Voice of The Hill January 2005


This Month 
12 Sharon Ambrose Looks Back 14 ANC Commissioners Get Started, Part One 16 The Voice Takes a Look at 2004 20 The People behind the Bylines 26 Displaced at Randall 27 Inaugurations and Capitol Hill 30 William Penn House 32 John Janke, in the Thick of Things 34 Projects for Your House this Winter 36 Piñata Passion 38 Profile: Robin James 39 Profile: Kim Lamberty 40 Profile: Local Musicians 41 You, the Jury 
Departments

VoiceMail................................................3
City Desk ...............................................4
News OnSite..........................................8
Business Snapshots ............................10
Ask Judith............................................42
Designing for Hearth and Home...........44
Armchair Movie Reviews......................46
Barracks Row ......................................47
Computer Corner.................................48
Ask the Vet ..........................................50
Capital Kids..........................................56
Kids' Sports .........................................56
Community Calendar ...........................58
Horoscope ...........................................60
Classifieds............................................60
Business Services ................................61



Vol. 6 No. 10 January 2005



of 
The
Hill

VOICE	Voicemail

The Voice of the Hill is published and
distributed monthly to Capitol Hill
residences and business locations.

The focus is on the community and ...But the Sinkhole Remains Then a city council staffer confid-while a four-includes contiguous neighborhoods ed that a 'tug of war' was ensuing piece band from Gallaudet University to the To the Editor: between the mayor and the city council. played, and bal-Navy Yard and from the Capitol to This is to wish good things to Voice It seems city council was holding up a loons and the Stadium Armory Complex. writer David Francis ("VoiceMail," contract that would pay one million dol-streamers Publication and distribution is the December 2004). Francis came upon a lars yearly to rent a Maryland lot for stor-waved, we would sing "Happy Birthday" to "Baby Yugo." 
last Friday of each month.	woman who plunged seven feet after the ing abandoned autos. 
Advertising deadline is the first of sidewalk suddenly gave way to a sinkhole As pressure to get council to act, the That would be irresistible to local news the month preceding publication. underneath. He rescued her. mayor was alleged to have ordered a city channels. I intended to A) have fun, and B) embarrass the city into action. 
Voice of the Hill	Francis writes "something [needs] to slow-down on removing abandoned 
Instead, the city effectively responded, 
be done" to get the city to fix Hill sink-autos, ostensibly because they needed 
NOTE NEW ADDRESS! holes. Most readers, I suspect, agree. the space. The problem was, nobody	"He can get the National Symphony Orchestra out there, and we won't fix it. 
PO Box 15874	Perhaps the publicity he has given the could tell the difference in service. 
Washington DC 20003-0874 problem will help. However, my own I finally called a colleague who works The city hasn't the money." At least a 202-544-0703 Main office attempts to get a sinkhole fixed, failed. for a Senator with much seniority. Within city official had finally recognized our 202-318-7806 Fax "My" sinkhole began in front of the 55 minutes of my call, the city was jack-petitions, and went further by providing a reason for inaction. For once, we weren't 
Hunan Restaurant located at the corner	ing up the wagon for hauling. 
www.voiceofthehill.com of 2nd and D Streets, NE. The sinkhole Now, what (then) 6th Ward Councilman snubbed.
It's ten years later. Three mayors

editor@voiceofthehill.com	is still there today, covered with a metal Brazil did achieve was to get the city to 
bruce@voiceofthehill.com plate and asphalt. put a plywood covering over the sinkhole. came. One twice. A new century, and a patti@voiceofthehill.com The hole began modestly: merely a So I came along and rattled doors where new millennium, arrived. Within one block of the sinkhole, the 
adele@voiceofthehill.com	couple of sinking bricks. The dipping may appropriate. And due, no doubt, more to 
dave@voiceofthehill.com have been caused by a nearby spurting Brazil's continuing efforts than mine, the following happened in the decade since: fireplug which went unrepaired for city finally replaced the wet and weak-The Hunan Restaurant, with the sinkhole squarely in front of its steps, closed 
Staff	months, turning D Street into a sheet of ened plywood with a metal plate. No Bruce Robey, WebMaster ice. sidewalk repair (when you have to "go shop. Several years later, Lounge 201 Adele Robey, Design and Production By spring, the hole had grown to two back to the well," as often as council opened in its place. Last month, a fire Scott Shumaker, Editor feet across and one foot down. By sum-members do, you settle for what you can burned out the top floor directly above the sinkhole. 
Andrew Noyes, Assistant Editor 	mer, it was a yard in diameter and a yard get). 
Dave Francis, News Reporter	deep. At that point, a neighbor But a neighbor who watched the Neb's Caffé 4 Friends and The 
approached, and said, "You have experi-"repair" told me that city workers didn't Georgetown Supermarket opened one Patti Shea, Political Reporter ence. Maybe you can get it fixed." fill the hole. If that's true (and he's never and two doors away. Around the other Juilo Arguello, Calendar Editor I had done case work, among other lied), only God knows what is going on corner, the video rental business closed, 
positions, on the Hill. Harry Truman's def-underneath. Someday, someone (if we're and Capitol Nails and Capitol Barber and Publishers inition of a case worker's job was, "to lucky it will be a Senator) will step on the Styling took over its space. Phoenix Graphics, Inc. get the government to do for taxpayers plate and find him/herself several feet The Exxon gas station, directly across T/A Voice of the Hill what it should have done in the first below Second Street. Hopefully, he will the street from the hole, changed man·
agement. The Heritage Foundation, 
Distribution 	place." I enjoyed an unrealistic 100 per-be carrying an umbrella to hook on the 
beside Exxon, replaced Neil's Deli, 
Capitol Hill BID, Ready Willing and	cent success rate. Getting this sinkhole edge. 
Capitol Cleaners (and the low-rent apart-
Able, Gospel Rescue Ministries	fixed would be my first case-work failure. Because of zero communication, I 
I talked with a neighbor who had been couldn't be certain if actions city officials ments above them) with housing for its Contributing Writers dealing with city officials. "Councilman did take were a result of our combined interns, and an auditorium . Mid-block from the sinkhole, the 
S.J. Ackerman Mandy McAnally	Harold Brazil came and personally looked efforts, or not. 
Julio Arguello, Jr. Celeste McCall at it," she said. "Brazil told me, 'I'll have It was strangely comforting to know American Café emptied out its interior, Darrin Broadwater Selby McCash this hole fixed within the month or my that even council members are some-literally in the middle of the night, and Judith Capen Katie McLeod name isn't Harold Brazil.'" She noted two times treated poorly by city officials. In closed forever. Café employees knew Joanne Carey Bill McLeod months had now passed, and she my case, it took unusual action just to nothing until--at shift's end, and one Elizabeth Festa Michael Meener assumed an imposter was occupying get an acknowledgment of our request, hour before the trucks would arrive--they Dave Francis Aileen Moffatt Brazil's post. and a reason for the city's inaction. were handed pink slips. The nearby 
I wasn't so hard on Brazil. With Ralph	I had used every skill in my arsenal. Tortilla Coast said goodbye. In its place, 
Sara Fritz Linda Norton 
the Tex-Mex "Red River Grill" said hello 
Nader as my witness, I have never dealt Years of dealing with frustration had 
Joshua Gray Stephen Norton with a city where the bureaucracy is less taught me t discipline of not giving way to Hill interns who made it their after-Jeffrey Howard Patti Shea responsive to its citizens, or more to anger. I knew a Senator wouldn't call hours watering-hole. Capitol Hill Autumn Kuei Fay Singer resentful of legitimate citizen requests about a sinkhole. And no self-respecting Supermarket changed owners. 
D.Y. Leethan the District government. news director would cover the story of a The tavern, Man in the Green Hat, 
Usually a council member's position semi-stabilized sinkhole. What could be gave way to the acclaimed White Tiger Memberships wins enough respect to get action. But done? Fine Indian Dinning. La Loma opened its Capitol Hill Association of Merchants too often, they're told to 'take a number' When the third anniversary of the sink-doors to good reviews. So did Bistro 
and Professionals and stand in line behind everyone else. hole's appearance was looming, I told a Italiano. Schneider's Capitol Fine Wines Art Directors Club of Metropolitan There is an exception--if you're a U.S. staff member in Councilwoman and Spirits and the Subway Shop both Washington Senator of influence. Ambrose's office (Brazil had moved on) renovated their interiors. And Bob's Barracks Row Business Alliance For instance, the city refused to that nearby neighbors, and employees Famous Ice Cream failed, to be followed Independent Free Papers of remove an abandoned 15-foot wagon and patrons of nearby businesses, were by the success story, and instant neigh-
America	borhood favorite, Bagels and Baguettes. 
that was filled to the brim with old tires. thinking of holding a birthday party for 
But the sinkhole remains.
H Street Merchants Association	Weeks of calls to police, abandoned auto the hole.
unit, and council member's offices, pro-We had named the hole "Baby Yugo," I

duced nothing.	said, because a Yugo economy car could NEIL SCOTT fit snugly into it. We were thinking of 5th Street, NE gathering around the hole, one of us holding a candle-lit birthday cake. Then, continued on page 7 
www.voiceofthehill.com  


cityDesk

CO VERING THE HILL'S POLITIC AL SCENE AND MORE 

ALL STORIES BY PATTI SHEA 
ANC 6A Wants Store Liquor License Revoked 
Pulls Support from H Street Vendor 
ANC 6A rescinded its support of Family Liquors Dec. 9, saying it has become a public nuisance since the commission backed the vendor 17 months ago. 
Family Liquors, located at 701 H Street, NE, is one of seven H Street stores whose licenses the panel is attempting to revoke before the city's Alcoholic Beverage Control board (ABC). The commission says the vendors have either violated contracts inked with them or haven't been good neighbors. 
The ANC needed to pull its support of Family Liquors since it is now before the ABC asking that board not to renew the store's license. The commis·sion doesn't have a voluntary agreement with the store, but an attorney the panel hired is trying to hammer out a deal to ban the sale of single cans of alcohol. 
However, the issue is somewhat murky. Residents that showed up to the ANC meeting gave examples of how Family Liquors and others along the corridor have diminished the quality of life in the neighbor·hood. Those residents said they have circulated peti·tions asking for the ANC to take action. 
"I'm appalled at the number of 40s and number of vagrants that urinate on my lawn," Seventh Street resident Jason Rosenbaum said. "Take some common sense steps to improve the quality of life in our community." 
But outgoing Commissioner Wanda Stevens-Harris said when Family petitioned for its license some three years ago there was no opposition, and she chided the panel for disrupting the business now. Stevens-Harris said she held public meetings at the time. 
Commissioner Joe Fengler said in 2002 when the commission endorsed the license, "we made an uninformed, ill-advised decision," adding that most of the commissioners were new and weren't familiar with the licensing process or with the store's track record. 
"Family Liquors is a bar with the curb as a stool," Fengler said. "It is the biggest contributor of public urination and drunkenness out of all H Street." 
"This is an 'I Told You So'-type speech," said Commissioner Nick Alberti, a veteran of the panel who warned his fellow commissioners about endorsing the store. "You were right, Nick," Commissioner Cody Rice conceded. 
Rice said the ANC's policy should not be dictated just by those who show up at meetings. "This is not a matter of counting hands or counting heads. It's the matter of what is the best policy." 

In the end, the commission unanimously sup·ported drafting a letter to the ABC board to with·drawal its support of Family Liquors. 
New Clubs 
After dispelling rumors that a gentleman's club was to move onto H Street, the ANC said it won't oppose the city issuing liquor licenses to The Show Bar and The Olympic. 
The Olympic, 1206 H Street, will be an old-school sports bar with a full bar food menu. The Show Bar, 1210 H Street, about which rumors that it was to be a "strip joint" were swirling, will be a vaudeville club, complete with late 1800 circus decor, musical acts and performers who do odd things, such as lie on a bed of nails. Both establishments are owned by Joe Englert. 


Commissioner-elect Mary Beatty, who also heads the panel's alcohol licensing committee, said Englert has signed a voluntary agreement with the ANC for both clubs, which promises to pick up trash, maintain clean premises and report any ille·gal activities to proper authorities, among other things. 
Commissioner Wanda Stevens-Harris said she had concerns about drunk patrons spilling onto res·idential streets and the traffic generated by both establishments. She also said H Street doesn't need any more bars. 
One Wiley Street resident, whose home faces the back of the clubs, said she has met with Englert and toured both sites. By doing that, she said she was able to make an "informed decision" and wasn't spoon-fed potentially biased information. 
Commissioner Jessica Ward praised the projects, adding, "This is what we want on H Street," and lauded the ANC for being proactive in working with the owner. "We need more responsibly-run busi·nesses" on H Street, Ward said. 
Commissioner Nick Alberti said the H Street cor·ridor between 12th and 15th streets is zoned the Arts and Entertainment District, and both establish·ments fit in there. 
The ANC doesn't have final say over liquor licens·es. It can choose to protest or not object to a license request. Whatever the panel decides is, in theory, supposed to carry "great weight" with the city's Alcoholic Beverage Control board. 
So Long, But Not Goodbye 
The commission said so long to three of its mem·bers who opted not to run for re-election. A fourth, Colleen Harris, was elected in November 2002 and sworn in, but never showed for a meeting. 
Commissioner Wanda Stevens-Harris, who was sick earlier this year, ended a long service on the panel. "I have enjoyed being an ANC commission·er," Stevens-Harris said in her quiet voice. 
A teary-eyed Jessica Ward said the experience has been difficult at times, but worth it. "Thank you for coming together and make a difference in the com·munity." 
And new father Michael Musante didn't go as qui·etly. Musante said the community needs to work harder at being informed and not just show up at ANC meetings to complain, but become more involved. "Sorry, it's something I've been holding in for 23 months," he said. 

