and cooking.
Dr. Lynn Brallier, a writer, teacher and pioneer
in the field of stress reduction through biofeedback
and meditation, is another frequent diner.
She’s restoring a house on Stanton Park and—
being temporarily kitchenless—often eats at the
restaurant twice a day. Lynn was just polishing
off breakfast when I interrupted. Asking for comment
was like opening a tap, “The variety is wonderful,
I like it all: the sushi, sour dough bread,
tuna...The choices are so delightful. I like trying
the different combinations they put together.
I’ve never had anything I didn’t like.” Though
she never got to it, she was thinking of making a
giant Thanksgiving card thanking Chon fo r
coming to the Hill and then posting it in the
entry for customers to sign. “I said to the manager,
‘have you any idea how much this has added
to my life?’” Lynn apologized for car rying on so.
“You must think I’m a part owner.”
Chon tells me Lynn’s once or twice a day habit
is not unusual. “We have a lot of people who live
and work around here. Especially single professionals
that come in for dinner to save time,
instead of going to the grocery store they come
here.” In all he’s now serving around 1000 people
each day, 700 of them buying meals, the rest
picking up snacks or stopping at the bar.
There are four chefs at the Capitol Hill restaurant,
two specializing in Chinese cooking, one in
American, with the fourth dedicated to salads.
Chon also has a number of sous chefs to assist.
He admits it’s a large group, but several of the
sous chefs are being trained to take over at the
new restaurants, and “I have plenty of assistants
so the chefs can create something nice.”
Though the chefs are given pretty free reign,
Chon keeps a careful watch. “I’ll comment, mention
something that needs to be eliminated, or
something that needs to be better.” When you
price by the weight there are some unusual considerations.
“We don’t often have mashed pota-
Talk About Hot!
24 www.voiceofthehill.com
Mel, Sr. Mel, Jr.
MARKET POULTRY
Eastern Market
Order Your Turkeys & Other Game Birds
for Christmas by December 21!
225 7th St., SE
Washington, DC 20003
202-543-7470
toes because one scoop weighs about a pound. I
don’t think, from the customer’s stand-point,
that they’re going to be happy about paying 4.59
for a scoop of mashed potatoes...even though a
lot of people would like to have them. I don’t
want to overcharge, and you can’t separate every
item by price.”
Some things they expect to lose money on, but
are too essential to drop. Breakfast bacon for
instance. You can get a whale of a lot of bacon at
$3.99 a pound. Others are carried on the menu
until they catch on with the diners. Chon mentions
that for a long time the freshly baked breakfast
muffins were a loss. “At the beginning we
baked 60-70 muffins and wasted 50 because people
didn’t notice that we had them. Now they
know. We bake over 100 each morning and pretty
much sell out. More people are having muffins
and coffee.”
At dinner, when prices go up to $5.59 a pound,
some of the items on the buffet are upgraded.
Chon says they frequently offer “jumbo shrimp
and scallops so we charge one dollar more than
lunch. People say our prices are very reasonable.
Some people don’t understand. They get to o
much food and end up paying a lot of money.
But after the fir st time—they learn.”
Tu rn over is the key to keeping the buffet
appealing and Chon has a pretty interesting way
of eliminating leftove rs—so listen up. “Right
now, everything is half price after 9PM. We get
50 to 60 people after 9PM every night, people
who have late dinners.”
B eyond having good food at a good pri c e
Sizzling Express has an exceptionally gracious
and organized staff, especially for (you should
pardon the expression) a fast food restaurant.
Chon says he does not advertise for employees in
the newspapers; “I have, what do you call, connections.
People that are used to working for me,
so it ’s friend to friend. I’m also willing to pay a
little more than other places, so they appreciate
it.” Then he trains them himself, “I make sure
they have a smile and be kind.”
In fact the only complaints I’ve heard have
been about the unpleasantly distracting TV sets
near the bar which compete with the pleasant
background music.
Considering that Chon’s now running three
re sta u rants and about to open two more he
seems to spend an extraordinary amount of time
on Capitol Hill. He is, but he’s about to move on.
He remains at each new location while training
and “when they get to a certain stage I leave
them. This one is now established and can run
without my supervision. What I’ve been doing is
training these people so everybody’s perfect and
so they can run it.”
