This Month
4 You Can Run a
Marathon (Believe It
Or Not)
6 A Baby Boomer
Goes to Boot Camp
8 If It’s Wednesday
It’s Tango Time
10 Wo rking Off the Beef
C o w b oy Style
12 My Life with A
Ve g g i e - Te e n
D e p a rt m e n t s
Vo i c e M a i l . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Ask Judith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 6
Spencer Say s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 8
Business Bits . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 9
Business Serv i c e s. . . . . . . .2 3
D o w n L o a d. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 5
In The Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 3
Kids’ Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . .3 4
Capital Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 5
Community Calendar . . . .3 6
C l a s s i f i e d s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 8
R e l i g i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 8
Vol. 1 No. 11 Fe b ru a ry 18 2000
o f
T h e
H i l l
S t aying fit in th e
year 2000 … i t’s
n ot what yo u r
m o m m a ta u g h t
yo u !
Dear Members of the Capitol Hill Community:
It is with much regret that I write to inform you of St. Coletta’s decision to
cease our efforts to develop the property at 1214-1232 Pennsylvania
Avenue. All of us are extremely appreciative of our friends and neighbors who
have written in support of our cause. We will never forget your kindness and it
does a lot to ease this disappointment. Unfortunately, the events of this past
week have been so troubling that we have no choice but to withdraw. Those
of you who know me are aware that I love a good fight, but this fight has
taken an ugly turn. The actions of a few people have made it impossible to
win without “hitting below the belt” and this we refuse to do.
On Thursday, February 10, a past president of the Capitol Hill Restoration
Society called the school and demanded to see the last three years’ worth of
tax records. He said he wanted to see what our salaries were and where we
got our money and described himself as “too angry to speak”. He was
enraged over the letter that I placed in the Voice of the Hill. He said that the
letter suggested a cabal between CHRS and HPRB. I can only describe this
phone call as an attempt at intimidation.
On Saturday, February 12, someone brought to my attention that I was an
item on the agenda of the CHRS meeting for February 15, 2000, “ New
Developments; Raimo “no more compromises” at voiceofthehill.com. and full
page ad in Voice of the Hill.” Neither I, nor anyone else at St. Coletta, was
invited to attend that meeting nor were we informed that we were the subject
of not only that but another agenda item, “ Zoning - St. Coletta issues.” I
might remind both the individual who called to complain about my letter and
the other members of CHRS that in America, and this was America the last
time I checked, we have something called freedom of speech and freedom of
the press. Since we have never been invited to address the Restoration
Society and were only included on the agenda of the Historic Preservation
Committee of CHRS because we sought them out, the only way to get our
point across is in the press.
When St. Coletta requested time to make a presentation to the Historic
Preservation Committee of CHRS in November 1999, we were told that someone
would contact us regarding any questions or concerns the committee
members had about this project. To date, we have never received that phone
call. In fact, we have never had any communication with the Restoration
Society except through HPRB staff. We had been warned about the curious
relationship between CHRS and HPRB but we were unprepared for their outright
lunacy.
Here, briefly are the hoops St. Coletta has jumped through, the compromises
we offered and the costs we have incurred. We were prepared to make sensible
accommodations bearing in mind that our purpose is to serve our mentally
retarded brothers and sisters. So in the spirit of compromise and good
faith we:
• Secured the services of a real estate lawyer and an architect—$75,000 to
date.
• Secured bond financing
• Agreed to move the intact Victorian on Pennsylvania Avenue in two pieces—
$150,000.
• Agreed to keep and stabilize the first two rooms of the shotgun house -
$200 per foot.
We were not prepared to grant every whim of addle minded preservationists
who insisted that we do the following:
• Restore the entire shotgun house—$200,000
• Move the Victorian in one piece—$250,000
• Keep and stabilize the garage and use it as a drive-thru—$200,000
We were also not prepared to be threatened and harassed. On Saturday, I
received a disturbing telephone call at the school. The caller, a male, seemed
startled that someone had answered the phone on a Saturday. I guess cowards
prefer voice mail. Anyway, he asked where a non-profit got the money for
a full-page ad. He went on to say, “ You whores over there got that money
from your pimp, (and he named the property owner).” I submit to you that
such actions by our neighbors are symptomatic of a kind of vigilante mentality
that should not be tolerated.
Let’s clear our minds for a minute and think about what is really happening
here. There is a man, who, since 1965, before the time of the Historic
Preservation Laws, has been assembling a group of properties on
Pennsylvania Avenue. That man owns those properties and some people
don’t approve of how he has maintained them. I am not saying who is right or
wrong in that aspect of this scenario,indeed, perhaps this man did not keep
his property the way others wanted him to; perhaps he flew in the face of historic
preservation in the name of sound business practice. Does this make
him evil? Does this give members of a private club (CHRS) the right to influence
a public agency (HPRB) to the extent that this citizen is prevented from
selling his property and St. Coletta is prohibited from buying it? Even worse,
does this give these club members license to vilify this person with such
venom that it spills over on anyone who associates with him? Please be very
clear about my reason for withdrawing from this fight. I cannot risk having
those feelings infect the future of St. Coletta. The school needs to be in a
place where we will be welcomed and included. The intransigent attitudes and
outrageous demands of CHRS and HPRB staff has made this location impossible
for us.
You have to pity people who fail to understand that the sole purpose for our
brief existence on this planet is to make this journey better for those who
come after us. How small and ridiculous are those who want for their epitaph,
“I thwarted my neighbor.” Congratulations, you have won your petty victory; I
hope you’re proud.
To our friends,and especially to the neighbors on E and 13th Streets, we are
sorry, good luck and thank you. To the local ANC representatives, especially
the chairman who took time to visit our school,you represent us fairly and
well, thank you.
I would add that we are not giving up. We plan to continue to search for a
property in the District that will accommodate the school. If you see a promising
site e-mail me at sraimo@stcoletta.org.
Sharon Raimo
c St. Coletta School
currently serves 37 students.
We will expand to the
5th grade next year. If you would
like more information about the
school, please call me at 202-543-
2881.
Thank you.
BRANDI LAPERRIERE
Executive Director
To the Editor:
I read with interest your article on
the Congress Market [January
Voice], specifically the section on
the mom and pop stores. I’m a
native Washingtonian who is still living
in the area where I grew up and
remember fondly the mom and pop
stores—the DGS. These District
Grocery Stores were run by some of
the nicest people around. [There
was] one in particular you didn’t
mention: Mudrick’s store was at the
corner of 13th and G Streets, NE for
many years and moved to the corner
of 13th and F. Many people in the
neighborhood would not have eaten
had not Mudrick given them “credit”
for a few days. They were good peo -
ple and great neighborhood friends.
Those were the days.
Sincerely,
BARBARA M. MURPHY
To the Editor:
I think I know why all the oyster
shells. [History in Your Own
Backyard, Voice Jan. 2000] If you
keep a couple of chickens around
for the eggs or to have a roaster for
dinner, you have to give them something
to peck at on the ground. It’s
necessary for their digestion. Also,
the calcium in the oyster shells
builds good eggshells. At least
that’s how I remember it at my
grandmother’s house a long, long
time ago. I don’t know what they
use where there aren’t any oysters,
but for chicken growers near the
Long Island Sound or the
Chesapeake, oysters were the obvious
choice.
MARIE BIRNBAUM
To the Editor:
I read with great
interest the
article in your
January 21 edition
regarding
Eastern Market. I found it very interesting
and informative—as far as it
went.
I don’t understand how an article
can be published about the history
of the market up to the present day
without explaining the evolution and
importance of the arts activities
located there. Not only is there an
art gallery in the North Hall of the
market, any weekend patron knows
that there is a vibrant and dynamic
outdoor arts and crafts festival and
flea market that adds life and beauty
to the market experience. This
hasn’t happened overnight. Since
the 1970’s the outdoor art and craft
activities of the market have grown
and matured. They are a major element
of the market dynamic, and
provide the synergy that expands
the market experience throughout
the entire market square. The
weekly Eastern Market art and craft
venue is the ONLY one of its kind in
the entire tri-state Metropolitan
area, and it provides the venue for
many artists and craftspersons to
pursue their work and create a livelihood
from it. Not to mention the
fact that the outdoor mar ket has
proven over the years to be an incubator
for small business (only seven
short blocks from the U.S. Capitol).
Dozens of businesses, which are
now nationally known, began their
evolution on the sidewalks surrounding
Eastern Market.
So please, whether you are writing
a book, or editing an article about
Eastern Market, do not forget that in
addition to being an historic food
and farmer’s market, it is an important
center for the arts in the
Nation’s Capital.
L A R RY GALLO
MICHAEL BERMAN
The Eastern Market Arts and Crafts
Association
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.
Voice of the Hill
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Staff
Stephanie Cavanaugh,
Editor
Bruce Robey
WebMaster
Adele Robey
Graphic Design and Production
Jill Silva
Robert Shamo
Advertising
Gene Miller, Church Editor
Larry Kaufer, Sports Editor
Shaun Koiner, Circulation Manager
Phoenix Graphics,Inc.
T/A Voice of the Hill
and Stephanie Cavanaugh
Publishers
Contributing Writers
Judith Capen
Margaret Cytron
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Memberships
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and Professionals
Art Directors Club of Metropolitan
Washington
Barracks Row Business Alliance
VOICE o f
T h e
H i l l
Brenda Sanchez
Duncan Spencer
Rick Weber
Bonny Wolf
To the Editor:
Just happened to see the comments
on Duncan Spencer’s charter school
piece and wanted to add two
thoughts.
First, concerning Susan Chapin’s
lament that there’s little information
about the choices available, your
readers might like to know that
there is a new resource funded by
NSF and co-sponsored by this Board
(the DC Public Charter School
Board), DC Public Schools (DCPS),
the 21st Century Schools Fund, and
FOCUS (Friends of Choice in Urban
Schools). It’s a website,
www.DCSchoolSearch.com, which
provides profiles of all DCPS and
public charter schools in the District
and is searchable by wards, grade
levels, and other indicators. Parents
can browse through potential choices
and look at issues like facilities,
program, staff, and most important,
student achievement.
Also, if any of your readers do
want to think about starting a public
charter high school on the Hill, we’ll
be distributing a new application
package in March, with responses
due in June. If they will contact us
(at 1717 K Street, NW, Suite 802,
Washington DC 20006), we’ll be
happy to send the package itself,
plus information on public meetings
we’ll be conducting in the spring to
answer questions from potential
applicants.
Thanks for a very enjoyable publication!
Sincerely,
NELSON SMITH
Executive Director
DC Public Charter School Board
To the Editor:
I am writing to tell you about another
private school on Capitol Hill that
was not included in your recent
review of public, private, and charter
schools on Capitol Hill.
Cornerstone Community School
is a private, non-denominational
Christ-centered school located at
907 Maryland Avenue, NE. We offer
an affordable,quality education to
students in the 1st-4th grade.
Cornerstone opened in 1998 and
4 www.voiceofthehill.com
have accepted the challenge in pas t
years, and many of them found it to
be a life-altering experience.
There’s Donna Hansen, a grandmother
of six who lives near Stanton
Park; she ran her first marathon a little
more than a year ago after completing
the training program, and
hasn’t stopped since. In addition to
her first marathon, the Marine
Corps Marathon, she has also run
the Portland and New York
Before your New Year’s resolution
about better health and
more exercise fades into oblivion,
think about this: You
could run the Marine Corps
Marathon this year.
No joke. Even if you’ve never run
before or exercised on a regular basis,
there is a training program that will
have you in shape for a 26.2-mile
marathon by the end of the summer.
Hundreds of our Hill neighbors
As the senior coach for the
National AIDS Marathon Training
Program, I can attest to the success
stories of Donna Hansen and Alan
Henry, as well as the thousands of
area residents who have learned the
joy of running and the incredible
sense of accomplishment in completing
a marathon.
The National AIDS Marathon
Training Program is a fund-raising
event for the Whitman-Walker
Marathons, and is planning to compete
in the San Diego and Chicago
Marathons later this year.
And there’s Alan Henry, who lives
near Eastern Market; he dropped 30
pounds training for his first
marathon, but in the process picked
up bragging rights at Tunnicliff’s.
According to Henry, the training
program showed him that “some
things that seem impossible can be
done.”
Believe It Or Not, You Can Run A
Marathon Hill residents run to
help people with
AIDS go the distance
BY RICK WEBER
www.voiceofthehill.com 5
Clinic, the area’s largest AIDS services
provider. The program offers a
double bonus by helping you prepare
for a marathon while you help
others. Participants in the prog ram,
an overwhelming majority of whom
are first-time marathoners, sign up
to train for a marathon while gathering
financial sponsors, much like the
AIDS Walk and AIDS Ride programs.
The program culminates in participants
competing in and finishing
Washingtons Marine Corps
Marathon, which takes place in late
October, to the applause, admiration
and awe of their friends and family.