Commissioners Gladys Mack, Jessica Ward, Joseph Fengler, Cody Rice, Michael Musante, Wanda Stevens-Harris and Nick Alberti were pres·ent. Commissioners-elect Mary Beatty, Robyn Holden and Marc Borbely were also present. Commissioner Colleen Harris was absent. The next meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Jan. 13 at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th Street, NE. For meeting information, go to www.anc6a.org. 
ANC 6B Okays Slew of Traffic Changes Wants City to Install Crosswalks, Signals 
ANC 6B panel called for a handful of traffic changes to its roads during its Dec. 14 meeting. All proposals passed unanimously and will be forwarded to the city transportation department (DDOT) for review. Among the pro
posals passed include: 
Removal of a "No Right on Red" sign at Virginia Avenue and Fourth Street, SE. Commissioner Julie Olson said drivers bypass the intersection because of the sign down other streets, namely G Street in front of Results the Gym, where there are many pedestrians. 
Installation of a crosswalk and neon green pedes·trian walking sign on the north side of the Third and G streets intersection. There is a crosswalk on the south side of the intersection stemming from Garfield Park across to the sidewalk that leads to Results Gym, but not on the north side, which is mainly used by G Street residents. Olson said it is sometimes a blind intersection due to illegally parked cars and pedestrians sometimes aren't seen. 
Installation of a stoplight on the south side of 12th and East Capitol streets and Lincoln Park. Commissioner Ken Jarboe said speeding traffic from four main Hill arteries--Massachusetts Avenue, South Carolina, East Capitol and 11th Street--get funneled to that side of the square and endanger those trying to cross into the park. He said a child was struck in June, which prompted the city to put up neon-green pedestrian walking signs. Jarboe said the signs have failed and hears reports of near-miss-es. 
It was suggested to install a signal on the north side as well. Jarboe said it is in a different ANC, but will alert the proper commissioner of neighboring ANC 6A about what the panel is doing. 
Take out the left turn lane at southbound 17th Street and Potomac Avenue while installing a left turn sign at the same intersection for those going northbound. Commissioner Keith Smith said most drivers aren't aware that left turns are now allowed at the intersection and cut through alleyways to bypass the intersection. 

Honoring Bill 
The ANC paid homage to Hill Rag reporter and for·mer ANC commissioner Bill Van den Toorn, who died Dec. 12 of cancer. They said Van den Toorn was always the consummate professional in his report·ing and will be a missed at its monthly meetings. 
Smith Says So Long 
Commissioner Keith Smith thanked his fellow pan·elists during his last meeting. Smith opted not to run for re-election. Antonette Russell will take his place once sworn in Jan. 2. 
"I stepped into this role after seeing a need for someone to represent our community," Smith said, whose single member district was 6B09. 
Smith said development and transportation issues are the big issues facing the ANC now, and he is proud of the work the commission as a whole has accomplished over the past years, and stressed the need to protect the racially and economically differ·ent areas of Capitol Hill. 
Commissioners Will Hill, Francis Campbell, Scott Cernich, Keith Smith, Kenan Jarboe, Neil Glick and Julie Olson were present. Commissioner-elect Antonette Russell was present. Commissioners Mary Wright, Dave Sheldon, Daryl Snowden were absent. The next ANC 6B meeting will begin at 7 
p.m. Jan. 11, at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave., SE. 
ANC 6C Okays Traffic Review 
Tricky NW Intersection Needs to be Partially Closed 
ANC 6C Commissioner-elect Mike Sherman con·vinced enough panelists to OK a resolution he draft·ed to have the city transportation department (DDOT) to make the First and F Streets and New Jersey Avenue intersection safer for pedestrians. 
Sherman, who will be sworn in Jan. 2, is a third-year law student at Georgetown Law Center, which buttresses the intersection. He drafted the resolu·tion, accompanied with photos, after hearing com·plaints from students and instructors at the school about pedestrians getting hit from drivers doing illegal turns and speeding through the tricky inter·section. 

The resolution calls for DDOT to close the gap between First Street and New Jersey Avenue to stymie the number of illegal turns at the intersec·tion. It also calls for clearer crosswalks and install orange cones throughout the intersection with "Yield to pedestrians" signs affixed as traffic calm·ing measures; and the installation of a normal traf·fic light at the intersection to replace the blinking yellow light that is current there, along with a "walk/don't signal." 
After a short discussion about Sherman bringing the issue up before he officially became an ANC member, the panel backed his proposal 4 to 1. Sherman and other commissioners-elect present Lena Brown and Anthony Rivera, couldn't vote. 
Zoning Amendment Supported at Former Museum Campus 
The commission unanimously supported a zoning amendment belonging to the developer installing 500 units at the former Capital Children's Museum campus, located at Third and H Streets, NE. 
The deal requires builder Abdo Development to provide one parking spot for each unit built. The city requires one space for each four units. Abdo will also provide 30 guest spaces and Zipcar or Flex Car parking spaces, as well as bike parking areas. 
Residents surrounding the project have voiced concerns over the impact some 500 units would have on the neighborhood, which already faces parking issues. 
Among the other items listed are the establish·ment of an apprenticeship programs for hiring workers from the community and keeping the ANC fully informed of the program's success. It also asks Abdo to provide architectural lighting for the his·toric building. 
The ANC has no authority over the project, but its approval or disapproval carries great weight with the city planning commission. 
Temporary Change of Venue 
The next full ANC 6C meeting will begin 7 p.m. Jan. 12, at the Heritage Foundation, 214 Mass Ave, NE. The commission is seeking for a permanent meeting spot since it was displaced when the Capital Children's Museum closed down this fall. 
In the Zone 
Commissioner Charley Docter said the DC Campaign for Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning (DCIZ) has released a 17-page memo that would require all residential multi-family housing planned for construction in the city to have a mandatory low-income housing element for any project greater than 10 units. 
Docter said the issue will be discussed at the com-mission's next Zoning and Planning subcommittee meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 5, at National Public Radio board room, 635 Mass. Ave, NW. 
For more information, interested persons may contact Docter at docter@erols.com. 
Commissioners Mark Dixon, Daniel Pernell, Charley Docter, Robert Hall, Bill Crews and Karen Wirt were present. Commissioners-elect Mike Sherman, Lena Brown and Anthony Rivera were also present. Commissioners Bob Morris, April Hall and Lawrence Thomas were absent. The next ANC 6C meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 12, at the Heritage Foundation, 214 Mass Ave., NE. 
Baseball Stadium Sets Off Panelists ANC 6D United Over Issue, Divided Over Approach 
The baseball stadium was the center of a heated exchange at the Dec. 13 ANC 6D meeting. 
The entire commission vehemently opposes the stadium slated to go in at South Capitol and M streets, SW--should the city council finalize its deal with Major League Baseball--but it feels slighted by city planners, Mayor Williams and Ward 6 City Councilwoman Sharon Ambrose. 
Panelists said it still isn't clear if the city will use land west of South Capitol Street for stadium use, such as a parking lot. They said there are still many questions they want answered but no city official is willing to meet with them. 
Most 6D commissioners have testified before the city council against the stadium, some more pas·sionately than others. But Commissioner Andy Litsky said the panel should back off using incendi·ary language and work with city officials because the stadium is coming whether they like it or not. 
"Yes, [the stadium] is going to screw this neigh·borhood," Litsky said. "We can't sit down with them if we're always in their face." 
Litsky added that had the panel been united from the beginning, it could given a friendly amendment to a sympathetic council member to submit on their behalf. 
"We can't end up having Mexican standoffs here," he said, adding more time has been spent try·ing to remove Ambrose from office than unifying the panel to send a formal amendment. 
That comment set off Commissioner Ahmed Assalaam, who said he has emailed every uncil member about his concerns over the impact of the stadium. 
"I take this as an insult," Assalaam yelled at Litsky. "Why did you not draft [the] legislation?" 
Commissioner Mary Williams said she has worked with Councilmen David Catania, Adrian Fenty and Phil Mendelson to stop the stadium, not amend legislation welcoming it. 
"Sharon Ambrose is paid to represent us, and she's not doing her job," said Williams, who sent out a blast email to recall Ambrose. "Don't talk to me about what I have or haven't done," she said to Litsky. 
Commissioner C.W. Hargrave said the ANC needs to be unified and get caught up to speed so when stadium plans are presented, the panel can be a part of the game. 
As for Ambrose, she said she has been the subject of a failed recall before. Asked why she hasn't gone to a 6D meeting, she said, "I am not going to an ANC meeting to be shouted at. There's not rational discussion there." 
Ambrose said she has sent an invitation to meet with the commission to address their issues after Jan. 1. She did say, however, that the city will not use the property west of South Capitol Street for any stadium use. 
Waterfront Mall Update 
The commission is contemplating hiring a consult·ant to compile a benefits package for the Waterfront Mall. 
The consultant would examine the current amenities and explore added benefits for the new development, which includes multi-family housing and more than 2.1 million square feet of office and retail space. Fannie Mae will be the principal tenant in the mall. 
Commissioner Mary Williams said a benefits package could be tailored to increase the quality of life in the surrounding areas, including the estab·lishment of a community fund to go to local proj·ects, ensure construction jobs for Southwest resi·dents, not to mention the current amenities. 
"We want those amenities to remain or increase," she said. 
Williams said the main planning documents won't be available until the spring, after the sale of the mall. She added that she was disappointed because the ANC needs to have a stake in the con·struction timeline and a say of what stores will be in the mall. 
She did add, however, that two city council mem·bers promised her the ANC will get a chance to air their concerns before any plans are finalized. 
"[The council members] assured us we will have another bite at this apple," she said. 
In Other Business... 
The panel decided to send Pier 9 a letter asking it not to post signs announcing upcoming events on trees, poles or other public spaces. It had considered filing a protest with the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) board, but said it will try dealing with the bar first. 
In other alcohol-related news, Commissioner Andy Litsky said he has been working with the own·ers of Cantina Marina to work out a voluntary agree·ment banning live music at the establishment. There was a status hearing about the panel's protest against the bar on Dec. 15. The outcome of that hearing wasn't known by press time. 
Commissioners Ahmed Assalaam, C.W. Hargrave, Robert Siegel, Roger Moffatt, Ed Johnson, Andy Litsky and Mary Williams were present. The next meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 10, at the Millennium Arts Center, 65 I Street, SW. 
Patti Shea can be contacted at patti@voiceofthehill.com. 


VoiceMail, continued from page 3 
Opportunity to Help Right Here at Home 
Dear Editor: 
I was pleased to see Celeste McCall's article in your December issue about organizations that offer opportunities to help other people. I'd like to add to Ms. McCall's list the Brethren Nutrition Program, a 26-year-old soup kitchen on Capitol Hill that pro·vides a free hot lunch Mondays through Fridays for low-income and homeless people. The Brethren Nutrition Program is operated by the Washington City Church of the Brethren at 337 North Carolina Avenue, SE (near Eastern Market), and receives support from volunteers and churches on the Hill. 
The soup kitchen welcomes donations of canned goods and spices or cash donations. Each hot lunch costs the soup kitchen about $3. The soup kitchen also invites people to volunteer to chop vegetables and serve food on weekdays (the shift lasts from about 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). If you'd like to volunteer for a day, contact Quin Middleton, the director of the Brethren Nutrition Program, at 202-546-8706. 
MARY ANN ZEHR 
Member of the Washington City Church of the Brethren 
Holiday Tree Collection Set for January 3-7 
Residents who receive DC trash collection service are encouraged to put holiday trees--without orna-ments--in curbside tree boxes by Jan. 2, 2005. Trees 

will be picked up during a special one-week collection from January 3-7. 
Residents who wish to keep their trees longer should put them out at their normal point of trash collection (curbside or alley) after Jan. 7. DPW trucks will then collect the trees with the regular trash, as space in trucks permit, over the following weeks. 
NOTE: This release was taken from the DC government website. 