That doesn’t mean he’ll go home to Alexandria
and his wife, his 7-year-old son, and 5-year-old
daughter. He’s got Herndon to open this month,
and the other locations in va rious stages of
development—plus he’s thinking of franchising
the business, and is looking for investors. He
says, “Well, right now I’m pretty busy, but I try to
spend time with my family. I took my son to a
football game last Sunday. I told my wife just wait
a couple of more years. Right now I have to do
this.”
What dri ves him? “It’s not just to make
money. It gives me satisfaction to picture what
kind of place [the next location] is going to be.
Every new location I open I bring a new idea that
makes it a little better. I’m always thinking about
what I can do better than I do now, always I
request my staff think about it. We don’t do the
same things over and over—we put effort into
making the business better. Then I go over the
papers, and decide what the place will look like.
Then, give it to the architect, and after it’s con -
structed you look at what you have created. It’s a
nice feeling. Then you open the door and you
have a very good restaurant for the public that
gives you another satisfaction.”
And that makes him want to do it again and
again? “Most people appreciate that I’m here. I
think I’m a real part of the service for this kind of
community. It’s a good business.” Yes, it is.
TH Chon, Sizzling Express, 600 Pe n n s yl va n i a
Avenue, SE, 202-548-0900
Getting Down Home on 8th Street. Opening
soon, maybe even by New Year’s Eve, Sheridan’s
1874 Old We st St e a k h o u s e — a c ross from th e
Marine Barracks in the old Louisianna Cafe slot
at 713 8th St., SE.
Pardners Steve Sabatini and Sandy Thompson,
who also share Red River We st e rn Wear on
Pennsylvania Avenue, are completely redecorating
the bi-level space. Downstairs will be the bar
and country western dancing. Upstairs will be
the restaurant, which will be serving a variety of
top grade steaks, along with Western fare like
buffalo, venison and elk at both lunch and diner.
Yes, this is the duo that were trying to buy the
building at 11th and Pennsylvania Avenue last
spring but got vetoed by neighbors. Sandy says
this has turned into a blessing. The new space is
fabulous, it “looks better than I could have possibly
imagined. It will be like walking back in time.
Just like the old West.”
As we said, New Year’s plans were still wobbly
at press time. But you can call 546-6955 for an
update.
Flying Carpets at Woven History. Woven History,
the Hill’s source for magnificent oriental rugs,
has just received a shipment of 730 beauties from
Turkey, Pakistan, and Nepal, and a truly extraordinary
collection of antique and semi-antique
carpets from Turkmenistan, the first shipment of
these finely woven, highly collectable, carpets in
the United States.
Since its opening in 1996, Mahmet Yalcin’s
mini-bazaar on 7th Street near Eastern Market,
has fe a t u red rugs produced by the Cultura l
Coming soon…a touch of the old West at Sheridan’s.
www.voiceofthehill.com 25
Feliz Nav i d a d
f ro m
Banana Cafe
Serving the Best Cuban, Puerto Rican, &
Mexican Food in the City!
Open for lunch,
dinner & Sunday Brunch
No Cover!
Piano Bar
Upstairs
now
open 7
nights a
week
Don’t Forget!
We will be
open
December 31
and January 1
from
1pm-9pm.
500 8th St, SE
1 block east of Blue/Orange Eastern Market Metro /
202-543-5906
We have been located on
Capitol Hill for more than 20
years serving the District of
Columbia and Maryland
Let us make your refinance,
purchase or sale hassle free
with no stress
Call us
202-544-0800
650 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Suite 170
Washington, DC 20003
CELEBRATION 2000 JAZZ BRUNCH
SUNDAY, JANUARY 2, 2000 FROM 1-4 PM
MILLENNIUM NEW YEAR’S JAZZ CELEBRATION
DECEMBER 29 AND 30
Closed December 24 - 29, 1999 and
December 30, 1999 - January 1, 2000
424A 8TH STREET, SE ON CAPITOL HILL • 202-546-8308
WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY 6:30PM THRUCLOSING
SUNDAY 12-4PM
A CHAMPAGNE LOUNGE
AND GARDEN CAFE
Survival Project, a non-profit, non-government,
human rights organization dedicated to reviving
ancient arts and crafts while providing support
for the craftsmen. Now the reach is expanding.
