VOICE Vol. 5 No. 3 June 2003 of The Hill This Month 12 A Neighborhood Story Part VI 18 Community Dialogue on Security 20 Nightmare on 18th 22 The Cool New Spot for DC’s History 24 Getting in the Swim on and around the Hill 26 You Don’t Know Jack 28 Growing Seeds and Growing Knowledge 31 The Creepy Crawlies 33 Peaceful, Easy Feeling at the Arboretum 36 Legacy of a Trailblazer 38 A Hometown Hero 40 James Foster: Page to Stage Departments VoiceMail......................................3 City Desk......................................4 DownLoad ....................................7 Ask Judith ..................................42 Home Design..............................44 Ask the Vet.................................46 Health and Fitness......................48 Barracks Row .............................50 KidSites .....................................53 Kids’ Sports ...............................54 Kids’ Calendar ............................56 Community Calendar ...................57 Horoscope..................................58 Classifieds .................................59 Business Services ......................60 Restaurant Review ......................62 Capitol Hill looks up…and hopes to see the sun! Capitol Hill looks up…and hopes to see the sun! 1358 E Street, SE (Selling Agents) $349,777 4617 Arkansas Avenue, NW (Selling Agents) $379,000 451 15th Street, NE (Listing Agents) $309,000 1321 Corbin Place, NE (Selling Agents) $424,900 1024 Mass Ave, NE #6 (Selling Agents) $292,500 4921 N. Capitol Street, NE (Listing Agents) $269,800 301 G Street, NE #11 (Listing Agents) $269,500 225 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20003 tel: 202-544-3900 fax: 202-546-1771 “ Where Washington Shops for a New Address!” Sales Rentals Commercial Leasing Property Management 202-544-3900 www.johncformant.com Todd Bissey and Stan Bissey Pete’s May Activity: 416 7th Street, NE (Listing Agent) SOLD 3430 39th Street, NW (Selling Agent) SOLD 1418 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (Selling Agent) SOLD 250 11th Street, SE (Selling Agent) SOLD 700 12th Street, NE (Listing Agent) Under Contract 1231 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Zoned for Residential or Commercial. Over 1700 sq. ft. of renovated office space within 2 blocks of the METRO! $419,000 Call Pete Frias 202-744-8973 UnderContract UnderContract UnderContract SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD Pete Frias, Esq. BISSEY &BISSEY Residential & Commercial Real Estate Consultants 202-841-SOLD PETEFRIAS, ESQ. Winner of GCAAR’s highest honor, the Platinum Award. 202-744-8973 407 O Street, NW Magnificently renovated & sunny 3BR/2.5BA w/ vast open interior, oak flrs throughout, beautiful finishes, gourmet kitchen, & more! $389,000 Call Todd Bissey 202-841-SOLD (7653) 4613 Arkansas Ave., NW Gorgeous renovation in 16th Street Heights of 4BR/2BA w/ gourmet kitchen, off street PARKING! $399,500 Call Todd Bissey 202-841-SOLD (7653) SHAW Todd and Stan’s May Activity: 1411 5th Street, NW Gorgeous renovation of 3BR/2.5BA w/ gourmet kitchen, PARKING, & sep. rental unit! $495,000 Call Pete Frias 202-744-8973 JUSTLISTED FORSALE FORSALE 331 7th Street, NE Large 2BR/2.5BA on serene block. A must see! $529,500 Call Todd Bissey 202-841-SOLD (7653) JUST LISTED 227 S Street, NE Top to bottom renovation of 4BR/2BA Eckington beauty! $329,000 Call Pete Frias 202-744-8973 411 4th Street, SE Location, location, location, 3BR house and 1BR rental unit! $460,000 Call Pete Frias 202-744-8973 JUSTLISTED JUSTLISTED Winners of GCAAR’s Group Top Producer Award. Latest on the ‘Shotgun House’ To the Editor: The “Shotgun House” saga goes on. Three months ago, I pointed out in a letter to the editor that for the last 24 years the Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS) has successfully fought every attempt to develop the assembled property in the 1200 block of Pennsylvania Ave., SE. Now the CHRS is supporting removal of the curb-cut which allows use of and access to the garage in back of the Shotgun House (this over strenuous objection of the owner). Two years ago, when St. Coletta School proposed tearing down that same garage in order to put a school on the site (with support of the community, I might add), the CHRS successfully opposed St. Coletta, insisting that the garage and its use were integral to the “historic fabric” of the Shotgun House (this in spite of the fact that the historic report on the property clearly stated that the garage had no historic significance). Now the CHRS is supporting elimination of the curb-cut, which, of course, will preclude any further use of that garage. Is this not inconsistent? Or is the CHRS’s real purpose obviated by the fact that (as they well know) without the curb-cut there can be no legal new construction on the site? So, is the CHRS’s real purpose to save the Shotgun House, or is it, as I have alleged all along, to punitively stop any economically viable use of the property? LARRY D. QUILLIAN Owner VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 www.voiceofthehill.com 3 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 includes contiguous neighborhoods from Gallaudet University to the Navy Yard and from the Capitol to the Stadium Armory Complex. Publication and distribution is the last Friday of each month. Advertising deadline is the first of the month preceding publication. Voice of the Hill 120 11th St., SE, Rear Washington DC 20003 202-544-0703 Main office 202-547-5133 Fax www.voiceofthehill.com editor@voiceofthehill,com bruce@voiceofthehill.com mark@voiceofthehill.com adele@voiceofthehill.com Staff Scott Shumaker Editor Bruce Robey WebMaster Adele Robey Graphic Design and Production Courtney Bell, Assistant Editor Mark Segraves, Political Reporter Larry Kaufer, Sports Editor Publishers Phoenix Graphics, Inc. T/A Voice of the Hill Community Action Group: Distribution Contributing Writers Lourie Aomari Stephanie Briggs Joseph Campbell Judith Capen JoAnne Carey Chad Clinton Shannon Dunne Dug Hanbicki Celeste McCall Memberships Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington Barracks Row Business Alliance Independent Free Papers of America H Street Merchants Association VOICE of The Hill Bill McLeod Sharon Negri Linda Norton Barbara Riehle Julia Robey Mark Segraves Shirley Serotsky Robert Wander Major League Baseball at RFK: Points to Ponder To the Editor: There is a good chance that DC or Northern Virginia will get a major league baseball team, possibly as early as next year. What many Hill residents may not be aware of is that no matter which one of the two competing jurisdictions wins (Portland is another matter), the team will play at RFK for the three to four years it takes to build a new stadium. For those of us who remember suffering through the 10 or so Redskins home games at RFK, it’s hard to imagine the disruption of 80-odd home baseball games at RFK. If past is prologue, as neighbors, we can now look forward to all the joys of greatly-increased automobile and bus traffic, increased air and noise pollution and reduced street parking, particularly on the weekend day games when savvy attendees choose to park and walk. It’s not likely we will have any say in the choice of RFK as temporary home park, but there are ways to mitigate the situation: for example, stringent traffic enforcement rules can be put into effect that make it difficult to approach or leave the stadium parking or drop off areas by traversing Hill streets. Special street parking initiatives can be crafted that protect our spaces, and buses can be prohibited from transversing our streets. Ticket discounts can encourage DC residents to use the Metro rather than their cars. I’m sure that some of you have experience dealing with this problem in other jurisdictions and will have other suggestions to make. We know that the mayor strongly backs the initiative and some sort of deal has apparently been made with the Northern Virginia folks on RFK; I wonder if anyone has given a thought about how this will impact the quality of life on the Hill and its residents? Neighbors, perhaps through the ANCs and Sharon Ambrose’s office, should get organized on this matter before we are presented with a done deal. We should be ready to organize and put together our demands as soon as major league baseball makes its announcement, which might come as early as this summer. RICHARD BLACK One Hundred Words from the Hill The Voice Continues Popular Contest for Readers What can you say in 100 words? Plenty. Continuing in our July edition, The Voice of the Hill is giving our readers the chance to express themselves in 100 words. Each month, we’ll give you a different theme, and let your creative juices flow! Whether it’s a poem, a written memory, or a funny observation, your words will no doubt strike a chord with our readership. We will select our favorites each month and publish them in that edition. Guidelines are as follows: 1. Entries must follow the assigned theme for that month (examples: love, home improvement, gardening); 2. Entries must be sent via email to votheditor@hotmail.com, or via snail mail at 120 11th Street, SE (Rear), Washington, DC 20003; 3. Entries must include the author’s name, address, and contact number and email address. The current contest theme is VACATIONS. We will publish the best entries in our July edition. The deadline for entries is June 10. Be creative, share your impressions with our readers, and have fun with summing up your thoughts on vacations in 100 words! Share Your Photos! With the Voice’s Website Feature Have you taken a great digital photo (or an old-fashioned film print you can scan)? Share it with the hundreds of folks who log on to www.voiceofthehill.com in our new “Photo of the Week” feature. A great view of life on Capitol Hill, an interesting and cute pet pic, even photos of your growing garden—if you’ve captured it on film, let us capture it on the web! Log on today for details. Clarification In last month’s edition, Patrick McClintock of the Hill Buddhist group (Kagyu Drepgyu Chodzong) was incorrectly identified as Peter McClintock. Our apologies. Additionally, the center and bodywork practice can be reached by phone at (202) 546-0226, or via the web at www.kagyudc.org. 4 www.voiceofthehill.com VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 cityDesk COVERING THE HILL’S POLITICAL SCENE AND MORE ALL STORIES BY MARK SEGRAVES Tati Kaupp and Kitty Kaupp Coldwell Banker-Pardoe 546-7000 x 257/247 kkaupp@coldwellmove.com Residential and Commercial Sales In Washington, D.C. and VA Specializing in Capitol Hill Therapeut Patricia Stocks, L.M.T., R.M. Christine Getlein, L.M.T., R.M. Susan McConnell, M.Ac., L.Ac. 202-543-6365 Reiki Swedish Deep Tissue Lomi Lomi Thai Yoga Acupuncture Hot Spirit Stones Raindrop Essential Oil Therapy Therapies Please visit our website www.capitolmassage.com Serving the Nation’s Capital By Appointment Only Gift Certificates Available Ask about our REIKI Initiation/Attunement Once Troubled ANC—Troubled No More ANC 6A Back in Fiscal Business It was just a little more than a year ago that Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6A (ANC 6A) was being described by various city council members as “dysfunctional” and “awful.” The D.C. Auditor had confiscated the checkbook and frozen all funds. The past due bills were piling up (somewhere). Meetings were being canceled for lack of a quorum, and from time to time the commissioners’ vocal sparring would turn physical. Its troubles and antics were folly for journalists and naysayers everywhere. That was then, and this is now. ANC 6A, in just five rapid-fire months, has taken the quantum leap into the land of respectable, viable, and productive ANCs. In this short time, these seven commissioners have been able to not only complete their work, but also the work that the previous 14-member commission had been unable to do in years. Under the leadership of Chairman Joe Fengler, Treasurer Nick Alberti, and Zoning Chair Cody Rice, ANC 6A has managed to convince the DC Auditor to not only release the funds that had been frozen, but to forgive the auditor’s report which led to all future funds being withheld indefinitely. They have coordinated a series of joint sessions with ANC 6C and the DC Office of Planning to work on the future of H Street. They have reengaged the community (39 residents attended the last meeting). Meetings now begin and end on time. Attendees of the meetings not only receive an agenda, they get an agenda package, similar to the ones the commissioners are working from, which includes committee reports and balance sheets and makes community participation easier and more effective. At their May 8 meeting, the six commissioners present showed that their election time promises and goals, that this reporter described then as “naive,” were not just political rhetoric. They are now reality. District agencies will learn, as the Department of Parks and Recreation learned Thursday, that when they come before this ANC they had better bring their A game. Sherwood Park Rec Center Fence Debate Four representatives of the Sherwood Park Recreation Facility project came to the meeting to hear complaints about the proposed six-foot chain link fence that will surround much of the property. Several senior residents from the Capitol Hill Towers were there to voice their opposition to a chain link fence, preferring a wrought iron fence instead. Fengler had also been given a petition with more than 70 signatures of people who didn’t want the fence to be six feet high (preferring three feet). Fengler refereed the back and forth between the sides with one eye on the clock and the other eye on the fairness meter. But when the project manager said that none of the four had brought any plans or diagrams to the meeting, Fengler made his displeasure clear. Fengler told the residents he would schedule a special meeting to further discuss the options. He told the Parks and Recreation officials to bring the breakdown of cost differences between a six-foot wrought-iron fence and a three-foot fence, and to bring diagrams and plans. Fengler said he would contact Ward 6 Council Member Sharon Ambrose and a supervisor at Parks and Recreation in the meantime. Treasurer’s Report The commissioners approved their first quarterly report for the second quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2003. They also approved a quarterly report for FY 705 North Carolina Ave. SE Eastern Market Open Daily and Weekends 202-546-3040 705 North Carolina Ave. SE Eastern Market Open Daily and Weekends 202-546-3040 T H E V I L L A G E Plus sizes also available Plus sizes also available T H E V I L L A G E Flax Clothing Flax Clothing in exciting Summer Colors in exciting Summer Colors Doolittle’s — The Best for Our Best Friends! (202) 544-8710 — www.doolittles.com 224 Seventh Street, SE, Washington, DC Back to the Beach! Cool Stripes for Hot Dogs! www.voiceofthehill.com 5 VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 2002 third quarter. While none of the commissioners present at the May meeting were part of the ANC in FY 2002 (only Wanda Stevens-Harris remains from the previous commission, and she was absent), they were complying with a request from the DC Auditor. In doing so, the commissioners completed the last task in securing total funding for the ANC. The commissioners voted on a budget for the remaining five months of FY 2003. That budget includes $8,000 for community grants, $6,000 for savings, $3,000 for office equipment, and $4,000 for the establishment of a website. The budget included monthly expenditures for items such as mailings, photocopies and phone service. The total budget for the remaining five months of FY 2003 is $31,125. The ANC currently has $7,235.68 in available funds and projects $25,354.40 in revenue from the quarterly district allotments, for a total of $32,590.08. The line item of $6,000 for savings was approved as an amendment to the budget in a four to two vote. Commissioners Mack and Ward opposed the amendment. The budget was then approved unanimously. When questioned whether the commission was in a rush to spend money after years of having none to spend, Commissioners Fengler and Alberti disputed that notion. Fengler cited the months of work involved in creating the budget and getting the funds released, insisting that none of this had been done “overnight.” Alberti explained that approving a budget was far different than actually spending the money. Approving the budget only allows the ANC to make expenditures that are listed in the budget without getting prior approval at a monthly meeting. After approving the budget, Alberti led the commissioners in a round of self-congratulatory applause for passing the first budget for the ANC in recent memory. Zoning Cody Rice, Chairman of the Economic Development and Zoning Committee, presented the commission with the recommendations of the committee. Rice submitted a detailed four-page report that outlined the recommendations and the work of the committee—just one more sign that this ANC is functioning at a level never before seen. The commissioners voted to approve two letters of support for developments in the community— the first at 1001 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, for landscaping improvements and the second at 326 12th Street, NE, for the demolition of an abandoned building. A third recommendation failed to gain the needed four votes. In a three to two to one vote, a request to support giving a permit for an existing curb cut at 1019 Constitution Avenue, NE, was denied. Commissioners Ward, Alberti and Musante voted to oppose, and Mack abstained. Several of the commissioners were concerned with the precedent that would be set by giving approval to an illegal curb cut simply because it had been there for so long. ABC Committee Jessica Ward, Chairman of the Alcohol Beverage Licensing and Public Safety Committee, presented two letters to the commission for approval. Both were voted back to committee for further discussion after several community members spoke out in opposition and some commissioners voiced their concern as well. The first letter was to the Mayor in opposition of redistricting the Police Service Areas (PSA) along cluster boundaries, as has been proposed by the police department. Ward’s letter recommended that the PSAs be redrawn to “reflect the current ANC boundaries.” Some residents in attendance expressed their desire to keep the PSA system as it is. After some discussion, it was decided that the letter should be discussed in more detail at the committee level. The same decision was reached with regard to a second letter—this one to the Commander of the Fifth District, Jennifer Greene. In that letter, Ward requested that the monthly meetings for PSAs 510, 511, and 512 be held during the monthly ANC committee meeting. This letter drew serious criticism from some residents. “I take exception that Commissioner Ward has done this without consulting our PSA,” said one resident. Ward explained that she had spoken with several PSA lieutenants and said that she was “sorry if the lieutenants didn’t pass it along to you.” Both letters will be on the agenda for the next ABC committee meeting. Colleen Harris—5 Months and Counting For the fifth month in a row, Commissioner Colleen Harris was not in attendance. Harris, who had been a commissioner in ANC 6B for the past two years and won re-election, but due to re-districting is now serving in ANC 6A, had not been sworn in as a new commissioner as of the March meeting. Harris missed every meeting that ANC 6B had in 2002 and several in 2001. Harris has not returned calls from Voice of the Hill, nor has she been in contact with members of the ANC. Attendance Commissioners in attendance were Joe Fengler, Cody Rice, Jessica Ward, Nick Alberti, Gladys Mack, and Michael Musante. Absent commissioners were Colleen Harris and Wanda Stevens-Harris. The next regular meeting of the ANC will be Thursday, June 10, at 7 p.m. in the Miner Elementary School. The new entrance for Miner is located on 16th Street. “Missing Commissioner” Sworn In ANC 6A’s Harris Sworn in Six Months After Being Elected Colleen Harris, the “missing commissioner” from Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6A, was sworn into office in mid-May by Ward 6 D.C. Council member Sharon Ambrose. Six months after being elected to office, Harris has yet to attend one meeting. In fact, Harris has not attended an ANC meeting since 2001. Harris had been a commissioner in ANC 6B for the past two years and won re-election, but due to re-districting is now serving in ANC 6A. According to ANC records, Harris missed every meeting that ANC 6B had in 2002 and several in 2001. Harris has been absent without excuse from every ANC 6A meeting this year. In a communication to the other ANC 6A commissioners, Chairman Joe Fengler said that he looked forward to working with Harris and that her presence would ensure that the entire community was now represented at the ANC. Harris has not returned repeated calls from Voice of the Hill staff. Liquor Stores Come Under Fire from Residents ANC 6D Votes to Oppose Three Liquor License Renewals Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D (ANC 6D) voted to oppose the renewal of three liquor licenses in the neighborhood, one of which is owned by an ANC 6D commissioner. Commissioner Bob Siegle sat silent as resident after resident voiced complaints regarding Cap Liquor at South Capitol and N Streets, SW. The residents complained about public drunkenness and urination, trash, noise and other quality of life issues. “I can’t stand it,” one woman said. “It’s dirty—we don’t need your store.” Siegle, who recused himself from any of the votes pertaining to liquor licenses, declined to address the concerns of the neighbors, saying only that the Alcohol Beverage Control Board (ABC) hearing would be the best place to discuss these issues. “I certainly have different views,” Siegle said. Residents voiced similar complaints about Shulman’s at First and Q Streets and Bernstein’s at 39 M Street SW. Neither owner of those establishments was present. Apparently no formal notice was given to the owners about the ANC meeting. The commissioners planned to hold a special meeting on May 29th to further discuss the three licenses and will reconsider the opposisition if the owners sign voluntary agreements with the ANC. Hope IV / Arthur Capper-Carrollsburg Representatives of the DC Housing Authority (DCHA) gave a presentation on the progress of the Hope IV project. Several residents and commissioners expressed their concern that as a result of the project, many longtime residents were being forced out of their neighborhood and might not be allowed to return. ANC Chairman Ahmed Assalaam called it “gentrification.” More than 700 public housing units are scheduled to be demolished and replaced. Relocation has already begun, and by the end of the year, DCHA expects that 160 families will be relocated. Current public housing residents will be allowed to return to the development upon completion, but must meet certain requirements, such as credit ratings, to do so. Those who do not qualify or choose not to return will be placed in other public housing or given housing vouchers. One homeowner complained that he had just received notice from the city that the city planned to acquire his home by imminent domain. Paul Rowe, the project director, said that about 15 such letters had been sent out. At a similar presentation last year, the DCHA said no privately-owned homes would be affected. The Hope IV plan calls for 1,645 new units, which will be a mix of public and private housing at mixed and moderate pricing. The plan also includes a two-acre park, 700,000 square feet of office space, 51,000 square feet of retail and an 18,000 square foot community center. The board of zoning will hear the matter on July 26. Waterside Mall Update The ANC planned to hold a special meeting on May 29 to discuss its response to Planned Unit Development (PUD) for the Southwest Waterfront (Waterside Mall). The commissioners submitted clarifications to their request for amenities at the request of the Zoning Commission. The zoning commission used those recommendations as a basis for negotiations with the developer. Once the developer responds to those recommendations, the ANC will have an opportunity to comment further. Included in those amenities are jobs and job training for Southwest residents, an increase in the square footage earmarked for retail, a community task force, maintenance of surrounding green space, and a special community fund. 6 www.voiceofthehill.com VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 Open Daily 10-6 417 East Capitol Street, SE 202-543-4342 Paul Cymrot riverby@erols.com Steve Cymrot Treasurer’s Report The ANC has a balance of $24,759.06, including a savings account of $5,055.95, according to Commission Treasurer Bob Siegle. ANCs receive quarterly allotments from the District based on population. Siegel was chastised by several commissioners for not having copies of his report for each commissioner. Siegle complained that the ANC did not have a copying machine and that he was tired of making copies at his own expense. Attendance Commissioners in attendance were Edward Johnson, C.W. Hargrave, Mary Williams, Andy Litsky, Ahmed Assalaam, Roger Moffatt and Bob Siegel. No commissioners were absent. The next regular monthly ANC 6D meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, June 9, in the basement of the Westminster Presbyterian Church at 4th and I Streets, SW. Reservation 13 to Remain as a Municipal Use Site St. Coletta Unveils Designs for New School at Public Meeting Reservation 13, the 65 acres of land at the eastern end of Capitol Hill, currently home to the D.C. Jail, the city morgue, and the former D.C. General Hospital, will remain the property of the Federal government and will not be developed for any residential or retail uses. That was the message delivered by corporation council attorney Charles Barbera at a community meeting May 5. Barbera said the Government Services Administration (GSA) has granted the District of Columbia jurisdiction of the land, but only for governmental uses such as schools, jails, offices and clinics. The meeting was organized by St Coletta, the Virginia-based school for special needs students, to address concerns of community residents. The meeting was attended by about 75 people, a third of whom were either employees or parents of St Coletta. Residents have been upset over the placement of St Coletta on the corner lot of the site since last year. After months of community meetings, where the D.C. Office of Planning worked with residents to develop a mixed use plan for the site, the only item remaining from those plans is St. Coletta. St. Coletta representatives unveiled their design for a new school and their plans for the surrounding area. Sharon Raimo, executive director of the school, called the proposed school a “show place.” John Dieboboll, the principal architect, said he was designing “not so much a school as a village.” Many of the residents weren’t convinced that the school was a good addition to their neighborhood. One resident characterized the placement of St. Coletta and the 99-year lease for one dollar per year a “sneaky deal.” Others left the meeting feeling as though they hadn’t learned anything new. “It was a non-meeting,” said one woman on her way out. St Coletta would not commit to any plan to offer a discounted tuition to D.C. students as compensation for the nominal lease payment. When Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Neil Glick asked what the city was going to get out of this deal, Raimo answered that the school was willing to offer free training for D.C. teachers, but stopped short of agreeing to anything more. St Coletta currently serves 101 D.C. students and plans to expand that number to 250 at the new facility. The plans call for school buses to enter via Independence Avenue and to exit on 19th Street. It was estimated that more than 30 buses will be needed to transport the students each day. The design includes a six-foot fence that will surround much of the building. Barbera said the amount of the lease was at the direction of the federal government. Barbera also said that if the district wanted to lease any of the land on Reservation 13 at fair market value, then fifty percent of the proceeds would have to go to the GSA. The GSA mandated a similar lease for the Mount Vernon Square site of the new D.C. Museum. The District abandoned efforts to gain title to the land when the GSA asked for fair market value for the land. St Coletta has three years from the date that building permits are issued to construct the new school or it defaults on the lease. St Coletta is prohibited from sub-leasing or selling the property. Log on to www.voiceofthehill.com for updated news covering the Hill’s political scene. Public Notice At the time of the summer solstice, the earth will be at its farthest point from the sun and therefore gravity will be at its weakest strength, maximizing the risk that you could fall off the planet and be stranded in space. Experts recommend that you purchase several used books and carry them around with you during this critical period. Riverby Books will be happy to assist you in selecting the right mix of books for your age, height and weight. www.voiceofthehill.com 7 VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 FourSeventeen A VICTORIAN TOWNHOUSE INN “A Capitol Place to Stay” Deluxe accommodations and breakfast 417 A Street, SE 202 543-1481 Fulton framing services or the framing and preservation of fine art and documents F 516 ½ C Street, NE on Stanton Park 202.544.8408 ffs@pobox.com Hours: Monday and Tuesday, Noon–6 pm Wednesday through Saturday, 10 am–6 pm or by appointment Doolittle Guest House 506 East Capitol Street A spacious and conveniently located bed and breakfast. 202 546-6622 www.doolittlehouse.com downLoad ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM THE VOICE WEBSITE FOR THE LAST MONTH Note: The following stories, and many more, appeared on www.voiceofthehill.com during the past month. Be sure to log on daily for updates on the latest news and announcements that affect our Capitol Hill readership. 20th Annual Community Achievement Awards Held Tommy Wells, Bruce Robey, Alan and Becky Dye Honored for 2003 BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Hill residents Tommy Wells, Bruce Robey and Becky and Alan Dye were honored May 14 as recipients of the 2003 Capitol Hill Community Achievement Awards. This year’s event was noteworthy for a number of reasons. It marked the 20th year for the awards, a benefit for the Capitol Hill Community Foundation. Additionally, it marked the first time the ceremony was held in the Old Reading Room at the Folger Shakespeare Library (previously, it was held in the grand building’s Great Hall). “This year is the 20th occasion to honor those Capitol Hill residents whose tireless work in our community has enriched our lives,” said Steve Cymrot, master of ceremonies. The awards banquet was attended by a number of neighborhood notables, including past honorees, five members of the DC Council (Sharon Ambrose, Harold Brazil, Vincent Orange, Jack Evans and Phil Mendelsson) and members of Congress Chris Dodd and Mary Landrieu. Bob Lester introduced honoree Tommy Wells. Since 1998, Wells has served on the newly-reconstituted DC School Board, representing Wards 5 and 6. (NOTE: Voice of the Hill readers can find out more about this year’s honorees by reading the April edition of the newspaper via our online archives feature). “It’s good to take time to celebrate who we are and where we’re going,” Wells said. “Our job is to make this a great neighborhood.” Adele Robey introduced honoree (and her husband) Bruce Robey, who was honored for his work for a number of volunteer organizations, as well as his role as founder and publisher of The Voice of the Hill. In discussing the future of the community, Robey said, “We need to involve the young guard.” He is most proud of the Voice and of the H Street Playhouse, which he and Adele own. “We’re glad to be part of the establishment of a viable H Street arts corridor,” he said. Alan and Becky Dye were introduced by Paul Hayes. “When we decided to live on Capitol Hill, we made a commitment to spend time and energy on the community,” Becky states. “I am happy and feel so fortunate for such a wonderful place to live.” Special entertainment for the evening was provided by the Eastern High School Choir, who garnered several standing ovations for their stirring performances. Dr. Joyce Garrett, herself a 1989 Capitol Hill Achievement Award winner, spoke on behalf of the group and related proudly the fact that this year, scholarships for 16 seniors in the choir have been awarded, made possible through the Eastern Choral Society. The Capitol Hill Community Foundation (previously known as the CHAMPS Community Foundation) has awarded over $170,000 in grants throughout the past year. The 2003 Arnold E. Keller Jr. Award of $10,000 has been awarded to Hine Junior High School for a comprehensive math and reading initiative to enhance student performance. Honoree grants of $1,000 will be given to the Theater Alliance for honoree Bruce Robey; Friends of Tyler School for Tommy Wells; and Barracks Row/Main Street and Capitol Hill Group Ministry for Alan and Becky Dye. In addition, Lehner grants (totaling $42,200) and Roback grants (totaling $20,550) have been awarded. Since 1989, the Capitol Hill Community Foundation has distributed over $850,000 to more than 100 non-profit groups serving the community. According to a note from Nicky Cymrot, president of the Foundation, and Phyllis Jane Young, dinner chairman, “Our honorees…join an already distinguished roster of selflessly dedicated persons. Their daily enthusiasm, leadership and compassion on behalf of this community energize us all and make ‘neighbors helping neighbors’ into a living reality.” Gertrude Stein Democratic Club Endorses Eichhorn for Ward 6 Dems President Biannual Convention, Election of Officers Slated for June At its monthly meeting May 12, the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club unanimously endorsed Jan Eichhorn for President of the Ward 6 Democrats and also endorsed the “Team 6” slate of candidates that Jan leads. Ward 6 Councilmember Sharon Ambrose, At-Large Councilmember Harold Brazil, and District III School Board member Tommy Wells have also endorsed the “Team 6” slate. The Ward 6 Democratic organization will hold its biannual convention and election of officers on Saturday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Carroll Apartments, 410 M Street, SE, across from the Navy Yard. Voting will take place between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. All registered Democrats in Ward 6 are eligible to vote. A longtime Ward 6 activist, Jan Eichhorn has served two terms on ANC 6B, was a Ward 6 delegate to the DC Statehood Constitutional Convention, and has received the CHAMPS Foundation Community Service award for her community work. She is the founder and Chair of the FOTS - VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 8 www.voiceofthehill.com 200 C Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 phone: 202-543-6000 fax: 202-547-2608 In the heart of a residential and historic Capitol Hill neighborhood, Capitol Hill Suites offers spacious accomodations with kitchenettes, ideal for short and long term stays. Perfectly located two blocks from the US Capitol and one block from the Capitol South Metro, Capitol Hill Suites is your home on The Hill. Friends of Tyler School tutor/mentor program. Other members of the “Team 6” slate are: Betty Smalls, a native Washingtonian, former Ward 6 Dems president and retired educator, running for 1st Vice President; Jim Harvey, a Democratic party activist and administrative manager of the HIV Community Coalition, running for 2nd Vice President; DeLeon Ware, a native Washingtonian, former ANC 6A commissioner and Jefferson Junior High teacher, running for 3rd Vice President; Helen Cymrot, a native Washingtonian and legislative aide to Senator Mary Landrieu, running for Recording Secretary; Amy Mauro, a native Washingtonian, formerly on the staff of Councilmember Ambrose and now legislative aide to Councilmember Kathy Patterson, running for Corresponding Secretary; and Bob Siegel, ANC 6D Commissioner and Treasurer, running for Treasurer. For more information on the convention, interested persons may e-mail Ward6Dems@aol.com. Capital Renaissance Theatre Presents ‘Images in Black’ June 15 Special Fundraiser Event at H Street Highlights Various Genres Capital Renaissance Theatre (CRT), a new non-profit professional theatre company based in DC, will hold its first annual fundraiser event Images in Black at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, June 15, at the H Street Playhouse, 1365 H Street, NE. Following the success of two runs of The Colored Museum by George C. Wolfe last summer and fall at the H Street Playhouse, CRT will return to the venue for this special fundraiser event. Images in Black is a celebration of various genres of theatre: Readers Theatre, Musical Theatre, Monologues, Skits and Poetry, to name a few. The words of various playwrights and poets will be brought to life by five talented actresses: MaConnia Chesser, Laura Daye, Wilma Lynn Horton, Sherri LaVie Linton, and Janice Menifee. This is a one-night only fundraiser event. Ticket prices are $25. Information and reservations may be obtained by calling toll-free 1-877-426-9372, or by fax 202-332-0225. Visit CRT online at www. capitaltheatre.com for additional information. ‘Free Cone Day’ Pierce School Project Update NOTE: The following is taken from a press release. One day each year, some businesses offer Free Cone Day to their patrons and guests. Now one Capitol Hill property developer has effectively made every day Cone Day for thousands of pedestrians and commuters who pass by 14th and Maryland Avenue NE each day. Evolve, LLC (www.evolveLLC.com) is a property development and management company located on Capitol Hill and the developers of Pierce School Lofts located at 1375 Maryland Avenue NE, Washington, DC . Evolve recently replaced the Victorian cone that originally graced the roofline of the old school. The company is in the process of converting the previously-abandoned building into urban loft apartments. Lithographs taken of Pierce School shortly after construction was completed in 1893 were discovered at the Library of Congress and showed that the structure was originally built with a cone atop the turret, which served as the focal point to the landmark building. In the early 1970’s, as part of a cost saving effort, the City removed the old cone and capped the turret. Evolve meticulously studied these old images in order to design a new cone for the 110-year old building. Construction began in the back yard of the school in March of this year. “One by one, all of our neighbors asked us what in the world we were building in the backyard,” remarked Jeff Printz and Christopher Swanson, coowners of Evolve, LLC. “We heard all kinds of ideas and rumors about what people thought the structure was for,” said Printz, “everything from an elaborate gazebo to a fancy top for a subterranean room or cavern. At first we played a dirty trick by telling people the structure was to be a merry-go-round but when we leveled with them and confessed that it was actually a new cone for the school everyone was very supportive . . . and a bit relieved,” said Swanson. The six-ton structure was craned into place on Saturday, May 17. The Pierce School project is scheduled for completion later this year. A total of eight lofts will be created at Pierce School and Evolve plans to lease the spaces on an annual basis. For additional pictures from Cone Day and for leasing information, interested persons may visit www. PierceSchool.com. Anyone interested in becoming a resident when the school opens can add their e-mail address to the official Notification List on this website. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 www.voiceofthehill.com 9 “The used key is always bright.” BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Let my thirty years of real estate experience work for you. JOHN JANKE (202) 857-4385 Real Estate BID Tends Tree Boxes The Capitol Hill Business Improvement District’s Clean Team began work in the area during May, weeding and pruning tree boxes in preparation for fresh mulch. The nine- member team began working on Pennsylvania Avenue, SE and made their way throughout the BID. Team members are part of the Ready, Willing & Able program that employs homeless former felons and drug addicts, helping them become productive citizens by giving them job training, social support services and paid employment experience. According to Patty Brosmer, BID’s executive direc- Since 1974, our intensive 312 hour hypnotic habit-restructuring programs have been helping prominent Washingtonians QUIT! (Used by U.S. Navy, Nat’l Education Assn., Wash Post, Nat’l Hosp., DC Gov.t and major corporations). Ex-smokers save over $1800/year. Special VIP Private Appt. $295 Regular $395 • Semi-Private $195 • Group $99* Free Info Pack, Appt. Info 202-333-7699 • www.georgetowninstitute.org PeterWesselton, C.CH. Georgetown Institute STILL FAT/SMOKE? TRY THIS “SELF-HELP” THAT WORKS $99* tor, “It’s a win-win situation for the Capitol Hill business community. We get twice the manpower, and they get the opportunity to work for the BID while getting their lives back in order.” Security Ambassadors also hit the pavement to disseminate information and assistance to visitors, shoppers and workers in the BID area. Ambassadors are undergoing a comprehensive training program that includes way-finding, working with the Metropolitan Police force, dealing with homeless issues, and certification in CPR/First Aid. The Capitol Hill Business Improvement District is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to fortifying the Wright Rowland, LLC Historic Conservation Consultants _ Preserve the historic character of your neighborhood while earning significant federal income tax benefits. We can assist you in making a charitable contribution of a facade easement on your property, which the IRS has concluded should result in an income tax deduction of 10-15% of the property’s appraised value. 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A map of the BID area and further information can be found at www.capitolhillbid. org Regreen Your Neighborhood with Street Trees Learn How at your Neighborhood Meeting, June 18 Wed., June 18, 7-9 p.m., at Capital Children’s Museum, 800 3rd Street, NE. For residents of Kingman Park, Linden, Near Northeast, North Lincoln Park, Rosedale, Stanton Park, Capitol Hill, Hill East, Lincoln Park, Barney Circle and Stadium Armory Casey Trees invites residents to a meeting in their neighborhood to learn about the condition of its trees and to develop a plan to fill the city’s 23,000 empty street tree spaces. From now to July 1, a total of 19 meetings are scheduled across the city. Each meeting will provide an overview of street tree conditions in DC and maps with details for that particular area. A complete list of meeting dates, locations and the areas to be covered at each meeting is posted at www.caseytrees.org, or phone 202/833-4010, Ext. 100 for details. The sessions will present the findings of a comprehensive inventory conducted last summer by over 500 volunteers. The meetings are the first step for citizens to help develop neighborhood plans for a long-term re-greening strategy to begin this fall. ‘Our Children: Our Legacy’ Songs on Children Featured in LGCW Concert “Our Children: Our Legacy” is the June 22 concert offering of the Lesbian & Gay Chorus of Washington, DC (LGCW), with Music Director C. Paul Heins. The performance at 4 p.m. that day will be given at the Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, 4th and Independence Avenue SE. Audience members are invited to a spaghetti dinner immediately following the concert. Tickets are $15 and are available by phone reservation at 202-546-1549, at Lambda Rising, Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW), or from TICKETplace. The performance will be interpreted for the deaf. The church is accessible. “Our Children: Our Legacy” will feature “Where Every Voice Is Heard,” a work by composer Jeffery Watson which premiered in October 2002 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. Watson’s composition reflects on a community where every voice, including those of children, matters. The Children’s Vocal Ensemble at The Academy of Music (Gaithersburg), under the direction of Joan McFarland, will join the LGCW in presenting Watson’s three-movement work. Watson lives on Capitol Hill, maintaining an active career as pianist, conductor and composer. He has performed for the Piano 300 concert series at the Smithsonian Institution, the Summer Music Series at the Washington National Cathedral and the National Symphony’s Prelude Concert series at the Kennedy Center. He has been the featured soloist with the Honduran National Symphony in a concert sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, soloist with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and the Kirov Ballet, and piano soloist with the Washington Ballet. Dr. Watson has composed music for Theater Alliance and American Century Theater productions. He also serves as CHAW’s Executive Director. “The program for ‘Where Every Voice Is Heard’ promises to be a varied musical experience reflecting on our own childhoods, the lessons shared with (and learned from) children, and the legacy we pass on to them,” said LGCW Music Director C. Paul Heins. “We are thrilled to be working with Jeffery Watson’s inspired composition as the centerpiece for this performance.” For more information about “Our Children: Our Legacy” and the spaghetti dinner following the concert, or to purchase tickets, interested persons may contact 202-546-1549 or click on: www.lgcw.org. There are complimentary tickets available for people with HIV/AIDS, lesbians with cancer, sexual minority youth, the deaf, and others who cannot easily access the arts. The concert is sponsored by The CHAMPS Community Foundation, Capitol Hill Bikes, and Hoopla Traders. The LGCW receives funding from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities/National Endowment for the Arts. Children’s Jewish Education Program To Begin on the Hill in September The Hill Havurah, a Jewish community on Capitol Hill, will start a Children’s Jewish Education Program (CJEP) in September 2003. The group is planning an education program for two age groups, an Early Education (Pre-K) program for children five and under, and an elementary school age group for children 6 to 9 years. The early education program will meet on the first Sunday of each month, with reading and art projects about holidays and stories from the Jewish Bible. The older age group will receive instruction in Jewish history, holidays, traditions, and culture. This group will meet weekly after school. The CJEP Steering Committee would like to gauge the local interest in this program and specifically have an idea of how many families would consider enrolling their children in this program. Persons are asked to email hillhavurahcjep @yahoo.com, or call Lori Feinman at 202-543-0039, if they are interested in enrolling their children in this community effort. The group is also interested in prospective teachers with experience in early education for Jewish children or with knowledge of the Jewish Bible they would like to share with community children. DC Bicycle Master Plan Bike Rides and Public Workshops Scheduled Help Plan the Future of Bicycling in Your Neighborhood Every day, people make over 25,000 trips by bicycle in the District of Columbia. The District Department of Transportation is undertaking a comprehensive update of the city’s 30-year-old bike plan. A public workshop will be held Thursday, June 5, from 7-9 p.m. at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (near Eastern Market Metro Station). At the public workshops, DDOT and its consultants will describe the bike plan methodology; then break into smaller groups to mark up maps with origins, destinations, and areas that need improvement. For the latest updates, interested persons may log on to www.bikemap.com/dcbikeplan or contact Jim Sebastian, DC Bicycle Program Manager, at jim.sebastian@dc.gov (202) 671-2331. To sign up for the rides, folks may contact Eric Gilliland at gill@waba.org (202) 628-2500 Theater Alliance Announces 10th Anniversary Season Includes Rebecca Gilman’s First Washington Production Kicking off his second year as Artistic Director, Jeremy Skidmore has announced the Theater Alliance’s 2003-2004 10th Anniversary season. “Our first year here on H Street was about taking chances. Our motto was truly ‘if we build it they will come.’ It was wonderful to see people come in such numbers. I feel the shows we are offering in the coming season have even greater variety in their appeal while still demanding huge risks that are beginning to define our work.” For the first time, the Theater Alliance will be tackling five productions, adding a special event to the regular four show season. Opening the anniversary season in June will be a special event co-produced with the owners of the H Street Playhouse. Director Paul-Douglas Michnewicz will lead an electrifying chorus of voices in a revival of The Gospel at Colonus, adapted by Lee Breuer with music composed by Bob Telson. August will bring the world premiere production of Painted Alice by William Donnelly. NJNG Productions in New York City has optioned Painted Alice for a production off- Broadway. The Theater Alliance production, under the direction of Jeremy Skidmore, will offer an opportunity for further development of the project prior to a potential transfer to New York in 2004. In October, Skidmore will revisit his US premiere production of The Dispute translated by Neil Bartlett. This production will be re-conceptualized with special guests Kelly Parsley (Helen Hayes nominated choreographer from Theater Alliance’s 2002 critically acclaimed production of Tales From Ovid), and the dance improv company, The Playground. In February 2004, Kathleen Ackerley will direct the DC premiere of the Pulitzer Prize nominated sensation [sic] by Melissa James Gibson. Finally, the play closing out the season will not only be the DC premiere of Boy Gets Girl, but it will be the DC premiere of internationally-acclaimed playwright Rebecca Gilman. This production, the first of any www.voiceofthehill.com 11 VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10-9 Friday, Saturday 10-6 Sunday 12-6 522 Eighth Street, SE 202.543.3030 www.frame-of-mine.com Capitol Hill’s only do-it-yourself Frame shop custom framing also available Serving Capitol Hill for 20 years Parenting Playgroups, Inc Toddler Program join us for a comprehensive, interactive, research-based parenting course with a well-managed playgroup program a rewarding experience for children 16-28 months by September 2003 with an accompanying parent Expecting? Have a newborn? Join us for a course that goes beyond the basics of baby care temerament, attachment, newborn health, infant massage and more Rene Hackney doctoral candidate, developmental psychology masters degree, school psychology (703) 313-7797 Alexandria, VA parentingplaygroups.com of Gilman’s plays to be presented in the DC area, will open on H Street in April 2004. For tickets, call Box Office Tickets at 1-800-494- 8497 or order online at www.theateralliance.com. Residents with a 5 block radius of the H Street Playhouse are eligible for the Theater Alliance’s Free Theater on H Street Program. Details are available at the Playhouse and from the Theater Alliance website. The Free Theater on H Street Program is made possible through generous support of the Fannie Mae and CHAMPS Foundations. Seven New Main Streets Designated Neighborhoods to Receive Financial and Technical Aid Mayor Anthony A. Williams will designate seven new neighborhoods as DC Main Streets. The designees, comprised of neighborhood business districts organized by local volunteers and community development professionals, were competitively selected to receive financial and technical assistance to support enhancement efforts in older, traditional neighborhood business districts. Designees include: Ward 1 Mt. Pleasant Mount Pleasant Main Street, Inc. Ward 5 Brookland Brookland Comm. Dev’t Corporation Adams Morgan Adams Morgan Main Street Group, Inc. Ward 2 Dupont Circle Dupont Circle Merchants and Professionals Assoc Ward 8 Anacostia Anacostia Econ Dev’t Corporation Shaw Shaw Main Streets, Inc. Ward 4 Shepherd Park / Takoma DC GATEWAY—Georgia Avenue Revitalization Corporation “Most of our businesses in the District are small businesses. With Main Streets and reStore DC, we’re supporting our home-grown retail—and growing the unique shopping options at the core of our economy,” Mayor Anthony A. Williams said. About the Process Seven applications were submitted for review by an independent committee appointed by Mayor Williams. Selection criteria included: A commitment from public and private sector entities—merchant and neighborhood organizations, residents, property owners, civic groups, lending institutions, schools, religious institutions, and Ward and ANC representatives – to work cooperatively to support a local Main Street program for a minimum of five years; A need for commercial district revitalization; and A past history of community and economic development. All seven applicant organizations made a presentation before the selection committee. Based on their presentations, the committee determined that all seven organizations demonstrated the need for funding and willingness to commit to the principals of the Main Street approach. For more information, interested persons may visit www.dcbiz.dc.gov. New Irish Pub Coming to 8th Street Cork Publick House Will Move into Former Sheridan’s Location Twenty-year Capitol Hill resident Paul Woodhull and his business partner Michael Collins have announced they are opening Cork Publick House in the old Sheridan’s location on 8th Street, SE. Both Woodhull and Collins were bartenders at the Irish Times “way back when.” Woodhull describes the new venture as a true Irish Pub, featuring Irish folk music, Irish staples and what promises to be the longest bar on the Hill. As a father of six and president of St. Peter’s Parent Teacher Organization, Woodhull says the Cork Publick House “will be a family-friendly restaurant (remember Machiavelli’s)—one that’s community minded.” Opening is planned for late June or early July. And Speaking of Irish Bars… A spokesman for the Old Naval Lodge at 4th and Pennsylvania, SE, confirms that the lodge is in negotiations with Guinness to lease its ground floor as retail space for a “Guinness Bar.” Nothing official yet—stay tuned. Chuck Burger Named Interim Chair of the ABC Board Hill resident Chuck Burger was elected to the position of Interim Chairman of the DC Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board. Burger replaces Rod Woodson, whose term expired in mid-May. The Mayor has the task of naming additional board members and a permanent chair later this year. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 12 www.voiceofthehill.com HA Neighborhood’s Story Part VI BY NANCY SCHWARTZ Street Introduction What follows is the sixth installment of a brief history of the Capitol Hill North/Near Northeast neighborhood. The first installment appeared in the January issue of the Voice, and all installments available on the website at www.voiceofthehill.com/history.htm. This history is the product of the first phase of a multi-year cultural resources survey undertaken in October 2001 by the Near Northeast Citizens community organization with the support of a federal Historic Preservation Fund grant. The first phase of the project focused on gaining a broad historical overview of the survey area. Future phases will include additional research on the neighborhood as a whole as well as documentation of individual buildings. The survey area is roughly bounded by the Union Station railroad tracks/2nd Street, NE (west), Florida Avenue (north), Maryland Avenue (east) and F Street, NE (south). This area, platted as part of the original L’Enfant plan for the Old City of Washington, is comprised of 66 city squares and over 3,500 buildings. The project’s Principal Investigator and the author of this history is Nancy Schwartz, a former Chief Historian of the federal Historic American Buildings Survey, the author of What Style Is It?, a popular guide to architectural styles in the United States, and the Architectural Historian for the Eastern Market Historic Structure Report. RICHARD LAYMAN Project Administrator Capitol Hill North/Near Northeast Cultural and Social History Study Note: This month’s edition picks up on a discussion regarding various businesses and locations of community interest in the study area. Banks Two solid stone-trimmed banks flank the north side of the intersection of 8th and H Streets in the center of the H Street corridor. They were an embodiment of the growing prosperity of the H Street business sector and of the surrounding neighborhoods. Each building is designed in the Classical Revival style that was considered appropriate for financial institutions in the first quarter of the 20th century. The bank whose origins were within the northeast community is the one that sits at 800 H Street. It was built in 1921 by the Northeast Savings Bank that had been founded in 1916 at 1401 H Street. The officers were members of the Northeast business community. At the time of the erection of the new building, Leonard P. Steuart, the owner of Steuart Ford, was the bank president. Noted architect B. Stanley Simmons was commissioned to design the building.1 Despite such an auspicious beginning, the Northeast Savings Bank did not survive the Depression. It, along with 13 other Washington area banks, was not allowed to reopen following the bank holiday declared by President Franklin Roosevelt in March 1933. The bank eventually became part of a merger of seven of the soundest of the closed banks. They joined to become the Hamilton National Bank in September 1933. The building on H Street became the Northeast Branch of the Hamilton National Bank. In 1954, the Hamilton National Bank merged with the National Bank of Washington to become the city’s third largest bank. The National Bank of Washington was the city’s oldest and most venerable banking institution. It was founded in 1809 and counted many of the founding fathers among its depositors. By the 1970s, however, the bank found itself in financial difficulties because of bad loans to associates of the United Mine Workers Union, which had secretly purchased a controlling interest in the bank. A succession of reformist presidents attempted to make corrections, but there was turmoil on the board, and that combined with the collapse of the overbuilt downtown real estate market, led to bankruptcy in 1990. The historic National Bank of Washington had the distinction of becoming the first major bank in the country to fail since the Depression. In 1990, the bank was sold to Riggs National Bank. The building at 800 H Street now operates as a branch of that bank. Beginning in 1922, soon after the building was occupied, the bank leased a room in the building to the Post Office for an H Street station. The post office continued to operate in the bank until a branch post office was built at 1016 H Street in 1940. The second bank at the intersection of 8th and H is the 1912 Classical Revival building at 722 H Street, erected as the Northeast Branch of The Home Savings Bank. The buff brick and limestone building was designed by Appleton P. Clark.2 The Home Savings Bank was chartered in Virginia in 1899 and had its headquarters at 7th Street and Massachusetts Avenue, NW. It eventually established two branches, one in northeast, and one at 436 7th Street, SW. When The Home Savings Bank was merged with American Security and Trust Company in 1919, the building on H Street became the Northeast Branch of the American Security and Trust Company. The building underwent a thorough remodeling in 1936 in which the interior floor space was doubled, the vault enlarged, and the banking room embellished with marble and bronze. In the midst of changing circumstances on H Street in the last 40 years, the two bank branches at the corner of 8th Street have continued to serve the businesses and residents of the study area. They are solid and well-kept, a connection between the deteriorated neighborhood and the business world of the greater city.3 Automobile Related Businesses The widespread availability of automobiles that came after Henry Ford introduced the Model T had a tremendous affect on the business life and appearance of the study area, adding jobs and wealth and causing new building types to be erected and older buildings to be demolished. Automobile-related enterprises became the dominant business, and several of the firms that grew up in the study area had citywide, and eventually, metropolitan- wide, scope. In 1920, there were ten auto-related businesses along H Street and in its alleys. They offered auto repairs, auto accessories, auto garaging, and even an auto livery, a forerunner of the taxi business that would occupy square 776 at a later date. By 1928, new buildings were being erected to serve the auto sales industry. Automobiles had been around sufficiently long that used car businesses appeared on H Street and Florida Avenue. Auto repair, auto accessory, auto upholstery, auto glass, and other businesses grew up in association with the booming auto sales market. Many of these businesses located in the alleys behind the established businesses of H Street, a pattern that is still prevalent today. With the improvement of Bladensburg and Benning Roads, the major streets of the study area— Florida Avenue, Maryland Avenue, and H Street—served more than ever the traffic coming and going from the east side of the city. New York Avenue was not cut through until the late 1920s to relieve the increasing automobile volume that concentrated at the complex intersection at 15th and H Streets. To serve this traffic, gasoline “filling stations” began to appear, tearing down older buildings to create the space needed for the circulation of cars. By 1928, filling stations could be found at 304-8 H Street, 1414 H (between H and Florida), 14th Street at the intersection of Maryland and G, Florida Avenue and 3rd Street, and Florida Avenue and 4th Street. Although H Street never had the concentration of automobile dealerships found on 14th Street NW, there were several auto businesses of citywide importance. The premier auto dealership in the study area was Ourisman Chevrolet. This business began in 1920 at 625 H Street. The founder, Benjamin Ourisman, was a young man when he began work as a salesman in the Chevrolet factory showroom on Connecticut Avenue across from the Mayflower Hotel. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 www.voiceofthehill.com 13 Full time Staff Doctor On Site Complete Veterinary Services Science Diet & Prescription Diet foods Cat Boarding Totally New Facility Morning drop off service 202-544-2500 Julie D. Giles, DVM Bruce T. Herwald, VMD 609 2nd St, NE across from Union Station UNION VETERINARY CLINIC High Quality General Practice N O W O P E N Monday 8-8, Tuesday-Friday 8-6 Saturday 9-2 Church School for all ages— Sunday 9:45-10:45 am Worship —Sunday 11:00 am We warmly invite everyone to share in a journey of faith and service to our community and the world. 201 Fourth Street, Southeast Washington, DC 20003 tel 202.547.8676 fax 202.547.2182 caphillpc@cs.com www.capitolhillpreschurch.com F E A T U R E D P R O P E R T Y 804 East Capitol Street, NE A beautiful detached traditional home of the late 1800s One of the largest lots on Capitol Hill with formal gardens, patio, green house and garage! large 3BR, 2.5 BA, family room, 4 working fireplaces, double parlor, basement w/au pair suite, a historic home loaded with plaster crown mouldings and many fine riginal detilas, It’s perfect. $1.425 million. Preview all inventory at www.RobBergman.com Work with a real estate professional. Get the results you want. WDCAR Platinum Award Winner for 2002 202-262-3848 (O) 202-546-1553 (H) RE S I D E N T I A L RE A L E S TATE RE/MAX LaPlazaRestaurant Fine Mexican/Salvadoran Cuisine 629 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE 202-546-9512 15% off with this ad N O W O P E N ! 329 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE C A P I T O L H I L L 202-543-3300 FAX 202-543-9038 Watch NBA Playoffs! It’s Baseball Season! Four different Satellite Receivers PLUS Cable on 14 TVs Softball Teams Welcome The Patio Is Open! SETTLED PROPERTIES IN MAY 250 11th Street, SE Listed @ $488,000 Sold $491,700 626 5th Street, NE Listed @ $349,000 Sold $403,000 2122 Newport Place, NW Listed @ $785,000 Sold $810,000 339 13th Street, SE Selling Broker $405,000 Ourisman was such a successful salesman that when the Chevrolet Company began to establish dealerships, he was given one of the franchises. He had to borrow $2000 from his mother to get started. Ourisman did not live in the neighborhood. His choice of H Street as a site for his new business was dictated by the desire of the Chevrolet Company to have a franchise in that location. By 1925, the firm had grown so much that it required more space, and a modern two-story show room and service facility was built across the street at 610 H Street. The firm’s success was due, not only to the popularity of the medium-priced Chevrolet cars, but also its reputation for service. At the new facility, the service department was open 24 hours a day, “assuring parts replacement and repair and servicing work at all times.”4 By 1928, the company had built a second location in Anacostia, and by 1930 it was one of the largest new car dealers in the United States. By 1941, at the start of World War II, it was the highest volume dealership in the country.5 In that year, Ourisman added the fivestory building that still stands on the north side of the 600 block. Three stories were devoted to service and the rest to new car storage.6 Although no longer a young man, Benjamin Ourisman offered his services during the war working in army ordnance, and became a decorated colonel. Since new cars were unavailable during the conflict, Ourisman leased his building to the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics. The service department continued to function, trying to keep existing cars running when parts were available. After the war, there was a huge pent up demand for new and used cars. As LOOK! SAVE! VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 14 www.voiceofthehill.com Chevrolet’s largest dealership, Ourisman was given the biggest allotment of new cars. Despite this, and the hiring of a record 87 salesmen to handle the crowds, there was still a three-year wait for cars. Business was brisk through the first half of the 1950s. Benjamin’s son, Manny, entered the business in 1948 and the company expanded to cover most of the block. Benjamin Ourisman died in 1955, and business began to dip as the neighborhood began began a commercial and economic decline. Business opportunity, especially for auto dealerships, lay in the suburbs and in 1960, Ourisman Chevrolet moved to Marlow Heights, Maryland. It continues to be one of the largest networks of automobile franchises in the metropolitan area. Ourisman leased its H Street buildings for a time to Bob Brown Buick, an established firm, and eventually sold them.7 In 1926, the established dealership of L.P. Steuart Motor Company opened a branch at 630 H Street to sell Lincoln and Mercury automobiles. Steuart, one of the largest Ford dealers in the city, had its main sales rooms at 6th and K Street, NW. The firm moved its H Street branch to 306-14 H Street in 1936 and remained there until the 1960s.8 The auto sales business introduced a new building type to the study area—the automobile showroom in which the latest models were prominently displayed behind large plate glass windows. The best remaining example of this building type, and one of the most architecturally sophisticated buildings on H Street, is located at 1365 H. The building was erected speculatively, in 1927, as a combination showroom and service facility by the Oshinsky Brothers, who opened an auto accessory business at 924 H Street in 1926. It was rented over the years by a number of auto dealers.9 The building, designed by Upman and Adams, is one of the few stone structures on H Street. Its limestone blocks in warm, varied hues give the façade a solid, rustic quality.10 The building was used for its original purpose until 1943, when it was converted to an African-American movie theater called the Plymouth in recognition of its former occupants. It has also been a furniture store, roller rink, printing company. For 20 years it was the French’s soul food restaurant, founded by a former vice president of McDonalds. It had a trophy wall of photos of famous patrons. The space has been renovated and opened in 2002 as a legitimate theater, the H Street Playhouse.11 Hechinger Company and Union Terminal Market The Hechinger Company was another business with a citywide clientele that operated from two locations just outside the study area. Sidney Hechinger returned to Washington after earning a degree in civil engineering. As a young man with no capital, he founded a wrecking business in Southwest in 1911, tearing down buildings and then selling the salvaged material to the public. In 1919, he purchased Camp Meigs, a quartermasters training camp that had been built on the Brentwood property during World War I. He demolished the camp buildings and sold the materials, as well as those gathered from other jobs, at what he termed “The World’s Most Unusual Lumber Yard.” He gradually added new building supplies to his stock. In 1930 he purchased the site between Maryland Avenue and Benning Road and erected a new facility that was built with both new and used materials. Hechinger’s son John and son-in-law joined the firm after World War II, and the business expanded throughout the Washington area. Unlike most building supply dealers, Hechinger’s was one of the first retailers whose primary customer was the individual homeowner. By stocking everything that was needed for projects around the home, yard or garden in a “big box” store, Hechinger’s was again a retail innovator. From the 1970s through the 90s, Hechinger’s expanded first locally and then more broadly until there were 117 stores in 21 states by 1996. They met vigorous competition from newer home improvement retailers, and the family sold the business in 1997. It eventually declared bankruptcy and closed altogether in 1999. The Hechinger family was active in philanthropic and cultural affairs in the city, and John Hechinger was a noted public servant, serving as the chairman of the first appointed city council (1967-69) and later as a delegate to the United Nations.12 After Hechinger’s left Florida and 4th Street, the site became the Union Terminal Farmers Market, the largest wholesale produce market in the city in 1931. Long rows of warehouse buildings with bay doors were built to house the merchants. Most of the transactions were done in the open air, including meat and egg sales. By the 1960s the future of the market was threatened both because supermarkets were doing business directly with farmers, and because health inspectors were no longer enchanted with the lack of refrigeration and sanitation at the market.13 Part of the site also became a target for Gallaudet expansion in the 70s.14 The market continues to supply wholesale food to restaurants and grocery stores. Sears Just before Sidney Hechinger broke ground for his store at 15th and H, a national retailer chose the same general area to locate. Sears opened it first Washington store in August 1929. Although its 1930 advertisement in the Book of Washington gives its location at 15th and H Streets NE, the store was located a bit north on Bladensburg Road. It was essentially a very large suburban department store, reachable by car or by the H Street streetcar. With its square central tower and vertically fluted piers between the windows, the Sears store brought both a new scale of merchandizing and a new Art Deco architectural style to Near Northeast commercial architecture. Motion Picture Theaters Of the avenues for entertainment within the survey area, the one with the longest and most interesting history was going to the movies. The development of a special theater for the presentation of motion pictures added another new building type to the varied commercial landscape of H Street. Movie theaters existed along H Street almost from the beginning of the motion picture era in the city. In general, the course of motion picture exhibition in the Near Northeast mirrored what was occurring in the rest of the city. Some of the theaters, however, had associations with important local names in the industry and with technological developments in the medium. Within a dozen years, the moving picture progressed from a technological wonder to a form of mass entertainment. The first movies in Washington were shown in 1894 on a machine developed by inventor Thomas Edison. They were individual “peep shows” that could be viewed by only one customer at a time. Washingtonian Thomas Armat designed a projector that allowed multiple people to view films and invented the star guide that eliminated the “jerkiness” of early projection. Soon short movies became part of the entertainment packages in legitimate theaters or illustrated the talks of traveling lecturers who exhibited them in halls and churches. The movies allowed ordinary people to “see” distant places and events Worship with your neighbors In the heart of your community. SUNDAY HOURS Worship 8:30 am and 11 am Christian Education 9:45 am Children’s Chapel 11:20 am Nursery Opens 9:45 am STARTING JUNE 22 SUMMER WORSHIP 8:30 AND 10 AM. Free Concert June 18, Minnesota Boy Choir For Calendar, Concerts, Lectures and Events, Log on to www.reformationdc.org 212 East Capitol Street • 202/543-4200 Handicapped Accessible • Chapel open daily _ MICHELE PIQUET, PH.D. CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST Individual, couple, and group psychotherapy CAPITOL HILL 202-544-4480 Handyman on the Hill Masonry Brick & Stone Concrete Brick Pointing Carpentry Decks & Fences Roof Repairs Painting 202-206-7185 www.voiceofthehill.com 15 RE/MAX CAPITAL REALTORS® 220 7th Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003 202.546.5881 or 202.255.5554 tom@realestateindc.com • www.realestateindc.com Jason Townsend and Tina Hopkins Jason 202.415.7400 Tina 202.277.2004 Tom’s Team 45 Transactions YTD 2003! 100% of listings sold at or above list price! With so many satisfied clients, week after week, shouldn’t you give Tom a call before making your next move? TOM FAISON Associate Broker, GRI RE/MAX CAPITAL REALTORS Call, e-mail or visit us on the web. 202.255.5554 or 202.546.5881 or tom@realestateindc.com www.realestateindc.com F E A T U R E D P R O P E R T I E S Tom’s Team Will WORK with your budget WORK with your style WORK with your schedule Your needs are our business! AMAZING GRACE! 350 9th Street, SE, first open June 1, 2003 Light-filled soaring southern exposed spaces on top of Eastern Market and Metro. Wood floors, skylights, granite/stainless/cherry kitchen, 2 great bedrooms, each with its own bath, roof deck and fireplace. Envy of all with garage parking @ $393,500. CLOSE-IN UNDER $500,000? YES! 527 3rd Street NE, First Open, June 1, 2003 Bayfront beauty in the shadow of Union Station with mellow custom woodworking throughout. Three real bedrooms, 1.5 baths plus Master bath with Jacuzzi! Huge living room with fireplace, separate dining room and huge family kitchen. Basement galore and deep yard with easy parking if you wish. Are you getting everything you need from your agent? Year To Date Education Donations! Watkins Elementary (Capitol Hill Cluster) $2,970 The Capitol Hill Day School $6,340 Strong schools make strong communities, if you’re wondering how The Education Donation works, it’s simple, just give Tom a call or drop him a line on Tom@Realestateindc.com. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 16 www.voiceofthehill.com like coronations and funerals, sports, and dance. By 1906, three factors led to the birth and proliferation of the nickelodeon—a special space where a program of projected motion pictures could be viewed for a nominal fee. First was the improved quality, price, and availability of projectors; second, the development of film exchanges so that exhibitors did not have to buy the films they showed; and perhaps most important, was the development of the feature film—a drama for the screen that could stand on its own as a form of entertainment.15 The principal location of early movie theaters in Washington was on 9th Street, N.W., north of Pennsylvania Avenue. But H Street, N.E. was also home to a number of nickelodeons during this period. There were at least seven theaters on the street in 1909.16 Like those in other parts of the city, the nickelodeons of H Street often set up in a quickly converted store and attracted their audience with sandwich boards on the sidewalk in front. The number of theaters operating on H Street is a testament to the amount of street traffic there.17 Nickelodeons tended to come and go quickly, many not lasting long enough to acquire a name. The appendix of Robert Headley’s book Motion Picture Exhibition in Washington, D.C. lists 19 theaters that existed in the survey area between 1909 and the 1940s, most of these in the 1909- 1920 period. They were scattered from one end of H Street to the other. The buildings that housed these motion picture exhibitors changed rapidly, as “going to the movies” progressed from being a novelty to a respectable form of entertainment. Come Visit our Huge Showroom! 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COMPANY VIEWED TO BE THE BESTTM 12100 Baltimore Ave. Suite 1 Beltsville, MD 20705 TIM ALLEN, Sales Leader 301-419-7669 Fax 301-419-2963 Mobile 301-675-9324 Email tallen@kc-pella.com Owned and operated by the Cassidy Family since 1931 The start-up nickelodeons gave way to venues that were especially designed for the movies. The 1910 Dixie at 800 H Street was one of the first of this new kind of structure in the city. These early theaters seated several hundred people and the most expensive cost $7000. Movie houses rapidly became larger and grander. The 1913 Apollo at 625 H, for example, seated 900 and cost $16,000. It became one of the city’s most popular theaters.18 This trend toward large, ornamental theaters culminated in the full-blown movie palace that seated thousands, and whose elaborate decorations created a fantasy of wealth and glamour that was accessible to the working man or housewife. Washington’s grandest movie palaces were concentrated in the downtown shopping area. Warner Brothers planned a 2500- seat theater to replace the Apollo in 1930,19 but the economy scotched the plans and H Street never got a grand version of the pre-Depression movie palace. At the same time that theaters were getting larger, ownership in this lucrative new venture was increasingly competitive. Theaters were concentrated in fewer hands, with men like Harry Crandell, Tom Moore, and Aaron and Julian Brylawski coming to dominate the industry in Washington before the national studio organizations like Warner Brothers and Fox moved in during the late 1920s. ‘A Neighborhood’s Story’ continues next month. NOTE: The Capitol Hill North/Near Northeast Cultural and Social History Study has been funded with the assistance of a matching grant from the US Department of Interior, National Park Service, through the State Historic Preservation Grant-in-Aid Program, Historic Preservation Office, Office of Planning, District of Columbia, under provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. Notes 1 District of Columbia Historic Preservation Office, Bank Survey, IPS# 0911-0074 2 Office of Historic Preservation, Bank Survey, IPS # 889-0001 3 Two other banking institutions appear briefly in the business directories. The East End Savings Bank was listed in 1924 at the 1401 H Street address vacated when the Northeast Savings Bank moved to its new building at 800 H. In 1923, the Northeast Washington Building and Loan Association was listed at 1204 H. Subsequent listings at that address are for Hall and Gray Real Estate and the North Chesapeake Beach Land and Improvement Company. It was probably related to financing property at the resort on the west shore of the Chesapeake Bay. One branch of the H Street car line terminated at the private railroad that took passengers to the resort. 4 Washington Board of Trade, “Ourisman Chevrolet Sales Company,” The Book of Washington, 1930. p. 376 5 Manny Ourisman. Telephone conversation with Nancy Schwartz, September 23, 2002 6 Advertisement. Washington Times- Herald, August 15, 1941.p. 5 7 Ourisman, Manny, Ibid. 8 Boyd’s City Directories 1925-70, Telephone conversation with Brad Steuart, 9/23/02. Leonard P. Steuart already had an interest in northeast business community as president of the Northeast Savings Bank. 9 Bell, T. David. “H Street Playhouse,” Application for Landmark Designation, March 2002 10 The center section has a large projecting show window and tiled roof. Flanking it are two slightly projecting corbelled entrance towers with cartouche ornament. The symmetrical doors are set between in antis columns with spiral-fluted shafts and stylized composite capitals with squared volutes. The columns support a lintel with carved rosettes and above each lintel is a lunette of contrasting stone. 11 Bell. Ibid. 12 Historical Society of Washington, D.C., Special Collections Register for the Hechinger Company Records, and Chamis, Eleni. “The Original Do-It- Yourselfer.” Washington Business Journal, 6/24/2002 13 Washington Post, September 23, 1964 and September 2, 1965 14 Washington Post, January 4, 1976 and January 15, 1976. 15 Headley, Robert K. Motion Picture Exhibition in Washington, D.D., An Illustrated History of Parlor, Palaces and Multiplexes in the Metropolitan area, 1894-1997. Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland & Company, Inc. 1999., pp. 17-19 16 Headley, 30-31 17 Telephone conversation with Robert Headley, June 2002 18 Headley, 67 19 Headley, 229 H Street Playhouse, 1365 H Street, NE, today. Inset, as Plymouth Theater, ca. 1942. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 18 www.voiceofthehill.com “Everyone was extremely courteous and professional. The entire crew worked very hard and seemed to go the extra mile to make sure that every inch of the house looked as good as possible.” Dean Rosen, Capitol Hill 202.544.2135 Tech Painting Co. Our reputation for high-quality painting has developed slowly, one customer at a time. Attention to details is what makes the difference. As a result, over 90% of our work comes from repeat customers. Exterior House Painting • Interior Painting • Faux Finishing Custom Wallcoverings • Plaster and Drywall Repairs • Paint Removal At Tech Painting No Detail Is Overlooked. Details Count In an increasingly media-driven age, access to the latest news and information is just a click away. Whether it’s the tuning knob on a radio, the power switch on a television, or the button on a computer mouse, local and international news is always at our fingertips. While this increased accessibility to 24-hour news may help us feel more informed, such a deluge of headlines, statistics, and breaking news requires us to have the ability to parse the “extras” to discover the real underlying story. Finding the accuracy in the information we are provided can be a daunting task, and often we just give up and give in. After all, it’s much easier to listen and accept than to ask questions and seek out answers. There will never be a way to accurately discern what is “conspiracy” and what is not. There may always be hard evidence that adequately supports claims, but in reality, there is no empirical way to prove that something is either true or not true. This is where we have to rely on our faith. It is up to us to choose what we believe and what we don’t, based on the overall presentation of facts. This seems like a simple task, but when the presentation of facts comes at us from hundreds of sources, pinpointing accuracy may appear to be a lifelong project. Such a constant media stream often engenders a sense of frustration or fatigue regarding the whole topic. However, there is one way we can get closer to the truth: by talking to one another. Each individual experiences things differently from the next. Age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status all play a pivotal role in the way we receive, process, and pass on information. Taking the time to talk to someone who comes from a different background can generate valuable insight. The power of discussion is our key to comprehending the “bigger picture.” Since September 11, neighborhoods across the city have been confronted with terrorist attacks, anthrax contamination, sniper killings, and “emergency preparation plans” that seem to incite more fear than comfort. So, in the face of all of this, how can we empower ourselves to be prepared for worst? How do we know what the worst might be? What lessons can we learn from the tragic events that have already occurred? Project DC, a division of the Department of Mental Health, has developed a program to help residents find some answers: an Intergenerational Dialogue on Homeland Security. On Wednesday, June 11, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Project DC will host this special discussion at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 118 Third Street, SE. In an effort to help foster increased cohesion and build resilience in our neighborhoods, the Intergenerational Dialogue for Homeland Security aims to catalyze a grassroots dialogue within the Capitol Hill community about recovery and rebalancing under the ongoing threat of terrorism. This event, free of charge and open to all interested DC residents, is carefully structured around participants’ generational experience of war and terrorism. This structure helps to ensure that all ages are represented, and that all residents’ voices are heard. Glenn Parkinson, Program Clinical Coordinator at the DC Department of Mental Heatlh, and chief organizer of the Dialogue, says, “In the past twenty months, we have been confronted with episode after episode of scary, unfamiliar community disruptions. “My sense is that the Capitol Hill community, despite the best efforts of some community activists, has not fully faced the reality of the October 2001 anthrax contamination of the Hart Building,” Parkinson says. “There has not been an adequate forum in which the whole community has been able to come together to talk about what that experience was like and how that has impacted them. In the wake of that, the sniper shootings, the fluctuation of the threat warning levels, and the overall tightening of security in and around the Capitol Hill community have only reinforced that kind of quiet unease and tense resolve to push forward without thinking about the ways in which things are changing so rapidly around us.” Goals of the Dialogue So how does this whole thing work? Parkinson offers some insight: “The two main goals of the Intergenerational Dialogue, I believe, address two unmet needs. First, by offering an opportunity for people to reflect on the experiences that they have lived through, we are reminded of the incredible resilience that we do possess. This is a powerful message that I think children, most of all, need to be hearing from those around them—that the events of the past, such as the Vietnam War and the Cold War, were not just pages in history but were real, textured events that impacted the lives of their parents, their teachers, and the neighbors around them—that they survived those events, and that what we are living through today is something we will survive. We will move through, and that will shape our community and our society by the way in which we choose to respond to it. All of this offers us the opportunity to decide how we will face our current challenges collectively.” The second goal of the Dialogue follows on that point. “We will have an opportunity to brainstorm ways in which to take the notion of How Safe Are We? Let’s Talk About It Community Dialogue Planned to Discuss Neighborhood Security BY JULIA ROBEY VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 www.voiceofthehill.com 19 Capitol Hill Office 216-7th Street SE • Washington DC • 20003 directly across from the Eastern Market 202-393-1111 NO Layoffs! NO Commuting NO Envelopes to Stuff! Start A Real Estate Career Call Larry Kamins 202-393-1111 EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY Capitol Hill $205,000 Ren. includes windows, carpet, appliances, tile & cabinets Ask any Agent 202-393-1111 Capitol Hill $99,000 Investor’s delight! Detached, ready for facelift. Ask any Agent 202-393-1111 Fort Dupont Park $115,000 Well maintained. Many upgrades. Close to Metro. Ask any Agent 202-393-1111 Capitol Hill $489,000 Quick walk to Mass. Ave. restaurant row. Guest suite. Ask any Agent 202-393-1111 Homeland Security, something which may seem intangible and foreign, and transform it into something that is relevant to our lives,” Parkinson says. “This is relevant to the Capitol Hill community, a richly diverse community filled with residents who bring different strengths and different resources to our collective whole.” For more information about this free community event, interested folks may call Glenn Parkinson, District of Columbia Department of Health, at 202.997.4502 or email glenn.parkinson@dc.gov. Julia Robey contributes her work to The Voice of the Hill every month. CHRS Forum on a Planning Commission for DC Scheduled for June 11 at Old Naval Hospital The Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS) will present a forum on a planning commission for the District of Columbia at 8 p.m. June 11 at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. A brief business meeting begins at 7:30. The forum will bring together some of the leading authorities in the District who deal with planning from the private sector, the government, and think tanks. It will be chaired by Dick Wolf, the long-time chair of the CHRS City Planning Committee, and introduced by Ward 6 Council member Sharon Ambrose. The panel will include the Deputy Director for Long Range Planning in the Office of Planning, Ms. Julie Wagner; Brookings Institution staff member David Garrison; and Professor Dorn C. McGrath, Jr. The forum topic is vital to Capitol Hill. We live not only in the most planned part of the city, located in the “old city of Washington” and part of the L’Enfant Plan, but we are also the largest historic district in the country. Additionally, we are surrounded by some the largest planning and development activities in the country. The process by which the city is planned, the role of citizens, and the exactitude of control from a Comprehensive Plan will all be determined, in large part, by the potential of a local planning commission. For more information, interested persons may contact CHRS at (202) 543- 0425 or via their website at www.chrs.org CAPITOL HILL CHORALE JUNE 6TH AND 8TH, 2003 L I T U R G Y O F Friday, June 6, and Sunday, June 8, 2003 at 7:30 p.m. St. Joseph’s on the Hill, 2nd & C Sts, NE $20 Reserved, $15 General, $10 Seniors, Students over 12, and persons with disabilities. Children 12 and under are free. Tickets may be ordered at 202-547-6839 and will be available at the door For more information about the Chorale, go to www.capitolhillchorale.org OP. 31 BY SERGEI RACHMANINOFF VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 20 www.voiceofthehill.com oped. “Almost immediately,” says Fowler, “the basement level windows were broken out, and people were getting in – older men in their 40s – really ragged looking folks.” Fowler called the cops; police came, and, according to Fowler, put up plastic sheeting over the bustedout window. Thereafter, the building was quiet until after the last winter snowfall, when neighbors started hearing noisy partying in the building. Some individuals appeared only partially dressed. “The police response wasn’t very good,” says Fowler. “We called saying that people were drinking and making a lot of noise in the building. [The cops] drove by, but they didn’t get out of the car.” The Problem With Dumpsters It is widely known from 14th Street eastward on Capitol Hill that vacant buildings with open windows or doors soon become problems. In 2001, an apartment building on 15th became an addict and homeless hangout in a matter of weeks after the doors and windows were broken out. And police couldn’t do much about it. Around the clock, the new “tenants” were seen climbing in and out of the windows. But eventually a new owner bought the building, renovated the apartments and added security. It’s been peaceful ever since. But an unwatched dumpster can also be a problem, often turning an entire alley into a giant dumpsite. At 321 18th Street, word of the dumpster spread fast. Not only were vandals breaking into 321 18th and taking things away, but the dumpster was filled, and piles of broken furniture, a refrigerator, sinks and plumbing, a Jennifer Fowler and her neighbors sensed they had an unexpected problem. Fowler and her husband, both architects, moved into a 1920s-era house on the 1700 block of D Street, SE, in October, only to discover strange doings across the alley behind their house. The Fowlers are part of a wave of new residents in the area called Hill East or Capitol East, where onceempty lots are filling with construction, and apartment buildings are being bought up for condo conversions. Across the alley behind the Fowler’s house is the rear of an eightunit brick apartment house at 321 18th St., SE. But the building was sold in November. The tenants had all packed up and left, and word was that the building was destined for a condo conversion, the fifth in the general Hill East area. In fact, many residents are pleased that these older apartment buildings are being improved. But it also should be pointed out that it’s generally low-income buildings that are being turned into pricier condos. For example, 321 18th was previously a relatively low-income building. Neighbors say the building was never a problem, but it needed work and eventually sold for about $350,000. The new condos would sell for $210,000 to $240,000 each. Unwanted Guests For a time, Fowler and her neighbors did not know who the new owner was. City tax records listed the owner as “321 18th Street SE LLC.” But where do you find 321 18th Street SE LLC if something goes wrong? The new owner apparently planned to gut the building, because a large dumpster was soon parked out back. But work on the project was sporadic. Workers would come for a day or evening, and then might not return for a week or two, during which time other problems devel- On The Edge of Elegance Please understand that all these odd contretemps, such as houses being used to store junk, are occurring in a neighborhood that’s said to be “on the upswing.” It’s also said that eastern Capitol Hill, this land of errant dumpsters and spontaneous auto salvage, is being gentrified and getting too fancy, with condo ads that say things like, “elegance with an edge.” In reality, the community has developed an economically bipolar personality: families struggling below the poverty line live down the street or around the corner from sites where $700,000 townhouses are fast rising. Entrepreneurs of varying degrees of skill imagine they can turn a buck in Hill East. Many row houses have been gutted, handsomely fixed up and sold, although the accompanying price spiral leaves some old-time residents dizzy. And the quality of the work sometimes varies. A few would-be developers have run out of cash – and their ventures sit unfinished. A modular home project in the 300 block of 15th Street sat incomplete for almost two years. Now the investors are finishing off their individual houses, one by one. “I see a lot of shoddy renovations, too,” says architect Fowler.