Port of Harlem Hosts Art Gallery Reception 
Port of Harlem magazine, in cooperation with The Graham Collection and Attitude Exact Gallery Afro·centric, will host a second art gallery reception fea·turing the work of artist Shaunté Gates (the first was in December at The Graham Collection). The quar·terly magazine will host "The Art of Shaunté Gates" Saturday, Jan. 15, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Attitude Exact Gallery, 739 8th Street, SE. 
Gates is a DC-based artist whose paintings depict a variety of themes, including family, cultural tradi·tions, and city life. At the reception, attendees can meet Gates, buy his works, and mingle. The hosts will provide light refreshments. 
Port Of Harlem magazine is an inclusive, diverse, pan-African magazine published quarterly. For addi·tional information about the event, to see samples of Gates' work, or sign-up for a free electronic reminder, visit www.PortOfHarlem.net/pohevents. html. The event is free. 
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newsOnsite

The following articles appeared on The Voice of the Hill's home page, www.voiceofthehill.com, during the month of December. Log on to find out the news that affects our neighborhood. 
Stakeholders Praise City Council Delay To Get Better Baseball Deal 
Argue Private Financing Was Needed Deal Can Moved Forward 
BY DAVE FRANCIS 
Major League Baseball in Washington seemed inevitable throughout most of the fall. The team was christened the Nationals. Season tickets and merchandise were sold. The mayor celebrated. Political pieces seemed to be in place. 
But the dramatic events of the last month threw baseball's future into doubt. An amendment cham·pioned by city councilwoman Linda Cropp (D) requiring private financing to pay for fifty percent of stadium costs, a direct violation of the agreement mayor Anthony Williams (D) struck with baseball, was attached to stadium legislation last month. MLB immediately rejected the plan. 
But a compromise was finally made under which tax receipts from big businesses and federal offices will cover stadium bond financing and the city will search for a private financier for 50 percent of the stadium costs. MLB will also cover some of the potential cost overruns under the plan approved by city council 7-6 late last month. 
MLB still has to approve the new plan. 
On the eve of the vote, and wth the fate of base·ball still unknown and District officials working towards a compromise, Voice of The Hill spoke with Ed Lazere of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, Chris Weiss of No DC Taxes For Baseball and Key Wyban, a Southwest resident whose home sits on the imprint of the stadium. All three agreed that base·ball would be benefit the city, but did not believe these benefits should outweigh the long-term financial interests of the city.   
Lazere of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, a group that studies budget and tax issues in the District, praised Cropp's amendment. More time was needed to explore private funding options, Lazere said. 
Lazere argued that after Cropp's amendment passed, Williams did not take the eps necessary to secure private financing. The mayor had explored using parking revenue and other traditionally pub·lic funding as a source of private funds. "That's sell·ing a public asset to a private company," Lazere con·tended. 
Instead, Lazere believed the mayor should have looked for a private company willing to foot a per·centage of the stadium costs or seek contributions from the team owner--in this case, Major League Baseball. 
Lazere believed a compromise would be reached over the financing portion of the stadium legisla·tion. But a second amendment which has received little attention might force a stadium to be built as a site other than Southwest. 
A "trigger amendment," which required the city to seek an alternate stadium site if infrastructure and public land use cost are more than $50 million than the budget amount could force the city to abandon its plans for a stadium in Southwest. The logical site would be near RFK Stadium, the pro·posed home of the Nationals for the next three years, Lazere says. 
"I'm skeptical that RFK was ruled out," Lazere said. "I wonder if they dismissed RFK too early. 
Weiss of No DC Taxes For Baseball, a group opposed to public financing of the stadium, also supported Cropp's move. "Her actions are going to get something," Weiss says. "It's just a matter of how much we get." 
Cropp's amendment gave the District leverage over baseball, Weiss argued. He believed MLB wants to be in DC, but Williams was too accommodating when striking the original deal. 
Chris Weiss said his group wanted the city to explore all options before entering a deal that may prove disastrous. Steps must be taken to ensure DC does not suffer if the team were to fail. The recent city council dramatics have shown MLB that DC will not back down. 
"If Major League Baseball is starting to soften, hold the line a bit harder," Weiss said. "I think [DC] can have it all." 
Ken Wyban in many ways has become the symbol of the consequences the new stadium brings. If the stadium is built in Southwest, Wyban will loose his home, a home he planned on converting to a bed and breakfast during his retirement from a lifelong career in the Army. 
His situation has drawn local and national media attention. Even ESPN stopped by for an interview, Wyban said. He believes this attention will guaran·tee him a fair price if he is forced to abandon him home. 
Surprisingly, however, Wyban supports baseball's move to the city, even if it means he suffers because of it. He believes MLB in the District will be good in the long-term, but the city should not accommo·date all of MLB's demands and must secure private funds for the stadium's construction. 
"I'm glad someone is standing up for Washington, DC," Wyban says. Unchecked enthu·siasm for baseball forced the District into its current situation, Wyban contends. Politicians were not "putting common sense in the equation." 
But Cropp's amendment forces financing issues to be explore and for the city to fully appreciate con·sequences, both positive and negative, that comes with baseball. 
"MLB has worked every angle to benefit them," Wyban says. "We get what's leftover." 
Capitol Park Apartments See Improvements Under New Management 
But Lawsuits Against Old Management Still Pending 
BY DAVE FRANCIS 
A new management company has provided some needed improvement to the quality of life of the res·idents of the Capitol Park Plaza and Twin Tower apartment complexes, according to Julie Locascio, secretary of the New Capitol Park Plaza Tenants Association. But many problems still exist, and the tenant's association will enter the newyear still engaged in a bitter legal battle with the former prop·erty manager. 
Voice of the Hill first wrote about the plight of the residents at the Capitol Park apartments this fall. Since the article's publication, the management company has changed from American Rental Management Company (ARMC) to Edgewood Management Company, according to DC Housing Finance Agency (HFA) spokesperson Tia Matthews. 
Capitol Park Plaza is located at 201 I St., SW. Capitol Park Twin Tower is located at 101-103 G St., SW. 
According to Locascio, problem at the apart·ments began when HFA provided a $30 million bond financing to Capitol Park Apartment, L.P. Among the problems identified by Locascio, listed in an HFA report and witnessed by the Voice were: pest infestation; unnecessary and unprofessional renovations done without tenant notification; lack of identification for construction workers; suspen·sion of security features; old and faulty plumbing; abandoned cars in the garage, one of which was set ablaze; water damage; extensive mold damage; holes in walls; and unpleasant scents in the base·ment, among other problems. 
Locascio says conditions at the apartment have improved under the new management. "The new management company seems better so far," Locascio says, adding Edgewood has done a better job of cleaning the apartments and instituted a guest sign-in policy at the front desk where security guards occasionally keep watch. 
But problems still persist. Two broken elevators have yet to be repaired 14 months after being destroyed by a fire. 
Despite improvements at the property, a lawsuit with AMRC over their handling of the properties continues to rage on, Locascio says, with two motions pending in front of the judge. An addition·al lawsuit against HFA is also a possibility. 
Please check www.voiceofthehill.com for more information as this story develops. 
www.voiceofthehill.com 

RFPs for Abandoned Properties Delayed Again 
But ANC Praises DC Housing Office For Accepting Community Input 
BY DAVE FRANCIS 
In the latest of a series of long holdups, two RFPs for abandoned property at 525 9th Street, NE, and 1341 Maryland Avenue, NE will be delayed past February, according to DC Housing and Community Development officials.  
But ANC officials praised DHCD for accepting community comments on the proposed use of the properties, which caused the latest delay ANC6A delivered recommendations for only the 9th Street property following contentious exchanges over the Maryland property at the committee's last meeting (see related City Desk story). 
DHCD will issue two separate proposals for the property. 
At a second DHCD-sponsored public meeting on the properties on Dec. 13, ANC6A submitted formal recommendations for how the community wants the 9th Street property. DHCD will continue to accept community comments on the RFPs until Jan. 
18. 
In a letter to housing office and at the meeting, ANC6A chair Joe Fengler said the community is requesting preference be given to: multi-family resi·dential use, noting that this use is supported by the Comprehensive Plan, the Strategic Neighborhood Action Plan and residents who live near the proper·ties; bidders with successful property and environ·mental management records; and bidders who have had success developing properties in historic dis·tricts. 
Fengler noted these recommendations had the unanimous support of the community. 
The Capitol Hill Restoration Society also submit·ted a letter encouraging DCHD to convert the 9th Street property to residences. 
"We hope the city is finally going to move on this thing and deal with this issue," CHRS's chair of planning Dick Wolfe told DHCD officials. 
ANC representatives are Hill residents asked that a community representative be appointed to the RFP board. DHCD declined to commit to such action, but promised to take the ANC's suggestions into consideration. 
DHCD did not indicate how much weight the community considerations would be given in the selection process. 
In answers to questions submitted by the commu·nity following an October public meeting on the properties, DHCD promised development would occur "within a specific time period" to avoid con·struction delays that have plagued other develop·ments on the Hill. DHCD also indicated that any residences developed on the properties will include affordable housing units. 
The RFP process began in 2003, with a local resi·dent bringing the state of the 9th Street property to the attention of DHCD. The latest delay comes as a campaign of over two years by local politi
cians and residents encouraging DHCD to rehabilitate the 9th Street property seems to be coming to a close. 
The fate of the Maryland Avenue RFP remains in limbo, with ANC6A scheduled to hear further com·munity comments on the property as its January meeting. 
Please check www.voiceofthehill.com for more information as this story continues to develop. 
Sinkhole at 2nd and F Streets, NE Filled 
But Other Capitol Hill Sinkholes Stories Emerge 
BY DAVE FRANCIS 
After almost a month, the sinkhole on 2nd and F Streets NE has been filled by the DC government. But following reports of the sinkhole, other Capitol Hill residents have notified Voice of the Hill of other sinkholes in the area. 
A few days after the hole appeared, the DC city government blocked off the area with police tape and covered the hole with large metal plates. A few weeks later, a back hoe was brought to the scene and a hole approximately 12 feet by four feet was emp·tied. Following this, the area remained blocked off for approximately a week, before the hole was filled with concrete this weekend. 
At press time, the Voice was still awaiting com·ment from the DC government on the situation (please check our website for an update). 
It appears as if the sinkhole was filled just in time for construction to begin on the planned coffee·house at the site. The property has been fenced and a sign in proximity to the site warns of construction equipment. 
The appearance of the sinkhole and 2nd and F NE promoted stories from other Capitol Hill residents. In a Letter to the Editor (see page 3), Neil Scott describes the ultimately unsuccessful process he undertook to have a sinkhole at 2nd and D Streets, NE, filled. Scott says he worked tirelessly with local politicians, but it remains covered with a metal plate. A second sinkhole was identified at the corner of 7th and C Streets, NE. 
Please email dave@voiceofthehill.com with any other Capitol Hill sinkhole stories. 
Barracks Row Heritage Trail Unveiled 
City's Third Heritage Trail Highlights History of Capitol Hill 
BY MANDY McANALLY 
The unveiling of a new heritage trail on Capitol Hill last week means tourists, city residents and community members will be have a chance to take a guided stroll through the historic neighborhoods and business districts of the Hill. It is the city's third heritage trail and features historical landmarks along Barracks Row, which date back to the area's early 19th century mili·tary institutions. 
The inauguration of "Tour of Duty: Barracks Row Heritage Trail" was held at Belga Café, one of Eighth Street's newest restaurants. On hand to dedicate the trail were a number of proponents of the project, including Councilwoman Sharon Ambrose, Dan Tangherlini from the District Department of Transportation and partici·pants in the project from Cultural Tourism DC, Barracks Row Main Street and the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, without whose work the trail would not have been possible. 
"We wanted share our love of this neigh·borhood and our appreciation for its notable and diverse history. Think of it as an insider's tour," said Nancy Metzger of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society. 
This trail has been more than three years in the making. During that time Cultural Tourism DC, Barracks Row Main Street and the Capitol Hill Preservation Society have worked through this project to preserve and promote the rich history of Barracks Row, as well as restore the part of Eighth Street, which links Capitol Hill to the Anacostia River, to its former grandeur. 


"This has been in the process for more than three years now, from research, to writing, to designing, to the bidding on and receiving of the grant from the Department of Transportation, to the installa·tion," said Bill McLeod, execu·tive director of Barracks Row Main Street. "So we're very, very happy. All 16 panels are in place and facing the right direction." 
The 16 panels to which McLeod is referring guide each visitor along the two-hour walking tour. These poster-sized displays spotted beside businesses, churches, restored buildings and homes of the Hill are mounted on sturdy stands and printed on graffiti-resistant panels. Each displays a map of the neighborhood and trail, illustrations and backgrounds of landmarks, such as the bustling commer·cial crossroads of Seventh Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, which is now the trail's jumping off point, known as the "Edge of the Row." 
(continued on page 45) 

BusinessSnapshots

BY MICHAEL MENEER 
Bistro Italiano: Serving Up Traditional Italian Food 

at 1995 Prices 

istro Italiano marks ten years of business in 2005. But co-owner Marie Tovornik said the restaurant won't be rolling back prices to celebrate. That's because the Bistro's 
prices haven't changed since the restaurant first 
opened in October of 1995. 
Tovornik and her partner Carlos Diaz are unlikely owners of a traditional Italian restaurant. Diaz is of Spanish descent and Tovornik has Slovenian ances·try. 
Diaz, 34, said he got the idea of opening the Italian restaurant after working several years as a busboy and cook at the former Café Capri (the restaurant is now the White Tiger restaurant at Third St. and Massachusetts Ave., NE) He later learned to tend bar at the restaurant America in Union Station. Originally from El Salvador, Diaz moved to the DC area as a teenager almost 20 years ago. 
Tovornik, on the other hand, has lived on the Hill her entire life. Looking out the front door of Bistro Italiano, Tovornik can see the back of the house she grew up in at 308 Massachusetts Ave., NW. The space currently occupied by the Bistro has been a deli, upholstery shop, and candy store through the years, Tovornik said. 
Tovornik was a regular customer at Bistro Italiano during the restaurant's early years. Diaz eventually hired her as a hostess, and by March 1999 Tovornik was a co-owner, having just retired as an administra·tive assistant from the Veterans of Foreign Wars. 
Despite very different backgrounds, the co-own-ers shared a common aspiration. 
"We always had a dream of owning our own busi·ness," Tovornik said. 
"'Til Cliff came," Tovornik sarcastically remarks, as she gestures to Bistro waiter Cliff Johnson. 
He's been waiting tables at Bistro Italiano for six months, and already developed a strong bond with Diaz and Tovornik, Johnson said. 
"They're like my mother and father, and this is our living room," Johnson said. He recently chose the Bistro dining room as the place to propose mar·riage to his fiancée. 
Johnson said he has worked at a lot of restaurants, and the Bistro is a genuine family and neighbor-

Owner Carlos Diaz, waiter Cliff Johnson and owner Marie Tovornik. 
hood-style restaurant. It's not uncommon for cus·tomers to stick their head through the kitchen door to say hello to the staff, Johnson said. 
The staff is a major factor in the restaurant's suc·cess, according to its owners. 
The kitchen staff, which consists of three cooks, makes a big difference according to Tovornik. 
"It's like a family," she said. 
The family also includes members of Congress, Cabinet secretaries, and White House officials. It's a place where important people feel comfortable, Tovornik said. 
"If you want to be seen, go to Monocle or La Brasserie," Tovornik said, referring to two other Hill restaurants. 
The owners are also proud of the restaurant's use of quality food ingredients. 
"We only use good stuff. You can never say we scrimp. We buy good ground beef and tomatoes," Tovornik said. 
Seafood Diablo is one of Diaz's favorite dishes. It's a medley of mussels, shrimp, calamari, and clams, served over pasta and smothered with marinara sauce. The seafood is sautéed with red peppers and garlic, which adds a unique spicy flavor to the dish, according to Diaz. 
Another favorite is the Bistro's baked lasagna, Diaz said. He said the restaurant makes 48 servings at a time, and the dish is so popular the kitchen needs to make more about every two days. 
"It goes so fast," Diaz said. 
Lasagna and tomato sauce are the only pre-made items on the Bistro menu, according to Diaz and Tovornik. 
"This is not a production line. Each order is cooked when it's ordered
. When you order the Alfredo sauce, it's made right then," Tovornik said. 
Bistro Italiano customers can enjoy the Fettuccini Alfredo for $8.95. Seafood Diablo can be found on the Bistro's "Specialties" section of the menu for $14.95. 
Priced just as they were in 1995. 
Bistro Italiano is located at 320 D St., NE. The restaurant is open seven days a week. Weekdays, lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Weekends, dinner only, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Bistro Italiano also provides cater·ing service, carryout, and free delivery. Telephone: 202-546-4522 or 202-543-2476. 
Mike Meneer is a frequent contributor to Voice of the Hill. 