Yalcin says he’s “bringing the world to Capitol
Hill. Woven History now has looms in Pakistan,
Tibet, Turkey and other countries.”
Yalcin, a former teacher and lecturer with a
doctorate in Inner Asian and Altaic studies from
Harvard University, has also increased his inventory
of gift and decorative items in the adjacent
shop, Silk Road. In stock for gifting: lush handwoven
Pashmina scarves and shawls in colors
that range from fuschia to navy (at a fraction of
the department store tab), finely carved furniture
from India, jewelry, hats, bags, copperware,
music books, and curiosities like healing sticks.
Woven History, 311 7th St., SE. 543-1705
Bistro Bis Boasts “Chef of the Year” Jeffrey
Buben, ch e f / owner of Bist ro Bis in the Hill’s
H otel George, and dow n tow n’s star st u d d e d
Vidalia, has been named “Chef of the Year” by
the Re sta u rant Association of Met ro p o l i ta n
Washington, and “Perrier-Jouet Best Chef, Mid-
Atlantic” by the James Beard Foundation.
Bistro Bis, by the by, was also recently named
to Washington Post food critic Phyllis Richman’s
list of favorite spots in town. All of this should
mean a few months’ wait for a table. Bistro Bis, 15
E St., NW. 661-2700.
Nuts. Just Missed the Last Deadline. Right after
we went to press with the November issue of the
Voice — which featured a story on the starmakers
at the RPM Salon— Jim Rennie, one of the triad
of owners, phoned to say his partner, hair and
makeup expert Terry Maki, made the short-list of
top celebrity stylists in People Magazine’s “Sexiest
Man Alive” special issue (it’s Richard Gere, in
case you wondered).
Terry was asked for his take on the sexiest hair
for men in an article called “What’s Hot, What’s
Not.” Said he, “You should follow the flow of the
hairline.” Me thinks you probably have to have
some for this to work. But then, the man’s a
magician. RPM Salon. 225 Pennsylvania Ave., SE.
543-6481.
New York Times Fawns Over Hotel George and
Bistro Bis. The Decmember 5th Times carried an
article on the mushrooming popularity of “boutique
hotels,” a term they say that “has become
shorthand for a hotel with high-concept design
and personality, one that aspires to originality,
attracting a young crowd with hipness rather
than grandeur...” In DC the glass slipper fit the
Hill’s Hotel George. Said the reporter, “ ...I ultimately
judge a hotel by whether it has the prescience
to anticipate and accommodate whatever
my desires may turn out to be...From the spectacularly
warm welcome, [to the] fluffy comforter
on the bed, to the dispatch with which
room service conjured a glass of chardonnay at
10:50 PM, the George did not hit a single false
note.” Hotel George, 15 E Street, NW, 347-4200.
Losing Sherrills? Sherrill’s Bakery which has been
a monument to bruskness for as long as just
about anybody can remember, may be heading
into the sunset. We hear that there is a possible
buyer for the buildings at the corner of 3rd and
Pennsylvania, which is also home to Frenchie’s
D ry Cleaners and Chri stine, the Reader and
Advisor. Dottie, one of the pair of sisters that
own Sherrill’s and the buildings, said that their
suitor has until the end of the month to decide.
She’s being tight as a fried clam roll about who
the possible buyer is, and his intentions for the
space. As soon as we hear, so will yo u . . . v i a
www.voiceofthehill.com.
Curious About Those Snowflakes?
They’re Brought to You by the Capitol Hill Business
Community
Now blazing through the historic commercial
areas of Pennsylvania Ave., 8th Street/Barracks
Row, 7th St re et / E a st e rn Market, and Massachusetts
Avenue are 52 glorious 5’ illuminated
snowflakes.
The flakes, which cost a royal mint to purchase
—and another $4,000 per year to freshen up with
new bulbs, install, and remove— are the work of
CHAMPS, the Capitol Hill Association of
Merchants and Professionals. Community contributions
to this seasonal display are warmly
welcomed. Containers have been distributed to
m a ny Hill businesses, so drop in some spare
change, or maybe a bill or two. They also hold
checks.
And where would we go for our crabbiness fix?