I’ve been marathoning for more
than 15 years, and in that time I’ve
heard or tried just about every training
regimen there is. I can honestly
say that the AIDS marathon program
offers the most sensible and realistic
training schedule I have ever seen.
If you can run or walk a distance
of three miles, the National AIDS
Marathon Training Program will
provide everything you need to prepare
yourself for a marathon within
six months.
Nadine Daniel, who lives near
Union Station, completed the program
and the Marine Corps
Marathon last year. She is a traffic
court adjudicator, and spends her
days listening to other people’s
excuses. Daniel says, “I hear all the
excuses not to do something,” and
decided she had run out of excuses
to herself about not getting into
shape. Daniel points to the age-old
adage that a journey of a thousand
miles starts with a fir st step.
Jeff Kenney lives and works near
the Marine Barracks, and says he
never ran three miles before doing
the National AIDS Marathon
Training Program. Since completing
his first marathon, he has found the
confidence and discipline to go off
and achieve other fitness goals.
A swimmer in high school, Jeff,
like most of us, became too busy as
an adult to compete in sports. But
training for a marathon rekindled
his interest in swimming. “I started
swimming midway through the
program as a way to cross-train,” says
Kenney, who stuck with his swim -
ming regimen even after completing
the marathon. He’ll compete in his
first swim meet as an adult on
February 19th and 20th.
Kenney is the owner of
Professional Development Partners,
Inc., on 8th St. SE, which develops
licensing exams for professionals,
such as architects and accountants,
so he knows professionalism when
he sees it. He gives the AIDS
Marathon program high marks for
providing beginner runners all they
need to complete a marathon.
Kenney claims his endorsement of
the program has convinced a staff
member at Giorgio’s, where Kenney
gets his morning coffee, to do the
marathon program this year. “She
was already planning to run the
Marine Corps, but I think I convinced
her that having the water
stops and all the support” was well
worth registering for the program.
Participants who sign up for the
National AIDS Marathon Training
Program are provided a complete sixmonth
training schedule and
matched up with runners of their
own starting ability, so that participants
never feel alone. “The camaraderie
is key” to keeping up with
your training schedule, according to
Henry. Kenney agrees, adding “I
could never have done anything like
this without the peer pressure.”
The training program begins with
a three-mile run and/or walk. Participants
are encouraged to cover the
distance at a pace that is comfortable
for them, which could include a
combination of walking and running.
Participants are then placed
into “pace groups” consisting of people
who completed the three-mile
distance in about the same time.
Each week (either Saturday or
Sunday), participants meet at the
same training site with hundreds of
other runners, gather into their
assigned pace groups (usually consisting
of 10-12 participants) and go
off on a training run following a
course designed by the coaching
staff.
The program starts off small, with
the first three-mile run, and adds
distance to each week’s run g radually
and incrementally. “It’s incredible,”
says Daniel, that after starting
from zero, within about eight weeks
“you’re referring to seven or eight
miles as a ‘short’ run.”
The National AIDS Mara th o n
Training Pro gram fo l l ows a re g i m e n
d eveloped by U.S. Oly mp i a n
m a ra thoner Jeff Galloway, which
i n c o rp o rates one- or two - m i n u t e
walk bre a ks into the we e k ly “long”
runs. The walk bre a ks allow both
n ovice and experienced ru n n e rs to
build st re n g th and stamina more effic
i e n t ly and safe ly. Galloway boast s
that his appro a ch can help even seasoned
mara th o n e rs ach i eve “pers o nal
re c o rds” by taking a common
sense appro a ch to distance tra i n i n g .
A minimum time commitment by
each participant is a weekly g roup
run and two 30-minute run/walk
training sessions during the week .
Most participants find the time
requirement very reasonable, and
some even voice skepticism at first
that they are doing enough to be
prepared for a marathon.
While the program’s training
schedule is set up so that weekday
runs are done individually (so that
people can more easily fit it into
their schedule), I’ve discovered that
many groups get together even during
the week out of a sense of camaraderie
and companionship. “You
make new friends,” Henry says.
“People let down their defenses, and
work hard to support each other.”
In addition to training, each par -
ticipant commits to raising at least
$1,700 for Whitman-Walker by getting
sponsors. For many participants,
the fund-raising is just as
important as the training in achieving
their marathon goals. “Your
friends and family are banking on
you doing this, and you don’t want
to let them down,” says Henry. “It’s
a nice double punch to know you’re
doing something to help others”
while improving your own health.
“It’s surprising how generous people
are by opening their purses to
$50 and $100 donations,” says
Daniel. “My largest donation was
$500.”
The program last year raised more
than $2.5 million for Whitman-
Walker, and this year we hope to
exceed $3 million. In the few short
years that the marathon program
has been in existence (1998 was its
inaugural year), it has become one of
Whitman-Walker’s largest fund-raising
events, providing thousands of
people with AIDS access to life-saving
drugs.
The program has six training sites
conveniently located around the
Washington area. The closest site to
Capitol Hill is at Waterside Mall in
Southwest, which meets every
Saturday. Runners at that site train
on the National Mall, around Hains
Point and along the scenic Capital
Crescent Trail.
Other nearby sites which meet on
Sunday include the C&O Canal in
Georgetown and the Columbia
Marina just across the 14th St. bridge
in Arlington. Participants at the
marina run on the bike path along
the George Washington Parkway.
Registration for the 2000 National
AIDS Marathon Training Program is
now underway. (You may have seen
the ads in the Metro trains.) Training
begins in late April with orientation
and health-information meetings
taking place until then. For more
information about the program, or
to register, call 202-543-2RUN.
If you’ve dreamed about doing a
marathon, the National AIDS
Marathon Training Program is a
“great thing”, says Hansen.
“Everyone is able to do it.”
Rick Weber is a Washington journalist
and long-time resident of Capitol Hill.
He is a veteran marathoner and is cur -
rently training to run the New Orleans
Marathon in early 2001.
“It’s incredible,” says Daniel, that after starting from
zero, within about eight weeks “you’re referring to
seven or eight miles as a ‘short’ run.”
Midlife is a time when
the fruits of our labor
finally fall into our
laps. Unfortunately,
time and gravity also
conspire to make our laps wider.
As Rose, one of the character s
from the TV show “The Golden
Girls” said, “...The older you get, the
better you get, unless you’re a
banana.” Unwilling to ripen in their
present state, the trendsetting first
wave of Baby Boomers to hit midlife
is fighting back. They’re walking,
taking dance lessons, swimming,
and working out.
My single friend Barbara has
explored a variety of fitness options.
She just took up jogging, has lost a
few pounds, and feels great. “An
added benefit” of jogging, she says
with a sardonic laugh, “is that I’m
thrilled to hear the sound of heavy
breathing again, even if it’s only my
own.”
Jogging isn’t for me, heavy breathing
just makes me cough. But that
hasn’t stopped me from looking for
an activity I can enjoy while firming
the upside down happy faces that
appear on my knees each time I
bend over to tie my shoes.
I began with water aerobics, and
was particularly enthralled by the
flotation belt. It acts like an aquatic
WonderBra. The problem is, when I
accidentally flipped over onto my
stomach, those luscious mounds
almost suffocated me.
Horseback riding sounded like a
great way to firm my thighs, but my
horse had other ideas. Each time I
mounted him, he thought it was a
signal to return to the barn at ninety
miles an hour.
I tried Yoga too. I loved the Zen
part, but during the different posi -
tions I kept wondering why, if God
had meant for me to touch my toes,
he didn’t put them closer to my
hands.
Then I took an “abs” class.
Unfortunately, it was coed. The guy
directly opposite me had failed to
step into a rather strategic item of
male intimate attire. Each time I
raised my head, I viewed a close facsimile
of the little package that
comes tucked into my Thanksgiving
turkey.
My tap class was fun, but it’s a tad
humiliating when your classmates,
who range in age from five to twelve,
keep correcting your missteps.
I even tried a spinning class. For
three days afterwards, I was so numb
from the bike saddle I felt as if my
perineum was still locked in a vise
similar to that used for a mammogram.
Nothing worked. I had to do
something! So I called GI Jane and
signed up for Boot Camp.
GI Jane, is actually Capitol Hill
resident, Jane Greene, a widow,
grandmother, and former career military
physical therapist.
As a young woman she began to
gain weight until she ballooned up
to 198 pounds and wore a size 20. In
her late forties she’d had enough and
joined a gym. Her transformation
was so astounding, friends and colleagues
asked her to help them get
into shape.
She began by coaching people at
home. When her cottage business
was featured on the evening news,
she was swamped with callers asking
if she would help them, too.
Three years ago she opened the
Health, Diet and Fitness Boot Camp
at 645 Pennsylvania Avenue (on the
third floor of Market Square). The
staff includes Jane, two other trainers,
and four university students who
volunteer their services. They see as
many as 250 clients each week for
group and one-on-one sessions.
The Boot Camp is an unassuming
maze of small workout and weight
rooms, a no-frills locker room, and
an informal office. In one area, dramatic
“before” and “after” pictures
of clients adorn the walls. They
promise that in thirty days of working
out three or four times per week,
I can lose several dress sizes while
toning and sculpting whatever is left
over.
Jane bounded out of her office to
greet me. At nearly 55, she’s a petite
size-4, and solid muscle. I had the
feeling she could bench press me
with one hand. Attaining incredible
shape apparently increases one’s
lung capacity. Jane booms like a drill
sergeant. Between her voice, her
Energizer Bunny pep, and her
intense confidence in the work she
does, you end up both scared half to
death, and an instant believer
The second thing you notice is
that Jane is not a diplomat. I’m
pretty happy with my size and fig -
ure, I just want to tone up what I
have. It was very obvious that she
didn’t agree.
She ushered me into a small room
where two women were waiting to
begin class. My classmates had
already done their warm-up stretching
exercises. I didn’t have time—
which was a real mistake. As I positioned
myself on a mat, Jane
warned, “Everything we do hurts. It
burns. Just remember, Jane told me
it’s going to burn.” She didn’t lie.
We started with a series of abdominal
and leg exercises and then
added elastic bands to increase the
torture. I’m not a “work through the
6 www.voiceofthehill.com
Bouncing Baby
Jeanne Eck
Heads for
Boot Camp
www.voiceofthehill.com 7
Boomer
burn” kind of chick, so when it hurt
too much, I stopped until the burn
abated. My classmates confided that
“she’s being easy on us today.”
Could have fooled me! I could feel
the flab on my thighs begging for
mercy. I wondered if there was a
bucket under the floor that catches
all the fat and calories that are
burned every day.
From the floor exercise area, we
went to the weight/workout room.
Jane taught me how to do squats and
lunges, then she handed me a pair of
5 lb. hand weights to work my arms
and upper body. “You’re looking
good...That’s how you keep that butt
and thighs gorgeous...good
form..give me twelve more,” she bellowed
as we worked every part of our
upper bodies.
After the workout, a gentler side of
Jane emerged. She shared her deep,
spiritual belief that at Boot Camp,
she has found her life calling. 90%
of her clients are obese. Many are
teenagers.
“There’s an epidemic of obesity in
America. Most of the clients who
come here come from other gyms.
This is a haven for them. There’s no
intimidation. There’s not a scene
here… This is the only place available
where they can come and hide
and feel accepted. They can work out
in a private room where no one is
looking at them.”
As she sees it, part of her job is also
to listen to the pain that led to her
clients’ obesity. In some respects,
she’s not just a trainer, she’s also a
mother and social worker—with an
edge.
People leave messages on her
answering machine twenty-four
hours a day, begging for help. “I’m
the only one who will do people for
two, three, four, five months, up to a
year. I’m the only one who will give
them the group workout, the inyour-
face kind of thing, and the
motivation and attention that other
gyms won’t. I’ve never worked so
hard in my life. But the results of
helping someone else is just phenomenal
because you’re changing
someone’s life, you’re making someone
happy… that’s very powerful.”
Jane’s off to help another client so
I leave. There’s a problem. I have to
walk back down to street level. My
thighs are not happy. I consider
going down on my fanny, but I don’t
want to look like a wimp. As I take
one tentative step at a time down to
the street, my muscles scream in
rebellion. She wasn’t exaggerating
when she said I’d hurt, but that’s
what change is all about. Jane’s making
it happen.
Jeanne M. Eck is a Capitol Hill-based
writer and frequent contributor to the
Voice of the Hill
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BY BRENDA SANCHEZ
I WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO DANCING TANGO a
few years ago at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop.
Daniel Trenner and Rebecca Shulman, a couple of
New York professional dancers, would come for a
weekend a month to teach tango in Washington at
various venues, CHAW among them. When their
schedules no longer brought them back to
Washington, tango on the Hill disappeared. While
there were classes around town, I knew of nothing in
the neighborhood that would keep me dancing on a
regular basis…and then I heard about Leon.