World Cuisine and Catering Expanding



orld Catering and Cuisine is expanding its universe on Barracks Row. "I thought this would be a cool place if the area was ever revitalized," founder and co-owner Robert Ramsay said during a break from pre-holiday catering orders. 
Ramsay was also putting the finishing touches on a new café and bar above the gourmet catering busi·ness he runs at 523 Eighth St., SE. The main floor includes a large kitchen for the catering business, as well as retail space where customers can buy coffee, tea, pastries, and a selection of freshly made salads and sandwiches. Ramsay and co-owner Brenda Johnson said in the near future they will introduce individually packaged gourmet meals and a variety of gourmet food products. 
As for the new space, sometime in January Ramsay said he plans to install a full bar which will include a wide selection of bottled beers and micro·brews. The new space will host happy hours during the week and jazz brunches during the weekend. It will also be available for private parties. 
Ramsay and Johnson said they envision a place where a mix of people feels comfortable. The space includes café tables and wireless Internet access for people who want to work on their laptops. And for those who just want to chill, deep and comfortable couches are nestled in the back corner of the new space. 
"I want to provide a cool and comfortable place that's real eclectic and provides a wide variety of products and services," Ramsay said. 
And "eclectic" is an accurate description. Boldly painted red and yellow-orange walls convey a sense of hip warmth. The walls are adorned by a variety of contemporary paintings by local artists, including one who used to work as a cook in the World Cuisine kitchen. 
Ramsay started his catering business in 1998 after he helped open several restaurants in DC, including the Washington Chop House. Brenda Johnson recently joined Ramsay as a co-owner, following a career in acting that included a stint with the Shakespeare Theater. 
Both live on the Hill and have watched the evolu·tion of Barracks Row. 
"We've been kind of a hidden secret," Ramsay said. But with the opening of its new space, that may not last long. 
Learn more about World Cuisine and Catering at www.worldcuisinedc.com. Telephone: 202-546-9433. 
Michael Meneer writes about Hill businesses every month in the Voice. 

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Ambrose Reflects on 2004

Highlights Challenges in the Year Ahead 
Ambrose said she is aware there are ... pressing issues happening on the Hill: 
BY PATTI SHEA 
developing Reservation 13 and Waterside Mall; building the new Capital Children's Museum in Southwest; revitalizing H Street; and implementing the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative.... 

his past year was a rough-and-tumble one for Ward 6 Councilwoman Sharon Ambrose and the city council, and 2005 looks like its going to get off to a rocky start as well. 
Perhaps the biggest issue impact·ing, and even dividing, Capitol Hill residents is the baseball stadium, once thought to be installed on South Capitol and M streets, SE. 
At press time, the mayor was scrambling to find private funding after a surprise move by Council Chairwoman Linda Cropp to call for 50 percent private financing, instead of the proposed fully-public funded $400 million stadium the mayor was pitching to Major League Baseball and its overlord, Bud Selig. 
In an interview on the morning of "the vote," Ambrose, a big stadium backer, was confident of the prospects of baseball officially mov·ing back to the District. 
However, Ambrose said she is aware there are other pressing issues happening on the Hill: developing Reservation 13 and Waterside Mall; their say on the board. "We need to debate with the residents and local In general, she likes how Ward 6's building the new Capital Children's make sure we have the right combi-leaders of Southwest. four ANCs are operating. She sup-Museum in Southwest, while con-nation of folks on that board," she Ambrose agreed with the city that ports the north side's effort to ban serving the old one in Northeast; said. the shelter at Randall was no longer the sale of single alcoholic beverages revitalizing H Street; and implement-As for the Waterside Mall, she said needed and backed a deal to sell it to along H and 15th Streets, NE. ing the Anacostia Waterfront there are a lot of issues to smooth out the Corcoran Museum. Part of the She also said she is going to press Initiative (AWI), to name a few. with Fannie Mae, the mall's main building, known as the Millennium the Justice Department to OK a pro-

"As a whole, it's very hard to keep tenant, and the site owner, who	Arts Center, currently serves as an art vision that would require the city to 
on top of all it," she said.	intends to build more than 2.1 mil-studio and school. notify residents that it plans to lion square feet of office space, com-"I actively urged its closure," she install group rehabilitation homes in bined with multi-family housing and said. "We don't need anything else." residential neighborhoods, among 
Hurdles in 2005 
Hurdles facing Ambrose in 2005 retail stores. "We have to keep our	other city-sponsored projects. This issue has greatly impacted the north-
include a battle with the federal gov-	eye on this one. There's room for Hot Water in Southwest 
ernment over its reluctance to turn	some glitches there...There are a lot 
It's this action that has her in hot ern area of the ward. over the some 60 acres on East of things that we have to work out," water with Southwest's ANC 6D. At a A bill was introduced and passed recent meeting, two commissioners muster in a council committee, but 
Capitol Hill known as Reservation she said.
13, which includes the defunct DC However, the main issue worrying said a recall effort needs to be started was later pulled by Councilman
General Hospital and prison. The city most Southwest residents is the con-against Ambrose, who they say hasn't David Catania after it was said the
wants the deed to the land so it can tract with the area's only grocery addressed their concerns, namely mayor's office would veto it.

sell it, but the government isn't	store, Safeway. Ambrose said she is about the shelter closing and the Ambrose said the attorney general's

handing it over. Ambrose said DC working with the grocery chain to "dumping" of a baseball stadium "in office is reviewing the bill.
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton assure its store a smooth transition their backyards." "I am going to continue to push it.

isn't going to give up.	during construction. "It's not going "I have been the subject of an The mayor's office isn't happy with

Ambrose also said she was going to to work if they don't want it to	unsuccessful recall effort before," she it. They say it will slow down the said, adding that she has asked to process," she said with a chuckle. 
continue to push to have a represen-work." tative from the environmental and She considers getting the AWI meet privately with the commission labor camps to get a seat on the through the council and selling off after the new year. "I am not going to Patti Shea, political reporter, can be con·tacted at patti@voiceofthehill.com.
Anacostia development corporation.	the abandoned Randall School on I an ANC meeting to be shouted at. 
She has introduced emergency les-Street, SW, among her legislative suc-There's not a rational discussion lation to make sure both sides get cess. The latter is a topic of heated there." 
www.voiceofthehill.com 

Remembering Bill Van den Toorn 
BY MARK SEGRAVES 
Our community has lost one of its greatest assets in the passing of Bill Van den Toorn, and one of my favorite colleagues. Bill and I covered the same beat for several years. He was the ever-present scribe for the Hill Rag, and I the new guy at the Voice of the Hill. We spent countless nights sitting in the back row of ANC meetings or zoning hearings taking notes and sneaking out for the occasional smoke. 
Bill was a journalist from the old school. He'd been around a long time and knew who the players were before they became players. He had a knack for remembering the smallest detail from the darkest corners of our city 's history. He also wasn't afraid to ask questions that might make him look uninformed. 
This was a trait that I quickly stole from him. Too many journalists today are afraid to ask questions they think might make them look stupid. Instead they ask questions that they think will impress people, and they end up missing important parts of the story, or worse, getting the story wrong. Not Bill. He wasn't afraid to ask any question. I admired him for that. 
I recall one night I was covering some hearing that had gone on for far too long, and the commissioners had wandered so far off point that it had just become a blur. From the back of the room came a gravely voice, "I've lost track of what you're talking about, could you be more clear?" Thank God for reason, I remember thinking. It was classic Van den Toorn. 
Capitol Hill is a special place because of people like Bill. He was an impor·tant part of making the city a better place. He was a character, he was an institution, and he was my friend, and I'll miss him. 
Mark Segraves is a former Voice reporter. 






New Kids on the Block

New ANC Commissioners Get Ready to Serve 
BY PATTI SHEA 





MONG THE 
P ART ONE OF TW O 

10 newest Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners (ANC) for Ward 6 are two law students, an attorney, a non·profit executive and an advocate for DC statehood. 
Anyone who has been to an ANC 6A meeting has seen Marc Borbely in the audience, often times actively participating in the panel's discus·sions. Borbely replaces Jessica Ward of single member district (SMD) 6A06, which includes eastern bits of Maryland Avenue and H Street, NE, within the ward. 
Borbely, 31, a first year law school student, said the biggest challenge his district faces is gentrification and the rapidly changing neighborhoods. "My SMD is on the cusp--well, it has crossed the cusp already. Prices are high and the neighborhood is chang·ing color and cars." 
He said his goal is to get people to talk about these and other issues out in the open. "I want to live in a place with some economic diversity. I want to see if the community can be a force, so the market isn't the only force," Borbely said. 
Mike Sherman, down the street in SMD 6C06, agreed. Sherman said revitalizing H Street while keeping the neighborhood's characteristics is a tough challenge--one that he is ready for. 
"The ANC needs to be proactive in what viable businesses we can bring here. There needs to be innovative land use," he said. "It's really about getting the community to be proac·tive, rather than wait for businesses to come here... the ANC needs to be the motivating source." 
Sherman, a third year law student at Georgetown Law Center, led the crusade with four others to shut down a crack house on the 700 block of Seventh Street that was using near·by school kids to deliver drugs. He said maneuvering through the city bureaucracy was a feat of its own, but worth the outcome. 
"We went after the owner. We put her in a position where she had to sell," the 25-year-old said. Sherman ran unopposed for a Bob Morris' seat. 
On the southside, there are two new commissioners in ANC 6D. Max 
Skolnik said the biggest challenge facing Southwesterners is all the con·struction going on there. 
"It's pretty obvious, our district is being bombarded by some heavy duty development," he said, citing the new Waterside Mall, Capital Children's Museum and Transpor·tation Department building as exam·ples. "These things are going to hap·pen, and they have some very posi·tive aspects to them, but at the same time I'm afraid we're going to lose something from our neighborhood." 
Skolnik said the once sleepy Southwest is now in the midst of a so-called Renaissance and that could be dangerous for its natives. "If we're going to have a lot of restaurants coming in, I want to make sure I'm not  going to get priced out of where I'm living." 
Fellow Southwest denizen David Sobelsohn agreed. 
"In the next two years, residential and commercial development will pose the biggest challenge for our community. I will work to make sure this development attracts new resi·dents while improving economic prospects and minimizing disloca·tion for current residents," Sobelsohn said, more notably keeping the M Street Safeway opening during con·struction of the Waterside Mall. 
Sobelsohn, SMD 6D02, replaces 
C.W. Hargrave. 
In East Capitol Hill, third genera·tion Washingtonian Antonette Russell said the quality of life, or a diminishing one, is among her key issues. Mainly, she said the events at New Dragon restaurant, at 15th and C streets, SE, have devastated the neighborhood. 
She said an absentee property owner hasn't kept up with his end of the bargain and isn't taking responsi·bilities for the renter. Russell said someone was recently shot in the face and back there. 
"These problems matriculate," she said, adding that she would advocate suing the landlord. "We need to be civil about this and get as much done as we can first." 
Russell, a financial analyst for DC Vote, is a member of the Barney baseball season five months away, she's getting worried. 
"No one has told us anything about the parking situation at RFK," she said. "We ARE going to have traf·fic problems." 
As for being the new kids on the block, that's just fine with the fresh·men commissioners. 
"ANC commissioners deal with a wide variety of issues and appear before a broad range of government agencies. I look forward to learning from those who have more experi·ence and especially from my prede·cessors," Sobelsohn said. 
Skolnik, who said he stems from an activist family, said he wants to better Southwest, not push an agen·da. "I'm not here to launch my may·oral campaign." 
Most have pet projects that will ease them into their positions, while managing to jump some hurdles, including the ANCs influence in the community and with city officials. 
Sherman wants to build upon his success of closing down the drug houses by creating a system that tracks the problem from its inception to sentencing. He said he has devised a system that puts neighborhood impact statements on file with the 
U.S. attorney's office and has worked with a judge who taught him how to jimmy the process. 
"We're pretty hopeful that's going to work," he said. 
Borbely said he wants to start an education subcommittee inside ANC 6A, the first of its kind. Abandoned buildings--such as the abandoned Maryland Avenue fire station and vacant Miner School--are also on his list handle. 
"The ANCs in general aren't given the respect by the city," he said, adding that getting neighbors involved is key. "We need to mobilize a citywide lobby, and once they real·ize this is a vehicle available to them, it can really be amazing." 
Sobelsohn said: "The lack of power is especially acute regarding Advisory Neighborhood Commissions. ANC influence depends entirely on our ability to persuade other government decisionmakers. So each ANC must not  only struggle to arrive at a posi·tion; we must also present our posi·tion convincingly in order to have any influence at all." 
"Anybody who does this is partial·ly insane," 6D's Skolnik said. "This jobs brings a lot of demands. But  the issues we disagree over we can do in a constructive way. I'm ready to work on that level" 
The Voice will feature the five remaining new commissionerin its February edition. All ANC commis·sioners will be sworn in Jan. 2. 
Skolnik, who runs the Hill-based edu-Circle Neighborhood Association 
cation non-profit Kid Power, repre-and Capitol Hill Restoration Society. Patti Shea covers local politics for The sents a portion of western Southwest She also said traffic is among the Voice. REach her at patti@voiceof in SMD 6D01. top issues facing that area, and with thehill.com 
www.voiceofthehill.com 


tures dipped below freezing for days at a time. Backyard gardens died, 
Year-End Roundup:

and--not surprisingly--the govern·ment and local schools shut down. The Boys Town four-and-a-half-

