Gt 12 30 15

20
T HE G EORGETOWN C URRENT Wednesday, December 30, 2015 Serving Burleith, Foxhall, Georgetown, Georgetown Reservoir & Glover Park Vol. XXV, No. 22 INDEX Calendar/13 Classifieds/18 District Digest/2 Exhibits/13 In Your Neighborhood/12 Opinion/6 Police Report/4 Real Estate/11 School Dispatches/5 Service Directory/16 Sports/9 Week Ahead/2 Tips? Contact us at [email protected] By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer The last 12 months have been a busy time for Northwest D.C. We got a new mayor and five new D.C. Council members. The development boom continued in many neighborhoods, and came to some quiet communities unaccus- tomed to major changes. Some longtime community institutions expanded, while others shut down. Pope Francis stayed here for sev- eral days, with much fanfare. Noise from airplanes and from leaf blowers rattled some resi- dents. Here are some of those top sto- ries from 2015: Muriel Bowser was sworn in as the District’s mayor, and two of her allies won crowded D.C. Council special election races — Brandon Todd, who filled her for- mer Ward 4 seat, and LaRuby May, who replaced the late Marion Barry in Ward 8. Three other new legislators — Ward 1’s Brianne Nadeau, Ward 6’s Charles Allen and at-large member Elissa Silver- man — were also sworn into office. Meanwhile, former Mayor Vin- cent Gray began his path toward a political comeback after the U.S. Attorney’s Office dropped a long- running probe into his 2010 cam- paign without bringing forward any charges against Gray himself. “Cat cafe” Crumbs & Whiskers opened in Georgetown, giving patrons an opportunity to hang out with 20 cats that are up for adop- tion. Northwest looks back on an eventful 2015 Brian Kapur/Current file photo Pope Francis waves to onlookers during a Sept. 23 parade. By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer Shortly after completing emer- gency fixes at Blair Circle, the D.C. Department of Transporta- tion is working with its Maryland counterpart to develop more com- prehensive changes at the conflu- ence of 16th Street, Eastern Ave- nue, Colesville Road and North Portal Drive NW. According to Ward 4 D.C. Council member Brandon Todd, the two transportation agencies are looking at changing traffic signal timing and possibly remov- ing some signals as part of a medium-term solution to the cir- cle, which would take place in about a year. And a long-term fix, about three to five years later, would likely include physical changes to Blair Circle — perhaps even con- verting it into a conventional intersection, Todd said. The short-term improvements, meanwhile, came last month. The D.C. transportation and general services agencies trimmed back or removed overgrown foliage to improve sightlines; upgraded sig- nage and pavement markings; and angled traffic signals more clearly toward the streets they’re serving. Todd said he has been working on Blair Circle issues for years, both as a council member and as constituent services director for 16th Street Circle slated for safety enhancements Brian Kapur/The Current The Washington Harbour ice rink in Georgetown offered locals a taste of the winter staple despite unseasonably warm temperatures over the weekend. TASTE OF WINTER Transportation: District, Maryland seeking solutions By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer The public comment period for the high-profile merger of the power companies Pepco and Exelon has closed, leaving citi- zens and city officials eager to see how the D.C. Public Service Com- mission ultimately votes on the controversial proposal. The Public Service Commis- sion’s vote, expected in January or February, represents the last of many hurdles for the merger, which has already won approval from the U.S. Department of Jus- tice, the Federal Energy Regula- tory Commission and the states of Maryland, Delaware and New Jer- sey. But it can’t proceed until it has full support from all affected jurisdictions, including D.C. An initial proposal for the merger in the District failed to pass muster with the Public Service Commis- sion in August, prompting revi- sions and further dialogue between the companies and the public this fall. A vigorous debate has ensued Decision on Pepco merger expected soon By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer Western High School officially transformed into Duke Ellington School of the Arts in 1977, leaving behind scores of alumni who maintained pride for their school even after its name and mission changed. More than four decades later, some graduates of Western High are fighting to make sure their Burleith alma mater doesn’t fade entirely from memory. In late summer, alumni associa- tion board member Charlie Volk- man proposed the idea of chang- ing the name of the Ellington Field back to Western High School Stadium as a “memorial” to what came before. The goal is to keep Western’s legacy alive well into the future, even as the alumni ranks diminish. “From now on there will never be names or remembrance among anybody if we don’t have something con- crete,” said Volkman, 85. He notes that most people in the city don’t remember that Car- dozo Education Campus, at 1200 Clifton St. NW, used to be called Central High School. The similar Western alumni suggest new name for local field Education: Change from Ellington under discussion Brian Kapur/The Current Residents and transportation planners say the traffic circle is dangerously confusing. See Western/Page 5 See Circle/Page 19 See 2015/Page 8 See Pepco/Page 19 Cathedral rallies to 8-0 record behind new hoops leader — Page 9 Park Service gives venison to needy following deer cull — Page 2 DIGEST SPORTS Bowser reflects on her year as mayor at community events — Page 3 NEWS

description

The Georgetown Current

Transcript of Gt 12 30 15

Page 1: Gt 12 30 15

The GeorGeTown CurrenTWednesday, December 30, 2015 Serving Burleith, Foxhall, Georgetown, Georgetown Reservoir & Glover Park Vol. XXV, No. 22

INDEXCalendar/13Classifieds/18 District Digest/2Exhibits/13In Your Neighborhood/12Opinion/6

Police Report/4Real Estate/11School Dispatches/5Service Directory/16Sports/9Week Ahead/2

Tips? Contact us at [email protected]

By BRADY HOLTCurrent Staff Writer

The last 12 months have been a busy time for Northwest D.C. We got a new mayor and five new D.C. Council members. The development boom continued in many neighborhoods, and came to some quiet communities unaccus-tomed to major changes. Some longtime community institutions expanded, while others shut down. Pope Francis stayed here for sev-eral days, with much fanfare. Noise from airplanes and from leaf blowers rattled some resi-dents. Here are some of those top sto-ries from 2015:

■ Muriel Bowser was sworn in as the District’s mayor, and two of her allies won crowded D.C. Council special election races — Brandon Todd, who filled her for-mer Ward 4 seat, and LaRuby

May, who replaced the late Marion Barry in Ward 8. Three other new legislators — Ward 1’s Brianne Nadeau, Ward 6’s Charles Allen and at-large member Elissa Silver-man — were also sworn into office. Meanwhile, former Mayor Vin-cent Gray began his path toward a political comeback after the U.S. Attorney’s Office dropped a long-running probe into his 2010 cam-paign without bringing forward any charges against Gray himself.■ “Cat cafe” Crumbs & Whiskers opened in Georgetown, giving patrons an opportunity to hang out with 20 cats that are up for adop-tion.

Northwest looks back on an eventful 2015

Brian Kapur/Current file photoPope Francis waves to onlookers during a Sept. 23 parade.

By BRADY HOLTCurrent Staff Writer

Shortly after completing emer-gency fixes at Blair Circle, the D.C. Department of Transporta-tion is working with its Maryland counterpart to develop more com-prehensive changes at the conflu-ence of 16th Street, Eastern Ave-nue, Colesville Road and North Portal Drive NW. According to Ward 4 D.C. Council member Brandon Todd, the two transportation agencies are looking at changing traffic signal timing and possibly remov-ing some signals as part of a medium-term solution to the cir-cle, which would take place in about a year. And a long-term fix, about three to five years later, would likely include physical changes to Blair Circle — perhaps even con-verting it into a conventional intersection, Todd said.

The short-term improvements, meanwhile, came last month. The D.C. transportation and general services agencies trimmed back or removed overgrown foliage to improve sightlines; upgraded sig-nage and pavement markings; and angled traffic signals more clearly toward the streets they’re serving. Todd said he has been working on Blair Circle issues for years, both as a council member and as constituent services director for

16th Street Circle slated for safety enhancements

Brian Kapur/The CurrentThe Washington Harbour ice rink in Georgetown offered locals a taste of the winter staple despite unseasonably warm temperatures over the weekend.

T A S T E O F W I N T E R

■ Transportation: District, Maryland seeking solutions

By MARK LIEBERMANCurrent Staff Writer

The public comment period for the high-profile merger of the power companies Pepco and Exelon has closed, leaving citi-zens and city officials eager to see how the D.C. Public Service Com-mission ultimately votes on the controversial proposal.

The Public Service Commis-sion’s vote, expected in January or February, represents the last of many hurdles for the merger, which has already won approval from the U.S. Department of Jus-tice, the Federal Energy Regula-tory Commission and the states of Maryland, Delaware and New Jer-sey. But it can’t proceed until it has full support from all affected jurisdictions, including D.C. An initial proposal for the merger in the District failed to pass muster with the Public Service Commis-sion in August, prompting revi-sions and further dialogue between the companies and the public this fall.

A vigorous debate has ensued

Decision on Pepco merger expected soon

By MARK LIEBERMANCurrent Staff Writer

Western High School officially transformed into Duke Ellington School of the Arts in 1977, leaving behind scores of alumni who maintained pride for their school even after its name and mission changed. More than four decades later, some graduates of Western High are fighting to make sure their Burleith alma mater doesn’t fade entirely from memory.

In late summer, alumni associa-

tion board member Charlie Volk-man proposed the idea of chang-ing the name of the Ellington Field back to Western High School Stadium as a “memorial” to what came before. The goal is to keep Western’s legacy alive well into the future, even as the alumni ranks diminish. “From now on there will never be names or remembrance among anybody if we don’t have something con-crete,” said Volkman, 85.

He notes that most people in the city don’t remember that Car-dozo Education Campus, at 1200 Clifton St. NW, used to be called Central High School. The similar

Western alumni suggest new name for local field■ Education: Change from Ellington under discussion

Brian Kapur/The CurrentResidents and transportation planners say the traffic circle is dangerously confusing.

See Western/Page 5

See Circle/Page 19See 2015/Page 8

See Pepco/Page 19

Cathedral rallies to 8-0 record behind new hoops leader

— Page 9

Park Service gives venison to needy following deer cull

— Page 2

DIGEST SPORTS

Bowser reflects on her year as mayor at community events

— Page 3

NEWS

Page 2: Gt 12 30 15

2 Wednesday, december 30, 2015 The currenT

Park deer cull yields donation of venison The National Park Service last week donated about 700 pounds of venison to the DC Central Kitchen, meat taken from deer the agency recently shot in Rock Creek Park, according to an agen-cy news release. The Park Service has been working since 2013 to reduce the park’s deer population, which it said was out of control and inter-fering with healthy forest regen-eration. Since 2013, the popula-tion has fallen from nearly 80 deer per square mile to 19, the release states — within the agen-cy’s target of 15 to 20. In the release, DC Central Kitchen CEO Mike Curtin Jr. says venison is “lean, nutritious protein.” “We rely on our many partners to donate most of the necessary components to create 5,000 well-balanced, healthy meals each day for our neighbors in need,” Curtin says in the release. “Today’s donation of venison offers some new variety to our meals, and we’re thankful to our friends at NPS for making that possible.” The Park Service intends to monitor deer populations and the

park’s botanical health to deter-mine whether further culls will be necessary. The deer culling operation has prompted protests from some Northwest residents, including on Dec. 7. In a news release, the Save the Rock Creek Deer group challenges the idea that deer have damaged Rock Creek Park, sug-gesting that deer respond to popu-lation reductions with increased birth rates, and calling for repro-ductive controls as an alternative to killing.

Tenley Main Street names first director The new Tenleytown Main Street group named its first exec-utive director yesterday, hiring longtime Tenley resident and TenleytownDC.org founder Leigh Catherine Miles. Miles will oversee the new nonprofit’s efforts to beautify the Tenleytown’s commercial district, expand community events and attract new businesses. Her role will include finding and coordi-nating volunteers, reaching out to business owners and raising funds to support the group. According to a news release, Miles’ experience “includes near-

ly two decades in non-profit and grant management, proposal writ-ing, organizational development consulting, and communications,” in addition to volunteer work with the Tenley WinterFest, Sea-bury at Friendship Terrace and the 2nd District Citizens Advisory Council for the police depart-ment. Her first day on the new job will be Jan. 4. The Tenleytown organization was launched with a $200,000 grant from the D.C. Council, which also provided funds for a similar Main Street group in Van Ness. Mary Beth Ray, president of the Van Ness Main Street board, told The Current yesterday that her organization is also pre-paring to hire an executive direc-tor. The Van Ness group has nar-rowed down 22 applicants to three finalists, who will be inter-viewed a second time on Jan. 5; Ray expects hiring to take place soon after.

Board OKs flexibility in graduation rules The D.C. State Board of Edu-cation voted Dec. 16 to allow schools to offer alternatives to certain educational requirements. The board’s resolution, based on advice from a task force work-ing on high school credit flexibil-ity, advises the state superinten-dent of education to create regu-lations providing “schools with pathways for innovation.” “Schools that want to offer a different type of course, or set of courses” from what’s required by the current Carnegie unit system, would seek a waiver, according to a release. That would permit them to offer “competency-based learn-ing, which would allow students to progress through academic materi-al at their own pace upon demon-strating mastery of content.”

The resolution also calls for allowing students who pass a state-approved test to skip required world language and math classes. The state superin-tendent will develop regulations and publish them in the D.C. Register in early 2016; the board will hold a final vote after a 30-day comment period.

‘Tree summit’ aims to boost D.C. canopy D.C. held its first “tree sum-mit” Dec. 18, and Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a new short-term partnership to expand the number of trees planted on local space both public and private. Eleven agencies and groups are members of “Canopy 3,000,” an initiative working to get 3,000 extra trees planted in the city next year. D.C. will contribute $400,000 in seed funding, which would cover 1,300 trees, accord-ing to a news release, and the National Park Service will plant 1,000, according to regional director Bob Vogel. Bowser also announced a new committee that will advise the Urban Forestry Administration, seeking to help D.C. meet its Sus-tainable DC goal of ensuring a 40 percent canopy of healthy trees within 17 years. And Tommy Wells, director of the D.C. Department of Energy & Envi-ronment, announced the comple-tion of a memorandum of under-standing between his agency and the Transportation Department to coordinate on tree policy, pro-grams and plantings. The 11 members of Canopy 3,000 include representatives of the D.C. departments of environ-ment, transportation, and parks and recreation; Casey Trees; American University; Washington Parks and People; and the U.S. Forest Service.

Takoma pool will shut next week for repairs The Takoma Aquatic Center at 300 Van Buren St. NW will close Jan. 3 for cleaning and repairs. The work — deep cleaning, HVAC system repairs, refurbish-ment of locker rooms and pool bottom, and installation of a UV light water treatment system — is part of the Department of Parks and Recreation’s year-round aquatic maintenance schedule, the agency says in a news release. The original schedule for Takoma has changed, with the reopening date shifting from Jan. 17 to Jan. 25.

Cardinal celebrates cathedral’s 175th Cardinal Donald Wuerl, arch-bishop of Washington, celebrated a special bilingual Mass Nov. 1 for the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle as a parish. Other recent anniversary events have included a concert and ser-vice featuring the Schola Canto-rum. The 1725 Rhode Island Ave. NW church was founded in 1840 when D.C. was still part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. It was named a cathedral in 1939, when Pope Pius XII created the Archdi-ocese of Washington. St. Matthew the Apostle is named for the patron saint of civil servants. Its building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it was the site of the 1963 funeral for President John F. Kennedy.

Corrections As a matter of policy, The Cur-rent corrects all errors of substance. To report an error, call the manag-ing editor at 202-567-2011.

District Digest

The currenTDelivered weekly to homes and

businesses in Northwest Washington

Publisher & Editor Davis KennedyManaging Editor Chris KainAssistant Managing Editor Beth CopeAdvertising Director Gary SochaAccount Executive Chip PyAccount Executive George Steinbraker

Advertising Standards Advertising published in The Current Newspapers is accepted on the premise that the merchandise and ser-vices as offered are accurately described and are available to customers at the advertised price. Advertising that does not conform to these standards, or that is deceptive or misleading, is never knowingly accepted. If any Current Newspapers reader encounters non-compliance with these standards, we ask that you inform us. All advertising and editorial matter is fully protected and may not be reproduced in any manner without permis-sion from the publisher. Subscription by mail — $52 per year

Telephone: 202-244-7223E-mail Address

[email protected] Address

5185 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Suite 102Mailing Address

Post Office Box 40400Washington, D.C. 20016-0400

Friday, Jan. 1 Mayor Muriel Bowser will host her second annual “Fresh Start” 5K Run/Walk at 9 a.m. at the Stadium-Armory Metrorail station, 192 19th St. SE. Registration is free; visit fitdc.com. Tuesday, Jan. 5 The Mayor’s Agent for Historic Preservation will hold a public hearing on an application to combine five assessment and taxation lots into a single, buildable lot of record in a private alley in Square 1230, located between N, O, 33rd and Potomac streets NW in the Georgetown Historic District. The applicant claims that the failure to approve the requested subdivision would cause unreasonable economic hardship. The hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Suite E650, D.C. Office of Planning, 1100 4th St. SW. Thursday, Jan. 7 The National Capital Planning Commission will hold its monthly meeting at 12:30 p.m. at Suite 500 North, 401 9th St. NW. Tentative agenda items include the proposed modernization of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library downtown. Tuesday, Jan. 12 American University President Neil Kerwin will hold a town hall meeting for neighbors at 7 p.m. in Room 201 of the Katzen Arts Center, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. A New Year’s reception will follow at 8 p.m. in the building’s second-floor rotunda.