T u e s d ays May Be at Morrie’s …
But We d n e s d ays is
D e f i n i t e ly at Leon’s
www.voiceofthehill.com 9
entering a world of music, love and
fantasy.
I’ll never forget my first visit,
when I was greeted with friendly
smiles from complete strangers, and
observed people from all parts of the
world joined by their passion for the
dance.
As a Latin dance I thought tango’s
appeal would be limited. To my surprise
I found not only American and
Latin American dancers, but also
Asians and Africans dressed in full
regalia mastering the moves. It is a
real pleasure to feel part not only of a
continent, but of the world.
T h e re is also a wo n d e rful fre e d o m
f rom eve ry d ay social const ra i n t s .
E ven on the Hill, where th e re is such
a mix of people, we tend to socialize
w i th a limited re p re s e n tation of th e
population. At Leon’s th e re are no
l a st names or power suits. We know
e a ch other by first names only, and
you could be dancing with a top exe cu
t i ve or a hard wo rking messenger.
The setting is very unlike that of a
dance studio as well. It has more the
atmosphere of a party. People show
up, unprompted, with water, wine,
cookies and fruit. Our classmate,
Beto, might bring a platter of his
wonderful tuna hors d’oeuvres.
Though classes are supposed to
run from 7-9, I have never left the
place before 10:30—and left a roomful
of people still dancing. Last summer,
a large wood floor was installed
in the rear yard, and lit by torches.
There were many informal dances
under the stars.
When I asked Leon why he opened
his house and let the tango love rs
ta ke over he said, “because when
th ey arri ve at my door, the eve n i n g
becomes a night of fanta s y, and I
e n j oy my role to make eve ry th i n g
right for that moment in time.”
Shall We Dance?
In this town, one can tango every
night of the week: Diversite at 14th
and U St. NW, on Mondays, Lulus on
M and 23rd St., NW on Tuesdays,
Leon and Ruth’s on Wednesdays
(you must call him at 683-3589, the
place is small, and class size is ver y
limited), DCDC with Viviana and
Isidoro at 4908 Wisconsin Avenue
on Thursdays, Habana Village at
18th and Columbia Road on
Saturdays, and on Sundays there is
Stars in Rockville Pike, Coco Loco in
Chinatown, and Pines of Florence
on Leesburg Pike.
In addition, there are “Milongas”
or tango dances on the weekend
either in public spaces or organized
by members of the tango community.
Workshops also take place during
the week and the weekends, taking
advantage of the traveling teachers
from Argentina and other parts of
the globe.
I Know a Dark,
Secluded Place…
Just on the other side of the Capitol,
Leon Harris and his teaching partner
Ruth Kubishen conduct tango classes
every Wednesday night.
Leon has cleared the fir st floor of
his turn-of-the-century town house
to serve as his main dance studio.
First timers are taught the 8-count
“basic step” in a small class on the
second floor led by Leon’s assistants
Grace and Ali. For some people
that’s enough of an introduction to
move on to the Beginners class on
their second visit. Others prefer to
stay at the very basic level until they
feel confident that they know the
steps. The Beginners, Intermediate
and Advanced classes take place on
the main floor. A studio on the base -
ment level is available to anyone
that wants to dance and not take
part of the class.
Sounds like every other dance studio
you say? Not at all. Visiting Leon
and Ruth’s is a must for tango lovers.
Why?
The people, the ambiance… the
passion. Entering the “Casa del
Baile,” as Leon calls his home, is
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There are also several local websites
that give information on classes,
workshops, and exhibitions. The
listings at www.dcdancenet.com/
tango and www.vivianatango.com
are particularly good.
Learning the Moves
In Argentina, when a man wants to
learn to dance tango, he has to
dance the woman’s part with the
Master of the dance—and only with
the Master’s approval can he then
ask a lady to dance.
Men are called the “leaders,”
women are called the “followers,”
but don’t be mislead by the sexis t
tone. The leading and the following
is really a conversation that happens
between the partners. A good leader
is receptive to the needs of the follower,
and takes pride in allowing
the follower space to show-off. A
good follower will never attempt to
upstage her leader, but has subtle
ways of asking and taking time in
the dance for any embellishments
she wants to make.
The point is that the man needs to
know the movements that his dancing
partner makes in order to lead
her correctly and to give her space to
make her moves. In a recent workshop,
with a professional couple
from Argentina, there was a whole
section teaching the “leaders” to listen
to the “followers.” It is not a
one sided dance.
While the dance is based on the
simple 8-count “basic step” you
learn on the fir st evening of class,
there is a vocabulary to the silent
conversation that is tango. It is
much like learning the letters of the
alphabet so that one can then make
words.
Every movement in this dance
means something, and calls for a
response.
For example, in the dancing
embrace, when the leader walks to
the left of the follower or straight in
front of her, she just walks. But,
should the leader walk to the right
of the follower, that is a request for
the woman to “walk to the cross”
that is, for the woman to stop and
cross her feet on the count of 4.
A tap from the man’s thigh to the
woman’s thigh may mean a request
to displace that is, to move in the
opposite direction. However, it
could also be a request to wrap her
leg around his into what is called a
“gancho.” It all depends on how
soon the man withdraws his leg.
Tango has a very subtle vocabulary
and the fun is in the learning, the
practice, the music and the flirtation
that accompanies every movement.
Brenda Sanchez, is an architect and
long time Hill resident with a passion
for dance.
10 www.voiceofthehill.com
how they met. “I was looking for a
partner and found Jerry.” Since then,
they’ve placed seventh in the world
in the “Silver” category, for dancers
45 years and older.
The class awaits instructor Jim
Raywalt, who’s making the trek from
Bowie. Finally he strides in, tall and
lean—a dancer’s build. He dons a
small microphone.
“ALL RIGHT!! First, you’ve gotta
think of Elvis...hips, not lips,” bawls
Raywalt. “Start with your left foot,
move your hips right to left.” As
Raywalt demonstrates, the class follows
the intricate steps pretty well.
Later, we chat with dancers who
are taking a break. Petite, energetic
Ivy Mazor, who lives down the
street, discovered Sheridan’s through
Red River Western Wear, at Sixth and
BY CELESTE MCCA L L It’s shortly after
9 PM on a
Wednesday
night at
Sheridan’s, the
folksy new
steakhouse and Country Western
dance hall on Capitol Hill’s Barracks
Row. Most patrons have polished off
their chicken-fried steak, 12-ounce
New York strips or Padre Island
seafood stew in the upstairs, candlelit
dining room. Clad in leathersoled
boots and swirling fringed
skirts and—more often, blue jeans—
10 or so dancers are poised to begin
their line dance class, while spect ators
perch on cowhide covered
barstools sipping beer.
Washington is
just digging out
from the latest
snowfall, so lots of
people are late— or
under the weather.
Sheridan’s proprietor
Sandy
Thompson, stylish
in a Southwest aquapatterned
vest and
pleated skirt, will be
pitching in as deejay
since husband Jerry,
who normally spins
the Country
Western platters, is
down with the flu.
Sandy and Jerry,
whose day job is
with the
Department of
Defense, have been
instructors and competition
dancers for
years. In fact that ’s
great way to catch up with friends.
Raywalt is a little bossy but he’ s
good!”
Jacqueline Aamot, another Hill
dweller, is celebrating a slightly
belated birthday. Her neighbor, Pam
Causer (who’s here tonight, too),
“thought it would be a good thing to
do—and I’m a great fan of country
and western.”
Joey Towery chimes in that his
classmates have become friends off
the dance floor as well: “We walk
our dogs together. I come here to
dance with our friends and it takes
my mind off work.”
Sandy Thompson and her business
partner Steve Sabatini offer
Country and Western dance classes
three times a week for just $5 per
class. Mondays are for beginners;
you don’t need a
partner, they’ll find
you one. Wednesdays
are line dancing and
Thursdays intermediate
to advanced.
Sessions go from 8:15
to 9:15 PM.
Sandy estimates
she has 20 to 30 students,
“but it’s hard
to tell because of the
bad weather. People
come from all over
and learn about us
mainly by word-ofmouth.”
She adds.
“They come in for
dinner and then they
dance off the calories!”
It would seem that
this would be the
LAST place to dine if
you want to shed holiday
flab and tighten
Pennsylvania Ave. SE, which Sandy
also owns, and where classes were
held before Sheridan’s opened. “I
love it,” says Ivy. “It’s a great form of
exercise!”
Ivy’s friend and neighbor Scott
Briscoe weighs in on the chow as
well as the dancing. He’s just
devoured black bean cakes, salad and
the “legendary” bread pudding and
thinks the food is wonderful (we
agree). “It’s fun, being with your
friends,” he says. “We all look stupid,
but we’re having a good time.
This place is clean and well lit, and
the acoustics are great. They don’t
have to blare the music.”
Adds Judy Shinogle, who teaches
bike classes at the Washington
Sports Club and lives at Sixth and
East Capitol, “It’s interesting and a
Wo rking off the
Beef at Sheridan’s
Steak Ho u s e
T H E W I L D W E S T M E E T S C A P I T O L H I L L
www.voiceofthehill.com 11
up that tummy. If you’re on the Dr.
Atkins diet (which allows mucho
protein), you’re in seventh heaven,
but otherwise it’s not easy to watch
your waistline at Sheridan’s. “Our
portions are huge,” says chef Mike
Finney. “We watch plates come back
from the diners, and they are all
empty. Our lamb shank is gnawed to
the bone, like Fred Flintstone got a
hold of it.”
There are actually two chefs dishing
out Sheridan’s rib-sticking
Western chow. 28-year old Mike, and
Steven Ritter, 32. Steven recently
returned to Washington after 10
years at Saxon’s by the River, in
Wilmington, NC. He’s the baker, and
is justly proud of his homemade
jalapeno corn muffins and desserts
like bourbon pecan pie, bread pudding
(with dark and light chocolate
and currants), coconut/white chocolate
and raspberry layer cake.
Mike’s originally from Ponca City,
OK, but spent 7 years in F resno, CA
at the Daily Planet, where everything
was made from scratch, as it is
here. While he admits to throwing
in some Latino and Asian touches,
he says, “we try to stay with our
Wild West theme.”
That menu changes pretty frequently.
One newcomer is the 12-
ounce Red River pork chop ($16). It
looks beautiful on the plate, stuffed
with cranberries, sundried tomatoes
and cornbread and finished with a
cranberry demi-glaze. Our favorite,
however, is the Li’l Cowpoke. Tagged
at $11, the 4-ounce, fork tender filet
is lightly coated with Bearnaise
sauce, propped up against a ziggurat
of skins-on garlic mashed potatoes,
and escorted by crunchy carrots.
Another sure bet is the Padre
Island Seafood stew ($14). Garnished
with French bread slices, the wellseasoned
mélange was swimming
with shrimp, mussels, chunks of
salmon and other goodies.
There are a few heart (and hip)
friendly offerings on the menu—relatively
light entrées like fish-of-theday,
buffalo and meat chili and the
chef’s market salad—a Caesar or a
crunchy stack of field greens topped
with shrimp, Southwestern spiced
beef or chicken.
Sheridan’s tries to keep prices reasonable,
so people can dine there
regularly. There’s also a three-course,
pre-theater dinner, served from 5:30
to 6:30 PM daily, and priced at
$18.74—well timed for folks heading
to a film or show at the Capitol Hill
Arts Workshop around the corner on
7th Street. Entrées on the pre-theatr e
menu might include country-fried
steak or the Li’l Cowpoke filet.
While prices may be moderate,
the décor is deluxe. The upstairs
restaurant features chandeliers, giltframed
mirrors and Oriental carpets.
The tables are covered with crisp
white linen and champagne flutes sit
ready for a celebration.
Opening a restaurant and nightclub
has fulfilled a life-long dream
for Sandy Thompson. “When I was
15, I worked in Borden’s Cafeteria in
Tulsa, and I waitressed my way
through college (Oklahoma State
University in Stillwater).” She
majored in both home economics
and interior design. “I can actually
cook,” she laughs. She can also
design, and had well-developed ideas
about decorating the restaurant. “I
wanted to stage it in the 1874 period,
and I watched a lot of cowboy
movies!”
Sheridan’s 1874 Old West Steakhouse,
713 Eighth Street SE (546-6955) Open
daily; dinner only. Red River Western
Wear, 641 Pennsylvania Ave. SE (546-
6930) Closed Sunday.
Celeste McCall is a writer living on
Capitol Hill and a frequent contributor
to The Voice.
Let Thom put a S O L D
sign on your house.
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12 www.voiceofthehill.com
Pass the Tofu –
Life with a
Ve g e t a r i a n
Te e n
BY BONNY WO L F
Ten years ago, every third grader I knew—
including my own—was intent on preventing
deforestation in South America. In the
process, they became deeply caring human beings.
They worried about protecting endangered species—
plant and animal—and saving the planet.
