mid city dc magazine january 2016

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MIDCITY JANUARY 2016

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Mid City DC Magazine October 2015 News from the uptown and Northwest DC areas of Washington, DC

TRANSCRIPT

MIDCITY JANUARY 2016

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 0 3

815 FLORIDA AVENUE, NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20001 • 202.777.1600 • DCHFA.ORG

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CONTENTSJANUARY2016

34

40

22

08 what’s on washington10 calendar46 classifieds

ONTHECOVER:

out and about16 12 Years that Shook

DC•PleasantMann

20 DepecheArt•PhilHutinet

22 Let’sGetPhysical•JazelleHunt

your neighborhood24 BulletinBoard•KathleenDonner

28 DistrictBeat•JonettaRoseBarras

30 TheNumbers•EdLazere

32 Jonetta’sTake•JonettaRoseBarras

34 ShawStreets•PleasantMann

36 Mt.VernonTriangle•EllenBoomer

37 ANC6E•SteveHolton

38 BloomingdaleBuzz•EllenBoomer

kids and family40 Notebook•KathleenDonner

at home44 ChangingHands•DonDenton

Photo:ChineseNewYear’sattheKennedyCenter.CourtesyoftheKennedyCenter.

MIDCITY

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 0 5

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0 6 M I d C I T Y d C N E w S . C O M

Editorial Staff Managing Editor: Andrew Lightman • [email protected] & Associate Editor: Maria Carolina Lopez • [email protected] Notes Editor: Susan Braun Johnson • [email protected] & Family Editor: Kathleen Donner • [email protected]

Arts, Dining & Entertainment Art: Jim Magner • [email protected]: Celeste McCall • [email protected] Jonathan Bardzik • [email protected]: Karen Lyon • [email protected]: Mike Canning • [email protected]: Jean-Keith Fagon • [email protected] Stephen Monroe • [email protected]: Barbara Wells • [email protected] Wine Girl: Lilia Coffi n • [email protected]

Calendar & Bulleti n BoardCalendar Editor: Kathleen Donner • [email protected], bulleti [email protected]

General Assignment Elise Bernard • [email protected] Boomer • [email protected] Deutsch • [email protected] Hall • [email protected] Lilienthal - [email protected] Mann • [email protected] Markey • [email protected] H. Muller • [email protected] Neeley • [email protected] Rich • [email protected] Schoell • [email protected] Avniel Spatz • [email protected] G. Stevens • [email protected] J. Waldron • [email protected] Wright • [email protected]. Charles Vincent“Mickey Thompson Vincent

Beauty, Health & FitnessPatricia Cinelli • fi [email protected] Hunt • [email protected] Y.A. Montague • [email protected]

Real EstateDon Denton • [email protected]

Kids & FamilyKathleen Donner • [email protected] Johnson • [email protected]

Homes & GardensDerek Thomas • [email protected] Plume • [email protected] Corson • [email protected]

CommentaryEthelbert Miller • [email protected] Nose • [email protected] Last Word • [email protected]

Producti on/Graphic/Web DesignArt Director: Jason Yen • [email protected] Design: Lee Kyungmin • [email protected] Master: Andrew Lightman • [email protected]

Adverti sing & SalesAccount Executi ve:Kira Means, 202.543.8300 X16 • [email protected] Executi ve:Laura Vucci, 202.543.8300 X22 • [email protected] Executi ve & Classifi ed Adverti sing:Maria Carolina Lopez,202.543.8300 X12 • [email protected]

Distributi onManager: Andrew LightmanDistributors: MediaPoint, LLCInformation: distributi [email protected]

Deadlines & ContactsAdvertising: [email protected] Ads: 15th of each monthClassified Ads: 10th of each monthEditorial: 15th of each month; [email protected] Board & Calendar: 15th of each month;[email protected], bulleti [email protected]

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Melissa Ashabranner • [email protected]: Jean-Keith Fagon • [email protected] • Copyright © 2015 by Capital Community News. All Rights Reserved.

We welcome suggesti ons for stories. Send queries to [email protected]. We are also interested in your views on community issues which are published in the Last Word. Please limit your comments to 250 words. Lett ers may be edited for space. Please include your name, address and phone number. Send Last Word submissions to [email protected]. For employment opportuniti es email [email protected].

MIDCITY

YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

F A G O NGUIDE TO CAPITOL HILL

Capital Community News, Inc. Publishers of:

E S T . 1 9 7 6E S T . 1 9 7 6E S T . 1 9 7 6

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J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 0 7

Real EstateDon Denton • [email protected]

Kids & FamilyKathleen Donner • [email protected] Johnson • [email protected]

Homes & GardensDerek Thomas • [email protected] Plume • [email protected] Corson • [email protected]

CommentaryEthelbert Miller • [email protected] Nose • [email protected] Last Word • [email protected]

Production/Graphic/Web DesignArt Director: Jason Yen • [email protected] Design: Lee Kyungmin • [email protected] Master: Andrew Lightman • [email protected]

Advertising & SalesAccount Executive:Kira Means, 202.543.8300 X16 • [email protected] Executive:Laura Vucci, 202.543.8300 X22 • [email protected] Executive & Classified Advertising:Maria Carolina Lopez,202.543.8300 X12 • [email protected]

DistributionManager: Andrew LightmanDistributors: MediaPoint, LLCInformation: [email protected]

Deadlines & ContactsAdvertising: [email protected] Ads: 15th of each monthClassified Ads: 10th of each monthEditorial: 15th of each month; [email protected] Board & Calendar: 15th of each month;[email protected], [email protected]

0 8 M I d C I T Y d C N E w S . C O M

Map of the Northern Frontier of New Spain, with Spanish Provinces and Native American Tribes 1779 España. Ministerio de Defensa. Archivo del Museo Naval AMN 7-A-1

Designing AmericA:spAin’s imprint inthe Us Designing America: Spain’s Imprint in the US dis-plays the important contributions that Spain has made to the construction of the US territory, land-scape and cities, from the first settlements to pres-ent day. Visitors learn about the historical, political and cultural events that have marked the course of 500 years of common history: a footprint still vis-ible on North American soil. This exhibition is at the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain, 2801 16th St. NW, through Feb. 28. Gallery hours are Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. designing-america.com.

WOnDer At therenWick gAlleryNine leading contemporary artists--Jennifer An-gus, Chakaia Booker, Gabriel Dawe, Tara Donovan, Patrick Dougherty, Janet Echelman, John Grade, Maya Lin and Leo Villareal--have taken over differ-ent rooms and have created site-specific installa-tions inspired by the Renwick. While these artists have creates strikingly different works, they are connected by their interest in creating large-scale installations from unexpected materials. Index cards, marbles, strips of wood—all objects so com-monplace and ordinary we often overlook them—are assembled, massed, and juxtaposed to utterly transform the spaces. The Renwick Gallery—the first building in the United States built expressly as an art museum—has just reopened its doors after a two-year renovation. The Renwick Gallery is at Pennsylvania Ave. at 17th St. NW. renwick.america-nart.si.edu/wonder.

Gabriel Dawe, Plexus A1, 2015, Renwick Gal-lery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum,

Courtesy Conduit Gallery. Photo: Ron Blunt

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Robert Stanton, Puff in The Critic and Moon in The Real Inspector Hound, at the Lansburgh Theatre, Jan. 5 through

Feb. 14. Photo: Scott Suchman.

shAkespeAre theAtercOmpAny’s Free Will tickets Shakespeare Theater Company reserves 1,000 tickets to every main-stage production to be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis completely free of charge until they run out. After that they will do their best to get you tickets through the low-cost ticket options STC has always offered—such as their 35 or Under discounts, $25 rush tickets and the $20 tickets already available for all performances. FREE WILL tickets are available in person, online and over the phone ev-ery Monday at noon for performances that week. When the box office is closed on a Monday holiday, FREE WILL tickets will be available on Tuesday both online and over the phone. Read more at shake-spearetheatre.org/info/free-will.

Photo: Edward Alan Feldman

cApitAl Fringe shOW“DishWAsher” Through Jan. 31, award-winning DC-based conceptual artist Brian Feldman brings back “Dishwasher,” the most talked-about and best-reviewed show of the 2015 Capital Fringe Fes-tival--taking place in the home of the ticket buyer. Brian Feldman’s first-ever job was as an actor with Orlando Shakespeare Theater. His

second? Dishwasher at a fast-food restau-rant chain. At a mutu-ally agreed upon time, Brian will go the tick-et buyer’s home and hand wash the dirty dishes in their kitchen sink. Once completed, they will hand him a monologue of their choosing which he will cold read on the spot. Finally, Brian will pose them a question: “Am I a better actor or dish-washer?” After receiv-ing their answer, he will depart their home; posting the verdict on social media. Only 31 tickets are available for the Washington Metropolitan Area tour of “Dishwasher” (one per day). Get a ticket at brianfeldman.com.

1 0 M I d c I t y d c n e w s . c o M

C a l e n d a r J A N U A R Y

West Side Story at SignatureThrough Jan. 24. The musical, a collaboration of music, dance and theater giants Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents, is considered by some to be one of the greatest musicals of all time. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave. off I395 at the Shirlington exit (#6). signature-theatre.org.

Photo: Courtesy of Signature Theatre

MLK EVENTSMartin Luther King Jr. Celebration Event. Jan. 15, 7 to 9 PM. Keynote address by Dr. Khalil Gibran Mu-hammad, an on-stage discussion on “Looking Back, Moving Forward” and entertainment by mime troupe Crazee Praize Nation. Baird Auditorium in the Na-tional Museum of Natural History. Call 202-633-4844 to register. anacostia.si.edu.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast. Jan. 16, 8 to 10 AM. The MLK Memorial Breakfast raises college scholarship funds for deserving, financially challenged Washington, DC high school graduates. Grand Hyatt, 1000 H St. NW. Get tickets at upo.org.

Let Freedom Ring! at the Kennedy Center. Jan. 18, 6 PM. Join the Kennedy Center and Georgetown University in a musical celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, a Millennium Stage event featuring the Let Freedom Ring Choir and other special guests. Free. kennedy-center.org.

Washington National Cathedral MLK Concert. Jan. 18, 2 to 4 PM. The Cathedral hosts a celebration to honor the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and continue his vision through mu-sic and poetry presented by the Cathedral and DC’s performing arts community. Attendees are asked to bring a new children’s book or non-perishable food item to donate.

MLK Peace Walk and Parade. Jan. 18, 11 AM (peace walk); noon (parade). Peace Walk at 2500 MLK Ave. SE. Parade starts at 2700 MLK Ave. SE; ends at 4201 MLK Ave. SE. mlkholidaydc.org.

Remembrance at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Jan. 18, 8 to 9 AM. Keynote by Secretary of Home-land Security Jeh Johnson. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, 1964 Independence Ave. SW. thememo-rialfoundation.org.

Visit the MLK Memorial. Open to visitors all hours, every day. 1964 Independence Ave. SW. nps.gov/mlkm.

SPECIAL EVENTSRestaurant Week Winter 2016. Jan. 25 to 31. Three-course fixed price lunch ($22) and/or dinner ($35) menus at 250 of the Washington DC area’s favorite dining establishments. Reserve a table at RWDMV.com.

Alexandria Winter Restaurant Week. Jan. 29 to Feb. 7. More than 60 Alexandria restaurants offer a $35 three-course dinner or a $35 dinner for two. More than two dozen restaurants are also offering lunch deals at $10, $15 or $20 per person in ad-dition to the dinner specials. AlexandriaRestaurant-Week.com.

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J A N U A R Y

Photo: Courtesy of Signature Theatre

1 2 M I d c I t y d c n e w s . c o M

MUSICMusic at Sixth and I. Jan. 9, American Spiritual Ensemble; Jan. 10, NSO In Your Neighborhood: An Evening of Chamber Music; Feb. 6, Brooklyn Rider & Gabriel Kahane. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. 202-408-3100. sixthandi.org.

Music at Rock and Roll Hotel. Jan. 9, 16, 23 and 30, DJS Rex Riot & Basscamp; Jan. 11, Metz; Jan. 19, Torres; Jan. 22, Those Darlins “Farewell Tour”; Feb. 6, Beauty Pill. Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE. 202-388-7625. rockandrollhoteldc.com.

Music at Black Cat. Jan. 10, The Combs; Jan. 12, King Giant; Jan. 14, Heavy Breath-ing; Jan. 15, Furball DC; Jan. 17, Chrome Pony; Jan. 19, Jukebox the Ghost; Jan. 20, Bayonne; Jan. 21, Elena & Los Fulanos; Jan. 23, New Order Dance Company; Jan. 24,The Go Team; Jan. 29, Awkward Sex...And The City; Jan. 30, Escort; Feb. 2, Emily Wells; Feb. 3, Young Galaxy. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. blackcatdc.com.

Sunday Concerts at the Phillips. Jan. 10, Stewart Goodyear; Jan. 17, Yevgeny Kutik & Timo Andres; Jan. 24, Nadia Sirota; Jan. 31. Feb. 7, Sandrine Piau. $30, $15 for members, students, and visitors 6 to 18; includes museum admission for the day of the concert. Advance reservations recommended. phillipscollection.org/music.

Blues Night in Southwest. Every Monday, 6 to 9 PM. Jan. 11, Eddie Jones and the Young Bucks; Jan. 18, Vince Evans Blues Band; Jan. 25, Jacques & Margie Live!; Feb.

CALENDAR

Tom Story and Jenna Sokolowski for the Ford’s Theatre production of Tennessee Williams’s “The Glass Menagerie,” directed by Mark Ramont. Photo: Scott Suchman

The Glass Menagerie at Ford’sJan. 22 to Feb. 21. One of the greatest American plays of the 20th century, The Glass Menagerie explores the visceral bonds of family. Southern matriarch Amanda frets constantly over her two live-in adult children—the painfully shy Laura and Laura’s restless poet brother, Tom. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. 202-347-4833. fords.org.

1, Avon Dews Blues Revue; Feb. 8, David Cole & Main Street Blues; Feb. 15, Electrified Blues Band w/Char-lie Sayles; Feb. 22, Full Power Blues. The cover is $5. Children are free under 16 years old. Reasonably priced meals offered. 202-4847700. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW. westminsterdc.org.

Church of the Epiphany Weekly Concerts. Every Tuesday, 12:10 PM. Jan. 12, Schola Epihaniensis: Ra-chel Evangeline Barham, James Rogers, Oliver Mercer, Roger Isaacs, Voices Jeremy Filsell, piano Michelle Lundy, Harp; Jan. 19, Theo Davis, harpsichord & organ plays Bach, Couperin, Dupré & Duruflé on Epiphany’s grand organ; Jan. 26, Tzu-yi Chen, piano; Feb. 2, Amy Domingues ,Viola da Gamba Anthony Harvey, theorbo Jeremy Filsell, continuo. Free, but offering taken. 1317 G ST. NW. 202-347-2635. epiphanydc.org.

Music at the U Street Music Hall. Jan. 13, Candyland; Jan. 14, Treasure Fingers; Jan. 15, Chrome Sparks; Jan. 16, Horse Meat Disco; Jan. 21, Tomsize; Jan. 22, Mark Farina; Jan. 23, Technasia; Jan. 25, Oh Wonder; Jan. 27, Wet and Liquid Stranger; Jan. 29, &ME and Adam Port; Jan. 30, Feed Me Disco with Eau Claire; Feb. 5, Victor Calderone; Feb. 6, Shiba San; Feb. 7, PRINCE FOX with Special Guest: Stelouse. U Street Music Hall, 1115 U St. NW. 202-588-1889. ustreetmusichall.com.

Music at 9:30. Jan. 13, All Songs Considered’s Sweet 16 Celebration; Jan. 14, Marshmello; Jan. 15, Lettuce; Jan. 16, Bridget Everett and The Knocks; Jan. 17, Dark & Twisted; Jan. 18, Jess Glynne; Jan. 20, GUSTER; Jan. 21-23, Grace Potter; Jan. 24, Alessia Cara and Miami Horror; Jan. 25, Queensryche; Jan. 26, Ani DiFranco; Jan. 28, Josh Abbott Band; Jan. 29, Super Diamond; Jan. 30, No Scrubs: ‘90s Dance Party with DJs Will East-man and Brian Billion; Feb. 3, Destructo & Justin Mar-tin; Feb. 4-6, Greensky Bluegrass. 815 V St. NW. 877-435-9849. 930.com.