The week ahead

Page 3: Gt 12 30 15

The CurreNT wedNesday, deCember 30, 2015 3

By BRADY HOLTCurrent Staff Writer

Days after a move to limit fur-ther “pop-up” projects in Lanier Heights, the developer of a row house conversion at 1828 Ontario Place NW won a long-fought zon-ing battle last Tuesday. A Dec. 14 decision by the Zon-ing Commission has temporarily tightened the rules for new build-ing permit approvals while it con-siders an application to make the change permanent. If the commis-sion finalizes those rules, they would curb the controversial trend of converting that neighborhood’s row houses into larger apartment or condo buildings. Those broader zoning changes, however, would have no impact on the development plan that’s currently moving forward on Ontario Place, which would expand a row house into four new apartment units. Residents and the Adams Morgan advisory neigh-borhood commission have been working through an appeals pro-cess to try to block that conver-sion. The project’s building permit was approved back in July, but the neighbors are arguing that it vio-lates even the older zoning stan-dards. And even after the zoning board dismissed their land-use argument last week, the residents will continue to argue the case before another city agency on the grounds that the permit doesn’t meet building code requirements. In the zoning appeal, residents argued that the two parking spaces that the developer would provide weren’t quite wide enough to meet the legal standard for a four-unit building. Accordingly, they said, the developer would either need a waiver of the off-street parking rules — via a public process before the Board of Zoning Adjustment in which all types of community impacts could be aired — or build just two units instead of four. In the midst of the appeal pro-cess, developer Chris Bogdan revised his building permit appli-cation to widen the row house’s rear parking pad slightly by carv-

ing a few inches out of the brick walls on either side. The result, his attorney Samantha Mazo testified in a Nov. 17 hearing, is that there’s enough space for one small park-ing space that already existed on the property, and one new one that is wide enough for today’s zoning regulations. Community members aren’t satisfied. The immediate neigh-

bors on either side testified that the brick walls in question are party walls, and that they could become structurally unsound if they’re made narrower. But Mazo argued Dec. 22 that the zoning board can only rule on whether the building permits show proper parking spaces, and that the appel-lants are not disputing that the latest permits provide adequate parking space. “They have con-ceded that that error is resolved,” she testified. Next-door neighbor Mike Raf-ferty disagreed. “Actually, we think there’s been an attempt to resolve an error, and there are additional errors that were made in that attempt,” he replied. Neighbors are asking the city’s Office of Administrative Hearings to review those alleged errors related to the structural integrity of the party walls, and asked the zoning board to wait on its deci-sion until that case is resolved in the new year. “If we are successful there, which we hope we are, we will have a zoning issue again,” Rafferty said — because the developer’s solution to the zoning code’s parking requirements will have been rejected. Zoning board chair Marnique Heath replied that if this were to occur, the community would have a fresh opportunity to appeal the land-use matter. “The issues right now all are structural and con-struction-related ... and are not

Board upholds permits for ‘pop-up’ in Lanier Heights

By MARK LIEBERMANCurrent Staff Writer

Mayor Muriel Bowser’s tenure began with a snowstorm. She was sworn in on Saturday, and the blizzard arrived Monday. Nine more weeks passed, and at least one snowfall arrived during each of those weeks.

But the mayor has had much more on her mind in 2015 than winter weather. As her one-year anniversary in office approaches, she can look back on a year in which she

grappled with big issues like the dysfunc-tion of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the local effects of a nationwide crime spike.

In several recent public conversations with D.C. residents, Bowser has highlighted one of her largest accomplishments this year as her work toward eradicating long-term homelessness and closing down the D.C. General family shelter. Her annual budget increased funds for the Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Housing Pro-

duction Trust Fund and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program.

The mayor says she’s trying to imple-ment a series of realistic steps to fight homelessness, including stricter enforce-ment against illegal encampments and more funding for alternative services for those in need.

“It won’t happen tomorrow, but with consistent funding and will, we can make sure we’re dealing with ending homeless-ness,” Bowser said at a recent meeting of

the Dupont advisory neighborhood com-mission.

Related to this goal, the mayor is also working to generate opportunities for low-income families to purchase housing at affordable prices.

D.C.’s existing affordable housing stock faces the looming threat of federal tax breaks for apartments expiring. Bowser said at a recent D.C. Federation of Citizens Associations’ luncheon that she’s searching

Bowser ends first year with efforts on homelessness, affordable housing

See Bowser/Page 5

See Ontario/Page 19

❝The issues right now … are not issues that are before this board.❞

— Board chair Marnique Heath

ch n g

An Ingleside Community

Creekside

The future of sophisticated, urban retirement living awaits you at

Ingleside at Rock Creek’s upcoming addition...

3050 Military Road, NW Washington, DC

Priority deposits are now being accepted! For more information call 202-407-9685

Artist Rendering

Your opportunity has arrived! Plans are well under way for our upcoming addition, Creekside. �e contemporary and stylish residences ranging from 1,000 – 2,200 square feet, will o�er all amenities, underground parking and so much more—all with onsite health services.

Ingleside at Rock Creek is rich in history, deep in culture. It is a community de�ned by the peace and serenity of the natural beauty of Rock Creek Park, yet just a short distance from the culture of one of the world’s great cities. Ingleside at Rock Creek is a not-for-pro�t, continuing care retirement community made up of sophisticated, vibrant and engaged residents.

Artist Rendering Projected Opening Date 2019-2020

At Washington Episcopal School, our job is not complete until we have helped every child build a strong moral foundation based on ethics, kindness, and character. Students are challenged daily in a balanced, joyful environment that lets kids be kids.

l Sopal Sc ourery c

eth

ourery cn eth s, kin

aily inbe k

s, kindaily in

be k

ss,ss,are challen

nt thatare challeng

ent that

hod ev

on enged

kids be kids.

spirit of

Page 4: Gt 12 30 15

Police Report

4 Wednesday, december 30, 2015 The currenTg

This is a listing of reports taken from Dec. 21 to 27 in local police service areas.

PSA 102

Robbery■ 600-699 block, F St.; 9:24 p.m. Dec. 22.

Motor vehicle theft■ 400-499 block, 8th St.; 3:54 a.m. Dec. 27.

Theft■ 600-699 block, H St.; 7:05 p.m. Dec. 21.■ 800-899 block, 7th St.; 4:00 a.m. Dec. 22.■ 500-599 block, Indiana Ave.; 6:19 a.m. Dec. 23.■ 400-497 block, L St.; 2:52 a.m. Dec. 24.

Theft from auto■ 400-443 block, K St.; 9:45 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 600-699 block, New York Ave.; 10:56 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 400-457 block, Massachu-setts Ave.; 12:36 a.m. Dec. 23.■ 703-799 block, 9th St.; 3:43 a.m. Dec. 27.

PSA 201

Burglary■ 5523-5599 block, Con-necticut Ave.; 7:44 a.m. Dec. 21.

Theft from auto■ 3300-3599 block, Legation St.; 8:25 p.m. Dec. 22.

PSA 202

Robbery■ 4200-4299 block, Ingomar St.; 9:01 p.m. Dec. 22.

Theft■ 4514-4599 block, 38th St.; 4:50 a.m. Dec. 23.■ 4400-4499 block, Albe-marle St.; 10:35 a.m. Dec. 23.■ 4500-4537 block, Wiscon-sin Ave.; 4:25 p.m. Dec. 23.■ 5300-5399 block, Wiscon-sin Ave.; 9:48 p.m. Dec. 23.■ 5300-5399 block, Wiscon-sin Ave.; 1:39 p.m. Dec. 24.■ 5254-5299 block, Western Ave.; 9:22 p.m. Dec. 24.■ 5300-5399 block, Wiscon-sin Ave.; 6:53 p.m. Dec. 26.■ 4200-4299 block, Ellicott St.; 6:03 p.m. Dec. 27.

Theft from auto■ 3800-3899 block, Veazey St.; 1:01 p.m. Dec. 21.■ 3800-3899 block, Warren St.; 2:43 p.m. Dec. 21.■ 4500-4537 block, Wiscon-sin Ave.; 5:24 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 5300-5399 block, 42nd Place; 1:24 p.m. Dec. 23.■ 4300-4399 block, Ver-planck Place; 8:19 p.m. Dec.

23.■ 5400-5417 block, 42nd St.; 4:53 p.m. Dec. 24.■ 4217-4299 block, Jenifer St.; 2:04 p.m. Dec. 26.■ 4500-4537 block, Wiscon-sin Ave.; 3:28 p.m. Dec. 26.■ 5300-5399 block, 42nd Place; 4:11 p.m. Dec. 27.

PSA 203

Motor vehicle theft■ 3000-3099 block, Brandy-wine St.; 12:25 a.m. Dec. 23.

Theft■ 3500-3599 block, Porter St.; 5:26 p.m. Dec. 26.

Theft from auto■ 4600-4799 block, 29th Place; 11:04 a.m. Dec. 25.■ 4600-4749 block, 30th St.; 11:55 a.m. Dec. 25.■ 2700-2799 block, Ordway St.; 4:17 p.m. Dec. 27.

PSA 204

Burglary■ 2000-2099 block, 37th St.; 9:24 a.m. Dec. 21.■ 2200-2399 block, Obser-vatory Place; 3:19 a.m. Dec. 26.

Theft■ 2200-2298 block, Wiscon-sin Ave.; 12:18 p.m. Dec. 21.■ 2700-2798 block, Connect-icut Ave.; 2:32 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 2300-2329 block, 40th Place; 3:20 p.m. Dec. 24.■ 3000-3199 block, Connect-icut Ave.; 12:56 p.m. Dec. 25.■ 2200-2298 block, Wiscon-sin Ave.; 12:28 p.m. Dec. 27.

Theft from auto■ 3400-3499 block, Lowell St.; 12:43 p.m. Dec. 21.

PSA 205

Assault with a dangerous weapon■ 5000-5039 block, Dana Place; 7:05 p.m. Dec. 21 (with knife).

Burglary■ 5000-5124 block, Rock-wood Parkway; 9:58 a.m. Dec. 23.

Motor vehicle theft■ 3000-3035 block, 44th St.; 11:58 a.m. Dec. 25.■ 4300-4399 block, Garfield St.; 5:39 p.m. Dec. 25.

Theft from auto■ 4800-4899 block, Tilden St.; 4:47 p.m. Dec. 23.■ 5010-5037 block, Garfield St.; 10:09 a.m. Dec. 25.■ 2225-2299 block, 46th St.;

1:39 p.m. Dec. 27.

PSA 206

Theft■ 3200-3275 block, M St.; 7:29 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 3300-3399 block, N St.; 11:40 a.m. Dec. 23.■ 3200-3275 block, M St.; 1:56 p.m. Dec. 23.■ 1336-1398 block, Wiscon-sin Ave.; 4:47 a.m. Dec. 24.■ 1200-1237 block, Wiscon-sin Ave.; 12:08 p.m. Dec. 24.■ 1336-1398 block, Wiscon-sin Ave.; 4:09 p.m. Dec. 24.■ 3200-3275 block, M St.; 5:18 p.m. Dec. 24.■ 3000-3049 block, M St.; 8:01 p.m. Dec. 24.■ 3000-3029 block, K St.; 2:51 p.m. Dec. 27.■ 1000-1099 block, Thomas Jefferson St.; 4:37 p.m. Dec. 27.■ 2800-2899 block, M St.; 7:48 p.m. Dec. 27.

Theft from auto■ 3300-3399 block, Reser-voir Road; 11:37 a.m. Dec. 21.■ 2700-2799 block, Q St.; 3:21 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 3100-3199 block, Dumbar-ton St.; 11:57 a.m. Dec. 25.■ 1200-1225 block, 28th St.; 12:20 p.m. Dec. 25.

PSA 207

Robbery■ 1100-1199 block, 16th St.; 2:19 a.m. Dec. 21 (with gun).

Assault with a dangerous weapon■ 1000-1099 block, 23rd St.; 5:40 a.m. Dec. 24 (with knife).

Burglary■ 2000-2099 block, L St.; 4:25 a.m. Dec. 27.

Theft■ 800-899 block, Connecti-cut Ave.; 1:00 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 1800-1899 block, L St.; 1:35 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 1100-1129 block, Connect-icut Ave.; 3:37 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 1700-1799 block, H St.; 5:16 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 1000-1099 block, Connect-icut Ave.; 4:25 p.m. Dec. 23.■ 1700-1709 block, K St.; 1:14 p.m. Dec. 24.■ 2100-2199 block, E St.; 3:00 p.m. Dec. 26.■ 900-915 block, New Hamp-shire Ave.; 3:57 p.m. Dec. 26.■ 1100-1129 block, 17th St.; 5:02 a.m. Dec. 27.

Theft from auto■ 1600-1627 block, I St.; 9:29 a.m. Dec. 21.■ 1000-1099 block, Vermont Ave.; 4:52 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 1700-1799 block, K St.; 2:59 a.m. Dec. 24.■ 2400-2499 block, M St.; 4:43 p.m. Dec. 25.

■ 2431-2479 block, Virginia Ave.; 9:33 a.m. Dec. 26.■ 900-999 block, 17th St.; 3:42 a.m. Dec. 27.■ 1600-1699 block, L St.; 5:08 a.m. Dec. 27.■ 1130-1199 block, 17th St.; 5:44 a.m. Dec. 27.

PSA 208

Robbery■ 1700-1799 block, N St.; 4:25 a.m. Dec. 21.

Assault with a dangerous weapon■ 2100-2199 block, P St.; 2:16 a.m. Dec. 22.

Burglary■ 1300-1699 block, Connect-icut Ave.; 10:12 p.m. Dec. 25.

Motor vehicle theft■ 1300-1318 block, 19th St.; 5:54 a.m. Dec. 25.

Theft■ 1800-1899 block, Florida Ave.; 12:08 p.m. Dec. 21.■ 1400-1499 block, P St.; 5:35 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 1500-1519 block, 16th St.; 5:50 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 1800-1899 block, T St.; 9:21 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 1400-1499 block, P St.; 10:03 p.m. Dec. 23.■ 1400-1499 block, P St.; 1:23 a.m. Dec. 24.■ 1900-1999 block, Q St.; 7:44 p.m. Dec. 26.■ 1800-1899 block, S St.; 9:23 a.m. Dec. 27.■ 1500-1519 block, 16th St.; 2:07 p.m. Dec. 27.

Theft from auto■ 1400-1499 block, 22nd St.; 12:22 a.m. Dec. 21.■ 2000-2015 block, O St.; 1:10 a.m. Dec. 21.■ 1300-1699 block, Connect-icut Ave.; 2:31 a.m. Dec. 21.■ 1900-1923 block, 18th St.; 3:35 a.m. Dec. 21.■ 1721-1799 block, 19th St.; 8:25 p.m. Dec. 21.■ 1400-1499 block, N St.; 2:31 a.m. Dec. 22.■ 2016-2099 block, O St.; 11:38 p.m. Dec. 22.■ 1700-1799 block, Q St.; 3:30 p.m. Dec. 23.■ 1612-1699 block, 18th St.; 11:32 a.m. Dec. 24.■ 1500-1519 block, 16th St.; 12:31 p.m. Dec. 24.■ 1200-1221 block, 17th St.; 12:52 a.m. Dec. 25.■ 2100-2199 block, Bancroft Place; 1:04 a.m. Dec. 25.■ 1600-1699 block, P St.; 12:58 p.m. Dec. 26.■ 1623-1699 block, 19th St.; 5:28 p.m. Dec. 26.■ 2339-2399 block, Massa-chusetts Ave.; 8:35 p.m. Dec. 26.■ 1200-1299 block, 20th St.; 10:10 a.m. Dec. 27.■ 1400-1499 block, Hopkins St.; 4:13 p.m. Dec. 27.

psA 201■ chevy chase

psA 202■ friendship heiGhts tenleytown / au park

psA 204■ massachusetts avenue heiGhts / cleveland parkwoodley park / Glover park / cathedral heiGhts

psA 205■ palisades / sprinG valleywesley heiGhts / foxhall

psA 206■ GeorGetown / burleith

psA 207■ foGGy bottom / west end

psA 208■ sheridan-kaloramadupont circle

psA 203■ forest hills / van nesscleveland park

psA 102■ Gallery placepenn quarter

Page 5: Gt 12 30 15

The CurrenT wednesday, deCember 30, 2015 5

prospect of Western disappearing from the public consciousness worries Volkman, who said he hopes the name can be changed by the end of 2016.

The field, located at 38th Street and Reservoir Road NW two blocks from the high school, seemed like a perfect target to Volkman because a name change wouldn’t affect its operations.