This, I know, is a good thing. But by the time my son was 15, his consciousness
had evolved to the point where he found it immoral to eat meat. Which
left us with the dinner dilemma of how to feed two carnivores and a growing
boy whose favorite vegetable is the olive.
We are not alone. For many reasons—ethics, health, religion, environment,
fashion—American teenagers have given up Whoppers and Chicken
McNuggets. A 1992 Yankelovich survey found that 37 percent of children
under 18 were vegetarians, and a recent poll by a research firm that studies
teenagers found that more than 30 percent think being a vegetarian is “in.”
The trend is obvious in the marketplace. A few years ago, vegetarian foods
were only available in health food stores. Now Safeway has frozen vegetarian
entrees and soy milk. Even fast food restaurants are on board. My son says if
you ask for a veggie Big Mac, most McDonald’s employees know you want special
sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame-seed bun … but no allbeef
patties. He does admit that teen vegetarians at fast-food restaurants
“mostly eat fries.”
Vegetarianism has gone to college with many teens. Duke University two
years ago reported that 20 percent of the school’s students were vegetarians.
Oberlin and Macalester colleges have vegetarian dining halls.
There are vegetarian rock bands and vegetarian cartoon characters. Bart
Simpson’s little sister Lisa is a vegetarian.
Teens have many real-life models. Madonna’s a vegetarian as is Eddie Vedder
of Pearl Jam. Other vegetarians include Daryl Hannah, Janet Jackson, the artist
formerly known as Prince, Paul McCartney, Natalie Merchant and Phylicia
Rashad.
And if their parents aren’t impressed with those vegetarians, teens can mention
Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, Mahatama Gandhi,
Albert Einstein and Clara Barton.
There are many reasons teens stop eating meat.
Charlotte Oman, a senior at the National Cathedral School who lives on
East Capitol Street, says she “saw a statistic” that all the g rain used in this
country by the meat industry could feed one small starving country.
“Americans eat too much meat,” she says. “Grazing land could be used for
better purposes, like feeding Bosnia.”
Charlotte describes herself as “a picky eater,” a label that would fit many
teens. “I don’t really like fruit or vegetables,” she says. “No mushrooms, eggplants
or any of that kind of stuff—anything that looks funny.”
Although Charlotte gave up a meatless diet last year—she says it was a pain
at school—all her friends are vege tarians.
My son Jonathan Levy, a senior at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, also
has a number of vegetarian friends. “The idea of eating an animal always
I blame it on
the rain fo re st .
www.voiceofthehill.com 13
seemed weird to me,” he says. He has
been a vegetarian for three years.
Both he and Charlotte say their
friends give many reasons for not
eating meat: Some do it for health
reasons, some to lose weight, some
to “be cool,” some because they’re
really “crunchy” (defined as “believing
in animal rights and g ranola”)
and some just don’t like the taste of
meat.
The American Dietetic Association
has said vegetarian diets can be
healthful and nutritionally adequate
when “appropriately planned.” And
there’s the rub. Teenagers aren’t big
planners.
Parents’ biggest concern is often
the nutritional adequacy of their
child’s food choices. The key is variety
—plenty of fruits, vegetables,
leafy greens, whole-grain products,
nuts, seeds and legumes. Some vegetarians
will eat dairy products and
eggs.
But Charlotte Oman is not the
only teenager who’s a picky eater.
My son, for example, will not eat
any food that has even touched
tomatoes, spinach or eggplant. He
used to rule out peas, mushrooms
and zucchini but now says, “I can
live with them in small quantities.”
Or, “I can always pick them out.”
This leaves what I call the white
diet—cheese, pasta, bread (no whole
grain), ice cream, eggs, butter, potatoes.
This cannot be good for a g rowing
boy. But this is sometimes easier
to hear from a nutritionist than your
mother. Doctors can refer parents to
nutritionists who deal with teen vegetarians
or the American Dietetic
Association (1-800-366-1655) will
suggest a registered dietitian.
L i ke all teens, ve g eta rians have particular
nutritional needs. The ye a rs
b et ween 13 and 19 are a time of
t remendous physical change and
grow th. The biggest nutritional conc
e rns for teen ve g eta rians are prot e i n ,
calcium, iron, and vitamin B-12 .
In addition to milk, cheese and
eggs, sources of protein for vegetarians
are beans, breads, cereals, nuts,
peanut butter, tofu and soy milk.
Calcium intake during adolescence
establishes bone integrity for
life. Half the adult skeleton develops
during the teen years as well as 15
percent of adult height. So if teen
vegetarians don’t eat dairy products,
they can get calcium from green
leafy vegetables such as spinach, collard
greens, mustard greens and kale,
almonds, sunflower seeds, calciumfortified
orange juice and soy milk,
and, for those who eat fish, canned
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14 www.voiceofthehill.com
mended that a food containing vitamin
C be eaten as part of a meal to
increase the amount of iron you
absorb.
Vitamin B-12—important to the
nervous system and production of
red blood cells—can only be found
in animal protein. Vegans who eat
salmon and sardines with bones
Teenagers—particularly girls—also
need iron. Without red meat, other
iron sources must be found. Foods
high in iron include broccoli, watermelon,
spinach, raisins, black-eyed
peas, blackstrap molasses, chickpeas
and pinto beans. It is also recom-
Vegans
These are the strictest g roup. When
my son told me he was going vegetarian,
he softened it by saying, “But
don’t worry Mom, I’m not a vegan.”
Vegans eat no animal products or
byproducts. So no milk, no eggs, no
leather.
Vegetarians
These folks eat no meat, poultry or
fish. Some are lacto-vegetarians who
eat dairy products, ovo-vegetarians
who include eggs and lacto-ovo-vegetarians
who eat both.
Pesco- and pollovegetarians
This is not an uncommon group for
teens. They eat fish and chicken,
respectively, but no red meat.
Semi-vegetarians
I have heard some teens describe
their diet this way. It means they
pick and choose, but probably don’t
eat red meat … much.
Black Bean Chili
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 red pepper, diced
no dairy or egg prod -
ucts will need to add
it to their diet. The
vitamin can be found
in some cereals such
as Grape Nuts and
some fortified soy
milk.
The Vegetarian
Way: Total Health for
You and Your Family
by Virginia and Mark
Messina—nutritionists
who are vegetarians
—is a good source
for more specific
guidance on vegetarian
nutrition. The
book also includes
sample menus and
recipes. The Messinas
urge parents to support
their teen’s vegetarianism
and occasionally
to make vegetarian
meals for the
whole family. They write, “Teens
have a lot of things on their minds.
Generally, planning well-balanced
meals isn’t one of them. If you want
your vegetarian teen to be healthy,
you may need to pitch in …” Me and
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begins March 29)
and full semester classes in
all the arts for all ages
Call for Entries:
Sights and Sounds:
Still Life and Food
a new publication of
poetry and photography
Entry deadline: March 3
Call for more information
Capitol Hill Art
League
Gallery Talk: Mirror
Images
Thursday, March 2,
7:30 p.m.
Films on the Hill
REMEMBER LAST
NIGHT? (1935)
Friday, March 10, 7:30
p.m.
Theater Alliance
Children's Production
How to Eat Like a Child
Opens March 24!
www.voiceofthehill.com 15
4 teaspoons ground cumin
12 teaspoon cayenne
1 4-ounce can mild green chilies
3 16-ounce cans black beans
1 can yellow corn (or Mexican
corn) packed in water
2 bay leaves
1 cup vegetable broth
Salt and pepper
Heat oil in large pan over high
heat. Add onions, garlic and red
pepper and cook, stirring occasionally.
Add cumin, cayenne and
green chilies. When onions are
soft, about 5 minutes, add blac k
beans, corn, bay leaves and vegetable
broth. Bring to boil, reduce
heat to simmer and cook at medi -
um heat uncovered for 30 minutes.
Serve with sour cream, grated
Monterey Jack cheese, and
chopped fresh cilantro. Serves 4.
Vegetable Stir Fry
You can use whatever vegetables
you like for this recipe. Cut vegetables
in small pieces so they
cook quickly. Stir-fried vegetables
should be al dente—tender but
crisp.
14 cup plus 6 tablespoons vegetable
broth
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 cups broccoli flowerets
1 cup sliced carrots, cut 1/8” thick on
the diagonal
1 cup snow peas, halved widthwise
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 14-ounce package firm tofu, cut in
14” cubes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups bean sprouts
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Pepper
Combine 14 cup vegetable broth, garlic
and ginger in a wok or large skillet.
Simmer for 2 minutes over moderate
heat. Add broccoli, snow peas, carrots
and onion. Cook, stirring, over moderately
high heat until vegetables get
slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Add
tofu and soy sauce. In small bowl,
mix remaining 6 tablespoons broth
with cornstarch. Add to wok mixture
and simmer until sauce thickens and
vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Add sprouts and vinegar and
toss. Season with pepper to taste
Serves 4.
Bonny Wolf is working on a book about
the Eastern Market. If you have infor -
mation you would like to share with her,
please e-mail bwolf@his.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
401 M Street, SW 2400 14th Street, NW 725 8th Street, SE
202-554-8840 202-986-7360 202-547-6540
Washington, DC Washington, DC Washington, DC
Besides being sort of famous, in a modest
C a p i tol Hill way, another thing I love
about my job writing this column is how
many of my questions come from people I
run into at parties, around, in the car...In this age of
E-everything, good old ear mail is alive and well on
the Hill! Of course, the bad thing is that I forget
half the questions people ask me...but here are a
couple of “ear mail” questions, beginning with one
that some people asked me at a Preservation Café. I
gave ’em a card and told ’em to call, but they
haven’t—it is a question worth answering:
Dear Judith:
Our house has some kind of hardboard siding on
the back that is more or less disintegrating. Any
suggestions? We’d like to stay away from vinyl and
aluminum. After all, that’s why we’re here and not
in Burke….
CURIOUS AT THE CA F É
Dear Curious:
My partner told me about a fiber-cement product
that is being recommended by the Histo ri c
Preservation staff downtown (who will review your
building permit application if it includes any exterior
work). It looks like wood siding but is noncombustible.
This is a nicer looking and non-toxic
version of the ubiquitous cement asbestos siding of
the 1920s and 30s that was so durable that it is still
with us.
The fiber cement siding is called “Hardiplank,”
comes with a fifty year warranty, and is manufactured
by James Hardie, 1-800-9-Hardie. Basically
this new stuff is made of Portland cement, sand,
and some natural fibers. Sounds pretty durable,
doesn’t it?
(No, I do not own any stock in the company.
Also, I have ne ver actually used the material itself
but have specified it for a Capitol Hill project that I
hope to have under construction very soon. I will
let you know how that goes…).
Hardiplank comes in smooth and various fake
“wood”-like textures: I recommend smooth. It also
comes in different “exposures” (that is, the amount
of siding that is visible, versus that total siding size).
I recommend the smallest exposure of 5”. The really
big exposures mostly look like you’re trying to
save money and, it seems to me, have scale problems.
They look too big on our little buildings.
Dear Judith:
We just bought our th re e - ye a r-old a wood bed
frame/head and footboard with some kind of clear
finish. It looks to us like it is thirties-era and we were
wondering if there is anything toxic in the finish.
TEETHING ON FOURTH STREET
Dear Teething:
Part of my job as an architect is to be a generalist
and to know who to go to for authoritative answers
to questions I’m not qualified to answer. So, when
I called up env i ro n m e n tal consultant Mark
D’Ascenzo to ask him about an asbestos inspection,
I asked him about the finish. He told me he has
heard of cases of lead being present in clear finishes
like varnish or shellac although he’s has never run
into it. He thinks the likelihood of finding lead at
the level that is regulated (you will find traces of
lead in almost all paint, but it is below the threshold
that is currently regulated) is very very slim.
But, if you ’re really wor ried, you can have it tested
by an environmental lab.
Dear Judith:
That top round thing on the last post on our iron
front steps is loose. It’s attached to a long rod that
tapers to a point that my kids claim is a sword.
What is this, and should I be worried?
NINJA MOM
Dear Mom:
Our cast iron front stairs/stoops are examples of
n i n et e e n th century indust rialized pre f a b ri c a t i o n
technology. They consist of a number of relatively
standardized parts that ar rived on the site as pieces
and were bolted together. The long rod attached to
that round piece once had a threaded end that went
through the bottom step and secured the post,
called the newel, to the step. With time and water,
that rod has rusted through, so now your newel
post is attached to the bottom step only by rust.
You should worry about this. If someone slips and
knocks the newel loose as they fall you could have
both an injured person and shattered cast iron.
Have it repaired.
The repair is actually pretty simple. Your ironworker
should take away the loose piece and attach
a new stainless steel rod, th readed at the end.
(When this very thing happened to our stairs last
year, I put a piece of aluminum foil over the open
end on the post so if it rained the water wouldn’t
have a superhighway down the hollow post to the
same location where it had rusted before.) Then
your ironworker will come back and reinstall the
piece, rebolting it to the bottom step and you can
figure that newel is good for another hundred years!