“It’s shoddy construction using cheap materials.” A few renovations are just crazy. The owner of a C Street row house imagined he could secretly dig out a new basement with a shovel and build a second-floor addition on thin stilts. Mostly, he made a mess, and neighbors, fearful the whole block would collapse, called building inspectors. And it took time, but inspectors eventually condemned the place. Now it’s got a for sale sign. A few words about the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, which has jurisboiler and other assorted trash were growing nearby – much of it coming from somewhere else. A stolen gray Dodge Intrepid appeared and was set on fire. Another car soon was abandoned next to the burnt hulk. One day, Fowler saw six men stripping those cars and called the cops. But none came, she says. At one point, men were seen carrying a TV set out of 321 18th. But they were known locals who gather at a house in the 1800 block of Massachusetts Avenue that is also the subject of numerous other complaints. Among other things, the house appears to be operation central for a junk business, involving various old pickup trucks that come and go. One of the pickups recently showed up behind the 1400 block of C Street, where the individuals broke into a house that’s basically used by its owner to store junk. The owner happened to be there and chased them off. He also has a backyard full of strange items, including half of a car—but only half—that’s been neatly sliced in two. The Voice Investigates Nightmare on 18th Street Something was Amiss in the Alley… Something That Could Spread to a Street Near You BY JIM MYERS Rear of 321 18th Street—dumpster and trash are visible. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 www.voiceofthehill.com 21 diction over such nightmares: Occasionally, DCRA is on the ball, but much of the time they’re … well … where are they when you actually need them? Fowler and her neighbors kept complaining to DCRA about 321 18th. Where were the inspectors? Where were the permits for the renovation or demolition? In late April, DCRA officials told Fowler that no building or demotion permits for 321 18th had been issued. But the agency also sent an inspector who reported he couldn’t get in the building because the front door was locked. Yet the back door was wide open, and all the lower floor windows were missing – which, if you’ll recall, was the main issue neighbors were complaining about. DCRA promised to send another inspector. Men in Suits Frank Zampatori, another watchful neighbor, ascertained from two men in suits who showed up outside 321 18th in January that the owner was, or was involved with, a man named Al Davis. The suited men said they were architects and gave Zampatori a phone number for Davis. Zampatori called, but no one answered. By late April, however, it appeared that that Davis – or whoever was in charge – had decided to board up the building and clear away the trash and the dumpster, too. Plywood sheeting went up on the doors and windows on April 23. Also on that day, a man who said he was Al Davis also briefly appeared. He said he lives on Constitution Avenue and gave his phone number – the same one Zampatori had earlier called. An Internet search produced further insights—the website of a company named Drummond that said it was seeking investors to turn 321 18th into 12 condos, by adding a story and roof deck “with incredible views/wet bar, garden patio & parking.” But the Drummond site offered no company address or phone, only the option of e-mail inquiries. The site indicated that Drummond had done a condo conversion at 321 18th Street (across from Eastern High), which neighbors remembered as seeming to take a long time, with intermittent periods of inactivity at the site. The website said that all the condos at 321 18th Street are now sold, although the exterior of the building still does not appear to be quite finished. The website also showed that Drummond has other plans for Capitol Hill. Besides owning apartment buildings in the 1600 block of Independence Avenue, the company says it is renovating 226 5th Street, SE, on Seward Square, another project that has taken a long time, according to neighbors. The pattern sounded familiar. First, there was an annoying dumpster outside 226 5th St. Then homeless individuals appeared to be breaking in. Then there was a fire. It took quite a while, but the renovations now appear to be progressing. More startling to Hill East residents, the website says Drummond is buying Providence Baptist Church at 15th and Kentucky, SE, with plans to tear down the sanctuary to erect more townhouses. In fact, the church has been for sale for a long time; its congregation has gotten smaller with demographic shifts in Hill East. So many African-American families have moved to Prince Georges County over the years that Providence Baptist is now buying a church in Upper Marlboro, Md. But it’s a shock to lose the whitecolumned church that hosted community meetings and events – more than any other church in the Hill East area. The closing of Providence Baptist, to be replaced by more townhouses, leaves the community a little bit lost. Still No Answer Yet who really knows what will transpire at Providence Baptist? It’s very unclear what’s going to happen at 321 18th Street. For weeks, I called the phone number Davis gave out – left messages and got no reply. In an attempt to reach someone involved with these projects, I sent an email query about 321 18th to the Drummond website. Steve Schwat, apparently a realtor, responded: “This building may be up for sale soon. [$]700,000. Vacant.” What about the condo plan? I asked. “We may execute it,” Schwat emailed back. “However, we have had much interest from individuals that want to buy it.” Also, the permits Fowler and other neighbors had been asking for finally went up at 321 18th in mid-May. So that’s the deal, these days: Real estate in Hill East is so hot that people are buying our churches and making offers on trashed-out buildings. Or to put it another way: some people buy buildings, let vandals help strip them, and then contemplate selling the property for twice what they paid. What a Neighborhood! Some neighbors are saddened that Providence Baptist is about to disappear into this fog of real estate wheeling and dealing. They’re wondering what can be done, even as hard-core restorationists warn that more “tear-downs” could soon be in the offing for Hill East. It’s also being imagined that someone might buy up whole blocks just to level them. And who knows which buildings will go and which will stay? Stately Providence Baptist, at one end of 15th, might be razed. But the ugly, gray hulk of former bar-grill that’s been empty for years at Independence and 15th will probably grace the corner into eternity. Such thoughts makes some residents angry. Others say they’re uneasy about whatever more changes might come next. And a few say they’re downright scared – especially when they consider that the only protection Hill East has comes from DCRA. Jim Myers is a longtime resident of Hill East. Front of 321 18th Street after very basic initial improvements. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 22 www.voiceofthehill.com the outsider. But let’s face it, this pride is sometimes forgotten by Washingtonians themselves. The DC City Museum has it in mind to change all that. It is an extensive multi-media museum that will serve as a monument to the city itself, rather than the nation. The museum celebrates the neighborhoods, people and history that have affected life in the DC boundaries for the past 200 years. The creators of the City Museum, specifically the Washington DC Historical Society, thought that Washington was in need of a place where Washingtonians and visitors could get a sense of what DC is all about, and what it has to offer. According to Ciaran Clayton of Whitick Combs Communications, it was important to celebrate that “real people live here. There is a whole Lying within the boundaries of Washington D.C. are 125 different neighborhoods. Each of these subsections houses a specific history, dynamic and culture unique to its boundaries. To look closely at these neighborhoods is like getting to know 125 different people, all with different personalities and histories. And all of these personalities make DC a dynamic and interesting city outside of the political arena. But most Americans have no idea what is present within our border, and continue to think that Washington is simply the place where political decisions are made, or where the President lives. Washington has much more to offer than monuments and the White House. D.C. is a city rich in history and personality not typically observed by understanding of the city’s boundaries and landmarks by identifying them from the space photo. Pride is sure to erupt here, since who wouldn’t feel like a king poised over the entire landmass they call home? Photographs, video, oral history, artifacts and archaeology decorate the four facades of this raised piece, with doorways leading underneath to rotating exhibitions. Standing on top of not only your city, but its history incarnate, as well, should definitely fuel the fire of DC pride. Also on the first floor is a Community Gallery, which will feature two of the 125 neighborhoods at a time. Chinatown and Mount Vernon Square are the two areas being featured presently, because of their immediate proximity to the museum itself. According to Clayton, “the museum will provide a feel for what a neighborhood is like, not just a two-dimensional look at the area. Capitol Hill patrons might look forward to their neighborhood feature, including things like Eastern Market, or other landmarks and stories specific to the Hill.” And for those who would prefer to sit and have a DC experience, there is a 150-seat theater that will show a multimedia presentation about the city. The second floor is more your “typical” museum. The Collections Gallery houses maps and artifacts collected throughout DC history. These provide a tangible connection to DC past. The Changing Exhibitions Gallery will open with exhibits of sports around the DC area, but as the name indicates, will change on a periodic basis. The history of people living in this area for 10,000 years, and specifically the last 200.” A Mission The museum has three main points in its mission statement. The first is to create a place of civic identity and pride. The building itself is the former Carnegie Library Building on Mount Vernon Square, rich in history itself as the main DC public library for many years, as well as a pubic library that never succumbed to segregation. Exhibits at the museum also help develop the identity of the city itself in an extremely visceral experience. The first floor of the museum houses a giant raised floor map of DC, taken via satellite, that allows the visitor to get a birds-eye view of the city itself. One is able to attain an immediate Bringing the DC Experience to Life New City Museum Offers Community History, Local Pride BY SHANNON DUNNE VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 www.voiceofthehill.com 23 Reading Room will provide a research library, where researchers can utilize the collections within the museum. Providing Resources Another goal stated in the City Museum’s mission statement is the desire for the museum itself to serve as a “common ground for the city’s mosaic of neighborhoods.” This is clearly done by providing a common home for factual information and visual documentation of the neighborhoods themselves. The aforementioned galleries and exhibitions clearly are set up to achieve this goal. However, it is also accomplished by the museum’s desire to incorporate programs that will integrate learning into the building, as well. By providing resources within the building, such as the Reading Room, patrons from all over the city are able to come and research any aspect or area of the city they desire. The ground floor of the museum houses an archaeology lab that has the same end in mind. In addition to these resources, museum programs will also provide an avenue for resident groups to come to the museum for classes, workshops and presentation. The museum itself will sponsor programs and workshops. Additionally, the museum will encourage outside groups to use the museum for its programs. For example, by bringing in school groups from various DC public schools, the museum will help bring children from all over the city to experience a classroom setting in a common place to all, as well as learn about their common history and culture. Enabling Exploration The last element of the mission statement may seem like the most obvious to serve as a point of orientation that enables off-the-Mall exploration. By providing an interesting look into what the city has to offer, visitors are more likely to explore (especially if they have already ventured to get themselves to Mount Vernon Square). Talk is already in the works to have a potential Olde Town Trolley stop at the museum, as well as other sightseeing tours. In addition, the new convention center will provide what seems like an infinite number of out of town visitors within an extremely close proximity to the museum. To help encourage visitors, the DC Chamber will have an information-type booth to give them a little guidance into what is available to these people and where exactly it is located. On the whole, the new museum seems to have its eye on the prize. It is extremely clear on its intent to raise DC cultural awareness and pride, and has implemented programs and exhibits available and accessible to any patron. It seems inevitable that tourism will benefit from such a home base. But, in addition, it seems to offer a channel between DC residents and the DC experience. Hill resident Shannon Dunne is a frequent Voice contributor. Capitol Hill United Methodist Church Says Goodbye to Rev. Fox Community Invited to Attend His Sendoff Rev. Douglas Fox, minister of Capitol Hill United Methodist Church, will preach his last sermon Sunday, June 8, before being reassigned to Community United Methodist Church in Pasadena, Md. The service will conclude with a reception in his honor and will feature a 32-member youth choir from St. Paul United Methodist Church in Louisville, Ky. Additionally, there will be special tributes and gifts to honor him, and more musical selections by Capitol Hill’s music director and choir. In his tenure with Capitol Hill UMC, Rev. Fox dramatically grew the children’s Sunday School class and attracted numerous young families to the church. He was instrumental in helping senior congregants transition into the Methodist Home, where he also taught a regular Bible class. He strongly supported the church’s annual Valentine Tribute for the men and women police officers of the First District Substation. And he encouraged the congregation to practice “Casserole Christianity,” whereby he was often the first to practice it by taking a homemade dish to a new mother, the elderly, or the ill. Rev. Fox especially enjoyed the diversity and liveliness of Capitol Hill and made many friends here. People from the Capitol Hill community are invited and encouraged to attend the 11 a.m. worship service June 8, and to stay for the reception in Rev. Fox’s honor. Capitol Hill UMC is located at 421 Seward Square, SE (5th & Pennsylvania Ave. SE). Metro users should use the Blue/Orange line, exit at Eastern Market and walk two blocks west to 5th Street, SE. For more information, interested persons may call the church office at (202) 546-1000. It’s been 15 years since a real estate agent first recommended The National Capital Bank to Bo Marcus and John Breen, co-owners of Cafe Deluxe and Tortilla Coast restaurants. “Our business has grown quite a bit in that time. From day one, they were always supportive. We now have about 20 accounts with NCB.” “When one of us visits the Friendship Heights branch, they always greet us with a smile. It’s not a pretentious atmosphere … they’re professional and more importantly they really are a pleasant group of people,” Marcus adds. We believe in people at The National Capital Bank; that’s what we’re about. To learn about NCB’s full array of business products and services visit www.NationalCapitalBank.com or call 546-8000. As Marcus and Breen will tell you, “You can always call on them for whatever you need.” “NCB has the down-to-earth values of a small-town bank.” We Believe In People... 316 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20003 • 202-546-8000 5228 44th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20015 • 202-966-2688 www.NationalCapitalBank.com • TDD 202-546-0772 EQUAL HOUSING LENDER VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 24 www.voiceofthehill.com Do not despair; other nearby aquatic options are available. The best scenario, naturally, is to own your own backyard pool–or–better still–have a friend with a pool. Some folks do. However, a private pool is expensive, and maintenance can be a royal pain. Moreover, most Capitol Hill yards are too small to accommodate a body of water much larger than a fish pond or kiddie wading pool. Perhaps the closest swimming facility to Capitol Hill (other than private pools) is the Fitness Club at Loews L’Enfant Hotel, 480 L’Enfant Plaza, SW (202-484-1000). The club is literally on top of the L’Enfant Plaza Metro stop (Blue/Orange/Yellow Lines). We’ve been members for well over a decade. What’s really great about the 20-yard long pool—located on the hotel roof—is that it’s indoor-outdoor, depending on the weather. During the winter, a huge bubble shuts out the cold. Come spring— around mid-May—the bubble is June is busting out all over, and it’s time to head for the ole’ swimming hole. How can you cool off on a hot day? Where can you swim those healthful laps? Where do you lounge in the summer sun while reading The Voice of the Hill? For the time being, you might have to hop on the Metro or pile into the family Toyota, because at the present time, Capitol Hill is experiencing a temporary swimming pool shortage. Capitol East Natatorium, the public indoor facility at Seventh and North Carolina Ave., SE, is undergoing extensive renovation, and is expected to reopen at the end of June (for updates, call 202-724-4495). Results the Gym, 315 G Street SE, hopes to eventually add a swimming pool to its roster of amenities. However, construction is being held up indefinitely by the Historical Preservation Review Board. Interested persons may call 202-234-5678 for more information. comfortable temperatures, both pools are accessible to disabled swimmers, thanks to a rotating chair lift. A variety of water-bound group exercise classes are offered between 7 to 10 times a week for men and women of all ages and fitness levels. Splash “no sweat” classes are ideal for folks with back or knee problems, pre/post natal women, and participants of all fitness levels who “want to be gentle on their joints.” Private lessons are available. Use of the pool is included in the health, squash and executive memberships, and Ritz- Carlton guests and residents (22nd street only) may use The Sports Club/LA at no charge during their stay. Initiation fees start at $350 for Congressional staffers, ballooning to $1,350 for “executive” membership (monthly promotions may affect these base rates). Monthly dues range from $120 per month for the staffers to $230/month for “executive” privileges. Club facilities are free to all Ritz-Carlton guests and residents (22nd Street only). Hours are Monday-Thursday from 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For information on the pool, water exercise and swimming lessons, contact Tony McElroy, Sports Coordinator, at 202-974-6600 or click on www.thesportscluba.com. The Washington Hilton Sport and Health Club, 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW, has a lovely, 25-yard outdoor pool, complete with landscaping and a casual restaurant called the Gazebo, which serves light fare along with a full bar. The pool area has lots of tables and chaise lounges, allowing plenty of rays for sun worshipers like me and shade for more sensible types like my friend and Capitol Hill neighbor Diana McLellan. She occasionally invites me as her guest at the Hilton, where we spend a delightfully lazy afternoon in the country club atmosphere. Club hours are Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; weekends 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and extending to 10 p.m. in high summer. The pool, which opened last month, usually doesn’t close until the end of October, depending on the weather. Prices—which include the pool and fitness facilities—vary. A seasonal membership carries a flat $850 fee, and full memberships range from $100 to $250, plus a monthly charge of $75.95. Swimming lessons are available. For more information, call 202-483-4100 or click on www.sports andhealth.com. Washington also claims the National Capital YMCA, 1711 Rhode Island Ave., NW (202-862-9622). The YMCA is much more than a popular song by the Village People—it’s a corolled away, and sunshine prevails. Towels are provided, and lockers and changing rooms are on the 11th floor. The pool has only one swimmer’s lane—fine for the winter when few people use it. The club can get very crowded on summer weekends (remember, this pool sits atop a large hotel). Unruly children have spoiled more than one pool outing for us, namely by playing Marco Polo at the tops of their lungs while totally soaking our copy of The Washington Post. If you can swing it, try to swim during the week, when things are quieter. Prices are right: Membership dues are only $39 per month with a sixmonth commitment. Otherwise, there is a $49 initiation fee, plus the $39 monthly dues. The pool is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Starting around Memorial Day, a pool side bar dispenses (overpriced but tasty) victuals, including grilled chicken sandwiches, burgers, entree salads, beer and frozen drinks. Not far away is the Waterside Fitness and Swim Club, 901 Sixth St., SW. This pleasant facility offers the best of both worlds—an indoor (18 feet) AND a 22-foot-long outdoor pool, with the usual chaise lounges, tables and chairs. Full fitness services are provided, including a sauna, towels, lockers and hot showers. Club hours are Monday-Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 to 6. Again, prices are moderate, with dues ranging from $40 to $60 per month, with various options and discounts for annual or semi-annual memberships. During summer only, swimmers may pay a flat initiation fee ranging from $60 to $100. For more information, call 202-488- 3701. If you get a raise, you might consider joining The Sports Club/LA, in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 1170 22nd St., NW (22nd and M). The 100,000- square foot facility is beautiful—with 40 programs featuring every type of exercise equipment imaginable, personal trainers, classes, a kids program and two restaurants, including Celsius Bar & Grill operated by Todd and Ellen Gray of Equinox. If you’re in a hurry, you may grab a snack, sandwich, salad or smoothie from the Sidewalk Café. And you never know when you’ll spot a celebrity working up a sweat or doing laps at the Sports Club: Maybe Washington’s odd couple James Carville and Mary Matalin, Larry King or Ted Turner? The Sports Club/LA has two pools. Both are indoors, but a spacious sun deck awaits right outside. One pool is Olympic-sized with individual lap lanes; the other is a smaller, group exercise pool. Kept at lukewarm, Keeping in the Swim Pools Near Capitol Hill Offer a Break from Summer’s Heat BY CELESTE MCCALL VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 www.voiceofthehill.com 25 seasonally from Memorial Day through Labor Day, this private club is located on five acres of beautifullylandscaped grounds. Amenities abound, with picnic tables, a snack bar (open weekends until June 10 with full operation beginning June 15), clay tennis courts, volleyball, ping-pong, and a 25-meter by 25- yard swimming pool. One of the largest in the metropolitan area, the pool has two lap lanes, a 12-foot diving well, fenced in baby pool, chairs, tables and umbrellas. And—a real boon for grownups desiring some peace and quiet—the pool imposes regular adults-only swim sessions. Private and group swimming lessons are also available. To join the club, a one-time initiation fee is $925 for a family, plus annual dues of $425. Seasonal memberships are also available, and the hours are: Monday through Saturday, 11 to 9 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. Until June 12, the club closes at 7 p.m. For more information, click on www.cheverlypool.com or call 301-773-4814. Hill resident Celeste McCall’s work appears each month in this newspaper. ed facility offering all sorts of health and fitness services, including squash and handball courts, aerobic classes, indoor track, a basketball court and a 25-meter, six-lane indoor pool. There are locker rooms, complete with hot shower facilities, towels and other necessities. This is the only “Y” in the city (the Anthony Bowen YMCA at 1325 W St., NW, is a child care facility). Other “Ys” are scattered throughout the suburbs. The Y maintains a lengthy list of membership categories; among them are young adult, young professional, several family categories, senior. Joiner fees go from as little as $12.50 for a youth (18-21) up to $200 for a family with full club privileges at all YMCA branches. Monthly dues range from $50 to $130. If all this sounds confusing, it’s because it IS confusing. For further information call 202-862-9622, or click onto the Y website at www.ymcawashdc.org. A brief 20-minute drive from Capitol Hill and extremely popular with Capitol Hill families is the Cheverly Swim and Racquet Club, 5600 Euclid St., Cheverly, Md. Open Here’s looking at you… Randolph Cree hair etc. Redken • ISO • Matrix • Aquage • Alterna 325 7th Street, SE • Eastern Market • 202-547-1014 Stylists Kelly Martina, Stacy King, Mickey Bolek, Michael Ives, and Evan Pehrson Special thanks to our support staff: Amy Ramirez, Sia Mullen, Peter Von Streeruwitz, Kimberly Kornegay, Blanca Bermudez, Kristy Anderson and Nefi Quintero Randolph Cree Neighborhood Church Commended To celebrate the seventh anniversary of Victory City of Praise Ministries at 1401 South Carolina Ave., SE, ANC Commissioner Neil Glick (ANC 6B08) presented Pastor Taylia A. Salter a resolution commending the church’s work in the neighborhood. Victory City of Praise was founded by Bishop-Elect Avier Salter, and does clothing drives for Capitol Hill neighbors in need, and a school supply drive for children in neighborhood schools. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 26 www.voiceofthehill.com The Reverend Doctor Jack McClendon has lived on Capitol Hill for nearly 47 years. During this time, he has witnessed innumerable changes and growth in Washington, particularly in regards to civil and human rights. Having grown up white in the rural South during a time it was so intrinsically segregated, McClendon’s progressive philosophy, particularly for someone in the clergy, continues to be an anomaly, even though the boundaries of fundamental human rights continue to blur. Throughout having witnessed first-hand the mindless restraints, as well as the more horrific ones, placed on a devalued sex, class or culture during his lifetime, he has still managed to transcend the overwhelming prejudices surrounding him to become an advocate not only for the Civil Rights movements of the ’60s, but also equally for women’s rights in the ’70s and the gay, lesbian and transgendered issues of today. McClendon’s interest in theology began while attending a small southern college on the GI Bill. Though a philosophy major, he became greatly influenced by one of his professors who had studied theology at Yale Divinity School. From there, he attended the interdenominational Union Theological Seminary in New York City. McClendon then went to Scotland to work on his Ph.D at the University of Glasgow. The subject of his doctoral thesis was The Development of Myth and History from Hegel to Bultmann. Shortly after returning to the US in 1957, he accepted a position as Associate Minister at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in downtown Washington. He was there for 34 years until his retirement in 1991. VOTH: In the 46 years you’ve lived on the Hill, you must have seen some dramatic changes. What, in your mind, have been the more significant ones? McCLENDON: Well, when I first moved here, DC was very much a segregated city. Over the years, the school system of course integrated, and, along with it, other things have evolved, but when I first came here, the Civil Rights Movement was just beginning to burgeon, and people from all over the nation would come here to protest about voting rights or basic human rights. Of course, most civil rights groups wanted to petition the President near the White House, so they invariably chose Lafayette Park. Since the church is only three blocks away, we were often the staging area for these demonstrations. So the focus of our ministry became greatly influenced by the social protests of the ’60s and ’70s. The ’60s especially were both a difficult time and somewhat rewarding time in Washington, because scores of people from all over the United States would come to confront the Senators and Congressmen and, of course, the President. Those were also the days of Martin Luther King’s rise in prominence, and we were fortunate to have him preach at the church on occasion. One of Washington’s most defining events during the social upheavals of the ’60s came with the March on Washington in 1963. The main staging area for the march was the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. Dr. King, Dr. Ralph Abernathy and several other civil rights leaders used the church as one of the staging areas for the march. This is the demonstration that of course culminated in Dr. King’s impassioned “I Have a Dream” speech. Martin’s speech set in motion many other demonstrations, particularly in the South—Birmingham; Greensboro, NC; Albany, Ga. One of the most celebrated is the day now known as “Bloody Sunday” [March 7, 1965], the day when Martin and the Southern Leadership Conference decided to march to Montgomery from Selma to petition for equal voting rights. Well, the highway patrol and police officers stopped that march on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, only about five or six blocks into the march, and attacked the protestors with tear gas and billy clubs. Two days later, I went to Selma to join the protest. Two weeks later, we received a federal mandate allowing us to cross the bridge and onward the 50 miles to Montgomery. Less than five months later, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Another equally defining event was a direct result of Martin’s assassination in April 1968. In June of that year, hundreds of people came to Washington and bivouacked in front of the Lincoln Monument, mobilized under the name of the Poor People’s Campaign. They came in droves, particularly from the South, African-Americans and whites alike, and remained nearly three months. After that amount of time, the land in front of the monument had become so muddy and beaten down that the government intervened and shut it down. The hub of the Poor People’s Campaign, particularly the publicity offices, were located at the New York Avenue Church. We even had banners in front of the church announcing that we were its headquarters. When the federal government mandated they leave the monument grounds, some of the protestors came to the church and stayed a few more days before deciding to go home, at which point the Poor People’s Campaign basically disbanded. But with all the great strides made during this time, bigotry is still alive and well in this country. I just read a YOU DON’T KNOW JACK Rev. Doctor Jack McClendon Shares Insight on Social Change in DC BY JOSEPH CAMPBELL VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 www.voiceofthehill.com 27 disheartening story recently in the newspaper about a high school having separate proms for the white and African-American students. One thing of profound significance, and I don’t know how many sermons I’ve preached on this very subject, is one’s eyes. One sees what one is trained to see. Growing up in a rural Alabama town in the ’30s, I saw the unpaved roads leading to the segregated parts of the city. But its significance didn’t register until much later. Likewise, I had never experienced any virulent anti- Semitism or anti-Catholicism until reaching New York for graduate school. Having been exposed to very few Jews or Catholics growing up, I was never aware of the depth of such hatred. My point is, if you’re used to not seeing, whether by choice or design—and then your eyes are suddenly opened through a larger understanding of our existence— then you truly begin to see. There’s a story in the New Testament about the Apostle Paul and his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. Well, the Scriptures describe Paul’s regaining his sight as, “something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he recovered his sight. . .” That’s exactly what happens to people today. Blinders are lifted, and we begin to see for the first time the prejudices we have been conditioned to accept. For instance, for a long time in my sermons and prayers, I would always use a masculine pronoun when referring to God, quite unaware of how women were suffering as second- class citizens in this country. Once that veil was lifted, I began to use gender-neutral terms like fire persons and clergy persons, but it equally entered into my references to God as He or She. It could be argued that such inclusive pronouns have only recently come into practice and that could explain why the original texts of the Bible referred to God in a singular context. Moreover, God is given titles like “He” and “Father” because in most cultures throughout history, it is the male who is the head of the family, providing shelter, food and protection. In actuality, God is Spirit, therefore having no human form to attach a gender to. Today, the next big issue with the church—whether it be Presbyterian or Methodist or Baptist, what have you—is the issue of accepting gays, lesbians and transgendered people. The new challenge for people of faith is to see these people as human beings, not the next stereotype to disengage from. Senator Santorum’s recent comments, comparing homosexuals to such things as polygamy and bestiality, are totally unacceptable. That President Bush would regard the Senator’s comments as inclusive not only is a gross misunderstanding of the word, but also institutionally condones such behavior. VOTH: Yes, it seems that hatred of homosexuals is the last acceptable form of bigotry. McCLENDON: Yes, absolutely. And churches, of course, are having some difficulty accepting it, as well, that we should treat these people of different sexual orientation no different than heterosexuals. Yet here we are, supposedly the models of inclusiveness. After all, Paul says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Jesus, the Christ.” One of the things I continue to see, particularly in youngsters in their 20s and 30s, is that they have not witnessed the evils of segregation; they have not seen how women were treated in our country. We talk about how women in Muslim countries are treated. While we obviously don’t devalue them to that extent, look at the recent nominee to the federal trial bench in Little Rock, Arkansas, [James Leon] Holmes. A few years ago, he wrote an article that claimed that wives should subordinate themselves to their husbands. Well, that’s not an understanding of equality at all. Prejudice and evil seem to come naturally to people. We all seem to have this innate desire to be better than or superior to someone else. And people will twist the words of the Bible around to make it mean anything they want it to mean in order to keep certain people downcast. When we look at the Bible as a Divine text rather than a human text, written by humans, we overlook the ideas that these so-called Divine scribes had their own prejudices that manifested themselves within the text. We can even find specific anti-Semitic references in the Gospels, particularly John’s. We have to understand and filter through that anti-Semitism to get to the heart of what they were really talking about. It all comes back to the point I made earlier about one’s eyes. Eyes are not necessarily vision, vis-à-vis seeing with 20/20 vision per se. One’s eyes are a much more influential part of one’s makeup. While we see what we are trained to see, there is the possibility of retraining our eyes to be more inclusive than that, to look beyond appearances or preconceived notions so we can truly understand each other. Voice contributing writer Joseph Campbell makes his home on the Hill. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 28 www.voiceofthehill.com Sowing Seeds of Learning Capitol Hill Students Help Gardens Grow BY BARBARA RIEHLE Anyone strolling past Watkins Elementary School on April 22, Earth Day, would have seen children hard at work sowing the seedlings of learning. On that day, the students planted Native Viburnum, Chokecherry, and Witch Hazel trees in the Children’s Garden. Dogwoods went into the lawn in front of the school, and the newly-planted Crape Myrtles soon will spread their brilliance along the playground. One child from each participating class read a poem. Then, each child dropped a note into the hole in which they later placed their tree. The notes contained the children’s wishes, not for themselves, but for the tree and its environment. Once the trees were placed, the children worked hard to fill the holes and spread a protective layer of mulch. The poems were tied to branches so other children and teachers could enjoy them. This was just one of many garden activities at the Capitol Hill Cluster School (CHCS), where asphalt and chain link fences have been replaced with garden learning centers. “The gardens at Peabody and Watkins Elementary provide our children with the opportunity to learn about the world not only as it is, but as it grows,” said CHCS principal Jennipher Smith. The Capitol Hill Cluster School is a DC public school located on three campuses: Peabody at Stanton Park, Watkins Elementary at 12th and D Streets, SE, and Stuart-Hobson Museum Magnet Middle School at 5th and E Streets, NE. At Watkins, those chain link fences and asphalt slabs that longtime Hill residents will recall, have been exchanged for a gracefully winding brick path, a small outdoor amphitheater, and a National Wildlife Federation habitat garden surrounded by a decorative wroughtiron fence and gate. As an Urban Living Schoolyard Project, it includes 26 theme gardens, one for every classroom, and the school’s curriculum contains a “Science in the Garden” series initiated by parents and implemented by Barbara Percival, a parent volunteer. How the Cluster School Gardens Took Root The school’s grounds have not always been lush and green as they are today. About a dozen years ago, the Montessori Program at Watkins found its permanent home on the first floor of the 1960’s-era building at 12th Street, SE. With easy access to the outdoors, Primary Montessori teachers, Wadudua Henderson (currently the Montessori team leader and Elementary Montessori teacher) and Christine Bennett, imagined an outside area in which their classes could work and learn. Several initiatives over the years contributed to the creation of the gardens. Local paleontologist and Watkins parent, Dr. Peter Krantz, started a popular garden based after school program called “Dirt, Daisies and Dinosaurs,” in which children sifted through mounds of dirt in pursuit of fossils and other natural treasures. Henderson’s students were interested in the healing powers of herbs, so she worked with them to create “The Herb and Medicinal Garden.” Bennett and her class created “The Sense-ational Garden” which carried to the garden Maria Montessori’s philosophy that children learn with all of their senses. “But the garden project really took off,” said Henderson, “when Molly Dannemaier won a grant for $50,000 from the US Department of Agriculture.” Dannemaier is an author of books on children’s gardens and parent of two children who attended the Montessori program at Watkins until the family relocated. Working with landscapers, the children sketched out plans for what they hoped would be their new environment. That was nine years ago, and much of what they sketched exists today. Similarly at Peabody, the garden project started about seven years ago through the efforts of two teachers, Louise Chapman and Gail Murdock, who enjoy gardening with children. Volunteers from Hands on DC, a not-for-profit group devoted to improving DC Public School facilities, built raised beds along the 4th Street, NE, side of the campus. “Louise Chapman really has been the heart and soul of the garden project at Peabody,” said Janice MacKinnon, the librarian and garden coordinator at Peabody. Chapman and MacKinnon won a grant for further work. It was Peabody’s good luck that Drew Scallon was building a building next door. As MacKinnon recalled, “We worked with Mr. Scallon to allow him construction space on the playground in return for a rather major contribution to the garden project, including the nice wrought-iron fence.” Not Just Beauty, But a Bounty of Learning The gardens are a catalyst for many areas of learning. “The children are able to study soil, the earth as a habitat for not only human beings but insects, birds, animals and others, and that each of these work together to create a mutually reliant community,” said Principal Smith. “We are assisted therefore in helping children to wonder. Hopefully, this instills in them the desire always to seek to know more.” At Peabody, “The teachers have taken the position from the beginning that the garden is not just for beautification. It is a working and integrated part of the school. Kids are there playing, planting, weeding, and digging all the time,” said MacKinnon. The pre-kindergarten and kindergarten age children learn to observe the life cycles of plants. They observe the characteristics of plants and explore habitat, finding insects, birds and other creatures that visit the areas. Teachers use the garden to discuss artists such as Georgia O’Keefe, and the annual “Clothesline Art Show at Peabody” is held in the garden. At Watkins, this is the second full year of the “Science in the Garden” series. This program helps to integrate the garden into the classrooms through regularly-scheduled visits to the science lab, classroom observations, and “mini field trips” to the garden. Throughout the school year, Percival worked with every class to enhance science learning and observation and analytic skills. For example, this year the first Parent volunteer Barbara Percival organizes Watkins Elementary students in spring garden cleanup. L to R: Chase Ammond, Harrison Craddock, Randall Chandler, Kaylah Simmons, Kylah Simmons. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 www.voiceofthehill.com 29 Thank You, Capitol Hill The Capitol Hill Community Foundation thanks the businesses and residents of Capitol Hill for their generous support of the 2003 Capitol Hill Community Achievement Awards Dinner honoring Bruce Robey, Alan and Becky Dye, Tommy Wells, and Bruce Robey. Underwritten by THE FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY JAN EICHHORN LIBBY AND MARK GITENSTEIN PHYLLIS JANE YOUNG Archangels Anonymous Kathryn G. Davison, Ph. D. Frank and Melanie Perna, Federal Funding Mortgage, Inc. Drew Scallan and Pamela Barkley Angels Antique and Contemporary Leasing and Sales Nicky and Steve Cymrot Eastern Market Title, Jim Duley and Carolyn Davis Pardoe/Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Chuck and Susan Parsons Stanton Development, Wm. Frank Reed, Kitty Kaupp and Ken Golding Benefactors Linda and Bart Barnes Larry Chartienitz and Sheila Power Don and Jean Denton Design Cuisine David and Stephanie Deutsch Mary and Ralph Dwan Frager’s Hardware, John Weintraub and Ed Copenhaver Rick and Leona Halberstein Joyce and James Garrett Jack and Angela Mahoney Dia Michels and J. Anthony Gaultieri National Capital Bank of Washington Jeanette Partilla and Ed Dillon, Holly Ross Grubb’s Pharmacy and Medical Equipment Joseph Tarantola, MD, and Elissa Feldman THE 2001 ARNOLD KELLER JR. GRANT of $10,000 was presented to Hine Junior High School to support a comprehensive math and reading program. SPECIAL HONOREE GRANTS of $1,000 each were presented to Friends of Tyler School for Tommy Wells; The Theater Alliance for Bruce Robey; The Capitol Hill Group Minstry and Barracks Row/Main Street for Alan and Becky Dye. Other proceeds of the dinner will fund grants for many other community organizations The Capitol Hill Community Foundation supports Capitol Hill’s schools, charities, service organizations, arts groups, beautification projects, and other worthy neighborhood endeavors. The Foundation is funded by donations from businesses, individuals, and other friends of Capitol Hill. 100% of all contributions are given in grants to the community. 419 EAST CAPITOL STREET, S.E., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20003 202-544-1845 grade spent half the year studying the parts of plants and the interaction between plants and animals; second grade students studied the life cycle of birds and insects, including many field studies in the garden. The third grade classes planted and observed “Wisconsin Fast Plants” in the lab as part of their study of life cycles, and then took that knowledge outside into the gardens. Boys and girls in the fourth grade took soil samples, dissected soil, and attempted to replicate soil in order to understand the role of decomposition in the soil cycle. They also studied the problems of erosion and pollution both in the Lab and in the gardens. “The Science in the Garden series is intended to be a foot in the door,” said Percival. “The gardens are used increasingly to enhance all aspects of learning, from language arts and math to social studies and science.” Another example of curriculumwide integration was Jennifer Mampara’s third grade class, which identified, catalogued and mapped the school’s trees. The boys and girls used math, language arts, and science skills to complete this project. Last year, several second grade teachers augmented their curriculum by raising and releasing Monarch butterflies and by making insects a central focus of their reading and writing activities. Garden Art On Friday, June 13, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Watkins, the Elementary Montessori children will exhibit the inspiration they have gained from the garden with the second annual art show and sale. The students plan, organize, and advertise the show in addition to creating the art work, much of which is based on the garden or made with garden products. Harvesting the fruits of his labor. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 30 www.voiceofthehill.com Capitol Hill Community Helps the Gardens Flourish In addition to dedicated parents, teachers and staff who have undertaken tasks from overseeing installation of the gardens to keeping the beds moist throughout several summers of drought, the gardens at Peabody and Watkins have benefitted enormously from area foundations and merchants. The Capitol Hill Community Foundation has been a faithful supporter of many projects at the Capitol Hill Cluster School, including both gardens. Garden Resources of Washington (GROW) has been involved with the Watkins project since its inception, and hundreds of volunteers from Hands on DC and DC Cares have turned out on annual workdays at both campuses. Judy Tiger and the Carnegie Association for Science Education (CASE) have provided Star R O O F I N G C O M P A N Y 1159 4th St., NE Washington,DC 2002 202-543-6383 Metal ,Tin and Copper Roofs Modified Bitumen Roof Coatings Specializing in Historic Flat Roofs Want to Help? To find out more about how you can help support the Capitol Hill Cluster School gardens or for general information on the Cluster School, call 202-544-0382 or visit www.chcspta.org. both expertise and grants to classrooms for garden projects. Individual merchants, such as Frager’s Hardware, routinely provide discounts and donate supplies. Local gardeners have volunteered to help with watering and weeding during summer months and one neighbor included the Watkins garden as a beneficiary of his estate. This summer, the Watkins garden hopes to enter into new relationships with community organizations. “The gardens at Watkins and Peabody, as well as the Capitol Hill Cluster School itself, help to make the Hill a wonderful place to live and raise children,” said Percival. Barbara Riehle is a parent of two Cluster School children—Peter, who attends the Montessori program at Watkins, and Anna, who graduated from Stuart-Hobson last year. *$59.95 for the first hour/$30.00 an hour after plus extras (parts, Freon, etc.) Coupon $100 off On any furnace or A/C Replacement W.M. Sheet Metal Lic. #0775 Good through 7/15/03 Limit One Coupon Per Customer Coupon $59.95* Start-Up Special W.M. Sheet Metal Lic. #0775 Good through 7/15/03 Limit One Coupon Per Customer W.M. 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Managing Creepy, Crawly Friends and Foes in the Garden BY LAURIE LINDSAY AOMARI LAST YEAR I lovingly prepared my garden soil, carefully planted and watered my seeds and plants, and dreamed of the fantastic freshness of food from my own backyard. I was counting down the days to harvest. Then one day I strolled out to admire the robust garden again and made a shocking discovery: other creatures had visited my garden just that week. The beans were nibbled to nubs and nearly every tomato on the vine was missing a few small bites! Tom Tyler, Capitol Hill resident and Extension Agent for Environmental Horticulture in Arlington County, says this doesn’t have to happen to you. Tyler is a Past President of the American Community Gardening Association. Even if your garden is a small one, Tyler says you can use many of the contemporary pest management techniques of larger growers yet do so with minimal financial investment. Perfect Pest Practices “Good pest control techniques don’t rely exclusively on pesticides. Instead, we recommend integrated pest management,” comments Tyler. “The first line of defense is to arm yourself with knowledge about the pests. What do they look like? What do they do? What is their life cycle? What are the symptoms of the damage they do to your plants?” For some pictures to help begin your investigation, check out http://everest. ento.vt.edu/~idlab/vegpests/veg1. html “The second step is to practice good gardening principles so you have strong and healthy plants,” advises Tyler. These include good soil, adequate water, and proper planting (for more information on these topics go to www.voiceofthe hill.com and see “Get Going on the Garden” in the May issue of Voice of the Hill.) Tyler adds another technique, “Select varieties of your favorite vegetables that have genetic resistance to pests.” Voracious Visitors Now is the time to monitor the insect populations in your garden, notes Tyler. “If you see a bug, don’t ignore it. Figure out what it is, and see if it increases in numbers with time.” If you can take a clear photograph and send it to cooperative extension, Extension-trained Master Gardeners can help you with identification. “If the population doesn’t develop significantly, you may not have a problem,” says Tyler. How many is too many? Tyler continues, “For example, ten Japanese beetles may not do a lot of damage, but if you have 100 Japanese beetles, this is a much more serious problem. When your garden shows evidence of great damage, such as plants chewed to the soil, it probably didn’t happen overnight. Observing things regularly will keep you ahead of the pests.” The farmer’s rule of rotating crops applies even to the small garden. Plant each vegetable in a different space in the garden each year. Tyler explains, “Pest populations build up because they leave their eggs behind.” This means there are even more creatures next year. Likewise, remove any infested vegetation from the garden. Tyler says, “The insect may have laid eggs on leaves that it was eating. Usually it’s not a good idea to put infested vegetation in your compost pile, either.” Water, Weed, and Welcome Diversity Even watering has implications for pest control. “Water deeply and water in the morning rather than later in the day,” advises Tyler. “This will prevent fungus and pests that thrive in humidity.” How does weeding make a difference? Tyler responds, “Weeds serve as hiding places for pests. If there are too many weeds you may not see the pests until it’s too late.” On the positive side, there are plants that attract helpful insects to your garden. Tyler says, “Flowers such as nasturtiums, cosmos, marigolds, bachelor buttons, cone flowers, and black-eyed Susans attract pollinators (for example, bees and ants) and other beneficial insects (for example, lady beetles or ladybugs, lace wings, and native wasps). “Another philosophy of pest control is to have plant diversity. Insects are very specific. If you have a diverse garden, you won’t lose the whole garden if a particular pest becomes prolific.” According to Tyler, these techniques will not eliminate pests completely, but together, they will suppress the pests to a tolerable level. Covers, Nets, and Fences Keeping bugs away from your plants is another option for your garden. You may have seen row covers in fields or in neighbors’ gardens. These are made from lightweight polyester material similar to the interfacing used by those who sew. Tyler describes their use: “These covers are laid down loosely over the plants and tucked into the soil to make a physical barrier for the pests. Cover individual plants or cover a whole section or row of your garden. The idea is to install them early enough in the year that you keep the pests out rather than trapping the pest in!” He continues, “If the plant requires cross-pollination to bear vegetables, remove the cover when the plant is flowering. Then the bees and other insects can cross-pollinate the plant. Cucumbers and other squashes are examples of vegetables that require cross-pollination.” He adds, “For other vegetables, remove the covers at the time fruiting starts. The row cover is particularly effective for cabbage worms and flea beetles that harm eggplant and beets.” Netting is a good method to protect plants that attract birds, such as berries. Tyler says, “Fencing screens out squirrels and rabbits. Use small gauge chicken wire (1/2 inch holes) to completely surround a plant.” You Mean I Have to Touch Them? Before you hand-pick your vegetables, you may have to hand-pick your pests to keep them under control. “Tap Japanese beetles from the plant into a bucket of hot water or vegetable oil. They will drown,” notes Tyler. “Aphids can be sprayed off VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 32 www.voiceofthehill.com For some pests, immobilizing is the way to go. Tyler describes how to trap several pests. “You can buy ‘yellow sticky traps’ which are essentially glorified fly strips. Fasten them on stakes at plant level throughout the garden. White flies love the traps even more than they love tomatoes. You can make your own yellow sticky traps. Use yellow poster board smeared with the product Tanglefoot™, which you can buy at garden centers.” “Let the slugs die a happy death,” suggests Tyler. “Place margarine tubs or tuna cans every five feet in the garden. Fill them with stale beer. Cut quarter-size holes in small lids and use the lids to cover the containers. The beer’s yeast will attract slugs away from your tomatoes. Replace the beer every few days and after it rains.” Bigger pests may require different solutions. “If you want to repel squirrels, try a specifically formulated product that contains capsaicin which is derived from hot peppers,” recommends Tyler. If you have a problem with other rodents in your garden, Tyler suggests reporting this to the District government using the Citywide Call Center (202-727- 1000). Check http://dchealth.dc.gov/ information/rodent/tips.shtm for immediate actions you can take to control rodents. Pesticides as Last Resort “If you see one bug it doesn’t mean there will be a lot of damage,” says Tyler. “Don’t reach for the arsenal of pesticides. If the bug is not doing much damage, leave it alone.” Tyler acknowledges that even with a combination of these techniques, you may still get a bad infestation. “In that case, use an appropriate organic or inorganic pesticide according to the product label directions. Don’t forget that all pesticides are toxic to some degree. This includes organic pesticides.” For more information about pesticides and pest control for your garden, email your questions to Tom Tyler at the Arlington Unit of Virginia Cooperative Extension (Ttyler@vt.edu), call the Horticulture Agent with the UDC Extension Service (202-274-7166), or visit http://everest.ento.vt.edu/~idlab/vegpests/ veg1.html. Laurie Lindsay Aomari, RD, LD, is a beginner gardener. Her business focuses on nutrition communications, particularly writing and presentations (see www.LaurieAomari.com for additional information). Laurie teaches water aerobics classes in Fairfax County. She has been a nutrition counselor, a radio show host, a trainer, an editor, an international conference manager, and a world traveler. private parties • celebrations • special events private parties • celebrations • special events private parties • celebrations • special events Two Quail Two Quail with a hose and are slow to return. They are soft bodied, and a jet of water will destroy them.” Water also eliminates spider mites. Tyler explains, “Spider mites love hot, dry weather, and they don’t like a humid environment. If you repeatedly wet the plant in the morning with a watering can or hose, the mites won’t survive. You may have to use these methods more than once.” Let the slugs die a happy death. Place margarine tubs or tuna cans every five feet in the garden. Fill them with stale beer…The beer’s yeast will attract slugs away from your tomatoes. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 www.voiceofthehill.com 33 I have trouble leaving for most destinations on time—especially if they involve some sort of recreational activity or road trip—which is why, when I left for the National Arboretum at 3:30 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon, I felt way ahead of the game. My friend and I stopped at Fresh Fields, bought a nice picnic lunch and headed out to Florida Avenue for the trip across town. This is about the time that my over-confidence was reduced to substantial regret. If you’re like me and you don’t own a car, you might forget that rush hour in DC isn’t really a single hour and that it starts early in the afternoon – very early. Still, I was determined to find this bucolic wonderland, described to me by friends as a place where one can be in the middle of the woods inside the city limits. Finally, we pulled off the mayhem of New York Avenue and into the entrance of the Arboretum. Almost instantly, I forgot about the used car dealerships and the sea of U-Haul rental trucks that had marked the landscape of our outing to this point. We were met with a utopia of sorts: rolling green fields, gardens, flowering trees and shrubs, wildflowers and ponds. We parked at one of the Arboretum’s three ponds, shook off any lingering urban stress, and took a seat on the grass by the shore. A friendly couple was also enjoying the pond – feeding popcorn to a little army of turtles and giant koi. Just as we were finishing up our sandwiches and easing into the serenity of our surroundings, an official Arboretum vehicle cruised by and informed us via bullhorn that the Arboretum was closed. Closed? It was only five o’clock! This was lesson number two for me. For some reason, I mistakenly assumed the Arboretum was similar to a state park and closed at sunset, when in fact the Arboretum, part of the US Department of Agriculture, is primarily a research facility that closes with the end of the business day. (I discovered later that the early closing time is an issue of funding, as well). Perseverance Pays Off for the Arboretum Though the Arboretum is a research facility, it does also equally function as a wonderful community resource, as I learned on my second, betterplanned trip there. The Arboretum was established by an Act of Congress in 1927 as a research and educational facility. Much of the success of having this act passed in Congress is due to Mrs. Frank B. Noyes, who was president of the Garden Club in the District of Columbia and wife of the publisher of The Washington Star. She began to fight vigorously for her cause by making many trips to the White House. It is reported that on one of those occasions she told President Coolidge, “I will not take ‘no’ for an answer.” Farmland in Northeast Washington was purchased for the Arboretum. Apparently, some controversy surrounded the decision to locate the Arboretum inside the District as opposed to a more rural area outside of the city. However, Dr. Frederick Coville of the Department of Agriculture defended the decision to establish the Arboretum inside the city. “There is a great educational value attached to an Arboretum located here,” he said. “People who visit Washington will have access to it, from all over the country.” Unfortunately, plans for the Arboretum were stalled during World War II, but the facility was used as a place to house troops during the war. The bulk of the construction, including the building of the nine-and-a-half mile road through and around the facility, was done after the war. Slowly, in the decades to follow, the impressive collection of plants and herbs was amassed, largely due to generous donations from other countries. For example, Japan donated 53 prized bonsai trees to the Arboretum to celebrate the 200th anniversary of our country in 1976. The mission of the Arboretum is “to conduct research, provide education, and conserve and display trees, shrubs, flowers, and other plants to enhance the environment.” Much of the research done at the Arboretum’s 446-acre facility is directed at improving plants by creating new varieties and hybrids, many of which are much more resistant to insects and other pests. The National Arboretum’s research is far-reaching: hybrids and new plant varieties created there can be found in every state in the country and around the world. Over 660 different plants have been improved by the Arboretum’s research staff. The Arboretum as a Community Resource Though the research done at the Arboretum is certainly cutting-edge and very highly regarded, most of us visit the Arboretum simply to indulge our senses in the aesthetic splendor of the place. Arboretum Director, Dr. Thomas Elias, makes it very clear that visitors to the Arboretum are a major priority for him and his staff. “We have worked very hard to make it available to everyone,” he said. And he has statistics to prove that this work has paid off. Somewhere between 500,000 to 600,000 people visit the Arboretum every year. The Arboretum has one staff member for every 4,000 visitors, a ratio I’m told is much lower than most botanical gardens. And unlike the Smithsonian museums and national monuments, a large percentage of visitors to the Arboretum are locals. Close to 80% of visitors are from DC, Maryland and Virginia, and 90% of those who attend the Arboretum’s educational programs are from the area. The Arboretum also has an impressive track record when it comes to attracting minorities. Twenty-four percent of all visitors are minorities —one of the highest percentages for any botanical garden. A Forest in a City The National Arboretum is a Peaceful, Natural Community Resource BY COURTNEY BELL VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 34 www.voiceofthehill.com The Arboretum’s 62 employees depend substantially on the approximate 200 volunteers, especially in a time when the President’s budget proposals could mean a cut of up to 10% to the funding the Arboretum receives. Another important contributor to the successful operation of the Arboretum is the nonprofit organization, The Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA), which provides financial support and acts as a liaison between the Arboretum and Congress. FONA, whose mission “to enhance, through public and private sector resources, support for the U.S. National Arboretum,” was also responsible for the arrangement of a new weekend bus route (the X-6) from Union Station to the Arboretum. On my second trip to the Arboretum, also on a weekday, I arrived early and had the place almost entirely to myself. Elias informed me that 75% of the Arboretum’s visitors come on the weekends (a tip to remember in case you ever feel like taking an extended lunch break for a few hours on a beautiful summer afternoon). I took the time to explore the airy visitor’s center – a building that almost seems to float on the water that surrounds it on three sides. The center is packed with all kinds of handouts and pamphlets covering everything from the Arboretum’s rules to the average blooming dates of the hundreds of flowering trees, plants and shrubs. In case there’s still something you’re wondering about, a friendly staff member is available to answer any questions you might have. Armed with information, I set out on one of the climbing, winding trails in the azalea collection. I passed only one person on the trail and soon was surrounded by trees and green, again forgetting the other DC for this much calmer one. A few solitary runners, absorbed into rhythmic strides, made their way down the road as I explored other collections. The deep blue sky was punctuated by perfectly puffy white clouds; I wanted to stay forever. Then I remembered rush “hour” and reluctantly headed home. Arboretum Highlights Two short trips were not enough to even scratch the surface of all the Arboretum has to offer. To help you plan your next trip to the Arboretum is the following short list of some of the points of interest not to miss. The National Capitol Columns The original sandstone columns and steps from the US Capitol stand in a beautiful arrangement on the Arboretum grounds after being rescued in 1984 from a field next to the river where they were being “stored.” The columns were part of the east central portico of the Capitol until 1958, when they were removed and replaced by a marble addition. The original columns and steps are especially historically significant in that they were the site of most presidential inaugurations, starting in 1829 with Andrew Jackson and ending with Eisenhower. Fern Valley A one-and-a-half mile trail loops through a serene wooded area with an extensive collection of native plants, shrubs and trees from the eastern United States. Azalea Collection Colorful azaleas adorn the trail as you climb to the top of Mt. Hamilton. At 240 feet, it’s one of the highest points in the city, and the summit offers a clear view of the city, including the Capitol. National Bonsai and Penjing Museum One of the largest collections of bonsai trees resides at the Arboretum, creatively housed in four pavilions: American, Japanese, Chinese and International. National Grove of State Trees Learn about trees from across the country in this 30-acre grove, where you can find the state tree from almost every state. A few exceptions exist, as our climate could not support certain state trees, such as those from South Carolina and Hawaii. The National Herb Garden Do you know exactly what an herb is? The answer might surprise you. According to the National Arboretum’s website, “an herb is any plant that serves a purpose other than providing food, wood or beauty.” In other words, any plant, tree or shrub used to make dyes, medicines, fragrances, etc. is an herb. Though the garden is comprised of only twoand- a-half acres, it packs in 800 different kinds of herbs. The Historic Brickyard Near the New York Avenue entrance of the Arboretum is a seemingly abandoned field with several small, squat, cone-shaped buildings. Despite the appearance of something out of a horror movie, the site a former brickyard – is actually owned by the Arboretum. The brickyard, which operated from 1909 to 1972, made up to 140,000 bricks a day at the height of its production. The process of opening the brickyard to the public will begin when funding is available. In addition to the above outlined sites at the Arboretum, a number of special programs are offered to the public. These include a wide range of activities such as full moon hikes, bonsai demonstrations, pest and disease workshops, and watercolor and photography classes. For a full list of programs, please visit the Arboretum’s extensive website at www.usna.usda.gov. Courtney Bell is assistant editor at Voice of the Hill. 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Checkups for Your Appliances—Helpful Hints “Too much. That is the problem with most appliances,” Skip Giddens told me. I had called him at Skip’s Appliance Service because our dishwasher was leaving the dishes dirty and spotty. “Too much detergent, too many clothes, too much dust under the fridge, too much lint in the dryer.” He told me how to check the dishwasher. “The next time you finish a load of dishes, restart the empty dishwasher with no detergent. After it fills and starts to run, stop it and look inside. If the water is soapy, you’re using too much detergent. In that case, run it three or four times with no dishes and no detergent until the water looks like you could drink it. Then make sure you only use a little bit of detergent from then on.” “Should I fill the detergent container half full?” I asked. “Less. Two or three teaspoons only. Or get these new tablets of dishwashing detergent a few companies are now making. You’ll be surprised at how small they are.” Skip said it was also important to make sure that the screen at the bottom of the dishwasher was cleared of debris. “If it is grungy, take it out, scrape away the food, wash the screen, and put it back. The air gap, that thing that stands up at the back of your sink on the dishwasher side, may need to be cleaned, too. Some you can clean yourself, but some you can’t, with an amazing imitation of Old Faithful if you do it wrong. “If getting rid of the extra detergent and clearing the screen don’t improve your dishwasher’s cleaning abilities, you may have to call on the appliance repair person for the air gap. The main reason it, and the screen, gets clogged is because people don’t rinse their dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Do it, even if your machine’s instructions say you don’t have to.” Skip also has some comments about the way people use their washers and dryers. “Don’t throw in some extra detergent to make the clothes cleaner. It just means the clothes don’t get rinsed, and that can make them get dirty faster. Overloading with clothes can leave them dirty. And it can also lead to small items getting into the pump with expensive results. I had to replace a pump because a thong had gotten wrapped around it.” On dryers, Skip said the biggest problems are “overloading and not cleaning the lint trap. If you put in too many wet clothes, the dryer works too long. Some things are over dried and others aren’t dry at all. As for lint, it can cause a fire. Clean the lint trap every time. Make sure the dryer vent is clear, too. If a small to medium load takes more than an hour to dry, you need to have your vent cleaned. Don’t wait. Houses have burned down from lint catching fire.” Scott Sigler of Swift Vents had some other comments on dryer vents: “Pull the vent off the back of the machine regularly to make sure it’s clean. If there is lint in there, vacuum it out, both inside the machine and up the vent. If there’s a lot, you may need to have the whole vent system cleaned. The section between the dryer and the wall connection can be flexible, but it must be metal flex for safety. If you have plastic flex behind the dryer, replace it. Plastic can burn. You also need to make sure the vent pipe from the wall to outdoors is as straight as possible and not rough. And next time you’re near the outside vent cover, make sure the flaps are working easily. Check inside to see that no lint has backed up behind the flaps and no animals have gotten inside. If you are worried about animals, use a grill that will keep animals out but that will not trap lint or block the vent flaps. Don’t use window screen! It will just collect lint.” Skip on refrigerators: “Leave room inside for air flow. Clean any vents or drains. Not only will that help to keep the food cold, it will also take care of smells. And clean the coils under the fridge on a regular basis.. “The main problem with microwaves is crud. You can build up a good layer of grease in them. Clean the inside regularly, and don’t forget the top. That’s where the grease collects. If the top is dirty, when you cook something for a long time, the grease gets hot and then you’ll have arcing and sparking.” And the garbage disposal? “Don’t overstuff it. If it stops, turn the switch off, clean out the garbage, and use a flashlight to make sure there aren’t any spoons or other hard things inside. Then push that little red reset button on the bottom. When you flip the switch, with the cold water running, it should work. You can avoid hard things falling in and making a horrendous noise by keeping them away from the opening. Don’t balance rings near the sink. They can bounce when you turn on the disposal and commit suicide inside. If you do hear a loud noise, shut the disposal off immediately and check to see what has fallen in. I have pulled out everything from diamond rings to good silver to beer pull tabs.” Tom Cash of Barry Plumbing added to the list: “Twisties, bottle caps, screws, fruit pits, and plastic. Plastic will stop it almost every time. And don’t put too many potato skins, rice, or fibrous vegetables like celery and onion bottoms in the disposal. Or grease—it will cork the pipes up. The reason to use cold water every time is both to keep things flowing and to cool the disposal. While it is an electric motor, it is water cooled. Use hot water, and it can burn out.” Tim Burr is a freelance writer who has been living on Capitol Hill since 1966. He also works for Yarmouth Management which has been managing residential properties for more than 20 years. Skip’s Appliance Service can be reached at 301-864- 7493, Swift Vents at 301- 871-4700, and Barry Plumbing at 202-842-2424. This page is brought to you each month by The Von Schlegel Realty Team202.547.5088 and First Horizon Home Home Loans 301.493.8066 411 11th St., SE Capitol Hill $750,000 You can have it all!! Don’t miss this fabulous 3 BR, 3 BA Victorian with its large 2-story addition. Lovingly cared for and updated by the current owners. Features include a great room/family room with 2 sets of French doors leading to a lovely garden, LR with bay window, separate DR, chef’s kitchen, master bedroom addition has cathedral ceilings, casement windows + a small loft, 4 fireplaces, wood flrs throughout, high ceilings, unfinished basement off-street parking! VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 36 www.voiceofthehill.com The French surrealist painter Renee Magritte turned the art world upside down with his riddle, “When is a pipe not really a pipe?” In other words, he asked, is it only a pipe if you can smoke it? Magritte’s message was as memorable as his art. Things are not always as they seem. Robert Herrema, Capitol Hill Real Estate developer and for many years a Capitol Hill resident, forced Hill residents to ask similar questions. “When is a church not really a church?” Or, “When is a school not really a school?” The condominium conversion projects that dot the Hill as a result of Bob’s vision and perseverance maintain the spirit and the essence of the original buildings, and at the same time exist as appealing and user-friendly residential properties. Bob succeeds in rolling both the “before” and the “after” picture into one stunning result. Which brings us back to that question, “When is a church not exactly a church?” Capitol Hill offers an answer at 9th and D Streets, Southeast – in The Grace Church Condominiums. This adaptive reuse development project exists with an almost schizophrenic sensibility. Viewing the stately building on a sunny day, one is almost convinced that, come Sunday, the stained glass panels adorning every side of the building will project rainbow colors on singing parishioners inside. But come Sunday, and every day, the building will hold no churchgoers – only happy residents. The unique renovation of Grace Church was completed in the late 1980’s, with Robert Herrema at the helm. The result indicates an attention to detail and a respect for original structure that is manifest in all of Herrema’s projects. But Bob Herrema did not move to the Hill to work in real estate. He, like many young people in the late 60’s (and as they still do today), headed to the Hill to work in politics. Herrema joined the office of (then Congressman, later Senator) Lowell Weicker of Connecticut in 1969. Weicker is known as the surprisingly Liberal GOP Senator who lost in the major upset of the 1988 elections to current Democratic Presidential hopeful Joe Lieberman. Herrema came on board as an administrative assistant, when the previous Assistant was drafted into the Vietnam War. A Life’s Path But Bob’s hometown roots lie neither in the District nor in Connecticut. He hails from up North, where he was born in July 1939 in a suburb of Rochester, NY. He earned an Associates Degree at the prestigious Rochester Institute of Technology, but after working for a year in his field at a subsidiary of the National Distillers, he got an itch to head South. He wished to further his education and seek out Southern warmth – both in the climate and in the people. “I decided I was going to go back to school to get a degree in engineering,” Bob recalls. “So my friend had an uncle who taught at Marshall University [In Huntington, West Virginia], and I drove down with him [to visit.] I found it to be an extremely friendly place!” Leaving Rochester was not a difficult decision. “The tuition was $249 a semester for out of state students – how do you like that?”he marvels, and, besides, New York lacked the “pretty blond Southern girls asking if they could buy me a coke!” Bob admits with a chuckle. Following his time at Marshall (where Bob served as President of his fraternity, and of the Fraternity Council), he was accepted into George Washington University for graduate work. He started at GW in the fall of 1964, with a course load that consisted of solely evening classes. Having his daytimes free, Bob set out to secure an entry-level position in the personnel office. Before long Bob had been promoted to Personnel Director. There he met his wife Joannie. “She was recruited to work in the comptroller’s office,” he recalls. They met in June of 1965, and — in what would today be considered a whirlwind romance, but at the time hardly raised an eyebrow were engaged by September. “And by the way,” he is sure to add, “We are still very happily married.” Five years later, Bob made his way to the Hill, and was bit by the political bug. “Some friends of mine got me involved in the Young Republicans Training School.” It was through that organization that Bob befriended Stan Bissey. And while Bob’s political career lasted only two elections, the friendship has lasted over three decades, and twice that many Administrations. “We met working with the Young Republicans,” Stan concurs. Bob was already married at the time; Stan was not. “And eventually I got married [too], and our families would get together. We had no kids of our own then, so we would baby-sit for [Bob and his wife Joannie],” Stan recalls. Bob and Joan had brought two daughters into the world by the time our nation made it to the 1970s— Jennifer in 1969, and two years later, her younger sister Amy. Bob first got into renovating houses on the Hill as a hobby – side work while he continued his career in politics. Ironically, he was living in Maryland at the time, but continued to work on the Hill, and had many friends and colleagues living in the rapidly growing Hill neighborhood. As Stan recalls, “The big boom had started… development already reached out to 10th Street. We all lived here at the time other people thought we were pioneers.” Pioneers? Perhaps not. But visionary? Sure. Prudent? Yes. And wise investors? Absolutely. “Bob and I, we all got caught up in the fever,” Stan explains. “Purchasing properties, renovating, holding them to rent. (We thought) we could make a good contribution by fixing these places up – and there was a constant rental market on Capitol Hill!” A Hill Trailblazer Bob was the trailblazer even then. He acquired his first property in the early 70s while still working for Weicker, and embarked on renovations with his brother as his partner. “I got a big kick out of tearing old junk apart, and putting it back together – and making a buck from it!” Bob explains. Stan recalls that Bob had encouraged him to go in on it with him himself, but at the time Stan was too cautious, too wary of this new career path. So he passed up the opportunity. But after the first one went off without a hitch, Stan was ready and willing to partner with Bob on the second renovation. “It is everyone’s dream to be their own boss… and Bob was very good at it! He had fewer problems than other people do.” Both men had solid foundations in engineering, but for the most part their expertise in actual property development was selftaught, learned one difficult lesson at a time. “We would find people to work with through word of mouth. [When you are] starting out one project at a time—you learn all the steps,” Stan explains. Bob’s participation on his projects evolved some over the years. “You can be the carpenter or you can be the carpenter’s boss. For the first few houses I was right down in there, but after some time you just have to get a crew.” One of Bob’s greatest talents was his knack at assembling a group of talented carpenters and sub-contractors, the “most competent people to complete the missions,” he says. “I’ve always been lucky to get great guys, giving it their best for me.” He rather famously refers to his crews as “the heavyweights.” In 1977, after two toilsome and exhausting elections with Weicker, Bob decided to make real estate a full-time pursuit. He founded “Robert Herrema Associates” and officially became an entrepreneur. While Bob’s work extended beyond the Hill into areas of Northwest DC, he remained primarily a Hill developer. This motivated Bob and Joannie’s move to the District. They purchased a home on the border of Lincoln Park at auction— “One of the neatest houses in that area,” Stan A Legacy of Vision Bob Herrema’s Accomplishments Are True Testaments to a Hill ‘Trailblazer’ BY SHIRLEY SEROTSKY VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 www.voiceofthehill.com 37 tae kwon do • experimental watercolor • tap drawing with color • photography • ballroom relief printmaking • balanced yoga • painting latin dance • gentle yoga • beeswax painting monotype printmaking • ceramics • drawing narrative in photography • sculpture in clay tae kwon do • experimental watercolor • tap drawing with color • photography • ballroom relief printmaking • balanced yoga • painting latin dance s gentle yoga • beeswax painting monotype printmaking • ceramics • drawing narrative in photography • sculpture in clay tae kwon do • experimental watercolor • tap drawing with color • photography • ballroom relief printmaking • balanced yoga • painting latin dance • gentle yoga • beeswax painting monotype printmaking • ceramics • drawing narrative in photography • sculpture in clay tae kwon do s experimental watercolor • tap drawing with color s photography • ballroom relief printmaking s balanced yoga • painting latin dance s gentle yoga • beeswax painting monotype printmaking • ceramics • drawing NEW STUDENTS: Take 15% off Adult Classes with this coupon Offer expires June 16, 2003. This coupon may not be used in conjunction with other coupons or discounted offers. Limit 1 per person. recalls—and set about to ready it for a June move-in date, “so that the girls could start the new year at their new school,” Bob recounts. Making a Home Bob, meanwhile, set up a home office with Joannie at his side. This solved the issue of his commuting into work, which, Stan explains, was much more of an issue in the days before cell phones and laptops. “I wish we had cell phones at that point!” Stan exclaims. “With (property development) on a small scale— you are involved in every step. There is so much detail involved—you have to be dedicated to it, enough to be up late doing paperwork and then up at 6:30 a.m. to make sure contractors are at the site to do the work. [And Bob]— his projects have always been complete and thoroughly engineered as lasting entities. He stays intimately involved with every detail of every project.” But Bob Herrema’s greatest projects were yet to come. The Herrema’s eased comfortably into a life on the Hill. “The girls (at that point 8 and 10) started school at Capitol Hill Day School. They would get up in the morning, step out the door onto East Capitol, and, well the first day they needed a little guidance but after a couple days they felt comfortable enough to make the walk [on their own].” Bob describes with a smile the cluster of neighborhood girlfriends that daughters Jennifer and Amy had daily gathered around them by the time they made it to the school yard gates. Joannie became active with the CHAMPS organization (The Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals) and with Soccer on the Hill, a soccer league started by Hill parents specifically for Capitol Hill young people. Joannie coached Jennifer on the first all girl team. “We were soccer moms before there even was such a title!” Joannie exclaims. ‘Reuse Projects’ All the while, Bob was developing his vision for what were to be his greatest, and most memorable projects off all. These were to be his “reuse projects”—namely, The Logan School, the Carbery School, and the aforementioned Grace Church Condominiums. “Bob was the first to take the big buildings [on the Hill] and adapt them—the first to do something special with them,” Nicky Cymrot, president of the Capitol Hill Community Foundation and co-proprietor of a real estate rental and development business on Capitol Hill since the 1960s, muses. Nicky is married to Steve Cymrot, who owns and operates Riverby Books on East Capitol with his son Paul. Steve recently interviewed Bob as part of the Ruth Ann Overbeck Capitol Hill History Project, an undertaking that aims to collect oral histories from Hill residents. The transcript of the interview will soon join the other Capitol Hill history oriented interviews published on the CapitolHillHistory.org website. The first of Bob’s conversions — on the Logan School at 3rd and G Streets Northeast (originally built in the 1890s)—was completed in 1984. The Carbery School Condominiums followed in 1986 at 410 5th Street, NE. The Carbery School building had been built in 1887 of pressed brick and is distinguished by its Romanesque elements, much of which remains in its later, residential, conception. But Bob’s masterpiece, and his last big project as Robert Herrema Associates, was The Grace Church Condominiums, completed in 1989. The building stands, Stan explains, “Just as it did in the late 1880s, but now it holds an indoor atrium, indoor parking, and some of the most beautiful and unique condominiums in the area.” Following his work on Grace Church, Bob remained in the field of property development, but stepped away from the helm. In the early 1990’s he partnered with Drew Scalon and began work as a consultant. “Bob finished Grace Church, and I had started doing commercial appraisal work. He joined me doing that.” Drew recounts. “That evolved into project management. Actually, it was more than project management. We worked with all the aspects that a developer would” Bob and Drew’s final project together was an undertaking to develop intern housing for the Heritage Foundation in the building adjacent to their headquarters on Massachusetts Avenue. “Bob was very involved with [that job.]” Drew is quick to give credit where due. “He was instrumental in all aspects of the project” he says. Facing the Challenges As the twenty-first century approached, Bob and Joannie made the transition into the next chapter of their life. Both daughters were now grown and had moved away from the District to follow their own unique paths. Jennifer had become an honest to goodness rock star with her band “The Royal Trux” (as Joannie explains this to me on the phone, Bob emphatically shouts out from behind her the unusual spelling of the name – “TRUX – but they go by TRX sometimes.” Clearly a proud father). They have a new CD coming out soon, “hopefully in the fall,” her mother adds. And Amy went off with the Peace Corps to Mauritania. Following her tenure there, she was awarded the “Peace Worker Scholarship,” which funded her Masters in Social Work. She now serves as the Director of “Circle of Sisters,” a youth outreach program in Sonoma County, California, that targets at risk adolescent girls. It was finally time for Bob and Joannie to embark on their most personal renovation project yet – the renovation of a rural farmhouse they had purchased in Little Washington, Virginia—well beyond the beltway. “It’s the first Washington,” Joannie reminds me, “And it is just gorgeous out here.” In a great stroke of irony, and with a nod to the cyclical nature of life, Bob and Joannie inhabited an apartment unit on the Hill while completing these renovations —two units in the very first building Bob had ever worked on. As they say, what goes around comes around. And unfortunately sometimes something comes around that even a commitment as great, and a will as strong, as Bob Herrema’s cannot fend off. Nearly three years ago, Bob was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. Bob and his family have dealt with this challenging hand as they have dealt with all of life’s adversities, facing it head on and with great tenacity. Indeed, for most of the past three years, Bob has continued to work while battling for the restoration of his health. In May, the Capitol Hill Community Foundation honored Bob’s dedication and contributions to the Hill. The organization presented Robert Herrema with a plaque and a certificate honoring, “His vision and integrity and his pioneering efforts to preserve and enhance the physical environment of Capitol Hill through adaptive reuse projects including Logan School, Carbery School and Grace Church.” But words cannot do Bob’s contributions justice. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words— but a look at his undertakings in person is worth a thousand more. Capitol Hill thanks Bob Herrema. And while Magritte may have been right – things are not always as they seem—some things remain untested. Like Bob’s accomplishments, his well-earned respect, and his friendships. And, as Stan Bissey reminds us all, “Bob’s heavyweights are all rooting for him!” Hill resident Shirley Serotsky is one of the Voice’s regular contributors. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 38 www.voiceofthehill.com athletic programs that include baseball, basketball and football teams. In addition, Zanders has put together study hall programs to make sure that the children who participate in his athletic programs realize that maintaining their grades and getting a good education should always be their first priority. “The road to accomplishing my goals has been long and hard,” Zanders said with pride in his voice. “I started the program with one baseball team and then later on developed a 5-team football league with cheerleaders, and it kind of blossomed from there.” Many other people with good hearts and a love for children have started similar programs, but it’s in conquering the journey and the obstacles along the way that makes what Zanders is doing truly special. As citizens around the world’s most powerful city embrace the heroes who fought vehemently for the freedom of Iraq, a different kind of hero— much more locally—has dedicated his life to giving inner city youth an option to the lures of street life. Steve Zanders, 41, has spent the last 14 years of his life developing the “Woodland Tiger Youth Sports & Educational Program” in Southeast DC, in an area known more for drugs and violence than for being uplifting and achieving. The program was designed to offer children in the Woodland Public Housing Projects and surrounding locations an alternative to the life that many of them had become accustomed to. Zanders said his mission was to appeal to the positive interests of these kids by forming competitive which helped get me started, but it wasn’t enough,” he said. Initial Frustrations Zanders, growing increasingly frustrated by the conditions that the neighborhood was subjected to, said there were times when he felt like nothing in his neighborhood would ever change. “I almost quit a few times,” he said, laughing, “but the Lord wouldn’t let me. He had a plan; it just required patience on my part to see it through. “For a while, I did everything myself. To raise money for the program, I would take about $500 out of my checkbook and buy candy for the kids to sell.” Zanders said it took approximately seven years before any real help for his cause arrived. “It took a little time, but the community finally started to come around,” he said. “Eugene Hollingsworth from Like that Barbershop was the first to give significant donations. He would give a few thousand every year and told me that as long as I’m out here with these kids, he was behind me. He gave from the heart. I would never have chase him down to get help; he would come look for me to give money for the kids.” Eventually, Zanders said, other guys in the community came out to help. “They wanted to coach the teams and chip in financially when they could,” he recalled. A Community Responds In addition, Zanders said that Emanuel Baptist Church in Southeast also heard about what he was doing and gave donations, but it was when the parents got behind the kids that the program felt like it had a sense of legitimacy. “The kids felt like people cared about them and that they could do more than just grow up in the hood. They felt like they could grow up to be something, and I was going to do my part to make sure it happens.” The parents started the Woodland Tigers Parent Club. They would cook food for fundraisers and feed all of the kids after the games. The parents also helped raise money to fund outof- town trips for the kids to participate in championship games. But as well as things were going, Zanders said the kids made him realize there was still a long way to go to fulfill his vision for the program. “Because we were in the developmental stages of putting this program together, we didn’t have all of the quality equipment and playing fields that other teams we played against had,” he said. “And one day, I had a ball player that I coached come to me and ask, ‘Why do we have to play on a field like this while Bare-Bones Beginnings Zanders—who grew up in the Woodland Project and Montana Terrace, another known rough area in D.C.—said he started the Woodland program in 1989 after an experience he called “extremely traumatic. “One day during the spring of 1989, I was sitting on the porch, and loud gunshots rang out,” he recalls. “I remember running in the house, and I saw kids running all over the place trying to get out of harm’s way. After the shooting, I took a deeper look into the way that the community was. The kids were hanging around the drug dealers. So that inspired me to do something to get the kids away from that. “Soon after, I gathered some of the kids in the neighborhood and started a baseball team because that was the season we were in,” he recalled. “We only had a couple gloves, bats and a few balls, but it was enough for the kids to start. They really got into it. They loved it! So I entered the kids into a 15-team league called ‘Books and Balls.’ “After baseball season, kids started knocking on the door and asking, ‘Coach Steve, what’s next? What can we do now?’ So I started a football team and then a basketball team so that they could have something to do year around.” Zanders’ programs became so popular with the neighborhood youth that he rarely had to advertise for team tryouts. “The kids spread the word about football practice. If I tell one of the players the date for tryouts, he’ll go and tell everyone.” Zanders – who worked in shipping and receiving at the Pentagon and most recently at the Department of Agriculture before being laid off – purchased a bus with his own money to transport his teams to their games. “I was able to buy a bus for $700, A Real Hometown Hero Woodland Tigers Coach Steve Zanders’ Vision to Help Inner City Youth is Becoming a Reality BY CHAD CLINTON Steve Zanders in his field of dreams. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 www.voiceofthehill.com 39 the teams in Virginia, Maryland and other parts of D.C. don’t have to?’ “We practiced at Stanton Elementary—an old, messed-up field with rocks, beer bottles, drug needles, and used condoms [lying around]. So I wanted to get the field fixed up so the kids can have a nice place to play and be proud of. I said to myself that this community deserves better than this.” So in 1998, Zanders had a contractor come out to give an estimate for a new multipurpose sports field. “The contractor quoted $275,000 to put in a new sports field,” he said. “I had no clue how I would get this kind of money, but I knew I had to get these kids a new field somehow.” Coach Steve’s Field of Dreams Zanders, after running his program alone for about six years, said he fought for nearly 12 years to get a new field for the community. “It took a while before I had the support system in place to start doing the things that I really wanted to do for the kids. We wanted our players to have a sense of pride when they played. They may not have had the new football field, but until we could get one, we made sure our kids had brand-new uniforms every year, which was the next best thing. Zanders said that the community sold dinners, had bake sales, car washes, and asked for donations. He applied for grants and was told there were funds for his program, but he never received them. “The government could have cared less about the kids in Ward 8. That’s the attitude that they were giving, and that’s how I took it. But when we go up to play games in Ward 3 and other places, they had theses big beautiful fields, and corporate sponsors.” Zanders said the program’s fortunes turned for the better in 1998 when the Anacostia Outreach Community Center (AOCC) picked up his cause and lent a big hand. “They were a real big help. Rose Jones, the founder of AOCC, provided substantial funding that allowed me to start adding on more teams. The AOCC even donated two vans. It was such a relief to know that people started really paying attention to me. “They finally heard my cry,” Zanders exhaled. With the backing of the AOCC, Zanders believed that he might finally be able to get the new sports field that he wanted so badly for the kids and the community. “I took the AOCC director, Jerome Miller, over to the field and said ‘Look at where we have to practice. He said, ‘This is where you practice?’ I started to imagine the lights, the new baseball diamond, new field, packed stands, and concessions. I really felt it, and, cosmically, my vision transferred to him.” About a month later, Zanders said that Miller, who had been working behind the scenes to line up funding for the program, invited him to a meeting, but declined to give any details of the subject matter until he arrived. “When I got there,” Zanders said, “I was introduced to some doctors from Howard University and UDC. I had no clue why I was there until they told me that they would write up a new proposal to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for funds to use for a new football field.” Coming Attractions On Sept 25, 2000, Zanders’ dream became a reality. The Department of HUD awarded the group a $375,000 grant for the new field. After many months of meeting and planning, Zanders said that construction on the project is set to begin in June, with the completion of the field expected by September. “Maybe now, we can start hosting championship games, getting corporate sponsors and the recognition like some of the other youth sports programs in the metropolitan area,” he said. But even if all of that becomes a reality one day, the journey doesn’t end here for Zanders. Those same doctors who wrote the proposal for the sports field are going to help write separate proposals for an additional $550,000 for a brand-new recreation center that will be located in the Woodland community. “We’re going to have all types of programs, computers, after school programs and senior programs,” Zanders believes. In a brief telephone interview, Miller said he was “so proud of Steve’s drive and determination. The day he took me to see the practice field, his vision made me see a packed house. I knew we had to get this thing done.” From the Kids, For the Kids The children who Zanders has dedicated himself to helping also have a strong appreciation for is commitment to them. While walking on Stanton Road, not far from the Woodland Housing development, a group of kids were standing around talking about going to the basketball court to play ball. When asked about extracurricular activities for children in the area, Kevin Jones, 9, said that all kids his age do around here is play sports and wait for the next football and basketball tryouts for the Woodland Tigers. Jones hasn’t played for “Coach Steve” yet, but is fully aware of who he is and hopes to make just as big of an impression on him as he’s made on Jones. “I know all about Coach Steve,” Jones said. “I’m going to try out for football and basketball this year. My brother played for Coach a few years ago, and now it’s my turn. He told me Coach helped him to grow up, and he’s going to do the same for me.” In discussing his role and impact on the neighborhood kids, Zanders is very humble and unassuming. “We just want to keep these kids active and off the street. It’s not about me; it’s about saving them from destruction. We can’t save them all, but if we can just save one, then, to me, we’ve saved a million.” “It’s been a long struggle. Sometimes I’ve wanted to give up, but I kept the fight. “What we have going here is beautiful, man. To start off with a baseball and a bat and then the next thing you know…It’s God’s work. I was just the vehicle he chose to work through.” Hill resident Chad Clinton is a frequent contributor to The Voice of the Hill. 337 10th Street, NE Offered at $449,000 JUST LISTED! Commanding presence in a superb location! This corner semidetached rowhouse features bright open spaces, 3 real bedrooms, a table space kitchen, all accented with a vibrant, tasteful color palate. Lovely period detail includes a built in mirrored Hall Tree, beautiful oak parquet hardwood floors, and natural wood trim. Recent updates include Heating/Cooling systems and HWH.All this plus a completely renovated 1 BR In-Law $uite makes this charming home truly affordable! It’s within walking distance of two Metro stops and all the amenities the Hill has to offer. 337 10th Street, NE is the perfect new address to call home! Open Sunday, June 1, 2003, 1:00 - 4:00 PM, or call for an appointment. STEVE PFLASTERER 202-669-0714 Re/Max Capital REALTORS Re/Max Platinum Club 2002 www.HomesDataBase.com/SteveP The Woodland Tigers Eastern Region Football Champs VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 40 www.voiceofthehill.com University. I decided at some point that I wouldn’t make a very good architect, so I switched to music education. I wanted to change to drama, but I decided that one switch was enough. After I finished my degree, I moved to New York City. I needed to find out if I had any talent. SB: Is that talent as a musician or an actor? JF: It really didn’t matter. Either, or. I started studying acting and got my first job as a music director of a show. I had auditioned for it as an actor and would soon discover that the director was from Howard. She knew that I was a music person, and that’s how I got my first theater music gig. SB: What was the show? JF: It was a show called “Magic and Lions,” although it wasn’t what you’d describe as a traditional show. It consisted of poetry and songs written by two women and was directed by Glenda Dickerson, who was an Egyptologist. Because of her love of Egyptian mythology, she set the show around some cycle in mythology where an event happens every 500 years and the gods gathered together. She layered the music, which was a combination of pop, R&B and disco, along with the poetry using an Egyptian motif. One Sunday in May, James Foster whisked me off in his little red sports car convertible so I could spend two hours prying into his life. Sitting on the deck of his Southwest home, we discussed everything from his early days in New York theater to his future dreams of life in television land. Loved by many in the theater community, James’ journey from page to stage to living life fully is a testament to why anyone who meets him, if only for one moment, feels they have met a truly wonderful spirit. Stephanie Briggs: How did you get involved in the theater? James Foster: I don’t know. I don’t remember, really. I did plays in elementary school and junior high school,l and I was good at math, so I thought I should major in the sciences. Later I decided that I didn’t want to do that because it was so fixed. You know, one plus one is always two. So my mother, who was a musician and played organ and piano, and my father, who always wanted to be a drummer, enrolled me in music school. I left high school with the intention of majoring in architecture. I took a bunch of double science and math classes, so I could have all the requirements, and majored in architecture for a year at Howard I thought I could do it. The fact was that I was out there and I was making the attempt. If you throw enough garbage against the wall, some of it will eventually stick. What terrified me were things that made you successful, like getting an agent. I was very comfortable when I could study a role, but when I had to walk into an agent’s office, that was a different story. But that was 30 years ago. Thirty years later, I’m not terrified anymore. Some actors come to that comfort level in different ways. Sometimes it’s real and other times it’s a bluff. That’s why so many actors get into trouble. They put on a veneer of comfort and confidence because they can. People see them and believe that’s who they are. It’s later compounded when they become successful and they’re scared to death inside. Now not only do they have a personal veneer, but also a professional veneer of being the star of the moment. It’s at that point that people do all sorts of things to quiet those fears. For me, I feel as if I have found some sort of comfort at the age of 50-something. Time makes for growth. SB: What brought you back to DC? JF: I had a job offer from the Washington Post, and I moved down here because I was married with children, and I thought the move would be good for them. After a little while, I started auditioning for plays, and I got two plays back to back with the Mount Vernon Players. The shows were Androcles and the Lion by George Bernard Shaw and Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, playing the role of Don John. After these performances, the director’s wife called me to say that the director was interested in staging Othello and had never found the right lead until then and, if I was willing, the lead was mine. This probably means nothing to big names like the Helen Hayes people, but for me it meant a lot. I don’t know how good I was, but when I saw Orson Wells’ film version I noticed many similarities and thought I must be doing something right. The good thing about being in Washington is that I’ve been able to perform recognizable plays. A lot of the work that I did in New York were original pieces, but in DC I performed classic theater like House of Blue Leaves and All My Sons. SB: When did you discover the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop? JF: Wow that was the start of my music directing career here. My first exposure to CHAW was Pippin, which featured my partner Rodney. It was 1992, and I’d been back in DC for two years. I was reading the program right before the show and it said the next production was going While working on the show, I met a woman in the cast who was married to Lewis Small, one of the producers for Sylvester, a disco legend at the time. I had idolized him since I was in college. One day Lewis came to hear me and asked if I was interested in playing a gig for Sylvester at Madison Square Garden. I said I couldn’t because I’d promised to play at church in Brooklyn and I wasn’t going to go back on my word. So that whole evening that I was on the train on the way to Brooklyn and I kept thinking, “You know, you could have been at Madison Square Garden right now, but you gave your word.” Lewis later called me, and I ended up playing two shows with Sylvester in Cherry Hill, NJ. And all that happened because of “Magic and Lions.” SB: So you’ve found your voice as a music director in New York. Now what happens? JF: I realized that music directors never got reviewed, and that bothered me. Nobody ever mentioned how music was arranged to enhance a show. The one time they did mention me in a review was when I did Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope. I updated the music, which was R&B and gospel, and used rap, which was a new up-and-coming music form at the time due to the success of the Sugar Hill Gang. I also made another song sound like the Johnny Mathis and Denise Williams duet that was out at the time. When the review came out, they talked about Mickey Grant’s great music and the hot rap number. They didn’t even recognize that this wasn’t how the music was originally done. At that point I realized that in order for you to get recognized as a music director, you had to hire a PR person, and I didn’t have the resources for that, so I decided that I’d rather act. At least if you were on stage they would have to review you. With that, I changed my focus to acting. SB: With whom did you study with while you were in New York? JF: I studied for five years with Earl Hyman, who played Bill Cosby’s father. He was a great teacher. He really made you feel that almost anything was possible as an actor. SB: How did New York treat you as an actor? Did you get work? JF: New York treated me well. It gave me a training ground. I started a performing career because of being in New York City and the opportunities that were there. There was a community of actors who were struggling just like you. We all learned through trial and error. I’d just go out and audition. I admit that I was horrible! I’d go for singing auditions, and I couldn’t sing, but I would go because James Foster From Page to Stage to Living Life BY STEPHANIE BRIGGS VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 www.voiceofthehill.com 41 to be Gospel at Colonus, which was serendipitous because I had tried to get people in New York to do it. I thought it was great show, but no one was interested since it had just been on Broadway. So I walked up to Linda Norton and told her that I had gospel and music directing experience and that I wanted to be the musical director for Gospel. I submitted a resume and tape and was hired. SB: What happened next? JF: After that we did Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Once On This Island. At that point, Paul Douglas Michnewicz asked me if there was something that I would like to do, and I said One Mo’ Time. This was my directorial debut. SB: What else have you directed? JF: Do Lord Remember Me was the first show I directed that was primarily acting. SB: How was that experience when you look back on it? JF: People responded well to the play. It was quite an educational experience for those who knew nothing about the slave narratives. I was quite proud of this show. You did the costumes for that. SB: I sure did. JF: The costumes in the original production didn’t look like anything like the ones I chose. The cast was dressed in house robes and slippers, and I didn’t think that was right. When I look at older people, they seem to have on their little ties and dresses. Through the costumes, I wanted to show each character’s pride, heritage and stories of survival. SB: How did you prepare the actors for their roles? JF: Acting is about externals going inward. Actors like to get caught up in the internal work, but the audience doesn’t know any of that. Yes, some of them may understand the acting process, but most audience members know only what they see, hear and how it makes them feel. For me, it is important that the externals paint a certain picture. It was important when Alverta, the actress, wore her shawl, that dark formal skirt, and her beautiful broach. Bea, who told the story of her facial disfigurement, wore a simpler dress that indicated her place in life. It was the same case with the men. Andy and Ed had ties because that was a reflection of who they were. They had reached a certain place in life where they didn’t have to do that manual labor and wear those work clothes every day. SB: What other aspects of the play did you enjoy? JF: Definitely some of the lighting suggestions I made. I had a concept of the lighting and would take it to Lynn and tell her I wanted something to look a certain way. Did directors do this? I wasn’t sure. What I knew that this was how I wanted a scene to look. Lynn would do something and say, is that it? Then she would make it happen. You add this to the actor’s internal work and you have something from both ends that are very clear, distinct and consistent. I think the final product was really something to be proud of. SB: Do you find it important to tell the stories of African-Americans? Or does the story happen because you like the play’s concept? JF: These are American stories, and that’s what I like about them. I don’t look at them as separate and apart. Take, for example, the Native Americans. If you tell Indians’ stories, part of that is tied into not just the Indians before the Europeans came over here, but about the Indians because the Europeans came over here. When I was in New York I started buying a lot of biographies on performers like Gene Kelly and Judy Garland. Then I started reading about the black performers. I would buy from this guy who sold books on the street. He had obscure books on Dinah Washington, Scott Joplin, and James Van Der Zee. I would buy them, and once I started reading, I discovered that all these people ran in the same circles. So if you’re reading about Langston Hughes, you ended up reading about all those Harlem Renaissance people. If you’re reading about Carl Van Vechten then you read about the black people that he photographed and their lives. There were all these interlocking lives. I thought this was fascinating because their biographies weren’t studied in school. I just finished doing a play about Paul Robeson at Howard University. I played his piano player, Lawrence Brown. There were Howard students that came up to me and said they didn’t know anything about Paul Robeson. They knew the name and that he was somebody, but they didn’t know his legacy or history. These names get lost. I was reading not too long ago that elementary and junior high school kids think Martin Luther King, Jr. was this man who said “I have a dream,” and that there is a holiday because he died. This is part of the life journey; continuing to grow and learn things as you go along. We shouldn’t expect that 18- year-olds know everything about everybody. It’s important to present whatever stories touch you, and these are the ones that touch me. I feel a great affinity for black Americans in this country. I appreciate the African component and value the fact that there are those who feel a close affinity to the African continent and culture. But for me it’s about the Savoy Ballroom, and Chick Webb, Lester Young, Count Basie and the Nicholas Brothers. I wanted to experience the Apollo, the doo-wop and sixties groups, the Howard Theater and the Chitlin Circuit. I feel those kinds of stories. They are the stories I like to tell. On the other hand, I have also done Shakespeare, and I feel that, too. Earl Hyman always said that the way Shakespeare handled and used the language was very much like the Black experience because of the African tradition of storytelling and oral histories. In this country, the great orators were the preachers and that tradition that comes out of the church. In the traditional Pentecostal churches, just giving the opening address was like a monologue. So, the classics have a closeness because it’s a way of using language. In Do Lord Remember Me, I talked to the actors about the turns of phrases and how the speech of these characters, who were in their 80s and 90s in 1930, was based on 19th century speech. They spoke in clauses and phrases. A sentence was made of four clauses that would go on and on. Even though you might think of this as a European-American tradition, it is an African-American tradition, as well. SB: What is in your future? JF: I don’t know. What I want to do most of all is daytime TV. I watch them from time to time and I like the form and the sound, or what I call the music of the words. Everything has music to it. Shakespeare, the Greeks, Shaw, Oscar Wilde, and August Wilson have a certain music to their style and how they speak. So that’s what I want to do. SB: What playwrights, directors and actors do you admire? JF: I like August Wilson, Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward. My top pick is August Wilson. I like the fact that he’s chronicled the stories of African-Americans for each decade. It’s a great undertaking to tell those stores in such an intriguing and consistent way. As for actors, I love Morgan Freeman and Wesley Snipes. Snipes in particular for the variety of work he’s done. I just love to watch Morgan. You can take acting lessons just watching him. The first time I saw him was in Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare production of Coriolanus. Morgan Freeman and Gloria Foster were on stage. At that point, I’d never read much Shakespeare, I didn’t even know who these two actors were, but I was mesmerized. I knew that if they could do it so could I. As for as directors, I like Alfred Hitchcock. He knew exactly what he wanted the film to look like. The film was already shot in his head before they started rolling the camera. A lot of timed actors get too much power, and they want to do all these different approaches. What happens is that you get a production that has wonderful actors but the piece doesn’t have a style. It looks like five different actors in a production. Hitchcock’s work always looked like him. Now whether it was a formula he said take two steps and walk and turn and look down and look midway - it still looked like nothing else anyone else was doing. The other thing that I liked was the fact that when the actors expressed that fact that they couldn’t figure out how some scene should be done, and he would say, “It’s just a movie.” And the actors just did it. That’s how children act. They can take three building blocks, and that’s dinner. Then they’ll move them somewhere else, and it’s a house. They don’t think about it, they just do it. When we hit puberty and start thinking about things, we become self-conscious. Acting classes are about just doing it. That’s something as an actor I’ve begun to understand. I study a part, analyze it and then at a certain point I say, “I just have to do this.” You have to trust that whoever you are portraying will come through. Marilyn Monroe who said you have conscious effort and unconscious results. If you just throw in some ideas and mix them up somehow, by some alchemy, it comes out. SB: You seem quite interested in the medium of film. What do you find intriguing about it? JF: I find it interesting that all these serious actors like DeNiro, Pacino and Streep have come to a point in their lives that they are doing comedy. I remember being told that drama is easy. You can be dramatic, draw people in, and it can be all wrong but it will still fascinate them. Comedy is either funny or it isn’t. There are no questions about whether this worked or if it didn’t. I think at some point life is fuller, richer and more fun, and many actors want to tap into that. Or maybe someone told them that comedy makes more money than drama. Take for example Glenn Close in 101 Dalmatians, when she played the role of Cruella DeVil. She researched the original story and how her name was a derivative of the devil. She had to wear furs and eat pepper because she was supposed to be hot, like she was hell on earth. She built this role out of character components, like Continued on page 52 VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 42 www.voiceofthehill.com Ask Judith This month’s eccentric exegesis into the construction industry is about animals in construction. (No, not when your contractor brings his dog to the site). Instead, I wanted to share with you some of the animal names used in carpentry and construction. Dogs, maybe as man’s best friend, seem to show up in construction more than any other fauna. (A quick consult in my unabridged Random House Dictionary suggests the popularity of dogs is not limited to construction: witness dog-eared, dog collar, doggone…) Previously, I’ve mentioned shutter dogs, hold open hardware for shutters. A dog on a workbench is a device to hold the work; a puppy is a smaller version. Finally, two friends in construction suggested that most construction activity results in the perpetrators ending up in the doghouse… Awnings: It’s All About Context Dear Judith: What do you think about awnings? CURIOUS Dear Curious: I think about awnings pretty much like I think about most things related to our historic buildings: it’s all about context. If you look at just about any picture of a nineteenth century south-facing streetscape in Washington, you will see lots of canvas awnings. In pre-mechanical air conditioning days, awnings were an important weapon in the arsenal for summer thermal comfort. They excluded sun from windows so you could leave the window and drapery open for ventilation. Even if you have mechanical cooling today, reducing solar heat gain outside the window, before it gets inside the house, will reduce your energy bills and is a good thing. Here are some things to remember about awnings: 1. Awnings are real. They are not just decoration. Just like your Honda Civic would look really silly if you added two extra wheels for decoration, buildings look really silly with awnings on north facing windows. They work best on south facing windows and help exclude solar heat gain (heat) on east and west facing windows. 2. Canvas awnings are a biannual maintenance task. You may just need to hoist them up and down, spring and fall, but you definitely do not want awnings in place during cooler weather (back to the extra two wheels on the Civic: it looks silly and suggests the awnings are not there for real but just for decoration). The high summer sun you want to exclude becomes low winter sun you want to let in to your house. This is one reason permanent aluminum awnings are not good. The other is appearance: those aluminum awnings did not exist in the nineteenth and early twentieth century during the period of significance of our historic district (if your house is not in the historic district, I still don’t think those aluminum awnings are a good idea because they’re fixed). 3. Traditional awnings are made of canvas and are thus subject to deterioration from sun and water. 4. A major advantage to canvas/fabric awnings is that they are reversible. Or changeable. If you are the sort who “gets tired” of colors, or looks, awnings are a good way to get variety in a really harmless way. Kind of like moving furniture or buying a sports car is a relatively harmless way to deal with mid-life restlessness. Don’t forget: you need a building permit to install awnings! Taking it Back: Restoring Homes to Victorian Appearance Dear Judith: We just bought a house whose exterior looks like it was totally worked over in the ’50s. Can we “restore” it to a Victorian appearance? RESTORATION-MINDED Dear Restoration: What an interesting and relevant question! Capitol Hill has too many regrettably worked-over houses where the original Victorian façade is all but gone, covered over with aluminum siding or Permastone with various three dimensional decorative details removed when the fake material was slapped on. Sometimes the windows have not only been changed to a style foreign to the house, but they’ve also been changed in proportion, shrunk, or otherwise abused. First, don’t forget! You must get a building permit for exterior work, including windows and doors. Part of the permitting process in the historic district is approval of proposed work by the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). Review leading to approval is built into permitting with the HPRB staff available to consult with you. Their advice is free and, unlike much free advice, is backed up by expertise. They can help you avoid expensive construction that you could have to spend more money reversing if inappropriate and often, having seen it all, can steer you to economical solutions. If you have a Victorian-era façade obscured by layers of other materials, changed windows or whatever and want to remove the inappropriate accretions and repair the façade, the HPRB staff will want to see precisely what you are proposing and that you are returning the façade either to something like its original appearance or to an appearance that looks appropriate. You would be surprised how many of our houses appear in photographs that can be found in various collections around town, (such as the Wymer Collection at the Washington Historical Society, the Library of Congress, the Washingtoniana Room at Martin Luther King Library, newspaper archives). Or, you may have an old picture of your house, pre-remuddling. If you do, the HPRB staff will probably encourage you to use such an image as a guide. If you have no firm documentary evidence, you can often find a house similar or even identical to yours. It may be next door or blocks away. When we had our cornice repainted a few years ago, we replaced the dentils the previous owner had removed. We could see what our cornice was supposed to look like since our house is one of a group of six originally identical row houses. If your house is a “one-of” in your block but you can find one like it elsewhere, in more original condition, HPRB staff will probably encourage you to use it as a model. While everyone in the preservation community lauds reversing of ill-considered exterior redecoration, remember that doesn’t mean you then have free rein to do new, wild and crazy things to your house. That’s why you need to look for what your house looked like before remuddling to guide you in putting its façade back together. If your house has a layer of siding or Permastone on it, obscuring the clues to original appearance underneath, you might consider a two-stage construction project. First, hire someone to remove the non-original surface. Once it’s off, you can assess what’s underneath and its condition, and then decide what you want to do. This two-stage process makes a lot of sense relative to getting a price for the work. On Dogs, Awnings and Restoration BY JUDITH CAPEN www.voiceofthehill.com 43 VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 We in the construction industry call what is underneath the siding “concealed conditions.” All you or your contractor can do is guess at what work will be required. If you insist on having a price for the whole job ahead of time you are gambling just as surely as if you were feeding five dollar bills into a slot machine. If your contractor really wants the job, he may base his price on an optimistic guess at what is underneath. If he’s wrong, he’ll ask for more money based on concealed conditions. After all, you both know how little you knew before the siding came off. If the construction market is tighter, more work/fewer contractors, your contractor may give you a higher price as insurance to himself that he won’t be unpleasantly surprised. If it turns out the job is easier than he expected, don’t you expect to get any money back. If, once exposed, the job is wildly different or maybe just a little different from what you both expected, the price will certainly go up. You begin to see how the odds are stacked against you, just like at the slots… If you follow the two-stage process, you can get the HPRB people to advise you relative to what is really there. What the staff probably won’t like is a proposal to doll up your building front in ways inappropriate to it. Thus, since nearly all of our houses were very modest when they were built, it is not appropriate to add a lot of ornament to a simple wooden house as if it were a grand Queen Anne dame. Indeed, many of our houses have lost parts of their original ornamentation. If you can show what was lost and propose to replace it, that is fine. It is not fine to try to turn a Capitol Hill house into Mount Vernon (inappropriate period as well as inappropriate grandeur). Nor is it fine to attempt to turn a little Capitol Hill row house into something that looks like a Cooper or a Hewitt lived there. I have a colleague with the National Park Service who frequently finds herself telling park superintendents that preservation is not beautification. That’s a good thought for us all! On the Historic Preservation Review Board Since this discussion about remodeling a façade in the CH Historic District is pretty heavy on regulation, the Historic Preservation Review Board and HPRB staff, it may be time for a reminder about that regulation. The staff of the HPRB are city employees, serving the Board and us. The HPRB is empowered by legislation to oversee work on buildings in historic districts, among other things. In fairly routine cases, the staff often has that responsibility delegated to them and so may sign off on building permits. If your case is significant, or if you and the staff cannot come to agreement, your case may be brought before the Board itself at its monthly meeting. Many people, especially when railing against all those who stand in the way of them doing precisely what they want with their historic buildings, blame the Capitol Hill Restoration Society for rejecting their schemes. It is important for everyone to know that the CHRS is a volunteer, membership organization. It has fewer restrictions on joining than the Boy Scouts (to join the Boy Scouts you must be believe in God). CHRS has represented what it, as a community group, sees as the interests of Capitol Hill for nearly a half a century, including being instrumental in getting the Historic District designated in 1976. As the field of historic preservation has matured, so have the positions and processes of the CHRS. However, the CHRS has no regulatory authority (think of the Boy Scouts deciding whittling should be included in the public school curriculum). What the Society does have is a voice as a community group. Its Historic District committee looks at many of the permit applications for work within the Capitol Hill Historic District and conveys its opinion to the HPRB staff and/or Board. It is actually only one of a number of Capitol Hill community groups who often weigh in with opinions about proposals. The Stanton Park Neighborhood Association, North Lincoln Park, and Hill East are We have been located on Capitol Hill for more than 20 years serving the District of Columbia and Maryland Let us make your refinance, purchase or sale hassle free with no stress Call us 202-544-0800 650 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Suite 170 Washington, DC 20003 t h e c a n c e r d i a g n o s i s frightening, maddening, confusing individual, couples and group psychotherapy for those with cancer joseph tarantolo, md board certified psychiatrist certified group therapist 202/543-5290 but also a time for self-reflection and enhancement of personal development HOURS OF OPERATION Monday-Friday 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM, Saturday 8:00 AM to 1 PM Doctor’s Hours by appointment, Early Drop Off Service Available, Preventive and Geriatric Health Care, Medical, Surgical, Dental Care Facilities, in House Laboratory and Radiology, Emergencies/Walk-Ins, Hill’s Prescription Diets, Bathing 520 8th Street, SE • 202-546-1972 • Fax 202-546-8930 other community groups who may testify before various city Boards and agencies about proposals for our neighborhoods, as do our ANCs. It’s important to keep remembering that the Capitol Hill Restoration Society and other neighborhood groups are just that: your neighbors. They do not regulate, allow, or disallow. Only the City government and its agents and agencies can tell you what you can and cannot do: don’t park there, do get a building permit, shovel your walk, etc. This popular column is written by Judith Capen, who, after wanderings along the 40th North Latitude in her youth, has settled permanently on Capitol Hill. Experience it all this Sunday at St.James’ 7:40 am Matins / 8am Low Mass /10am High Mass CALL 202 546 1746 OR VISIT WWW.SAINTJAMESCHURCH.ORG 222 EIGHTH STREET NE . WASHINGTON . DC 20002 129 VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 44 www.voiceofthehill.com Designing for Hearth and Home This summer is a bit different on Capitol Hill. For the first time in memory, our historic neighborhood, including the Capitol building and grounds, is under construction. Eighth Street Southeast is a beehive of activity as its Main Street project hums along. The gas company, the cable company and the electric company are digging up the streets and evidently waiting for the next millennium to re-pave them. There are new townhouses being built and old buildings being converted to lofts. The ubiquitous brick sidewalk project continues its seemingly random schedule. Unbelievably, the number of tour buses has been surpassed by the number of dump trucks, cranes, tractor trailers and front end loaders. The rapidly growing numbers of tiny children are thrilled to watch bulldozers on their very own block. If you don’t already have construction on your street, it is likely on its way. The number of homes having exterior painting done indicates a renewed pride in how our houses look. The Capitol Hill Restoration Society makes available literature on many different aspects of home renovation and restoration. You may obtain this series of pamphlets by contacting the CHRS office at 202-543-0425 or view the guidelines at www.chrs.org. With all of the “newness” around, it might be useful to take a look at this literature as you make your decisions. The historic district has expanded recently, so it is probably a good idea for newly included households to familiarize themselves with the historic district guidelines. I have lived