Volkman said Ward 2 D.C. Council member Jack Evans has praised the idea and urged him to gather support from local commu-nity groups before the proposal reaches the council as a bill. Volk-man has already attended meet-ings of the Palisades/Foxhall advi-sory neighborhood commission, which plans to consider the pro-posal in February, and the Glover Park Citizens Association, which approved a letter of support.

Volkman has also been in con-tact with the Georgetown/Burleith neighborhood commission, and the Burleith Citizens Association saw a brief presentation on the proposal at a November meeting, where the possibility of a plaque commemorating Western High also came up. The citizens group plans to hold a special community meeting to discuss the name change in February, according to president Eric Langenbacher.

Volkman plans to visit more local groups in the coming months, emphasizing the significance of Western’s memory to the entire Northwest community.

Prior to the opening of Wilson High School in 1935, “we were the only high school west of Rock Creek Park,” Volkman said. “So it’s not just Burleith where the field is. It’s the neighborhood.”

Western High School opened in 1890 and served the community for 80 years, moving into what is now the Duke Ellington building in 1897. By the 1970s, a declining school-age population led to enrollment declines and the cre-ation of a new performing arts

program using part of Western’s space. That program became Duke Ellington School of the Arts, a magnet arts school for the entire city, and Western High closed down in 1977.

Volkman graduated from West-ern in 1949. He has lived in the same Burleith home since he was born. Though more than six decades have passed since high school, he still has vivid memories of watching football games at the field and participating in the cadet corps.

The old high school boasts a sprawling list of notable alumni. Graduates include the first Miss America; Clarence Brown, a U.S. representative for Ohio from 1965 to 1983; and David Scott, the sev-enth person to walk on the moon and the first person to drive on it.

Neighborhood commissioner Ed Solomon, whose single-mem-ber district includes Ellington’s field, said he and his colleagues haven’t yet seen a formal presen-tation of the proposal and that he plans to reserve judgment until more community feedback comes in. But he expects the idea to be divisive, given that most commu-nity members have never known the field as anything other than Ellington’s. “It could be a very sensitive issue,” Solomon said.

Langenbacher of the Burleith Citizens Association echoed that sentiment, saying several resi-dents have expressed concern about the name change.

“I think that people are com-fortable referring to it as Ellington Field,” he said. “It’s also attached to a school that’s still in the neigh-borhood that also makes it easier for people to identify.”

He personally feels that the current name honoring the renowned African-American musician is appropriate.

Volkman, however, is optimis-tic that his proposal can move forward in 2016. “It’s been an experience,” he said of his cam-paign. “I hope it goes through, for the sake of posterity, not mine.”

WESTERN: Field renaming soughtFrom Page 1

Murch Elementary Two days before the start of our winter break, the Murch sec-ond-graders performed a musi-cal that celebrates holiday tradi-tions around the world. Second-graders at Murch do this every year. The traditions they talk and sing about are Las Posadas, Ramadan, Diwali, Christmas and Hanukkah. Each class sings a song by itself. Then all of the second-graders sing three songs together. The order of the pro-gram is “December in Our Town, La Fiesta” (sung by Ms. George’s class), “Ramadan” (sung by Ms. Walton’s class), “A Hanuka Song” (sung by Ms. Dorn’s class), “Kwanzaa, Diwa-li” (sung by Ms. Heitbrink’s class), “Innkeeper” (sung by Ms.

Schafer’s class) and, for the finale, “Season of Hope.” When asked what her favorite song was, Ruthie Mesfun, a sec-ond-grader, said “‘December in Our Town.’ It is a happy song.” The audience for the show was the third through fifth grades, and parents. Stella Shalett, a fourth-grader at Murch, said, “I liked the show and that they did the hand motions this year. We didn’t have hand motions, so that was different from what we did as second graders.” The pre-K, kindergarten and first-grade students watched the show at the rehearsal, the day before the show. After the show, we had a

potluck lunch in the All-Purpose Room. We also sang our songs at the Sunrise retirement home the next day. It seemed like the people at Sunrise enjoyed the show a lot and the second-grad-ers enjoyed performing.

— Celia Frink, second-grader Our Lady of Victory School On Christmas Eve, many of us participated in the Nativity pageant. When we were young-er, we were angels or shepherds. Now we are readers, Wise Men, and the Angel Gabriel! Even though we were giddy thinking about the presents to come the next morning, the pageant reminded us of the true meaning of Christmas.

Students at OLV look for-ward to being in fifth grade because you get to be an elf at Breakfast with Santa! It is the coolest thing ever! Our grade hosted this event for all the stu-dents and their families on a Saturday morning in early December. Elves have a lot to do and they get to wear fun hats. They work at the hot chocolate station, which has mini-marsh-mallows, peppermint stirrers and whipped cream; pass out candy canes to the little kids after they sit on Santa’s lap; help kids shop for their parents at the Santa Store; and make holiday crafts in the Craft Room. We also served the most deli-cious buttermilk waffles. The batter was donated by BlackSalt,

and we advise everyone to go there immediately and order the waffles. The fifth-grade parents had four waffle irons going non-stop in the kitchen. You could top your waffle with red and green mini chocolate chips, powdered sugar, whipped cream and maple syrup. But they were so good many people just ate them plain! We also gave out goody bags that had a cupcake with frosting that looked like a Santa hat. But even more important than all the sugar and presents was the fun we had being together. OLV is like a big family. We hope you had as great a Christ-mas as we did and happy 2016 to everyone!

— The OLV Fifth-grade Elves

School DISPATCHES

for a “creative financing solution” and urged residents to press the D.C. Council to act.

At the Dupont meeting, Bowser said her administration is “contin-uously thinking of ways that we’re going to be able to leverage the District’s investment” in afford-able housing. “That is not an issue that’s just for one part of the city.”

In a similar vein, the causes and effects of rising crime rates are too tangled to for a simple solution, but Bowser took steps this year to tackle the nationwide problem at the local level. She encouraged the authorization of body cameras for officers and spearheaded a focus on five particularly active police enforcement zones (all in North-east and Southeast).

In Dupont, Bowser likened

such crime initiatives to “a farmer planting crops” — some won’t bear fruit, but the more new crops, the higher the chance of success.

Though Bowser marked vari-ous successes this year, she didn’t avoid criticism. In particular, the controversy surrounding the now-defunct pro-Bowser political action committee FreshPAC and her abrupt turnaround to endorse the Pepco-Exelon merger had some observers wondering wheth-er the mayor’s actions sometimes lie with the motives of her donors.

Bowser has maintained her assertion in all public forums that FreshPAC was not involved in the city government’s settlement negotiations with Exelon and Pepco, and that donation concerns did not affect her decision to sup-port the merger. Meanwhile, FreshPAC was disbanded in

November amid calls for transpar-ency voiced by a number of resi-dents and D.C. Council members.

This year the mayor also spent time expanding the influence of D.C. beyond its borders, traveling to China in November in an attempt to generate business opportunities and encourage more tourism from Chinese visitors. The trip drew a mixture of praise for its economic ambitions and criticism for the presence of FreshPAC con-tributors in her delegation.

Bowser said in several forums that she’s looking forward to the new year, in which she hopes to tackle some of the District’s ongo-ing problems with her trademark “fresh ideas.”

“There is no more fun job than being the mayor of your home-town,” Bowser said at the federa-tion’s meeting.

BOWSER: Mayor looks back on a busy first yearFrom Page 3

g

Page 6: Gt 12 30 15

Davis Kennedy/Publisher & EditorChris Kain/Managing Editor

Bowser’s fresh start Pundits and other political observers frequently talk about hon-eymoons for newly installed officeholders, but crises — self-made and otherwise — can quickly derail the start of a politi-cian’s term. A year after Mayor Muriel Bowser took the oath of office, she seems to be on solid footing, with just one major mis-step. That’s a remarkable achievement for a brand-new mayor whom opponents had criticized as lacking executive experience. In presentations about her first year in office, Mayor Bowser often recalls the first days on the job — when it snowed “for nine straight weeks” and when a Metro train filled with smoke, killing one rider and injuring dozens more. In both instances, the may-or’s administration responded decisively. In the snowy weeks D.C. employees worked extra hours to clear the backlog of trash that accumulated due to icy alleys, and the District’s appointees to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s board of directors insisted on the hiring of a new general manager equipped to deal with the safety, reliability and financial prob-lems that beset the region’s transit system. The ability to overcome the initial challenges speaks to one of the reasons we believe Mayor Bowser’s first year has progressed relatively smoothly — strong appointments. Even before taking office she worked out agreements to keep Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier and D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson on board. She brought in a qualified outsider — Gregory Dean — to reform the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. Mayor Bowser also turned to one of the candidates she defeat-ed in the Democratic mayoral nomination — Tommy Wells — to head the city’s environmental efforts, which have included a wind power purchase agreement that netted an international award from the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. More recently, she has turned to another opponent from last year’s primary, Busboys and Poets founder Andy Shallal, to advise on workforce development and job training programs as the volunteer head of the District’s Workforce Investment Council. Public safety issues have proved a difficult challenge, with a substantial rise in the homicide rate and with recruitment and training of new police officers falling behind the rate of retire-ments. Overcoming concerns about crime and violence will undoubtedly demand considerable focus in 2016, but elements of the administration’s proposed legislative package would help. So too will the expanded use of body cameras to record police-citi-zen interactions, with the mayor set to sign authorizing legislation today for the expanded program. Funding is in place to equip 2,800 police officers who regularly interact with the public. Hopefully the distraction of FreshPAC — the mayor’s one serious blunder of 2015 — will not dominate the coming year, though there are questions that merit scrutiny. We’re glad that organizers of FreshPAC, a pro-Bowser political action committee, ultimately decided to shut down operations, saying it had become too much of a distraction from the mayor’s agenda. But the idea was objectionable from the very start: Developers looking to form relationships with the city were the most likely donors, and the use of the PAC’s coffers to help D.C. Council allies and pre-sumably harm foes smacks of the least palatable elements of poli-tics. We wish that Ms. Bowser had shot down the idea from the get-go, rather than appearing at several of the group’s fundraisers. In an interview on NewsChannel 8 yesterday, Mayor Bowser said the groundwork laid in her first year — in areas such as end-ing homelessness and expanding affordable housing — will pro-vide a solid basis for a great term. And tangible progress is in the works for expansive and long-awaited economic development projects at Ward 4’s former Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Ward 7’s Skyland Town Center and Ward 8’s St. Elizabeths East. Given the many challenges that lie ahead, we hope that Mayor Bowser and her team can build on their first-year record.

Currentthe GeorGetown

g6 Wednesday, december 30, 2015 The currenT

New construction continues to transform the District of Columbia’s landscape and drive our economy. But as the District

changes, many of our future adult residents are in danger of being left behind, unable to access the growing number of opportunities in this field.

Only 1.6 percent of all physical science doctor-ates and 1.8 percent of advanced engineering degrees are awarded to African-American schol-ars in our universities, a study by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education has found. This com-pares to African-Americans comprising 13.2 per-cent of the national population — 49 percent in the District of Columbia.

This underrepresentation is a direct result of a lack of educational opportunities available for children growing up in urban poverty. This is especially true of the increasingly important STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — disciplines, as well as the emerging field of environmental sciences, whose practitioners are fueling D.C.’s construction boom.

The Architecture, Construction and Engineer-ing Mentor Program empowers high school stu-dents by providing access to sponsors and volun-teers who are accomplished in these fields. As the construction industry’s fastest-growing mentor-ship program, now serving over 8,000 students each year and with over $14 million provided in scholarships, ACE decided to partner with a Dis-trict public education program.

Friendship Public Charter School serves over 4,200 pre-K-through-12th-grade students on nine District campuses, one of which is a new online academy for home-schooled students.

The charter school network operates two Dis-trict high schools east of the Anacostia River. Stu-dents from these two college-preparatory acade-mies will participate in the mentorship program.

At Ward 7’s Friendship Collegiate, an informa-

tion technology career academy was created with the assistance of the District government. Ward 8’s Friendship Technology Preparatory Academy is a brand-new $18.3 million investment in one of the city’s most underserved communities, specializing in STEM subjects and environmental sciences.

The mentees will spend time at architecture, construction and design companies with career specialists, broadening not only their understand-ing of these various jobs, but also how rewarding they can be for themselves and society. Role mod-els are an important source of inspiration and motivation for students. No less significant is the opportunity to learn about the world of work at an early age.

External locations for ACE’s mentoring encom-pass the entire D.C. metro area. Extended learning activities also will occur onsite at school after hours. These should complement the work of these college preparatory campuses, which this year posted a 92 percent on-time graduation rate at Col-legiate Academy and a 97 percent rate at Tech Prep. These compare with averages of 64 percent for D.C. Public Schools, the traditional public school system, and 72 percent for D.C. charters.

Reliable data remind us that a successful path-way to a career is about much more than high school graduation, however. According to the Council of Graduate Schools, 4 in 10 African-American students who start a doctoral program fail to complete a post-graduate degree. All man-ner of issues — from financial burdens and isola-tion on campus, to family responsibilities and support — figure in their study as reasons that college success can prove elusive.

But a strong start, and dreams, can take shape early with industry mentors. Let’s tap into the potential of all of the District’s children. All of us will benefit.

Tom Nida is regional vice president for United Bank for Washington D.C. and Maryland; board chair of the Charter Schools Development Corp.; and a former chair of the D.C. Public Charter School Board.

Mentorship effort tackles racial inequalityVIEWPOINTtoM nida

D.C. needs to stop leaf-blower madness In regard to the Nov. 25 arti-cle “Noisy dispute on leaf blow-ers,” I feel that I must correct some misconceptions expressed by Conrad DeWitte, the adviso-ry neighborhood commissioner who opposed a leaf blower ban. Let him stand on almost any weekday between 8 and 10 a.m. outside of 4850 Connecticut Ave. NW, where leaf blowers are used in an almost daily, year-round ritual of essentially “reverse vacuuming” the grounds. During this ritual they usually blow nothing but dust off the sidewalks and driveways surrounding the building, while they send a high-pitched and high-decibel scream of noise directly through the window of my Connecticut Avenue-facing apartment. Let him don my $300 noise-canceling headphones during one of my business conference calls and discover that they do not in fact filter the high-fre-quency noise produced by gaso-line-powered leaf blowers. (Yes,

I have tried to solve this prob-lem on my own.) Let him real-ize that multiple apartment complexes and an assisted-liv-ing facility nearby all employ landscaping contractors who use gasoline-powered leaf blowers for “general upkeep” of the grounds, in which they rarely — if ever — actually pick up any-thing. The leaf blowers are being used as a sort of gasoline-powered broom to “sweep” lawns, sidewalks, driveways — any surface that they want to “manicure.” Nothing pierces the constant din of Connecticut Avenue traf-fic, trucks, ambulances, fire engines and accidents like a gasoline-powered leaf blower. This is not simply an annoy-ance. This is not a modern con-venience. This is not “occasion-al use.” This is not the same quality of noise produced by lawn mowers, weed wackers, et cetera. This is a different spec-trum and decibel level of sound. I do not believe that homeown-ers — or, more importantly,

apartment complexes and land-scaping companies that do busi-ness in D.C. — have the right to inject high-frequency, high-decibel noise into my apartment almost daily at such a level that I cannot even conduct a simple business phone call or concen-trate on work. There are reasonable, effec-tive, community-friendly alter-natives. Please talk to the main-tenance staff at the Ponce de Leon and Parker House build-ings on upper Connecticut Ave-nue, my heroes. The grounds manager there will talk to you about the benefits of low-noise electric leaf blowers — no spark plugs, gasoline, backpack or earplugs to hassle with, and just $70 at Lowe’s. Regarding enforcement: We know who uses leaf blowers on a nearly constant basis without actually picking up leaves or much of anything at all — the large apartment complexes on Connecticut Avenue and their landscaping contractors. Photo-graph them. Fine them. They usually do nothing but blow dust and leaves into the street the vast majority of the time. Stop the madness. Stop the noise.

Joey SpataforaForest Hills

LETTErs TOThE EDITOr

Tom sherwood is on vacation. his column will resume when he returns.

Page 7: Gt 12 30 15

The currenT Wednesday, december 30, 2015 7

Don’t rule out use of Lafayette’s trailers Should the trailers at Lafayette Elementary School be chosen for use by Murch Elementary stu-dents during their school’s mod-ernization, I am confident that parents and the community can make it work [“Murch swing space options draw debate,” Dec. 23]. Military kids move every two or three years and their class-mates and teachers don’t move with them! Military parents are deployed to war zones and, sadly, sometimes don’t return alive. Lafayette and Murch parents and community: Why not approach this challenge with a problem-solving attitude? Instead of digging your heels in, help kids become flexible and respon-sible. Be part of the solution. I am an active 76-year-old grandmother whose kids attended Lafayette. Should the Murch kids come our way, I will volunteer — I’m willing to work as a crossing guard, playground monitor, wher-ever I can help. We are a privi-leged bunch and should set a good example.