Music at The Howard. Jan. 15, Amy Winehouse Tribute-Thankful for Amy; Jan. 16, Reggae Fest; Jan. 17, Rare Essence with Junkyard Band and EU; Jan. 20, SWV; Jan. 25, Majah Hype; Jan. 28, Slick Rick; Jan. 29, Strato-sphere All Stars; Jan. 20 Elle Varner; Feb. 3, Vaughn Benjamin of Midnight and the Akae Beka Band; Feb. 4, Arrested Development; Feb. 6, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. 202-803-2899. thehowardtheatre.com.

Jazz Night in Southwest. Every Friday, 6 to 9 PM. Jan. 15, 17th Jazz Night Anniversary Celebration; Jan. 22, The Next Generation of Jazz; Jan. 29, Antonio Parker Grits & Gravy. The cover is $5. Children are free under 16 years old. Reasonably priced meals offered. 202-484-7700. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW. westminsterdc.org.

Music at the Library of Congress. Jan. 16, 2 PM, Al-ban Gerhardt, cello and Manne-Marie McDermott, piano; Jan. 20, 8 PM, Musicians from Marlboro. These free con-certs are in the Coolidge Auditorium, ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. loc.gov.

Music at Ebenezers. Feb. 5, The Nine Singer-Songwrit-er Series. Ebenezers Coffeehouse, 201 F St. NE. 202-558-6900. ebenezerscoffeehouse.com.

THEATER AND FILMThe Critic & The Real Inspector Hound at Shake-speare. Jan. 5 to Feb. 14. Experience a madcap night of life in the theatre with two classic behind-the-scenes comedies. Lansburgh Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW. 202-547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org.

Wrestling Jerusalem: Mosaic Theater Company of DC at the Atlas. Jan. 6 to Jan. 24. One man’s journey to comprehend the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as it courses through his divided psyche and argumentative community. The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org.

The Sisters Wosensweig at Theater J. Jan. 13 to Feb. 21. The Rosensweig sisters are different as can be--a no-nonsense international banker, a kvelling mother of four and a bohemian world-traveling journalist. When the three hilariously reunite at Sara’s London home for her 54th birthday celebration, a barrage of suitors and unexpected revelations make for one in-teresting weekend. A heartfelt comedy about women grappling with their life choices. Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW. 800-494-8497. washingtondcjcc.org.

Between Riverside and Crazy at Studio. Jan. 13 to Feb. 28. Irrepressible ex-cop Walter Washington is facing eviction, City Hall, and the recent death of his wife. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. 202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org.

Chocolate Covered Ants at Anacostia Playhouse. Jan. 14 to Feb. 7. Adrienne Taylor (Suli Myrie) is a professor at a fictitious women’s college where she’s researching the plight of the Black woman in America. “Chocolate Covered Ants” chronicles the final leg of her research—an examination of Black men–to deter-mine what effect (if any) they have on the mental, social and physical survival of Black women. $35. Read more and order tickets at restorationstage.biz or 202-714-0646. The Anacostia Playhouse is at 2020 Shannon Pl. SE.

Sweat at Arena. Jan. 15 to Feb. 21. A group of close friends shares everything: drinks, secrets and laughs. But when rumors of layoffs shake up the local steel mill, the fragile bonds of their community begin to fray and a horrific crime sends shock waves across two generations. arenastage.org.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Keegan. Jan. 16 to Feb. 13. This long running Off-Broadway absurdist comedy places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian cafe in 1904, just before the renowned scientist trans-formed physics with his theory of relativity and the celebrated painter set the art world afire with cubism. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. 202-265-3767. keegantheatre.com.

I Shall Not Hate: Mosaic Theater Company of DC at the Atlas. Jan. 23 to Feb. 14. The story of the Gaza fertility doctor nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize who refuses to relinquish his commitment to coexistence, even after tragedy befalls his family during Operation Cast Lead. The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. atlasarts.org.

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Brush Up on your Driving SkillsAARP Smart Driver CoursesThe AARP Smart Driver course is geared toward drivers 50+, covers practical defensive driving techniques and the normal changes in vision, hearing and adjusting reaction times associated with aging. Participants learn the latest rules of the road and tips on operating their vehicles safely in today’s challenging driving environment. DC partici-pants should contact their auto insurance company about multi-year discounts.

The award winning AARP Smart Driver classroom course is held all year, through out the city. Go to: www.aarp.org/drive & click on LOCATE to find a course near you or call-1-877-846-3299. Instructors add course locations through out the year. Or, take it online in the comfort of your home.

The 6-hour basic course is for participants who have never taken an AARP driver-safety course. The 4-hour refresh-er is a review and update of concepts from the original course, for participants who have not taken a course dur-ing the two previous years. There is a course fee of $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-members payable to the instructor for the classroom course, $19.95 & $24.95 via credit card for the online course.

Looking for a rewarding volunteer opportunity for the New Year? Become a Smart Driver Instructor in your neighbor-hood. For more information, go again to; www.aarp.org/drive. Click on “Volunteer” on the left, fill out the applica-tion, click ‘submit’. Your application will be forwarded to the DC team for follow-up.

CLIP & SAVE

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National Theatre Live at Sidney Harmon Hall. Jan. 24 and 26, Coriolanus (Encore); Feb. 4, Jane Eyre. $20. Sidney Har-man Hall, 610 F St. NW. shakespearetheatre.org.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Folger. Jan. 26 to Mar, 6. This magical comedy of tangled lovers, mischievous fair-ies—and a band of players to boot—is given a fresh, new staging by Aaron Posner, with DC favorites Holly Twyford as Bottom and Erin Weaver as Puck. Folger Theater, 201 East Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077. folger.edu.

Iphigenia by We Happy Few at CHAW. Jan. 29, 7:30 PM. A staged reading of Racine’s Iphigenia performed by We Happy Few Productions. We Happy Few presents stripped down, small cast, ensemble productions to provide unique perspec-tives on classic texts. Free. Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. 202-547-6839. chaw.org.

The City of Conversation at Arena. Jan. 29 to Mar. 6. George-town hostess Hester Ferris runs in an elite circle, opening her

home for political foes to lay down arms and raise a glass. When her son’s formidable, conservative wife comes on the scene, the parlor pleasantries of DC’s past descend into en-trenched posturing and an ultimatum that could implode the family. arenastage.org.

Guards at the Taj at Woolly. Feb. 1 to Feb. 28. India, 1648: two imperial guards watch as the sun rises over the newly-completed Taj Mahal, an awe-inspiring monument to the em-peror’s dead queen. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW. 202-393-3939. woollymammoth.net.

SPORTS AND FITNESSWashington Capitals Ice Hockey. Jan. 10, 14, 22, 24 and 27; Feb. 2, 4 and 7.Verizon Center. capitals.nhl.com.

Washington Capitals Practice Schedule. Non-game day,

10:30 AM; game day, 10 AM; and day after game, 11 AM. All practices are at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, 627 No. Glebe Rd., Suite 800, Arlington, VA. They are free and open to the public. kettlercapitalsiceplex.com.

Washington Wizards Basketball. Jan. 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25 and 28; Feb. 3 and 5. Verizon Center. nba.com/wizards.

JFK 20K and MLK 5K. Jan. 16, 9 AM to 1 PM. The races start and finish in Carderock and will be out-and-back courses on the C&O Canal Towpath. The 20K will count as the fourth DC Road Runners Snowball Series race. No race day registration. Online registration will close at 7 PM on Jan. 15. dcroadrun-ners.org/sign-up/jfk-mlk.

Public Skating at Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Fridays, noon to 2 PM and Saturdays 12:45 to 1:45 PM. Public Skate, $5 for adults (13-64); $4 for seniors and children (five-12); $3, skate rental. Fort Dupont Ice Arena, 3779 Ely Pl. SE. 202-584-5007. fdia.org.

Canal Park Ice Rink. Through mid-March. Mondays and Tuesdays, noon to 7 p.m.; Wednesday to Friday, noon to 9 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m. to p.m.; and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Adults are $9; children/seniors/military are $8; and skate rental is $4. It’s open every day including all holidays but holiday hours vary. Canal Park is at 202 M St. SE. canalparkdc.org.

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Skating. Through Mar. 13. Open Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. $8.50 for adults; $7.50 for age 50 and over, age 12 and under as well as students with a valid school ID for two hour session beginning on the hour. $3 for skate rental. Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-216-9397. nga.gov.

Washington Harbour Ice Rink. Through mid-March. Monday-Tuesday, noon to 7 PM; Wednesday to Thursday, noon to 9 PM; Fridays, noon to 10 PM; Saturdays, 10 AM to 10 PM; Sunday, 10 AM to 7 PM. Skating is $9-$10. Skate rental is $5. Washington Harbour is at 3050 K St. NW. 202-706-7666. thewashingtonharbour.com.

Yoga at Northwest One Library. Thursdays (classes formerly held on Saturdays), 7 to 8 PM. Free beginner/intermediate yoga classes. All are welcome and mats and blocks provided. Northwest One Neighborhood Library, 155 L St. NW. 202-939-5946. dclibrary.org.

Soothing Sunday Yoga at Shaw Library. Sundays, 1:30 PM. Presented by Aparna, a certified a yoga instructor, this class is perfect for beginners, featuring soothing Hatha yoga and meditation. All participants must sign a waiver and be at least 18 years old. Bring a mat or towel. Session takes place in the sunny story time room on the first floor. Watha T. Daniel Neighborhood Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. 202-727-1288. dclibrary.org/watha.

Closest Indoor Public Pools. Turkey Thicket, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE. Open Monday through Friday, 6:30 AM to 8 PM; Sat-urdays, noon to 5 PM; closed, Sundays. 202-576-9236. Rum-sey Pool, 635 North Carolina Ave. SE. Open Monday through Friday, 6:30 AM to 9 AM and noon to 9 PM; Saturdays, 1 to 5 PM; Sundays, 10 AM to 5 PM. 202-724-4495. The pools are heated and free for DC residents. Have ID with you. dpr.dc.gov.

CALENDAR

Student Conservation Association volunteers work with Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell to help clean up the Anacostia River.Photo: Courtesy of the Student Conservation Association

MLK Day of ServiceEach year, Americans across the country come together on the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, this year Monday, Jan. 18, to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy by serving their communities. The MLK Day of Service is part of United We Serve, the President’s national service initiative, which calls on Americans to work together to solve our most pressing problems. Looking for a MLK Day volunteer job? Search serve.dc.gov for events and opportunities that will make a difference in your neighborhood.

MARKETSEastern Market. Daily except Mondays and important holidays. Weekdays, 7 AM to 7 PM; Saturdays, 7 AM to 5 PM; Sundays, 9 AM to 5 PM. Flea market and arts and crafts market open Saturdays and Sundays, 9 AM to 6 PM. Eastern Market is Washington’s last continu-ally operated “old world” market. 200 block of Seventh St. SE. 202-698-5253. eastern-marketdc.com.

Dupont Circle Farmers Market. Sundays (rain or shine), year round, 10 AM to 1 PM. 20th Street and Mass. Avenue NW, 1500 block of 20th St. NW. 202-362-8889. fresh-farmmarket.org.

Branch Avenue Pawn Parking Lot Flea Mar-ket. Saturdays, year-round (weather permit-ting). Set up after 10 AM. 3128 Branch Ave., Temple Hills, MD.

Fresh Tuesdays at Eastern Market. Tuesdays, 3 to 7 PM. Farmers’ line of fresh produce. Eastern Market, 200 block of Seventh Street SE. 202-698-5253. easternmarketdc.com.

Union Market. Tuesday-Friday, 11 AM to 8 PM; Saturday-Sunday, 8 AM to 8 PM. Union Market is an artisanal, curated, year round food market featuring over 40 local vendors. 1309 Fifth St. NE. 301-652-7400. unionmar-ketdc.com.

Georgetown Flea Market. Sundays, year around except in the case of very inclement weather, 8 AM to 4 PM. 1819 35th St. NW. georgetownfleamarket.com.

Maine Avenue Fish Market. Open 365 days a year, 7 AM to 9 PM. 1100 Maine Ave. SW. 202-484-2722.

CIVIC LIFECongresswoman Norton’s NW District Of-fice. Open weekdays, 9 AM to 6 PM. 529 14th St. NW, Suite 900. 202-783-5065. nor-ton.house.gov.

All Ways Mount Pleasant. First Saturday, noon to 2 PM. LaCasa. All Ways is a citizen’s association primarily for the tenants of the larger apartment buildings of Mount Pleas-ant. 3166 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. aass.org.

Chinatown Revitalization Council. Fourth Monday, 7 to 8 PM. 510 I St. NW. China-town Revitalization Council promotes the Chinatown renewal and the preservation of its cultural heritage. The public is welcome.

Convention Center Community Associa-tion. Last Tuesday, 7 to 8:30 PM. Kennedy Rec Center, 1401 Seventh St. NW.

Downtown Neighborhood Association. Second Tuesday, 7 to 9 PM. US Naval Me-morial Center, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. [email protected]. dcdna.org.

East Central Civic Association of Shaw. First Monday, 7 PM. Third Baptist Church, 1546 Fifth St. NW. Contact: Al Hajj Mahdi Leroy J Thorpe Jr, 202-387-1596.

Eckington Civic Association. First Monday, 7 to 8:30 PM. Harry Thomas Recreation Cen-ter, 1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. eckingtondc.org.

Edgewood Civic Association. Last Monday, 7 to 9 PM. Edgewood senior building, 635 Edgewood St. NE, ninth floor. theedgewood-civicassociationdc.org.

Logan Circle Citizens Association. Visit logancircle.org/calendar for meeting dates and times. logancircle.org.

Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood As-sociation. Third Tuesday, 7:30 to 9:30 PM. Yale Steam Laundry, 437 New York Ave. NW. lifein.mvsna.org.

U Street Neighborhood Association. Sec-ond Thursday, 7 to 8:30 PM. Source (Second Floor Classroom), 1835 14th St. NW.

ANC 1A. Second Wednesday, 7 PM. Harriet Tubman Elementary School, 3101 13th St. NW. 202-588-7278. anc1a.org.

ANC 1B. First Thursday, 7 PM. Reeves Center, 2000 14th St. NW (Second Floor). 202-870-4202. anc1b.org.

ANC 1B11. Second Monday, 7 PM. LeDroit Senior Building (Basement Community Room), 2125 Fourth St. NW. 202-481-3462. anc1b.org.

ANC 1C. First Wednesday, 7 PM. Mary’s Cen-ter for Maternal and Child Health, 2355 On-tario Rd. NW. 202-332-2630. anc1c.org.

ANC 1D. Third Tuesday, 7 PM. 3166 Mount Pleasant St. NW. 202-4628692. anc1d.org.

ANC 2C. First Wednesday, 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Watha T. Daniel Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. 202-682-1633. anc2C.org.

ANC 6E. First Tuesday, 6:30 PM. Meeting at Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW. anc6e.org.

Have a tidbit for the Calendar? Email it to [email protected]. u

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Any American moving to Washington, DC, will inevitably wonder about puzzling phe-nomena they’ll notice soon after arriving. Why does the work of the District Council rarely appear in the paper or local newscasts? What’s so important about being a District native, and what could possibly be the func-tion of a group called the Association of the Oldest Inhabitants? Is there a difference be-tween a civic association and a citizen’s as-sociation? Which senator I am supposed to

write if I have a problem with federal legislation? Why does the District’s unforgiving parking enforcement allow anybody to park anywhere near a church on Sundays?

These quirks about life in DC arose from long struggles over race, sovereignty, and equity. The Smithsonian’s Anacos-tia Community Museum attempts to explain how they came about in its new exhibition, “Twelve Years That Shook and Shaped Washington: 1963-1975.” In a city where history is usually told from a top down perspective by elite leaders and institutions, “Twelve Years” tries to show how the grassroots efforts of District residents during this tumultuous period

OUT AND ABOUT

Anacostia Community MuseumDocuments a Dozen TumultuousYears of Washington History

New gay and feminist voices. Photo: Pleasant MannMusic in DC. Photo: Pleasant Mann

By Pleasant Mann

shaped the city that we live in today.Th e exhibition starts at 1963,

when an era of change seemed im-minent, marked by the enthusiasm brought by the March on Washing-ton for Jobs and Freedom. At the time, District residents had virtually no voice in determining their aff airs. While they had just gotten the right to vote for President and Vice Presi-dent from the 23rd Amendment, all District decision-making came from federal appointees. Urban plan-ners were still patting themselves on the back for razing Southwest Washington to create a new city on the waterfront. Th e exhibition il-lustrates the smugness of the era by showing a 1964 fi lm by the Ameri-can Institute of Architects entitled “No Room for Ugliness,” which ap-plauds the Southwest urban renewal project and considers it a model for

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write if I have a problem with federal legislation? Why does the District’s unforgiving parking enforcement allow anybody to park anywhere near a church on Sundays?