If your ironworker suggests welding the newel
post back to the bottom step, thank him for his
efforts and call someone else. Our cast iron should
almost never be welded, and an ironworker who
doesn’t know that shouldn’t be trusted to work on
your antique newel!
To prevent water penetration again at this location,
or anywhere else on your stoop and stair,
examine it carefully. Anywhere you see loose rust
16 www.voiceofthehill.com
Ask Judith
THE ORNAME NTAL GARDEN
garden revitalizations • streetbed plantings • urban gardens • maintenance
KIM BRENEGAR
202 x 544 x 7831
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 •
Ceilings • Concrete • Roofing • Fences
General Cleaning and Repairs
Windows • Appliances • Blinds and Shades • Linoleum Tile •
Hot Water Heaters • Exterminating • Landscaping
202 398 7117
use a wire brush to brush it away. Paint the location
with a rust converter, then use an exterior caulk to
fill any open joints, holes or the like. Now you can
paint.
Even if you’re not up for a complete repainting
job on your stoop, do this interim job and you can
wait another year or two for the big job.
Dear Judith:
Our contractor said he’d get the permit. Today we
got a big thing stuck to our door ordering us to stop
work. Now what?
SINGING THE B LUES
Dear Blues:
Ever heard “The check is in the mail?” or “I have a
nice bridge for sale?”
Ask your contractor, nicely, if he neglected to
post the permit he got, but be prepared for the possibility
that he didn’t get one. Oops. Now you must
get a permit before you can begin work again.
If the work is on any part of the exterior of your
house, it will have to go th rough Histo ri c
Preservation review. If your house is already occupying
sixty or more percent of the lot—or forty percent
if it’s semi-detached—and you are adding to it,
you will need to get a zoning variance, often an
eight-month process. If that’s the case, let’s hope
you haven’t already torn down the back wall...
Once you get your building permit—a piece of
pink paper about 4” by 8 1/2”—don’t forget to post
it prominently, usually in a front window, so everyone
knows you’ve got it.
Dear Judith
Our bed’s old head and footboard have several different
wood veneers, but the veneer is damaged in
some places and the clear finish is sort of rough and
lifted. Can we just paint it? Will the paint adhere to
whatever that finish is? How do we know what it is?
RUBY AND RED
Dear Ruby and Red
No, you can’t paint it and that is that.
(After my principal squeeze and I graduated from
www.voiceofthehill.com 17
Thinking of Taking that Big Step…
Get a seasoned pro behind you!
Over ten years experience selling real estate,
both residential and commercial pro p e rties.
LARRY CHARTIENITZ Pardoe/ERA
(Direct) 202-546-7000 x 228
(Cell) 202-255-3731
E-mail: larrychartienitz@pardoe-capitolhill.com
Licensed in DC, VA and MD.
For all your real estate needs, call
undergraduate architecture school we bought an
old house with four other recent graduates and
then proceeded to undo the icky accretions of
decades. I spent more hours than I care to think
about removing old paint from old trim that had
been painted and painted and painted. After that
sad experience, I have resisted temptation to paint
wood—and, especially an old piece of furniture on
which some original designer or builder created
patterns in different woods. It seems a shame to
paint something like that. If you want painted, why
not buy a steel bed that needs paint to prevent corrosion,
or that knotty pine stuff that is sold unfinished.
If you’re dying to paint and stencil, do the
walls—or maybe a border on the floor…)
As for the rough finish, from your description, it
sounds like the original finish has alligatored with
time. When an old clear finish, usually shellac or
varnish, yellows or alligators, it is time to refinish.
But fir st you want to know what the finish is: varnish,
shellac, or lacquer.
We have developed a sophisticated finish test kit
for the office consisting of cans of lacquer thinner
and of alcohol. If the finish is either varnish or shellac,
the alcohol will dissolve it allowing you to get
the old finish off. If it is lacquer, it can be removed
with lacquer thinner. Now a new finish can be
applied.
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.
Washington cab drivers, those philosop
h e rs without port folio, have
d e s c ribed the city’s fear zones, and
Capitol Hill is one of them.
Just try to get a cab here and you’ll see what I
mean. They (the cabbies) just don’t like us, and as
we travel east wa rd, away from the comfo rt i n g
bosom of the Capitol Dome, the dislike becomes
intense.
While you are waiting on Pennsylvania Avenue’s
icy granite curb, the cabbies— scores of them—are
waiting in long queues at Union Station for the
dream fare. They don’t want us. What
they want is a nice long trip out to the
suburbs.
This is why I was careening through the
night during the millennium snowstorm
w i th a dist raught neighbor biting her
t e eth. An imp o rtant law ye r, she had
called a cab to her Capitol Hill house—
mansion would be a better word—and the
cab never came. By then it was too late for
the subway. She had to make a plane to
give a speech and in desperation called a
neighbor—me. At the airport, a vast line
of cabs sat idling, their windshield wipers
beating wetly against the spitting snow.
Now, thanks to the outspoken Sandra Seegars,
the woman who came within a few signatures of
ousting the ruffian former Mayor Marion Barry by
recall petition, the fear zones are out in the open.
The cabbies say they are terrified of “Southeast,”
which for us is a fine part of the city, and they are
terrified of black youths dressed in the popular
“gangsta” garb.
When Seegars said this in public, and as a city
official—a member of the DC Taxicab Commission
—there was a minor outcry. The mayor piously
scolded her, disavowing such sentiments from the
Tony Williams regime. I suspect if Seegars had been
white, she would have been dismissed—and probably
rightly so, in the weird double-speak of this
city’s racial politics.
That’s beside the point—what is important is the
attitude of the cabbies and why that attitude
exists.
Though it is true that driving a cab in the city can
be risky—and recent assaults and killings underscore
that point—it is also true that what cabbies
really dislike is poor people, and crime gives them a
decent cover.
Poor people seldom tip well, and can seldom
afford the long rides cabbies prefer. They are almost
never headed for the Willard Hotel, Potomac or the
airport. In fact the poor taxi rider has a 50 percent
chance of asking for a destination far, far from the
cabby’s happy hunting ground.
But let’s look for a minute at the strange relationship
between cabbies, the poor, and the concept of
taxi transportation being a “public service.”
First: Most cabbies are not rich themselves—ipse
loquitur—as my lawyer neighbor would put it.
Second: Cabs in Washington are a poor economic
choice. Take my trip to the airpor t: Metro, $1.80.
Cab, $13. That kind of multiple greatly weakens the
“public service” aspect of the Washington cab. It is
a posh service, it is carriage trade, it is vastly more
expensive than the bus or the Metro. For a poor person
to be taking a cab, he’s got to be either desperate
or a little bit crazy or disabled.
T h i rd: Cabbies, like the butlers of long-gone
wealthy families, have taken on the attitudes of
their employers—the well-heeled big tipper headed
to a fine hotel. Cabbies, as their recent comments
during the Seegars’ blowup reveal, are social and
economic snobs.
Let’s take the “public service” thing a bit further.
Restaurants also provide “public accommodation,”
and a long and honorable battle was fought to
extend that accommodation to every American.
Yet where is the outrage at restaurants that require a
coat and tie, or “proper attire?” Could the “gangsta”
dressed youths enter these dining rooms with
impunity? I suspect only with a lawyer or a film
crew in tow. Yet we’re meant to be outraged when
cabbies pass them by.
On the other hand, there’s a free market aspect to
be honored here. If you want to go to the fine
restaurant, you don the tie. It’s a subtle part of the
social contract. Therefore if you want the cab to
stop, you wear the tie and maybe carry a briefcase.
You want the service, the cabbie wants the tip.
Many blacks argue that even with the tie, they
get passed up. This—not the “gangsta”
dress issue—is a legitimate gripe by the
riding public.
Also legitimate is the gripe by many Hill
residents that cab queues are seldom filled
with waiting cabs on the Hill’s business
c o rri d o rs: Pe n n s ylvania Avenue, 8th
Street SE, and Massachusetts Avenue. The
situation has been so bad that at least one
restaurateur on Pennsylvania Avenue has
used his own car to get patrons back to
“civilization” after dining.
Why don’t they like us? Beyond the
issue of rich and poor, black and white,
the Hill has a “short haul” problem. I’ve often seen
cabbies react with ill-disguised disgust when asked
to travel from Union Station to a Hill address. From
the cabby’s point of view, he’s waited an hour in
line to take a $3.50 fare. The same applies to the cab
called to a Hill home for the trip to the station or
airport or Metro rail stop—it’s not great business for
them.
Is there hope? Yes, and it’s in the works. If a cou -
ple of New Jers ey entre p re n e u rs get the ri g h t
approvals, a new jitney system of shuttle buses that
will concentrate on commercial corridors will provide
short trip transportation and bridge the gap—
social and financial—between bus and Metro and
the upscale only cabbies.
Charles Hentz, who runs such a jitney in Atlantic
City is pitching it here. It would run from Union
Station to the Washington Navy Yard, and from
Union Station to downtown (to name only the
most Hill-oriented routes now being planned). The
rides would cost $1.50 irrespective of length.
Where, you may well ask, did Hentz hatch such a
scheme? It was here on the Hill. He was taking his
grandson Matthew Ec ker to watch the U.S. Marine
Corps Parade at the Barracks at 8th and I Streets SE.
When the famous show was over, he walked out to
the street and tried to hail a cab. Then he started
calling. “I called 20 cabs. Nobody showed up,” he
said. Ipse Loquitur.
Duncan Spencer is a regular columnist for the Voice of
the Hill and The Hill newspapers.
18 www.voiceofthehill.com
Spencer Says
The Hill’s a Cab Desert
And Here’s Why
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
Ed Dillon’s not sure exa c t ly how old
Grubb’s Pharmacy is, but he knows it’s
been a pharmacy for over a hundre d
years. He also knows that at around the
turn of the last century the place was
owned by a fellow named Randal. That’s because
Randal’s niece, Goldie Humphrey (who was 101
when she passed away), gave Ed a photo of the front
of the store that dates back to 1895. Randal and several
employees are standing under the awning that
once sheltered café tables that were set out in the
summertime. The drugstore used to have a pretty
fancy soda fountain.
Ed thinks there were several owners between Mr.
Randel and Charles and John Grubb who bought
the store in about 1932. There were also a lot of
pharmacies on the Hill early in the last century.
Many were still around when Ed took over the business
in the late 1960s. Ed says, “Jimmy T’s used to
be a pharmacy. There used to be one at 2nd and
Constitution, one at 7th and Maryland, another
where Antiques on the Hill is. There were probably
10 or 12 pharmacies in this fairly immediate area,
one on just about every corner.”
In the past few years Grubbs has gotten increasingly
involved in helping customers with vitamins,
herbs, diet counseling and non-traditional medications,
in addition to dispensing prescription medicines.
We said to Ed that it seems he’s returning to an
earlier time, when pharmacists played a much more
active role in the health of the customer.
Ed: You know, that’s what’s remarkable. I would
say about 90% of the stuff they did back then was
prepared on site, or made from natural ingredients.
They made tinctures—like belladonna…
Voice: Isn’t that what you use to do in your mother-
in-law?
Ed: Yeah, I guess. But it has a bunch of other uses.
It can be used as a cardiac regulator, but at the same
time it has digestive uses. Back then they would
actually get belladonna leaves, put them in a glass
tube—what they called a percolator—extract the
active ingredient, and use it as a tincture.
It used to be that the doctor would tell the pharmacist,
here are the four things I want in my prescription…
and the pharmacist would prepare it.
Voice: When did that change?
Ed: Early in the 20th century—when the first
major pharmaceutical companies started up. What
they did was to take some of the guesswork out of
p re p a ring medicines, sta n d a rdize things. They
made tablets, prepackaged medications—they really
weren’t into research. In the beginning, I think,
pharmacists really looked forward to the change
because you could clearly prepare more prescriptions
if some were prefabricated—tablets that you
simply had to count.
Voice: But over the years pharmacists seemed to
do less….
Ed: I think the real change in the pharmaceutical
industry was when the first antibiotics came out, in
the late 30’ early 40s. Penicillin was something that
there was no alternative to. At that point manufacturers
realized that if they did research—if they did
discover Penicillin—that there was a huge market,
and an enormous amount of profit. So from the
40s until really about ten years ago that was the
cycle. More and more was manufactured and the
pharmacist did less and less compounding, less and
less consulting. He re a l ly became “count, pour,
stick and lick.” You know, we’d put stuff into a container
and put a label on it.
Voice: Which brings us back to the future doesn’t
it?
Ed: Yes, now we’re seeing changes. We’re trying
to be involved with the patient, to talk to them
about the whole concept of their health. What we
try to do is merge the two things together. We’re
n ot abandoning our traditional practice. What
we’re trying to do is expand it to include all the
other things.
Voice: That’s pretty different from count, pour,
stick and lick.