Aileen WorthingtonChevy Chase

No need for cyclists to obey all stop signs D.C.’s current laws say that bicycles are like cars and must follow the same laws as cars. They must stop at stop signs — even if no one is around — which makes sense for cars but not bicy-cles. The D.C. Council is consider-ing a new law that would allow bicycles to treat stop signs as yield signs if and only if no one else is around. By being allowed to roll through empty intersec-tions, cyclists would be guaran-teed not only a safer ride but also a faster one. For a bike to come to a com-plete stop, that means cyclists must brake and put down a foot to stabilize themselves as they check left and right for oncoming cars. Then they must put their foot back on the pedal and exert a lot of energy to start the bike again. This process takes consid-erable time, and by the time the cyclist has gotten back to cycling at an average speed they must start the same routine again at the next intersection. When cars stop at a stop sign, it is a matter of seconds before drivers are on their way again because drivers just have to press

the brake pedal, wait for the vehi-cle to reach a full stop, check right and left, then press the accelerator. The fact is that many cyclists roll through stop signs when no one is around anyway because actually stopping takes up much more effort and is more danger-ous than just rolling through. To anyone who disagrees: I dare you to ride a bike instead of a car. You’ll see how tiresome and pointless it is to stop at a stop sign when no one else is around.

Raphaelle HupezAmerican University Park

Washington home should remain open I am a retired physician and, for several years now, a regular volunteer at the Washington Home & Community Hospices. As such, I’d like to offer my opinion on the sale/purchase of the Upton Street NW campus. In 1888, Mrs. Charles Hill founded the Washington Home as a “home for the helpless, the des-titute, the incurably sick of the city.” Since that time, the Wash-ington Home has been a land-mark of caring, exactly as it was originally intended. At the time of the sale, it housed 126 chronically ill and disabled persons. In my opinion, the board’s decision to sell the Washington Home to Sidwell Friends School is a callous, money-driven act, completely ignoring the needs of the residents. Given that the resi-dents will lose their long-term friends and the only home they have (some of them have lived there for many years!), the plan to sell is sadly and obviously lacking consideration and compassion. The residents are devastated and deeply disturbed because they will be forced to move, which belies the assurance of the board that their mission to provide compas-sionate care has not changed. The sale/purchase of the Washington Home cruelly disrupts the lives of the residents and their families, which apparently does not bother the seller or the buyer. I think the board members of Sidwell Friends School acted equally as callously when they decided to purchase the home. This purchase is totally incompat-ible with Quaker philosophy. The Sidwell website states that “the Quaker belief that there is ‘that of God’ in each of us shapes every-thing we do.” The school philoso-phy emphasizes empathy and social justice. Apparently none of these principles apply where the residents of the Washington Home are concerned! I can understand that Sidwell wants to expand, but it should be possible

to come up with a better solution — one that does not displace dis-abled and chronically ill people, and one that is actually compati-ble with Quaker tradition. I think the boards of the Wash-ington Home and Sidwell Friends School have both made a deplor-able choice. I have sent letters to both boards about these issues.

Dr. Erika LatchisWashington, D.C.

home’s closure faces unfounded criticism Jim McGrath’s Dec. 16 View-point is blind to the facts con-cerning the sale and closing of the Washington Home. The group’s website reveals that the decision to phase out long-term residential care was not taken hastily but “fits closely with dis-cussions the Home’s Board has been having for several years.” According to the board chair, “Taking this step will give our organization the opportunity to be a leader in providing services to aging and terminally ill DC area residents for the next 125 years.” The facts are that most years over the past decade the Washing-ton Home has been incurring def-icits — up to $2 million per year — and its net assets have declined from $62 million to $45 million. The evident cause of these deficits is the Upton Street NW long-term residential pro-gram. As the Washington Home has only private rooms, this is not surprising: Medicare compensa-tion is not designed to support private room long-term care. It is unfortunate the Washington Home wasn’t able to solve this unsustainable situation sooner. What is clear is that the decision to sell the Upton Street NW facil-ity and end its long-term residen-tial services was made entirely by the home’s board based on con-siderable deliberation. Mr. McGrath disparages Sidwell Friends School’s decision to buy the Upton Street property — as though the school not buy-ing the property on principle would magically change the Washington Home’s decision to sell the site. Does he have in mind a better plan for the Wash-ington Home’s financial stability? Good neighbors for generations, these two 120-plus-year-old orga-nizations are community pillars and nationally respected nonprofit social concerns. Does he have in mind a better purchaser than Sidwell Friends? Mr. McGrath’s Viewpoint does a disservice to our community by spreading spurious criticism and confused, uninformed advice.

Dan WhiteNorth Cleveland Park

LETTErs TOThE EDITOr

LETTErs TO ThE EDITOrthe Current publishes letters and Viewpoint submissions representing various points of view. Because of space limitations, letters should be no more than 400 words and are subject to editing. Letters and Viewpoint submissions intended for publication may be sent to [email protected]. the mailing address is Letters to the Editor, the Current, Post office Box 40400, Washington, d.C. 20016-0400.

est. 1933

Page 8: Gt 12 30 15

8 wedNesday, deCember 30, 2015 The CurreNT

■ The Watergate’s underground parking garage collapsed, destroy-ing cars, cutting off residents’ parking access and blocking part of Virginia Avenue NW. An inves-tigation blamed the damage on construction crews at the com-plex’s hotel who left too much dirt and equipment on the garage roof.■ Paul Wiedefeld recently took the helm of the Washington Metro-politan Area Transit Authority, whose management was in flux for most of the year. The agency had a rough start to 2015, with January’s combination of a tunnel fire and communication break-down that killed one passenger and injured dozens more on a Yel-low Line train outside L’Enfant Plaza.■ A number of row house neigh-borhoods in D.C., including sec-tions of Petworth, Dupont Circle and Woodley Park, are now sub-ject to stricter development restric-tions. To combat the controversial spread of “pop-up” row house conversions there, the Zoning Commission reduced the maxi-mum height for building projects, placed new limits on the size of rear additions and limited the number of housing units per prop-erty to two within the “R-4” zone.■ The National Park Service is proposing two additional boat-houses on the Georgetown water-front on either side of the Key Bridge. The agency is now study-ing the effects of various options, which also include constructing a third new boathouse and auxiliary buildings.■ D.C. students took the new Part-nership for Assessment of Readi-ness for College and Careers (PARCC) standardized tests, and the results showed low proficiency rates, especially among African-Americans.■ Two new grocery stores are on tap for the American University Park/Tenleytown area — a full-size supermarket at the site of the vacant Superfresh and a smaller market on the site of the Martens car dealerships on Wisconsin Ave-nue. Both would be part of mixed-use projects with several hundred apartments, which have attracted controversy from some neighbors. The latter property is owned by Georgetown Day School, which is moving its lower and middle school to the site of the Tenley-town Safeway, which will close. Another Northwest Safeway remains safe, meanwhile: although listed for sale, the Palisades loca-tion has stayed open after the D.C. Council blocked a sale condition that no other supermarket could ever locate there.■ Pope Francis made his first visit to Washington, staying in the Vati-can Embassy at Massachusetts Avenue and 34th Street NW. He drew adoring crowds, won praise for his attention to D.C. residents in poverty, and prompted several

days of widespread road closures.■ A political action committee that backed Mayor Bowser and sought to bolster her support from the D.C. Council sparked concerns about pay-to-play politics as it raked in large donations. The com-mittee, dubbed FreshPAC, was subsequently disbanded.■ The YMCA announced it would close its National Capital branch in Dupont Circle at the end of 2015, citing declining enrollment and the need to invest resources elsewhere in the District.■ Petworth’s Grant Circle area was designated a historic district, but not in time to save two of the circle’s century-old homes from redevelopment.■ Tumult surrounded various aspects of the District’s school modernization program, as vari-ous budget proposals shifted funds from one school to another to another, and as critics slammed the city for soaring costs and inad-equate documentation of expens-es. In the past year, though, work did begin at Lafayette Elementary in Chevy Chase, and it continued at Roosevelt High and Powell Ele-mentary in Petworth, Shepherd Elementary in Shepherd Park, and Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Burleith (where ballooning project costs proved to be particu-larly controversial). Renovations wrapped up at Mann Elementary in Wesley Heights and Hearst Ele-mentary in North Cleveland Park.■ The St. Thomas’ Parish redevel-opment project — which includes a new church and an apartment building in Dupont Circle — went through numerous design revi-sions, which satisfied the Historic Preservation Review Board but not many neighbors. The Board of Zoning Adjustment still needs to weigh in on land-use aspects of the case.■ Archaeological work began at 3324 Dent Place NW in George-town, the 19th-century home of freed slave Yarrow Mamout, and plans are advancing to construct a replacement house on the site.■ Roosevelt High students have been attending classes in the for-mer MacFarland Middle School

during renovations to the high school campus, amid complaints about poor conditions at MacFar-land. Students are scheduled to return to the renovated Roosevelt next year. ■ American University’s East Campus project — replacing part of the Nebraska Avenue NW park-ing lot with dorms and other build-ings — fell behind schedule. The delays prompted the school to suc-cessfully petition for longer con-struction hours to wrap up the work by August 2016, over the objections of some community members.■ Two National Park Service land-marks celebrated major anniversa-ries: Rock Creek Park turned 125 years old and Georgetown’s Old Stone House reached 250. Mean-while, Georgetown’s Tudor Place began its preparations for its bicentennial next year.■ Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a “Vision Zero” initia-tive to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2024, which will include intersec-tion improvements, new laws and fines, additional enforcement and other measures designed to boost safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. The last year also saw two pedestrians fatally struck days apart in the Wisconsin Avenue NW corridor, both in areas that community members had flagged as dangerous.■ Residents near the Potomac River have been sounding off against Reagan National Airport flights passing over their commu-nities, taking their noise com-plaints to airport management, the Federal Aviation Administration and Congress.■ The Spring Valley Shopping Center, a historic landmark in the 4800 block of Massachusetts Ave-nue NW, saw two proposed proj-ects: a new seafood restaurant, Millie’s, in the former Chicken Out site, and a new two-story commercial building on the park-ing lot next to Crate & Barrel. The latter project was approved in October, but Millie’s is still await-ing an alcohol license and a revised design.■ Possession of small amounts of marijuana became legal in D.C., with city officials saying they’d found a loophole in a federal law designed to block the measure that voters had approved in 2014. Mar-ijuana sales, though, remain ille-gal. But the District has faced grow-ing concern from another drug crisis — synthetic drugs that are cheap and hard to trace, and that can cause unpredictable and dan-gerous side effects. City officials have blamed an increasing homi-cide rate in part on these drugs, and moved to crack down on some stores that sold them.■ The Kennedy Center redesigned a controversial proposal for a river pavilion, moving it to the shore to avoid interfering with boaters, as

part of a broader renovation and expansion project.■ Wilson High School saw a $1.8 million cut to its operating budget, as money shifted to schools with a higher percentage of students deemed at-risk. Community mem-bers pushed for at least half of that funding to be restored, and the D.C. Council approved that $900,000; D.C. Public Schools ultimately allocated $680,000 to Wilson.■ Metro shut down the western entrance to the Van Ness/UDC Metro station for a three-year escalator replacement project, despite community objections about minimal public notice and the work’s overlap with a nearby sidewalk closure for the Park Van Ness construction project. Metro has been able, however, to peri-odically open stairs on the west side during the work.■ Georgetown commemorated two of its notable sites — the steps used in the climax of “The Exor-cist,” and the tennis courts where the African-American Peters sis-ters played growing up.■ Mayor Bowser announced a plan to close the infamous D.C. General homeless shelter and to end chronic family homelessness in the District by 2017. Her pro-posal calls for smaller shelters spread throughout the city and expands services beyond cold-weather resources.■ Perennial complaints about noisy leaf blowers reached a new peak in 2015, with one Northwest advisory neighborhood commis-sion calling for two-stroke ver-sions of the devices to be banned due to their pollution. Residents say landscape contractors have increasingly used leaf blowers year-round unnecessarily.■ Glover Park Hardware lost the lease for its longtime Wisconsin Avenue NW location, but is now preparing to reopen a few doors down after suffering delays related to permitting issues and construc-tion of a new elevator.■ Plans advanced for the redevel-opment of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus, with the parcel’s proposed land-use desig-nations winning Zoning Commis-sion approval, and a bill for the District to acquire the land began working its way through the D.C. Council.■ Georgetown experimented with

the GroupMe app, in which com-munity members and police could have real-time conversations about ongoing crime threats. Despite positive reviews from many par-ticipants, the service was disband-ed after a furor about alleged racial profiling.■ All Hallows Guild at the Wash-ington National Cathedral reluc-tantly decided to close its gift shop, a decades-old retail opera-tion whose move from the historic Herb Cottage to an underground parking garage helped spell its doom.■ Trash collection got off to a rocky start in the new year, with repeated weather delays leaving some waste piling up for several weeks until the Department of Public Works swept in to clear it out en masse — tossing in many residents’ recycling at the same time.■ After a landmark designation almost derailed plans to build affordable housing and other com-munity services around Georgia Avenue’s Emory United Method-ist Church, the church secured approval for a revised proposal.■ George Washington University opened its new museum, which holds its Washingtoniana collec-tion and the new home for the Textile Museum.■ The Washington Home & Com-munity Hospices announced that it will shutter its inpatient nursing home in late 2016 and switch to providing in-home care. The non-profit is selling its headquarters at 37th and Upton streets NW to the adjacent Sidwell Friends School, which will move its lower school there from Bethesda.■ Three neighborhoods have worked toward revising their long-standing alcohol license moratori-ums to allow more restaurants. Glover Park is on track to revise its moratorium to allow new res-taurant licenses; Georgetown’s lat-est proposal is to allow new res-taurants subject to stricter condi-tions on all new licenses; and western Dupont Circle lifted its restrictions on all licenses but nightclubs.■ The Current lost one of its long-time reporters when Elizabeth Wiener died of an illness at age 67. A 16-year veteran of the newspa-per, she won acclaim from com-munity members she covered for her diligence and fairness.

2015: Varied news events shaped Northwest’s yearFrom Page 1

Brian Kapur/Current file photoAfter construction of American University’s East Campus fell behind schedule, the school gained permission for expanded work hours.

Brian Kapur/Current file photoMayor Muriel Bowser holds the D.C. seal at her inauguration in January after receiving it from her predecessor, Vincent gray.

Page 9: Gt 12 30 15

By BRIAN KAPURCurrent Staff Writer

Josh Hart is a name that’s synonymous with greatness at Sidwell. Now a star at Vil-lanova University, the former Quaker left a stellar legacy at the Northwest school. Although Hart is a rare phenom, Quakers coach Eric Singletary sees a lot of the for-mer star’s abilities in his latest standout — junior forward Jelani Williams. “He’s versatile,” the coach said of Wil-liams. “He’s 6 feet 5 inches tall but can play point guard [and] can see the floor. He’s a good passer, he can score, he’s a good defender and can rebound. You rarely get a Josh Hart-type, but we’re trying to put him in that same mold where he does every-thing. He has done it, but he has to be more consistent.” The Quakers’ budding star has helped the team quickly turn into a contender in the competitive Mid-Atlantic Conference. Sidwell is off to a 5-3 record, showing signs of its potential to make a run at the coveted crown. Singletary said he’s “a little disappoint-

ed” in his team’s three losses, but adds: “We’re going in the right direction. I’m encouraged because I think we have the type of team that can fix it. Even if people don’t have high expectations for us, we have a good group coming back, but we’ve been a little up and down.” The key for the Quakers to make any type of championship run is finding players to step up around Williams. So far the team has found answers with his fellow junior captains: guard Zach Mazlish and Abass Sallah. The coach said that Sallah “has been a starter for us. He does a great job of getting us into our offense.” Meanwhile Mazlish has been a strong vocal leader. “Zach is a reserve. When he comes in, he does a great job out there,” said Singletary. “He’s like another coach. He encourages guys from the bench and even tells me things he’s seeing out there. I really appreciate him.” In addition to its strong returning guards, the team will look for its forwards — juniors Ross Young and Ace Stallings — to provide a post presence.

“Our two big guys have to give us more production,” said Singletary. “They have size strength. They’re capable. We’re just waiting for them to produce.” Singletary also sees a budding star in freshman guard Jason Gibson. “He’s our second leading scorer,” the coach said. “He’s a really good player, a big-time shooter and a big-time playmaker. As a freshman he has been up and down. But we are working on getting him to understand there is no hierarchy. It’s varsity basketball — if there’s an open shot or a play, go make it.” With a mix of talented returning players and youngsters, the Quakers believe they have a chance to take home the MAC’s hardware in February. “The MAC is pretty good, but I have expectations to challenge for a title,” said Singletary. “I believe that we are good enough to do that.” The Quakers are playing next in the Westminster Christmas Tournament in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., which wraps up today. Sidwell will return to local action when it hosts Maret on Jan. 5 at 5:45 p.m.