Th ese quirks about life in DC arose from long struggles over race, sovereignty, and equity. Th e Smithsonian’s Anacos-tia Community Museum attempts to explain how they came about in its new exhibition, “Twelve Years Th at Shook and Shaped Washington: 1963-1975.” In a city where history is usually told from a top down perspective by elite leaders and institutions, “Twelve Years” tries to show how the grassroots eff orts of District residents during this tumultuous period

Twelve Years that Shook and Shaped Washington. Photo: Pleasant Mann

the rest of the nation. A page from a report explains that DC’s black resi-dents feared that there were plans to move them from the center of town to the other side of the Anacostia. With the Southwest renewal proj-ect, that is what actually happened.

But things had to change. Th e 1960 Census revealed Washing-ton as the fi rst major US city with a majority black population. Th e initiatives of the New Frontier and

By Pleasant Mann Haitian Art Saleat St. Mark’s Episcopal Church • CAPITOL HILL

301 A Street SE • Washington, DC 20003Featuring 200 original Haitian paintings and thousands of unique handcrafts.  Paintings start at $50, gifts start at $5, and all purchases are 50% tax deductible.

All proceeds to fund sustainable development in Chermaitre, a mountain village in NW Haiti.

Friday, Feb. 5 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm (OPENING RECEPTION)

Saturday, Feb. 6 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Sunday, Feb. 7 9:30 am - 2:00 pm

For more information: http://thehaitiproject.org • [email protected] • 845-797-2123

The Vassar Haiti Project and Vassar Club of Washington, D.C. host a

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the Great Society led to an emphasis on local com-munity control of urban renewal and anti-poverty initiatives. The exhibition explains that the use of community development corporations to imple-ment social programs led to a number of notable organizations, such as Youth Pride, a neighbor-hood cleanup program that grew into Pride, Inc., the city’s most visible anti-poverty program. The exhibition also screens a film, “The People and the Police,” that documents an early effort to establish a model police precinct that works with the com-munity it serves.

Education ImprovesAn important part of “Twelve Years” is its out-

line of the improvement of public higher educa-tion in the District. When the 1964 Chase Report to the President declared that the lack of public higher education venues in the District was hurt-ing the economic opportunities of residents, some-thing had to be done. Federal legislation created the Washington Technical Institute (WTI), a two-year institution, and the four-year Federal City College (FCC). Higher education also got a boost when Antioch College brought a clinic-based model of legal education to the District. WTI and FCC later merged with the District of Columbia Teachers College to form the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). After Antioch could no lon-ger support its law school in the District, the DC Council continued to provide funds until it eventu-ally became UDC’s David A. Clarke School of Law. The exhibition also gives a sense of the DC college scene by providing yearbooks from American Uni-versity, Howard University, and Catholic University from the late 1960s.

In a section called “New Voices” the exhibition outlines how the feminist, gay, and Latino com-

munities started to develop a public presence in the District. While early issues of the Gay Blade and the feminist newsletter Off Our Backs help mark the emergence of new social groups, video reminiscences give additional insight to the new institutions that were built. A video of Arturo Griffiths describes the early days of Latino orga-nizing, while Deacon Maccubbin gives the history of his gay bookstore, Lambda Rising, and the first Gay Pride Day.

Indigenous Arts Perhaps the biggest revelation of “Twelve Years”

is its documentation of the development of an in-digenous arts culture. Prior to the 1960s evidence of art made in Washington was hard to find. However, the growth of public funding for the arts, along with support from major foundations, led to a flourish-ing of artistic activity in the District. New forums like the Washington Gallery of Modern Art gave visibility to the Color Field Painters, who were gaining acclaim in the District and nationwide. The exhibit displays the work of prominent members of this movement including Sam Gilliam and How-ard Mehring, along with the tools of painter Alma Thomas. In the area of drama, the Arena Stage started to get national attention, with Richard Coe of The Washington Post declaring that “Washing-ton is now the second most active professional the-ater town on this continent.” Local musicians such as Roberta Flack and Chuck Brown developed na-tional reputations in this period.

There are a few weak points in “Twelve Years.” A display outlining changes in fashion presents a dashiki and some dresses, but skips the platform shoes, capes, and plumed hats that typified the era. It is hard to imagine how the exhibition omitted novelist Rita Mae Brown, an important lesbian

and feminist icon, who worked with the Furies Collective on Capitol Hill during this period. Also, by cutting the exhibition off at 1975, it just misses the establishment of a number of organizations such as d.c. space, the Washington Project for the Arts, and the 9:30 Club, some of which are still supporting DC arts and culture. The exhibition does mention the DC Riots and the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968, but has trouble explaining the reasons for their lasting impact on the District.

Home Rule“Twelve Years” ends with the struggle for

Home Rule in DC. There had been six different bills in the Senate to give Home Rule to Wash-ington between 1948 and 1966, but they all died in the House District Committee. After the last attempt, President Lyndon Johnson used his ex-ecutive authority in 1967 to reorganize the District government, replacing the traditional three District commissioners with a mayor-commissioner and an appointed nine-member city council. From then on the District got its first elected school board in 1968, a non-voting delegate to Congress, and fi-nally an elected mayor and city council that took office at the beginning of 1975, bringing Home Rule back to the District after a century’s absence.

The exhibition is capped off with a video sta-tion, where notable residents such as politician Ar-rington Dixon, activist Roach Brown, and sculptor Uzekee Nelson offer their memories of the period and what followed.

An expansive look at what it took to build the foundation that the District rests on today, “Twelve Years That Shook and Shaped Washington” is on exhibit at the Anacostia Community Museum un-til Oct. 16, 2016. u

OUT AND ABOUT

Development of culture in Washington, DC. Photo: Pleasant MannStories from Washingtonians video station. Photo: Pleasant Mann

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Interested in advertising, contact sales today. 202.543.8300 Carolina x12 Kira x16 Andrew x19 Laura x22

Publication Date: HillRag 1/30 | East of the River & MidCityDC 2/6

MIDCITY

FA G O N C O M M U N I T Y G U I D E

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C O M P R E H E N S I V E B L AC K H I STO RY M O NTH CA L E N DAR H I G H L I G HT I N G TH E MANY E V E NTS AN D C U LTU RA L P R O G RAM M I N G

H AP P E N I N G I N AN D AR O U N D D .C .

A RT I C L E S I N R E C O G N IT I O N O F TH E R I C H H I STO RY AN D AC C O M P L I S H M E NTS O F B L AC K AM E R I CAN S

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by Phil Hutinet

‘Before They Are Gone’ at Touchstone Leslie Johnston worked closely with the Alexandria Art League’s ceramics department to complete 2,500 mixed-media disks which will fill Touchstone Gallery’s walls this month. The sum of these works represents the average number of African elephants killed every month by poachers, who sell the ivory to insatiable consumer markets in China (the world’s largest) and the US (the world’s second largest). Of the 26 million estimated elephants that roamed the African continent in 1800, as few as 400,000 remain at the time of this writing. Between 2010 and 2012 over 100,000 elephants lost their lives to fuel this illicit industry. Like the Japanese tradition of folding 1,000 origami cranes, Johnston’s oeuvre required unwavering patience, periods of meditation, and anguished reflection. As the viewer reflects on the meaning of each piece, the loss it represents, and the senselessness of human lust and capriciousness, one realizes the immensity of Johnston’s work and, it is hoped, feels inspired to combat the eradication of the African elephant.

‘how to survive your own death’Revealed at Hemphill Fine Arts

Is it possible, and if so what exactly does that mean? Marcel Proust believed that producing art resulted in the purest form of religious experience, allowing one to transcend death by creating something of value one could leave behind. Through wit and hu-mility, Colby Caldwell deconstructs the widely held notion that we leave something of ourselves behind in the artmaking process. Through a series of over 200 digitized images created from cor-rupted data, Caldwell infers that rebirth manifests itself through the creation of new images derived from this process. However, Caldwell leaves many questions unanswered and seemingly toys with his audience, perhaps even fooling the viewer into believing in the possibility of avoiding death. Does death-avoidance mean eternal life (as some of us understand it)? Conversely, Caldwell may believe that none of these ideas truly matters any longer since many of us have come to accept our inevitable fate with

OUT AND ABOUT

Depeche ArtEast City Art’s January Mid-City Gallery Exhibitions and News

Detail from Johnson’s disks. Image: Touchstone

Colby Caldwell, “how to survive your own death (223),” 2015. Archival pigment print mounted to Dibond and waxed, 75 by 60 inches, Ed 5. Image: Hemphill Fine Arts

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Gallery Neptune and Brown1530 14th St. NWWashington, DC 20005 202-986-1200Through Jan. 16“The Perfect Present: Art on 14thStreet Priced for the Holidays”

Foundry Gallery2118 Eighth St. NWWashington DC 20001202-232-0203www.foundrygallery.orgThrough Jan. 23“Some Women” by Jay Peterzell

Hamiltonian Gallery 1353 U St. NWWashington DC 20009202-332-1116www.hamiltoniangallery.comThrough Feb. 13Opening reception:Saturday, Jan. 9, 7-9 p.m. “Asleep in the Factory” by Kyle Tata“Mode(s)” by Rob Hackett

Hemphill Fine Arts 1515 14th St. NWWashington, DC 20005202-234-5601www.hemphillfinearts.comThrough March 5Opening reception:Jan. 16, 6-8 p.m.“how to survive your own death”by Colby Caldwell

Long View Gallery 1234 Ninth St. NWWashington DC 20001202-232-4788www.longviewgallerydc.comOpening reception:Thursday, Jan. 14, 6:30-8:00 p.m.Through Feb. 14 by Mike Weber

Touchstone Gallery901 New York Ave. NWWashington DC 20001202-347-2787www.touchstonegallery.comThrough Jan. 31“Before They Are Gone”by Leslie Johnston

Washington Project for the Arts2124 Eighth St. NWWashington DC 20001202-234-7103www.wpadc.orgThrough Feb. 20Opening reception:Saturday, Jan. 9, 6-8 p.m.“Other Worlds, Other Stories” groupexhibition curated by Jeff Cudlin

Current Exhibitions

agnostic clarity, as opposed to those of our ancestors (and contemporaries) who sought (and seek) comfort in the belief that something awaits at the mortal moment.

Blast Off into Space with theWashington Project for the Arts

Curated by Jeffry Cudlin, the group show “Other Worlds, Other Stories” exhibits a wide range of mediums and work by Adam Fung, Felipe Gon-calves, Gray Lamb, Casey Johnson, Heidi Neilson and Douglas Paulson, Roxana Pérez-Méndez, Jefferson Pinder, Michael A. Robinson, Steve Strawn, and Lucy West. Collectively the work draws on the 20th century’s ideals, dreams, and realities of space and space travel. From the vantage point of the space race of the Cold War era, the exhibition presents collage, digital photography, and even performance art in “a test kitchen for astro-nauts” according the exhibition’s press release. Notwithstanding the past and the late 20th century’s fantastical renderings of otherworldly places and space travel from which the artists drew inspiration, “Other Worlds, Other Stories” looks to the future and even asks what impact space travel might have for those of us left on earth.

Phil Hutinet is the publisher of East City Art, dedicated to DC’s visual arts. For more information visit www.eastcityart.com. u

Casey Johnson, “Oculus.” Oak, plywood, paint, mirrors, lens, and light, 2014.

Photo: Kyle Tata courtesy of Hamiltonian Gallery

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Now that winter is firmly in place, some of us are dreaming of a tropi-cal getaway. This month’s feature, a Caribbean dance-fitness new-comer called Soka Tribe, is the next best thing.

Did I mention I have Caribbean heritage? Did I also mention that soca – an international music genre born of calypso in Trinidad and Tobago – is my aural caffeine? To paraphrase a lyric from soca performer Benjai: soca gives me my powers.

Apparently I’m not alone. The space filled quickly as the Soka Tribe arrived from all over. They fellow-shipped in duos and trios. Hits from soca

superstar Machel Montano played in the background as everyone posed for photos.

Eventually Soka Tribe creator Shermica “Sokanista” Farquhar donned a big smile, plus ankle- and wristbands adorned with fuchsia and violet feathers, and gave a loud and bubbly welcome. On the sound system, Benjai’s “Phenomenal” eased us into a short and standard warmup, with head rolls, shoulder rolls, and torso isolations.

And then Sokanista took off like a popped rubber band. A high-energy playlist backed her vigorous but accessible choreography with infectious tracks such as Angela Hunte’s “Party Done” or Farmer Nappy’s “In Trouble,” plus West African jams like Timaya’s “Uwku” and “Bum.” Although it’s a soca-based dance fitness class, the music reflected the broader African diaspora.

Still, Soka Tribe, like Farquhar herself, is unmistak-ably Trinidadian. Translation: you will wine your waist. A lot. Sometimes in a squat. Sometimes in a side lunge. Sometimes around in a circle, on one foot. Sometimes in reverse. When it wasn’t wining, it was leaping and quick footwork, as in West African dance or football drills. Or wild, repetitive arm motions in every direc-tion. Or just jiggling everything in general.

Pro tip: wear supportive clothing or undergarments.As Farquhar gyrated, shouted, and bounded about she never seemed to tire or

expire. I was sweating rivers and flagging at times, but never completely winded or defeated. In fact I was having a ball.

“I like to fete. I’m a carnival junkie – it’s kind of a way of life,” said Farquhar, who has been to carnivals all over the world. “It’s a great time. You’ll be having so much fun you won’t notice you’re working out.”

As a child Farquhar enjoyed and had an inside view of New York’s carnival through the mas camp her family ran. “Mas” is short for masquerade. Mas camps are the production houses that design, produce, and sell carnival’s beautiful cos-

tumes and organize the participants and events. After moving from Brooklyn to DC a few years ago Farquhar was feeling a bit homesick. “This all started as a very selfish thing. I was looking for my people,” she said. “Right now as I’m building this brand, it’s like my child, it’s so personal.”

The first Soka Tribe session hit the District this past summer. In addition to bringing the heat and vibrancy of carnival celebrations, Farquhar fosters a sense of community in her corner of DC’s fitness scene. In the session I attended she gave 10 minutes of class time to Jason German, an instructor at Urban Boxing DC,

who led us through a few basic jabs and hooks for arm toning. Personal trainer Christina Ruiz, founder of Find Your Dopeness, simply joined in as a participant but got a shout-out as well.

Fitness through SocaOver time participants can expect to lose weight, tone and tighten, build stam-

ina, and increase equilibrium. And the class offers a reward that’s juicier than a far-off fitness goal – the official Soka Tribe trip to Miami Carnival in October 2016. Morale stays high when every class ends with Bunji Garlin’s carnival anthem, “Dif-

OUT AND ABOUT

Let’s Get PhysicalSoca: Build a Bacchanal-Ready Bodyby Jazelle Hunt

Sweat and sculpt a carnival-ready backside with Soka Tribe. Photo: Michael Tutu

ferentology (Ready for the Road).” “I think people want to go to car-

nival but don’t know what to expect or how to be involved. Soka Tribe is like a training program,” said Ally-son Daniel, a Northwest DC native who relocated to New York. “I like to dance, though I’m not particularly athletic. I didn’t try this class before, mostly because I was intimidated. Trinidadians do a lot of wining!”

Farquhar says that the challenge of the class usually lies with the va-riety in choreography and/or the endurance needed to power through the hour. It’s also high-impact, so she cautions those with joint injuries or concerns to modify.

Saahir Brewington lives in Brook-land and has a knee injury that can make dance classes risky, but decided to try Soka Tribe regardless. “It’s my first time taking this class. Farquhar’s energy was awesome,” she said, add-ing that she was tempted to ignore her modifications. “I do yoga on the regular and walk a lot … but I’ve de-cided I’ll be dancing a lot in 2016.”

Still, the tribe agreed that Farqu-har’s spirit went a long way toward overcoming whatever challenge they faced. “I used to do Zumba re-ligiously, and I think this is a good way to get back into it,” said Zaira Zafra, also visiting from New York, who attended Farquhar’s class with a mutual friend.

Daniel continued, “I’m a per-former, so I take a lot of classes, and my pet peeve is that teachers can be very lackluster. You can tell Farquhar pulls people in with her energy. You will be tired the first time, and there will be things you can’t do, but you will enjoy yourself.”

Soka Tribe at Off Road Indoor Cycling (905 U St. NW) is at 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Admission for one is $15, admission for two is $25, and five-class passes are available for $60. To register and learn more visit sokanista.eventbrite.com. u

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Sweat and sculpt a carnival-ready backside with Soka Tribe. Photo: Michael Tutu

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Personal Archiving WorkshopWondering how best to maintain photos on your phone, digital camera, and social media ac-counts? The Library of Congress, DC Public Li-brary, and the Historical Society of Washington, DC, invite you to join National Digital Stew-ardship Resident Jaime Mears for a how-to on preserving digital photographs. Workshop takes place on Saturday, Jan. 30, 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m., in the Kiplinger Research Library. Register at dchistory.org/digital-workshops.