Ed:We think the advantage of having a pharmacist
is being able to talk to the patient about the
medication first of all, and then also to be able to
talk beyond the medication. When someone comes
in with a prescription, that prescription is designed
to cure a specific illness, or treat a specific problem.
There may well be underlying problems that make
the patient or individual prone to the disease or
condition.
Voice: Like what?
Ed: Like chronic allergies. You keep coming in for
steroid nasal spr ays—and that’s going to help you.
But if you’re allergic to something, it makes a helluva
lot more sense to find out what you’re allergic to
and treat the underlying allergy, as opposed to relying
on medication.
Voice: Are you saying that sometimes doctors will
prescribe something for an allergy without looking
www.voiceofthehill.com 19
Business Bits
G ru b b ’s Care Pharmacy Heads
Back to the Future
Randal’s (aka Grubbs) Pharmacy, ca. 1895
mentation. When Pauling first began talking about
the benefits of vitamin C, a lot of the medical community
said this guy’s a quac k. Now everyone says
vitamin C will boost the immune system—and the
immune system is one of the body’s pri m a ry
defenses against a whole host of diseases.
Voice: There does seem to be increasing acceptance
for altern a t i ve medicines, even those th a t
seemed fairly “out there” just a few years ago.
Ed: I think the medical community is recognizing
that things like St. John’s Wort really do work.
Voice: It’s like you’re running two businesses, a
traditional pharmacy and a vitamin store.
Ed: Rather than say we have two separate businesses,
what we’re trying to do is combine the two
so that when people come in, and are talking about
herbal medications, and they’re diabetics, we say
‘well there are certainly things to help you but
there’s a point where you’re going to have to go to
the traditional medical community and utilize
insulin shots, and monitor your blood glucose.’
Voice: So lets talk about diet and supplements.
Ed: I think the old adage, we are what we eat, st i l l
counts. You have to fuel your body in a proper way.
You can get your car to run on ke rosene for a while
but it’s going to be spitting and jerking and not ru nning
ve ry well. Then you put super octane gas in and
it runs smooth and you get better mileage. You can
function on peanut butter sandwiches and ch o c olate
milk, if th a t’s what you want, and you could
p ro b a b ly live a re a s o n a b ly long life, but the qu e st i o n
is…. will you be operating at peak efficiency?
Voice: Why not just go to a vitamin store?
Ed: When you go to health food stores, or to
someone that is strictly in the natural line, they
tend to close their eyes—just like the traditional
medical community has closed their eyes to the
value of natural supplements. There’s no reason
why someone shouldn’t be able to use the best of
both worlds. We have professionals on staff that
not only understand the products, they also understand
the implications the products are going to
have on your total health; we can address your
needs if you’re diabetic, overweight… whatever.
Voice: You would also, if they were regular customers,
have records of their prescription medications.
Ed. Absolutely right.
Voice: You’ve installed a software program that
gives a description of the various vitamins and
nutritional supplements, tracks the research that’s
been done on those supplements, and suggest s
dietary changes. How does that work?
Ed: What we do is a customized analysis of your
nutritional needs. We sit you down and ask your
age, sex, exercise habits, specific health problems,
and general state of health. We ask if you smoke or
take oral contraceptives. We talk about stress and
your job, your lifestyle.... Then we produce an optimal
nutritional plan for you. The plan shows how
much calcium you should get everyday, how much
vitamin C, how much B.
The next thing that we can do is have you bring
in a list of everything you ate over a three-day per iod.
We punch it into the computer—this thing
even has a McDonalds menu. Then we take your
optimal nutrition chart and compare it to what you
ate. Let me tell you. You get frightened when you
see this stuff.
Voice: I think I’m pretty typical of most people. I
sleep through the nutrition stuff. I just want to
know how can I rev the energy—and lose weight.
Ed: I know that! I know that. But as a wise man
once said, if it was easy everybody would be doing
it. There are simple solutions. But the simple solufor
the cause?
Ed. I won’t say that. If you go to a top allergist,
they will. But traditional medicine is designed to
treat sick people and make them better. Not necessarily
to keep healthy people well. Maybe that’s a
simplification, but not many people go to the doctor
when they’re well. We tend NOT to say, OK
we’ve cured that sinus infection, what can we do to
prevent you from getting another one?
Voice: Need I ask why?
Ed: It used to be you had a family physician you
went to, and they knew you, and they also had time
to sit down and talk to you. If you were the last
patient of the day you might get a 20-minute office
visit extended to an hour. Today, with managed
care, physicians are really being hammered with
how much time they can spend with an individual
patient. With some managed care organizations
you might not get to see the same physician all the
time. You may never see the same physician twice.
Voice: So, in a way, you’re filling that gap….
Ed:We’ll talk to people, we’ll make recommendations,
but if we think there’s a serious medical condition
involved, we’ll say ‘here’s information, talk
to your physician, see what he or she thinks about
this and we’ll go from there.’
Voice: How is it that you’ve gotten into vitamins
and nutrition in such a big way?
Ed: I know—I have seen—alternative medicine
work. I’ve always had a strong belief that there is a
great deal to natural health and vitamin supple-
20 www.voiceofthehill.com
Frager’s Tr u e Va l u e
1101-1115 Pennsylvania Ave.,SE • Washington,DC 20003 • Phone 202-543-6157 Fax 202-543-9048
Hours Monday-Friday 7am - 7pm • Saturday: 7am-5:55pm,Sunday: 8am-5:00pm
Grubbs Pharmacy today.
tions require discipline and require long-term commitment.
There is no magic bullet, no Penicillin for
weight loss. You’re right, it is the most common
question…it’s real simple. Change your diet, exercise
and change your lifestyle.
Voice. How about high protein and other popular
diets?
Ed: Diets where you lose weight very very dramatically
work because you’re starving yourself.
You can do that. Lock yourself in a room and just
drink water. Boy, watch the weight come off.
The fact is all diets are based on eating fewer calories.
You know, you can eat tropical fruit all you
want and what happens is you get sick of eating
tropical fruit so you only eat so many calories. Or
you eat just bread, or just protein. Just carbs. Some
of these diets deplete the body to the point where
you might be in some nutritional danger. You may
look thinner, feel lighter, but if you’re destroying
your immune system are you really benefiting yourself?
If all you’re doing is eating steak, and you’re
doing without fresh vegetables, where are you getting
your B vitamins from? Where are you getting
your vitamin C?
Voice: Can we stick with the losing weight part?
Ed: I know this isn’t the answer you’re looking for
but th e re ’s re a l ly only one way to lose we i g h t .
That’s to eat fewer calories than you burn.
Voice: sigh
Ed: The difficulty is that we have the caveman
complex built into us. When we start to eat less, our
bodies say there’s a famine coming, lets turn down
our metabolism so that we won’t starve to death. So
what happens is you’re eating fewer calories and
you’re gaining weight.
Take the reverse of this—a football player, Howie
Long was an example. This guy should be burning
maybe 3,000-3,500 calories a day. He’s bigger than
you and can eat more. In training camp he would
eat 20,000 calories a day and lose weight.
Voice: 20,000!
Ed: 20,000. He’d sit there and eat steak after steak,
mashed potatoes, chocolate milk shakes. What’s
happening is he’s burning fat and building lean
muscle mass. And his metabolism is at such high
rate that he’s burning it as fast as it goes in.
Voice: So the idea is to build the muscle to burn
the fat.
Ed: A 150 lb person with 20% body fat might
burn 2000 calories a day. A 150 person with 10%
body fat ratio—more lean muscle—is gonna burn
2300 or 2400 just sitting here.
www.voiceofthehill.com 21
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Voice: And, of course, more exercise is key.
Ed: Look at guys who dig holes for a living—now
I’m not talking about the guy who’s leaning on the
shovel—I’m talking about someone who takes the
shovel and digs 8 hours a day. There are no fat ones.
They’re all in good shape. It almost doesn’t matter
what you eat because the exercise alone will burn
the calories.
Vo i c e : You do have these energy boost e rs
though….
Ed: Oh yeah! There are things.
Voice: Oh yeah! Tell me about them….
Ed: There are enzymes that help in the digestive
process. Think about the way the body works. You
take in food—in whatever form—and sooner or
later the body breaks it down. We actually burn it,
like an engine… and the energy from that burning
process makes the body run. So if you can find
something that turns the heat up a little bit, even a
slight amount, it’s gonna help.
Voice: Can popping vitamins take the place of
proper diet?
Ed: I’m a strong believer that it’s better to eat the
n a t u ral food than to ta ke a supplement. Eve n
though we don’t sell carrot s — we sell beta -
carotene—ideally you’d be better off eating a carrot
than taking a capsule. However, sometimes that’s
impractical—if the amount of beta-carotene you
need is contained in 12 car rots, you might get tired
of chewing.
A nutritionist said, the closer to the ground the
healthier the food is. The prettier the package, the
easier to open, the worse it is for you. If you want
good food, pull a carrot out of the ground, wash the
dirt off it—maybe don’t even wash the dirt off, it
might be healthy for you—and eat it. When you get
to these individually wrapped little nibbles, and
they’ve got maybe some fancy cellophane around
them, I guarantee you, those are poison.
Voice: The more you process the food the worse it
is?
Ed: Pull the carrot out of the ground and eat it,
it’s great. If you boil it, you lose something. If you
chop it up and put a sauce on it you lose something.
And if you buy it in a can with a whole bunch of
syrup, it might taste great, but you might as well be
eating cardboard with sugar sprinkled on it for all
the nutritional value you’re gonna get.
If you want to lose weight and feel better. You
have to think about it. Make it part of your consciousness.
Think about it every time you put something
in your mouth. Subway has a great commercial.
They show you a Whopper and it has something
like 30 grams of fat. You can buy a 6-inch
Subway sandwich that has less than 6 grams of fat.
That’s a pretty good-looking sandwich, and healthier
eating.
Ed Dillon
Grubbs Care Pharmacy
326 East Capitol St., NE
543-4400
Capitol Hill Brokers Council Installs New Officers.
The Capitol Hill Brokers Council held their annual
installation luncheon, celebrating the association’s
newly elected officers, on Thursday, February 3rd at
Caffe Italiano.
Bert Planagan, of Pardoe Real Estate, will serve as
president. Maria Strylowski is vice president. Cathy
Cormack and Nancy Richards share the duties of
secretary, and Bridgette Cline is the treasurer .
The guest speaker at the luncheon was John
Imparato, Director of Information Management at
the Washington Navy Yard. Imparato is supervising
the $200 million renovation of the Yard, which will
Old fashioned service with a smile at Grubbs.
allow the population to double—to approximately
10,000 individuals—by 20001. He discussed the
construction within the Navy Yard, as well as the
plans that public and private developers are putting
in place for the surrounding area.
Hill’s First Million Dollar Home Sold. While we’re on
real estate, the top edge of home prices on Capitol
Hill has finally tripped over the million-dollar
mark. The property at 712 East Capitol, was listed
by Phyllis Jane Young of Pardoe Real Estate, and
sold by fellow Pardoean Hugh Kelly. Says Phyllis, “I
am delighted to be a part of such a milestone for
Capitol Hill. This community has been the sleeping
gem of Washington for a long time. What makes it
even nicer is that a family that has lived on the Hill
for over 20 years bought the house. They understand
what a unique and wonderful property this
is—and what a unique and wonderful community
Capitol Hill is.”
Celebrating Women. The Color Me Human Players
h ave been entertaining Wa s h i n g ton audiences
with original productions since 1979. This March
th ey’ll be in perfo rmance eve ry Sunday, at th e
ch a mpagne bar/bist ro, Ellingto n’s on 8th. The
series, titled “Woman: Her Essence, Her Beauty”
was put together in honor of National Woman’s
Month and each week something different will be
performed between 5 and 6PM.
The full schedule was not finalized at press time
but booked for certain is fo rmer va u d ev i l l i a n
Deborah Dell Branham, who’ll discuss her experiences
as a black woman on the vaudeville circuit.
She’s slated for the March 5th opener, and will
s h a re the stage with the Play m a ke rs Re p e rto ry
C o mp a ny, local kids who’ll perfo rm Afri c a n
A m e rican Fo l k-Tales. We ’re told that oth e r
evenings will fe a t u re poet ry readings, dra m a t i c
monologues, and musical perfo rm a n c e s .
Admission is $10. Ellington’s on 8th, 424A 8th St.,
SE 546-8308.
New Directions in Watercolor. Opening February 27
at the Newman Gallery, a new exhibit featuring 7
watercolorists who’ve been collaborating on the
creation of this show since 1998. The artists met
eve ry Fri d ay at 8AM at the Lost Dog Café in
Shepherdstown, Virginia. After coffee they’d go off
to spend the morning painting at the Antietam
Battlefield, along the Potomac River, on a nearby
farm or roadside, or indoors in poor weather.