Athletics in northwest wAshington December 30, 2015 ■ Page 9

By BRIAN KAPURCurrent Staff Writer

Over the past four years, National Cathedral’s girls basket-ball team had gone as far as Marta Sniezek could help carry it. The school’s all-time leading scorer led the team to back-to-back Inde-pendent School League AA finals before graduating in the spring. Though Sniezek is now across the country suiting up for Stanford University, the cupboard is hardly bare on the Close. This year the team has turned to senior Isabella Alarie, who was a productive player for the Eagles over the last three seasons in Sniezek’s shadow. Alarie earned her thousandth career point in a game earlier this season and has seized the reins as the team’s lead-er. “It’s been a transition of roles,” the Princeton-bound senior said. “I’ve had to work on my confi-dence and work on picking up the team. I miss Marta and having our dynamic duo, but this is a great learning experience for me learn-ing to be a leader.” So far this season, Alarie has led the team to an 8-0 record. “This team has already sur-prised me,” said Eagles coach Brittany Mitch. “We had some close games already, but they’ve just grinded it out. When a team makes a run, they pull together and hang tough and don’t fall

apart.” The camaraderie begins with Alarie, who can often be seen con-gratulating her teammates and giv-ing them encouragement through-out the game. “She’s really helped make this season a lot of fun,” Mitch said. “She keeps things light; she incor-porates everyone on the team from the starters to the ones on the end of the bench. She’s just as enthusi-astic about everyone getting on the court.” Alarie, who stands at 6 feet 3 inches, has resumed her usual spot in the post for the Eagles this year, but she has also been asked to play new positions along the perimeter and handling the ball. “It’s different than what I’m used to,” said Alarie. “I really like being a versatile player and being able to do a lot of things. Being able to expand my game is some-thing I like to do.” The senior’s willingness has given Cathedral a chance to mix up its matchups and take advan-tage of Alarie’s diverse skill set. “She can really do anything,” Mitch said. “Depending on what team we’re playing and what they’re presenting us, she fills in that gap that we need. If we need a ball handler, she steps up and brings the ball up against pressure. If we need an offensive board, she will hop in down there and she will knock down some three-point shots. On defense she is our back-

bone. We know if we miss a steal she has our back and will guard the rim and block shots.” Alarie is joined in the post by fellow senior forward Eva Snaith, who Mitch believes can play a big role for the Eagles this season. “She has stepped it up this year,” said Mitch. “She has had some big offensive rebounds and makes great post moves. She has helped us a lot. She just goes out and gives it her all.” In addition to raving about her seniors, Mitch points to the Cathe-dral team’s sophomore class — Camilla Ryder, Katie Skoff, Naomi Davy, Jordan Gasho and Hannah Yazdani — as budding contributors. The team has also seen fresh-man Chloe Conaghan jump right into the starting lineup and help with ball-handling. “She is a multisport athlete,” Mitch said of the freshman, who also plays tennis and lacrosse. “She has stepped in there and has melded well with the team.” The Eagles will also look to juniors Seline Everett and Goldie Roth, along with senior Maxine Krygier, to play diverse roles as the team makes up for Sniezek’s departure. “It’s four other players on the court stepping up and doing some-thing,” Mitch said. “Marta kind of did everything — she was our leading rebounder, free-throw

NCS hoops rallies around new leader

Brian Kapur/The CurrentSenior forward Isabella Alarie has stepped up as the team’s leader on the court and in the locker room this season. The Princeton-bound senior has averaged nearly 10 points per game while the Eagles have posted an 8-0 record to start the year.

Sidwell’s latest star boosts school’s hopes for MAC title

n ch g

Brian Kapur/The CurrentJunior guard Jelani Williams has pushed the Quakers to a 5-3 record to start the season. His strong play this year has Sidwell thinking of making a run at the Mid-Atlantic Conference championship.

See Cathedral/Page 10

Page 10: Gt 12 30 15

10 Wednesday, december 30, 2015 The currenT

Northwest Sports

By BRIAN KAPURCurrent Staff Writer

St. John’s senior defensive lineman Terrell Hall was in his second-period class earlier this month when he learned some stunning news: He had won the title of the D.C. Gatorade Football Player of the Year. It took awhile to sink in. “Coach came to me in the middle of class and informed me. When everyone started to say congratu-lations, I believed it was really true,” Hall said. Hall became the Cadets’ fourth football player to earn the honor, which is awarded annually based on prowess on the field as well as excellence in the classroom and in community work. “It’s good because it shows that I’m not just an athlete,” said Hall. “Coming from St. John’s, every-one knows this is a prestigiously academic school. [The award] just shows that I’m versatile on the field and off the field.” The senior defensive end racked up 42 tackles, notched 21 tackles for loss, forced and recovered two fumbles, and brought down opposing quarterbacks for nine sacks this past season as the Cadets posted a 7-4 record. Hall also earned Washington Catholic Athletic Conference first-team honors. He will play his final high school game in the 2016 Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 2 at the Orlando Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla. Off the field, Hall posted a B average in the class-room and has volunteered at Brookdale Woodward

Estates, an assisted living facility in Bowie, Md. For Hall, the rise to the title as the best player in D.C. was a four-year journey that he didn’t imagine ending with such a bang. “Just the growth from me as a freshman to a senior, to finally be named the best player in the area is an eye-opener,” he said. “I never knew I would come this far, but it’s a blessing.” Hall hasn’t finalized his college decision, but has a slew of offers from big-time programs including the University of Alabama, the University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of Missis-sippi, Arizona State University, the University of Maryland at College Park and the University of Okla-homa. The senior plans to announce his decision on signing day, which is Feb. 3.

Cadets football star wins Gatorade honor

n ch g

The D.C. State Athletic Association released its Fall All-State teams last week. For most sports, coaches voted for the selections; for cross-country, the results of the state title meet determined the honorees.

Boys cross-countryRunner of the Year: Tristan Colaizzi, George-

town Day.First team: Samuel Blazes, Sidwell Friends;

Aaron Coates, Wilson; Drew Glick, Wilson; Queston Grannis, Wilson; Tyreece Huff, Phelps; Noah Kravitz, Georgetown Day; Amal Mattoo, Sidwell Friends; Ayinde Summey, Field; Jackson Todd, Georgetown Day.

Girls cross-countryRunner of the Year: Taylor Knibb, Sidwell

Friends.First team: A’ishah Bakayoko, Georgetown

Day; Emily Carroll, St. John’s; Abigail Doroshow, Georgetown Day; Brennan Dunne, Visitation; Michaela Kirvan, Visitation; Arrington Peterson, Wilson; May Robison, Georgetown Day; Cassia Torczon, Visitation; Katherine Treanor, George-town Day.

Boys soccerPlayer of the Year: Jabari Wilbon, St. Albans.First team: Edgar Ayala, Bell; Chris Fleischer,

St. Albans; Christophe Gerlach, Gonzaga; Nate Johnson, St. Albans; Thomas Keane, Gonzaga; Alejandro Martinez, Wilson; Matthew McCann, Gonzaga; Peter Schans, School Without Walls; Matteo Schlitz, Washington International; Oliver Steinglass, Washington International; Nico Ubide, Washington International; Ryan Yang, Sidwell Friends.

Girls soccerPlayer of the Year: Kaili Gregory, Wilson.First team: Jisca Adigo, Wilson; Izzy Austin,

Cathedral; Annie Boasberg, Sidwell Friends; Syd-ney Covitz, Maret; Erin Doherty, Wilson; Anna Joos, Wilson; Maliah Morris, St. John’s; Noemi Nuñez, Capital City; Ashley Ventura, St. John’s; Nicole Willing, Sidwell Friends.

VolleyBallPlayer of the Year: Jeanne Westney, St. John’s.First team: Lauren Antonucci, St. John’s; Kelli

Brookshire, St. John’s; Rebecca Frye, St. John’s; Evelyn Gray, Maret; Sara Hunsberger, School Without Walls; Allie Littleton, Sidwell Friends; Pia Michelitsch, Washington International; Eliana Miller, Georgetown Day; Tatiana Pitcher, Field; Kayla Wiggins, Wilson.

(Editor’s note: The football selections appeared in The Current’s Dec. 23 issue.)

DCSAA All State Teams (Part II)

Brian Kapur/The CurrentDefensive lineman Terrell Hall will play Saturday in the Under Armour All-America game in Florida.

shooter, all of that. We have told the girls, do one thing well. Now, it’s five girls just putting it all together.” The balanced attack is some-thing that suits the Eagles players and their personalities.

“It’s something we practice every day. We aren’t a bunch of selfish players,” said Alarie. “A lot of it is making the extra pass — that’s what’s going to help us win in the long run.” With an attack that uses team concepts instead of relying heavily on one player, the Eagles believe

they can make another run at the ISL crown and topple Visitation, their biggest rival. “We have nothing to lose this year,” said Alarie. “We’re all com-ing to the games and just giving it our all. We have as much of a chance to beat Visitation as we have in recent years.”

CATHEDRAL: Eagles undefeated in basketball so farFrom Page 9

SPORTS PHOTOSFrom Previous

CURRENT NEWSPAPERS

Photos are available fromwww.mattpetros.zenfolio.comkapurphotography.smugmug.com

OFFICE SPACE

FOR LEASE5185 MacArthur Blvd, NW

Available

202.470.2820www.summitcre.com

Lower Level up to 6,684 sfOffices, Medical office, Lab, X-Ray and Storage

2nd Floor - 1,234 sf and 6,193 sfPrime office on Front of BuildingWalk to Restaurants and Retail

On- Site and Street ParkingMetrobus Stop in front

4880 MacArthur Blvd NW Washington DC 20007www.riverschool.net

To reserve your space, call (202) 337-3554 email [email protected]

Admission Open HouseJanuary 8, 2016

8:45 – 10:00AM

An Early Education Program serving children 18 months through Third Grade

10 Sports Jump

Page 11: Gt 12 30 15

Demand for modern houses in D.C.’s leafy neighbor-hoods is strong, judging

by the response to 2710 Brandy-

wine St. NW, which went on the market early this month and was quickly snatched up after multiple bids. Developer Bonny Dempsey of MAD Property spent $600,000 updating the 1978 property, and the resulting six-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath house was a hit, selling for more than the $2.3 million asking price and continu-ing to inspire interest. (The buy-ers have yet to close on the prop-erty, but their offer has been accepted.) The Forest Hills home is perched in a quiet cul-de-sac of 20 custom houses just off Rock Creek Park. Though its address is on Brandywine — and the fun-nel-shaped quarter-acre lot winds down to that street in front — owners will likely access the property via Broad Branch Road NW, pulling into a multicar drive-way or garage out back. Either

way, visitors will come upon a grand facade. New white rectan-gular HardiePlank siding covers the house, studded with vast expanses of glass, with the whole resembling a piece of modern art. Those who enter from the back — through a full entrance, with its own foyer — will come into the bottom level, which holds three bedrooms, two baths, a mudroom and a 180-bottle, cli-mate-controlled wine room. One of the bedrooms here is part of an in-law or au pair suite, with a kitchenette and its own bathroom; the others, both with Travertine

tiles underfoot, seem more likely to host other uses, like an exer-cise room. Up a partial flight of stairs is the formal living room, a glassy open space with 13-foot ceilings and two walls covered by win-dows. A sliding door leads out to a brick patio, one of the few parts of the house that remained largely unchanged in the recent update. A gas fireplace sits nestled into a dark gray plinth of a wall, and there’s a view of the home’s cen-tral open staircase winding above. Top-grade hickory covers the floors here and in most of the

home, providing warm contrast to white walls and gray stone mate-rials. Another short flight leads up to the formal dining room, a space that looks like an art gal-lery (especially thanks to Realtor James Kastner’s staging). Mas-sive windows — one of them new — bring in the green from outdoors, as they do in much of the home. One new and notable feature of this house is the use of glass partitions to safely divide its

many tiered levels while retaining an open feel; in the dining room, a partial wall divides the space from the living space below, with openings on other side of it made secure with short expanses of glass. On this same level is the kitchen, which offers more clean modern lines, with white quartz counters and island, medium-col-ored hickory on the cabinets and stainless appliances by Therma-

A Look at the Market in Northwest Washington December 30, 2015 ■ Page 11

Speedy sale illustrates raging demand in area

Photos courtesy of Coldwell Banker Residential BrokerageThis newly updated 1978 six-bedroom house at 2710 Brandywine St. NW in Forest Hills was listed for $2.3 million.

ON THE MARKET BeTh CoPe

See Brandywine/Page 12

Selling The Area’s Finest Properties

Sophisticated & StylishBethesda, MD. Rarely available sleek New York style corner unit at �e Adagio. Floor to ceiling windows, state of the art kitchen. 2 BRs  + den, 2.5 BAs. Pkg included. In the heart of dwntwn Bethesda. $1,125,000.

Amy Cohn 202-257-7898

Arts & Crafts GemLandon Woods. Stunning new home w/4 levels of quality workmanship.  7 BRs, 5.5 BAs. Superb chef ’s kitchen, fabulous MBath. Family rm, o�ce, built-ins. Expansive LL w/sep entrance. 2 car garage. $1,895,000

Patricia Lore  301-908-1242Ted Beverley  301-728-4338

Serene & SpaciousKent. Gracious contemporary w/formal LR & DR. Kit opens to sun rm & lge family rm. 5 BRs, 3.5 BAs includes 3/2 on 1st ©r. In law suite + 5th BR on LL. 2 patios, large side garden. 2 car garage + oª st pkg. Walk to shops & parks. $1,125,000.

Nancy Hammond  202-262-5374

River ViewsHarbour Square. Enjoy the views from your balcony in this 540 sf studio coop. Live on the vibrant Southwest waterfront. Bldg w/indoor pool, ®tness center & 24 hour desk. All inclusive fee. 2 blk to Metro. $215,000

Geo�rey Clopton, Jr. 301-351-3772

Elegance & Flair�e Foxhall. Rare duplex apt in this sought after bldg. Bright formal rooms on main level open to large terrace. Curved staircase to 3 BRs each w/bath & balcony. Amenities include pool & tennis courts. $1,195,000

Penny Mallory  301-654-7902

Grand TraditionsTown of Chevy Chase. Impressive 1920s manor w/dramatic spaces has been renovated from top to bottom. Formal LR & DR, 5 BR, 6.5 BA, dazzling Kit, 3-car garage, and inviting deck. $2,499,000

Eric Murtagh 301-652-8971Karen Kuchins 301-275-2255

Page 12: Gt 12 30 15

ANC 2BDupont Circle The commission will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13, at the Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. For details, visit dupontcir-cleanc.net. ANC 2DSheridan-Kalorama The commission will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11, at Our Lady Queen of the Americas Church, California Street and Phelps Place NW. For details, visit anc2d.org. ANC 2EGeorgetownCloisters The commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 4, at Georgetown Visitation Prepara-tory School, 1524 35th St. NW. Agenda items include:■ public safety and police report.■ financial report, transportation report and environmental report.■ election of officers for 2016 and designation of areas of special interest.■ introduction of Rick Murphy, pro bono attorney for the commis-sion.■ consideration of a resolution on the moratorium on new Alcoholic Beverage Control licenses in Georgetown, set to expire in Feb-ruary. (A revised proposed tem-plate for a settlement agreement with applicants for new restaurant licenses is posted on the commis-sion’s website at anc2e.com.)■ consideration of a settlement

agreement with Kouzina Authen-tic Greek Restaurant, 3236 Pros-pect St. NW.■ consideration of Old George-town Board matters: 1417 33rd St. NW, residence, alterations to car-port, permit; 3420 P St. NW, resi-dence, addition, demolition, replacement windows, site work, concept; 3251 Prospect St. NW, commercial, awning, signs for Morton’s Steakhouse, options, concept; 1033 31st St. NW, com-mercial, alterations and sign for Ministry of Fashion, existing alterations without review, permit; 3111 K St. NW, commercial, alter-ations, sign and blade signs, AMC Theatres, concept; 1037 Cecil Place NW, residence, new gate in wall, existing alterations without review, permit; 1044 Wisconsin Ave. NW, commercial, one-story addition, alterations, sign for Sweetgreen, concept; and 3059 M St. NW, commercial, signs, exist-ing alterations without review, Bluemercury, permit. For details, call 202-724-7098 or visit anc2e.com. ANC 3BGlover Park The commission will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, at Stoddert Elementary School and Glover Park Community Center, 4001 Calvert St. NW. For details, email [email protected] or visit anc3b.org. ANC 3CCleveland ParkWoodley ParkMassachusetts Avenue Heights The commission will meet at

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, at the 2nd District Police Head-quarters, 3320 Idaho Ave. NW. For details, visit anc3c.org. ANC 3DSpring ValleyWesley Heights The commission will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6, in Conference Room 2 at the Sibley Memorial Hospital Medical

Building, 5215 Loughboro Road NW. Agenda items include:■ police report.■ community concerns.■ officer elections.■ consideration of a Board of Zon-ing Adjustment application for variances from off-street parking requirements and special excep-tions from the building lot control requirements to construct a second principal structure at 5236 Sherier

Place NW.■ consideration of a Board of Zon-ing Adjustment application for a special exception to rear-yard requirements to build a deck at 1541 44th St. NW.■ executive session to hear the report of the Administrator Selec-tion Committee.■ selection of a new ANC 3D administrator. For details, call 202-957-1999 or visit anc3d.org.