Social Media for Business atMLK Library

Thinking about marketing your business with so-cial media? Perhaps already using social media, but want to take it to the next level? This three-hour workshop on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2 p.m., sponsored in partnership with Constant Contact, Inc., is de-signed to be a fun, dynamic and informative session full of actionable insights, tips and techniques that can be used immediately. Registration is required. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. dclibrary.org/mlk.

Keep Unsheltered ResidentsSafe this Winter

Call DC Shelter Hotline at 1-800-535-7252 if you see someone in who appears to need shelter from the cold.

1,200-Seat, Seven-Screen CinemaComing to NoMa

A 1,200 seat, seven-screen theater is coming to NoMa as part of JBG’s development between First Street and North Capitol Street at Pat-terson. The project, which should break ground this winter, will also include 220 apartments, 382,000 square feet of lofted office space, 28,000 square feet of curated retail and four levels of un-derground parking. nomabid.org.

Mount Vernon CID Searches forNew President

The Mount Vernon Triangle Community Im-provement District (MVT CID) announces the resignation of current President, Claire Schaefer Oleksiak, as she takes on a new position with the parks department in her home town of Madison, Wisconsin. An executive search process led by the Executive Committee of the MVT CID Board of Directors and managed by executive search consul-tant, Louise Stoner Crawford, has been launched to conduct a national search for Oleksiak’s succes-sor. The job description can be accessed at mvtcid.org. Interested candidates can contact Ms. Stoner Crawford at [email protected].

Affordable Senior HousingPlanned for Ward 6

The District has approved plans to develop Plaza West, a Ward 6 development that will bring 223 units of affordable housing for seniors and fami-lies in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood. This unique $84 million development project will provide 50 housing units for “grandfamilies,” grandparents raising grandchildren who make 30-40 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) and 173 units of housing serving individuals and families making 50-60 percent of AMI, with 11 of those units set aside for Department of Be-havioral Health clients. The site at Fourth and K Streets NW, currently vacant, includes three parcels totaling nearly 34,500 square feet. The 12-story Plaza West development will provide on-site social services for grandfamilies and over 9,500 square feet of outdoor recreational space. Plaza West construction is set to begin early 2016 with delivery scheduled for the spring of 2017.

Help With Student Loans atMLK Library

Need help navigating the world of student loans and choosing a school you can afford?

Neighborhood

Haitian Art at St. Mark’sOver 300 original Haitian paintings and a vast array of unique handicrafts will be available for sale at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 301 A St. SE, on Feb. 5, 6 to 8 p.m. (opening reception); Feb. 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Feb 7, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The sale is free and open to the public, with handicrafts starting from $5 and paintings from $50. All sales are 50 percent tax deduct-ible. For more information, visit thehaitiproject.org or call 845-797-2123.

Claude Dambreville “The Finest Fabric”, 16” x 20”

Did your school close down leaving you with student debt and no degree? Think you might be a victim of fraud? This presentation covers: different loan repay-ment plans available for students who borrowed federal student loans; the consequences of going into default on a federal student loan; how to avoid defaulting even when money is tight; and what can be done to get out of default. This program is on Jan. 20, 2 p.m., at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. dclibrary.org/mlk.

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EMULSION Juried ShowCalls for Entries

EMULSION is open to anyone 18 years and older who resides or cre-ates art within 50 miles of East City Art’s headquarters at 922 G St. SE. This includes the greater DC and Baltimore region. The application deadline is Feb. 15. The exhibition venue is Gallery O on H, 1354 H St. NE, in the heart of the Atlas En-tertainment District. The exhibition will be on view Apr. 9 to 15, with week-long programing such as pan-el discussions & artist talks. Read more at eastcityart.com/category/calls-for-entry.

Registration for the Capital Encore Chorale

Winter/Spring SessionRegistration is open for the winter/spring session of the Capital Encore Chorale. Singers of all vocal expe-rience are welcome to join. Weekly rehearsals will begin on Jan. 13 at 10 a.m. at the First Congregational UCC, 945 G St. NW. Singers may be seated for rehearsals and per-formances. Singers rehearse each week for 90 minutes. The Spring repertoire includes Clap Yo Hands by George and Ira Gershwin; and three wonderful medleys featuring the romantic music of Rodgers and Hart, blues favorites by Hoagy Car-michael and the exciting music of the ever popular Broadway musical Guys and Dolls. For more informa-tion, visit encorecreativity.org, call 301-261-5747 or email [email protected]. Space is limited.

Dance Place PlansCommunity Arts Park

Dance Place has been awarded a prestigious $500,000 grant from the Kresge Foundation to support the

Did your school close down leaving you with student debt and no degree? Think you might be a victim of fraud? This presentation covers: different loan repay-ment plans available for students who borrowed federal student loans; the consequences of going into default on a federal student loan; how to avoid defaulting even when money is tight; and what can be done to get out of default. This program is on Jan. 20, 2 p.m., at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. dclibrary.org/mlk.

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creation of an Arts Park in the now vacant Kearny Street NE Alley between 3305 and 3225 Eighth St. NE in between Dance Place and the adjacent Brookland Artspace Lofts. The space serves as an emergency route to the train tracks and is con-trolled by the District Department of Transporta-tion’s Public Space Division. The site sits just off the Metropolitan Branch Trail and is two blocks away from the Brookland/CUA Metro station and bus stops.

The space will be converted into an ar-tistic, playable green space. Design features include lighting and canopy overhead, en-tirely new colorful surfacing, a convertible outdoor stage, film screen and five public art commissions by local artists. The park will host interactive programming for all ages, including games, music concerts, movie nights, community gardens, dance presentations, workshops and more. dance-place.org.

Etsy 101 and Etsy Beyond theBasics at MLK Library

On Tuesday, Jan. 19, 7 p.m., learn how to start your own Etsy shop to sell handcrafted or vintage items. This class will cover the basics of starting an account, adding list-ings, and more. Basic computer and internet skills are needed to attend this class. Feel free to bring your own laptop, or use one that they will have available. Etsy: Beyond the Basics is on Jan. 26, 7 p.m. Register at [email protected]. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. dclibrary.org/mlk.

Reverse Mortgage WorkshopsDid you resolve to learn more about a re-verse mortgage? Housing Counseling Ser-vices has two options. The first is for those who have never had a reverse mortgage. On Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. is “Reverse Mortgages for Beginners, How to Apply?” The second is for those who have a reverse mortgage but need a refresher. The “Reverse Mort-gage Refresher Workshop” is on Jan. 19, 2 p.m. The workshops are at Housing Coun-seling Services, 2410 17th St. NW, Suite 100. All HCS workshops are available in English and Spanish. For more informa-tion, contact them at 202-667-7006 or

[email protected].

Jewish Civil Rights and Anti-War ActivismOn Jan. 24, 2 to 4 p.m., The Director of the Founda-tion for Jewish Studies Lauren Strauss talks about the significant role Jews played in the Vietnam War protests as well as their part in the larger narrative re-garding the era’s social movements. Anacostia Com-munity Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu.

Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival 2016Kicking off the Atlas Performing Arts Center 10th Anniversary, the Atlas Intersections Festival 2016 (Feb. 26 to Mar. 6) brings the best of DC arts and artists to the stage and H Street with performances, experiences and happenings in theatre, dance, mu-sic, vocal, choral, opera, visual arts, video, film, writ-ing, sculpture, photography, circus, spoken word, public art, community art, and art space activation. Discover how art, culture and connection happen on H Street. atlasarts.org.

District’s Population ClimbsThe US Census Bureau has announced that the District of Columbia gained another 12,392 resi-dents between July 1, 2014 and July 1, 2015. The District’s 2015 population is estimated now at 672,228, a 1.9 percent increase over the revised 2014 population number of 659,836. The District therefore is again adding just over 1,000 residents a month. The District has added more than 70,000 residents since the 2010; and since 2000. This trend puts the District on track to bypass its 1950 peak population of 802,000.

DC Foam BanIt is now illegal for businesses and organizations that serve food to use food service products made of ex-panded polystyrene, commonly known as foam or Styrofoam. The law applies to any food service prod-ucts designed for one-time use. These include take-out containers, bowls, plates, trays, cups, and other items.

The DC Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) will first assist regulated businesses with achieving compliance through outreach and educa-tion. DOEE will also solicit tips from the public and conduct regular inspections, issuing warning letters. After the period of compliance assistance has ended, DOEE may issue fines to food service providers that continue to distribute foam products. For more information, contact Kate Judson at [email protected] or 202-645-6988.

“Vision Zero” Traffic Safety ActionPlan Released

The District’s “Vision Zero” plan’s goal is to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries to walkers, bikers and drivers by 2024. The Vision Zero Action Plan is the result of an extensive planning process involving 30 government agencies, community groups and resi-

Neighborhood

One last stop on these trees’ journey before they are planted. Photo: Courtesy of Casey Trees

The District’s First-Ever Tree SummitAt the Tree Summit on Dec. 18, Mayor Bowser an-nounced the launch of Canopy 3,000, a short-term pub-lic-private partnership aimed at expanding the number of trees planted on private property and public spaces throughout the District. The 11 members of Canopy 3,000 will work together to develop a plan for plant-ing an additional 3,000 trees in the District in 2016. Mayor Bowser announced the District would contribute $400,000 in seed funding, enough to plant over 1,300 trees. Mayor Bowser also announced the establishment of the Urban Forestry Advisory Committee to expand co-ordination and assist the District in meeting its Sustain-able DC goal to achieve a 40 percent healthy tree canopy by 2032. For more information about tree initiatives and programs in the District, visit doee.dc.gov/trees.

dents. The plan places a high priority on making safety improvements and refining how the city monitors and addresses hazardous street conditions. During the planning process, residents reported more than 4,500 hazardous locations. Those sites can now be mapped along with historical crash data to inform the Dis-trict’s engineering, education, and enforcement efforts. For more information, visit dcvisionzero.com.

Home Pre-Purchase Orientations at Housing Counseling Services

Throughout 2016, Pre-Purchase Orientations will be held every Thursday at 11 a.m. and the first Wednes-

day of every month at 6 p.m. at Housing Counseling Services, 2410 17th St. NW, Suite 100. Registration is encouraged at housingetc.org. For more informa-tion contact them at 202-667-7006 or [email protected]. All HCS workshops are available in English and Spanish. Other languages are available with advance notice.

Free Small Business Legal ClinicThere is a free Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the John A. Wilson District Building, 1350 Pennsylva-nia Ave. NW, room G-9. This clinic is for aspiring or existing small business owners. Attendees will meet

one-on-one with attorneys for brief advice on any legal issues their busi-nesses may be facing.

DPR Offers International

Lifeguard Training The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) offers Interna-tional Lifeguard Training courses for Summer 2016. Courses will be of-fered through June 2016. DPR em-ploys certified International Lifeguard Training Program lifeguards year round. The International Lifeguard Training Program is a single, integrat-ed curriculum that successfully trains lifeguards and lifeguard instructors through proven training methods and state-of-the-art lifeguard rescue skills. DPR is offering an incentive and will waive registration fees for any class that starts on or before Monday, Feb. 1. Interested parties should register at dcdpr.asapconnected.com. For ques-tions concerning lifeguard training, contact Aisha Moten at [email protected].

DPR Announces theArrival of Pickleball

The fastest growing adult sport in the nation has arrived in DC. The “thwack” of a paddle on a pickleball is now being heard by new and ex-perienced players at three DC De-partment of Parks Recreation sites

as a result of a new program. Pickleball is a rac-quet sport that combines elements of tennis, table tennis, and badminton. The court is smaller than a tennis court; it is the size of a doubles badminton court, and therefore easier for senior adults to play than traditional tennis.

This new program is offered at three pilot sites on different days of the week: King Greenleaf Rec-reation Center at 201 N St. SW from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Tuesdays; Emery Recreation Center at 5701 Georgia Ave. NW from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays; and Sherwood Recreation Cen-ter at 640 10th St. NE from 1 to 3 p.m., Thursdays. Free instruction and demonstrations are available and there is equipment to borrow. dpr.dc.gov.

DC Water Expands Walk-in

Payment OptionsDC Water now offers cash walk-in payments at more than 150 locations in DC, Maryland and Virginia. Over 50 of those locations are in the District. DC Water contracted with Global Ex-press Financial Services, a vendor that works with local establishments to accept authorized walk-in cash payments on behalf of utilities. The payment centers have already begun accepting DC Water bill payments. The locations include convenience and grocery stores, delis and check-cashing cen-ters. DC Water will close its 810 First St. NE pay-ment office and drop box on Jan. 29, 2016.

Payments post on the same day if paid by 2 p.m. The service is absolutely free. Authorized payment locations can be found at global-expresss.net/storelocator.

Lowe’s Opens atFort Lincoln

On December 3, Lowe’s opened a store at the Shops at Dakota Crossing, 2438 Market St. NE. This store brings 150 jobs to District. It is one of several new tenants coming to this Ward 5 devel-opment project.

Have an item for the Bulletin Board, email [email protected]. u

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Tour the Harper Macaw Chocolate FactoryHarper Macaw, which opened in December 2015, is a fine chocolate venture founded by a Brazilian chocolate maker and a US Marine Veteran with an ambitious yet tangible objective: To turn chocolate into a force for tropical reforestation. Find out how that works at harpermacaw.com. The Harper Macaw Chocolate Factory is at 3160 Bladensburg Rd. NE. Tours are Saturdays, 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. harpermacaw.com.

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DC parents and education advocates went on a test-score rollercoaster during the closing months of 2015: Results from the Partnership for As-sessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), a new stan-dardized assessment used by the city, indicated only 10 percent of 10th graders in public schools were either proficient or advanced in math; 25

percent reached those levels in English Language Arts (ELA).

Then the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report declared the city’s fourth graders displayed one of the “biggest gains” na-tionally in reading since 2013, causing elected of-ficials to cheer. That was before the second round of PARCC scores arrived, revealing that only 24 percent of students in third through eighth grades were proficient or advanced in math; 25 percent of them reached that standard in ELA.

That ride didn’t produce the giddy pleasure as-sociated with roller coasters. Rather, some people wonder whether District residents, whose tax dollars finance public education, are being fleeced. Others wonder whether test scores are the only numbers to consider when measuring the system’s success.

Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer Niles has suggested high school graduation rates, student enrollment, and school modernization are equally important. Growth in those areas, she said during a press conference last fall, “[gives] us the momentum we need to drive toward providing a world-class education to all of our students.”

Eboni-Rose Thompson, head of the resident-led Ward 7 Education Council, said calculating multiple factors is important. “I do think in a lot of ways kids are better off than they were. A lot of people have the sense things are better. But do we know how much better?”

In the MixEmploying Niles’ measuring standard, the DC Public Schools (DCPS) education ecosystem seems healthy and thriving, at least on the sur-face. Public-school enrollment is 87,749, a two percentage-point increase over last year, according to a preliminary audit released by the Office of the State Superintendent for Education of the 2015-16 populations at DCPS and charter schools.

The hike, resulting in 48,653 in DCPS and 39,096 in charters, may be attributed in part to the District’s pre-kindergarten program, which allows for three- and four-year-old children to at-tend school full time, free of charge. Each year has seen greater demand, instigating additional classes at many schools. Sara Maldonado, a spokesperson for the charter school board, said that Pre-k 3 and Pre-k 4 students account for 19 percent of its total enrollment; that population grew from 395 in 2002 to 6,425 in the 2014-15 school year. While both sectors have benefited, it appears that the DCPS’ enrollment numbers begin to dip after the fifth grade through the middle years; charters have been advantaged by that decline.

The total number of white students in DCPS grew in the 2014-15 school year to 12 percent, up from 10 percent the previous year. Hispanic enroll-ment jumped from 15 percent in 2011-12 to 17 percent in 2014-15. The number of black students dropped, however, from 71 percent in 2011-12 to 67 percent in 2014-15. The charter sector also is predominantly African-American. The Equity re-port, published by the Office of the State Super-intendent for Education (OSSE), indicates during 2014-15 that female enrollment in public schools was slightly higher than male, and many students participated in the free-lunch program, tradition-ally an indicator of economic status.