Over the months, the artists moved away from
t raditional tra n s p a rent wa t e rc o l o rs, st ret ch i n g
toward more experimental uses of the medium,
and more abstract designs. The results will be on
view at Newman’s through March 25, with an artist
re c e ption on Sunday, Fe b ru a ry 27 from 3-5PM.
Newman’s is at 513 11th St., SE. 544-7577.
Coming this Summer, the Union Veterinary Clinic at
609 2nd Street NE, will be catering to dogs and cats
of all spots and stripes. Sadly, we still don’t have a
local vet for our elephants and donkeys.
Bruce Herwald DVM of the top rated Dupont
Veterinary Clinic will be opening a new full-service,
state-of-the-current-art, practice with surgery, hosp
i talization, dentist ry and boarding. Herwa l d ’s
associate, Julie Giles DVM, who is well known to
many Hill dwellers, will be in charge of the new
facility.
Herwald says that he and Giles felt there was
“considerable demand from our Hill clientele to
come and set up an office here.” Right now they’re
still in the design phase. Herwald’s working with
Hill architect Stan Andrulis to completely renovate
the 3-story building and put an addition on the
back. When it’s finished, he says, “it’ll be a pretty
buff joint.”
In the meantime both Herwald and Giles can be
22 www.voiceofthehill.com
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Caffe Italiano’s classic Italian-European cuisine, quiet, romantic
atmosphere, extensive & reasonably priced menu, provides the
ultimate in dining pleasure. Private parties catered on or off
premises. Ask about our “after hours parties,” perfect for birthday
and anniversary celebrations, jazz parties, and fund raisers!
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GI A N N I N A LY N N
ATTORNEY AT LAW
General and Family Practice
Estate Planning • Probate • Domestic
Relations • Real Estate • Equine Law
Licensed in the District of Columbia and Maryland
1008 Pennsylvania Ave., SE (202) 544-2200
Washington, DC 20003 Atty_Lynn@Sprynet.com
reached at 466-2211. (Thanks to Sharon Isch for the
heads-up on this!)
Our Town, Inc is a Hill-based firm that works with
companies that are moving people into the area to
find “best-fit” neighborhoods for the newcomers.
One aspect of that business—customizing tours,
seminars and events for agencies and businesses
that need to promote the region to out-of-towners
—recently landed Capitol Hill in the limelight.
The Hill was showcased as a “neighborhood in
detail” for a tour given to business development
officials from 19 jurisdictions in the gre a t e r
Washington area. Our Town’s Patrice Henkel says
they took the group around the Capitol and “the
official, monumental Hill.” Then they toured the
neighborhood, and Eastern Market—a visit filmed
by Channel 8 News, who showed the segment on
their evening broadcast.
For more info about Our Town, Inc, call Patrice
Henkel or Scott Stafford at 546-9335.
Itty Bitty Rumor Mill. Not confirmed at press time:
That 7-11 will be taking over the One Stop Food
Shop on 8th St., SE (returning to a space they left
some years ago); that a new bike shop may be moving
into the Met ropolis space; that the sale of
Sherrill’s Bakery is days from being final; and that it
looks like Giorgio’s on 7th Street is about to change
hands.
Business Bits is written by Voice of the Hill editor
Stephanie Cavanaugh
Coming soon…a new option for Fido.
www.voiceofthehill.com 23
Motophoto
666 PA Ave.,SE 547-2100
See our ad on page 13
Picture Framing
Frame of Mine
522 8th St.,SE 543-3030
See our ad on page 7
Newman Gallery and Custom Frames
511 11th St.,SE 544-7577
See our ad on page 29
Plumbing & Heating
Leakbusters Plumbing & Remodeling
202 544-5000
Real Estate
Valerie M. Blake
Prudential Carruthers Realtors
5025 Wisconsin Ave,NW 202-362-1348,x111
www.DCHomeQuest.com
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
Jackie von Schlegel
REMAX Real Estate
220 7th St.,547-5600
Antiques
Antiques on the Hill
701 North Carolina Ave.,SE
See our ad on page 26
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 14
Association
CHAMPS
621 PA Ave.,SE 547-7788
Bank
National Capital Bank
316 PA Ave.,SE 546-8000
See our ad on page 29
Books
Capitol Hill Books
657 C Street,SE,544-1621
Good Used Books Bought & Sold. See p. 43
Riverby Books
419 E. Capitol St.,SE 547-3228
See our ad on page 42
Chimney Cleaning
Winston’s Chimney Service
Washington DC (301)571-8546
See our ad on page 24
Church
Christ Church Washington Parish
620 G St.,SE 547-9300
See our ad on page 41
Clothing & Gifts
Art & Soul
225 PA Ave.,SE 548-0105
See our ad on page 22
Red River Western Wear
641 PA Ave.,SE 546-5566
See our ad on page 22
The Village
705 N. Carolina Ave.,SE 546-3040
See our ad on page 37
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 14
Garden and Landscape
Holler Landscapes
543-5172
Ornamental Garden
544-7831
See our ad on page 16
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 20
Health & Fitness
GI Jane
645 Pennsylvania Ave.,SE 547-7906
See our ad on page 26
Home Furnishings
Woven History
311 7th St.,SE 543-1705
See our ad on page 27
Home Repair
Federal City Iron
321 K St.,NE 547-1945
See our ad on page 24
Handyman on the Hill
Washington DC 206-7185
See our ad on page 25
H&W Contracting, Ltd.
398-7117
See our ad on page 16
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 9
Pet Supplies
Doolittle’s Pet Supply
224 7th St.,SE 544-8710
See our ad on page 21
Photography
Asman Photo
924 Penn. Ave,SE 547-7713
See our ad on page 11
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 fol -
lowing 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:____________
Phyllis Jane Young
Pardoe Real Estate
605 PA Ave.,SE 546-7000
Real Estate Settlement
Capital Home Title
703 D St.,SE Washington DC 544-4300
See our ad on page 24
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 29
Restaurants
2 Quail
320 Massachusetts Ave. NE 543-8030
See our ad on page 13
Banana Café
400 8th St.,SE 543-5906
See our ad on page 21
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream
327 7th St.,SE 546-CAKE
See our ad on page 26
Bluestone Cafe
327 7th St.,SE 547-9007
See our ad on page 15
Caffe Italiano
1129 PA Ave.,SE 544-5500
See our ad on page 22
Ellington’s on 8th
424A 8th St SE 546-8308
See our ad on page 18
Hawk ’n’ Dove
329 PA Ave.,SE 543-3300
See our ad on page 27
Business Serv i c e s
continued next page
24 www.voiceofthehill.com
Business Serv i c e s
Las Placitas
518 8th St.,SE 543-3700
See our ad on page 25
Park Café
106 13th St.,SE 543-0184
See our ad on page 37
Sheridan’s Steak House
713 8th St.,SE 546-6955
See our ad page 7
White Tiger
301 Mass. Ave.,NE 546-5900
See our ad on page 33
Salon
RPM Salon
225 PA Ave.,SE 543-6481
See our ad on page 24
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
Edmond Burke School
2955 Upton St.,NW 362-8882
Levine School of Music
2801 Upton St.,NW 686-9772
St Peter’s School
422 3rd St.,SE 544-1618
Spiritual Advisors
Corrin Bennett
920 G St.,SE 543-5825
See ad on page 28
Gabrielle Hill
639 E. Capitol SE 544-438
See ad on page 28
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 28
Winston’s
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Expert second opinion
Air duct cleaning
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Other Settlement Locations
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Window Bars & Security Gates
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www.voiceofthehill.com 25
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St. Coletta School Quits Quest to
Build on the Hill
And It’s Pretty Ugly All Around
Here’s hoping that by the time you read this, everyone
involved will have calmed down, rethought,
and ironed out their differences. As of this writing,
the only point of ag reement is that it is sad that St.
Coletta School has abandoned plans to build a new
facility on Capitol Hill.
St. Coletta is an Alexandria-based school for children
and adults with physical and mental disabilities.
Since many of the individuals that the facility
serves live in DC, school officials decided to build a
District branch in the 1200 block of Pennsylvania
Avenue, SE. Then the plans ran into a little opposition
from the Capitol Hill Re sto ration Societ y
( CHRS) and DC’s Histo ric Pre s e rvation Rev i ew
Board (HPRB).
The difficulty was not with the design, though
both CHRS and HPRB wanted to see some modifications
to make it more compatible with Hill architecture.
The foment was over the little “shotgun”
house on E Street, SE, and the removal of the garage
behind it, so that St. Coletta could use the alley as a
school bus entrance.
St. Coletta was adamant that this was the only
plan that would work. The children need a protected
entrance so they can’t dart into heavily traff
i cked Pe n n s ylvania Avenue. The Re sto ra t i o n
Society was equally set on protecting the dwelling.
Now suddenly it ’s all over. St. Coletta has folded
its hand and the school’s executive director Sharon
Raimo says they’ll be looking for another property
in the District to develop.
A number of events over the last two we e ks
brought matters to this unfortunate point.
Sparks began to fly over Brian Furness’s editorial
in the February issue of the Restoration Society
newsletter, which was posted to the Voice of the Hill
website on February 7th.
Furness, the president of CHRS, said:
“Capitol Hill is about many things, and one of
the things we’re about is history...Historic structures,
both grand and humble, contribute to a sense
of who and what we are by preserving what we’ve
come from. This is what we’re about in the dialogue
regarding the “shotgun” house, the small house in
the 1200 block of E St., SE that St. Coletta has proposed
to demolish to build a dri veway for th e
school building it wants to build on Pennsylvania
Avenue.
...I hope that neighbors are as outraged as I am
that the owner let the property deteriorate as the
pictures on the Voice of the Hill’s website so g raphically
show. The deterioration is not accidental-it’s
purposeful. It’s the same approach that the owner,
Larry Quillian, used a bunch of years ago when he
bought the pro p e rties in the 1200 block of
Pennsylvania Avenue. When he couldn’t use the
buildings as he wanted because of the legal limitations
imposed on using buildings in an historic district,
he let them deteriorate and then, successfully,
got a permit to demolish them. It’s called demolition
by neglect.
So now he’s let the shotgun house become a
blight on the neighborhood, an eyesore-all of the
things the neighbors claim-and now he wants to
reap the rewards. Great! Does this send a message
that we want to send other developers? Let your
property deteriorate for a couple of years (or as long
as necessary) and wait for the neighbors to be willing
to accept anything just to get rid of it?
Some neighborhoods—and neighbors — h ave
fought this kind of behavior when it is practiced by
the city, or by private owners... Ask the scores that
testified at Councilmember Ambrose’s hearing on
nuisance properties! And the legislation she has
proposed, the legislation that would force owners
to preserve their properties or risk having the city
do it at their expense, languished befo re th e
Council. It’s a scandal!
The shotgun house case certainly underlines the
need for such legislation, and for stronger neighborhood
pressure on property owners to maintain
their property. Would anyone be defending tearing
d own the house if it had been pro p e rly maintained?
If it had been preserved in a fashion that
reminded us of our origins as a community instead
of our failings? Maybe. It is much more likely that
the neighborhood would be pressing for a solution
that preserved our past and helped ensure that the
adults and children served by St. Coletta get the
attention and education they need. I think that
such a solution is possible and that finding it is an
endeavor worthy of the talents the St. Coletta team
has brought to the rest of the design problems it has
faced.
And after all, what heritage is it that we leave our
children if we destroy our past to build a driveway
or a parking lot?”
Anyone who has been following the St. Coletta
story would do a double take after reading this editorial.
Sharon Raimo has publically stated, numerous
times, that St. Coletta will restore the original
portion of the shotgun house.
Her response to the editorial blazed onto the
Voice website, “I have just read Brian Furness’s take
on the shotgun house controversy. No matter how
many times I say that St. Coletta has ag reed to keep
the historic portion of the house, the restoration
folks act as if they have not heard me. Enough
Already! We will keep the house, we will restore the
house... We are being more than reasonable. We
just don’t want to keep the 1938 addition which
actually alters the house so that it is no longer a true
s h otgun house...and we do not want the 1917
26 www.voiceofthehill.com
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garage that was refurbished in the 1950’s. That is
what the fuss is about. It’s time for the restoration
folks to be as reasonable as the school has been.
We’re done making concessions.”
But Furness says that “there was no formal agreement
with CHRS.” He doesn’t know if one was
agreed to with HPRB.
From here matters deteriorated quickly.
Dick Wolf, past president of CHRS phoned the
school and asked to see the past three years tax
records. Wolf says “I did this on my own initiative,”
not as a member of the Restoration Society. “I felt,”
he said, “that St. Coletta had misrepresented some
things in the ad that appeared in the [January issue
of the] Voice of the Hill.” He was particularly conc
e rned about St. Colet ta finances; would th e i r
“financial situation allow them to be flexible in
building, or would they make an argument that
moving the bus access would be cost prohibitive.”