26 www.voiceofthehill.com
Photography
Asman Photo
924 Penn. Ave,SE 547-7713
See our ad on page 10
Motophoto
666 PA Ave.,SE 547-2100
See our ad on page 2
Picture Framing
Frame of Mine
522 8th St.,SE 543-3030
See our ad on page 10
Newman Gallery and Custom Frames
511 11th St.,SE 544-7577
See our ad on page 31
Plumbing & Heating
Leakbusters Plumbing & Remodeling
202 544-5000
Real Estate
Thom Burns
Coldwell Banker Real Estate
109 8th St. NE 547-5805
Larry C
Pardoe Real Estate
605 PA Ave.,SE 546-7000
Tom & Alice Faison
REMAX Real Estate
220 7th St.,SE 547-5881
John C. Formant
John C. Formant Real Estate
225 PA Ave.,SE 544-3900
Pardoe Real Estate
605 PA Ave.,SE 546-7000
See our ad on the back cover
Yarmouth Management
309 7th St.,SE 547-3511
Jackie von Schlegel
REMAX Real Estate
220 7th St.,547-5600
Phyllis Jane Young
Pardoe Real Estate
605 PA Ave.,SE 546-7000
Antiques
Antiques on the Hill
701 North Carolina Ave.,SE
See our ad on page 30
Attorneys
Davis & Gooch
920 Pennsylvania Avenue,SE 543-3600
Rick Halberstein & Karen Byrne
705 D St.,SE 543-1110
Arts Center
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
545 7th St.,SE 547-6839
See our ad on page 19
Association
CHAMPS
621 PA Ave.,SE 547-7788
See our ad on page 21
Bank
National Capital Bank
316 PA Ave.,SE 546-8000
See our ad on page 35
Book Buyer
Riverby Books
419 E. Capitol St.,SE 547-3228
See our ad on page 42
Business Consultant
The Baldwin Group
611 PA Ave.,SE,544-2877
See our ad on page 41
Chimney Cleaning
Winston’s Chimney Service
Washington DC (301)571-8546
See our ad on page 27
Church
Christ Church Washington Parish
620 G St.,SE 547-9300
See our ad on page 42
Clothing & Gifts
Art & Soul
225 PA Ave.,SE 548-0105
See our ad on page 33
Red River Western Wear
641 PA Ave.,SE 546-5566
See our ad on page 35
The Village
705 N. Carolina Ave.,SE 546-3040
See our ad on page 31
Computer Consultant
Better Computer Solutions
623 N. Carolina Ave.,SE 546-8084
See our ad on page 32
Drug Store
Grubbs Care Pharmacy
326 E Capitol SE 543-4400
See our ad on page 18
Garden and Landscape
Holler Landscapes
543-5172
See our ad on page 29
Ornamental Garden
544-7831
See our ad on page 20
Grocery
The 8th Street Market
419 8th St.,SE
Groceries Greens & Other Things!
Hardware
Fragers Hardware
1115 Pennsylvania Ave.,SE 543-6157
See our ad on page 18
Health & Fitness
GI Jane
645 Pennsylvania Ave.,SE 547-7906
See our ad on page 30
Home Furnishings
Woven History
311 7th St.,SE 543-1705
See our ad on page 29
Home Repair
Federal City Iron
321 K St.,NE 547-1945
See our ad on page 29
Handyman on the Hill
Washington DC 206-7185
See our ad on page 34
H&W Contracting, Ltd.
398-7117
See our ad on page 20
Hotel
Capitol Hill Suites
200 C St.,SE Washington DC 543-0209
See our ad on page 18
Income Tax Services
Jackson Hewitt Tax Service
8th St.,SE 554-8840
Mortgage Lenders
Apex Home Loans
1-800-914-8475,ext. 2075
See our ad on page 15
Pet Supplies
Doolittle’s Pet Supply
224 7th St.,SE 544-8710
See our ad on page 24
Business Directory Listings:
Voice of the Hill is including a yellow-pages style directory of businesses and services that cater to the Capitol Hill community. To
be included in the directory businesses must commit to a one-year contract,payable in advance by check, Visa or Mastercard.
The annual fee is $250. Display advertisers on annual contracts will be included in the directory at no additional charge.