here since the 1970’s, before the Historic District designation was in place. The 1960s and ’70s saw a renovation boom, and there were all sorts of bizarre “improvements” being made to historic homes. Not everyone has great taste. The imposition of the historic district codes and their subsequent oversight by the city and the CHRS actually has preserved the wonderful character of our neighborhood. It means, for instance, that all of the new townhouses built here now have to fit the historic fabric of the area. Without this protection, they might look like the millions of suburban units eating up the land beyond the city limits. I am painfully aware that the dogged zeal of the CHRS to obstruct new projects that would greatly benefit our neighborhood is often incomprehensible; however, its original purpose is a reasonable one. In our historic area, we do not have the strict limits where a board must approve cosmetic changes, such as paint colors or ironwork design. There are definitely guidelines; however, we are trusted to make decisions that enhance our home, our block and our neighborhood. We are fortunate in that regard. Head for the Hills So...You can’t deal with any of the chaos, you’re sick of it all and you’re heading for the hills, or the beach, or somewhere only you know about to have some FUN! Here are a few very random tips for making your summer the best ever. Before you leave home, send out your rugs and window treatments to be cleaned; they’ll be ready for pick-up or delivery upon your return. Arrange to have your windows washed while you are gone. Many city dwellers escape to cottages in cooler climes. Whether the place is your own or a rental, it can get pretty stale inside when it has been closed up. Upon arrival, air the place out and place a shallow pan with a layer of PLAIN, UNTREATED charcoal briquettes under the sofa and each bed. These charcoal filters clear the air and eliminate that “closed up” smell better than any air freshener. You may even want to leave a few around your yearround home to do the same while you’re away. Be sure to pack a few essentials that would really enhance your vacation life. Serious cooks (or even casual ones) know that rentals never have good, sharp knives. So pack that favorite slicing and/or paring knife. If you’ll be cooking and eating seafood, be sure to throw in all of the equipment and implements that you’ll need to cook and open clams, mussels, crabs and lobsters on the beach. Only you know the elements indispensable to your comfort! Readers will want to take along a good reading light or bright light bulbs to replace all of those 40- watt ones that always seem to migrate to cabins. I always take along my winter shearling slippers for cool, rainy afternoons or for air-conditioned rooms that are too cold. Our family has discovered that we can sleep just about anywhere if we have our own pillows from home. Even an uncomfortable bed seems more manageable than an uncomfortable pillow. Whether at the shore or in the mountains, give each person his or her own plastic bucket in which to leave all of each individual’s collected rocks, shells, sea glass, acorns, feathers just outside the door (otherwise it’s hard to distinguish one shell from another, and acrimony can ensue). I’m not aware of any law that says that you can’t re-arrange furniture in a rental (as long as you put it back before you leave). Your family will have certain activities that it prefers, and ways that you like to dine as well as the amount of togetherness that you can stand. By re-arranging the furniture pieces in the house, you can create places for each vacationer to “do his own thing” and relax in his or her own preferred way. Vacation time often includes sharing the house with friends or family members. Give everyone a chance to vacation by creating a duty chart where members of the family take turns being “on duty” for cooking and dishwashing. When you’re “off duty,” you are off the hook and needn’t feel compelled to help. Guilty Pleasures Summer vacation gives us all a chance to indulge in our own pleasures guiltlessly. We see the sights, lie on beaches, sail, camp, hike, luxuriate at spas and visit loved ones. We eat ice cream cones, taffy, fried food, and potato chips. We stay up late and sleep late. We actually enjoy exercising. We experience life in a different way from our everyday life in the city. Part of what constitutes a vacation is the change of pace from our regular hectic pace. Uninterrupted time is one of my favorite aspects of a vacation. I love having the time to read several whole books without falling asleep after three pages...and I love magazines. I love all kinds of magazines, but of course, being a decorator, my favorites tend to be publications that involve design for homes, offices, and gardens; and travel to homes, gardens and beautiful places. Design magazines are at the core of many peoples’ interest in interior design. These glossy wonders are picture story books for grownups. Many hours are passed in lounge chairs or in bed as we drift away to our own Architectural Digest dream- Summer Shorts A Few Random Thoughts as Summer Begins BY LINDA NORTON VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 STARFISH CA F E & CREOLE CARIBBEAN SEAFOOD RESTAURANT Now Open for Sunday Brunch OPEN DAILY FOR LUNCH AND DINNER CATERING AND PRIVATE PARTIES 539 8th Street, SE 202-546-5006 Softshell Crab Fest Daily for Dinner $3.00 Mojitos We’re more than just seafood Steaks, Pasta, Salads and Great Soups www.voiceofthehill.com 45 515 8th Street, SE Washington, DC 2003 202-546-5303 Come, see and eat out on Barracks Row! 10% in June off with this coupon Good during June 2003. This applies to dine-in only. Not valid with other coupons. Coupon required. Szechuan House Restaurant lands. Our dreams are fleshed out before our eyes in the beautifully designed, meticulously calculated photographs of the exquisite. Even those individuals who reject such publications as the “glorification of shameless self indulgence” sneak a peek while in the doctor’s office waiting room (that’s after they finish with People, of course). With pure mindless enjoyment and relaxation in mind, here are the names of some old favorites and some cutting edge home and “lifestyle” publications with which you may not yet be familiar...who knows, you might even pick up a few ideas! (I suggest that you pick the newer publications up locally before leaving for the hinterlands). The Old Stand-bys Better Homes and Gardens (especially their “Special Interest” publications “Windows and Walls,” “Kitchen and Bath”) Traditional Home House and Garden House Beautiful The Gold Standard Architectural Digest Interior Design Southern Accents Veranda Cutting Edge Nest Metropolis—Clear-sophisticated international (with a clear cover) Surface—Avant garde French fashion, design, art, film and music Platinum-British World of Interiors—British, “the world’s most influential, stylish and informative decoration magazine.” Dwell Extremely Useful for Real People Home Metropolitan Home Country Living Southern Living Real Simple—chocked full of reasonable, creative, simple solutions for busy lives Elle Decor—International style Renovation Style Just Fun to Look At Victoria-sadly, the June 2003 issue is their last The Old House Journal This Old House—follows the PBS series and gives additional information Mary Englebreit’s Home Companion-homes for the creative side of all of us, comfort food for the soul Favorite Regionals Southern Living DownEast Yankee Sunset These magazines and many, many more for all interests can be ordered online (often at a great discount) at: Magazinesatoz.com, Magazinecity.net and Shopmags.com. Have a great summer. Do something fun, and laugh out loud! Linda Norton has been an interior decorator and color consultant in business on Capitol Hill since 1981. She can be reached at norton@olg.com or 202-544-2924. Linda will be taking the summer off from The Voice. We look forward to her return in September. Eastern Market 327 7th St., SE • (202) 546-CAKE 6/30/03 Khan El-Khalili 321 7th Street, SE 202-543-5295 1-800-397-9441 Mohamed & Venetta Khattab Owners Hand Made Egyptian Gifts & Oils Imported from Cairo LOOK! SAVE! 50% of Available Townhouses Are Under Contract VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 46 www.voiceofthehill.com Ask the Vet Dear Dr. Carey: Sisco, my tiger tabby, is fat. I got him from a shelter several years ago, where his previous owners dropped him off because they were moving and couldn’t take him. He is about 8 years old and 19 pounds—he was large when I got him but he’s gotten larger since. His diet is ½ of a teacup of Science Diet R/D and five hard treats for his teeth in the morning and evening. Sisco is an only cat, so he is not suffering from the bottomless bowl syndrome. What do I do? BEV S. Dear Bev: Obesity is common in cats and is usually linked to inactivity coupled with too much dietary intake. have great diets for obesity. Supplements can also help. If a cat is sedentary, weight loss will be more difficult. Trying to get a lazy cat to exercise (by chasing a string, toy, or laser light) can be a challenge. It is VERY important that fat cats eat daily in order to stay healthy. If they find a particular food unpalatable and stop eating, they can get a serious condition called “fatty liver” and become quite ill. Make sure your dieting feline is satisfied with the food and eats at least twice a day. A Hamster Dilemma Dear Dr. Carey: Why do mother hamsters eat their babies after you touch them when they are first born? I have two Sometimes genetics or metabolism plays a role. Your veterinarian can do blood work to determine any underlying causes. The rest of the work comes from you—you must be diligent and careful with your cat’s feeding routine. Treats rapidly add calories. Certain diets are more beneficial than others when it comes to weight loss. R/D may not be the one for your cat. Waltham puts out a diet called “Calorie Control” that may be effective. Believe it or not, canned food is less fattening than dry! Holistic veterinarians may try a natural meat diet. Since cats are carnivores, their digestive tracts are designed for meat as opposed to cereals and grains. Some veterinarians advocate a raw meat diet—back to nature, so to speak. Recipes are available for natural diets. Dr. Pitcairn and Dr. Goldstein Problems With a Fat Cat BY DR. JOANNE CAREY HUGH KELLY A S S O C I AT E B RO K E R Winner, ‘Platinum Award’ Every Year Since Inception in 1998 (Annual DC Home Sales in Excess of $10 Million) HUGH KELLY 202-588-2224 email hugh@hughkelly.com GARY JANKOWSKI, Buyer Specialist, 202-439-6009 gary@hughkelly.com 300 F Street NE New Price for Corner Minimansion! Great Senate-side location for commanding corner Victorian with center hall. ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR! Elegant 2-area LR, splendid octagonal DR, new gourmet kit, octagonal library, 3 superb BRs (master w/ fp), 312 sumptuous baths, Capitol-view roof deck. PLUS – high-income 2BR, 2BA apt to make this oh so affordable! Dazzling sunlight in every room! Now $799,000. Take delightful tour on www.hughkelly.com 632 C Street NE UNDER CONTRACT! Grand Richardsonian Façade Leads to Exquisite Interior! Three stories of peerless perfection just off Stanton Park. True ‘spare-no-costs’ renovation with 3 excellent BRs, 212 luxury marble and stainless baths, gourmet kit, 3 fplcs, 2-zone HVAC, stunning ‘no-hassle’ garden PLUS towering roof deck (w/ mahogany flooring!) with US Capitol view! $749,000 Tour on hughkelly.com 14 Eighth Street NE JUST LISTED! Splendid 2- Unit Victorian with Garage! Top Eastern Mkt location features LR (fplc)w/ lofty ceilings, original moldings and medallions; huge formal dining room w/ fplce flanked by custom cabinets, two superior BRs, two baths, CAC, absolutely delightful LARGE garden, new GARAGE w/ extra storage; exceptional 1-BR apartment (fplce) makes this home a REAL VALUE @ $699,000! Check out on hughkelly.com! 614 D St SE JUST LISTED!! Cottage Façade Hides Astoundingly Expanded Interior! Don’t let looks mislead you! 2,300 sf lot! Large LR w fplc and custom cabinets flows to HUGE DR also w/ fplce and french doors to incredibly large garden, sizeable kitchen, PR; two excellent bedrooms (master is enormous), two Baths, PLUS finished basement also with bath. Best E Mkt location plus PRIVATE PARKING and great price make this a GREAT VALUE! $539,000. 520 Sixth St. SE Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil! Deliciously overgrown Savannah garden including columned pergola to host any kind of machinations! Charmfilled! Brick-floored DR and Kit, LR w/ fp, den/BR w/ fplce, lge master bedroom, 2 12 baths (master is room-sized w/ huge 4-legged soak tub). Lovely original wood floors, 3 fireplaces, incredibly enticing garden (possible parking) all in top location a few blocks to E Mkt and Metro! $519,000. www.voiceofthehill.com 47 VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 Banana Cafe & Piano Bar SIMPLY EXQUISITE Lunch, Dinner and Sunday Brunch 7 Days a Week Patio Now Open! No Cover! Piano Bar Upstairs Every Night! 202-543-5906 Happy Hour 5-7:30 Drink Specials with Free Hors d’oeuvres Serving the Best Cuban, Puerto Rican, & Mexican Food in the City! 500 8th St, SE hamsters, one boy and one girl. I am nine years old, and my name is Daryl Hale. Dear Daryl: When I was about your age, I watched my mother hamster eat one of her newborn “pinkies.” I hadn’t even touched it. She stuffed another “pinkie” into her cheek pouch and was not interested in the rest of her babies. Some mothers eat their young for reasons unknown. Perhaps their bodies cannot feed a large number of babies and they sense it instinctively. Maybe they do not want other adult hamsters in the cage with them when they have babies. Some hamsters are just not good mothers. It seems to be nature’s way of doing things. Try to separate the father hamster soon after breeding, and make sure the cage has a dry, private area that she likes for her nest. She should be well fed before and during pregnancy. These things should decrease her tendency to get rid of the newborns. Stopping Shedding Dear Dr. Carey: I’ve seen a lot of products available to stop shedding. Some of them say to spray the pet daily and work the solution into the coat. Buffy, my domestic short hair cat, sheds a lot, but, for fear of possible side affects, I don’t want to put stuff on him that he doesn’t absolutely need. Before I do anything, what are the risks and possible side affects? SANDRA C. Dear Sandra: Seasonal and non-seasonal shedding of house pets can be a nuisance. Certain dog breeds have two heavy shed cycles during the year, usually in spring and late fall. Short-coated dogs may shed all year long. Cats can also have a continuous shed. The amount depends on the animal’s coat type, nutritional status, and genetics. Some shed more heavily than others. A rule of thumb in the medical field is—less is better. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to reduce the amount of shedding for the health of the animal and for the quality of life for the owner! Animals and people can be allergic to fur, or in a multi-pet household, pets that groom each other may develop allergies to another’s fur. One natural way to reduce shedding is by adding Omega-3 (fish oil) to your pet’s diet. There are numerous supplements that are safe for addition to the food. You may not see results for several weeks, so be patient. There are also certain sprays that can be used directly on the coat to decrease shedding. They are effective but time-consuming. People highly allergic to dander benefit from the coat sprays because they moisturize the skin and help prevent or slow the release of dander. A good course of action is regular grooming and brushing. Long-haired cats usually require routine bathing and brushing. Dogs also benefit from periodic baths and professional grooming using special dryers that blow out the undercoat. Heartworm Testing: Is it Necessary Every Year? Dear Dr. Carey: I have one dog and two cats. My vet insists on performing heartworm tests on my pets every year even though I keep my dog on medication and keep my cats inside. Is my vet trying to get money out of me? LEERY Dear Leery: Your question reminds me of the adage—“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Most veterinarians in this area recommend annual heartworm testing, even though a dog is on medication. “No medicine works 100% of the time” is the saying. Also, not all owners can be sure that every dose of medication has been swallowed completely. The most widely-available heartworm test includes a screening for two potentially devastating tick diseases: Lyme and Ehrlichia. The test (SNAP test) is easily done (using a few drops of blood) during your pet’s annual checkup. Because of our wet winter, we expect a bumper crop of mosquitoes this year. Cats are also susceptible to heartworm disease and can be tested. They should receive a monthly preventative. Make sure your dog and cats are adequately protected against mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas by arranging with your veterinarian the proper treatments based on your particular parasite pest problem. Don’t assume an indoor cat is safe from heartworm. Heartworm is transmitted by mosquito bites, and inside cats may have less immunity to the disease than outside cats who are constantly exposed! If your veterinarian were trying to bilk you for the big bucks, the way to do it would be to NOT do preliminary tests, and when your dog got sick, charge you for the treatments that could run into the thousands of dollars. Be grateful that you veterinarian is conscientious. Preventive care saves money in the long run. Two Neighborhood Problems Dear Dr. Carey: I live in a row house on the Hill, and I don’t have any pets, but my next door neighbors have a dog that they periodically chain outside to its doghouse. One day when I was gardening, I noticed the dirt in my flowerbeds was soft and my children pointed out tunnels and holes that ran from my flowerbeds under the fence and into my neighbor’s yard. I thought moles were the cause until I saw large rats running across my yard at night. What can be done about this? We don’t want to put out poison that could endanger the dog or my small children. KATHLEEN Dear Kathleen: You have two things going on. First, it is against the law in the District of Columbia (and in most cities and states) to keep any animal chained outside. Call the Washington Humane Society to report this. The dog can become caught on or strangulated by the chain. Your neighbor will most likely receive a warning. If they continue to leave the dog chained, they will receive a fine, or the dog may be taken away by the humane society. Second, rats are a common problem in any major city. They are attracted to any kind of food supply— dog food and dog stool included. You are describing the habits of the Norwegian rat—a common, crafty survivor, able to adapt to almost any situation. Since rats are burrowing animals, they will access a food supply while keeping safely hidden underground. They are mostly nocturnal. The tunnels can be extensive and can damage flowerbeds. Call the Department of Health, Bureau of Rodent Control (202-535-1954) for assistance. Your neighbor should clean up the dog stools on a daily basis and not leave any food outside to further entice the rats. The Department will also provide instructions on securing trash in impermeable containers and keeping the yard free of debris and woodpiles that could harbor rats. NOTE: As Veterinarian in Charge for the District of Columbia, Dr. Carey inspects animal clinics and pet stores in the District of Columbia, working under the Department of Health. One of the more exciting parts of her job involves the inspection of the circus animals at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circu,s where she goes “backstage” to the animal housing areas. She found the elephants awesome with their great size and the tigers calm but still receiving great respect from everybody! Circus animals live on the road but have adequate shelter and more than adequate food, medical care, and grooming. Periodically, these animals go to the Ringling Headquarters for R&R. Dr. Carey also inspected President Bush’s horses, cattle, and other animals that were brought in from Texas for the Inaugural events. Everything, of course, was in order. The animals were comfortable, well fed, groomed, housed, and had caretakers on hand at all times. The Department of Health wants to make sure that these special animals’ welfare is being adequately cared for and that they are not being mistreated. Dr. Joanne Carey answers questions from readers in the Voice each month. If you have a question for her, please email it to votheditor@hotmail.com. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 48 www.voiceofthehill.com Hill Health and Fitness YOGA on the hill Join us for a FREE class ! (with this ad - expires 6/30/03) Capitol Hill YOGA, ltd. 221 5th Street, NE ~ 202.544.0011 w w w . c a p i t o l h i l l y o g a . c o m Ongoing classes for all levels Call Charlie! Remodeling Old and New Work Quality Work Low Prices 202-397-2273 Fax 202-397-2127 Lic. DC EM900042 NEED A GOOD ELECTRICIAN? Serving Capitol Hill since 1984 High quality design & preservation framing is our top priority. Rotating Exhibits of Local and International Artists 513 11th St, SE Capitol Hill 202-544-7577 www.gallerynewman.com OK. Active. Vacation. Those two words just don’t seem to jive. But wait till you hear about the great options out there that will enable you to relax, have fun, and stay in shape this summer. Remember working out for the last five months just so that you would look good this summer? Why throw it all away when you’re on the road? There are many companies that specialize in vacations that include some type(s) of physical activity. Many are geared toward you, the regular person, not the ultra-athlete. What better way to explore the vineyards in the south of France than by bike, or what could beat travelling the Mississippi by raft? A great resource for fitness vacations is www. infohub.com. On this website, you can select a variety of parameters to search for the perfect vacation. Under the category of “Active Adventure” are such activities as caving, desert expeditions, hang gliding, ice climbing, and mountain/rock climbing. For those of you looking for something a bit less daunting, there is also the category of “Soft Adventure,” which includes barging, bicycle touring, canoeing, glacier tours, sailing, and walking tours. Vacations are available on all seven continents (yes, even Antarctica). The tours range from rigorous climbing in India to hiking in Texas to llama riding in the Andes. One typical example is Bella Italia Tours, which operates walking tours throughout Italy (all year ‘round, of course). Bella Italia guides you in leisurely walks through cities and countrysides. All the while, your guide is informing you about the culture and history of the place you are seeing. Most of the tours on Infohub place an emphasis on exposing visitors to the local culture. In almost all cases, the price of the tour includes lodging, food, and activity fees, but not airfare or meals on your own. The tours can range from a few days to a few weeks, and most travel agencies that organize these tours stress the ability to customize the tours to meet your particular desires and fitness level. A couple of other standout adventures that have caught my eye recently are Blue Marble Travel and Fitness and Adventure Retreat. Blue Marble Travel does biking trips all over Europe, ranging from a week long to over a month, and is geared toward “..individualistic, curious, adventurous adults, young in fact or young at heart.” The cost covers hotel, most food, and the bike. The pace is slow enough for anyone who is healthy; stopping to explore and live the culture is encouraged. The hotels that you stay in are neither slumming-it or five-star. For more information, log on to www. bluemarble.org, or call 1-800-BLU-8689. For those of you who would like to stay in the U.S. east of the Mississippi, Fitness and Adventure Retreat offers an “..escape to the mountains of West Virginia for a unique vacation experience.” This one is for those who are already in shape, as each day’s schedule is fairly rigorous, but offers such a fun way of exploring West Virginia—by bike, foot, and raft. Each retreat is 4-5 days long, and the price includes housing in a fully equipped mountain lodge, food, and activities (doesn’t cover cost of equipment rental or fees). For more information, log on to www.wvadventureretreat.com, or phone 410-772-1694. Add to Your ‘To-Do’ List And finally, if you are not the type to join a group, then just try to incorporate some of these ideas into your vacation: 1. Bring along an exercise band. A mediumstrength band is suitable for just about anybody, weighs about 1-2 pounds, and won’t set off airport metal detectors. There are hundreds of exercises that can be done with exercise bands that will enable you to maintain your current level of fitness no matter where you go. 2. Do body weight exercises. If you would prefer to not use an exercise band, nothing beats body weight exercises. For many people, using your own body weight as the resistance is much more difficult than a workout with weights. This involves going back to the basics like pushups, tricep dips, lunges, etc. 3. Hit the beach. Walks on the beach burn megacalories. Stay on the soft part of the sand (the firm part jars your joints as much as concrete), and go barefoot for extra lower leg/foot strengthening. And, of course, swimming in a body of water is great exercise. Note that I said swimming, not lounging about. Bring a volleyball or beach ball to make the time in the water even more fun. 4. Explore the area. Travel by foot or bike as much as possible. Get out and explore—don’t just sit around the hotel (even though it is nice when everyone is waiting on your every need). Check with the concierge or the yellow pages to find excursions like biking, hiking, kayaking, etc. 5. Pack appropriate clothes. Once you get to a vacation destination, often you will come across an interesting and fun activity that you would like to participate in but don’t have your sneakers/swimsuit/ shorts. Don’t let this be your excuse. You pack a nicer outfit on the chance that you’ll go some- Active Vacations BY DUG HANBICKI www.voiceofthehill.com 49 VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 1107 Pennsylvania Ave., SE 202-543-0100 Monday - Saturday 7am-4pm To save 10% on all of your Frager’s purchases visit www.voiceofthhill.com and look for our banner! 1115 Pennsylvania Ave., SE 202-543-6157 • Fragers@erols.com Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-7pm • Saturday 7am-5:55pm Sunday 8am-5pm Frager’s Hardware Frager’s Hardware Plumbing Heating Drills Welders Lawn Garden Recreation Concrete Floor Care Compressors Hoists Jacks Lifter Baby/Guest Business Moving Trailers Ladders Sitework Compaction Much More place nice for dinner, so why not pack excursionappropriate clothes just in case something comes up? 6. Speaking of going out to dinner…make reasonable plans about eating. You are probably going to indulge at some point during your vacation, and you are probably going to eat too much of something as you sample local cuisine. Plan on this beforehand so that you won’t feel guilty about it, and so that you can plan your other meals around these indulgences (for example, eating a lighter breakfast and lunch because you know that you’ll be having a big dinner). And my final tip for staying healthy while on vacation? Have fun—you shouldn’t have your vacation so jam-packed with activities that you need your PDA on the road. Remember, this is VACATION, not WORK. Now, where did I put that information about the Macchu Pichu Adventure…? Dug Hanbicki is a Spinning® instructor and personal trainer at Results the Gym on Capitol Hill. You can send her questions or comments at TrainerDug@earthlink.net. 50 www.voiceofthehill.com VOICE of the Hill / April 2003 The View from Barracks Row Summer is Almost Here… And Businesses are Blooming Along Barracks Row BY BILL MCLEOD Summer is almost here, and businesses along historic Barracks Row are blooming. A few weeks ago, I bought a digital camera to capture all the changes taking place along Washington’s oldest commercial corridor so that no one would forget how far we’ve come and all the work that volunteers, merchants, building owners, residents, local government, and the Main Street program have accomplished. It is so easy to forget what strides we’ve made when we are focused on our next goal. Last week, I spotted someone repainting Al’s Seafood’s façade with a fresh coat of yellow to brighten up the southern section of Barracks Row. If you have not been to Al’s, try their fish sandwich or shrimp platter with mambo sauce. You will always be greeted with a smile and can mingle with the Metro bus drivers that frequent the place. Don’t know where it is? Take a few steps under the SE Freeway and you will discover several restaurants, three barbers shops, two charter schools, and the beautiful Latrobe Gate into the Washington Navy Yard. While you are down there, check out the streetscape construction. Yes, the construction crew has been working south of the freeway, so it may seem that work has stopped. But it hasn’t. It’s just not in your backyard. Fifteen Low Impact Development tree boxes and a rain-permeable planting strip are being constructed to save the Anacostia River from additional storm-water runoff. Lane Construction will be working below Virginia Avenue for the next few weeks, and then resume work on the north side of the freeway at 8th and G Streets, then move north toward Pennsylvania Avenue. The streetlights are being dropped into place and will be electrified in August. Re-milling of the road surface will also take place towards the end of construction – most likely in September. After the Marine Parades, the road surface under the SE Freeway will be constructed and the on-ramp closed for about six weeks, depending on weather. Changes for Local Businesses In case you didn’t attend its grand opening, Hoopla Traders has moved from its former location to the old tattoo parlor at 733 8th Street (Doolittle’s Pet Supplies on 7th Street will be moving into Hoopla’s old space at 524 8th Street shortly). Hoopla has expanded to create an arts incubator for emerging artists with eight rooms for display. There is still a room available to rent, so drop by Hoopla for an application if you want some exposure! Denise D’Amour and Laurie Morin commissioned Alvear Studio to convert a storage room on the first floor of their shop, Capitol Hill Bikes, into a high-end bike room with a Professional Analysis fitting system for those who want custom-built bikes. The new room showcases the latest bicycles designed to improve speed, performance, and comfort. Their bike-fitting machine uses an on-line computer measurement system to create the perfectly sized bike for riders. Chat’s Liquors has experienced an increase in wine sales over the recent months. So Opal and Bernie Williams expanded their wine selection, thanks to their father’s foresight and changing demographics in the neighborhood. Wine sales surpassed other spirit sales for the first time since Chat’s opened, so last fall the family took advantage of the opportunity to expand their merchandise line. World Cuisine (523 8th Street, SE) expanded its catering business into the front of their building, where you can now pick up gourmet meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My favorites are their salmon cakes, quiche, and Thai pasta salad. Szechuan House (515 8th Street, SE) has been a Capitol Hill favorite for over 20 years. Recently, the restaurant added sushi to its menu, so on dine on orange chicken and watch your California Rolls being made right in front of you. Ellington’s on 8th, located at 424 8th Street, has expanded its hours and now offers brunch on Sundays starting at 11:30 a.m. Sit back and enjoy cool jazz or poetry while dining in Washington’s best back patio. Payless has closed at the corner of 8th and D, but Starbucks will be opening in the coming months to fill the vacancy. As a strong foot-traffic generator, Starbucks will send a signal to tourists coming to Eastern Market on weekends that Barracks Row has changed, and it will help caffeine cravers on the Hill turn the corner down Barracks Row to explore what’s new. Two additional businesses have opened in upper floors in recent weeks: Natural Kinks (406 8th Street, SE), a natural hair salon above Mickey’s Patio, and Listen, Inc. (413 8th Street, SE), a nonprofit serving at-risk youth. I hope you will take a moment to welcome Natural Kinks and Listen, Inc. to the neighborhood. If you have not seen the sign yet, Sheridan’s is gone, and Cork Public House (713 8 Street, SE) will be opening in its place within two months. An Irish bar and restaurant will make an excellent addition to the dining choices along Barracks Row. The owner promises that there will be live music on weekends to entertain all the Flanagans in the crowd and those who wish they were Irish, too. John Boyle is making tremendous strides restoring his building at 527-29 8th Street, SE, for Marty’s family restaurant (John also owns Harry’s at the Hotel Harrington downtown). The old and leaky roof has been replaced with another standing seam roof that will last for more than 100 years. Can you believe the original beams held in place with wooden pegs are in good condition after all this time? Once open, Marty’s will be a family restaurant with outdoor dining to enliven the street at night. Capitol Hill Tandoor is renovating its interior in the former Eighth Street Market, located at 419 8th Street, SE. The Indian restaurant will add a more spice to Barracks Row, so Adams Morgan better watch out! Eighth Street is becoming a dining destination. To raise the bar while all these changes are happening, Barracks Row Main Street has created sign guidelines to facilitate the improvement of commercial signs along 8th Street. A business’ sign is one of its most valuable advertising tools, sending a quality message to passersby. The Design Committee is launching the sign guidelines this month in tandem with five sign grants for Barracks Row businesses to encourage better signage. If you would like a copy of the guidelines, visit our website at www.barracksrow.org or call us at (202) 544-3188. With so many building improvements, business expansions, and new businesses opening, my camera can only capture the visual aspects of it all. What my Nikon cannot memorialize is the positive feeling out on the street of the people walk up and down the new Barracks Row. It is exciting! I see smiles! Eighth Street is booming! Bill McLeod, Director of Main Street Barracks Row, is a monthly contributor to this newspaper. With so many building improvements, business expansions, and new businesses opening, my camera can only capture the visual aspects of it all. What my Nikon cannot memorialize is the positive feeling out on the street of the people walk up and down the new Barracks Row. www.voiceofthehill.com 51 VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 Making A Difference I look up from my desk just as the fashionable young woman breezes past the receptionist, making her way to my cubicle. “Hi Barbara,” she says. “Did you print out my cover letter?” “Yes,” I groan. “I am your servant.” “Don’t try to hide it,” she replies. “You know you love all the attention I’ve been giving you lately.” It’s true. I do. Her name is Rickea, and I became her tutor almost ten years ago, when she was a lithe little fifth-grader with an attitude. She still has the attitude, but now she’s a Howard University student who is fulfilling a wish I didn’t even know she had. Somehow through the often frustrating years of our dogged mutual commitment, we have forged a permanent bond that we count among the most important constants – and joys – in our lives. I never wanted to be a tutor and deeply feared an emotionally needy child encroaching on my freedom. I tried to avoid Jan Eichhorn, who founded the Friends of Tyler School (FOTS) program in 1991 so that people like me could become mentors for “at risk” youth. She had me in her sights as a perfect candidate for her program, and I was running out of excuses to turn her down. I cared about children in theory, but I had no interest in exposing myself to sticky hands, contagious coughs, and boundless expectations – not to mention a weekly sacrifice of an evening at home. Finally, in March of 1994, I relented. Jan called two days later. “Can you start Tuesday?” she asked. “What?” I gasped. “It’s the end of the school year. . . . Shouldn’t I start in the fall?” I had counted on this delay on the off chance that Jan would forget my offer by September. “Oh, no!” Jan replied. “You can start right away.” In those days, FOTS met in the cafeteria of Chamberlain Technical High School, producing a noisy sea of mostly young professionals seated at tables with restless students. Many of the children came from large families who lived in the neighborhood’s subsidized housing. Their backgrounds varied – some from loving, stable homes, and others suffering outright neglect. No matter their circumstances, they all cried out for adult attention – to read a book, play a game, solve a puzzle, or enjoy an outing in the undiscovered world of DC. Not Like the Others I am tempted to say Rickea was nothing like the other children, but I bet most tutors would say the same about their own “tutees.” None really fits the stereotypes we harbor of “disadvantaged children.” Rickea had rare poise for a ten-year-old, seeming several steps ahead of her peers and appropriately aloof. She spoke little and worked to conceal any emotion, but at times she let a bright smile slip out, or fell into a wounded funk from which I could not pull her. I wondered how Jan had matched our temperaments so perfectly: I am always eager to please, and Rickea is always eager to be pleased. We began awkwardly, responding to a questionnaire about things like our favorite colors and foods. “Mexican,” I said, and she concurred, even though she’d never had it. I prodded her to read books, write stories, and do math; we played geography games, Black history games, and science games. She excelled at everything, and took special glee in deciphering instructions or deducing answers long before I could figure them out. Yet at times our work felt more like drudgery than enrichment. Tutoring sessions could be grim rituals: I watched Rickea eat the peanut butter sandwiches and graham crackers the program fed her, and then we dragged ourselves through schoolwork, reading from photocopies of ancient textbooks. Many of our “outings” weren’t much more successful. Trips to the circus, the museum, the carnival, the movies, often ended on a sour note. Rickea always seemed to want just a little more – time, treats, souvenirs, whatever – than I was willing to give. After spending a Saturday and $50, I would bristle as I dropped the sulking girl at the curb of her apartment house. Couldn’t she show some appreciation? In fact, she did, but not in ways I readily understood. Not once did Rickea decline an invitation for an outing, even just to visit my apartment and play with my dog. When I planned business trips or a vacation, she would say, “I can go,” ready to come along. On special occasions she gave me presents, beaming as she watched to see if I liked the jewelry and clothes that she and her mother picked out. But I did not register these expressions as gratitude. Instead, I felt a tension between what I presumed to be Rickea’s endless demands and my fear of having to meet them. Then one day, I came home from work to find Rickea in my living room. I was in my usual rush and anxious about entertaining my visiting mother- in-law. When I discovered Rickea chatting with Tommy, my husband, I didn’t hide my impatience. “What are you doing here?” I snapped. Her reply brought a rush of sympathy and shame. “I lost my Metro card,” she said. “And I thought, ‘where can I go?’” A simple answer, completely without guile. Why was I so suspicious? What did I have to fear? It took years for me to fully grasp the lesson of that moment. Sure, Rickea could use help with her homework, but what she needed more was me, to be there when she needed me and yes, to share my life. In return, she offered so much more: a child who asks, “Where can I go?” and answers without hesitation, “Barbara’s house.” Logistics shook the last of my defenses when Rickea enrolled at Hine Junior High. Since the school was two blocks from my apartment, we realized we could forego the tutoring center and our commutes from opposite directions if she just came over to my house once a week. An hour of homework was transformed into an entire evening of playing with my dog Abby in the park, concocting dinners of unfamiliar foods, and watching our favorite (and polar opposite) TV shows. Rickea would spend the night, ensconced on a futon with Abby at her side, and walk down the block to school in the morning, carrying the lunch I’d packed for her. An Enduring Triangle As Rickea began adolescence, even Tommy began to see her as more than a hyperactive disturbance that agitated the dog and set fire to the toaster. He began Rickea and Me How Tutoring a Student Forged a Permanent Bond BY BARBARA WELLS Barbara Wells and Rickea, during their first year together. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 52 www.voiceofthehill.com the Shakespeare Theatre’s summer camp, a twoweek daily immersion in text, movement, and stage combat. Could I get Rickea to go? After delivering my earnest pitch, I was shocked at her casual reply. “Okay.” We pored over the camp’s registration materials, amused by assurances to parents that their children would be safely escorted from what they must have perceived as the crime-riddled Eastern Market Metro stop to the security of the theater’s rehearsal hall. I guessed the other campers would not be familiar with Capitol Hill, much less the neighborhoods beyond the stadium, where Rickea had ridden city buses since grade school. On the first day of camp I joined Rickea at orientation, self-consciously accompanying the single African- American girl among dozens of lily-white kids, escorted by parents who oozed affluence and privilege. No stranger to feelings of alienation myself, I couldn’t imagine how Rickea would react to this foreign world. What had I done? For days I waited to call Rickea, fearing the worst. She hated the program; she hated the kids; the kids hated her. Finally I picked up the phone. “Rickea!” I cried. “How is camp?” In her coldest deadpan she replied. “Barbara, I love it.” I couldn’t believe my ears. “What?? Are you being sarcastic?” “No. I love it.” These were the strongest words I’d ever heard from her lips. She admired the instructors. She relished the acting. She excelled at stage combat. And she had made friends. “But Rickea,” I said. “Is it weird being the only black kid?” “No,” she answered. “In fact, I think I get extra attention because I’m different.” Spoken like a true actress. Rickea returned to the camp the next year, at the conclusion delivering a bone-chilling yet wickedly funny performance as the Queen in Cymbeline. She held the audience in her spell. I didn’t think I could feel more gratified and proud, but then Jan suggested we ask Rickea to emcee the September kick-off of Tommy’s school board campaign. I never thought she’d agree to do it. Once she did, I allowed her to torment me, pretending indifference and seeming unprepared. “Don’t worry,” I said, as Jan handed her a script. “You don’t have to say much.” Even after Rickea carried the program with grace and aplomb, I still assumed she would offer no speech of her own. Then, just as the program drew to a close, she gave a testimonial to Tommy and me that brought tears to our eyes. It ended only when she was too choked up herself to go on. I’ve come to accept that Rickea seldom chooses to do what I would do, in the way that I would do it. Yet she constantly exceeds my expectations in unexpected ways. When she issued a nonchalant invitation to her senior year talent show, she didn’t mention that she was the emcee who introduced every act. When she applied to college, she didn’t study for her second stab at the SATs or follow my instructions for increasing her odds of acceptance, but she won a full scholarship to Howard University. When she started college, she didn’t consider a theater major, plunging headfirst into the business program, but today she is taking acting classes and showing renewed interest in theater arts. I can’t wait to see what she’ll do next. Lucky for me, I’ll be there. Since Rickea’s high school graduation, Barbara Wells has tutored a second student through the award-winning Friends of Tyler School tutoring program. For more information or to volunteer, see the program’s web page at www.friendsoftylerschool.org or call 202-547- 0006. conversing with her in a way that I rarely did, soliciting her opinions instead of trying to lead her to obvious and forgone conclusions. We established an enduring triangle in which the two of them would relentlessly tease me and scoff at my prissy ways. This happy domestic scene was not without frustrations. Parents have to learn they ultimately cannot control their children; mentors have to learn they cannot control anything. This constraint hit hard when Rickea reached the eighth grade and Jan suggested she apply to private high schools. Easier said than done. There were tests to take, forms to fill out, fees to pay, and deadlines to meet. For the first time, I needed to partner with Rickea’s mother over something more substantial than scheduling a Saturday outing. Of course, I knew Geraldine, a woman as gregarious as I am reserved. Beautiful, determined, energetic, and smart, she was launching what would become a successful career in patent law. She had always embraced my relationship with Rickea, and just as enthusiastically signed up for our quest for private school admission. The harrowing process took our partnership to a new level. It also left us at an impasse: only Banneker, DC’s premier public high school, accepted Rickea, and she refused to go. “I want to finish at Hine,” she said. By a twist of fate, Hine Junior High graduated its students after the ninth grade, and Banneker was unlikely to admit Rickea in the tenth. Tommy and I were mystified. Why pass up a competitive school that guarantees admission to Howard University for one more year of making dioramas and copying notes from a blackboard? Rickea would not be moved, even after we lured her to a Chinese restaurant, where throughout an uncomfortable dinner Tommy tried everything short of shining a lamp in her face to make her give in. For all our bribes and threats, we could not – and Geraldine would not – dictate Rickea’s choice. A harsh lesson to learn, but not without merit. A year later, as Rickea approached tenth grade, she was accepted to School Without Walls, a highly acclaimed DC public high school with an eclectic, almost eccentric, student body. It suited her to a T. It also proved Geraldine’s mettle. Having only just fulfilled her dream of moving to a Maryland suburb, she immediately packed up and moved back to DC. “I’ll do whatever it takes for Rickea to go to that school,” she declared, and she did. Rickea continued our weekly visits as she struggled with the demanding academics of “Walls.” Despite my visions of leading her through spirited discussions and enlightening research, we barely eked out passable history and English assignments, and the math was already over my head. Still, in tutoring, high school is where the rubber meets the road. I could not always offer useful advice, but when I did – an insight about the Holocaust, a suggestion for an essay, or even a tip on searching the web – the results and rewards were great. I had other spheres of influence as well. Rickea had assumed some of my more peculiar speech mannerisms. She made her own versions of the spinach glop and turkey “roll ups” I prepared. She even enjoyed an occasional game of Scrabble. A Great Triumph Our greatest triumph came that year. As Rickea began studying Shakespeare in school, we had engaged in increasingly dramatic readings of the plays. Familiar with the comatose response Shakespeare elicited from my nieces and nephew, I was more than a bit surprised at Rickea’s interest in the plots, grasp of the characters, and even facility with the language. Then I received a notice about you would build Medea or Lady MacBeth. She developed it like a serious role, and what made it so funny was the fact that she had made this character into a real person. SB: Isn’t comedy all about timing, or at least that’s what they say? JF: There are different types of comedy. Does the character get the joke, is he playing it straight and doesn’t know that he’s being funny, is the situation funny, is it funny because you’re saying funny things, is it satire or are there double entendres? We talked about that in One Mo’ Time. There were the race songs and black songs and they all had sexual innuendoes. They were singing about the fact that you had the right key but the wrong keyhole, which didn’t mean anything until it was sung in a suggestive way, catching the attention of the audience. SB: What else do you like about film? JF: When I go and see the spectacle films like Star Wars, I think the reason that it doesn’t work is because they need a classical actor to introduce a bigger than life character. I went to see X-Men II, and there was one scene where Ian McCellan finally breaks out of jail. He had on a helmet and cape and had to get the cape out of the way of a chair. He flings the cape around and I thought, “Okay, that’s Shakespearean training.” You can’t learn to do that by dressing up in jeans. Yeah, I’d like to be a super villain. When I was growing up I went to see all the Bible movies. The characters I liked best were Nero and the evil emperor that got killed about three-quarters of the way through the film. • • • • James had another appointment so our interview had come to an end. While I waited for him to do some last minute preparation, I perused his newest biographical fascination, “Mae West: An Icon In Black and White,” which is a look at West’s personality, musical styles and interests stemming from the African-American community. On our way out to the car, James discussed his life partner, Rodney, who passed away about one year ago. He fondly remembered a relationship based on selflessness and respect. His measure of this loving relationship was based on the fact that their careers complemented each others, therefore providing both of them a sense of pride and respect for their accomplishments. James dropped me off at my car and I couldn’t help thinking about his conversation regarding the word “unconquerable.” “In the Gospel at Colonus they used the word unconquerable. I heard four or five women read that part during auditions. I thought, ‘Gosh, you can take this rich sounding word…’” he began, slowly sounding out the word in long, lingering tones, “…un-con-quer-able. You could make this the focus of the play.” Unconquerable. There is much more for James Foster to conquer. Watch out, world. James Foster returns as the music director and in the role of the Preacher in The Gospel at Colonus at the H Street Playhouse, June 12-July13. For more information call 1-800-494-8497. Stephanie Briggs is a contributing writer for the Voice of the Hill. She is an Assistant Professor of English at CCBC Catonsville. James Foster, continued www.voiceofthehill.com 53 VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 Kidsites Samantha is about to finish the second grade, and is ready to fill her beach bag with books for summer reading. Of all the fish in the sea, she has set her sights on Harry Potter, but her teacher instead recommends that she dive into shorter stories with more familiar text. The reason: Samantha needs to build fluency. Fluency = Accuracy + Speed The process of reading involves decoding, or the translation of letters into sounds, and of sounds into words. As a young reader develops, she gets practice at making letter-sound correspondences, and no longer needs to sound out each word individually. She becomes a more proficient reader because she is gaining fluency. As described by Meyer and Felton in Annals of Dyslexia, fluency is, “the ability to read connected text rapidly, smoothly, effortlessly, and automatically with little conscious attention to the mechanics of reading such as decoding.” Reading = Fluency + Comprehension A successful reader not only reads words on the page, but understands what he reads, as well. Therefore, fluency is not an end in itself, but a bridge between word recognition and reading comprehension. When a student reads fluently, his attention can shift to the task of processing the text. With the focus on content, he can take in information, absorb details, make inferences, and draw conclusions. In essence, he is able to become fully engaged in the act of reading because he is decoding and comprehending simultaneously. What = A Fluent Reader? The acquisition of reading skills varies depending on each child’s individual profile, and a child may master one aspect of reading more easily than another. With that in mind, the fluency rates listed below should be viewed as a guide to the general range within which children fall. The rates were established by the creators of Read Naturally, a popular fluency-building program, and refer to the average number of words students read correctly in one minute, in grades two through five. Since children are often interested in reading material that is above grade level, it is important to note that these rates are based on material that is appropriate for a child’s actual grade. The range represents the 50th to the 75th percentiles for children in the spring of each grade. Grade Level Material Words Correct per Minute 2 94-124 3 114-142 4 118-143 5 128-151 What = Concern? Why do some students read with fluency and comprehension while others struggle? The reasons are varied, but a failure to master the basics of decoding is one of the most common problems. There may be cause for concern if your child has reached the end of second grade and demonstrates some of the following: Reads slowly, haltingly, or word-by-word. Has difficulty recognizing frequently occurring words. Reads with little or no expression. Ignores punctuation when reading. Has difficulty comprehending what has been read. Doesn’t find reading enjoyable, and doesn’t read for pleasure. Is frustrated, angry or sad about not being able to read well. If you have concerns, talk with your child’s classroom teacher and any other school personnel who can provide you with information. Their suggestions could range from additional time spent reading at home, to an in-depth reading assessment by a specialist. Success = Time + Practice No matter where your child falls along the reading continuum, there is always room for improvement. Following are some activities that build fluency: Read to your child. In order to read fluently, your child needs to hear what smooth reading sounds like. Continue reading to her long after she has learned to read, and do so with great enthusiasm and expression. Read from a wide variety of genres, and choose selections that will capture her attention and imagination. Buddy read with your child. Select a story that is at or just slightly above your child’s reading level, and take turns reading. He benefits from hearing your pace, intonation, and expression. And by reading with him, you have an opportunity to help him decode difficult words, and to monitor his progress. Most importantly, it is a pleasurable way to spend time together, and a shared experience that contributes to a lifelong love of reading. Have your child read to a younger sibling. Books written for younger children provide the new reader with opportunities to increase speed, and to read with expression. The feelings of success from being the teacher will be beyond calculation! Repeated readings. There is nothing as effective for building fluency as reading familiar material over and over again. Children delight in seeing their skills improve, especially when they have a concrete way to reflect progress. Try the following technique: 1. Choose a passage of grade level difficulty that is 100-200 words long. 2. Set a timer for one minute, and have your child read aloud while you keep track of words read incorrectly. At the end of one minute, subtract the incorrect words from the total words read. 3. Record the number of words read correctly on a graph using a blue marker. 4. Have your child practice reading the passage two or three times. Assist with difficult or misread words. 5. Repeat step #2. 6. Record the number of words read correctly on the graph using a red marker. There will undoubtedly be observable progress, which is a terrific confidence booster. Let your child read into a tape recorder. Since youngsters enjoy hearing their own voices, a reading tape can be a fun and useful tool. After an initial taping of a 100-200 word selection, encourage your child to practice reading the same piece three of four times, and then tape it again. Take time to point out the specific ways in which his reading improved with practice. hare the finished tape with other family members. Listen to stories on tape. This is great for long car trips, and a good way to expose your child to fluent reading. Listening to stories on tape can be an even more effective technique when she follows along in the book. Staying Afloat Along with the swimsuit, flip-flops, and sunscreen, Samantha carefully tucks Nate the Great, Amelia Bedelia, and Young Cam Jansen into her bag. After a few conversations, her parents and teachers have helped her understand that learning how to read is not so different from learning how to swim. The butterfly stroke and Harry Potter—with practice and patience, every goal is reached when the time is right. For more information about reading fluency, check out these websites: http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/9910/ darcangelo.html http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/reading/ reading_fluency.html http://www.readnaturally.com/rationale.htm http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/ teachstrat/readingfluencystrategies.htm Sharon Negri has a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology and over twenty-five years of professional experience in early childhood, parent, and special education. She currently works as a learning specialist, tutor, and consultant. She can be reached at sharonlnegri@aol.com. Ride the Reading Wave: Don’t Let New Skills Go Out With the Tide BY SHARON L. NEGRI With many thanks to artist Maggie Fain VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 Baseball on the Hill… Catch It! Capitol Hill Baseball and Softball League SUMMER LEAGUE IS COMING! JUNE 14-JULY 26 6-Under T-BALL:Wednesday and Saturday 7-8 Coach Pitch:Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday 9-11 Machine Pitch:Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday Pick up applications at Coldwell Banker Real Estate 605 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Call 202-546-7000 ext 251 54 www.voiceofthehill.com Kids’ Sports BY LARRY KAUFER School is over, homework is done, and evenings are light, warm, and long. What better time for the kids to play ball! The Capitol Hill Baseball and Softball League (CHBSL) is offering its 13th year of coed developmental baseball for kids from 4 thru 11. The age date is July 31, 2003. Registration forms are available at the front desk of Pardoe Real Estate office, 605 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. The fee is $45, and scholarship aid is available. John Parker, Commissioner of the league, can be reached by phone at 202-547- 7000, ext. 251 for questions. The summer baseball format is developmental and relaxed. Emphasis is on learning in a non-competitive environment. Scores are not kept, and standings are not issued by the league. Innings are defined when all kids get to bat one time. The festivities start on June 7, when uniforms will be issued and team photographs taken at Brent Elementary School at 3rd and D Streets, SE, from 3 to 5 p.m. Practices start the following week, and the first games will be on Saturday June 14. The season will end on Saturday, July 26, with the usual morning game schedules and an awards picnic in the afternoon. T-ball is offered for 4-6 year olds at Providence Park, 3rd and E Streets, SE. Games will be Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. This is the largest group, with eight teams, as many learners give it their first try. The teams and sponsors are: 1. Blue Jays/National Capital Bank 2. Mariners/Stanton Development 3. Athletics/Halberstein & Byrne 4. Reds/Al’s Pizza 5 Mets/Cole Roofing 6. White Sox/Rush Construction 7. Didgers/Karen Voellm Real Estate 8. Rangers/Antique Contemporary Leasing For the 7-8 year olds, coach pitch is the venue at Payne Field, 15th and D Streets, SE. Games will be played on Wednesday or Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. A practice day will be decided by the coach. The teams and sponsors are: 1. Pirates/Northern Telecom 2. Yankees/Grubb’s Pharmacy 3. Twins/Coldwell Banker Real Estate 4. Diamondbacks/NOVO Development The 9-11 year olds get to sharpen their skills against a pitching machine at Tyler Field, 10th and G Streets, SE. Games are played Wednesday or Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. A practice day will be decided by the coach. The teams and sponsors are: 1. Cardinals/Fragers Hardware 2. Rockies/Federal Funding Mortgage 3. Cubs/Care Company 4. Red Sox/Carol Connelly’s Sox The kids and coaches have a great time. Whether your children are aspiring or just trying their hand at this sport, sign them up for fun and learning. As you may have noticed, sponsors make this world go ’round. If you can’t sponsor, consider a donation. And volunteers are always needed for coaching, administration, and field maintenance. To pursue any of these, talk to the commissioner, John Parker, at 543-7000 ext. 251. Professional Football—Right Here on the Hill Ladies and Gentlemen, …. tonight’s starting lineup,…. running back—Donna Wilkinson, …wide receiver Tara Kallal, …outside linebacker ñ Lisa Gonzales,…inside linebacker—Tessa Nelson,… quarterback Allysin Hamlin…etc. NOTE—their uniforms are burgundy and gold. Is there something wrong with this picture? No, we’re talking the DC Divas, Washington’s entry in the National Women’s Football Association (NWFA). Now in their third year and calling Eastern High School’s football field their home field, the Divas are playing very respectable football. They are currently undefeated playing in the Middle Atlantic division that includes teams from Baltimore, Columbus, Erie, Pa., and Pittsburgh. Where did women’s football come from? The NWFA was started in 2000, with two teams called Summer Baseball on the Hill: Nothin’ Else Like it in DC www.voiceofthehill.com 55 VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 the Nashville Dream and the Alabama Renegades. Their fall exhibition season of six games seemed to indicate a market, and from then on, the league has been expanding every year. This year there are six divisions, totaling 29 teams, and next season, seven more teams will be added. The founder and prime mover is Catherine Masters, a sports and entertainment entrepreneur with experience in the tennis and music businesses. For more information, visit their website at http://www.womensfootballcentral. com/. Now, back to the Divas and Capitol Hill. The Divas have made Eastern High School football field their home from the beginning season in 2001. This year, the season opener was an away game at Erie against the Erie Illusion, a new team. The outcome of veteran against newcomer was predicable, 50 - 0. Succeeding games have gotten tougher, but the Divas have held the win column, even with a comefrom- behind win against the Columbus Flames by a 30 - 22 score at the opponent’s field. Another win or two, and they will make the playoffs. There is one more home game to be played—June 7 against Columbus.Take the kids and go, and have something to talk about for a long time. Kickoff is 7 p.m. Tickets are $12, with kids under 6 free. The Eastern High School field is located behind the school that faces East Capitol Street between 17th and 19th Streets, NE. Moms play, lawyers play—why don’t you? For more information about the Divas, go to their website: http://www.dcdivas.com. And yes, you can find tryout information there, as well. On a Hot Summer Day…Think of Gliding Over the Ice First, here’s some geography for those who don’t know the location of the Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Take Pennsylvania Avenue east across the bridge to Anacostia, and turn left on Minnesota Avenue. Go about 10 blocks, and turn right on Ely Street, SE. Go three blocks up the hill, and on the right are a large parking lot and the Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Or, go east on East Capitol Street/Independence Avenue past RFK over the river and through the underpass, staying in the right-hand lane. Take the first right that curves around and becomes B Street, SE. Take the first left, which is Ridge Road, and go about four blocks and turn right on Ely Street, SE. Down the hill a few blocks on the left is the arena. At first, the building may appear to be an apparition, but once inside, the cool air will help you focus on the view of an ice skating rink. It is big enough for fun skating, learning, and for hockey practices and games. The historic why’s and how’s of the rink are interesting, but the most important fact is that the place is recently rejuvenated, well-run, and a tremendous recreational asset to our community and the District of Columbia. The Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena, Inc. (FFDIA), is the non-profit company recently formed to manage the facility. There is a board of directors and an executive director, Kathy Cox, who has spearheaded the revitalization. For more information, take a look at their website, www.fdia.org. During the regular season (meaning school days), the activities include learning to skate, speed skating, kids hockey program, and open skating times. There is also heavy evening and weekend use by area high schools and university hockey teams, youth hockey teams and hockey clubs that, by the way, pay a very large portion of monies necessary to keep the place going. Now entering the summer season, the programs include adult group lessons, family lessons, and a series of creative freestyle/ice dancing sessions. To get more information and to join some of these, drop by or call 202-584-5007, and ask for Carol or Kathy. For a regular source of programs and information, ask to be placed on their monthly newsletter list. You can also email to info@fdia.org. Rates for skating are quite low to attract as many kids and families as possible. Skates are available for rent at affordable prices. You can bring your own skates and have them sharpened while you wait. A snack shop is open during the main hours for food and drink. There is also a party room that is very popular for kids’ birthday skating parties. In many ways, this is one of the best-kept secrets in DC. If you haven’t been there, drop by to see for yourself, and pick up the current menu of activities. Then plan to take advantage of its ice skating opportunities for your enjoyment. Larry Kaufer writes about sports opportunities for young people (and others) on the Hill each month in the Voice. Come in to the coooool at the Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Located just across the Sousa Bridge, near Minnesota Avenue and Ely Place SE, Fort Dupont Ice Arena is the only year round, in-door ice rink in DC! Summer classes include several 4-week mini sessions: Adult Lessons Family Lessons June 17 - July 8 June 21 - July 19 June 19-July 10 July 26 - Aug 16 Aug 7 - Aug 28 Public Skating Friday, 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm - 8:50 pm Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 pm - 4:20 pm Adults $4 admission, Children $3 admission Skate rental $2 Private party room available—perfect for summer birthday parties! Call 202-584-5007 or visit www.fida.org for more information. Mention this ad to receive the early registration rates. Beat the Summer Heat—Go Ice Skating! New Eagle Soars on Capitol Hill Andrew Serfass of Boy Scout Troop 500 has earned Scouting’s highest rank, becoming the Capitol Hill troop’s ninth Eagle Scout. The award was presented at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor in the Gold Room of the Rayburn House Office Building on Sunday, June 18. Andy’s advancement from Scout to Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle was symbolically remembered with a progressive Trail to Eagle ceremony. Another ceremonial highlight was the formation of an Eagles’ Nest, with the ten Eagle Scouts present gathering to recite the Eagle’s Pledge. These included Andy’s brother Patrick and dad Jeff, who is a former scoutmaster and committee chair and now serves as institutional representative for the self-chartered Capitol Hill Scouts organization that he founded. Troop 500 Scoutmaster Rob Corder, who was Andy’s mentor for his Eagle project, and Advancement Chair Bob Sonderman both spoke of the superb character and commitment they had observed in Andy through years of shared Scouting experiences. And Committee Chair Gary Barbour discussed the value of the Scouting experience, even to boys who participate only briefly in the program. In conclusion, said Barbour, “Only one in four boys in America will become Scouts, but it is interesting to know that of the leaders of this nation in business, religion, and politics, three out of four were Scouts.” Andy’s Eagle Scout Project is a testament to his interest in and concern for nature and history. He led the Scouts and friends of Troop 500 in the construction and installation of an interpretive trail at the National Park Service’s Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens on the Anacostia River in Washington, DC. The ten-stop trail details the way an indigenous Nacotchtank Indian tribe of about 200 individuals may have use the area for food, shelter, and survival. Weather resistant posts and informational signage were installed in concrete at the appropriate locations along the 1.7-mile River Trail. Andy’s brother Patrick was Troop 500’s first Eagle Scout, achieving the honor in 1996. Both Andy and Patrick will serve as leaders for the Troop 500 and Venture Crew 500 “High Adventure” this summer, an 11-day sailing excursion in the Grenadines. Andy is a senior at Woodrow Wilson High School and will attend Penn State University in the fall. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 56 www.voiceofthehill.com Kids’ Calendar COMPILED BY CALENDAR FELLA Tuesday, June 3 WCCM-TV: Weather or Not—Write a weather report based upon your own Mouse Pad Computer Lab meteorological research. 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Ages 6 - 15. Space is limited, so sign up at the front desk on the day of the activity. Capital Children’s Museum, 800 3rd Street NE, 675-4120. (Program repeats on June 10). Thursday, June 5 WCCM-TV: Special Effects—Discover the visual tricks that make space ships fly and people shrink, as we learn the secrets behind special effects. 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Ages 6 - 15. Space is limited, so sign up at the front desk on the day of the activity. Capital Children’s Museum. (Program repeats on June 12). CCM Storytime Studio—Revel in a telling of David Kirk’s charming story “Miss Spider’s Tea Party,” then spin your own related teatime art project. 11 a.m. Ages 2 - 5. Capital Children’s Museum. Lessons from Mars for Life on Earth—University of Washington astronomy professor D.E. Brownlee presents a comparative discussion of Mars and Earth, examining their pasts and futures, and looking at why the Earth is better able to sustain life forms. 8 p.m. Free, but tickets are required. (Or arrive early for a 7:30 screening of the short film Infinity Express: A 20-Minute Tour of the Universe.) Albert Einstein Planetarium, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW, 357-1553 or 357-2700. Saturday, June 7 Shakespeare and the Queen—Explore some of the many works that Shakespeare presented to the Queen with a morning of theatrical games, improvisations, and wordplay. 10 a.m. - 12 noon. Admission $10. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street SE, 544-4600. Digital Painting—Work with a local digital artist, using computers to broaden the scope of traditional painting. 11 a.m. and 12 noon. Ages Museum. 3 and up. Capital Children’s Museum. Sushi with Chef Tanaka—Learn about this nutritious Japanese dietary favorite, and create your own sushi roll platter from clay dough and wooden sticks. 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Space is limited, so sign up at the front desk on the day of the activity. Capital Children’s Museum. Dinosaur Ball—Become a dinosaur yourself as you learn about the many amazing creatures from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods! 12 noon and 2 p.m. Ages 4 - 10. $3 materials fee (discount available for museum members), with advance registration required. Capital Children’s Museum. Shark’s Tooth Hunt—Find out all about the sharks that swam the Chesapeake Bay millions of years ago, and plunge into the scary Shark’s Teeth Pool. 12:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. Ages 3 and up. Capital Children’s Museum. (Program repeats on June 14, June 15, and June 29). Sunday, June 8 Scienterrific Sunday: Bone Detectives—Be a bone detective when you study the structure and composition of animal bones. 12 noon - 3 p.m. Ages 2 and up. Capital Children’s Museum. Arches and Trusses: Tension Builds—Learn about basic building materials, then help construct an arch and truss. 2:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, 202-272-2448 (Program repeats every Sunday). Tuesday, June 10 Wee Wonders: Dinosaurs R Us—Investigate the lost world of dinosaurs in this hands-on learning session. 10:30 a.m. - 12 noon. Ages 2 - 5. $11 material fee (discount available for museum members) includes snack, with advance registration required. Capital Children’s Museum. (Program repeats on June 17). Thursday, June 12 CCM Storytime Studio—Delight in Jane Yolen and Michael Teague’s popular story “How Do Dinosaur’s Day Goodnight?” and put together your own monstrous art project. 11 a.m. Ages 2 - 5. Capital Children’s Museum. (Program repeats on June 19). Saturday, June 14 Elizabeth and Her Court—Learn how to bow, curtsey, and dance as we explore the etiquette of courtly life. 10 a.m. - 12 noon. Folger Shakespeare Library. Bridging the Gap—Learn about the five standard bridge designs, then help a community choose which bridge will best solve its transportation woes. 2:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. National Building Museum. (Program repeats every Saturday). Saturday, June 21 Pixilation—Star in your own animated movie. 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. Ages 5 - 15. Space is limited, so sign up at the front desk on the day of the activity. Capital Children’s Museum. (Program repeats on June 28). Godzilla Races—Compete in a Godzilla race to find out just who is the “king of the monsters.” 12 noon - 3 p.m. Capital Children’s Museum. Sunday, June 22 Scienterrific Sunday: High Flyers—Learn about air pressure and airflow, flight, and Bernoulli’s Principle, then design and build your own paper aircraft. 12 noon - 3 p.m. Ages 2 and up. Capital Children’s Museum. Egg Drop Competition—In this fun and fascinating competition, participants must design a supportive container, using only a sheet of paper and rubber bands, to protect an egg dropped from the museum’s second floor balcony. 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Ages 8 and up. $11 materials fee ($5 for members), with registration required. National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, 272-2448. Saturday, June 28 Pterosaur Terror—Learn about historic Mexican fossil finds, then make your own flying reptile. 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Capital Children’s Museum. (Program repeats on June 29). Shining Shapes—Celebrate the new exhibition “Picture This: Windows on the American Home” by making your own mirror ornaments from buttons, beads, cellophane, and pipe cleaners. 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. National Building Museum. Saturday Science: Be a Fossil Hunter—Enjoy an informative and fun fossil hunt. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Ages 3 and up. Capital Children’s Museum. New Worlds, New Skies—Astronomy education coordinator Christine Stephenson looks at how the heavens have historically influenced, inspired, and guided explorers and travelers, from Magellan to the American pioneers, in our monthly star lecture. 6 p.m. Albert Einstein Planetarium, Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Does your organization have an event planned that kids would really enjoy? Send it to votheditor@ hotmail.com for inclusion in our Kids Calendar. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 www.voiceofthehill.com 57 Community calendar Still Fat… Smoking… $99* Win w/Christian Hypnosis *4 hour class VIP Private Appts. Georgetown Institute for Hypnotherapy 202-333-7699 • www.georgetowninstitute.org June 1 CONCERT: Join the Capitol Hill Youth Chorus for its annual Spring Concert, featuring folk songs from Wales, Russia, Angola, North America, as well as contemporary poetry set to music by Valerie Shields and Mary Lynn Lightfoot. This 30-member chorus is made up of Hill kids ages 7 to 14. They are directed by Regina Carlow and accompanied by Dana Gust Carr. The Chorus is a joint project of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) and Christ Church + Washington Parish, in association with the Capitol Hill Chorale. Through professional instruction in vocal musical performance, the Chorus builds connections among public, private, parochial and home-schooled students, taking advantage of the special multicultural nature of the Capitol Hill community while providing a unique educational experience. The concert begins at 5 p.m. at Christ Church + Washington Parish (620 G Street, SE). A suggested donation of $5 will be accepted at the door. June 2 GERMAN FILM SERIES OPENING: Goethe-Institut Inter Nationes presents Klaus Kinski and Werner Herzog: Insanity and Genius, the first in a series of five feature films and two documentaries. The contentious relationship between the ego-maniacal actor Klaus Kinski and the obsessed visionary director Werner Herzog produced some of the most intense work in German film. An accompanying photo exhibition sheds light on the controversial personalities of two men who did things no one else dared. The film is at 6:30 p.m. at the Goethe- Institut Inter Nationes, 814 Seventh Street, NW. The remainder of the series will be screened on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. through August 18, 2003. June 3 CONCERT: The United States Air Force Band presents its annual summer concert series, featuring the Airmen of Note, the official jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force. The concert will be held at 8 p.m. on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol between Independence and Constitution Avenues. This free concert is offered as a public service; no tickets are required. Please note that this concert is subject to cancellation due to inclement weather. For the latest information, call the concert line: (202) 767-5658. For more information about Air Force Band programs, visit them at www.bolling.af.mil/band June 4 CONCERT: The Washington DC Mormon Temple Visitors Center presents Matt Bushman’s “Return to the Well.” Folk singer/songwriter Matt Bushman has delighted thousands from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Las Vegas. His baritone voice, whimsical sense of humor and captivating acoustic guitar compositions touch hearts and confirm creative life choices. The performance is at 7 p.m. at the Washington DC (Mormon) Temple Visitors Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive Kensington, Maryland 20895. For more information, please call (301) 587-0144. June 5 READING/PERFORMANCE: The Shakespeare Theatre presents On Stage with Frank Lloyd Wright, a reading of Work Song directed by Steven Scott Mazzola. This new play by Eric Simonson and Jeffrey Hatcher explores Wright’s fascinating life and career. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the Grand Salon at the Renwick Gallery, 17th and Pennsylvania Ave., NW. Admission is free, but reservations are required. For more information or to register, call (202) 547-1122, ext. 4. June 6 CONCERT: Concluding its 10th anniversary season, the 80-voice Capitol Hill Chorale, under the direction of Artistic Director Frederick Binkholder, will present the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 31, by Sergei Rachmaninoff. The concert will feature Russian bass Vladimir Ekzarkhov, a member of the Slavonic Choir at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in DC. The public is invited to a pre-concert lecture led by Dr. John A. Rapp, a member of the International Rachmaninoff Society. The pre-concert lecture begins at 7 p.m., with the concert at 7:30 p.m. Both are at St. Joseph’s on the Hill, 2nd and C Streets, N.E. Tickets are $20 for reserved seating, $15 for general admission, and $10 for seniors, students over 12, and persons with disabilities. Children 12 and under are free of charge. To order tickets, call the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop at (202) 547-6839. Tickets will also be available at the door. For more information about the Chorale, visit the Chorale’s website at www.capitolhillchorale. org. For more information about the Capitol Hill Chorale, contact Parker Jayne at (202) 414-8911. LECTURE: The National Air and Space Society hosts “Flight Test: X-15 to the Space Shuttle.” Major General Joe Henry Engle, USAF (Ret.) will discuss his career as a test pilot flying in air and spacecraft from the X-15 to the Space Shuttle. Engle has logged more than 12,400 hours of flight time during his 25-year career, 9,000 hours of it in jets. He was one of 19 astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966, and has logged 225 hours in space. The lecture begins at 8 p.m., in the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater. Tickets are required. Advance tickets ($15 for Society members, $20 for non-members) will be sold first-come, first-served by phone and mail. For complete information, call (202) 357- 3762 or visit the Society Web site at www.nasm.si.edu/ membership. June 7 ELECTION: All registered Democrats in Ward 6 are eligible to participate in the election of new officers for the Ward 6 Democratic organization; they will serve a two-year term. The Ward 6 Democrats biannual convention will open at 10 a.m. to consider proposed by-law amendments. This will be followed by the election, with voting permitted between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., in the Carroll Apartment Building, 410 M Street, SE (directly across from the Navy Yard). HORTICULTURE: The National Arboretum presents Bonsai Demonstrations. Do you ever wonder how bonsai is created? Drop in on one of these informal demonstrations and learn basic bonsai techniques as our bonsai expert transforms a nursery plant into a beautiful bonsai. The demonstration is from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the Arboretum’s National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, Lecture Demonstration Center. Admission is free, and no registration is required. June 8 SPECIAL: The National Building Museum and the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) present “Miss Anderson’s Music,” a performance that is part of the NPG’s Cultures in Motion series. Soprano Janice Chandler and accompanist Eric Conway perform the music of the celebrated contralto Marian Anderson, while actress Jewell Robinson narrates her life. This special program begins at 7:30 p.m. It is part of the Museum’s Music in the Great Hall series, and is made possible, in part, by the Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc. Admission is free, but registration is required. For more information, or to register, call (202) 275-0570. June 9 MUSICAL THEATER: Don’t miss the best cabaret performers in the region perform the best of Broadway for one night only! The festivities begin at 7:40 p.m. at Round House Theatre, East-West Highway and Waverly Street, Bethesda, Md. Tickets are $30 and are available by calling (240) 644-1100. June 10 CONCERT: The United States Air Force Band presents its annual summer concert series, featuring Silver Wings, the premier country music ensemble of the United States Air Force. The concert will be held at 8 p.m. on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol between Independence and Constitution Avenues. This free concert is offered as a public service; no tickets are required. Please note that this concert is subject to cancellation due to inclement weather. For the latest information, call the concert line: (202) 767-5658. For more information about Air Force Band programs log on to www.bolling.af.mil/band. June 11 COMMUNITY GATHERING: Project DC, a division of the D.C. Department of Mental Health presents “An Intergenerational Dialogue for Homeland Security.” In an effort to help foster increased cohesion and build resilience in our neighborhoods, the Intergenerational Dialogue for Homeland Security will aim to catalyze a grassroots dialogue within the Capitol Hill community about recovery and rebalancing under the ongoing threat of terrorism. This important event, free of charge and open to all interested DC residents, is carefully structured around participants’ generational experience of war and terrorism. This structure helps to ensure that all ages are represented and that all residents’ voices are heard. It has the potential to offer residents a powerful means of breaking down some of the isolation and fear that have been awash in our communities since the tragedies of September 11th. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 118 3rd Street, SE. For more information, call (202) 671-2977. FILM: Films on the Hill presents Triumph, (1924) a little-known film directed by Cecil B. DeMille about the wastrel son of a tin magnate. The movie serves as an excellent example of the social and economic concerns of the mid-1920s with social climbing and capital versus labor added in. The film is preceded by Laurel and Hardy in That’s My Wife. The film begins at 7 p.m. at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th Street SE. Admission is $5 at the door. For more information, visit www.films onthehill.com. June 12 THEATER OPENING: Back by popular demand, Theater Alliance presents Gospel at Colonus, the reimagining of Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus at Colonus into the language of gospel music. The story is staged as a church revival that erupts with live gospel music, which drives home the powerful themes of redemption and forgiveness. The show features a gospel choir, gospel soloists and a fivepiece instrumental ensemble to help bring this timely piece of theater to life in the midst of the unsettled climate of today’s world. The performance begins at 8 p.m. at the H Street Playhouse, 1365 H Street, NE. Tickets are available online at www.boxoffice tickets.com. For more information about the show, log on to www.theateralliance.com or call (202) 396-2125. REDEVELOPMENT PRESENTATION: The National Building Museum’s DC Builds Series presents “REVIVAL: The H Street NE Redevelopment Plan.” The redevelopment plan for H Street NE builds off the traditional assets of the community to spark a revival of this important neighborhood center. At this event, the D.C. Office of Planning and community partners will present the strategy, which recommends five distinct nodes along the corridor: 1) a multimodal office and retail hub near Union Station; 2) medium- density housing opportunities in a walkable, livable, urban environment; 3) a compact, convenient, and diverse shopping district; 4) an arts and entertainment district; and 5) infill and redesign of the Hechinger Mall area. The presentation is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the National Building Museum. Admission is $10 for Museum members and students and $15 nonmembers. Registration is required. June 13 THEATER: Theater Alliance presents Gospel at Colonus at 8 p.m. at the H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St., NE. Refer to June 12 for details. SPECIAL: Don’t miss the National Arboretum’s “Fabulous Full Moon Hike,” a very popular, magical hike through moonlit gardens and collections. Enjoy scents and sounds as you experience the arboretum by the light of the moon. At special stops, your guide shares selected arboretum and horticultural facts. Wear good walking shoes and dress for the weather, as this is a 5-mile, mildly strenuous hike. This activity is not recommended for young children. The fee for the event is $10 (FONA $8). Registration is limited to four persons per party; maximum number of participants is 30. The hike begins at 8p.m., at the R Street gate of the National Arboretum. KIDS ART SHOW & SALE: Watkins Elementary Montessori Program will host its Annual Art Show and Sale from 5 to 7 p.m. in Rooms 110-111. Admire and purchase art and craft items made by Watkins Elementary Montessori Students — beautiful framed art works, cards, stationery, candles, soaps, mobiles, gift baskets and more! Hors d’oevres and beverages will be served by young waiters and waitresses. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 58 www.voiceofthehill.com STARRY DAYS Eastern Time Edition Your Astrological Guide to the Pursuit of Happiness BY AJAI © All rights reserved June 14 THEATER: Theater Alliance presents Gospel at Colonus at 8 p.m. at the H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St., NE. Refer to June 12 for details. ART OPENING: Join the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop for the opening reception of its annual Student and Faculty Art Show and Sale, featuring work in various media by current students. The reception is from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Arts Workshop Gallery, 545 7th Street, SE. The exhibit will be on display through June 30. For more information, call (202) 547-6839 or log on to www.chaw.org. HORTICULTURE WORKSHOP: Join the folks at the National Arboretum for a special pest and disease workshop. Think before you squish or spray! Join horticulturist Scott Aker in the arboretum collections for this practical workshop for homeowners to learn about insect pest and disease identification in their own backyards. This hands-on look at landscape problems includes environmentally conscientious pest management. The fee is $10 (FONA $8) and registration is required. The workshop is from 10 a.m. to noon at the Arboretum’s Administration Building. June 15 THEATER: Theater Alliance presents Gospel at Colonus at 4 p.m. at the H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St., NE. Refer to June 12 for details. June 16 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE LECTURE: The National Building Museum presents “Architecture in the Garden.” Join James van Sweden, FASLA, principal of Oehme, van Sweden Associates, as he shows his work and discusses the importance of paths, walls, gates and fences to the overall success of a well-designed garden. Following the lecture, van Sweden will sign copies of his book, Architecture in the Garden. The lecture begins at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $12 for Museum members and students and $17 nonmembers. Registration is required. June 17 CONCERT: The United States Air Force Band presents its annual summer concert series, featuring the Airmen of Note, the official jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force. The concert will be held at 8 p.m. on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol between Independence and Constitution Avenues. This free concert is offered as a public service; no tickets are required. Please note that this concert is subject to cancellation due to inclement weather. For the latest information, call the concert line: (202) 767-5658. For more information about Air Force Band programs, point your browser to www.bolling.af.mil /band. June 18 NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING: Learn how to “re-green” your neighborhood with street trees from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Capital Children’s Museum, 800 3rd Street, NE. Residents of Kingman Park, Linden, Near Northeast, North Lincoln Park, Rosedale, Stanton Park, Capitol Hill, Hill East, Lincoln Park, Barney Circle, and Stadium Armory, are invited to learn about the condition of their neighborhood trees and to develop a plan to fill the city’s 23,000 empty street tree spaces. A total of 19 meetings scheduled across the city will provide an overview of street tree conditions in DC and maps with details for that particular area. A complete list of meeting dates, locations and the areas to be covered at each meeting is posted at www.caseytrees.org, and is available by phone at (202) 833-4010 ext. 100. Planning sessions will present the findings of a comprehensive inventory conducted last summer. These meetings are the first step for citizens to help develop neighborhood plans for a long-term “re-greening” strategy to begin this fall. June 19 THEATER: Theater Alliance presents Gospel at Colonus at 8 p.m. at the H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St., NE. Refer to June 12 for details. June 20 FILM: Films on the Hill presents Strange Cargo (1940). Joan Crawford and Clark Gable sizzle in this tough gritty drama, which starts out as a steamy Devil’s Island escape drama but becomes an allegory for a journey of personal and spiritual redemption. Preceded by a prison escape cartoon, “Big House Bunny.” The film begins at 7 p.m. at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th Street SE. Admission is $5 at the door. For more information, visit www.filmsonthehill. com. THEATER: Theater Alliance presents Gospel at Colonus at 8 p.m. at the H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St., NE. Refer to June 12 for details. June 21 THEATER: Theater Alliance presents Gospel at Colonus at 8 p.m. at the H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St., NE. Refer to June 12 for details. June 22 CONCERT: the Lesbian & Gay Chorus of Washington, D.C. (LGCW), under the direction of C. Paul Heins, presents Our Children: Our Legacy. This special concert will feature Where Every Voice Is Heard, a work by composer Jeffery Watson, which premiered in October 2002 to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. Watson’s composition reflects on a community where every voice, including those of children, matters. The Children’s Vocal Ensemble at The Academy of Music (Gaithersburg), under the direction of Joan McFarland, will join the LGCW in presenting Watson’s three-movement work. The performance begins at 4 pm. at the Capitol Hill Presbyterian, 4th and Independence Ave, SE. A spaghetti dinner immediately follows the concert. Tickets are $15 and are available by calling (202) 546- 1549. For more information, log on to www.lgcw.org. THEATER: Theater Alliance presents Gospel at Colonus at 4 p.m. at the H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St., NE. Refer to June 12 for details. June 24 CONCERT: The United States Air Force Band presents its annual summer concert series, featuring the Airmen of Note, the official jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force. The concert will be held at 8 p.m. on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol between Independence and Constitution Avenues. This free concert is offered as a public service; no tickets are required. Please note that this concert is subject to cancellation due to inclement weather. For the latest information, call the concert line at (202) 767-5658. For additional information about Air Force Band programs, visit www.bolling.af.mil/band. June 25 CONCERT: The United States Air Force Band presents its annual summer concert series, featuring a chamber ensemble from the Concert Band. The concert will be held at noon at the National Air and Space Museum. This free concert is offered as a public service; no tickets are required. For more information about programs presented by The United States Air Force Band, call (202) 767- 5658, or log on to www.bolling.af.mil/band. June 26 THEATER: Theater Alliance presents Gospel at Colonus at 8 p.m. at the H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St., NE. Refer to June 12 for details. June 27 THEATER: Theater Alliance presents Gospel at Colonus at 8 p.m. at the H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St., NE. Refer to June 12 for details. June 28 CONCERT: The United States Air Force Band Chamber Players Series the Tuba/ Euphonium Quartet at 1:30 p.m., at the Society of Cincinnati’s Anderson House Museum, 2118 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. This concert is offered as a public service. Admission is FREE and no tickets are required. For more information about programs presented by The United States Air Force Band, call (202) 767-5658 or visit them at www.bolling.af.mil/band. This calendar works regardless of your birthday! There’s more to astrology than sun signs. Astrologers look at all the planets, and the planets never stop moving. As the planets move, signs and relationships change, signaling days and times when we can change: Speeds, habits, hairstyles, living spaces, diets, careers and improving our love life. STARRY DAYS is written for each time zone to help us find the shifting tides of opportunity. Using this calendar can help us all in our pursuit of happiness. May you be happy. Sunday, June 1 A sit-down dinner with family improves the taste of food. Monday, June 2 Revel in flights of fancy. Take notes. Commit to nothing. Tuesday, June 3 At 10:28 p.m., make plans for tomorrow. Affirm that dreams come true. Wednesday, June 4 Take your game to the next level—“Do more! Be better!” Pressure is on, but you can do it. You’re the one! Thursday, June 5 At 10 to 8 p.m., get tight with your sweetie. Hold hands. Deep eye gazing. Silent communications. Hold this pose for 15 minutes. Friday, June 6 Radically improve your current health regime. Go on a diet. Add to your exercise time. If you act TODAY you’re moving with the planets and your chances for success increase. Saturday, June 7 When we get excited, we can calm ourselves just by bringing our attention to our breath. One way to do this is by taking a breath in. Hold. Hold. Hold. Release. Again. And once more. Sunday, June 8 Get together with friends around 3:30 p.m. Play a lawn game, picnic, chat. Monday, June9 Schedule a meeting, or a conference call for 11:32 a.m. Tuesday, June 10 Once you return from lunch, clear your work area to RE: View/ Organize/Focus. How are you doing? Where can you improve? Wednesday, June 11 Take some time to care for your co-workers. Thursday, June 12 At 9:34, inventory your thoughts. Friday, June 13 Focus on Fun, Friends and Laughs. Saturday, June 14 As change manifests, hold on to your integrity. Sunday, June 15 Accept a Rain Check for decisions. Pretend you don’t know how to sign your name. Monday, June 16 Sharpen pencils. Feel your emotions. Clean your waste basket. Bring to work a cake not sweetened with sugar. Chat with your co-workers. Tuesday, June 17 First thing! Note last night’s dreams. Wednesday, June 18 Right at 9 p.m. turn TV off, turn radio and CDs off. Allow yourself to become quiet as you prepare for tomorrow and get ready for a trip to Slumber Land. Thursday, June 19 7:02 a.m.— Listen to other people. Be fully awake. Pay attention. Friday, June 20 From 12:23 p.m. until you close your eyes for sleep, exercise creativity. Take a different route home. Eat an unusual dinner. Spend time with your most unique friends. Saturday, June 21 Bring your desires into the realm of reality by seeing your desires clearly; bring the details into focus. Sunday, June 22 Get outside to the garden, walk, play games, swim, bicycle, jog. Pull weeds. Be physically active. Monday, June 23 Go slow. Periodically pause. Breathe deeply. Gently check in with friends and co-workers at 12:44 p.m., again at 2:07 p.m., and 4:03 p.m. How are they doing? Need any help? Tuesday, June 24 Keep your feet on the ground. Maintain focus. A day to accomplish a lot. And whatever you get done will be important and will impact lots of tomorrows! Wednesday, June 25 Review yesterday. Think about next week. Practice waffling. Anyone says anything to you, reply: “Maybe.” Or try, “I dunno.” Thursday, June 26 Fill your morning with preparation, organization and cleaning. After lunch, grease the wheels of communication. Friday, June 27 Summer is young! Nights are long. Hang with your best friends. Saturday, June 28 List five things it would be helpful to accomplish next month. Sunday, June 29 Imagine yourself bigger, smaller, faster, smarter, stronger, more pleasant, helpful, in a word: Better! Monday, June 30 Make plans tonight around this morning’s good ideas. Ajai can be reached via email at MayYouBeHappy@aol.com. THEATER: Theater Alliance presents Gospel at Colonus at 8 p.m. at the H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St, NE. Refer to June 12 for details. June 29 FILM: The National Building Museum presents Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window,” at 1 p.m. An intriguing study of obsessive human curiosity and voyeurism, this film illuminates some of the themes in the Museum’s exhibition “Picture This.” Admission is free and registration is not required. THEATER: Theater Alliance presents Gospel at Colonus at 4 p.m. at the H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St, NE. Refer to June 12 for details. June 30 LECTURE & BOOK SIGNING: The Smithsonian Resident Associates Program, in conjunction with the National Gallery of Art, presents Frederic Remington: The Color of Night. Nancy Anderson, art historian at the National Gallery of Art, traces the career of Frederic Remington (1861-1909) in the cultural context of an expanding America and discusses his nocturnes of Western life, some 70 of which are on view in the National Gallery of Art’s exhibition. The book signing follows. The program begins at 6 p.m. in the Ring Auditorium of the Hirshhorn Museum. Admission is $16 for non-members and $12 for members. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 Classifieds Books Want to purchase Quality used books. Single volumes or entire library! Call Steve at Riverby Books 202- 544-1925 Books Bought and Sold. We want what you can give, we pay what we can afford. Capitol Hill Books. Capitol Hill’s used bookstore across the street from Eastern Market. 657 C Street, SE 202- 544-1621 Employment Assistant Manager — Retail. Outgoing, friendly, hard-working individual want for busy pet boutique. Retail experience required, pet experience preferred. Contact Dennis at Doolittleís 202-544-8710 Help Wanted Historic cemetery on Hill seeks 10hr/wk groundskeeper: overseeing landscape work, the preparation and restoration of gravesites, trimming trees and shrubs, overseeing volunteer crews, and light maintenance. Must have a preservation ethic and adhere to the highest ethical standards. Description at www.congressionalcemetery.or g. Email resume: congressionalcemetery@ att.net. by June 16th Call (202) 543- 0539 Help wanted. Able to grow. Fragers Hardware needs a multi-tasker for cashiering, counter person, stocking, and computer work. Good employment history a must. Full or part time. Apply in person to Nick, Steve, Edwin or John. 1115 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Rent/Sale Wanted to Rent Parking space wanted (off street/nighttime only). Vicinity Pa. Ave. to Mass/4th to 12th SE preferred. Plese call Pete Home 202-544-5688 Office: 202-333-7699. Housing for Rent Capitol hill/Union Station (6th and E, Acker Street, NE) Spacious, newly renovated 3BR/212 BA townhouse. Quiet street, lots of light. CAC, wood floors, F/P, DW, W/D & garden patio. $2500/mo. 973-831-7651 Health Services Still overweight or smoking?... You suffer needlessly! Join Peter Wesselton, CCH., Washington’s Hypnotherapist of Embassy Row…since 1974. His 3 hour Habit Restructuring LOSE WEIGHT AMERICA/STOP SMOKING AMERICA programs (VIP Private group) already used by National Education Assn., National Hospital, DynCorp, US Navy, American University, Washington Post. Call: GEORGETOWN INSTITUTE 202-333-7699 www.georgetowninstitute.org Services Cleaning Service Residential and commercial cleaning. I am someone who speaks Spanish, English and Portugese. Reasonable rates, references available. Carpet cleaning, move in, move out, construction cleanup. Licensed, bonded and insured Call Rosemary 202-320- 0805. 866/464-5371. Vacation Rentals Beach Vacation/Golf Reserve for this season or a fall golf outing. Cherry Grove Section, No. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 3BR 2BA home, 1 block from beach with dock and channel at back door. Over 100 golf courses nearby, and more mini-golf than you can play. Rent the Robeys’ beach cottage.… call 202-546-7410 for rates or www.voiceofthehill/ cricket.htm Children’s Items Wanted Used boutique, high end, children’s clothing, girls or boiys, from newborn to size 8, toys baby equipment, maternity clothes, shoes and furniture. No appointment necessary. Call Mon-Sat 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. 703-683-2918. Near Reagan National Airport. Call for directions. Other Volunteer Opportunity The Kreeger Museum is seeking docents to assist in giving tours to school groups from throughout the District who are visiting the galleries. Training will cover the collection as well as tour techniques for working with children and will begin on May 27. To learn more or to request an application, please call 202-337-3050 or visit our website, www.kreegermuseum.org Volunteers Needed MURALS PROJECT: Need volunteer coordinator/participant refurbishing thirteen MONDRIAN murals, Sixth Street, SE, freeway underpass. Would work with master muralist Bryon Peck (supervising city youth volunteers) and project originator Warren Robbins, Founder Museum of African Art. robbinscenter@ yahoo. com; fax (202/544-9352). To place a classified: Log on to www.voiceofthehill. com, go the newspaper drop down button, and click on “Classifieds.” Then follow the directions for placing an ad. Classifieds are posted online and in the next printed edition of The Voice. The cost is $25 payable by credit card through the website. You may also fax your ad to 202-547-5133. For info, call 202-544-0703.For display advertising, call Bruce Robey at 202-544-0703 Back by popular demand! Don’t miss this reimagining of the story of Oedipus at Colonus …staged as a church revival erupting with live gospel music that drives home the powerful themes of redemption and forgiveness—especially timely in the unsettled climate of today’s world. Previews Thursday , Friday, and Saturday June 12-14 at 8 pm GALA OPENING SUNDAY, JUNE 15 at 4pm Thurs., June 19 - Sat., June 21 at 8pm and Sunday, June 22 at 4pm Thurs., June 26 - Sat., June 28 at 8pm and Sunday, June 29 at 4pm Thurs., July 3 and Sat., July 5 at 8pm and Sunday, July 6 at 4pm NO PERFORMANCE JULY 4 Thurs., July 10 - Sat., July 12 at 8pm and Sunday, July 13 at 4pm A Theater Alliance benefit cabaret in honor of Rodney Hussey immediately follows the closing performance.Watch for details! H Street Playhouse, 1365 H Street, NE,Washington,DC All tickets are $20* For tickets call Box Office Tickets at 1-800-494-8497 or order on line at www.theateralliance.com *Free Theater on H Street Program makes available 25 free tickets per performance to all Gallaudet University Students and anyone living within a five block radius of the H Street Playhouse. First come, first served basis. Sponsored by the Fannie Mae and CHAMPS Foundations. Original Lyrics by Lee Breuer, adapted lyrics Bob Telson and Lee Breuer Directed by Paul-Douglas Michnewicz Music Direction James Foster Lighting Design Lynn Joslin Costume Design Cynthia Webb-Manly Scenic Consultation Tony Cisek Stage Managed by Andre Manly www.voiceofthehill.com 59 Capitol Hill UMC Coffeehouse Serves Up Hot Guitars and Mocha Voices The Coffeehouse on the Hill, a regular musical outlet located at Capitol Hill United Methodist Church, will again spotlight the diverse talents of local artists. June’s music will feature guitar and voice. On Friday, June 20, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., the evening will begin with Mike Numera, who will serve up a selection of blues, rock and spiritual songs. On some selections, he will be accompanied by another area guitarist, Tony Fazio At 9 p.m., the mood changes, with the performance of singer-songwriter Morrigan, whose musical slogan is “acoustic folk rock for soft ears and bruised souls.” Classically trained in piano and voice, she delivers her bittersweet anthems with a sultry and silken style. Morrigan’s website cautions listeners to “take everything you know about folk music and throw it out the window,” as she promises to coax folk music into the 21st century Refreshments are served, and there is no cover charge, but donations to the church are encouraged. The church is located at 421 Seward Square, SE (5th & Pennsylvania Ave. SE, and use 5th Street entrance). On-street parking is available, or drivers can use the church lot. Metro users should take the Blue/Orange line, exit at Eastern Market, and walk two blocks north to 5th Street. For more information, interested persons may call (202) 546-1000 or Carolyn at (301) 277-8751. VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 60 www.voiceofthehill.com Graphic and Web Design 312 Studio - Capitol Hill based graphics company, we specialize in: Web Site design, Illustration, logo design, portfolio design, CD presentation and collateral design. www.312studio.com; tel.: (202) 547.3456; cell: (202) 412.8322 Hardware Fragers Hardware 1115 Pennsylvania Ave., SE 543-6157 See our ad on page 49 Health & Fitness Results the Gym 3rd & G Sts, SE, 234-5678 See our ad on page 49 Home Furnishings Antique & Contemporary Leasing & Sales 709 12th Street, SE 547-3030 See our ad on page 19 Home Repair Handyman on the Hill Washington DC 206-7185 See our ad on page 14 Hotel Capitol Hill Suites 200 C St., SE 543-6000 See our ad on page 8 Accounting Marina Martin, MBA Innovative and versatile range of services for small business and non-profits 547-9536 Thomas Jenkins and Company Certified Public Accountants Tax & Financial Planning Corporation/Partnership 547-9004 See our ad on page 17 Air Conditioning & Heating John W. Fulcher 510 13th, SE, 544-8156 Service, replacements, installations Antiques Phoenix Gallery 325 7th St., SE 547-7070 Antique and Contemporary Leasing, 709 12th St., SE 547-3030 See our ad on page 16 Attorneys Rick Halberstein & Karen Byrne 705 D St., SE 543-1110 Arts Center Capitol Hill Arts Workshop 545 7th St., SE 547-6839 See our ad on page 37 Association CHAMPS 621 PA Ave., SE 547-7788 Bank National Capital Bank 316 PA Ave.,SE 546-8000 wwwnationalcapitalbank.com See our ad on page 23 Bed and Breakfast Bullmoose B&B 5th and S Sts.,NE 547-1050 See our ad on page 39 Doolittle Guest House 504 E. Capitol Street, SE 546-6622 See our ad on page 7 Maison Orleans 414 5th Street, SE, 544-3694 maisonorln@aol.com Bicycles Capitol Hill Bikes 709 8th St.,SE 544-4234 See our ad on page 9 Books Capitol Hill Books 657 C Street, SE, 544-1621 Good Used Books Bought & Sold. Liber Antiquus, Early Imprinted Books 19 D St, SE 546-2413 Riverby Books 419 E. Capitol St., SE 547-3228 See our ad on page 6 Catering Classic Affairs classicaffairscatering.com 504 Constitution Ave NE 202-543-4462 Contractors As a Capitol Hill homeowner for 12 years, I know the problems with a hundred year old house. We work exclusively on the Hill, so we don’t spend half the day in traffic—if I say we’ll be there, we’ll be there. Ragnar Thoreson 544-3700 Chimney Cleaning Winston’s Chimney Service Washington DC (301)571- 8546 Church Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church Worship Sunday 11am, Sunday School 9:45am wwwcapitolhillpreschurch.org 201 4th St, SE 547-8676 See our ad on page 13 Christ Church Washington Parish 620 G St., SE 547-9300 See our ad on page 61 Lutheran Church of the Reformation 212 E. Capitol St., SE, 543-4200 www.reformationdc.org See our ad on page 14 St. James’ Episcopal Church 222 8th St., SE, 546-1746 www.saintjameschurch.org See our ad on page 43 St. Peter’s Church 2nd & C Street, SE 547-1430 See our ad on page 43 Clothing & Gifts Art & Soul 225 PA Ave., SE 548-0105 See our ad on page 8 The Village 705 N. Carolina Ave., SE 546-3040 See our ad on page 4 Computer Consultant Better Computer Solutions 623 N. Carolina Ave., SE 546-8084 Dog walking services Zoolatry, Inc 202-547-WALK www.zoolatry.com Mid-Day Dog walking Service Insured - Bonded Drug Store Grubbs Care Pharmacy 326 E Capitol Street SE 543-4400 See our ad on page 32 Electric Repairs Bob Willett / K&W Electric 301-283-4004 Service work small jobs Flea Market The Flea Market at Eastern Market. Sundays, Eastern Market and Hine Junior High School. 175 Exhibitors. easternmarket.net 703/534-7612 Funeral Services Pinckney-Spangler Funeral Home 524 8th St. NE, 544-7720 A full service funeral home. Traditional burial or cremation services. Burial or cremation can be accompanied by a viewing and/or funeral or memorial service. Garden and Landscape Art Garden Design 546-6920, artgarden@ starpower.net Specializing in urban gardens with an emphasis on functional and non-functional art elements. See our ad on page 8 District Cityscapes, Inc 202-544-4886 See our ad on page 43 Frager’s Garden Center 1115 Penna Ave., SE, 543-6157 Gingko Gardens 911 11th St., SE 543- 5172See our ad on page 12 Ornamental Garden 544-7831 Income Tax Services Jackson Hewitt Tax Service 8th St., SE 554-8840 Internet DC Access 118 Kentucky Ave, SE 546-5898 www.dcaccess.net — a local ISP See our ad on page 8 Insurance Marilyn Riehl, CLU, ChFC State Farm Insurtance Home, Auto, Life, Financial Services 301-951-0355 Massage Therapy Capitol Hill Massage Associates Swedish, Deep Tissue, Seated Massage 202.746.4834 www.speedbumps.org/ massage Healing Hands Christine Getlein LMT 543-0041 Patricia Stocks, LMT, 547-7104 Reiki, Swedish, Deep Tissue, Shiatsu See our coupon page 4 Mason Michaliga Masonry 321 C Street, SE 544-4484 Business Directory Listings: Voice of the Hill is including a yellow-pages style directory of businesses and services that cater to the Capitol Hill community. To be included in the directory businesses must commit to a one-year contract, payable in advance by check, Visa or Mastercard. The annual fee is $250. Each business will be given three lines in the directory; two must be used for the company name, address and phone number. An extra line is available for your name, a description of your business or service, or a direction to see your ad. Additional lines may be added at an annual cost of $60 per line (per year). If you would like to be included in the next directory, please fill in the following form and send it, along with your check or payment information, to: The Voice of the Hill, 120 11th St., SE, Washington, DC 20003. If you have questions please call Bruce Robey at 544-0703. Your Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Company Name: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Business Description: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please charge my Mastercard or Visa Name on Card: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Card Number: ________________________________________________________________________________Expiration Date:____________ Business Directory VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 Pardoe Real Estate 605 PA Ave., SE 546-7000 See our ad on the back cover The von Schlegel Realty Team REMAX Real Estate 220 7th St., 547-5600 See our ad on page 35 Phyllis Jane Young Pardoe Real Estate 605 PA Ave., SE 546-7000 See ad page 63 John Parker Pardoe Real Estate 605 PA Ave., SE 546-7000 Kristof Realty Group/Pam Kristof REMAX Capital Realtors 202-588-2021, www.kristofgroup.com See our ad page 30 Prudential Carruthers 216 7th Street, SE 393-1111 www.prudentialcarruthers.com See our ad on page 19 Kitty and Tati Kaupp Residential and Commercial Pardoe Coldwelll Banker 546-7000 See our ad on page 4 Randall Hagner John Janke 546-9057 See our ad page 9 Sherlocke Homes Panchita Bello 708 G Street, SE 202-543-0954 We take the mystery out of real estate. Call first for appointment www.sherlockehomes.com See our ad on page 9 Real Estate Settlement Congressional Title 650 PA Ave., SE 544-0800 See our ad on page 43 Eastern Market Title 210 7th St., SE 546-3100 See our ad on page 49 Recycling Services A Variety of Recycling Services, LLC. 1717 K St, NW, Suite 613 202-508-3397 Commercial Division Restaurants Two Quail 320 Massachusetts Ave. NE 543-8030 See our ad on page 32 Banana Café 400 8th St., SE 543-5906 See our ad on page 47 Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream 327 7th St., SE 546-CAKE See our coupon on page 45 Café Berlin 322 Mass. Ave., NE 543-7656 German American Cuisine Hawk ’n’ Dove 329 PA Ave., SE 543-3300 See our ad on page 13 Starfish 539 8th E 546-5006 See our ad on page 45 Roofing Star Roofing 1159 4th St., NE 543-6383 See our ad page 30 Salons Randolph Cree 325 7th St., SE See our ad on page 25 Social Services Capitol Hill Group Ministry 421 Seward Sq., SE 544- 0385 Schools Capitol Hill Day School 109 S. Carolina Ave., SE 547- 2244 Edmund Burke School 2955 Upton St., NW 362- 8882 St Peter’s School 422 3rd St., SE 544-1618 Spiritual Advisors Corrin Bennett Private Consultations 543-5825 Theater Folger Shakespeare Theatre and Library 201 East Capitol Street, SE 544-7077 Shakespeare Theatre Education 547-5688 Therapy Joseph Tarantolo, MD Individual, couples and group psychotherapy 543-5290 See our ad on page 43 Michelle Piquet Individual, couple and group psychotherapy 544-4480 See our ad page 14 Vacation/Travel Consultants Jan Cammarata Judiciary Express Travel 7th & Penn, SE, 547-3007 Veterinarians Capitol Hill Veterinary Clinic 520 8th St., SE 546-1972 See our ad on page 43 Union Veterinary 609 2nd St., NE 544-2500 See our ad page 13 Workshops Writer’s Way Workshops Make time for you! 547-3506 www.dcwritersway.org Yoga Studio Capitol Hill Yoga 221 5th St NE, 202-544- 0011 See our ad on page 48 Corrin Bennett 543-5825 Private Yoga instruction, group classes St. Marks Yoga Center 3rd & A St., SE 546-4964 www.edow.org/stmarks capitolhill/arts/yoga.html www.voiceofthehill.com 61 Mortgage Lenders Apex Home Loans 301-474-7100 See our ad on page 6 Jeffrey A. Love, Loan Officer Federal Funding Mortgage Corp 202-210-7106 jlove@ffmcorp.com Oracle Solutions Casetech, Inc. Elizabeth Jenkins 611 Penna. Ave, SE 543- 4499, www.casetech.com Office Supplies Capitol Hill Innervision Art and Office Supplies 701 8th St., SE 544-4664 Painting David Mahoney Painting Co. 544-9577 See our ad page 21 Pet Supplies Doolittle’s Pet Supply 224 7th St., SE 544-8710 See our ad on page 4 Photography Motophoto 666 PA Ave., SE 547-2100 See our ad on page 16 Picture Framing Capitol Hill Art & Frame 623 Penna. Ave., SE 546-2700 See our pad page 17 Fulton Framing Framing and Preservation 544-8408 See our ad on page 7 Frame of Mine Custom Framing 522 8th St., SE 543-3030 See our ad on page 11 Newman Gallery and Custom Frames 511 11th St., SE 544-7577 See our ad on page 48 Real Estate Valerie M. Blake Prudential Carruthers Realtors 5025 Wisconsin Ave, NW 202-362-1348, x111, www.DCHomeQuest.com Thom Burns Coldwell Banker Real Estate 109 8th St. NE 547-5805 Larry Chartienitz Pardoe Real Estate 605 PA Ave., SE 546-7000 ext. 228 202-255-3731 See our ad on page 61 Tom Faison REMAX Real Estate 220 7th St., SE 255-5554 See ad page 15 John C. Formant Sales and Rentals Todd Bissey 202-841-SOLD Peter Frias 202-744-8973 225 PA Ave., SE 544-3900 www.johncformant.com See our ad page 2 Hugh Kelly 202-588-2224 See our ad on page 16 DO YOU WANT THE JOB DONE RIGHT?? Then let the LARRY CHARTIENITZ REALTY TEAM go to work for you. To find out what your property is worth in today’s Real Estate market, contact us at 202-255-3731 or by email lchartienitz@coldwellbankermove.com COLDWELL BANKER/PARDOE REAL ESTATE Specializing in Residential and Commercial property sales. Licensed in DC, MD, & VA Sunday Worship Schedule 8:15 am Holy Eucharist - spoken 9:15 am Breakfast 9:45 am Adult Forum - Bible study and discussion of special issues 10:00 am Church School 11:00 am* Holy Eucharist - music 12:00 pm Coffee Hour and Fellowship Nursery care for children under 3 available at 8:15 am CHRIST CHURCH—a welcoming community of faith and fellowship with a big heart and room to grow. 620 G Street, SE Just two and a half blocks south of Eastern Market Metro station Christ Church in 1918 See our web site www.washingtonparish.org Phone (202) 547-9300 The Rev. Dr. Judith A. Davis, Rector VOICE of the Hill / June 2003 62 www.voiceofthehill.com . The Hungry Wanderer La Plaza 629 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE 202.546.9512 With the help of a few hungry fellow restaurant-going friends, this writer inaugurated his Voice of the Hill reviewing career by paying his first visit to Hill newcomer La Plaza. A quick stroll down Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, along the commercial corridor, takes one “south of the border” to this Mexican and Salvadoran eatery. Greeted by the enthusiastic staff, you view the single room restaurant and small bar, festively decorated with Latin wall hangings and adorned by strings of lights, and red, white and green-colored walls. Not a fancy place, but a tidy and comfortable place. Typical of restaurants offering Latin cuisine, the menu offers a very broad range of choices, including a score of appetizers and soups and over 60 (!) main course options, many of them reasonably priced (over half were priced under $10). Included in this bountiful bevy is the standard selection of tacos, chimichangas, fajitas, burritos, enchiladas and the usual combinations of the above. Not to exclude vegetarian diners, La Plaza offers a nice selection of meatless dishes, including the combination plate El Cuscatleco Vegetarioano, which leans towards the Salvadoran side and includes a tasty sweet corn tamale called a tamal de elote, which is also offered as an appetizer. Standouts among the starters include the carnitas al pastor, a plate of tender marinated beef strips nicely browned on the outside but a juicy and very flavorful pink inside. The pupusa, a Salvodoran favorite, is a small round corn tortilla filled with pork and cheese and accompanied by a tangy but satisfying marinated cabbage slaw. The accompanying slaw has more flavor than the papusa, but it makes a very manageable (in size and cost, at $1.95) first course for those wanting less. The guacamole dip, served in a flour tortilla bowl, was an excellent example of this popular dish, very fresh and flavorful served with firm and flaky fried flour tortilla chips which stand up nicely to the chunky spread. The Quesadilla Azteca, touted as a specialty of the house, was much better than the average ’dilla, stuffed with ample chunks of chicken and peppers and oozing with just enough cheese to satisfy but not overhwhelm, and served with the requisite sour cream, lettuce and pico de gallo. On the seafood end is Camarones Matamros, which consists of medium-sized shrimp sauteed in garlic and white wine. The shellfish are plump and cooked to a nice consistency, but the sautee could use a bit more punch from garlic and a little less wine. More mundane were the Chili Con Queso and the more appealing Chorizo Con Queso with slices of Latin sausage, both of which could use a bit more “umph” to liven up the somewhat bland cheese taste. Moving on to the main dish can pose a dilemma for those who can’t choose between the myriad range of dishes. La Plaza’s standard Latin fare satisfies a healthy appetite at a reasonable price, with solid offerings of well-known dishes such as burritos, enchiladas, tacos and sizzling fajitas and several combinations of the above. The Fajita Suprema was a generous portion of meat (more chicken than beef or shrimp) and vegetables served sizzling on a metal skillet with the tortillas and the usual fixin’s—lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream. Nice diversions from the typical burger or sandwich, these budget-priced entrees allow one to dine out in a pleasant setting without breaking the bank. The restaurant also offers four small-portioned entrees for children under 12. For the more adventurous, the restaurant serves up some interesting specialty dishes from both Mexico and El Salvador, all served with rice and black beans. Although a bit more pricey than the standard fare, these selections are still in the moderate range compared to other restaurants. Many tempting dishes grace the menu, such as Pollo a la Holla, consisting of tender chunks of chicken which have simmered in a red wine sauce with red onions, morsels of ham and olives. The result is a satisfying, stew-like dish whose ingredients blend well together with a savory, smoky flavor. The Latin equivalent of a mixed grill, Parridilla Mexicana is simply a plate of steak, chicken, and chorizo—pork sausage seasoned with chili and garlic—all grilled to a nice, crisp outside without losing flavor inside. The Salvadoran version substitutes shrimp for chicken. La Plaza also presents a half a dozen seafood specialty dishes, including Camarones Reynosa, goodsized plump shrimp that are sauteed in a Tampico butter sauce—think of it as slightly sweet drawn butter—served over Mexican rice in a manageable portion. Another interesting dish is Mariscos Azteca, shrimp and scallops sauteed with finelydiced onions, green peppers, tomatos and pimentos. It has a mild flavor, with the vegetables balancing out the shellfish, although the dish seemed a bit overcooked with slightly chewy scallops and the veggies a little soggy. Other intriguing dishes listed were salmon fillets cooked with either a Cancun sauce or grilled and topped with asparagus and crab meat, and Masitas de Chancho, morsels of roasted pork served with a Spanish-style sauce. The menu also included several steak and chicken selections which seemed to cover most appetite ranges. The bar at La Plaza is stocked with a handful of margarita choices by the glass and the pitcher, as well as homemade sangria, house wine by the glass and carafe, and a good selection of imported beers, all but one of which are Mexican and Salvadoran. The regular margarita sampled was definitely not lacking in tequila and could have used a bit more mixer. The selection of desserts, or “postres,” contains recognizable Latin sweets such as sopapillas, flan, cajeta and fried ice cream, as well more simple ice cream dishes. If you do have room for dessert, the after-dinner selections are fine but not outstanding. Fried ice cream at La Plaza consists of two scoops if vanilla covered with a semi-crunchy shell with a slightly coconut flavor. The flan was unexceptional; its consistency was uneven and almost mealy. La Plaza is a nice addition to the growing number restaurants on Capitol Hill—a warm and friendly place with attentive service. The staff seems adept at making you feel at home without being too intrusive or aloof, which, unfortunately, is the exception and not the rule today. If you’re looking for a pleasant and reasonably-priced meal, La Plaza seems to have the right combination for a low-key dinner. WANDER’S RATINGS Food Quality *** Service ***12 Value **** Atmosphere *** * = Unacceptable, objectionable ** = Below average, fair *** = Average to good, palatable **** = Very good, recommended ***** = Exceptional, extraordinary This is reviewer Robert Wander’s first Voice of the Hill offering. La Plaza Offers the Right Combination for a Comfortable Dinner BY ROBERT WANDER The best view on real estate EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY 1FREDERICK REMINGTON: The Color of Night @ Nat’l Gallery East Wing SIR EDMUND HILLARY: Everest and Beyond @ Nat’l Geographic Explorers Hall JEANIE JOHNSTON, the Irish emigrant ship arrives in Washington for public tours. Gangplank Marina 600 Water Street, SW. 202-365-7475 4THE SHAKESPEARE Theatre’s Free for All production of Hamlet runs through June 8.Save your bucks! This one is free. Carter Barron Amphitheatre 7:30 p.m 202- 547-1122 2KEMPER Insurance Open…the world’s top golfers compete at this PGA Tour event June 2-8 @ Avenel 202-432-7328 UPPERVILLE Colt and Horse Show…more than 1,000 horse and rider teams compete June 2-8, @ the Upperville Show Grounds, Upperville, Va. 540- 253-5760. 3GHOSTS, Henrik Ibsen’s classic, starring Jane Alexander, opens @ Shakespeare Theatre, 450 7th St. NW, June 3-July 27 EARTH, Wind & Fire, true masters of funk, take you back to the ‘70s. Wolf Trap - Filene Center 8 p.m703-255- 1860 5HONOR the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin, as she reigns at Wolf Trap this summer. Wolf Trap 8:30 p.m 703-255-1860 WATCH the premiere African dance company production Dance Africa DC 2003 Roots, Ritual & Rhythm, at Dance Place 3225 Eighth St. NE 202-269-1600 8CAPITAL PRIDE Festival Show your gay pride with the annual parade and street fair in Dupont Circle. Enter your own float or walk in the parade or just show up and cheer 23rd and P Sts 6:30 p.m. 202-797-351 VINTAGE Virginia Wine Festival Samples from over 350 Virginia wines, savor gourmet foods, dance to reggae, rock and blues @ Great Meadow The Plains, VA 800-277-2675 9HAVE YOU been to the National Arboretum…what a joy and it’s free! Walk the dog, take a picnic, commune with nature…take a course… numerous ongoing events…always beautiful. Call 202-245-2726 or tour www.usna.usda.gov. A gardener’s delight! 10 JOIN the U.S. Marine Silent Drill Team, Drum and Bugle Corps for a demonstration of precision marching. “Sunset,” Marine Corps Memorial 7 p.m. Free 202-433-4011 LAUGH with comic outrage that gives new meaning to speed reading. Reduced Shakespeare Company Kennedy Center 7:30 p.m. 202-467-4600 11 SHARE crystalline vocals with the folk-country artist and multiple Grammy winner Emmylou Harris Wolf Trap 8 p.m $10-$30 703-218-6500 ROCK with the popular Beatles tribute band 1964 the Tribute, at the Birchmere 7:30 p.m 800- 551-7328 12 ENJOY the country music favorites Brooks & Dunn bring their Neon Circus and Wild West Show to Nissan Pavilion and Merriweather Post Pavilion. HEAR Itzhak Perlman on violin with the National Symphony Orchestra — Featuring Leonard Slatkin Conducting Wolf Trap 8:15 p.m. $18-$38 703-218-6500 13 ANTIQUE and Classic Boat Festival…More than 100 vintage vessels, drafts, food and song @ this festival June 13-15@ Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum on Mill Street in St. Michaels. 410-745-2916 SHERRY HANDLE, Robin Morgan, Beverly Guy-Sheftall and Diane Rehm discuss and sign their books at tHyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill Noon-2 p.m. 202-332-3433 14 FULL MOON FLAG DAY! CAPITOL HILL Children’s Baseball League 13th summer season opens today. Call Phyllis for schedules. Takoma Park Jazz Fest Pick ‘em up and put ‘em down at this year’s jazz festival themed “Happy Feet,” Jequie Park, Takoma Park, MD 301-593-9403 15 HAPPY FATHER’S DAY! PUT A SPLASH in your Garden! If you’re thinking of adding a pond or fountain, sign up and get the facts! FONA 2-5…call 245-5898 for reservations. POTOMAC CELTIC Festival…last day to enjoy Celtic music, dance storytelling, workshops, Highland games and whiskey tasting @ Morven Park International Equestrian Center. 703-938-9779 19 GROOVE at the Jazz and Blues Festival Wolf Trap 8 p.m. 703- 218-6500 Features performances by Cesaria Evora, Buddy Guy and Norah Jones. ENJOY James Taylor at the Nissan Pavilion 8 p.m. 703- 573-7328 or 800-551-7328 The legendary folk / pop singer returns to Washington for his October Road tour. 30 An Odyssey in Print: Adventures in the Smithsonian Libraries National Museum of American History Free More than 100 examples of the libraries’ diverse 1.5 million-volume collection are on display Show your “wild” side! Enter the Giant Panda Photo Contest with a pic you’ve taken @ the National Zoo. Win wonderful prizes. 20 HEAR Leon Redbone croon at the Birchmere 7:30 p.m $22.50 703-218-6500 Don’t let the neo-vaudeville singer’s retro persona distract from his skills with ragtime. ZOONIGHT @ the National Zoo. Members only event explores the Zoo after hours…join FONZ and enjoy the fun. 29 Latino Festival Patterson Park 200 S. Linwood Ave. Baltimore, Noon-11 p.m $3; children under 12 free. 410-783-5404 Live Latin music, ethnic dances and food fill the park during this Baltimore celebration. Enjoy the dunks as Washington Mystics take on the Minnesota Lynx at MCI Center 2 p.m. 202-432-7328 or 800-551- 7328 21 FIRST DAY OF SUMMER! YEA! National Capital Barbecue Battle on Penna Avenue between 10th & 14th Sts 11am-10 pm. 202-860- 0630 Watch, smell and taste bbq as teams from 14 states battle for $15,000 in prizes. DC CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL celebration begins. 202-726-2204 Antique Show and Sale by The Arlington Kiwanis at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center703- 525-1957 22 DROP ’EM! Egg Drop Design Competition National Building Museum. 202-272-2488 Drop an egg from the second floor balcony of the Bldg Museum. HEAR Peter Gabriel at the Nissan Pavilion 7:30 p.m. 703- 573-7328 Growing Up Live, on first tour in a decade promoting his latest album, “Up.” 23 See See original pieces from Anne Frank at the exhibit “Anne Frank the Writer: An Unfinished Story,” Holocaust Memorial Museum Free GAR-RON-TEE it. The zydeco superstar, C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band Birchmere 703-573-7328 24 RIVERDANCE — The Show Take in an electrifying spectacle of Irish music, song and dance Wolf Trap 8 p.m. 701-218-6500 LISTEN to Richard Polsky as he discuss twelve years and $100,000 later his personal Andy Warhol collection. “I Bought Andy Warhol,” at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. 202- 639-1703 25 ENJOY the sassy Texas trio Dixie Chicks as they manage to steer clear of Nashville’s cookie-cutter music machine of country acts. Dixie Chicks MCI 202-432-7328 Smithsonian Folklife Festival: Evening Concerts The National Mall Free The music of Mali, Scotland and Appalachia. 26 ATTEND the National Symphony Orchestra: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky concert at the Kennedy Center 7 p.m $19- $69 202-467-4600 Featuring the composer’s Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36. CHILL to the great jazz saxophonist David Sanborn at the Birchmere 7:30 p.m. $39.50 703-549-7500. 27 Watch a hometown kid who made good come back. Tommy Davidson at The Improv 8:30 p.m 202-296- 7008 STEEE RIKE 3! Baltimore Orioles Vs Philadelphia Phillies Oriole Park at Camden Yards 7:05 p.m 410-481-7328 28 DC Caribbean Carnival and Concert Pennsylvania Ave. between 10th and 13th Streets Noon-8 p.m. Free 202-829-1477 Caribbean heritage and culture. TOM RUSH at the Birchmere 7:30 p.m. $22.50 703-549-7500. Whether performing and writing folk-blues or producing shows, this 1960s folk veteran is multitalented. 6ALEXANDRIA RED CROSS: Waterfront Festival…Visiting ships, music on multiple stages, arts and crafts, fames and more June 6-8. Oronoco Bay Park 6-11 p.m703-549- 8300 CELEBRATE Fairfax! The annual fair with entertainment, arts & crafts, children’s activities Fairfax County Gov’t Center. 703-324-3247 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 7CELEBRATE jazz with the 11th Annual “Capital Jazz Fest,” featuring top performers including a guest appearance by Ray Charles. Bull Run Regional Park 703-573-7328 BOWIEFEST…a dog show, children’s rides, crafts and entertainment @ Allen Pond Park, Mitchellville Road and Northview Drive in Bowie. 301- 262-6200 16 MARSDEN HARTLEY, Phillips Collection A comprehensive retrospective of the modernist painter. Abstraction 1949-1959 Hemphill Fine Arts May 28-July 26 A deeper look at abstract expressionism. 17 THE DUKE ELLINGTON School of the Arts Show Choir. will perform show tunes, spirituals, jazz and Motown. 202-282-0123 PAY TRIBUTE to mom with “Lackawanna Blues,” at the Studio Theatre 202-332-3300. An award-winning actor takes on many characters to pay tribute to mom. 18 HOW I GOT That Shot: An Evening with White House Photographers, at the Corcoran Gallery of Art 7 p.m.202-639- 1703. Three acclaimed members of the White House News Photographer’s Assn present slides and describe their craft. Take the Last Train Home with Willie Nelson and Family at Wolf Trap 8 p.m. 703-255-1860 The icon of Americana roots music drops in. PHYLLIS JANE YOUNG PARDOE /Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Office 202.262.7253 (SALE) • Home 202.544.4236 • email: phyllisjaneyoung@realtor.com www.phyllisjaneyoung.com Licensed broker in DC, MD and VA. . June A Tribute To A Capitol Hill Legend hen we walk the streets of our neighborhood and admire the progress and ruminate over the fact that this is such a wonderful place to live, we often forget the many people who helped to get us to where we are today. Bob and Joan Herrema are two such people. Moving to the Hill in the 70s, they not only chose to raise their family here, they decided to take a huge gamble and invest their financial security in its future. Over the next two decades, they renovated many, many single family properties. Then they took the great leap of faith and began buying abandoned District buildings and converting them into Capitol Hill residences. Several examples include the Carbery School, the Logan School and the Grace Church Condominiums. While these conversions were done in the 80s, as a tribute to the quality of design and craftsmanship, today they still retain very high resale values relative to the rest of the market. All over the City, builders are converting abandoned properties into glitzy new condominiums. In the 80’s, this was still a risky business. Bob and Joan were ahead of their times and set the standard for many to follow and Capitol Hill is a far better place for their vision. While they conducted their business in our community, they stood ready to help many of our fledgling organizations in any way that they could. From the Capitol Hill Day School to the Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals, they were always there to assist. Bob The many friends of Bob and Joan wanted to take this opportunity to thank them for all that they have done for our community and to let them know that our thoughts and our prayers are with them daily. 605 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE / 202-547-3525 / www.pardoe.com W