12 Wednesday, december 30, 2015 The currenT

Northwest Real Estate

Citizens Association of Georgetown As we approach the new year, it may be worth our while to look back at 2015 and assess where our Georgetown community experienced its ups and downs. On the positive side, our association reached agreement with Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E and the Georgetown Business Improvement District to permit the alcohol license moratorium on restaurants to expire and be replaced by a template settlement agreement that the citizens association and the neighborhood commission will negotiate with applicants for res-taurant liquor licenses. The agreement will protect residents from being exposed to late-night noise and other disruptions, while at the same time it will encourage new applicants to locate their res-taurants in Georgetown, with no cap on the num-ber of restaurant licenses. Our historic preservation committee along with the neighborhood commission worked with neigh-bors to find compromises in cases of development concerns. A good example of this involved the 3200 block of Dent Place NW, where residents were concerned about the planned construction on a vacant lot that was at one time owned by a for-mer slave, Yarrow Mamout, who in the early 19th century became a successful businessman in Georgetown once he gained his freedom. The original plan for the now-vacant site was to con-struct two narrow residential units that would occupy the full width of the property. Through negotiations with the residents and the contractor,

a resolution was reached to permit construction of a single home with side yards to permit a view of the rear lot. On the negative side of 2015 was the increased aircraft noise that began last spring after a Federal Aviation Administration-approved flight path became the preferred route of airlines as they fly over Georgetown and adjoining communities to the west. The Citizens Association of Georgetown and other community associations created the DC Fair Skies Coalition, and are now engaged in dia-logue with the FAA and the Metropolitan Wash-ington Airports Authority to find solutions to reduce aircraft noise. The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority’s plan to install green infrastructure in western Georgetown is a concern for the coming year of 2016. Creation of storage tanks under sidewalks, parking lanes and alleys will cause extensive disruption to the community. The citizens association and neigh-borhood commission have created a task force to work on strategies to minimize the impacts of this construction, but it will result in alleys being closed while work proceeds, and parking will become a big problem as parking lanes undergo installation of pervious pavements. However, when the challenges are compared with the benefits of life in Georgetown, there is no doubt that we are blessed with the privilege of liv-ing in this wonderful community. Happy New Year’s to you all.

— Bob vom Eigen

g

ANC 2E■ GeorGetown / cloisters burleith / hillandale

ANC 2D■ sheridan-kalorama

ANC 2B■ dupont circle

ANC 3B■ Glover park / cathedral heiGhts

ANC 3D■ sprinG valley / wesley heiGhtspalisades / kent / foxhallANC 3C

■ cleveland park / woodley parkmassachusetts avenue heiGhtscathedral heiGhts

dor. There’s also a U-Line profes-sional-grade wine fridge. The kitchen shares its space with the home’s “great room,” which is staged with both a sit-ting area and a casual eating area. The former looks toward a gas fireplace that shares the dark-gray wall with the living room below. Short glass walls flank it on either side. Also like in the living room, two walls here are covered in glass, one of them with win-dows and another with a custom accordion folding door. The room opens to an expansive deck made of a low-maintenance Trex com-posite material. There’s also a half-bath off the kitchen. The top floor houses three en-suite bedrooms, two of them siz-able enough to be the master (though one is clearly meant for the role). The not-master has its own wall of glass, including a sliding door out to a private deck, and the third bedroom’s bath fea-tures an original bright-blue tub. The master bedroom has cathe-

dral ceilings and the home’s only wood-burning fireplace, set inside the original slate and surrounded by a solid-oak piece that stretches from floor to ceiling. Massive windows cover two walls. The master bathroom is big enough to be another bedroom, and it deserves its own paragraph. Clad in Carrara marble tile, the space features an open shower with five heads and three spray-ers; Kastner notes that its floor is sloped away from the rest of the room, with special drains to whisk water away, so no glass wall is needed. There’s also a soaking tub set beneath a new massive window and original skylight, a custom Shiloh double vanity and a separate room for the toilet. Two walk-in closets are located in the bathroom area. This six-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath house at 2710 Brandy-wine St. NW was listed for $2.3 million. For more information contact James Kastner of Cold-well Banker Residential Broker-age at 202-531-9918 or [email protected].

brandywine: Custom featuresFrom Page 11

o: 202.491.1275m: 301.943.0314

Page 13: Gt 12 30 15

Wednesday, Dec. 30

Class■ The Vajrayogini Buddhist Center

will host a weekly class on meditation. 7 to 8:30 p.m. $6 to $12. Vajrayogini Bud-dhist Center, 1787 Columbia Road NW. 202-986-2257.

Concerts■ Jazz guitarist Jack Waugh will per-

form. 8 and 10 p.m. $10. Twins Jazz, 1344 U St. NW. twinsjazz.com.

■ A pre-New Year’s Eve concert will feature the Brooklyn-based funk/soul/dance pop band Pimps of Joytime and D.C.’s funky neo-soul group Aztec Sun. 8:30 p.m. $20 to $25. Gypsy Sally’s, 3401 K St. NW. gypsysallys.com.

Performances■ The Kennedy Center will present

“Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play!,” a vaudevillian romp based on Mo Wil-lems’ children’s book (for ages 3 and older). 1:30 and 4 p.m. $20 to $25. Family Theater, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600. The performance will repeat Saturday at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 and 4 p.m.

■ “Comedy at the Kennedy Center” will feature Nate Barga-tze performing stand-up. 6 p.m. Free. Mil-lennium Stage, Ken-nedy Center. 202-467-4600.

■ Pointless Theatre will present “A Very Pointless Holiday Spectacular: The North Pole’s 239th Annual Talent Show,” an irreverent cabaret featuring puppetry, improv and a reindeer band. 8 p.m. $17 to $22. Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, 916 G St. NW. pointlesstheatre.com. The performance will repeat Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m.

■ Theater Alliance will present “Black Nativity,” Langston Hughes’ soul-ful musical of faith, endurance and the birth of blackness. 8 p.m. $25 to $35. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Place SE. theateralliance.com. The per-formance will repeat Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

■ Busboys and Poets will host an open mic poetry event. 9 to 11 p.m. $5. Cullen Room, Busboys and Poets, 1025 5th St. NW. 202-789-2227.

Special event■ “ZooLights” will feature environ-

mentally friendly LED displays, a light show set to music, a model train exhibit, three 150-foot-long “snow tubing” tracks, the Conservation Carousel and live entertainment. 5 to 9 p.m. Free admission. National Zoo, 3001 Connect-icut Ave. NW. nationalzoo.si.edu. The event will repeat Friday and Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m.

Sporting event■ The Washington Capitals will play

the Buffalo Sabres. 7 p.m. $55 to $341. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. 800-745-3000.

Thursday, Dec. 31

Class■ Amy Dara will present a special

New Year’s Eve class on “Flow and Restore Into 2016.” 4 to 5:30 p.m. $15; reservations required. Circle Yoga, 3838

Northampton St. NW. 202-686-1104.

Concerts■ A soulful New Year’s Eve Celebra-

tion will feature Sir Joe Quarterman and FreeSoul, as well as Michael Mwenso & the Shakes featuring Brianna Thomas. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.

■ A New Year’s Eve concert will fea-ture local musicians Rosa Lamoreaux (shown), J. Reilly Lewis, Ann Colgrove, John Hurd and Diane Heath performing “Bach Through Mod-ern.” 6 p.m. $30 donation suggested; free for students. St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, 4201 Albemarle St. NW. columba.org.

■ “A Jazz New Year’s Eve” will cele-brate the centenary of Frank Sinatra with a perfor-mance by pia-nist and vocal-ist Diane Schuur accom-panied by a jazz quartet and a full complement of strings. 7 and 9 p.m. $90. Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.

■ Dial 251 and vocalist Steve Wash-ington will perform a New Year’s Eve jazz concert. 8 p.m. to midnight; reser-vations required. $46 to $66 for dinner. Mr. Henry’s Restaurant, 601 Pennsylva-nia Ave. SE. 202-546-8412.

■ “New Year’s Eve at the Kennedy Center” will feature international music icon and 10-time Grammy winner Chaka Khan. 8:30 p.m. $55 to $149. Concert Hall, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.

■ Twins Jazz will present a New Year’s Eve dinner and concert with jazz artist Kelly Shepherd. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. $85. Twins Jazz, 1344 U St. NW. twinsjazz.com.

■ A New Year’s Eve concert will fea-ture Pimps of Joytime and the Ron Hollo-way Band. 9 p.m. $30 to $38. Gypsy Sally’s, 3401 K St. NW. gypsysallys.com.

Discussion■ National Gallery of Art lecturer Eric

Denker will discuss “The Golden Legend Illustrated: Saint Nicholas.” Noon. Free. Meet in the West Building Rotunda, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.

Performance■ The DC Improv Comedy Club will

present a New Year’s Eve stand-up show featuring Orny Adams. 7:30 and 10:15 p.m. $35 to $75. DC Improv Comedy Club, 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-296-7008.

Special events■ “Noon Yards Eve,” a family-friendly

New Year’s Eve festival, will feature music, dancing, balloon artists, inflata-bles, trackless trains, face painting, kids’ crafts and a balloon drop at noon. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free. Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. theyardsdc.com.

■ A Family Yoga NYE Party led by Geneva Moss will feature partner poses, shared laughter and breath, and medita-tion on goals for 2016 (geared to fami-lies with children ages 3 and older). 4 to 5 p.m. $25 per family; reservations required. lil omm yoga, 4708 Wisconsin Ave. NW. lilomm.com.

■ “Neo Year’s Eve at Woolly Mam-

moth!” will feature a performance of “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” by the Chicago Neo-Futurists, with a pre-show happy hour and a post-per-formance party with a Champagne toast, dessert by Milk Bar and unlimited beer and wine. 10 p.m. $115 to $150. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW. 202-393-3939.

■ ArtJamz will host its annual New Year’s Eve Glitter Ball, featuring art materials, a canvas, studio time, hors d’oeuvres and a midnight Champagne toast. 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. $65 to $75; $95 to $105 per couple. ArtJamz Dupont Studio, 1728 Connecticut Ave. NW. artjamzdc.com.

Friday, Jan. 1

Children’s program■ The Hustle & Muscle Mat Club will

hold an open practice for youth wrestlers. 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Free. Wrestling Room, Activities Building, St. Albans School, 3551 Garfield St. NW. hustlemusclematclub.org.

Classes and workshops■ Circle Yoga will present a “New

Year’s Day Restorative Yoga” class. 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. $15; reservations required. Circle Yoga, 3838 Northamp-ton St. NW. 202-686-1104.

■ Led by Amy Dara, “New Year Detox and Rejuvenation Workshop” will offer a chance to reset for 2016 with an invigo-rating flow of asanas and pranayama to detoxify body, mind and soul. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. $30 per person or $50 per pair. lil omm yoga, 4708 Wisconsin Ave. NW. lilomm.com.

■ Circle Yoga will present a “Mindful-ness Meditation” class. Noon to 1 p.m. Free; donation requested. Circle Yoga,

3838 Northampton St. NW. 202-686-1104.

Concerts■ Balladeer Anthony Compton will

perform jazz and blues. 8 to 11 p.m. No cover; two item per person minimum. Mr. Henry’s Restaurant, 601 Pennsylva-nia Ave. SE. 202-546-8412.

■ Kelly Shepherd and NoMad Stories will perform jazz. 9 and 11 p.m. $15. Twins Jazz, 1344 U St. NW. twinsjazz.com. The performance will repeat Satur-day at 9 and 11 p.m.

Performances■ The Culkin School of Irish Dance

will celebrate Irish culture with a perfor-mance of Irish music and dance. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.

■ Beny Blaq will host “Live! From Busboys” open mic and talent show-case. 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. $5. Langston Room, Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW. 202-387-7638.

Sporting event■ The Washington Wizards will play

the Orlando Magic. 7 p.m. $19 to $899. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. 800-745-3000.

Saturday, Jan. 2

Children’s programs■ A park ranger will lead a planetari-

um program about the season’s bright-est stars, planets and constellations (for ages 5 and older). 1 to 1:45 p.m. Free. Rock Creek Nature Center, 5200 Glover Road NW. 202-895-6070. The program will repeat Sunday at 1 p.m.

■ Children will hear a story about artist Jackson Pollock and then create a

special piece of art inspired by his life and accomplishments. 1 to 4 p.m. Free. National Portrait Gallery, 8th and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. The pro-gram will repeat Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m.

■ A park ranger will lead a planetari-um program about distant galaxies, neb-ulas and other deep space objects (for ages 7 and older). 4 to 4:45 p.m. Free. Rock Creek Nature Center, 5200 Glover Road NW. 202-895-6070.

Class■ “New Year Resolutions With Joy of

Motion,” a series of participatory dance

Events&Entertainment The CurrenT Wednesday, deCember 30, 2015 13

See Events/Page 14

“District,” exploring D.C. during the 1960s and ’70s through the lens of photographer Chris Earnshaw, will open Jan. 6 with a reception from 6

to 9 p.m. at the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., and continue through Feb. 26. The photos — originally captured as Polaroid prints and nearly lost to time and neglect — reflect the demoli-tion, desperation, beau-ty and energy of daily life in the nation’s capi-tal. A talk with the pho-tographer will take place Jan. 30 from noon to 2 p.m. RSVP for the reception and talk at dchistory.org. Located at the Carn-egie Library at 801 K St. NW, the historical society’s gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 202-841-4117.■ “At Large,” highlight-ing large works by mem-bers of the Foundry Gallery, will open Jan. 6 and continue through Jan. 31. Presented in the collective’s new industrial gallery, the show fea-

tures paintings that range from the eerie fecundity of Ju Yun’s “Birth of Nature” to the wild exuberance of Patrick Murphy and Craig Moran. An opening reception will take place Jan. 9 from 5 to 8 p.m. Located at 2118 8th St. NW, the gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday from 1 to 7 p.m. 202-232-0203.■ Touchstone Gallery will open two shows Jan. 8 with a reception from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and continue them through Jan. 31. The works can be

previewed Jan. 6 and 7 during regular hours.

Gallery members will present a group show of their works in galleries A and B.

“Before They Are Gone,” in Gallery C, is a mixed-media installa-tion by Leslie Johnston that features more than 2,500 ceramic pieces depicting the average number of African ele-phants killed per month in recent years.

Located at 901 New York Ave. NW, the gal-

lery is open Wednesday through Fri-day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Satur-day and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. 202-347-2787.

■ “The Force of Fragility,” featuring paintings, sculpture, jewelry, videos and an installation by Bethesda artist Anamario Hernández, opened recent-ly at the Mexican Cultural Insti-tute. On view through Jan. 30, the show highlights the newest work from the artist’s 40-year career and reveals her sense of intimacy, identity and innovation. Located at 2829 16th St. NW, the institute is open Monday through Fri-day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Satur-day from noon to 4 p.m. 202-728-1628.

Exhibit shows D.C. of the ’60s, ’70s

On ExHIbIT

© Chris Earnshaw“Loew’s Palace in Her Prime, 1965” is part of an exhibit of photos by Chris Earnshaw on exhibit at the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

Thursday DECEMbEr 31

Wednesday DECEMbEr 30

Friday january 1

Saturday january 2

“a Symphony of Thousands” by Craig Moran is part of a Foundry Gallery exhibit.

Advanced Development

Baseball Camps o�ered on

Sunday mornings from

January 11 - February 15, 2015

for players ages 7-18January 10 -February 7, 2016

Page 14: Gt 12 30 15

classes, will feature a session on Afro-beat dance led by instructor Sylvana Christopher. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.

Concerts■ Pianist

Brian Ganz (shown) and soprano Iwona Sobotka will present a New Year’s Chopin Concert. 2 to 3 p.m. Free. The Kosciusz-ko Foundation, 2025 O St. NW. 202-785-2320.

■ “Ladies of Jazz” will feature Tacha Coleman Parr. 8 to 11 p.m. No cover; two item per person minimum. Mr. Hen-ry’s Restaurant, 601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-546-8412.

■ Elikeh, Spiritual Rez and Skribe will perform. 8:30 p.m. $14. Gypsy Sal-ly’s, 3401 K St. NW. gypsysallys.com.

Films■ National Geographic Museum will

present “Jerusalem 3D,” featuring large format aerial footage of the Old City. Noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m. $7. Grosvenor Auditorium, National Geographic Muse-um, 1600 M St. NW. 202-857-7700. The film will also be shown Sunday at the same times, with weekend screen-ings set to continue through March 31.

■ “Reseeing Iran: Twentieth Annual Iranian Film Festival” will feature Rakh-shan Bani-E’temad’s 2014 feature film “Tales,” at 2 p.m.; and Kamran Shirdel’s 1967 satirical documentary “The Night It Rained, or the Epic of the Gorgan Vil-lage Boy,” at 4 p.m. Free. East Building Auditorium, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.

■ “Opera Unmasked” will feature an introductory lecture by the Maryland Opera Studio and a screening of a famous opera. 2 p.m. Free. Room 207, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321.