Each business will be given three lines in the directory; two must be used for the company name,address and phone number. An
extra line is available for your name,a description of your business or service,or a direction to see your ad. Additional lines may
be added at an annual cost of $60 per line (per year). If you would like to be included in the next directory, please fill in the following
form and send it,along with your check or payment information,to: The Voice of the Hill, 120 11th St.,SE, Washington, DC
20003. If you have questions please call Bruce Robey at 544-0703.
Your Name:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Company Name: ________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Business Description: (30 character maximum) _____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please charge my Mastercard or Visa
Name on Card:__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Card Number: _______________________________________________________________________Expiration Date:____________
Real Estate Settlement
Capital Home Title
703 D St.,SE Washington DC 544-4300
See our ad on page 27
Congressional Title
650 PA Ave.,SE 544-0800
See our ad on page 25
Eastern Market Title
210 7th St.,SE 546-3100
See our ad on page 34
Restaurants
2 Quail
320 Massachusetts Ave. NE 543-8030
See our ad on page 8
Banana Café
400 8th St.,SE 543-5906
See our ad on page 25
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream
327 7th St.,SE 546-CAKE
See our ad on page 30
Bluestone Cafe
327 7th St.,SE 547-9007
See our ad on page 16
Caffe Italiano
1129 PA Ave.,SE 544-5500
See our ad on page 35
Ellington’s on 8th
424A 8th St SE 546-8308
See our ad on page 25
Hawk ‘n’ Dove
329 PA Ave.,SE 543-3300
See our ad on page 8
Las Placitas
518 8th St.,SE 543-3700
See our ad on page 8
Park Café
106 13th St.,SE 543-0184
See our ad on page 41
White Tiger
301 Mass. Ave.,NE 546-5900
See our ad on page 34
Business Serv i c e s
www.voiceofthehill.com 27
Business Serv i c e s
Salon
RPM Salon
225 PA Ave.,SE 543-6481
See our ad on page 27
Social Services
Capitol Hill Group Ministr y
421 Seward Sq.,SE 544-0385
Schools
Capitol Hill Day School
210 S. Carolina Ave.,SE 547-2244
See our ad on page 37
Edmond Burke School
2955 Upton St.,NW 362-8882
See our ad on page 37
Levine School of Music
2801 Upton St.,NW 686-9772
St Peter’s School
422 3rd St.,SE 544-1618
See our ad on page 39
Spiritual Advisors
Corrin Bennett
920 G St.,SE 543-5825
See ad on page 33
Gabrielle Hill
639 E. Capitol SE 544-438
See ad on page 33
Vacation/Travel Consultatns
Jan Cammarata
Judiciary Express Travel
7th & Penn SE, 547-3007
Yoga Studio
Dancing Heart Center for Yoga
221 5th St.,NE 544-0841
See our ad on page 33 Winston’s
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Phone 202 544-4300
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Other Settlement Locations
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Rockville, MD Annapolis, MD
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Across from the
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Log On!
w w w. v o i c e o f t h e h i l l . c o m
Your daily newspaper for Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill’s Best French Dining Value
Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
(closed Sunday)
Private dining rooms for groups of 20 to 80
Complimentary parking in the
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400 North Capitol St., NW 202-737-0400
28 www.voiceofthehill.com
This ad is sponsored by the Barracks Row Business Alliance (BBA).
The businesses that support the work of the BBA are highlighted. For more information
call BBA President Cissy Webb, at Frame of Mine, 522 8th St., SE 543-3030
Steve & Nicky Cymrot
Ralph H. Dwan, Esq.
Harry Kroll
Noble Business Services
Banana Café
The Subway
Trattoria Alberto
Capitol Video Sales
Shakespeare Theatre
Capitol Hill Designs
Chat’s Liquors
Fire House Café
Szechuan House
Janes Veterinary Clinic
Allen Carroll
Felices for Hair
Jack Spicer Real Estate
Phase One
Ophelias Flowers
John & Vicki Glaros
Abstract, Inc./Innervisions
Footlocker
Frame of Mine
Mickey’s Patio
Blockbuster Video
One Stop
Parks Fabricare
Community Credit Union
Payless Shoes
Capitol Hill Investors
Last Stop for Jeans
Popeyes
Arbor Dental Clinic
China Wall
Kitchen Company
Southeast Uniform Co.