Translation: Public schools in the District look pretty much as they have for the past decade: mi-

nority and working class.The complexion of the overall student body may

not have changed but the city has dumped loads of money into the public education coffers. According to the 21st Century School Fund, in the past eight years, DC has spent nearly $5 billion to modernize buildings. Nevertheless, there are at least two dozen facilities in desperate need of renovation. “The state of facilities is a distinctive but important compo-nent when we think about how we are doing,” said Matt Frumin, head of the Coalition for D.C. Public Schools and Communities. “It wasn’t that long ago when [it] was one of the true scandals. Bit by bit we are making real progress. “That’s the hardware,” continued Frumin.

Turning to Gold or Gold-Plated The 2014-15 operating budget for all schools –tra-ditional and charters –excluding construction funds, was more than $1.2 billion. That included money for salary increases for “highly qualified” instructors and the supplement for “at risk kids,” which the DC Council approved two years ago. But the abysmal student achievement levels, or what Frumin might call the software, raise questions about whether residents are getting their money’s worth.

Consider those high school PARCC scores, for example. None –nada, zilch –of the students was proficient in math at eight of the 16 participating schools. One of those schools, Ballou Senior High, received a multimillion dollar renovation. Only eight percent of Wilson High School’s students scored at proficient; it too went through major modernization. Benjamin Banneker, a predomi-nantly black application-only high school, where 48 percent of the students are considered economically disadvantaged, continues to wait for improvements to its facility; it had a proficiency rate of only 32 percent in math. By comparison, 76 percent of stu-dents at Schools Without Walls were proficient; 39

Neighborhood

Measuring School Successby Jonetta Rose Barras

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percent of the overall population is African-American while 17 percent of all students are considered economically disadvantaged.

“For eight years, DC leaders have said that the [schools] are getting better,” said Logan Wiley, a Ward 7 resident and educator. “Th e latest round of assessments that used PARCC showed that it was all a farce. Why should anyone listen to these snake-oil salespeople?”

“We have seen consistent growth in every metric of success, and I expect to see the same with PARCC in the coming years,” DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson said at the release of PARCC scores. “I am confi dent that DCPS is on the right track for ensuring all of our young people are college and career ready, and that we will see our scores improve each year.”

Truthfully, those celebrated NAEP scores were not that great either. Only 31 percent of fourth graders were profi cient in math; seven percent scored at advanced level. Only 19 per-cent of their eight-grade counterparts were profi cient; four percent were advanced.

Erich Martel, a retired DCPS teacher who has closely studied the results of education re-form, noted that the NAEP scores are related to a shift in student demographics. “What they are doing is operating one mechanism of gen-trifi cation. Th ere is a correlation between the increase of whites in the system, who are almost entirely middle-and upper-income,” he added.

He has a point. Th e cohort of pre-kin-dergarten students who came into the system under former Chancellor Michelle Rhee has made its way through the system and is having favorable albeit minimal impact on academic results. “District fourth graders, who have ben-efi tted from more rigorous instruction from the beginning of their academic lives, made sig-nifi cant progress in reading that outpaced gains made by other states,” said State Superinten-dent Hanseul Kang when announcing NAEP test results. Th at same trend was evident in the PARCC scores. A signifi cant number of stu-dents were at basic. Offi cials expect an increas-ing number of them to reach profi cient levels within the next two or three years.

Th at may be why former State Board of Education President Robert Bobb has been a strong support of the Common Core curricu-lum and the PARCC assessment. He said the shift is “a major step forward for all students, regardless of zip-code.” He argued that under

former DCPS Superintendent Cliff ord Janey, Chancellor Michelle Rhee, and current lead-ership there has been a “dogged focus on lev-eling the playing fi eld.” What’s more, added Bobb “Any time you can advance even a point, it’s important.”

Metric SearchIf education reform were a political campaign, many people would be calculating the amount of money it has taken to realize inconsistent incremental increases academic performance. But as Frumin and others have cautioned, stan-dardized test scores cannot be treated as the Holy Grail. “Th e key metric has to be growth, not the snapshot measures of profi ciency.”

Frumin used the illustration of two class-rooms to make his point. In Classroom A, 85 percent of the students have been profi cient over the last two years. In Classroom B, 40 per-cent were profi cient last year; that number is up to 60 percent this year. “Focusing on the snap-shot, it could look like nothing good is hap-pening in Classroom B, but that clearly would be wrong,” he continued. “Focusing on growth, Classroom B looks stellar while Classroom A, not so much. We’re moving toward focusing on growth more, which is positive. But we need to make it a clear focus,” he added

Th ere also are other subjective but criti-cal, areas, like extracurricular activities or the overall school environment, that parent should evaluate. “When one walks into a school, generally you can feel it: the joy, or the pall, the energy or the lack of it. Creating environments where kids, families and com-munities thrive is magic. We all worry about subjective measures, but we also lose some-thing important when we lose sight of such factors. [end quote; who is talking]

In other words, Niles may be right. Th ere can be no single metric when evaluating pub-lic education success. Th e whole is equally as important as the parts. Parents trying to make that all important decision of where to enroll their children have to knock on the schoolhouse door, step inside, rummage through every nook and cranny, and search for the magic while talking with faculty, stu-dents, and other parents.

Jonetta Rose Barras is a freelance writer and author. u

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Wishing you a joyous new year!

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Paid Family Leave is Good for Everyoneby Ed Lazere

No one should have to choose between caring for the people we love and earning the money we need to get by. Yet every day in DC, too many work-ing residents face this choice.

While Social Security helps workers maintain their income when they retire or face a long-term dis-ability, and Unemployment Insur-ance is there for workers who lose

their job, we do not have any tools to support workers financially when they need time off to be with a new child, to recover from a short-term illness, or to care for an ill relative. Many workers simply don’t take time off, which can be harmful to their health or the health of their family. For workers who do take time off, it can mean a major loss of income and even a lost job.

The District is one of a growing number of communities considering paid family leave insurance to address this gap. A proposal be-fore the DC Council would create a fund to pay workers some or all of their wages for up to 16 weeks when they take time off for these family reasons.

Paid family leave would support a healthier work-life balance in a city not known for that. When parents have paid leave, mothers and fa-thers develop stronger bonds with a new child, with lasting impacts on that child’s health and future success. Ensuring workers have time off during an illness or to care for an ill relative

leads to better health and reduces the need for expensive interventions. And by helping workers keep their jobs and maintain their incomes, paid family leave would help DC residents pay the rent or mortgage and other bills. This would be espe-cially helpful to low-wage workers, almost none of whom have paid leave benefits.

The proposal would be funded in part by a new tax on employer payrolls, and in some cases by a deduction from employee paychecks. While it is unclear how much the program would cost, it is certain that the tax would be far smaller than what employers and employees pay into Social Security. A worker earning $20 an hour, for example, would pay just 12 cents per hour for this benefit under the leading proposal.

Some businesses have complained that the cost of paid family leave would hurt them and the DC economy, just as they complained about in-door smoking bans and minimum wage increases, without evidence afterwards of any problems. In this case, a DC-created program would allow small businesses to provide a tremendous benefit

they currently are not able to provide, and it would help all businesses by reducing turnover and en-abling workers to be productive. It is hard to see how that is bad for business.

Paid Family Leave is Goodfor Families!

The United States is the only industrialized na-tion without paid leave. In the U.S., seven out of eight people must give up their paycheck when they have a baby, become ill or care for a fam-ily member. One in four working mothers must return to work just two weeks after giving birth because they don’t have access to paid family and medical leave.

Having access to paid leave helps parents bond with their children and helps people who are ill heal properly. Mothers who take maternity leave are more likely to begin breastfeeding and to breastfeed longer than mothers who do not take leave. Access to paid family leave is associated with improved infant and young child health. And

fathers who take paternity leave are more like-ly to be involved in child-care activities in the child’s early years. Paternal involvement during early childhood has positive effects on the child’s later success in school.

Paid Family Leave IsGood for Women

By making it easier for women to stay in the la-bor force after having a child, paid family leave increases the chance that a mom will stay with the same employer. Research from other com-munities suggests that paid family leave could result in 6,500 more women working in DC, narrowing the gap in labor force participation between men and women.

Paid family leave also helps women main-tain their earnings, because it decreases the risk of lost work experience and lost seniority. Paid family thus could narrow the $5,800 differ-ence in the typical earnings of men and women in DC.

Neighborhood

Paid Family Leave Is Good for Low-Wage Workers

Most low- and moderate-income residents do not have paid leave ben-efits and thus risk losing their jobs and getting behind on bills when they need to take time from work. At a time of falling wages and high un-employment for DC residents with-out a college degree, paid family leave can help more families thrive.

DC residents without a college degree increasingly stay unemployed for an extended period. In 2012, for example, more than half of the city’s African American residents who lost their jobs stayed out of work more than six months. In 2007, just one-fifth of unemployed workers had this kind of trouble.

Paying for FamilyLeave Insurance

Some businesses and business groups oppose the legislation to create paid family leave, because it would require a tax of 1 percent on payroll (or less than 1 percent when all business expenses are considered).

While any new cost on business should be weighed carefully, the cost here appears relatively modest, and it generates a substantial benefit in return. It would allow small busi-

nesses to support their workers in ways they cannot now. And it would help all businesses by reducing turn-over that occurs when workers take unpaid leave. By giving workers time to attend to personal and fam-ily needs, it also would ensure that workers are at their most productive.

The argument that this payroll tax will lead to business failures seems dramatic, especially given that the same claims are made every time a

new business rule is raised. Businesses objected when the District required them to provide up to seven days of paid sick leave to workers, yet surveys after the fact show no wide-spread detrimental effects.

It’s worth noting that paid family leave would be funded by a payroll deduction – rather than a tax on employers – for DC residents who work for the federal govern-ment or who work outside of DC. Yet even here the costs would be relatively

modest, while giving workers a tre-mendous benefit. A resident earning $20 an hour would pay just 12 cents an hour, and a worker earning $50 an hour would pay 40 cents an hour.

Paying a little bit from each pay-check so that we don’t have to go without pay when we have a child, need to care for an ill parent, or need time to recover from an illness is good for families, good for children, and good for the DC economy.

Lazere is executive director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www.dcfpi.org). DCFPI promotes budget and policy solutions to reduce poverty and inequality in the District of Colum-bia, and to increase the opportunity for residents to build a better future. For more information on DC’s paid family leave campaign, go to www.dcpaid-familyleave.org/ u

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For Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), 2015 may have felt like a never-ending round of po-litical fights, as she sought to assert her executive privileges, control territory and launch somewhat controversial poli-cies. But 2016 will make last year seem like a summer boat ride on the Potomac if former

Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) implements his revenge scheme.

He has threatened to run for the DC Council, representing Ward 7 or serving in an at-large capacity. While he never made it to court or jail follow-ing an extensive federal investigation into corruption in his 2010 mayoral campaign, Gray’s comeback plan seems to have the contours of someone who did—Marion Barry.

After being arrested in 1990, Barry was forced to abandon his reelection bid. Two years later, however, the three-term mayor, who had returned from prison, decided he wanted back in the game. He staked out the Ward 8 council seat that was held by his friend and political ally Wilhelmina Rolark. Unsurprisingly, he beat her. In 1994, he ran for mayor, win-ning a fourth term.

Punch-drunk from the whipping by the congressionally appointed finan-cial control board that stripped him of much of his mayoral prerogatives, Barry retired in 1998. The rocking chair didn’t fit well. So, once again, he tapped the Ward 8 council seat, which was held, this time, by Sandy Allen—a woman who had helped keep his voting base intact while he was in prison.

If Gray runs for the Ward 7 council seat, as many predict, he, too, will betray a former ally and protégé, Yvette Alexander. Sometimes, it seems a foot-stool life for women in DC politics. “It’s not good,” said one government official, who, like others I spoke with, asked not to be quoted by name, wor-rying about the potential backlash from all sides.

Forget about fairness. Gray has retained strong

support east of the Anacostia River. In the 2014 Democratic Primary, he bested Bowser in both Wards 7 and 8—59.48 percent in the former and 57.02 percent in the latter. With numbers like those, will Gray become the newest member of the back-stabbers club?

“In her last election, Yvette only got 40 percent of the vote,” said a political operative who likely will work in Alexan-der’s campaign. “It’s definitely going to be a competitive race.”

Tangling with Alexander could mean shadow-boxing with Bowser, who has counted the Ward 7 legislator as part of her council caucus--those members who are either enamored of the mayor’s policy agenda or worried about crossing her po-litical machine, fondly called the Green Team. And, while that independent po-litical action committee, FreshPac, may have closed down, as chief executive Bowser hasn’t lost the Midas Touch. She still can help candidates raise money.

Who will step up and open their wal-lets for Gray? Can he match Bowser’s fundraising prowess--without a shadow campaign operation?

Meanwhile, other primary coun-cil races dominated by incumbents, in-cluding Jack Evans in Ward 2, Brandon Todd in Ward 4, and Kenyan McDuffie in Ward 5, promise to be sleepers. If Republican Dave Oberting gets on the

ballot as that party’s at-large candidate, he prob-ably won’t have any opposition. It’s not clear yet whether the Statehood/Green Party will have a competitive primary.

As in the past, most of the infighting will be rel-egated to the Democratic Party. Ward 8’s LaRuby

Neighborhood

Will Gray go back on the campaign trail? Photo: Andrew Lightman

Get Ready to Rumbleby Jonetta Rose Barras

May vying for a full four-year term could have a rematch with Trayon White, who came within striking distance during last spring’s special election. A loss by May “will be by default a rejection of the mayor,” said Melik Abul, Ward 8 resident and au-thor of the newly created Counter-creed blog.

A potential win by Gray in Ward 7 and White in Ward 8 would spell trouble for Bowser; her enemies would be at the door. Scrutiny of her public policies similar to that endured over her crime-busting, body-camera installation plan would become the norm and not the excep-tion—although that might be a good thing. Reducing crime will have to be among the tangibles Bowser pro-duces in 2016, if she wants to keep her few east of the river voters out of Gray’s pockets. Th e mayor might have a stellar year in 2016, said Ev-ans, “with the building of a soccer stadium and the Wizards’ practice facility.” Th at would mean, he con-tinued, “there would fi nally be eco-nomic development east of the river.”

Gray could surprise us and run for the at-large seat. If he jumps into the Democratic primary he could imperil incumbent Vincent Orange (D). In last year’s mayoral primary when they were both on the ballot, a politically wounded Gray slaugh-tered Orange. In Ward 5, for exam-ple, Orange received 573 votes (4.40 percent) while Gray received 6,155 (47. 26 percent).

Since then, Orange has sidled up nicely to Bowser. He could be-come the recipient of her citywide voter support, campaign manpower and donor lists. Gray might have a better chance ditching the Demo-cratic Party and making a run for the independent line, as incumbent Council member David Grosso (I) did nearly four years ago to gain his seat in the legislature.

Th at would amplify the action in the November General Election.

Grosso has gained popularity city-wide and has a strong base. But, if Orange wins the June Democratic Primary and Gray is an indepen-dent on the General Election ballot, Grosso is vulnerable.

Some voters, mostly African Americans, still see race before char-acter and policy platform. Th is is a presidential election year, which could result in a strong showing at the polls from Democrats in general and blacks in particular. Th ey are likely to punch in for Orange and Gray, leav-ing Grosso on the sidelines—unless Bowser, buying the adage “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” lends the incumbent an assist.

You can bet 2016 will be a hot mess. Political junkies will be on an everlasting high, although it could get nauseous at times. Council can-didates are likely to use the annual budget process as their stage to high-light their policies and blowout the diff erence between themselves and their opponents. Th ey also will pan-der to special interest constituencies, introducing legislation that has little chance of passing the council but will give the impression that they care.

Th e campaign to end home-lessness will shift into high gear, as Bowser attempts to create traction around a signature policy issue that will serve as a key platform for her 2018 reelection. It might be an un-dercard compared to the expected political dynamics. But as she starts constructing ward-based shelters, Nimbyism will return to center stage with a vengeance. Some residents certainly will attempt to protect the character of their communities and their safety, against a population that includes a large number of people with substance abuse and mental health problems.

Th at’s right: Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

Jonetta Rose Barras is a freelance writer. u

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support east of the Anacostia River. In the 2014 Democratic Primary, he bested Bowser in both Wards 7 and 8—59.48 percent in the former and 57.02 percent in the latter. With numbers like those, will Gray become the newest member of the back-stabbers club?

“In her last election, Yvette only got 40 percent of the vote,” said a political operative who likely will work in Alexan-der’s campaign. “It’s defi nitely going to be a competitive race.”

Tangling with Alexander could mean shadow-boxing with Bowser, who has counted the Ward 7 legislator as part of her council caucus--those members who are either enamored of the mayor’s policy agenda or worried about crossing her po-litical machine, fondly called the Green Team. And, while that independent po-litical action committee, FreshPac, may have closed down, as chief executive Bowser hasn’t lost the Midas Touch. She still can help candidates raise money.