Special events■ The Washington Harbour ice skat-

ing rink will hold a weekly “Cartoon Skate” event, from 10 a.m. to noon; and a weekly “Rock n Skate” event, from 8 to 10 p.m. $9 to $10. Washington Har-bour, 3000 K St. NW. 202-706-7666.

■ “Say Goodbye to the Freer!” will feature special events prior to the Freer Gallery of Art’s closure for renovation. 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Free. Meyer Audito-

rium, Freer Gallery of Art, 12th Street and Jefferson Drive SW. 202-633-1000. The event will continue Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

■ Minyan Oneg Shabbat will host “Mindfulness Practice: Sanctuary for the Soul,” led by Rabbi Mark Novak and mindfulness games leader Klia Bassing. 10:15 a.m. to noon. Free. Geneva Room, Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, 1 Chevy Chase Circle NW. MinyanOnegShabbat.org.

■ Chef Vickie Reh will host a four-course New Year Dinner matched with wines from Montefalco. 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. $75. Via Umbria, 1525 Wisconsin Ave. NW. viaumbria.com/events.

Sunday, Jan. 3

Classes and workshops■ The Vajrayogini Buddhist Center

will host a class on “Advice for Life.” 10 and 11:30 a.m. $5 to $12 donation sug-gested. Vajrayogini Buddhist Center, 1787 Columbia Road NW. 202-986-2257.

■ Circle Yoga will present a yoga class for female cancer survivors. Noon to 1 p.m. Free; donation requested. Cir-cle Yoga, 3838 Northampton St. NW. 202-686-1104.

■ “From Chaos to Harmony: Max Strom’s New Year Renewal Workshop” will focus on reigniting the inner fire and transforming stress into inspiration. 1 to 3 p.m. $50 to $60; reservations required. lil omm yoga, 4708 Wisconsin Ave. NW. lilomm.com.

■ A teacher from Yoga Activist will present a “Soothing Sunday Yoga” class for adults. 1:30 p.m. Free. Watha T. Dan-iel/Shaw Library, 1630 7th St. NW. 202-727-1288.

■ “New Year Resolutions With Joy of Motion” will feature a low-impact work-out class inspired by traditional and con-temporary African and Caribbean move-ment, led by instructor Akosua Akoto. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.

Concert■ The New York Opera Society will

present a Viennese New Year Concert. 3:30 p.m. Free. West Garden Court, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.

Films■ The Palisades

Library will present the 1942 classic “Casablanca,” star-ring Humphrey Bog-art, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains. 2 p.m. Free. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW. 202-282-3139.

■ The National Gallery of Art will fea-ture selections from Serbia’s annual fes-tival Alternative Film/Video Belgrade, with introductory remarks by festival pro-grammer Greg de Cuir. 2 p.m. Free. East Building Auditorium, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.

■ “Reseeing Iran: Twentieth Annual Iranian Film Festival” will feature Behtash Sanaeeha’s 2015 movie “Risk of Acid Rain.” 4 p.m. Free. East Building Auditorium, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215.

Performances■ Regie Cabico and Danielle Even-

nou will host “Sparkle,” an open mic event for LGBT-dedicated poets. 8 to 10 p.m. $5. Langston Room, Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW. 202-387-7638.

■ Chris Brandt will host a comedy showcase. 8 to 11 p.m. Free. Reading Room, Petworth Citizen, 829 Upshur St. NW. petworthcitizen.com.

Special events■ GALA Theatre’s “Three Kings Day

Celebration/Fiesta de los Reyes Magos” will feature singing, dancing and story-telling, as well as the tradi-tional Nativity and the giving of gifts by the Magi. 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Free; tickets and a small gift for a child are suggested. GALA Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. 202-234-7174. A procession with the Three Kings and live animals will begin at 1 p.m. at the cor-ner of 14th Street and Park Road NW.

■ The National Museum of Women in the Arts will hold its monthly Commu-nity Day, which will include a chance to visit the museum’s pop-up makerspace. Noon to 5 p.m. Free. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. 202-783-7370.

Sporting event■ The Washington Wizards will play

the Miami Heat. 6 p.m. $24 to $899. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. 800-745-3000.

Tour■ “Close-up Tour: Jewels of Light”

will explore the Washington National Cathedral’s stained-glass windows (for ages 10 and older). 1:30 p.m. $16 to $20; reservations suggested. Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin avenues NW. nationalcathedral.org. The tour will repeat Thursday at 3 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 4

Children’s program■ Busboys and Poets will host “Rise

+ Rhyme,” a storytelling and perfor-mance series for ages 5 and younger. 9:30 to 11 a.m. $5 per child. Busboys and Poets Takoma, 235 Carroll St. NW. 202-726-0856.

Classes and workshops■ “New Year Resolutions With Joy of

Motion” will feature a social dance sam-pler class about the basics of Latin and ballroom dance styles, led by instructor Kat Kinnunen. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.

■ The Science of Spirituality Medita-tion Center will begin a four-week class on Jyoti meditation, a discipline focusing on the experience of inner light. 7 to 8:30 p.m. Free; reservations required. Science of Spirituality Meditation Center, 2950 Arizona Ave. NW. [email protected].

■ Poets on the Fringe will host a weekly poetry workshop, with attendees asked to bring one of their own poems with sufficient copies to share with the group for positive critique. 7 to 9 p.m. Free. Stoddert Recreation Center, 4001 Calvert St. NW. [email protected].

Discussion■ David Gregory, former NBC News

reporter and “Meet the Press” modera-

tor, will discuss his book “How’s Your Faith?: An Unlikely Spiritual Journey.” 7 p.m. Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Con-necticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.

Special event■ Graffiato will host an “Industry

Takeover Night” will feature late-night snacks devised by recent “Top Chef” winner Mei Lin, current contestant Mar-jorie Meek-Bradley and various Mike Isa-bella Concepts chefs. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Martha’s Table. 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. $10. Graffiato, 707 6th St. NW. 202-289-3600.

Tuesday, Jan. 5

Classes and workshops■ A certified yoga instructor will lead

a class targeted to ages 55 and older. 10 a.m. Free; reservations required. Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. [email protected].

■ The Georgetown Library will pres-ent a yoga class practicing introductory viniyasa techniques. 11:30 a.m. Free; reservations required. Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. [email protected].

■ As part of the “NSO in Your Neigh-borhood” project, National Symphony Orchestra musician Jane Bowyer Stewart will present a master class for the Hor-man Violin Studio. 5 to 6 p.m. Free. First Congregational United Church of Christ, 945 G St. NW. tinyurl.com/nso-2016.

■ “New Year Resolutions With Joy of Motion” will feature a beginner belly dancing class, led by Adriane Whalen. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.

■ ArtJamz will present a “Landscape Lovers” painting class. 7 to 9 p.m. $35 to $38. ArtJamz Dupont Studio, 1728 Connecticut Ave. NW. artjamzdc.com.

Concerts■ As part of the “NSO in Your Neigh-

borhood” project, National Symphony Orchestra musicians David Murray, Craig Mulcahy, Matthew Guildford and Ste-phen Dumaine will perform. 11 a.m. to noon. Central Union Mission, 65 Massa-chusetts Ave. NW. tinyurl.com/nso-2016. The series will continue through Jan. 11 with events at various venues.

■ As part of the Tuesday Concert

Series, musicians Tyler St. Clare, Janna Critz, Joshua Barnett and Michael Jan-carek will bring to life the revelry of Christmas as it might have been cele-brated in the American colonies 300 years ago. 12:10 p.m. Free. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. 202-347-2635.

■ As part of the “NSO in Your Neighborhood” project, National Symphony Orchestra musicians Glenn Donnellan, Teri Lee, Jan Chong, Jim Lee, Charles Nilles and Joe Connell will perform at a kickoff of this year’s event in the downtown and Penn Quarter neighborhoods. 7 to 8 p.m. Free; reservations required. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. thehamiltondc.com.

■ Gypsy Sally’s Vinyl Lounge will host its weekly open mic show. 8 p.m. Free. Gypsy Sally’s Vinyl Lounge, 3401 K St. NW. gypsysallys.com.

Discussions and lectures■ The Osher Lifelong Learning Insti-

tute at American University will present a talk by C&O Canal Trust board chair Michael Mitchell on “The C&O Canal National Historical Park: A Gem of Histo-ry and Nature in Our Own Backyard.” 10 to 11:30 a.m. Free. Temple Baptist Church, 3850 Nebraska Ave. NW. 202-895-4860.

■ The Moveable Feast Classics Book Club will discuss “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin. 1 p.m. Free. Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW. 202-727-0232.

■ National Gallery of Art lecturer David Gariff will discuss “American Art and Literature: Winslow Homer and Her-man Melville.” 1 p.m. Free. Meet in the West Building Rotunda, National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Ave-nue NW. 202-737-4215. The talk will repeat Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 1 p.m.

■ As part of the “NSO in Your Neigh-borhood” series, a panel discussion will discuss “Promoting the Orchestra in the 21st Century.” Panelists will include Jen-nifer Mondie, National Symphony Orchestra violist and committee chair; Gregory Hughes, social media manager at the Kennedy Center; Victoria Gau, conductor and artistic director of the Capital City Symphony; Michael Bracy, co-founder of the Future of Music Coali-tion; and Shay Stevens, Mars Urban Arts curator for Washington Performing Arts. 6:30 p.m. Free. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-0321.

■ Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire will discuss their book “Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind.” 7 p.m. Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.

■ As part of the “NSO in Your Neigh-borhood” project, National Symphony Orchestra cellist David Teie will host a discussion about the creation of sound and music, including patterns in music, pulse, melody, rhythm and how humans and animals communicate emotion through sound. 7 to 8 p.m. Free. First Congregational United Church of Christ, 945 G St. NW. tinyurl.com/nso-2016.

Film■ The Washington DC Jewish

Community Center will present Joseph Dorman and Oren Rudavsky’s 2014 film “Colliding Dreams,” about the birth of Zionism. 7:30 p.m. $13. Goldman Theater, Washington DC Jewish

Events&Entertainment14 Wednesday, deCember 30, 2015 The CurrenT

Continued From Page 13

Tuesday, january 5■ Discussion: Greg Marzullo will discuss his book “Bad Yogi: A Guidebook for the Rest of Us.” 7 p.m. Free. Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St. NW. 202-331-7282.

See Events/Page 15

Sunday january 3

Monday january 4

Tuesday january 5

Page 15: Gt 12 30 15

Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. washingtondcjcc.org.

Performances and readings■ The Washington Improv Theater’s

“Harold Night” will feature performances by the ensembles Thank You for Sharing and Blot, at 8 p.m.; and by the Female Accent and Richie, at 9 p.m. By dona-tion. Source, 1835 14th St. NW. witdc.org.

■ Busboys and Poets will present an open mic poetry night hosted by Twain Dooley. 9 to 11 p.m. $5. Langston Room, Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW. 202-387-7638.

■ Rebecca Dupas will host an open mic poetry night. 9 to 11 p.m. $5. Bus-boys and Poets Takoma, 235 Carroll St. NW. 202-726-0856.

Special event■ A “Top Chef” dinner will feature a

six-course feast creat-ed by Season 12 win-ner Mei Lin, Season 12 contestant George Pagonis and Season 13 contestant Marjo-rie Meek-Bradley (shown). 7 p.m. $195. G by Mike Isabella, 2201 14th St. NW. gbymikeisabella.com.

Tour■ A U.S. Botanic Garden volunteer

will lead an afternoon tour. 2 to 3 p.m. Free. Meet in the Conservatory Garden Court, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Mary-land Ave. SW. 202-225-8333.

Wednesday, Jan. 6

Classes and workshops■ St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rock

Creek, will host a weekly tai chi class. 2 p.m. Free. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rock Creek, 201 Allison St. NW. 202-726-2080.

■ Yoga Alliance will present a class on the benefits of yoga for overall physi-cal and emotional well-being. 6 p.m. Free. West End Library, 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-724-8707.

■ “New Year Resolutions With Joy of Motion” will feature a Latin dance-fit-ness workout class led by instructor Tayna Nuchols. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.

■ The Vajrayogini Buddhist Center will host a weekly class on meditation. 7 to 8:30 p.m. $6 to $12. Vajrayogini Bud-dhist Center, 1787 Columbia Road NW. 202-986-2257.

Concerts■ As part of the “NSO in Your

Neighborhood” project, National Symphony Orchestra trumpeter Steven Hendrickson will perform a chamber concert with trumpeter Phil Snedecor and organist Russell Weismann. Noon to 1 p.m. Free. First Congregational United Church of Christ, 945 G St. NW. tinyurl.com/nso-2016.

■ As part of the “NSO in Your Neighborhood” project, National Symphony Orchestra violinist Carol Tafoya Evans, violist Eric daWaardt and cellist Mark Evans will perform classical works. 7 to 8 p.m. Free. First Congregational United Church of Christ, 945 G St. NW. tinyurl.com/nso-2016.

■ Gypsy Sally’s Vinyl Lounge will host “Grateful Jam.” 8 p.m. Free. Gypsy

Sally’s Vinyl Lounge, 3401 K St. NW. gypsysallys.com.

■ Threesound and the Wharf Rats will perform. 8 p.m. $8. Gypsy Sally’s, 3401 K St. NW. gypsysallys.com.

■ Herb Scott will host a weekly Capi-tol Hill Jazz Jam. 8 to 11 p.m. No cover; two item per person minimum. Mr. Hen-ry’s Restaurant, 601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-546-8412.

Discussions and lectures■ The Osher Lifelong Learning Insti-

tute at American University will present a talk by National War College professor Theresa Sabonis-Helf on “Global Climate Change: Considering the Way Forward.” 10 to 11:30 a.m. Free. Temple Baptist Church, 3850 Nebraska Ave. NW. 202-895-4860.

■ Bruce Riedel, a CIA and National Security Council veteran and director of the Intelligence Project at the Brookings Institution, will discuss “JFK’s Forgotten Crisis: Tibet, the CIA, and the Sino-Indian War.” Noon. Free. International Spy Museum, 800 F St. NW. 202-393-7798.

■ Heather Slania, director of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, will discuss selec-tions from the special exhibition “Wom-animal: Zine Art by Caroline Paquita.” Noon to 12:30 p.m. Free. National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. 202-783-7370.

■ Colleen J. Shogan, deputy director of the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress, will discuss her newly published murder mystery, “Stabbing in the Senate.” Noon. Free. Mumford Room, Madison Building, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. SE. 202-707-5221.

■ Historian Rick Shenkman will dis-cuss his book “Political Animals in the Voting Booth: The Science Behind Illogi-cal Choices.” 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. $20 to $30. S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jef-ferson Drive SW. 202-633-3030.

■ Colin Beavan, a New York-based blogger on environ-mental issues, will discuss his book “How to Be Alive: A Guide to the Kind of Happiness That Helps the World.” 7 p.m. Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.

Performance■ As part of the “Voices From a

Changing Middle East Festival: The War Comes Home,” Mosaic Theater Compa-ny of DC will present a preview perfor-mance of Aaron Davidman’s one-man show “Wrestling Jerusalem.” 8 p.m. $20 to $40; pay-what-you-can tickets avail-able at the box office or on the phone. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. 202-399-7993. The performance will continue Jan. 8 through 24.

Sporting event■ The Washington Wizards will play

the Cleveland Cavaliers. 7 p.m. $45 to $899. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. 800-745-3000.

Thursday, Jan. 7

antiques show■ The Washington Winter Show —

featuring antiques and fine arts, with the theme “Through the Eyes of a Child”

— will open with a Champagne reception for sponsors, benefactors and designers, from 6 to 6:30 p.m.; and for gala patrons and young collectors, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. $175 to $500. Katzen Arts Center, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. washingtonwintershow.com.

Children’s programs■ A U.S. Botanic Garden docent will

host a “January Snugglers” tour for par-ents and care providers with a tiny one in a snuggly (no strollers or older sib-lings due to narrow paths and the nature of the program). 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Free; reservations required. Con-servatory Garden Court, U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333.

■ Friends of the Cleveland Park Library will present weekly chess instruc-tion for kids of all ages. 5 p.m. Free. Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecti-cut Ave. NW. 202-282-3080.

Classes■ “New Year Resolutions With Joy of

Motion” will feature a beginner Afro-jazz dance class with instructor Tyrone Mur-ray. 6 p.m. Free. Millennium Stage, Ken-nedy Center. 202-467-4600.

■ The Northwest One Library will host a weekly yoga class for adults and teens. 7 p.m. Free. Northwest One Library, 155 L St. NW. 202-939-5946.

Concerts■ The Brown Bag Concert series will

feature chamber music. Noon. Free. Room A-5, Martin Luther King Jr. Memo-rial Library, 901 G St. NW. 202-727-1291.

■ As part of the “NSO in Your Neighborhood” project, National Symphony Orchestra oboist Jamie Roberts, clarinetist Paul Cigan, violinist Alexandra Osborne, violist Abigail Evans Kreuzer and bassist Alexander Jacobsen will perform. 4 to 5 p.m. Central Union Mission, 65 Massachusetts Ave. NW. tinyurl.com/nso-2016.