Aston Greaves, MD.
David Hunter International Center
735 8th St. Ltd. Partnership
Valeries Animal Den
Attitude Exact
Brices Barber Shop
American Rescue Workers
Ask Darnelle,Darnelle
Ellington’s On 8th
Sneeds Barber Shop
Sheridan’s 1874 Old West Steakhouse
Morris Goldberg
Capitol City Subs
Navy Yard Valet
Herb Lehner Enterprises
Marine Barracks of Washington
Sasha Bruce Youthworks
Oehme, Van Sweden & Associates,
Inc.
Peoples Church
Duron Paints
Companions Pet Shop
Center for Child Protection & Family
Support
Harris Electric
William Hansen
Shady Deal
Michael Morelli
Southeast Auto Supply
Steven Kinsley
Barbara Held Reich
Charles Verbeck
Barrett Linde
Margot Kelly
Discount Foods
The 8th Street Market
Wall Street Cleaners
Russian Information Services
University Neighborhood Initiative
Daniel & Jamieson
Details International
Struble Oppel Donovan
Hugh Kelly
Halberstein & Byrne
Through the Grapevine
David Hall, Esq.
Yves Fredrigo
Joel Truitt Builders
Gail Lau Kee
C. Dudley Brown
Helen Carey
Dignity Washington
Las Placitas Cantina
District Lock & Hardware
Jackson Hewitt Tax Service
Chas E Smith Company
The Place
Port Café
Fit For Life Health Center
Coffin & Coffin
Campbell Crane & Associates
P e e k into the Pa s t
As You Shop & Dine
this Holiday Season
Rediscover
Barracks Row
8th Street, The Oldest Main Street in Washington’s Federal City
www.voiceofthehill.com 29
311 & 315 7th Street, SE • 202.543.1705
www.wovenhistory.com
Store Hours: 10-6, Tue-Sun. Eastern Market Metro
Woven Hi s t o ry and Silk Ro a d
Federal City Iron, Ltd.
All Ornamental Ironwork
Expert Cast Iron Stair Repairs
Window Bars & Security Gates
Fencing & Tree Boxes
Metal Repairs
SPECIALIZING IN CAPITOL HILL STYLES
202-547-1945
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Free Estimates
321 (rear) K St., NE
e-mail: steel1M@aol.com
d o w nL o a d
Fresh Fields Seeing Green Lights
Ahead
Locations Explored,Problems Tackled
Michael Besancon, East Coast president of Fresh
Fields was recently lured in for a second meeting
about opening a store on Capitol Hill. This time
on home turf. Besancon and his real estate consultant,
Nigel Gragg, who was instrumental in
bringing about Fresh Fields’ newest project on P
Street NW, met with community organizers and
city officials at the National Capital Bank on
Pe n n s ylvania Ave., SE on November 19 th to
explore locations and discuss possible stumbling
blocks.
Regular Voice readers know that bringing the
grocer to Capitol Hill has been a major project
since last spring. A sur vey published on-line and
in the paper beginning in April brought in over
400 responses from residents who expressed near
unanimous craving for a convenient Fresh Fields.
Two of the VO I C E ’s publishers, St e p h a n i e
Cavanaugh and Bruce Robey, delivered the surveys
and had a first meeting with Besancon early
in October at their corporate headquarters in
Rockville. Besancon was very welcoming, saying
that he’d visited the Hill in August, and was
“most excited” about exploring the developing
area around the Navy Yard and M Street, SE. He
had not, however, seen a suitable site—one that
could contain a 30,000 sq. ft. store, with adequate
room for parking.
For the November 19 th meet i n g ,
Councilmember Sharon Ambrose and her executive
assistant Marge Francese were brought in
along with Joe Wolfe of DC’s Department of
Housing and Community Development. George
Didden, CEO of the National Capital Bank and
chair of the CHAMPS Business Imp rove m e n t
District committee, and Linda Gallagher of the
Barracks Row Main Street project, were also present
along with Cavanaugh, Ro b ey and th i rd
Voice partner, Adele Robey.