Who will step up and open their wal-lets for Gray? Can he match Bowser’s fundraising prowess--without a shadow campaign operation?

Meanwhile, other primary coun-cil races dominated by incumbents, in-cluding Jack Evans in Ward 2, Brandon Todd in Ward 4, and Kenyan McDuffi e in Ward 5, promise to be sleepers. If Republican Dave Oberting gets on the

ballot as that party’s at-large candidate, he prob-ably won’t have any opposition. It’s not clear yet whether the Statehood/Green Party will have a competitive primary.

As in the past, most of the infi ghting will be rel-egated to the Democratic Party. Ward 8’s LaRuby

Happy New Year from Capital Community News!

E S T . 1 9 7 6E S T . 1 9 7 6E S T . 1 9 7 6

3 4 M I d c I t y d c n e w s . c o M

Carter G. Woodson Park DedicatedThe new Carter G. Woodson sculpture and renovated park at the southwest corner of Ninth Street and Rhode Island Avenue were dedicated to the memory of the father of black history on the afternoon of Dec. 5. Shaw Main Streets sponsored the dedication, which included representatives from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the National Park Service. The dedication of the park was scheduled to coincide with Dr. Woodson’s 140th birthday, which was being celebrated in December.

After everyone stood for a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” Alexander Padro, executive director of Shaw Main Streets, opened by not-ing how long it took to get to this point. He originally got the city to name the park after Dr. Woodson in 2001. Real improvements to the park did not start until 2005, when preservationist Denise Johnson worked to develop projects to mitigate the effects of the new Convention Center on Shaw’s architectural heritage. Padro credited Johnson, now deceased, with organiz-ing the project and identifying sources of funding, such as grants from the US Department of Transportation.

Then Charles Allen, councilmember for Ward 6, remarked that the dedication was an important recognition of the neighborhood’s history and another milestone in the rapid revitalization of Shaw. Ann Honious, deputy superintendent of National Capital Parks-East, described the importance of the park to her project to convert Dr. Woodson’s adjacent home into a National Park Service site. Ray Kaskey, the renowned sculptor who created the remarkable bronze of Dr. Woodson, said how honored he was to get the commission, but also noted that it took 10 years to complete due to bureau-cratic delays. Adrienne McCray, the landscape architect for the project, re-membered that when she first came to the site, the most prominent feature was a large old oak tree that was surrounded by asphalt. Besides removing the asphalt trapping the tree, her design included a rain garden to retain water and prevent runoff.

Shaw Streetsby Pleasant Mann

Neighborhood

Dedication of Carter G. Woodson Park. Photo: Pleasant Mann

Padro concluded the event with a quote, inscribed on the back of the monument, from Woodson’s book “The Story of the Negro Retold,” which ex-plains that that the historian must ensure that “Truth comes to us from the past, then like gold washed down from the moun-tains.” The ceremony ended with the playing of Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday.”

Shaw Main Streets HoldsHoliday Party

Shaw Main Streets held its annual holi-day party at the Howard Theater on the night of Dec. 7. With hundreds of Shaw residents attending, it was the biggest of the SMS holiday parties so far. Guests included DC Councilmembers Elissa Silverman and Vincent Orange, along with former Mayor Vincent Gray. Doz-ens of Shaw businesses donated food and provided other support. Entertain-

ment included DJs and vocal perfor-mances from the DC American Classic Woman of the Year Pageant. A raffle for attendees awarded the winner a gift bas-ket courtesy of Dacha Beer Garden. The night ended with a massive line dance.

Seaton Elementary Principal Declared 2015’s Best

Seaton Elementary School Principal Kim Jackson was declared Principal of the Year by the DC Public Schools. The announcement was part of the an-

nual Standing Ovation Awards, where DC Public Schools recognizes excel-lence among its teachers, administrators, staff, and schools. Jackson, who is in her fourth year leading Seaton Elementary, was applauded for creating “a positive and inclusive cul-ture at Seaton, where stu-dents form strong bonds that reflect their diverse background.” Chancellor Kaya Henderson made a surprise visit to Seaton to inform Jackson of her award. The award comes with a cash bonus and will be formally presented at the Standing Ovation

Line dancing at the Shaw holiday party. Photo: Pleasant Mann

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, Deputy Superintendent of National Capital Parks-East Ann Honious, and Arthur Espinoza Jr., executive director of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities at the Woodson Park dedication. Photo: Pleasant Mann

for DC Public Schools event at the Kennedy Center, Feb. 1.

Holiday Miracle onSeventh Street

While all of Shaw swelled with the holiday spirit, the most cel-ebrated sign of the season was the transformation of Mockingbird Hill. Rechristened Miracle on 7th Street, the sherry-focused bar was decorated to refl ect the holiday sea-son. A Christmas-themed diorama above the bar included both gilded deer and golden dinosaurs. Th e back room was the Hanukkah Hangout, with a menorah overlooking the ham-carving station and a yule log video. New drinks with names like Yippie Ki Yay, MF, and You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out! were crafted quoting fi lms with holiday references. Th e results led to a line of people outside, every night, waiting to get in.

Shaw Makes the Big TimeIf you still need proof that Shaw is the place to be, look no farther than the year-end issue of Th e Washing-ton Post’s Weekend Section. Food critic Tom Sietsema declared Con-vivial best new restaurant of the year. Th e reopened Duff y’s Irish Pub was named best re-emergence, and Up-rising Muffi ns’ Upwich ice cream sandwich was the best food hack. Looking ahead, the cover announc-es, “Coming this year to Shaw: Even more restaurants,” with Kyirisan, Metier, All Purpose, Buttercream Bakeshop, and Hazel opening soon. Nightlife editor Fritz Hahn hailed the 2016 reopenings of Th e Co-lumbia Room and Th e Passenger, “Probably the most anticipated bar opening of the year.” Add the sto-ries on Blagden Alley’s DC Alley Museum and the history of the 9:30 Club, and now everyone knows that Shaw is the neighborhood to beat. u

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Line dancing at the Shaw holiday party. Photo: Pleasant Mann

FIND US AT THESELOCATIONS!

MIDCITY

YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

FEBRUARY 2013

MIDCITY

Bus Boys & Poets 1025 5th ST NW

Big Bear 1700 1st ST NW

Passport 11th & U Streets, NW

A Divine Shine 723 T Street, NW

Al Crostino 1926 9th Street, NW

Annie’s Steak Hose 1609 17th Street

Bank of Georgetown 1301 U St NW

Ben’s Chilli Bowl 1213 U ST NW

Bicycle Space 700 5th St NW

Big Bad Woof 117 Carroll ST NW

Bloomingdale Wine & Spirits 1836 First St. NW

Bus Boys & Poets 2021 14th ST NW

Cambria Hotel 899 O St. NW

Cantania Bakery 1404 North Capitol NW

Capitol Food Market 1634 North Capitol St.

Caribbean Citations 1336 9th ST NW

Carl’s barber shop 1406 P St MW

CCN Office 224 7th ST SE

Chaplin 1501 9th Street, NW

Chinatown Coffee 475 H ST NW

City First Bank 1432 U ST NW

City Paws Hospital 1823 14th St NW

Coldwell Banker 1606 17th ST NW

Commissary 1443 P St NW

Compass Coffee 1535 7th St. NW

Culture Coffee 709 Kennedy Street, NW

CVS 2129 14th ST NW

CVS 3031 14th ST NW

CVS 1000 U ST NW

CVS 1418 P ST NW

CVS 1637 P Street, NW

CVS 1900 7th ST NW

CVS 128 Kennedy ST NW

CVS 400 Massachusetts AVE NW

Dodge City 917 U Street, NW

Dove House Liquors & Restaurant 1905 9th Street, NW

Dovecrest Montessori Day School 1734 7th Street, NW

Drafting Table 1529 14th ST NW

Dunkin Donuts 1739 New Jersey Ave NW

Emmaus Services for Aging 1426 9th ST NW

Environmental Working Group 1436 U ST NW

First Cup Coffee 900 M ST NW

Flash 645 Florida Avenue, NW

Foster House

Apartments 801 Rhode Island Ave, NW

Giant 1050 Brentwood RD NE

Giant 1345 Park RD NW

Giant at O Street Market 1400 7th St NW

Grassroots Gourmet, LLC 104 Rhode Island Ave NW

Habesha market 1919 9th St

Hailo 813 Florida Avenue, NW

Harris Teeter 1201 First St, NE

Harris Teeter 1631 Kalorama RD NW

Home Rule 1807 14th Street, NW

Howard Founders Library 500 Howard Place, NW

Howard University 2225 Georgia Avenue, NW

Java House (Deliver on 17th & Q) 1645 Q ST NW

Kafe Bohem 602 Florida Avenue, NW

Kennedy Recreation Center 1401 7th ST NW

Lettie Gooch 1517 U Street, NW

Lincoln Westmoreland Apts. 1730 7th Street, NW

Logan Hardware 1734 14th St NW

Long & Foster 1401 14th ST NW

Marriott Hotel 901 Massachusetts Ave NW

MLK Library 901 G ST NW

Modern Liquors 1200 9th ST NW

Mount Vernon Sq. Metro 7th & M ST NW

NEDS - Catwalk Boutique 1000 H Street, NE

Nelly’s 900 U St NW

Nest DC 87 Florida Ave. NW

Northwest One Library 155 L ST NW

NW Settlement House 1739 7th Street, NW

Off Road Cycling 905 U Street, NW

Paul Laurence Dunbar Sr. Apts. U & 15th Street NW

Pekoe Acupuncture 1410 9th Street, NW

Peregrine Epresso 1718 14th St NW

Phyllis Wheatly YWCA 901 Rhode Island Ave, NW

Planet Pet 1738 14th St NW

Politics & Prose 5015 Connecticut Ave, NW

Rahama African Restaurant 1924 9th Street, NW

Reeves Center 2000 14th ST NW

Reeves Center Street Box 14th & U Street, NW

Reformation Fitness 1302 9th St NW #1

Rite Aid 1306 U Street NW

Safeway 490 L St. NW

Safeway 1747 Columbia RD NW

Safeway 1701 Corcoran ST NW

Seaton Market 1822 North Capitol St. NW

Senior Building 1713 7th St. NW

Shaw Library 945 Rhode Island AVE NW

Shaw Mainstreet 875 N Street, NW, Suite 201

Shaw Metro 1800 7th st NW

Shaw Metro Street Box 8th & R Streets., NW

Shaw Metro Street Box 7th & S Streets., NW

Showtime Lounge 113 Rhode Island Ave. NW

Simon Vintage 1911 9th Street, NW

Skynear Design Gallery 1800 Wyoming Avenue, NW

SMASH Records 2314 18th Street, NW

Solid Core 1821 7th Street, NW

Starbucks 1425 P St NW

Starbucks 2225 Georgia AVE NW

Starbucks 1301 Connecticut Ave, NW

Street Box - SW Corner 7th St. & Rhode Island Ave, NW

Studio Theatre Street Box 14th & P Street, NW

Sunset Spirits 1627 First St. NW

T Street Market 80 T St. NW

The Coffee Bar 1201 S St NW

Third District MPD 1620 V ST NW

Trader Joe’s 1914 14th St NW

Trilogy NoMa 151 Q Street, NE

Tryst 2459 18th ST NW

U Street Cafe 1301 U ST NW

U Street Metro 11th & U Streets, NW

U Street Wine & Beer 1351 U St NW

Universal Gear 1919 14th Street, NW

Uprising Muffin Company 1817 7th St NW

Velvet Lounge 915 U Street, NW

Vida 1612 U St NW

Walgreens 1325 14th ST NW

Wanda’s 1851 7th Street, NW

Whitman-Walker Clinic 1701 14th Street, NW

Whole Foods 1440 P Street NW

Why Not Boutique 1348 U Street, NW

Wilson Building 1350 Pennsylvania AVE NW

Windows Cafe 101 Rhode Island AVE NW

Wydown Coffee Bar 1924 14th St NW

Yes Organic Market 2123 14th St NW

YMCA 1711 Rhode Island Avenue, NW

Yoga District 1830 1st ST NW

MIDCITY

3 6 M I d c I t y d c n e w s . c o M

The Corner Coffee ShopLa Colombe recently opened a second DC location in Mount Vernon Triangle. This neighborhood cof-fee shop is the perfect place for MVT residents to get caffeinated on the way to work, to stop before a show at Sixth and I, or to catch up with a friend. “Most people come to talk or draw or read a book or get on their computer,” explained group manager and trainer Dave Bise. “We offer very basic things. You know what you’re going to get when you come here, and you know we can make you happy with what we serve.”

In addition to selling fantastic coffee and of-fering classes and coffee tastings, La Colombe has contributed to the revitalization of the neighbor-hood by restoring the building’s brick façade and adding several windows overlooking the neighbor-ing park. “We love the blend of people and places in

the area,” co-founder and CEO Todd Carmichael explained. “And, it has a great mix of residential, re-tail, commercial. It’s a perfect reflection of how we see America.”

La Colombe, which Carmichael and JP Iberti founded 20 years ago, is committed to establishing lasting, positive relationships with coffee growers in countries such as Haiti, Zambia, and Bolivia. “We focus coffee sourcing in areas where our money can do the most good,” Carmichael said. “The two most important [principles of ethical trading] are that we trade at good prices and we spread knowledge from farm to farm from all over the world to elevate cof-fee quality and learn from each other.” In addition to establishing direct trade relationships, La Colombe started the Haiti Coffee Academy with the Clinton Foundation to offer training programs for coffee farmers and strengthen the coffee supply chain.

“Every person at La Colombe works to make

people happy with coffee,” Carmichael shared. “That goal makes a difference in the cafe experi-ence in the way we roast and make our coffee, in everything we do.”

Visit La Colombe at 900 Sixth St. NW, in Blagden Alley in Shaw, or at www.lacolombe.com.

Serving MVT’s Youngest FoodiesMount Vernon Triangle offers even its youngest residents opportunities to try a variety of interna-tional cuisines without ever leaving the neighbor-hood. From French to Mediterranean to modern American, MVT’s restaurants have something to please even the pickiest palates.

While only a few of the approximately 20 neighborhood restaurants, including Sixth En-gine, Le Pain Quotidien, and Busboys and Poets, have a separate children’s menu, each restaurant has dishes that young diners enjoy. Many restau-rants also have highchairs and booster seats, and

Mt. Vernon Triangleby Ellen Boomer

Neighborhood

A young MVT resident at L’Hommage Bistro Français.

La Colombe’s bright, spacious interior.

J A n U A R y 2 0 1 6 3 7

people happy with coffee,” Carmichael shared. “That goal makes a difference in the cafe experi-ence in the way we roast and make our coffee, in everything we do.”

Visit La Colombe at 900 Sixth St. NW, in Blagden Alley in Shaw, or at www.lacolombe.com.

Serving MVT’s Youngest FoodiesMount Vernon Triangle offers even its youngest residents opportunities to try a variety of interna-tional cuisines without ever leaving the neighbor-hood. From French to Mediterranean to modern American, MVT’s restaurants have something to please even the pickiest palates.

While only a few of the approximately 20 neighborhood restaurants, including Sixth En-gine, Le Pain Quotidien, and Busboys and Poets, have a separate children’s menu, each restaurant has dishes that young diners enjoy. Many restau-rants also have highchairs and booster seats, and

Mt. Vernon Triangleby Ellen Boomer

Two Groups Tie for Capital Vista ProjectThree development groups presented plans at a pre-vious meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commis-sion (ANC) 6E in hopes of getting consent for a development project on a parcel of land called Capi-tal Vista that is bounded by Second and H Streets NW and New Jersey Avenue. The first plan up for consideration was FLGA LLC Thurgood Marshall College Fund Campus, which designed a 13-story graduate student dormitory with a college bookstore on the ground level. The second plan, by Voltron Dante Partners, called for low-income affordable housing units as well as workforce housing units available to teachers, firefighters, and others. The group also agreed to set aside funds to cover vari-ous public activities throughout the community. The third and last plan, presented by the Argos Group, called for affordable housing units with an area des-ignated for children to play and dogs to run. The building would have ground-floor retail space and a chef-training school. The commissioners noted that each project will have the same number of parking spaces, which will be minimal, and should not create additional parking problems for the area. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development asked each commissioner to rank the groups, one through three, in terms of how each project would suit the community. After the votes were tallied, the Argos Group and Voltron Dante Partners tied for first.