2004 in Review

year standoff ended, as the organiza·tion realized they were not welcome in our neighborhood. On January 23, 
BY CELESTE MCCALL 	Nebraska-based Boys Town announced plans sell the 1.6-acre property at 14th and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, to Dallas-based JPI Apartment Development. The devel·opers plan to construct a four-story apartment on the site, possibly with ground-floor retail space. We later learned that a Harris Teeter super·market is planned. 

his past year, 2004, was a busy Town finally gave up and got out of the underground U.S. Capitol Visitor Led by community activists Will one for our "village." As the Dodge. Finally, 32 years after the Center, which began four years ago, Hill and Ellen Opper-Weiner, Southeast Voice of the Hill celebrated its Senators departed, Washington will dragged on with no end in sight. Citizens for Smart development had fifth birthday, political hopes again have a Major League Baseball strongly opposed the Boys Town were raised and dashed. The Hill's team--the Nationals. Their new sta-January: project, partly because of neighbors' real estate market continued to sizzle; dium, scheduled to open in 2008, Like last year, nasty weather made safety concerns. Moreover, and the Barracks Row blossomed; security will be built in Ward 6, at the edge of January headlines as snow and ice already-built complex would have checkpoints ringed the Capitol. Boys Capitol Hill....and construction of blanketed the region, and tempera-placed at-risk youths near drug-infested Potomac Gardens. After seemingly endless delays, construction finally started on Eastern Market's new Farmers Line. The old dilapidated shed was torn down and a new one was begun. In spite of the mess, weekend vendors conducted business as usual. At a cost of $537,000, the two-stage project was expected to take two months. Approved more than a year ago, the design is the work of architectural firm Heery International. 

February 
Mayor Anthony Williams' State of the District address, originally scheduled for Feb. 3 at the Lincoln Theater, was postponed for two days after yet another shooting at Ballou High School. Instead, Williams instead attended a town meeting at that troubled school. 
For his rescheduled address a few days later, the mayor spoke for 70 minutes, touting his five years of accomplishments, and vowing to continue his push for control over the city's floundering public school system, in spite of resistance from some DC Council members. 
Scott Shumaker, Voice editor since 2001, announced his decision to take a sabbatical from his position start·ing in March (Shumaker returned to the editorial helm in August). Inter·im editor was Hill resident Joe Camp·bell, who had held editorial positions for several publications. Andrew Noyes continued as assistant editor. 
Water, water everywhere....but can you drink it? Many Hill residents fret·ted as headlines screamed about lead contamination in Washington's drinking water. In response to city·wide concern, an organization called Pure Water was launched to help people stay informed, and testing kits and water filters were provided free of charge to certain residents. 

On February 15, QuinTango, a quin·tet of violins, cello, bass and piano, captured a pair of 2003 WAMMIES (Washington's Grammies) at the 18th Annual Washington Area Music Awards. QuinTango's pianist is long·time Hill resident and former direc·tor of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) Jeffery Watson. 
Mayor Anthony Williams fielded some tough questions as 300 Hill res·idents gathered at the Ward 6 Neighborhood Summit February 25. The crowd packed the gym of the Sherwood Community Center, tak·ing the opportunity to air their com·plaints about lead in the city's drink·ing water, school funding cuts and affordable housing for seniors. 
Addressing the gripes, the mayor responded, "a lot is being done but more needs to be done." 
March 
The H Street corridor continued its revitalization as Phish Tea debuted in a renovated warehouse at 1335 H St. NE. The "Caribbean fusion" restau·rant met mixed reviews, and some neighbors complained about noise, as the newcomer appeared to func·tion more of a nightclub than a restaurant. 
Meanwhile, Barracks Row (Eighth Street SE) continued to bloom. To usher in spring, Barracks Row Main Street executive director Bill McLeod organized cooking classes and other neighborhood activities, beginning with Mexican cooking demos at Alvear Studio. The sessions were con·ducted by co-owner Chris Alvear, who comes from San Antonio, and Mexican-born Francisco Pliego... Barracks Row Main Street is a non·profit organization dedicated to revi·talizing the area between Pennsylvania Avenue and M Street SE. 
On March 14, the Stanton Park Scholarship Program celebrated its 13th year with a special event at the H Street Playhouse. For the birthday observance, the organization reserved the entire playhouse for the closing performance of [Sic]. Afterwards, attendees enjoyed coffee, tea and light refreshments. 
And once again, Washington's famous cherry trees displayed their gorgeous pink color around the Tidal Basin and elsewhere, and Capitol Hill joined other neighborhoods in host·ing myriad festivities. The trees were a gift from Japan in 1912. 
April 
VOICE OF THE HILL TURNS 5! 
In April 1998, Bruce and Adele Robey--who had operated a graphics business for years--launched Voice of the Hill. The publication, which the Robeys felt filled a niche, began as a website, but soon expanded into hard copy. The community publica·tion has flourished ever since, as 
www.voiceofthehill.com  
chronicled in a marvelous article by Shirley Serotsky in the April issue of the Voice. 
Pulp, the lively gift and card shop in the 300 block of Pennsylvania Ave., SE, opened its doors, offering all manner of novelty fun items-- some a bit risque--including a impressive button collection. The newcomer is the spinoff of a Logan Circle enterprise owned and operated by Ron Henderson. The store's first two stories are retail space, and the top floor can be rented out for neigh·borhood gatherings. 
On April 1, Philadelphia Water Ice Factory arrived at 1208 H Street NE. Providing a dozen flavors of genuine Philly-style Italian ice, as well as soft pretzels, hot dogs and ice cream, the shop is the creation of Khadijah Brownson, who hails from the City of Brotherly Love. 
At the ANC 6B April 13 meeting, preliminary plans to overhaul the Eastern Market Metro Plaza were unveiled. "Everyone has a passion for the plaza," said planner Lisa Delplace, adding that beautification of the plaza is essential to continual business growth along Pennsylvania Avenue and Barracks Row. Project architect is design firm Oehme van Sweden, who also designed the World War II memorial on The Mall, which opened over the Memorial Day weekend (see May entry). The project encompasses four acres stretching from the entrance of Eastern Market on Seventh Street east along Pennsylvania Avenue past Eighth Street. Parks and covered sit·ting areas are planned for the north and south side of Pennsylvania. The project cost was not immediately determined, but designers are work·ing with Barracks Row, CHAMPS and the Capitol Hill Restoration Society. 
In other developments, the ANC 6B commission unanimously voted to rezone Medlink, located in the defunct Capitol Hill Hospital at Seventh and Massachusetts Avenue NE. The Capitol Hill Restoration Society had recommended that the site be rezoned R-5-B, which limits building heights to 50 feet. The action wouaffect the current structure, but if the building is sold and demolished, any replacement must adhere to the height limit. 
May 
Market Day went off as usual--this time on May Day. This year, the festi·val space was expanded to the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue, all the way to Friendship House, which sponsors the annual neighborhood street fair. A week later, the Capitol Hill Restoration Society's 47th Annual House and Garden Tour took place Saturday and Sunday, May 8 and 9 (Mother's Day), followed by a recep·tion at the Corner Store, 900 South Carolina Ave., SE. 
On May 4, Hill dwellers and guests gathered to recognize the three win·ners of the 21st Annual Capitol Hill Community Achievement Awards: Honorees were Linda Gallagher (founding director of the Barracks Row Main Street Project), Parker Jayne (co-founder of the Capitol Hill Chorale), and Woodruff "Woody" Price (former president of the Historical Society of Washington). 
The taping of a reality show, fea·turing longtime Hill resident Mary Rush, ended in tragedy. Mary and her family were being filmed for Cha-Ching! Money Makers, which chal·lenged "regular" folks to raise a sum of money in three weeks. At midday, May 18, Rush, a teacher at Watkins Elementary School, collapsed and died on the school playground of an apparent heart attack. A memorial ceremony was held at Watkins a few days later, and according to a feature article in The Washington Post, "Mary's death left a hole in so many Capitol Hill sub-communities...." The show aired Nov. 19 on the Discovery channel. 
On May 23, as many as 2,000 run·ners gathered at Stanton Park to com·pete in the 25th Annual 10K Capitol Hill Classic. Co-Chairs were Kristen Hartle and husband Rick Weber. 
During a gala yet solemn weekend of pomp and ceremony, the World War II memorial was unveiled on the National Mall the Saturday before Memorial Day. Thousands of World War II veterans from across the nation basked in the warm sunshine to attend the festivities and reunions. 
June 
For the first time in 31 years (the last one was Lyndon Johnson's), a presi·dential funeral took place in Washington, when President Ronald Reagan died June 5. His funeral cortege--with the flag-draped casket resting on a horse-drawn caisson-- wound through the streets of Washington and ended in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. There, the 40th President lay in state as tens of thou·sands (including this writer) waited for hours in the hot sun to file past the catafalque. 
BZZZZZZZZ. Once again--after 17 years--cicadas emerged from their subterranean dwellings to converge on the Washington area and beyond. The Hill was largely spared, however, and the red-eyed orange insects-commonly called 17-year locusts--were relatively scarce. The last time we encountered these big, noisy bugs was in 1987. 
The Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals (CHAMPS), held its annual meeting June 9 at the Marine Barracks. Membership approved the proposed slate for fiscal year 2005, CHAMPS officers and board of directors. Current president is Bill Rouchell, who operates Maison Orleans Bed & Breakfast. Rouchell agreed to contin·ue his leadership role for another year, as did vice president Kathleen Franzen, treasurer Judy Wood and other CHAMPS officers. 
July 
On July 1, a ban on using hand-held cell phones while driving in the District took effect. Officials had cited misuse of the popular devices as a major motorist distraction, which has led to fatal automobile accidents. 
In spite of an afternoon torrential downpour and tight security, locals and visitors gathered on the U.S. Capitol lawn to enjoy the annual NSO concert. The rain did let up in time for the fireworks, however. 
Although members were sched·uled to be on summer break, ANC 6B called a special meeting July 13 to approve 10 alcohol license renewals: Banana Café, Starfish Café, Taverna the Greek Islands, Finn MacCools, Mr. Henry's, Tune Inn, the American Legion post, La Lomita, Tunnicliff's and Zack's. 
Just off the Hill, ANC Commis·sioner Charles Docter announced that the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) and the Penn Quarter Neighborhood Association are pushing for more street lights along Pennsylvania Ave. NW, "to bring more life" to the area. 
Ward 6 Democrats hosted a debate July 17 at the Calvary Episcopal Church in Northeast for the four candidates for the District's At-Large city council seat. Participants were incumbent Harold Brazil and chal·lengers Alvin Bethea, Sam Brooks and Kwame Brown. Moderator was radio personality Mark Plotkin. 
At a community meeting July 27, residents clashed over the presence of the House of Ruth of Capitol Hill, a temporary, emergency women's shel·ter at 10th and G Streets, NE. Joe Fengler, ANC 6A commissioner, voiced concerns--that the shelter was close to a school and contributed to area crime. Others maintained that the facility caused no problems. 
August 
As the lazy, dog days descended upon the Hill, many residents headed for the Eastern Shore and other vacation destinations. However, a few things were happening: 
On Aug. 1, Washingtonians were winding up another mid-summer weekend when federal officials announced that al Qaeda was appar·ently at it again. New data revealed that five financial institutions, including Washington's World Bank and International Monetary Fund headquarters, could be attacked by terrorists. Moreover, the U.S. Capitol building might also be targeted, and the code level was raised to "orange." Officials responded immediately with street closings, barricades, addi·tional police officers, brighter [night·time] lighting and other security measures. Hill residents adapted quickly, and most cars were simply waved through the Capitol check·points. 