A m b rose in particular was essential to th i s
meeting because of her comprehensive knowledge
of building and lot possibilities around the
Navy Yard and the intensity of her efforts to
bring greater economic development to the city,
and particularly Ward 6.
The focus was on possible sites, particularly in
the various enterprise zones that surround the
H i l l ’s histo ric dist rict. Intere st i n gly, Besancon
indicated a preference for rehabilitating an existing
building, since new construction can take
two to three years and he “doesn’t want to look
that far out.” He said that retrofitting a building
for a market could be done in as little as six
months. Besancon also said that he particularly
“ l oves histo ric buildings,” and mentioned a
Fresh Fields that was put in a nearly 200-year-old
building in Baltimore.
Among the possibilities presented were the
71,000 sq. ft. Car Barn at 8th and M St., SE, The
Washington Star building, the Washington Post
building, and a few locations around the old
Tracks nightclub at 80 M St., SE. Also discussed
were the parking lot at 14th and Pennsylvania
Ave., SE, Station Place near Union Station, and a
few vacant schools.
A ra ther wild possibility, developing th e
under-freeway space at 8th and I, came out of a
driving tour of the Hill right after the meeting
ended.
A s ked for his post - m e eting imp re s s i o n s
Besancon said, “After my tour today with Bruce
Ro b ey, Joe Wo l fe, Nigel Gragg and George
Didden, I am more committed then ever to
building a Fresh Fields Whole Foods Market in
the Capitol Hill area. When the right site is
found, we will build it.”
A follow-up conversation with Ambrose yielded
equal enthusiasm, “I’m ve ry opt i m i st i c . . . I
think that the work that the VOICE did in getting
comments from the community was invaluable
in getting them interested. I’m going to do
everything I can to get incentives from the city to
move this forward.”
End note: We’ve heard that Trader Joe’s (seemingly
number two on the Hill wish-list) tends to
d evelop new locations close to Fresh Fi e l d s
stores. Besancon acknowledged that “they’re following
us..” Could be we’re in for a two-fer.
Ambrose Fall Town Meeting a
Smashing Success
November 18 Event Draws Hoards to Booths, Talks,
and Award Ceremony
Tawanna Shufo rd, Councilmember Sharo n
Ambrose’s Constituent Services Liaison tells us
attendance numbers at Councilmember
Ambrose’s November 19th Town Meeting at Hine
Jr. High School went way beyond her expectations,
drawing far more than the 400 anticipated.
There were more than the expected number
of community groups as well. 50-plus organizations
s taffed tables at the ward-wide event, and
Shuford said people were still trying to reserve
booth space at 3 o’clock on the afternoon of the
event.
It was an excellent evening, very chummy,
n e i g h b o rly and wa rm ly welcoming. Piles of
brochures and flyers were available on every conc
e i vable neighborhood organization from th e
Restoration Society, to PSA’s and Orange Hats, to
Trees for Capitol Hill and Friendship House.
There were also plenty of city officials representing
Departments like Motor Vehicles, Public
Works, and Y2K Readiness. And you got cookies
30 www.voiceofthehill.com
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if you signed in, which was good. Bet we e n
booths and presentations the evening went from
6 to past 9 PM.
Ambrose herself received a standing ovation
when she was introduced at the beginning of the
evening’s program. In an emotional welcome,
she said, “I feel as I did a year ago on election
night.” Graciously sharing the praise, she gave
top marks to “the most fabulous staff on the City
Council,” singling each out for introductions.
Coming in for particular kudos were Tawanna
Shuford and consultant Chuck Burger, “impresarios
of the evening,” who led the team that put
the town meeting together.
Among the awa rds given we re Cere m o n i a l
Recognition Resolutions, passed by the Council,
to reward the service to the community of Ward
6 residents Dr. Robert Lester and Patricia Jones
who both recently retired from long careers in
city gove rnment. Also ack n owledged with
“Ward 6 Star Awards” were ANC commissioner
Will Hill, “the quintessential good neighbor,”
Christine McCoy, for helping to organize the 8th
Street, SE clean-up last spring, and Sheila White,
for her initiative in beautifying her near-northeast
neighborhood.
Four presentations were also on the evening’s
agenda: Ronald King, chair of Anacostia’s ANC
6C, talked about plans that are now in place to
make the intersecti