Protests Entertainment andChange of Hours Request

Representatives of the restaurant Chaplin’s, at 1501 Ninth St. NW, came to the meeting and requested support for an entertainment endorsement and a change in hours during which they may serve al-cohol. The establishment is not looking to change into a nightclub or tavern. It seeks to provide mu-sic to diners, but only inside, from 6:00 p.m. until midnight. The change of hours of alcohol service would push last call up 30 minutes from 1:30 to 2:00 a.m., and the establishment would open an hour early at 10:00 a.m. for the weekend brunch crowd.

The restaurant also has plans for an enclosed out-door seating area that will contain noise and pro-vide climate control. The commissioners explained that they want to come to a voluntary agreement on the crowd noise and hours of operation change that is consistent with any bar and restaurant in the area. The commissioners also said that a voluntary or settlement agreement was the standard protocol with every other business in the area with a liquor license. ANC 6E01 Commissioner Alexander Padro noted that there has already been a noise complaint from a building resident located 801 P St. NW, di-rectly across the alley from the establishment. The commissioners motioned to protest both requests so as to preserve peace, order, and quiet until parties can negotiate an agreement that addresses the concerns. After the motion passed, ANC 6E05 Commis-sioner Marge Maceda told Chaplin’s representatives that the commission would be happy to work on an agreement together. The protest will be communi-cated to both the DC Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board and the Alcoholic Beverage Regula-tion Administration (ABRA).

Ice Cream Shop Seeks Supportfor Liquor License

A representative from Dolci Gelati Café, at 1420 Eighth St. NW, asked for support of a license to serve beer and wine. The café currently serves Ital-ian ice cream, gelati pops, sandwiches, and coffee but would like to create more foot traffic by adding a happy hour. The representative said he would like to work with a local craft beer provider who oper-ates on the same block and add beer shakes to the menu. The commissioners voted in favor of support-ing the request and will communicate their support to ABRA.

Next Meeting at New LocationANC 6E will meet again at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 5 at the Northwest One Library on 155 L St. NW. Visit www.anc6e.org to view the newsletter; follow on Twitter @ANC6E and on Facebook by search-ing ANC6E. u

ANC 6Eby Steve Holton

Mandu even has a bathroom equipped with a baby changing station. “A couple of dish-es that kids always enjoy are the chap chae and the dak kalguksoo,” Mandu’s general manager Eric Chodkowski shared. “These are noodle dishes, and honestly, what kid doesn’t love noodles?”

At A Baked Joint the sweet oatmeal or the toast options, especially the ones with Nutella or peanut butter and banana, are popular with kids. Tuesdays and Fridays are pizza nights, which is a great excuse for a family night out.

While eating at L’Hommage Bistro Français kids can discover if macaroni gratin or the poulet roti tastes better than ordinary macaroni and cheese and rotisserie chicken. They can also sample classic French pastries and breads at the boulangerie, including croissants and macarons.

In addition to expanding their palates, kids and families can attend events and cel-ebrate important milestones. “We will have been open for five years in January and we have had the chance to see couples meet, get married, and have kids, and get to see those kids throughout the years and watch them grow,” Chodkowski said.

Busboys and Poets hosts a Youth Open Mic Night every third Saturday where kids can “sing, dance, recite poetry, rap, share a sto-ry, or whatever else makes them feel creative,” said front-of-house manager Brian Sykes. Sykes shared a story of a family that brought their six-year-old son to Busboys and Poets to celebrate his birthday. Sykes helped set up the table with a tablecloth, balloons, a place mat, and some small toys, all to make the din-ner extra special. “I stopped by after they were done and asked them how everything was. The child cut off his parents before they could speak and said, ‘This is my favorite restaurant, I love it here!’” Sykes remembered.

“No matter how young or old you are or what walk of life or background you come from, you can come in and have an amazing meal and feed your mind, body, and soul,” Sykes said.

Contact the MVT Community Im-provement District (CID) at 457 Massa-chusetts Ave. NW, at www.mvtcid.org, or call 202-216-0511 for a listing of neighbor-hood restaurants. u

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More Reliable Than Your Dad’s Chevy

El Camino is cruising into its sec-ond year as Bloomingdale’s only Mexican restaurant. With a new executive chef and an expanded menu, El Camino is securing its place as a neighborhood favorite. Bloomingdale resident Tony Luc-ca, who co-owns both El Camino and 1905 in Shaw, started work-ing when he was 10 years old, and he hasn’t slowed down much since then. “Restaurants were an inter-esting crossroads of different parts of my career that I’d liked,” Lucca shared. “I enjoy the environment, creating spaces, creating experienc-es, visualizing concepts and trying to bring them to life … I like the idea of being a part of important milestones in people’s lives.”

Lucca listened to feedback from diners and redesigned the menu with new chef Adrian Sala-

zar, who’s worked at Iron Gate and Zaytinya. In addition to the signa-ture tacos, the new menu includes a whole grilled fish, a slow-roasted leg of lamb, and a hanger steak, each priced at $20-25. Lucca an-ticipates changing the menu three times a year but keeping the price points affordable.

“Word is going to start to spread that not only is our food darn good, but it’s also being exe-cuted very consistently,” Lucca said. “When you come in here, you’re getting great value, great food, and great quality.”

Lucca is committed to sup-porting the neighborhood and keeping it well fed. In its first year El Camino participated in neigh-borhood events such as Dine Out Bloomingdale and the Blooming-dale Community Day in Crispus Attucks Park. “In these first three to five years, your break-even has to be from the neighborhood,” Lucca

Bloomingdale Buzzby Ellen Boomer

Neighborhood

Pork belly tacos. Photo: El Camino

Rendering of Brick Lane’s project at 10 Florida Ave. NW.

explained. “If you can get by and break even off business from the neighbor-hood, then you’re doing good. Anyone who comes from further outside is just the cherry on top.”

Visit El Camino at 108 Rhode Is-land Ave. NW, at www.elcaminodc.com, or call 202-847-0419.

There’s No Place Like HomeThanks to Brick Lane Real Estate, Bloomingdale will have three new buildings for aspiring residents to call home. By responsibly renovating and managing properties, this DC-based company is committed to being a good neighbor.

Founded in 2010, Brick Lane is owned and operated by three native Washingtonians: Erik Kudla, Jeff Gross, and Taylor Kelly. They were drawn to the projects in Bloomingdale for many of the same reasons residents love living here. “It’s one of the quaintest neigh-borhoods in DC,” Kudla explained. “The turrets and row houses, and access to everything from the Metro to new restaurants. From a retail standpoint Bloomingdale is just getting started.”

In addition to the seven large units at 80-84 P St. NW, which will total 12,000 square feet, Brick Lane is rede-veloping and will manage a four-unit building called the Flats at Tiber Creek.

Across from The Red Hen, these units will include unique, custom finish se-lections, natural light, private outdoor spaces, and parking.

While this boutique company started with small-scale projects, it’s tackling a 15,000 square-foot, mixed-use project at 10 Florida Ave. NW. This building, dating to the 1920s, will be called The Truxton and will include nine luxury apartments and about 3,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Brick Lane will refurbish the clawfoot tubs and give it a 1920s aesthetic. “We want to pay homage to the history and culture of the neighborhood,” Kudla said. “We’ll plant trees and shrubbery and would love to commission artwork to replace the current mural” (which won’t survive the renovation).

Work at 10 Florida will start in Janu-ary 2016 and will take about a year. Once the renovations are complete, Brick Lane will manage the building. “After having built it, we are the best people to man-age,” Kudla shared. “We know everyone personally and make sure they have ev-erything they want. We have high reten-tion rates for our buildings.” He added, “We want to continue cleaning up the neighborhood and get more involved.” Contact Brick Lane Real Estate at 1900 M St. NW, Suite 200, at bricklanedc.com, or call 202-677-4282.

Let’s Get PhysicalBloomingdale residents can stay fit without ever leaving the neighbor-hood. From yoga to interval training to a running club, they have many ways to reach their fitness goals and meet their neighbors along the way.

Darrell Fogan started Big Daddy Running Club in 2002 to help his neighbors get in shape together, and the demographic of the neighborhood has changed with the club members. “Groups of men congregated on North Capitol Street and were some of the friendliest people we would meet … each Sunday,” club member John Salatti said. “But the changes in the neighborhood, especially in Trux-ton Circle, have decreased the number of people on the streets.”

While some club members joined the group to get in shape, others trained for marathons or triathlons and could count on their fellow members to sup-port them on race day. Bloomingdale resident Lisa Harlan joined the club in 2010 and incrementally worked her way up to running 5Ks and 10Ks. “I absolutely would not be as healthy and fit without them – one of the incred-ible gifts of living in Bloomingdale!”

Harlan shared. “And major bonus: I’ve made friends for life in the club!” Big Daddy members meet Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 a.m. and Sundays at 7 a.m., year-round.

Bloomingdale residents can take yoga classes at Yoga District and Sam-sara House, sweat with the GetStrong Fitness Sweat Club on Saturdays, or work out with personal trainer Coach G. Residents in neighboring Ecking-ton can take cycling classes at Wired Cycling or even try pole dancing at the P Spot Fitness Center. “The club’s biggest involvement in the commu-nity has been by getting the commu-nity out and exercising,” Salatti ex-plained. “It has remained an open and free source of camaraderie and fitness since its inception.”

Contact Big Daddy Running Club at [email protected]; Darrell Fogan at www.metrowellnessinc.com; Yoga District at www.yogadistrict.com/the-studios/bloomingdale-yoga-dc/; Samsara House at www.samsara-house.org/aboutus.html; Coach G at http://coachgfitness.com; Get Strong Fitness Sweat Club at [email protected]; Wired Cycling at wiredcycling.com; and P Spot Fitness Center at www.bringitupsexy.com. u

J A n U A R y 2 0 1 6 3 9

Bloomingdale Buzzby Ellen Boomer

Members of the Big Daddy Running Club (founder Darrell Fogan in orange shirt in back row).

Across from The Red Hen, these units will include unique, custom finish se-lections, natural light, private outdoor spaces, and parking.

While this boutique company started with small-scale projects, it’s tackling a 15,000 square-foot, mixed-use project at 10 Florida Ave. NW. This building, dating to the 1920s, will be called The Truxton and will include nine luxury apartments and about 3,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Brick Lane will refurbish the clawfoot tubs and give it a 1920s aesthetic. “We want to pay homage to the history and culture of the neighborhood,” Kudla said. “We’ll plant trees and shrubbery and would love to commission artwork to replace the current mural” (which won’t survive the renovation).

Work at 10 Florida will start in Janu-ary 2016 and will take about a year. Once the renovations are complete, Brick Lane will manage the building. “After having built it, we are the best people to man-age,” Kudla shared. “We know everyone personally and make sure they have ev-erything they want. We have high reten-tion rates for our buildings.” He added, “We want to continue cleaning up the neighborhood and get more involved.” Contact Brick Lane Real Estate at 1900 M St. NW, Suite 200, at bricklanedc.com, or call 202-677-4282.

4 0 M I d c I t y d c n e w s . c o M

Poetry Extravaganzawith Sistah Joy andCollective Voices

On Saturday, Jan. 16, 1 p.m., honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the 20th An-nual Poetry Extravaganza with Sistah Joy and Collective Voices. This is a family-friendly event that features live poetry, drumming, dancing, youth performances and much more. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321. dclibrary.org/mlk.

Nordic Winter Wonderland at the Phillips

On Saturday, Jan. 30 from 1 to 4 p.m., embark on a family-friendly art adventure to celebrate the de-lights of the Nordic Winter. Stay warm inside the galleries and en-joy traditional art projects, sto-ries, films, and performances from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Nor-way, and Sweden. Recommended for ages four and up. $12; free for children 18 and under. Reserva-tions required at phillipscollection.org/events. The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. phillipscollec-tion.org.

Kicks Are For Kids Indoor Soccer Registration Open

Reserve your spot today at kafksoc-cer.com. Space is limited. Registra-tion deadline is Jan. 15. Six weeks session is $99. Kicks Are For Kids serves Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, Capitol Hill, VA High-

by Kathleen Donner

kids and family

Truesdell Education Campus, middle school winners of the Westside DC SCORES Poetry Slam! Dec. 2. Photo: Courtesy of DC SCORES

The 18th annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam!The 18th annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam!, the largest youth spoken-word competition in the District, showcased original poetry and songs written by student participants. December’s two-night event was held at Columbia Heights Education Campus on Dec. 2 and H.D. Woodson Senior High School on Dec. 3.

On the second night of the Poetry Slam!, students representing 18 elementary and middle school teams wowed an audience of more than 500 guests. The poems touched on issues plaguing our country. “Use cameras, not guns,” pleaded one student. The competition showed off students’ creativity. A choreographed boxing performance was the winner. El-ementary school winners were Aiton (First); Beers (Second); and Burrville (Third). M’kya Stephens of KIPP QUEST Academy won the individual Shine Award. Middle school winners were Jefferson (First); Hart (Second); and KIPP KEY (Third). Lorenzo Johnson of KIPP KEY won the Shine Award.

DC SCORES builds teams through after-school programs for 1,800 low-income DC youth at 50 sites by instilling self-expression, physical fitness, and a sense of community. To learn more, volunteer or donate, visit DCSCORES.org.

J A n U A R y 2 0 1 6 4 1

lands Park and Logan Circle. For more information, call 877-917-4568 or email [email protected].

MLK Story Timefor Pre-Schoolers

On Jan. 13 at 10 a.m., enjoy stories, activities, and crafts about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the National Ar-chives. Th is program is designed for three to fi ve year olds and accompa-nying adults. National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. archives.gov.

African Americans inAviation and Space

Each February, the National Air and Space Museum celebrates the signif-icant contributions African Ameri-cans have made to fl ight and space exploration despite the overwhelm-ing obstacles they had to overcome. Visitors enjoy presentations, hands-on activities, and stories, and may have the opportunity to meet astro-nauts, fi ghter pilots, and others who will share stories of their challenges and accomplishments. Th ey also learn about inspiring historic fi gures like Bessie Coleman through reenact-ments or story times. African Ameri-can Pioneers in Aviation and Space is on Saturday, Feb. 6, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the National Air and Space Mu-seum, Independence Avenue at Sixth St. SW. airandspace.si.edu.

Engineering Family DayOn Saturday, Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Discover how professional engineers turn ideas into reality and do some engineering and problem solving of your own at the National Building Museum. Th e museum cel-

ebrates Engineers’ Week from Feb. 21 to 27 with a free, hands-on, fun-fi lled festival. Explore thermody-namics, electricity, aerodynamics, and more with engineers at more than 25 activities and demonstrations made especially for kids. Th e National Building Museum is located at 401 F St. NW. nbm.org.

Middle and High School Teachers Learn How

Plants WorkNever have time to get to the US Bo-tanic Garden? Join Lee Coykendall for a behind-the-scenes workshop and learn how to use the Garden as an extension of your classroom. Th is workshop is designed for middle and high school teachers. Training is at the US Botanic Garden, 100 Mary-land Ave. SW, on Th ursday, Feb. 4, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Pre-registration is re-quired. usbg.gov.

Our American Girl atMount Vernon

On Saturday, Jan. 23, 1 to 3 p.m., join Mount Vernon’s own American girl, “Nelly Custis” on a tour of George Washington’s estate. Enjoy refresh-ments with “Lady Washington” and create colonial crafts. $35 for kids; $25 for adults. mountvernon.org.

Marmalade by ClaireParsons Company at

the AtlasWhat is marmalade? Can it be cherry, fi gs, mint, upside down, together or inside out? Marmalade is a delicious, sensory performance about meeting,

APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE 2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR

Apply for admissions at: www.myschooldc.org or call (202) 888-6336

Pre-K 3 through 4th gradeBuilding a strong foundation for learning

www.bridgespcs.org1250 Taylor Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011

p: 202.545.0515

For the 2016-2017 school year Bridges PCS will be in our new location:100 Gallatin St. NE, Washington, DC 20011.

Accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.Voted one of the Best Preschools in DC, City Paper Readers Poll 2013 -2015!

Open Houses on the following Thursdays, 9:30 am-10:30 am*:

*You must register for these sessions by calling (202) 726-1843.

January 21 & 28 . February 18 & 25March 17 & 24 . April 21 & 28

4 2 M I d c I t y d c n e w s . c o M

kids and family

mixing and blending. Mira and Viktor taste and feel in poetic movements and circus actions in an exquisite and visual experience where the audience is invited to join in the experience. Marmalade looks at the world through body, eye, feeling and taste in a room with fluffy skirts, soft circus and Fellini mu-sic. Perfect for ages two to six. The show runs Jan. 21 to 24. Thursday and Friday, performances at 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.; Saturday at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m.; Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. Tickets are $9. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. atlasarts.org.