Barracks Row continued to grow as Stitch DC and Mayfair Avenue, one of the city's few stores tending to knit·ting as well as home entertaining, opened quietly at 731 Eighth Street SE. 
On Aug. 22, the Capital Children's Museum on H Street, NE, closed its doors for the last time, as construc·tion for a new museum began. Designed by Cesar Pelli and Asso·ciates, the future, state-of-the art facility-to be located near L'Enfant Plaza in Southwest--is slated to open in 2008. 
September 
September was a busy month, as Capitol Hill got back to work. Topping the agenda was the expected but welcome announcement: Baseball is returning to Washington! 
On Sept. 29, Mayor Anthony Williams (D) received the call from Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig making it official: the Montreal Expos were relocating to Washington in 2005. For the next three years, the team will compete in a refurbished RFK Stadium. The facelift will cost $13 million. In 2008, it will be "Play Ball!" in the new $440 million stadi·um planned for South Capitol and M Streets SE, along the blighted Anacostia waterfront near Capitol Hill. 
Some local groups and coun·cilmembers voiced opposition to the proposed financing, stating that funds should go instead to social services. In response to the criticism, Mayor Williams met with communi·ty groups, explaining his plan and stressing that stadium profits would go toward much-needed social serv·ices 
A sad note: On Sept. 9, long-time community preservation activist Pat Schauer passed away. Former presi·dent of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, Ms. Schauer and her hus·band Lyle purchased their Capitol Hill home in 1964, because of their "complete lack of interest in the ever·lasting suburban lawn." 
In the Democratic primaries Sept. 14, three DC Council members were defeated: 
Sandy Allen (Ward 8), lost to for·mer Mayor Marion Barry; and in Ward 7, Kevin Chavous was unseated by Vincent Gray, and At-Large council member Harold Brazil was defeated by Kwame Brown. The winners faced other opposition in the Nov. 2 gener·al election. 
On Sept. 15, the National Capital Bank, the friendly, family owned institution on Pennsylvania Avenue SE, turned 115 years old. 
On Sept. 21, the long-awaited 
Museum of the American Indian 
opened its doors with a series of rib·bon cuttings, tribal dancing, recep·tions and other ceremonies. Resplendent in their colorful attire, Native Americans from across the United Statnada and South America converged on the Nation's Capitol for a week-long festival. 
Meanwhile, the lower terrace of the U.S. Capitol West Front was closed to pedestrian traffic Sept. 22, for construction for the Jan. 20 Presidential Inauguration. It will reopen around February 2005. 
The next day, on Sept. 23, a pair of Lummi (Indian) "healing" poles were installed in 9/11 Memorial Grove in Congressional Cemetery. For the city·wide project, 3,000 trees are being planted throughout nine groves-one in each ward, plus the anchor on Kingman Island--in memory of the 3,000 victims in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. 
October 
JPI, one of the nation's largest luxury apartment companies, announced the development of a mixed-use retail and residential destination -- Jenkins Row--at the site once target·ed by Boys Town. The property is located near the Potomac Avenue Metro Station between 13th and 14th Streets, SE. 
Barracks Row hosted its second annual street fair Oct. 16, as Eighth Street merchants dispensed food, drink and other wares. After some delay, Belga Café opened its doors on 514 Eighth Street ,SE, featuring an eclectic European menu and 35 kinds of Belgian beer. The Café joined Tapatini, the trendy tapas and marti·ni bar up the street at 711, and joined the corridor's rapidly expanding restaurant family. 
November 
On Nov. 2, record numbers of voters queued up to cast their ballots for president and vice president of the United States. Hill dwellers also elect·ed three new Council Members: Kwame Brown (D-at Large), Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7) and former mayor Marion Barry (D-Ward 8). DC repre·sentative (and Hill resident) Eleanor Holmes Norton easily won reelection. 



At an awards ceremony Nov. 17, the Robert L. Herrema Awards recog·nized four design projects for con·tributing to Capitol Hill's urban landscape. Honorees were: Doug Jefferies and Results the Gym (locat·ed in the former Giddings Elementary School at Third and G Streets, SE); Adele and Bruce Robey, for developing their successful, 150·seat H Street Playhouse at 1365 H St., NE; Robert and Karen Reed, for refurbishing a circa 1876 private home at 800 East Capitol Street, NE; and the Heritage Foundation, which acquired and restored a former apart·ment building at 208 Massachusetts Ave., NE. The DC Historic Preserva·tion Office was also recognized for their dedicated efforts to protect the Hill's historic district. 
On Saturday, Nov. 20, the Congres·sional Cemetery Memorial Grove was dedicated, as the avenue of trees was completed near the Lummi Indian "healing" poles. That same day marked the opening of Metro's New York Avenue Station (Red Line), the first urban stop to be built between two existing facilities--Rhode Island and Union Station. Funded by a com·bination of federal, District and pri·vate money, the station cost $103.7 million and officials hope it will help revitalize the rundown neighborhood near Gallaudet University. 
The Saturday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 20, brought a new business to Market Row: Dawn Price Baby -a bou·tique for infants and toddlers-- opened at 325 Seventh St. NW. 
Washington's road toward acquir·ing the Montreal Expos hit a snag as DC Council Chair Linda Cropp-- fearing that the funding plan for the proposed stadium would tax busi·nesses too heavily--delayed the Council vote and unveiled her own, modified financial plan. However, in a ceremony Nov. 22, the team's name-Nationals-was announced, and the red-white-and-blue logo was unveiled. The event was marred by a protester who tried to grab the microphone, but 76-year-old Charlie Brotman, former Senators announcer and a major baseball proponent, wrestled the microphone away from the intruder. 
Over the weekend of the 20th and 21st, fire roared through the top floor of the building at Second and D Streets, NE. The blaze also damaged the awning of Lounge 201 on the first level. 
Nov. 30: After a seven-hour debate with Mayor Anthony Williams look·ing on, the DC Council voted 6 to 4 for preliminary approval of the pub·licly funded baseball stadium. Our own council member Sharon Ambrose (D) voted yes, and three members abstained. Final vote was set for Dec. 14 or 21. 

December 
Capitol Hill's holiday season reached full gear as our Christmas tree arrived on the U.S. Capitol West Lawn. For the drizzly Dec. 9 lighting ceremony, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) flipped the switch, causing more than 10,000 lights to blaze on the towering red spruce. 
And once again, three giant wreaths were hoisted over the entrance of Union Station. Inside the Great Hall loomed a 30-foot tree, a gift from Norway. The giant's 8,000 bulbs had been lit Nov. 30 as Norwegian Princess Martha Louise did the honors. 
Friendship House marked its 100th year of education and service with a gala, black tie centennial celebration Dec. 2 at the Grand Hyatt hotel downtown. 
On Dec. 10, Cultural Tourism DC, 
HAPPY

from the 
Barracks Row Main Street and the Capitol Hill Restoration Society joined forces to unveil Tour of Duty: Barracks Row Heritage Trail. The 90·minute self-guided tour begins at the Eastern Market Metro stop, winds along Eighth Street, SE, loops through a residential neighborhood and ends up at Eastern Market. Sixteen illustrated signs are posted along the way. Stops include John Philip Sousa's birthplace and training ground; Washington's earliest and largest industrial plant, and the home of the first female White House correspondent, Emily Edson Briggs. 
Construction of the underground 
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, our ver·sion of Boston's infamous "big dig," dragged on as costs continued to spi·ral. The taxpayers' tab could run as high as $559 million, more than double the estimated price tag when construction began in 2000. And don't send your relatives there any·time soon; the government has pre·dicted that the opening for the three-floor underground facility, originally scheduled for the end of 2005, could occur late as 2006. And that's being optimistic! 
On Dec. 14, after 11 hours of debate, the DC Council approved a stadium deal by a vote of  7 to 6. This final vote came after Council Chairman Linda Cropp (D) proposed an amendment calling for 50 percent of the stadium costs to come from private financing. Her amendment passed, 10-3. Under that plan, the city has until June to come up with a plan for private funds, or the stadium deal will probably fall through and the team will relocate elsewhere. 
Lastly, as this writer and husband Peter toast 2005 in sunny Florida, we wish you a Happy New Year! 
Thanks to Voice regular Celeste McCall for once again deftly condensing a news-filled year into one story for this edition. 

TO OUR PAST AND
FUTURE CLIENTS...

NEW 



YEAR! 


VON SCHLEGEL REALTY TEAM 
202-547-5088 
or visit us at 
www.jackiev.com 



The Voice of the Hill is made up of over 40 staff writers, contributors, columnists and editors whose collective work results in one of DC's fastest-growing community newspapers. 
Meet the Voice Staff:





Get to Know Us! 
This is the second "Meet the Staff" feature we've done. The vast majority of our writers and columnists most are represented below. It's interesting to note that most of us are from the East Coast (Patti Shea holds the distinction of hailing from the westernmost part of the country; Aileen Moffatt is from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, so she hails from the most northern part of the continent; and Mike Meneer wins the "most unique name for a standard poodle" award). Read on--and find out which of our writers has lived in Paris, who needs to kick the cigarette habit, who has a thing for Duke Ellington, and who's really into cilantro.  
The recently viewed movie most often cited is the biopic Ray--and in keeping with the fact that we're all such distinct individuals, not one "dream interview" subject is the same as another. 
We're very proud of the men and women who help make this newspaper shine-- so without further ado, get to know us! 
S.J. Ackerman 
Hometown: Washington, DC--6th generation; Hill native. 
My favorite writing experience with the Voice: Exploring--all too hasti-ly--the language tables at the Librress: the world on our doorstep. 
My dream interview subject: 
Anybody but Paris Hilton. My advice to budding writers: Don't hang up on "making a leap" into print; you can build up a nice portfo·lio of credits without quitting your day job. Get to know and network with other writers. 
The last movie I saw was: National Treasure: visually splendid on a big screen and lots of fun. My personal goal for 2005 is: To pub·lish my booklet on S.W. Tucker and the 1939 Alexandria Library sit-in-- the first such civil rights demonstra·tion. 
Stephanie Renee Briggs 
Hometown: Westwood, NJ My favorite writing experience with the Voice: Writing the travel piece on Belize was a wonderful reminder of the beauty and richness in each of us. When I struggle with the chal·lenges of life, I recall this tiny Central American country, its diverse popula·tion, and how they have overcome obstacles, both human and environ·mental. I also made a DC friend from Dupont Circle who wrote me after reading the article (she relocated there two years ago) and she has invited me to come and stay at her guest house. My dream interview subject: My dream interview subject: I would love to interview the author Mark Dunn. I just want to know why and what makes a man write a novel about let·ters (yes, the alphabet), Ella Minnow Pea, and another about footnotes, Ibid: A Life. The other person -- deceased--is Nina Simone. Enough said. My advice to budding writers:  Keep a daily journal. It's a great practice. Purchase a beautiful book and a fountain pen. It makes the experi·ence less stressful.Plus, you are expe·riencing a disappearing art form - placing pen to paper. Also, join a writers group.  It's great to get feed·back. The last movie I saw was: I recently watched The Spook Who Sat by the Door. It was directed by Ivan Dixon of Hogan's Heroes fame. It's one of those 1970s classics that had subversive tones and mysteriously disappeared. I'd like to thank Tim and Daphne Reid for their continued hard work at uncovering classic Black films. My personal goal for 2005 is: To practice the tolerance, imperma·nence, being present, and if there's time to write "the" novel. Why not? 
Darrin Broadwater 
Hometown: LaVale, Maryland My favorite writing experience with the Voice: Interviewing Mikhail Kanayan, painter and Renaissance man, was my favorite Voice experi·ence. His passion for art and for life was inspiring, and I knew before I even met him--when he sang to me over the phone--that he would be a delightful change from the ordinary. His effervescence and his family's hospitality made for a great evening. My dream interview subject: Wendell Berry, my philosophical mentor and hero. His sense of community-based ethics and local economies has com·pletely changed the way I see our economy and my participation in it. I think his philosophy is the antidote to hyper-capitalism; unlike so many social critics, he actually has a com·peting vision. And he's a farmer. My advice to budding writers: Don't get in my way. The last movie I saw was: Oh, I guess bad movies count, too, right? I reluc·tantly watched that train wreck of a movie with Nicole Kidman and the little boy [Birth] and it was just dread·ful. But that was the last movie I saw. My personal goal for 2005 is: I don't know how personal they will be after being published in a paper that's dis·tributed to every door on Capitol Hill, but nevertheless my goals for 2005 are to clean up my finances and add a couple of pounds of muscle. Long live ambition. 
Patty Brosmer 
Hometown: Washington DC My favorite writing experience with the Voice: The one time I made it in before deadline. 
My dream interview subject: 
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis My advice to budding writers: Do what you love and you will find suc·cess. The last movie I saw was: Ray--a vivid and moving portrayal of life lived to fullest against tremendous odds. 
My personal (Voice) goal for 2005 is: 
To become a better writer and to meet deadline! 
Name: Judith Capen 
Hometown: Washington, DC and Capitol Hill, since 1979 and for all eternity, since I recently purchased a very small piece of real estate in Congressional Cemetery. 
My dream dinner party fellow guest(s): Public radio people Susan Stamberg, Scott Simon, Margot Adler, Noah Adams, Ira Flatow, Corey Flintoff...do I sound like an NPR groupie? 
My advice to anyone contemplating construction: Your first question should be, "What do I want?" The second question should be, "How badly do I want it?" and "How much is it worth to me?" Then you can ask, "How much will it cost?" and decide if you want it that badly. People usu·ally start with "How much will it cost?" They're shocked/astonished/appalled and begin working on ways to make it cost less. Instead, you should think hard about what it is you really want. I don't think anyone would start out saying what they really want is some cheap s--t floor but that is what they end up with when they ask "How much would new heart pine floors cost?" If you really want new heart pine floors but don't want them enough to pay what they cost, maybe you're better off living with the old floor...does that make sense? Preoccupation: Unwanted water and moisture in buildings. Remember, mold needs three things: spores (they are everywhere), food (virtually anything--paint, "dry"wall, mortar, you name it...) and moisture. So, you see, mold resistant drywall is not the answer. Keeping moisture out in the first place is the answer. What I Always Want: A week in Paris. An eighth day in each week to work on all the stuff that never gets done. More cilantro. 
Stephanie Deutsch 
Hometown: Well, I was born in Washington, DC, and spent my first ten years in Arlington, Virginia. I moved to New Zealand in 1957 and spent three wonderful years there; back to Arlington for 8th and 9th grades. Then I spent my high school years in Paris, France. I've been on the Hill since 1975 and do consider Washington my "hometown." 
Favorite article for the Voice: 
Interview with Mary Landrieu and Frank Snellings. Her office had said I could only have 45 minutes but she and I bumped into each other in the park walking our dogs and agreed to get together that morning. We must have all enjoyed it 'cause our conver·sation lasted at least an hour and a half! Also loved to have the chance to talk with Edmund Morris. He and his wife were charming and fascinating. Dream interview subject: Madonna. What, I wonder, does she think of her earlier work now that she's a mother of an almost teen daughter and a practitioner of Kabalistic heal·ing? And I'd love to know more about Kabala. How did her interest in it start? What does it mean to her? Advice to writers:  Write as much as 


Darrin Broadwater 
you can and read as much as you can. Take note of the writers that you like and think about why you like their work. And remember that content is more important than style; style serves meaning, not the other way 'round. The important thing is what you are trying to say. Last movie I saw: Over Thanksgiving I watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I'm not big on fanta·sy movies but have loved listening to the Harry Potter books in Jim Dale's incredible audio recordings so want·ed to see the film which I also loved. Now on to Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockheart. I can't wait! 
David Francis 
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania My favorite writing experience with the Voice: I enjoyed writing a series of stories on the Capital Park Plaza and Twin Tower apartment complexes and their continuing fight with their property manager and the DC Housing Finance Agency. The condi·tions under which some of the build·ings' residents live are deplorable, and I was glad to write about it. I've also enjoyed covering the controver·sy surrounding the Expos' move to the District. My dream interview subject: That's a tough one, dependant on my mood, but at this moment I'll say William 

Patty Brosmer 
Whyte. His book, The Organization Man, made me to be a journalist. Unfortunately, the window of oppor·tunity has passed, as Mr. Whyte died in 1999. My advice to budding writers: "Use short sentences. Use short first para·graphs. Use vigorous English. Be pos·itiveve. Eliminate every superfluous word." -- from the Kansas City Star style guide. And if that doesn't do it for you..."Roughly then, Good writing is writing that is perfectly controlled, the writer says just what he means. He says it with complete clarity and simplicity. He uses the smallest possible number of words." --from The Serious Artist, by Ezra Pound In other words, keep writ·ing simple. Say what you mean and nothing more. Keep your ears and eyes open and write every day. The last movie I saw was: Ray, which I liked much more than I expected.  My personal goal for 2005 is: I hope to travel to Europe in the coming year.   
Kara Gerlach 
Hometown: Severna Park, Maryland My favorite writing experience with the Voice: I enjoyed tackling holiday themed day trips, since I grew up in the area and believe that you don't have to go far to find some of the most beautiful places in the country. 