Raimo, in an ad that appears in this issue of the
Voice of the Hill, says that Wolf asked for the tax
re c o rds, and that he was “enraged” about St .
Coletta’s ad in the January issue of the paper; a letter
soliciting community support for the project.
Wolf, she says, felt her letter “suggested a cabal
between CHRS and HPRB.”
Then Raimo found out that St. Coletta was an
agenda item for the February 15th CHRS meeting
and was furious that she was not invited to the
meeting.
Furness explains that “this is a board meeting,
not a general membership meeting...St. Coletta is
on the agenda along with Bryan School, Lovejoy
School, and Kentucky Courts. It’s included as part
of a committee report like the minutes, the treasurer’s
report, and House Tour organizing.”
Finally, Raimo received a phone call at the school
on Saturday, February 12. She says the “caller, a
male...asked where a non-profit got the money for a
full-page ad. He went on to say, ‘You whores over
there got that money from your pimp, (and he
named the property owner).’” That same afternoon
she announced the cancellation of the building
project.
Furness denies that CHRS was responsible for the
call, and regrets Raimo’s decision to cancel plans to
build. “We take no joy from St. Coletta pulling out.
We just need to sit down and talk. There were possibilities
to work something out. It’s a good project in
an area that desperately needs something done.”
But Raimo claims she was never given the opportunity
to address CHRS, and that—at root— the
fuss has nothing to do with the shotgun house. The
school had the misfortune of getting mixed up in
an ancient CHRS vendetta against property owner
Larry Quillian who, she says, is being vilified “with
such venom that it spills over on anyone who associates
with him.”
Quillian agrees. He sent the following letter to
the editor of the Voice as soon as he heard that St.
Coletta was pulling out:
“Now that the Capitol Hill Restoration Society
(CHRS) has intimidated St. Coletta off of Capitol
Hill, it’s time to set the record straight.
I own the land that St. Coletta School was going
to build on—and CHRS hates me.
CHRS hates me because, for decades, they have
unsuccessfully demanded that I bankrupt myself by
treating the buildings on my property as “Living
Museums” (CHRS’s words).
CHRS hates me because, after th ey drew th e
boundary of the historic district specifically to stop
me from developing my property, I did not restore
those buildings to their originally built condition.
For the record: I assembled this property before The
Historic Preser vation Act, and for the specific purpose
of development. When I bought the buildings
one was seriously damaged by fire, while others
were vacant and vandalized. None of the ones that
have been torn down could have been economically
saved—I would gladly be collecting rent on them
if I could.
CHRS hates me because I publicly offered to GIVE
them ALL of the buildings so that th ey could
restore them. (I did ask that they pay fair market
rent on the land under the buildings—that was fair,
wasn’t it?) But CHRS refused to accept the buildings,
and they hate me for embarrassing them by
making the offer.
Now CHRS has blocked the development of the
St. Colet ta School for handicapped ch i l d re n
because they hate me.
CHRS must, at some point, and in the immortal
words of our last mayor, “Get over it.” They must
put the best interest of the community above their
bitter hatred of me, and allow development of this
property.
Incidentally, and again for the record: I was born
and raised in DC, lived most of my life on Capitol
Hill, built and restored dozens of buildings here
(twice winning awa rds for outstanding re sto rations),
am a member of CHRS, a founding member
of the Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and
P ro fessionals (CHAMPS), and have most of my
assets invested in the Capitol Hill community-so
who are these people who are saying that I don’t
have the best interest of the community at heart?
CHRS has been attacking me by name for years (I
guess every organization needs a boogeyman to
keep the faithful riled up)—but they are the ones
who are blocking St. Colet ta from building a
school!”
So that’s it. Though everyone says it’s regrettable,
it’s over. And everyone, including the neighborhood,
is a loser.
w w w, vo i c e o fthehill.com has had a point/counterp
o i n t - st yle posting area set up since late December.
Included are fo rmal statements from HPRB, CH R S
and St. Colet ta, along with an area for reader comment.
That section remains open so that you can
read the statements or continue the discussion.
Filling the Gap
New Retail Construction Planned at Eastern
Market Metro Stop
CapHillLLC, a development company that owns
the Payless Shoes and Last Stop for Jeans buildings
on 8th Street, SE, has received approval from the
Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) and the
Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS) to build
5,000 square feet of new office and retail space in
the parking lot on D Street that faces the Eastern
Market Metro Plaza.
www.voiceofthehill.com 27
A rchitect Allen Neyman, of NS Architects in
Silver Spring, had originally proposed a row of onestory
brick buildings for the location. This concept
was rejected by both CHRS and HPRB, who agreed
that the buildings needed to be appear more “substantial.”
The newly approved design st ri kes a middle
ground. The facades of the red brick buildings will
be the same height as the adjacent Victorian row
houses—but the second floor, with its row of seven
windows and deep metal cornice at the roofline,
will be false.
Maurice Kreindler, manager of the project, says
he’s not yet sure what if anything will be visible
through the second floor windows. It’s possible the
treatment will be similar to another structure with
a false upstairs around the corner at 417 8th Street,
just above Pizza Boli (bet you never noticed that).
As for tenants for the new storefronts, Kreindler
says “We think it will be ideal for service-type users
like a tax preparation service, a copy shop, a barber
shop, a nail salon or a cyber cafe or coffee bar/donut
shop... any retail user that appreciates our proximity
to the Eastern Market Metro stop.
The developers expect to have building permits
in hand shortly, and begin construction in May.
Kreindler says, “with a little luck we’ll finish the job
by late September.”
In addition to this project, CapHillLLC is seeking
a zoning variance to add 300 sq ft to a building that
they’d like to construct in the space between the
Last Stop for Jeans and Popeye’s on 8th Street.
Under current zoning regulations th ey are
required to keep the building size to 830 sq ft,
w h i ch is extre m e ly small for a retail space.
Kreindler says, “without a zoning exception we
p ro b a b ly will not build on the lot because th e
building would be so small that it probably would
not be cost effective to build.”
Developers Present Plans for
Kentucky Courts
Mixed Income Townhouses,Homeownership
N e a rly 100 residents showed up at Pay n e
Elementary School on C Street SE the evening of
February 9, to hear presentations by two companies
that have submitted proposals for the redevelopment
of the Kentucky Courts housing project-and
the order of the evening was, don’t panic.
Ke n t u cky Courts has two sections, the now
closed family units that front on Kentucky Avenue
at C Street, SE, and several low rise apartment buildings
for seniors that are located a block away, at
approximately 13th and D Streets, SE. In between
the two sections are single-family homes.
When the family units were closed in 1996 for
housing code violations it was the intention of
housing receiver David Gilmore to rehabilitate the
existing property and restore it as low income housing.
The neighborhood protested. Kentucky Courts
had long been a major trouble spot for drug dealing
and violence, and a rehab just promised continued
p roblems. Wi th the help of Councilmember
Sharon Ambrose, the neighbors prevailed. It was
decided to seek a developer to create mixed income
housing on the site.
L a st night Ambrose said she was extre m e ly
pleased with how hard the DC Housing Authority
(DCHA) had worked at scouting out developers. It
was not an easy task given the mixed income
requirement, the relatively small scale of the project,
and the awkwardly shaped and spaced lots.
Ambrose said that the all she kept hearing was,
“Sharon, it’s just too small.”
Jessica F ranklin, DCHA’s project manager introduced
the developers saying “Don’t be alarmed.
Don’t be upset by what you hear.” Part of the selection
process, she explained, is for the developers to
demonstrate how they’ll work with the community.
The designs, she emphasized, are preliminary,
and can be modified to suit the neighborhood.
The first pre s e n tation was by Innova t i ve
Development Solutions (IDS), their development
p a rt n e rs, the Community Pre s e rvation and
Development Corporation (CPDC), and architects
Sorg and Associates. Andy Botticello, president of
IDS, said that the team had carefully studied the
market and the area, and determined that the existing
buildings demonst rated “st ra i g h t fo rwa rd
incompatibility with the community.” He emphasized
that it is “critical that the design be well
thought out, and well done.”
Their proposal includes demolishing all buildings
and creating a range of housing styles for a
range of incomes. The family housing project on
Kentucky Avenue would be replaced with 3-story
townhouses with first floor apartments. Each unit
would have a deep front garden, spacious back yard,
and rear parking.
The senior housing would be replaced with an
84-unit condominium, styled to look like townhouses,
some with private entry from the street.
Prices would range from $125,000 to $275,000.
To keep the community mixed, assistance would be
available for low-income purchasers that passed a
screening process.
The re p re s e n ta t i ve from Sorg and Associates,
architects for the project, stressed their awareness
of the variety of housing styles on the Hill and their
intention to “custom design houses that will relate
to the neighborhood.”
SDS Group LLC, the second presenter, is a collective
of eight different firms including developers,
architects, designers and planners. Consultant Ed
Batal was the executive director of the Ellen Wilson
Development Corporation, the organization that
redeveloped the Ellen Wilson housing project and
created the mixed income new townhouse community
near the SE Freeway between 6th and 7th
Streets, SE.
Project Director Sandy Marenberg said that his
group proposes to replace the Ke n t u cky Court s
family units with 52 townhouses, each with a 1st
floor flat that could be made handicapped accessible.
There would be a 20-foot setback from the
street, 32-foot deep backyards, a rear alley system
and parking.
Cecily Bedwell, the architect, said her intent was
to “preserve the streetscape,” and design buildings
that reflected the “elegant” houses in the neighborhood
with their tall windows, and cornices.
M a renberg said that the units would be less
expensive than their competitors. The beginning
p rice, for one of the ground floor apart m e n t s ,
would be $89,000. The top price would be $280,000
for a 3-story townhouse with a basement rental
unit. Assistance would be given to qualified lowincome
buyers. Purchasers, said Marenberg, could
select from an array of upgrades in carpeting and
appliances, like “any suburban options.”
The deve l o p e r’s intent, he said, is to attra c t
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off without a falter, and the extraordinarily focused
cast managed to make the intricately staged production
flow effortlessly. Not an easy task in a play
that has 82 characters played by 9 people, who are
each called upon to make lightning swift changes
of personality while negotiating a multi-leveled set.
Spoon River Anthology, which was published by
Edgar Lee Masters in serialized form between 1914
and 1915, is actually not a play at all—though it has
been staged many times before. It is a collection of
the (fictional) recollections of the residents of a
small Illinois town. Each of the memoirs is a monologue,
and none has a happy ending—being as all
of the characters are dead. But Masters shows that
there are many ways to reach the end. Some people
have a rompingly good time getting there, others
don’t.
The Theater Alliance cast did a uniformly fine job
with a complex production that called not just for
the ability to quickly describe a new character without
benefit of costume change, but a way with
melody, spoken and sung, as well. Scenes were setup
by the cast performing as a Greek chorus. Other
times they sang—quite enchantingly—the traditional
hymns that were selected for the production
by Music Director Jeffery Watson.
Stephen Jarrett, who directed this production,
did a tremendous job of choreographing the show,
making excellent use of the marvelously decaying,
m u l t i - l evel graveya rd set designed by Elizabeth
Baldwin. Dan Covey designed the evocative lighting.
“Primary Colors”
Art League’s Latest Show Drenched in Bright
Pigment, Political Rhetoric
BY KRISTEN HARTKE
Hot on the heels of the New Hampshire primary,
the Capitol Hill Art League perks up an otherwise
frozen Washington winter with its new exhibit,
“Primary Colors”. The show, which opened with a
public reception on February 3rd, plays on two
themes-politics and bold color. Many of the pieces
that the artists submitted are filled with both patriotic
and political overtones (it is, after all, an election
year), and seriously saturated colors.
The result is an exhibit that is bright and witty,
featuring a wide variety of paintings, photography,
and mixed media work by Washington area artists.
David Evelyn’s take on the “See No Evil, Speak No
Evil, Hear No Evil” theme won a Best in Show
young professionals to homeownership, and create
new homes for residents that are in “housing that’s
old and requires a lot of maintenance.”
The SDS group does not propose to tear down
Kentucky Cour t’s senior buildings. They intend to
modify their appearance by changing the institutional
front doors, relandscaping, and painting the
panels below the windows a “more subdued color.”
Marenberg said financing is in place and the
project can be completed within a year.
Both proposals drew pluses and minuses from
the audience during the question and answer session
that followed the presentation. The IDS/CPDC
partnership was generally praised for respecting the
historic nature of the community in the design
plans, while the SDS proposal that was displayed
was seen as “pedestrian.”
S eve ral members of the audience we re concerned
about the senior buildings and the residents
that would be displaced if the apartments were torn
down. Others felt that putting a new face on the old
buildings was just putting off replacing them for a
few years.
Another concern was that while both plans made
it possible for low-income residents to buy apartments
or houses, there did not appear to be a provision
to keep prices affordable on resale. Sharon
A m b rose said that th e re would be safe g u a rd s
against “flipping.” Jessica Franklin, in a follow-up
discussion after the meeting, said th