Lunar New Year Celebration Family DayOn Saturday, Feb. 6, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., ring in the Year of the Monkey with art. The second annual Sackler/Freer Lunar New Year celebration features free attractions for all ages, including: Dance per-formances by Madison Chinese Dance Academy;

Ribbon-dancing tutorials; Calligraphy; Paper fold-ing and knot tying; Mask making and coloring; Lu-nar New Year resolutions; Family-friendly tours of Monkeys Grasp for the Moon; and Photo booth fun. asia.si.edu.

Weekly Cartoon SkateEvery Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., kids can skate with cartoon characters at the Canal Park Ice Rink. The rink is open daily and offers private skating lessons for children and adults. Ice skating rink hours are Mondays and Tuesdays, noon to 7 p.m.; Wednesday through Friday, noon to 9 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admis-sion is $9 for adults and $8 for children, seniors, and military. Skate rental is $4. Canal Park Ice Rink is at Second and M Streets SE, one block from the Navy Yard/Ballpark Metro. More information can be found at canalparkdc.org/ice-rink/public-skating.

Library of Congress Summer InternshipsThe Library of Congress seeks applicants for its 2016 Junior Fellows Summer Internship Program. This is a 10-week paid fellowship for undergradu-ate and graduate students. For a stipend of $3,000, Junior Fellows work full-time with Library spe-cialists and curators from May 31 through Aug. 5, 2016 to inventory, describe and explore collection holdings and to assist with digital-preservation outreach activities throughout the Library. Apply online only at usajobs.gov, keyword: Junior Fel-lows through midnight on Friday, Jan. 22.

Mouse in HouseAdapted from the book by Elizabeth Spires, “Mouse in House” reveals an unlikely friendship between a mouse and reclusive 19th-century poet Emily Dickinson. The mouse’s life changes forever

Chinese New Year’sat the Kennedy CenterOn Feb. 6 at 11 a.m., free activities are offered for kids of all ages—in-cluding Chinese paper cut making, Beijing Opera stage makeup dem-onstration and costume dress-up, traditional instrument demonstra-tions, Monkey King mask making, Chinese knot making, red lantern making, and calligraphy demon-strations. Free, no tickets required. kennedy-center.org.

Henan Arts Troup performs at last year’s Chinese New Year Celebration Family Day. Photo: Courtesy of the Kennedy Center

when a gust of wind blows one of Emily’s poems her way. Moved by Emily’s evocative words that cap-ture her own feelings, the mouse becomes determined to be a poet herself. Background visuals by me-dia artist Bryan Leister are anima-tions designed from Dickinson’s actual home furnishings. “Mouse in House” runs on Saturdays, Jan. 16, 23 and 30 at 3 p.m. at Theatre on the Run, 3700 South Four Mile Run Dr., Arlington, VA. Tickets are $15 at door, $10 in advance and $10 for children 17 and under. Admis-sion includes free hot dogs. Order tickets online at janefranklin.com/performances/tickets.

Wake Up, Brother Bear!Wake Up, Brother Bear follows Brother and Sister Bear as they ex-perience a full year of glorious sea-sons. Together they see a waterfall melt, meet a butterfly, chase an elu-sive fish and skate on an icy pond. Children are invited to join the ac-tion with a small bag of props that help actors Jack Novak and Anna Jackson bring this story to life. Ac-companying live music is provided by cellist Katie Chambers.

Wake Up, Brother Bear, best for ages one to five, runs in Imagina-tion Stage’s Christopher and Dana Reeve Studio Theatre, Bethesda, through Jan. 31. Performances are Saturdays-Sundays at 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Tickets are $14, with a $5 lap seat for children under 12 months. Tickets may be purchased online at imaginationstage.org, 301-280-1660, or at the box office. Imag-ine Stage is located at 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, MD.

National Air and SpaceOpen House

On Saturday, Jan. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., get a behind-the-scenes look at historic artifacts, documents, and

works of art that are not on public display at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. See what it takes to collect, preserve, and restore them. Meet cu-rators, conservators, archivists and other specialists. Participate in activ-ities, special tours and on-stage pre-sentations. In the case of inclement weather, this event may be canceled and will not be rescheduled. For in-formation on the status of this event, call 703-572-4118. Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located at 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chan-tilly, VA. airandspace.si.edu.

Len Piper’s Pinocchioat Glen Echo

This production is a life-sized mari-onette version of Carlo Collodi’s classic children’s tale, created in the 1960s by the father of the Puppet Co.’s co-founder, Christopher Piper. This production has been complete-ly refurbished and adapted for the Puppet Co. stage. On stage at Glen Echo from Jan. 21 to Feb. 21. Plays Thursdays and Fridays at 10:30 a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Recommended for ages 5 and older. Running time is 50 minutes. thepuppetco.org.

Coming soon are Beauty and the Beast, Feb. 25 to Apr. 10, and Sleep-ing Beauty, Apr. 14 to May 29.

Have an item for the Kids and Family Notebook? Email it to [email protected]. u

J A n U A R y 2 0 1 6 4 3

4 4 M I d c I t y d c n e w s . c o M

Neighborhood Close Price BR

FEE SIMPLE

BLOOMINGDALE 2121 FLAGLER PL NW $1,100,000 42319 NORTH CAPITOL ST NE $799,000 443 RANDOLPH PL NW $780,000 32323 1st NW $778,000 52028 FLAGLER PL NW $755,000 3119 SEATON PL NW $600,000 3

BROOKLAND 1011 IRVING ST NE $873,000 51709 JACKSON ST NE $820,000 41024 PERRY ST NE $781,000 31714 NEWTON ST NE $655,000 3216 CHANNING ST NE $649,000 42809 5TH ST NE $609,000 31504 NEWTON ST NE $602,000 546 RHODE ISLAND AVE NE $460,750 31356 GIRARD ST NE $455,000 34726 10TH ST NE $443,370 331 MICHIGAN AVE NE $437,000 34100 18TH PL NE $399,950 3712 FARRAGUT PL NE $398,250 21311 IRVING ST NE $385,000 232 CRITTENDEN ST NE $361,000 212 BUCHANAN ST NE $334,750 3

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 1500 COLUMBIA RD NW $975,000 71312 IRVING ST NW $962,000 43644 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW $880,000 53613 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW $820,000 61408 SPRING RD NW $785,000 43304 PARK PL NW $738,000 4914 SPRING RD NW $734,500 3746 PRINCETON PL NW $720,000 4511 IRVING ST NW $705,500 41011 KENYON ST NW $650,000 31239 KENYON ST NW $650,000 4756 FAIRMONT ST NW $648,000 31352 NEWTON ST NW $630,000 3426 IRVING ST NW $625,000 31021 OTIS PL NW $605,250 3775 KENYON ST NW $590,000 24023 13TH ST NW $569,000 32907 GEORGIA AVE NW $560,000 3711 IRVING ST NW $540,000 3662 COLUMBIA RD NW $530,000 3518 COLUMBIA RD NW $480,125 4

DUPONT CIRCLE 1615 19TH ST NW $1,496,000 41530 T ST NW $1,310,000 3

LEDROIT PARK 75 V ST NW $1,010,000 4319 T ST NW $968,000 45 ADAMS ST NW $950,000 473 W ST NW $805,000 3338 U ST NW $686,000 3

LOGAN 1408 FLORIDA AVE NW $799,900 3

MOUNT PLEASANT 1614 HOBART ST NW $1,270,000 41803 NEWTON ST NW $1,150,000 51719 NEWTON ST NW $858,000 4

MOUNT VERNON SQUARE 1120 5TH ST NW $1,237,500 4

OLD CITY #2 2134 12TH ST NW $1,245,000 41202 W ST NW $990,000 31527 12TH ST NW $890,000 51617 8TH ST NW $835,000 3418 WARNER ST NW $780,000 3915 W ST NW $769,000 2227 BATES ST NW $617,000 041 BATES ST NW $583,500 4

PETWORTH 4505 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW $837,500 44138 7TH ST NW $774,900 4249 ROCK CREEK CHURCH RD NW $732,325 4734 VARNUM ST NW $725,000 44814 KANSAS AVE NW $699,000 4411 QUINCY ST NW $697,500 3626 INGRAHAM ST NW $677,000 34814 5TH ST NW $675,000 3725 SHEPHERD ST NW $675,000 4

421 DELAFIELD PL NW $599,900 35231 KANSAS AVE NW $574,000 34707 9TH ST NW $482,000 614 SHERMAN CIR NW $476,278 3214 JEFFERSON ST NW $450,000 3305 ROCK CREEK CHURCH RD NW $430,000 3114 JEFFERSON ST NW $400,000 35314 8TH ST NW $342,825 3

SHAW 930 FRENCH ST NW $920,100 41405 NEW JERSEY AVE NW $895,000 4

TRUXTON CIRCLE 29 Q ST NW $899,000 4

U STREET 2234 12TH PL NW $735,000 2

CONDO

14TH STREET CORRIDOR 1412 CHAPIN ST NW #202 $630,000 21412 CHAPIN ST NW #106 $598,900 21412 CHAPIN ST NW #2 $444,000 21412 CHAPIN ST NW #5 $398,900 1

ADAMS MORGAN 2301 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #208 $1,011,000 2

2363 CHAMPLAIN ST NW #27 $619,000 21701 KALORAMA RD NW #301 $579,000 22630 ADAMS MILL RD NW #5 $560,000 21855 CALVERT ST NW #LL02 $425,000 22550 17TH ST NW #207 $424,900 11811 WYOMING AVE NW #T1 $342,000 12200 17TH ST NW #214 $1,214,215 2

BLOOMINGDALE 52 QUINCY PL NW #305 $330,000 1

BROOKLAND 3033 HAWTHORNE DR NE #3033 $325,000 320 HAWTHORNE CT NE #20 $318,000 23022 GENTAIN CT NE #3022 $290,000 2400 EVARTS ST NE #406 $219,000 13725 12TH ST NE #106 $215,000 1

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 1422 EUCLID ST NW #PH - 4 $799,000 3834 LAMONT ST NW #B $650,000 22827 15TH ST NW #302 $629,000 22750 14TH ST NW #501 $620,000 31307 CLIFTON ST NW #41 $615,000 21466 HARVARD ST NW #TH2 $600,000 21103 PARK RD NW #4 $589,750 21217 PARK RD NW #2 $580,000 21390 KENYON ST NW #325 $555,000 21020 MONROE ST NW #208 $543,000 22650 15TH ST NW #2 $480,000 21360 KENYON ST NW ##B $480,000 21464 HARVARD ST NW #4 $460,000 1

Changing hands is a list of most residential sales in the District of Columbia from the previous month. A feature of every issue, this list, based on the MRIS, is provided courtesy of Don Denton, manager of the Coldwell Banker office on Capitol Hill. The list includes address, sales price and number of bedrooms.

real estate

3205 GEORGIA AVE NW #102 $460,000 23205 GEORGIA AVE NW #207 $459,900 21350 RANDOLPH ST NW #3 $459,000 21421 COLUMBIA RD NW #306 $406,500 21527 PARK RD NW #301 $395,000 21415 CHAPIN ST NW #106 $380,000 11514 NEWTON ST NW #B2 $375,000 2718 PARK RD NW #4 $347,500 23500 13TH ST NW #507 $330,000 11401 COLUMBIA RD NW #219 $325,000 12639 15TH ST NW #1 $299,900 11439 EUCLID ST NW #104 $185,000 0907 EUCLID ST NW #102 $338,500 11441 EUCLID ST NW #107 $316,000 1

DUPONT 1704 T ST NW #302 $690,000 22114 N ST NW #42 $560,000 21325 18TH ST NW #401 $445,000 11401 17TH ST NW #710 $415,000 11730 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #2 $511,675 21734 R ST NW #2 $950,000 21736 18TH ST NW #404 $679,900 21520 O ST NW #207 $600,000 21520 16TH ST NW #202 $564,500 22012 O ST NW #21 $395,000 11920 S ST NW #701 $349,555 11260 21ST ST NW #402 $309,555 1

KALORAMA 2012 KALORAMA RD NW #8 $1,175,000 32014 KALORAMA RD NW #8 $1,113,000 32416 19TH ST NW #32 $915,000 22129 FLORIDA AVE NW #201 $710,000 21822 VERNON ST NW #305 $435,000 12123 CALIFORNIA ST NW #A2 $395,000 12456 20TH ST NW #405 $392,000 12410 20TH ST NW #306 $370,000 12310 ASHMEAD PL NW #104 $279,000 11801 WYOMING AVE NW #3 $440,000 1

LOGAN 1411 N ST NW #4 $1,289,000 21310 12TH ST NW #7 $699,000 21413 11TH ST NW #B $586,000 21441 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #910 $559,000 21413 T ST NW #206 $380,000 12125 14TH ST NW #913 $920,000 21401 Q ST NW #202 $960,000 21301 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #4 $785,000 11420 N ST NW #801 $440,000 11201 O ST NW #1A $437,500 11312 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #707 $429,900 11239 VERMONT AVE NW #205 $419,000 21239 VERMONT AVE NW #408 $399,999 21117 10TH ST NW #401 $639,000 2

MOUNT PLEASANT 1670 BEEKMAN PL NW #D $760,500 21612 BELMONT ST NW #B $629,900 21613 HARVARD ST NW #302 $624,000 21613 HARVARD ST NW #116 $500,000 22633 ADAMS MILL RD NW #B3 $201,250 0

MT VERNON TRIANGLE 910 M ST NW #125 $555,000 1301 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #904 $399,999 1460 NEW YORK AVE NW #1001 $529,900 1460 NEW YORK AVE NW #601 $475,000 1440 L ST NW #309 $435,000 1910 M ST NW #610 $648,500 2

NOMA 16 O ST NW #16-A $531,500 2

OLD CITY #2 711 S ST NW #1 $865,000 31917 13TH ST NW #2 $799,000 31529 14TH ST NW #504 $740,000 2

1324 14TH ST NW #1 $725,000 21402 SWANN ST NW #3 $725,000 2440 L ST NW #411 $651,000 22125 14TH ST NW #102-W $643,000 21300 13TH ST NW #707 $640,000 21515 15TH ST NW #210 $630,000 1555 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #303 $617,500 2906 T ST NW #2 $613,000 21425 11TH ST NW #402 $519,000 11819 CORCORAN ST NW #3 $508,000 1437 NEW YORK AVE NW #901 $475,000 11401 17TH ST NW #814 $459,900 11916 17TH ST NW #212 $399,999 11115 12TH ST NW #603 $320,000 11711 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #501 $279,000 11 SCOTT CIR NW #510 $245,000 11440 N ST NW #215 $219,000 01901 16TH ST NW #13 $175,000 0

PENN QUARTER 715 6TH ST NW #703 $749,000 2631 D ST NW #1133 $632,500 2916 G ST NW #202 $410,000 1

PETWORTH 539 RANDOLPH ST NW #3 $733,000 354075407 9TH ST NW #310 $319,650 1922 MADISON ST NW #304 $295,000 24620 IOWA AVE NW #A $252,000 2330 DELAFIELD PL NW #4 $149,900 2

SHAW 636 Q ST NW #4 $890,000 3509 P ST NW #2 $769,900 21643 6TH ST NW #6 $635,000 31225 10TH ST NW #1 $599,555 1

U STREET 2004 11TH ST NW #336 $335,000 12020 12TH ST NW #811 $1,010,000 22109 10TH ST NW #102 $798,000 22030 8TH ST NW #301 $509,900 1

COOP

ADAMS MORGAN 2605 ADAMS MILL RD NW #3 $420,700 1

CENTRAL 1300 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW #503 $210,630 0

DUPONT 1701 16TH ST NW #120 $399,000 11701 16TH ST NW #802 $398,000 11526 17TH ST NW #417 $439,000 2

KALORAMA 1901 WYOMING AVE NW #40 $425,000 1

MOUNT PLEASANT 2853 ONTARIO RD NW #216 $685,000 22853 ONTARIO RD NW #321 $596,000 11736 COLUMBIA RD NW ##311 $509,000 21669 COLUMBIA RD NW #409 $320,000 11801 CLYDESDALE PL NW #525 $165,000 01801 CLYDESDALE NW #609 $143,000 0

OLD CITY 1000 NEW JERSEY AVE SE #520 $481,000 21915 16TH ST NW #404 $340,475 1

PETWORTH 4912 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW #102 $126,500 2u

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Shaw Main Streets is a designated DC Main Streetsprogram and is funded in part by the Department of Small

and Local Business Development, Muriel E. Bowser, Mayor.

Tell Them, “Shaw Main Streets Sent Me!”