Kara Gerlach 
Why fly when you can just hop in your car and experience the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay or the history of Williamsburg or Mount Vernon? 
My dream interview subjects: 
Thomas Keller, the chef of the French Laundry in Napa Valley, and the hottest restaurant in New York, Per Se. Keller is known for his culi·nary innovations and I could not get into his restaurant the last time I was in California. I would love to watch him work, sample his creations and talk about what it takes to stay on top in the highly competitive restaurant world. My advice to budding writers: Do what comes naturally. If you're inter·ested in art, tackle a project that allows you to mingle with artists and some of the people that interest you personally. I have always found when I'm really interested in an issue, I can really delve into the topic and address it in the best fashion for read·ers and ask the best questions. The last movie I saw was: I watched Casablanca for the twentieth time. I never tire with this classic tale of romance and World War II intrigue, and Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart are simply perfect in the roles of Ilsa and Rick. My personal goal for 2005 is: To try to spend as much time possible with my six-month-old son. It really is 

Stephanie Deutsch 
true what people say about children growing up before you know it. 
Josh Gray 
Hometown: Washington, DC My favorite writing experience with the Voice: As a newbie to the Voice's masthead, I'll have to go with the teacher-pleaser answer, and say my next story. My dream interview subject: Either Truman Capote or Groucho Marx. Capote was an utterly perfect writer and an utterly flawed individual. In Cold Blood is a touchstone book for me, one I revisit regularly, and huge·ly influential in the evolution of modern non-fiction. Groucho was a genius of verbal and physical humor, and probably more fun to hang out with than Capote. Hooray for Captain Spaulding! My advice to budding writers: Get a day job. If this doesn't work out, use your spare time to read. When you finally get around to writing some·thing, read it aloud to see how it falls on your ears. If this doesn't mean anything to you, consider technical writing.    
The last movie I saw was: Coffee and Cigarettes by Jim Jarmusch. Intelli·gent, but not too clever for its own good. Worth it just to see the interac·tion of Iggy Pop (a favorite performer of mine,) and Tom Waits (one of my 

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Joshua Gray 
wife's.) Hardly perfect, but that's not the point--no sugar, no filter. My personal goal for 2005 is: To fin·ish my fourth novel. This one is bound to make me a fortune, right? 
Jeffrey Howard 
Hometown: Marinette, WI My favorite writing experience with the Voice: I enjoy writing my col·umn every month. In fact, I love writing this column. I also love to share with people what is behind the words I write. My father tells me I should include footnotes. For exam·ple, I may use a word, or a turn of phrase because it reminds me of Vince Lombardi, and I too am trying to communicate that we all can do so much more than our fears would have us believe. My advice to budding writers: Revise. Revise. Revise. Less is always more. The last movie I saw was: Local Hero. Beautiful scenery. Great acting. Wonderful characters. Very well writ·ten. My personal goal for 2005 is: To get one of my books published. 
Beth Lambdin 
Hometown: Broadalbin, New York My favorite writing experience with the Voice: Reviewing films, that's what I do, and how cool is that for a movie lover? My favorite so far was the February 2003 column celebrat·ing Valentine's Day and the infinite mysteries of love. My dream interview subject: Living-- any of the countless number of dedi·cated teachers who educate, inspire and change lives. Not living--psy-chic and healer Edgar Cayce, whose work I study and find endlessly fasci·nating. My advice to budding writers: Take classes; the feedback is invaluable (though don't get too discouraged and steadfastly believe in your own voice). Follow through on teacher suggestions; a class assignment became my first published piece and ran in The Washington Post. The last movie I saw was: The Hotel Rwanda at a DC Film Society early screening. This is a wonderful movie, 

Dug Lee 
thrilling and inspirational about an ordinary man who becomes extraor·dinary (and heroic) under extreme circumstances. My personal goal for 2005 is: To slow down the pace of my life and devote more time to writing. 
Dug Y. Lee 
Hometown: Trenton, NJ My favorite writing experience with the Voice: I love getting emails from readers--proving that someone is actually reading my column. My dream interview subject: Dead-- Duke Ellington because he was so skilled, passionate, creative...and, let's face it, he was just hot. My advice to budding writers: Be pre·pared for ego bruising from editors who aren't as skilled as those at the Voice. Confidence in your skills has to come from within you. 
The last movie I saw was: Fahrenheit 911. I was glad the rest of the country was finally able to watch footage from the inauguration protest. My personal goal for 2005 is: To actu·ally reach my 2004 goal of spending a leisurely Sunday reading the paper over a cup of coffee. 
Laurie Lindsay 
Hometown: Freeport, Pennsylvania My favorite writing experience with the Voice: Enlightening and reward·ing describe all my writing experi·ences with the Voice. I had the most fun writing Mouse-capades: A Safari Journal (October 2003). My dream interview subject:  A per·son with a good sense of humor that has a passion for a subject that makes a difference in the lives of others. My advice to budding writers: Get a coach or good teachers, listen to National Public Radio, then write, write, write and read, read, read. 
The last movie I saw was: Terminal 
(with Tom Hanks). My personal goal for 2005 is: Listen more, learn more, write more, and trust that good things will happen! 
Celeste McCall 
Hometown: New York, NY, and 33 years on Capitol Hill! 

Bill McLeod 
My favorite writing experience with the Voice: It's difficult to single out any one, since I write about so many different subjects. But I guess my favorite topics concern ethnic culi·nary traditions on the Hill. I also enjoyed tagging along with junior reporters from Potomac Gardens for Kris Swanson's summer project, "Live from the Corner Store." The experi·ence offered a real insight. 
My dream interview subject: 
Actually, I've already interviewed my dream subject, the late Julia Child! As for now, I would love to talk to Michael Jordan about his childhood in North Carolina--including culi·nary memories--and how he got into food. He co-owns a string of restaurants, including the short-lived Jordans here in Washington, which he had when he was with the Wizards. I don't think manhave asked Michael Jordan about that. My advice to budding writers: Write, write, and write some more. It also helps to read a lot. Don't get discour·aged. You'll get plenty of rejection letters. A friend of mine, who now operates a successful PR firm, papered her downstairs powder room with rejection slips! The last movie I saw was: Ray. In this marvelous flick, Jamie Foxx BECOMES Ray Charles.  The story is poignant, tragic and heartwarming. I especially relate to the film because, when coming of age in the 1960s, I loved his music. Peter and I left the theater humming "What'd I Say!" My personal goal for 2005 is: To fin·ish the book Peter and I are writing, lose 10 pounds and improve my Spanish! 
Selby McCash 
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia My favorite writing experience with the Voice: Writing on issues about my own community, Capitol Hill, is especially fulfilling. An example is the article on Langston Golf Course near RFK Stadium, which served for some years as the only course open to African Americans on an unre·stricted basis in the DC area. Informing people about the historic 

Beth Lambdin 
significance of this facility, and about the need for public support to keep it maintained at a level it deserves, is as satisfying as it gets. My dream interview subject: During my former life as a political reporter, I covered Jimmy Carter as Governor of Georgia and later as President. I have never encountered a more bril·liant or principled public figure. Newt Gingrich would be high on any list of dream interviews, as well. Both of these Georgians always had some·thing interesting, revealing and meaningful to say--and still do. My advice to budding writers: Many people have the potential to be good writers. Just keep working at it. You will probably produce some clinkers, as I have. But when you get it right, nothing is more rewarding.      
The last movie I saw was: A Christmas Story. It has become a year·ly tradition at our house to view the video version of this hip caricature of typically-dysfunctional family life during the holidays. It may be the best Christmas movie ever produced. In fact, I'm fairly certain it is. My personal goal for 2005 is: Spend time with family and friends; do a few good deeds; write some more articles, and continue to try to break 80 at Langston even though it appears to be impossible. 
Bill McLeod 
Hometown: Scotch Plains, NJ, and Northumberland, PA 
My favorite writing experience with the Voice: I enjoy running into peo·ple on the street who say they read my article and learned something from it. I'm always amazed that any·one reads anything I write! My dream interview subject: Neil Tennant from the Pet Shop Boys. This group has been together for so long, has a million hits, and has done a great job evolving and keep·ing up with the musical trends. Also, they are the quintessential British pop group that embodies English culture like no other. My advice to budding writers: Write about what you know, and then rewrite it until you've memorized what you've penned.  
www.voiceofthehill.com 


Aileen Moffatt 
The last movie I saw was: 
Spiderman--on TV. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but it was very good-- casting, acting, plot and subplots. I usually don't go to blockbusters because they generally don't interest me, but this film surprised me. My personal goal for 2005 is: To make my personal finances a priority and pay off my credit card. 
Jeff Marootian 
Hometown: Wayne, NJ My favorite writing experience with the Voice: I have enjoyed my entire experience with the Voice. In partic·ular, it was a real pleasure to inter·view Matt Belvedere and Jessica 
Doyle in their home on the Hill. They are great people and made writ·ing the story a lot of fun. My dream interview subject:  This is a tough one. Because I am obsessed...I would love to interview a cast mem·ber from the Sopranos. My advice to budding writers: I have learned a lot (both about myself and about writing) by taking on stories to which I have limited prior knowl·edge. It often means more work, but the experience is worthwhile. The last movie I saw was: The Motorcycle Diaries. I loved it! 
Michael Meneer 
Hometown: Akron, Ohio My favorite writing experience with the Voice: Smokey's Barbershop and Oldies profile (December 2004). My dream interview subject: Thomas Cahill, author of the Hinges of History series. My advice to budding writers: Always leave more time than you think you need to edit. The last movie I saw was: Sideways. My personal goal for 2005 is: Make sure my standard poodle Widget gets brushed once a day. 
Gene C. Miller 
Hometown: Takoma Park, MD My favorite writing experience with the Voice: Choosing a favorite piece is like choosing a favorite child. I par·ticularly enjoyed writing about St. Monica's Episcopal Church, Imani Temple--although Rev. Stallings 
www.voiceofthehill.com  

Andrew Noyes 
announced his engagement to be married after my Voice article had already been put to bed, and the pipe organs at St. Mark's, St. Peter's, and Christ Church--Washington Congregation. The articles on Capitol Hill's last synagogue (Southeast Hebrew) and the century of groceries at Congress Market were also great fun to write. 
My dream interview subjects: 
Socrates and Jesus.
My advice to budding writers: Learn
your craft.
The last movie I saw was: Actually,
now that I'm in my dotage, I prefer
going to the opera. In my dreams, I
sing the great basso role of Sarastro in


Mozart's Die Zauberflöte; in my wak·ing hours, I'm a light baritone. My personal goal for 2005 is: To reach 2006 in one piece. 
Aileen C. Moffatt 
Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada 
My favorite writing experience with the Voice: As a new kid on the block I am just humbled by the opportunity to be associated with such a lofty and well edited publication (hear that, Scott??) 




A Happy and Healthy 

My dream interview subject: In the course writing my PhD dissertation I 

interviewed almost 100 elderly small New Year to you all! 
town women who had the most mar·velous stories about growing up or settling in the Canadian West. I would do that all over again in a We resolve to buy more review heartbeat. My advice to budding writers: Write copies in 2005.what you know, so even if you are a 
bit of a kook, write something kooky. [Therefore, please resolve to bring us 
As in most things, "go with what got you there." more review copies.] 
The last movie I saw was: School of Rock on satellite. It was a mindless Saturday evening selection that I 

We resolve to sell more books in 2005. 
actually like a lot. In the theater: Troy (I don't get out much ...) [Therefore.......well, you get the idea!] 
My personal goal for 2005 is: Start a sheep farm.Yes indeed. Eleven years ago I moved all the way from gen-Open Daily 10-6 uine farm country to urban DC only 417 East Capitol Street, SE now to dream of becoming a gentle·man (woman?) farmer raising my 202-543-4342 
sheep for sale to high end restaurants Paul Cymrot  riverby@erols.com  Steve Cymrot 
and hiring the local ladies to work in 


Celeste McCall 
Aileen's Sweater Knitting Sweatshop. Oh yeah, and finally write my book 
Rudyard P. Bear: A Panda Bear in Formal Wear. 
Andrew Noyes 
Hometown: Beckley, West Virginia My favorite writing experience with the Voice: KidPower-DC continues to be one of my favorite topics to write about in Voice of the Hill.While this after-school enrichment program for children in the Rosedale community had a rocky start, the initiative has really taken off. The kids have been the benefactors of a citywide charity scavenger hunt, they've put on sever·al public performances and they've decorated their own Party Animal (which is now at home at Miner Elementary). My dream interview subjects: News-- famed Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee (although I've been there and done that, I'd like to do it again); Martha Stewart (face-to-face in her cell at Camp Cupcake). Features--the cast of HBO series Dead Like Me; often-troubled, incredibly talented Robert Downey Jr., the skillful, beau·tiful Holly Hunter. My advice to budding writers: Write, rewrite, rinse, repeat. Seriously though, the only way to hone your skills is by song, grueling hours in front of the icy glare of the computer monitor. Another tech·nique I swear by: recite the draft of your story aloud. Your neighbors might think you're crazy but you'll catch awkward sentences and clumsy phrases that way. 
The last movie I saw was: National Treasure starring Nicolas Cage (against my will while home visiting the fami·ly for the holidays). The bottom line: Producer Jerry Bruckheimer should stick to his CSI franchise on CBS. I prefer independent films anyway. Blockbuster movies aren't my bag. My personal goal for 2005 is: I already exercise and eat right so I can't list those cliched New Year's resolutions. I guess I'd like to sleep more, relax and take the time to smell the roses, so to speak. I'm always up to my eyeballs in new proj·ects. 

Erica Stanley 
Bruce Robey  
Hometown: Washington, DC My favorite writing experience with the Voice: Every issue is a unique experience. After six years I enjoy working on each and every issue. The most interesting experience was the first issue, when the delivery guy did-n't show and we had skids of the first Voice filling up our garage. Neighbors and friends came to the rescue. My dream interview subject: If I were a writer I would love to interview Tom Friedman of the New York Times. My advice to budding writers:  "Don't listen to me; I'm not a writer. Talk to editor Scott Shumaker." 
Shirley Serotsky    
Hometown: Rochester, NY My favorite writing experience with the Voice: I'd say my favorite inter·view of 2004 was speaking with Shervin Boloorian.  It's exciting to meet young people who are artists and activists and working to effect change in the world. My dream interview subject: Dead? Shakespeare would be a trip. Virginia Woolf. Susan B. Anthony (who was also from Rochester, and I am con·vinced had a sense of humor that we rarely hear about). Alive? I'd love to know what Mary Cheney could possi·bly be thinking. It'd be great to pick the brains of playwrights Caryl Chur·chill and Tony Kushner. I bet Wonk·ette (Ana Marie Cox) would be fun to chat with, and is probably much less snarky in person than in print. My advice to budding writers: Write. A lot. Learn to be a good editor. Buy a style guide. The last movie I saw was: From my Netflicks list: Kill Bill, Ararat, and Saved. In the theaters: Shaun of the Dead. 
My personal goal for 2005 is: To get my taxes done and sent in on time. Also, to continue to challenge myself in the theater work that I do. Maybe take a trip somewhere beautiful, or at least away from DC. 
Patti Shea 
Hometown: Los Angeles... the one in California 

Stephanie Briggs 
My favorite writing experience with the Voice: Interviewing Cal Ripken Jr. My dream interview subject: George Clooney and ANY subject he'd like to talk to me about. My advice to budding writers: Learn the proper use of a semicolon; make nice with the photographers since they make you look better; and get a game face for when you attend local government meetings--you can make it seem like you ARE interested when really the voices inside your head are questioning what exactly you are doing with your life! 
The last movie I saw was: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Touching the Void. My personal goal for 2005 is: Get my desk at home organized; find the perfect margarita in the District; and interview my dream subject (see answer above). 
Scott Shumaker 
Hometown: Berlin, Pennsylvania My favorite writing experience with the Voice: I especially enjoy inter·viewing people who become my friends as a result of my doing a story on them. I'd have to admit, however, my story "The Monastic Diaries," an account of spending a weekend at St. Anselm's Monastery in early 2002, stands as one of my favorite Voice 

Gene Miller 
pieces. I still get comments about it, and I hope to revisit St. Anselm's on a retreat this winter. My dream interview subject: If I were in a room with Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, John Cleese, Ricky Gervais and Rowan Atkinson for the purpose of interviewing these amaz·ing British comedians--well, I'd have to write that story from beyond the grave. I'd probably drop dead. And of course, I have a firm belief that I will someday meet and interview Joni Mitchell. Wonder if she's planning a DC trip anytime soon? My advice to budding writers: Do a little writing every day. Don't wait for some divine intervention. The best writing comes from the gut. The last movie I saw was: I finally saw Breakfast at Tifffany's. It's a visu·ally gorgeous work, with sharp dia·logue and just enough melodrama to be interesting. My personal goal for 2005 is: To con·tinue to earn and maintain the respect and friendship of my writers. To organize or start to eliminate my collection of pure and utter...crap, which, for many reasons, grows exponentially by the year. And I real·ly should quit smoking, lest my next singing performance become An Evening With Harvey Fierstein. 



Laurie Lindsay 
Fay Singer 
Hometown: Capitol Hill My favorite writing experience with the Voice: I enjoy sharing my com·puter expertise with Voice readers.  I love it when readers call to let me know that my column has been help·ful to them. My dream interview subject: Kris Kristofferson--because I've always thought he is a fascinating, brilliant person. Wonder what he knows about computers. It would be a won·derful idea for The Voice to send me to Hawaii to interview him!  
My advice to budding writers: 

Scott Shumaker 
Contact writers you admire and culti·vate them as mentors. 
The last movie I saw was: Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King on 12/31/2003.  Now that the trilogy is over, I don't know what we are going to do this year on New Year's Eve. My personal goal for 2005 is: To straighten out the clutter in my office. 
Erica Stanley 
Hometown: Eden, North Carolina My favorite writing experience with the Voice: I've really enjoyed writing about new businesses on the Hill, 


Fay Singer 
especially along Barracks Row.  I feel that writing for the Voice in this capacity has helped me become more of a part of my neighborhood. My dream interview subject: As a political junkie, I'd have to say for·mer President Bill Clinton. He was such a great leader, and I've heard when you meet him, he makes you feel like you are the only person in the world. 
My advice to budding writers: 

Jeff Marootian 
Practice makes perfect. The more you write, the better. The last movie I saw was: Closer. I had anticipated its release, as I am a big Jude Law and Julia Roberts fan, and the trailer really looked intrigu·ing. It was interesting, but not as good as I had thought it would be. My personal goal for 2005 is: To clean out my closet and be more organized. 





Displaced

City Plans for Former Shelter Expected to Succeed Despite Controversy 
BY SARA FRITZ 

For more than five hours, two young building has been neglected; and (2) death,'' one protester shouted during 
homeless women were perched on a because Catholic Charities was no a subcommittee hearing on the pro-ledge about 50 feet above the ground longer interested in running it. posed sale. floor inside the atrium of the John A. "We certainly can't say we don't Wilson Building on Dec. 9. Singing want an organization like the Transition Space for songs and shouting slogans about Corcoran moving into our neighbor-
Corcoran
homelessness, the pair displayed a hood,'' Williams added. In a memo to the city council, Eric white banner saying: "Randall Is Prior to closing on Nov. 3, the Price, deputy mayor for planning and 
Shelter, Not Surplus."  Police eventu-Randall shelter provided beds for economic development, said the ally persuaded them to come down. about 170 homeless men. Most of the 
It was one of a number of recent displaced men moved to a newly Corcoran plans to use Randall school 
as "a transition space" while a Frank publicity stunts organized by mem-opened 150-bed facility on the cam-Gehry addition is being constructed bers of Mayday DC, a group battling pus of St. Elizabeth's Hospital in at is main facility on 17th Street. In the city's plan to sell the historic Southeast Washington, according to the long term, he said, Corcoran 
Randall School, formerly used a the mayor's office, and the others plans to convert the school into an 
homeless shelter, to the Corcoran went to a shelter on New York 
Museum of Art. Members of the Avenue, NE. arts education facility for its College 
group also have disrupted several city Although Mayday DC members of Art and Design. 
"The redevelopment of Randall council meetings and they staged a have been persistent in their protests, School by Corcoran upon its sale sit-in at the school at I and Half they have not articulated a case for shall provide a dynamic anchor for 
Streets, SW, in late November. reopening the Randall shelter. The the growth and revitalization of this Mayday DC's activities do not organization could not be reached community," Price wrote. "These arts appear to have influenced the deci-for comment by the Voice. Mayday development and neighborhood eco-sion-makers, however. The shelter DC's website has not been updated nomic development benefits, when remains closed and the city council is since July 27, 2003, and the group's 
considered in addition to the direct expected to approve the sale of the telephone voice recorder is jammed financial benefits of disposition, pro-ramshackle building to the Corcoran with unanswered messages. vide a unique opportunity and good for $6.2 million. In fact, a council Although the protesters have sug-economic value for the District." subcommittee approved the sale just gested that homeless men are unlike-
Price noted that a renovated facili·one day after the two women staged ly to travel the distance to St. ty owned by the Corcoran will gener·their high-altitude protest. Elizabeth's every night, a spokesman ate property tax revenues "on a site 
ANC Commissioner Mary C. for the mayor's office claims the dis-that does not currently generate any Williams (6D) said the community placed men are already taking advan-taxes." has been expecting the shelter to tage of bus service that has been pro-According to Williams, members close for two reasons: (1) because the vided. "You're letting people freeze to of ANC 6D have not endorsed the sale of Randall to the Corcoran, pri·marily because the city government never consulted the ANC. "We'd like to know more about it,'' she said. "We have made many attempts to find out what's going on." She noted the ANC has a direct interest in the disposition of the building since its offices are currently located in one of its many abandoned rooms. The building is also home to the Millennium Arts Center, a nonprofit organization that sponsors arts pro·grams. 
Williams said the ANC did not even consider Mayday DC's request to run a reopened shelter inside the Randall school. She said the group is not equipped to provide the neces·sary resources for a shelter. 
Before the shelter was closed, Williams recalled, many neighbors complained that the homeless men were "lingering or drinking" in a nearby park during the days. She said local parents complained that they were jeopardizing the safety of chil·dren who use the park in the summer as their route to the nearby swim·ming pool. 
The city budgeted $1.6 million for shelter services during the current winter, an increase of $400,000 over the previous year. According to the Washington Post, the number of emergency beds available at the shel·ters was increased by 503 to 1,703. These new beds are located at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, DC General Hospital, DC Village and the New York Avenue shelter in Northeast. 
Corcoran officials have said very little about the controversy. Corcoran spokeswoman Margaret Bergen said her organization was pleased the subcommittee headed by Councilman Jim Graham had approved the sale. "We look forward to becoming a vibrant member of the Ward 6 arts community,'' she added. 
Meanwhile, police identified the two women who occupied the ledge at the Wilson Building as Cen Cascadian, 18, and Emily Rudicell, 
19. 
Sara Fritz is a resident of southwest DC and a regular Voice contributor. 


he first inauguration held in Washington in 1801 was entirely a Hill affair. Although his defeat of President John Adams was celebrated as "the Revolution of 1800," Thomas Jefferson kept his ceremonies low-key. He strolled to the Capitol from his boarding house on New Jersey Avenue, SE (site of the Longworth Building), took the oath inside, and returned equally modestly. He didn't bother to move into the White House for weeks. There was an elaborate inaugural parade, but it was held in Philadelphia. 
By 1809, the Hill hosted the first inaugural ball, featuring effervescent Dolly Madison at Long's Hotel, where the Library of Congress now stands. Navy Yard mechanics towed a replica warship down Pennsylvania Avenue in DC's first inauguration parade. The burning of Washington forced the swearing-in outside in 1817, when President Monroe took the oath in front of the temporary Capitol at 1st and Maryland Avenue, NE. 
From then until 1981, the ceremo·ny generally occurred on the East Front of the real Capitol. Then, the ceremony moved to the West Front, an apt stage for former actor Ronald Reagan. Old Hill types groused that the inauguration had turned away from our neighborhood. 
As Washington's largest indoor space in 1949, the National Guard Armory hosted President Truman's official ball, and it has had some inaugural function every time since. In 2001, 18 states and the District partied there. LBJ made history there in 1965, being the first president since George Washington to dance at his own ball. 
Post-World War II Inaugurations started comparatively modestly, growing into today's mass-media mob scenes. One official inaugural ball in 1949 swelled to two (1953), four (1957), five (1961), eventually to 14 (1997), with accompanying galas, concerts and recep·tions multiplying apace. 
Since 1969, when countercultural "Yippies" swore in Pigasus the Pig instead of Richard Nixon, alternative inaugural protests have flourished. Their precedent occurred in 1913, when a spectacular Women's Suffrage parade astonished the mobs of visitors on the eve of Woodrow Wilson's official proces·sion. 

Not all the alternatives are protests. Many of the prime events are impossible to get into--not to 
www.voiceofthehill.com  
The



Inauguration

and the

Hill

BY S. J. A CKERMAN 
the oath of office the evening before his public swearing-in, fearing mob violence. In 1913, President Wilson was appalled that police had cor·doned spectators distant from his platform. "Let the people come for·ward," he shouted, and they did. By 1917, however, with the European War raging, his listeners were pushed back again. In 1945, World War II security prompted President Roosevelt to be sworn in on the White House portico, before an audi·ence of only 1,200 servicemen. 
The Role of Hill Residents 
The grandstands that once solidly lined Pennsylvania Avenue are now less extensive, giving unticketed standees a better view. We're not like·ly to see the president walk to the White House again as Jimmy Carter did in 1977, but we can watch, or even participate, as Hill people have f