■ As part of the “NSO in Your Neigh-borhood” project, National Symphony Orchestra horn player James Nickel will join flutist Julianna Nickel and pianist Sophia Kim Cook to perform a casual chamber concert during happy hour. 6

to 7 p.m. Free. Renaissance Washing-ton, DC Downtown Hotel, 999 9th St. NW. tinyurl.com/nso-2016.

■ As part of the “NSO in Your Neigh-borhood” project, National Symphony Orchestra violinists Alexandra Osborne and Joel Fuller, violist Mahoko Eguchi and cellist Rachel Young — known as the Last Stand Quartet — will perform in col-laboration with the Drawbridge Collec-tive, a group comprised of spoken word artists representing diverse cultures from around the world. 7 to 9 p.m. Free. Busboys and Poets, 1025 5th St. NW. tinyurl.com/nso-2016.

■ As part of the “NSO in Your Neigh-borhood” project, National Symphony Orchestra violinists Wanzhen Li and Jae-Yeon Kim violist Daniel Foster and cellist Steven Honigberg will perform classical works. 7 to 8 p.m. Free; reservations required. National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW. tinyurl.com/nso-2016.

■ The Kensingtones will perform tra-ditional and contemporary American music as well as original songs. 7:30 p.m. Free. Gypsy Sally’s Vinyl Lounge, 3401 K St. NW. gypsysallys.com.

■ As part of the “NSO in Your Neigh-borhood” project, National Symphony Orchestra violinists Holly Hamilton and Claudia Chudacoff will perform classical works with pianist Kathryn Brake. 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free. First Congregational United Church of Christ, 945 G St. NW. tinyurl.com/nso-2016.

■ Gypsy Sally’s will host “Satisfac-tion: The International Rolling Stones Show.” 8 p.m. $13. Gypsy Sally’s, 3401 K St. NW. gypsysallys.com.

■ A bluegrass concert will feature the Truck Farmers, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.; and the Rogue Farmers, from 8 to 11 p.m. No cover; two item per person mini-mum. Mr. Henry’s Restaurant, 601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-546-8412.

Discussions and lectures■ The Osher Lifelong Learning Insti-

tute at American University will present a talk by author and journalist Thomas W. Lippman on “The Middle East: How We Got to Where We Are.” 10 to 11:30 a.m. Free. Temple Baptist Church, 3850 Nebraska Ave. NW. 202-895-4860.

■ Eric Weiner will discuss his book “The Geography of Genius: A Search for the World’s Most Creative Places From Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley.” 7 p.m. Free. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecti-cut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.

■ The Tenleytown Memoir & Essay Writing Club will meet, led by facilitator Maura Policelli. 7 p.m. Free. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave.

NW. 202-727-1488.■ The Cleveland Park Mystery Book

Club will discuss “One Kick” by Chelsea Cain. 6:30 p.m. Free. Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-282-3072.

■ Bill Mesler and H. James Cleaves II, authors of “A Brief History of Cre-ation,” will discuss “Science and the Search for the Origin of Life.” 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. $25 to $35. S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW. 202-633-3030.

Performances■ Story District’s “Southside Story

Sessions” will present “Turning Over a New Leaf: True stories about first times and fresh starts.” 7 p.m. Free with reser-vations; $5 at the door. Uniontown Bar & Grill, 2200 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE. storydistrict.org.

■ The DC Improv Comedy Club will present “The Last Laugh: A Murder Mys-tery Comedy Show,” an interactive show featuring Justin Schlegel, Rob Maher, Joe Robinson, Sean Gabbert and Tommy Sinbazo. 7:30 p.m. $17. DC Improv Com-edy Club, 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-296-7008.

Special events■ The Library of Congress will host a

public ceremony to inaugurate the fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. 11 a.m. Free. Room 119, Jef-ferson Building, Library of Congress, 10 1st St. SE. 202-707-5221.

■ Widowed Persons Outreach will host its monthly “Laugh Café at Sibley,” a participatory event featuring jokes and humorous stories. Noon to 1 p.m. Free; reservations required. Private Dining Room 3, Sibley Memorial Hospital, 5215 Loughboro Road NW. 202-364-7602.

■ This month’s “Phillips After 5” installment — “It’s About Time” — will feature a resolution station, selections from time-hopping television shows, quick tempos in the Music Room and thyme-infused cocktails. 5 to 8:30 p.m. $10 to $12; reservations suggested. Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. phillipscollection.org/events.

■ As part of a yearlong celebration of the 225th birthday of the nation’s capital, HumanitiesDC will sponsor a “Humanitini” happy hour focusing on “DC’s Tapestry of Regional Cultures,” about the waves of new residents from around the country that have shaped the District over its history. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free; reservations required. National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW. humanitiesdc.eventbrite.com.

Events&Entertainment The CurrenT Wednesday, deCember 30, 2015 15

Continued From Page 14

Wednesday, january 6■ Concert: The First Wednesday Concert series will feature organist Janet Yieh, first-place winner of the 2015 Franciscan Monastery and D.C. American Guild of Organists Young Organists Competition. 12:10 p.m. Free. St. John’s Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, 16th and H streets NW. 202-347-8766.

Wednesday january 6

Thursday january 7

REDUCE painRESTORE mobility

REBUILD strength and balance

SwedishDeep TissueAcupressure

Cranial Sacral TherapyMyofascial Release

Trigger Point ReleaseNeuromuscular Therapy

Muscle Energy TechniqueStrain/Counter- ‐StrainVisceral ManipulationLymphatic Drainage

202- 966- 20334000 Albemarle St. NW

Suite 501Tenleytown-AU Metro

Insurance/Medicare/Medicaid

www.physicalmassage.com15% off first service

Page 16: Gt 12 30 15

THE CURRENT Service Directory % 202/244-7223 (FAX) 202/363-9850

THE CURRENT NEWSPAPERSService Directory Department

5185 MacArthur Blvd. N.W., Suite 102, Washington, D.C. 20016

Categories listed in this issue

The Current Service Directory is a unique way for local businessesto reach Northwest Washington customers effectively. No matterhow small or large your business, if you are in business to provideservice, The Current Service Directory will work for you.

AD ACCEPTANCE POLICYThe Current Newspapers reserves the right to reject any advertising or advertising copy at any time for any reason.

In any event, the advertiser assumes liability for the content of all advertising copy printed and agrees to hold theCurrent Newspapers harmless from all claims arising from printed material made against any Current Newspaper.

The Current Newspapers shall not be liable for any damages or loss that might occur from errors or omissions inany advertisement in excess of the amount charged for the advertisement. In the event of non-publication of any ador copy, no liability shall exist on the part of the Current Newspaper except that no charge shall be made for the a

For information about the licensing of any particular business in Washington, D.C., please call the DistrictDepartment of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs at (202) 442-4311. The department's website iswww.dcra.dc.gov.

Home ServicesIron WorkKitchens & BathsLandscaping

Masonry

Painting

Plumbing

Roofing

Tree Services

Windows

Windows & Doors

Cabinet WorkCleaning ServicesDoors & WindowsElectrical ServicesFloor ServicesHandymanHaulingHome Improvement

Electrical Services

It’s “AlwaysSomething”

X Carpentry X Drywall RepairsX Caulking X Light Electrical & Plumbing

X Deck Repairs X StormDoorsX Ceiling Fans X General Repairs

X SomeAssembly Required

703-217 6697 / 703 217 9116Licensed Chris Stancil Insured

Always Something Inc.

Handyman Services

X No Job Too SmallX Very ReliableTo Do List

It’s “AlwaysSomething”

LLLLiiiigggghhhhtttt HHHHaaaauuuulllliiiinnnngggg •••• JJJJuuuunnnnkkkk RRRReeeemmmmoooovvvvaaaallll

Home Improvement

ANGELHAULING

TRASH • BASEMENTS & GARAGES • DEMOYARD CLEANING • CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS

WOOD & METALSRESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL

H: 703-582-3709 • Cell: 703-863-1086www.angeljunkremoval.com

CABINET WORK

CLEANING

FLOORING SERVICES

Handyman Services

Joel Truitt Builders, Inc.734 7th St., SE

202-547-2707Quality since 1972

Our craftsmen, who for 30 years have done quality work,would work on your project. Our shop can build or

duplicate almost anything. We are a design & build firm. Weare kitchen and bath designers. We cam bid on your plans.

• Carpentry – • Repair or New Work

• Repairing & Replacing Storm Windows, Doors & Cabinets, etc.• Plaster & Drywall Repair

• Painting & Finishing• Stripping Doors & Trim

• Building Shelves, Storage & Laundry Facilities

• Countertops• And Much More!

Mike's Hauling Service and Junk Removal

Commercial and Residential Serving NW DC since 1987

Fast, friendly service. Insured & Bonded

We recycle and donate.

240-876-8763www.mikeshaulingservice.com

Trash & Junk Removal

HANDYMAN Chevy Chase Floor Waxing Service

POLISHING, BUFFING, WAXING, CLEANING,ALL TYPES OF FLOORS, PASTE WAX SERVICE

FOR WOOD FLOORS. WORKING OWNERS

ASSURES QUALITY. OVER 30 YEARS OF CAREFUL,KNOWLEDGEABLE WORKMANSHIP IN THE AREA.

HISTORICAL RESIDENTIAL SPECIALISTS

301--656-9274, Chevy Chase, MD

Lic., Bonded, Insured

Hightower Floor Service, Inc.T he Wood Floor Experts • Serving the DMV area since 1948

Sand – Stain – Finish – Repair- Install Hardwood Floors

202-726-6795

FREE ESTIMATES

BONDED AND INSURED

Door DetailOld Door Hardware Specialist

DOORS & WINDOWS

HaulingW

D Women owned and operated for over 20 yearsSpecializing in custom cabinet work, moulding installations & kitchen refacing

References available. Contact Terry and Diane at:301-461-9150 • [email protected]

www.dcwoodwork.com

esigncraftoodworking

INC.

Furniture Restoration

ADD VALUE TO YOUR HOME WITH DESIGN, FUNCTION & CRAFTSMANSHIP IN WOOD

Avan t i Wood wor k s.c o m

Avanti Woodworks, LLC John 202-544-3235

Come see my work at

• Built-in wall units • Organization & Storage in • Custom Furniture your office and play areas

Since

2000

Gutter Cleaning

FREE ESTIMATESBonded & Insured • Member, International • Window Cleaning Association

IWCA

RESIDENTIAL SPECIALISTS

Window Washers, etc.202-337-0351Serving Upper NW

In the heart of The Palisades Since 1993

CELEBRATING 15 YEARS!Fully Insured • Interior/Exterior • Storms/Screens

Power Washing

Gutter Cleaning

THE CURRENT

16 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2015 THE CURRENT WWW.CURRENTNEWSPAPERS.COM

Page 17: Gt 12 30 15

Call 301-947-6811 or 301-908-1807 For FREE Estimate30 years Experience — Licensed & Insured — MD Tree Expert #385

APPALOOSA CONTRACTORSDrainage Problems • Timber • Walls • Flagstone • Walkways • • Patios • Fencing

Landscape Design & Installation • Tree Service

— With The Boss Always On The Job —

e-mail: [email protected]

Scrubnik Lawn& Landscape, Inc.

ALWAYS RELIABLE & COURTEOUS SERVICE• Cleanups/Mulching • Seeding/Sodding • Landscape Maintenance• Mowing • Installation of Trees, Flowers and, Shrubs

Many References / Fully Insured

CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE 301-864-6020

FREE ESTIMATES

Outrageous Offers!!! • Yard Clean Up & Mulching $299*

• Lawn Mowing Service $29*• We also deliver bulk mulch, top soil, and straw!

*annual contract required & 5000 square foot lot or less

Call 202.362.3383 for a FREE estimatewww.tenleyscapes.com

Landscape Design & Year-round Maintenance Mulching Stone & Brickwork Patios

Walls New Plants & Trees Outdoor Lighting

ALFREDO’S CONSTRUCTION CO., INC.WWee SSppeecciiaalliizzee iinn

CCoonnccrreettee DDrriivveewwaayyss •• PPaattiiooss •• PPooooll DDeecckkssBBaasseemmeenntt WWaatteerr PPrrooooffiinngg •• WWaallllssBBrriicckk,, SSttoonnee,, FFllaaggssttoonnee && PPaavveerrss

RReeffeerreenncceess AAvvaaiillaabbllee UUppoonn RReeqquueesstt

(301) 316-1603

C U S T O MC U S T O M M A S O N R Ys i n c e 1 9 8 5

L i c . • B o n d e d • I n s u r e d703-827-5000

FLAGSTONE/BRICK/CONCRETE/PATIOS/RETAINING WALLSSIDEWALKS/DRIVEWAYS/ WATERPROOFING

Stone and Brick, New and Repair, Walks, Walls, Patios, Fireplaces, housefronts, hauling and bobcat work. Historic Restoration SpecialistRJ, Cooley 301-540-3127Licensed & Insured Free Estimates

# MHIC 127301

THE CURRENT Service Directory % 202/244-7223 (FAX) 202/363-9850

Home Improvement

Masonry

Painting

BKB ree Landscaping Handyman Service

Quality Work,Very Cheap Prices

Safe removal of LARGE DANGEROUS TREES

Landscaping, Mulching, Seeding/ Sodding,Power Washing, Light/Heavy Hauling,

Demolition for Residential and Commercial

Gutter Cleaning

Excellent References

202-497-5938202-621-9526

Fall Cleanup Discount25% off

INTERIOR • EXTERIOR FREE ESTIMATES

DC LIC. # 2811• MD LIC. # 86954 LICENSED • BONDED • INSURED

301-933-1247

Landscaping

Say You Saw it in

THE CURRENT

Landscaping

Iron Work

Landscaping

BETTER USINESS UREAUM ETROPOLIT WASHINGT DC

Metropolitan Paint & Home Improvement, Inc.Custom DesignDecoration & Paint

MORE SERVICES ON THE NEXT PAGE

Marathon General Contractors• Kitchen & Bath Remodeling• Additions, Decks, Patios• Painting and Wall Covering• Finished Basements• Carpentry & Tiles

Lic/Bonded/Ins301-814-8855 / 301-260-7549

SCORPION GROUPCONTRACTORS

WE ARE SPECIALIST ON

We bring the show roomto your door step!

240 793 6534www.worldgreenremodling.comDCHIC #68006231 MDHIC #127045

WWWWWW..CCUURRRREENNTTNNEEWWSSPPAAPPEERRSS..CCOOMM THE CURRENT WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2015 17

Page 18: Gt 12 30 15

Family ROOFING

Over 50 years Experience • Featured on HGTV

202-276-5004www.FamilyRoofingLLC.com • Serving DC & Surrounding Areas • Member NRCA

4 FreeEstimates4 Emergency Service4 Competitive Low Costs

Experts in:4 Slate and Flat Roofs4 Gutters 4 Roof Coatings4 Shingles and Copper4 Member BBB4 Lic. Bonded Insured

We Take Pride in Our Quality Work!

Family

WINDOW WASHERS, ETC...Celebrating 15 years

RESIDENTIAL SPECIALISTSSERVING UPPER N.W. 202-337-0351

Residential Specialists Windows • Gutters • Power Washing

DC • MD • VA

IWCAFREE ESTIMATES Fully Bonded & Insured

Member, International Window Cleaning Association • In the heart of the Palisades since 1993

In the heart of the Palisades since 1993

Roofing

Windows

Service Directory

Tree Services

Branches Tree

ExpertsCertifi ed Arborist

• Full Service• Diagnostic Tree Care

• Pruning• Insect & Disease Control

• Fertilization

301-589-6181Licensed Insured

10% off

July and

August

Ace Window Cleaning

• We also offer glass, screen, and sash cord repair service.

• Ask about our gentle, thorough no damage, low pressure,

power washing.

301-656-9274 Chevy Chase, MDLicensed • Bonded • Insured

Family owned and operated Over 30 years. Careful,

knowledgeable workmanship.Historical Residential Specialists

For information about the licensing of any particular

business in Washington, D.C., please call the District

Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs at

(202) 442-4311. Their website is www.dcra.dc.gov.

Call to place your ad in

THE CURRENT202-244-7223

THE CURRENT Classified Ads18 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2015 THE CURRENT WWW.CURRENTNEWSPAPERS.COM

Petsitting Services, Inc.JULE’S

[202] 277-2566PO Box 25058Washington, DC 20027 [email protected]

Setting the Standard for Excellence in Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Since 1991

• Mid Day Dog Walks • Kitty Visits • In-Home Overnight Pet Sitting and other Pet Care Services • Insured and Bonded

Pets

More Classifieds

on the next

page

THE CURRENT

AnnouncementsPLEASE CONSIDER contributing real Estate or currency to the; Forest Habi-tat Conservation Association [FHCA]PO Box 39268, W.D.C.20016 (202)280-7407 [email protected] donations are tax deductableWe need a DC home office ASAP.

Antiq. & Collectibles

SeatWeaving – All typesCane * Rush * DanishRepairs * Reglue

Referencesemail: [email protected]

CHAIR CANING

STEVE YOUNG • 202-966-8810

Cleaning ServicesHOUSE CLEANING service, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly. Customer satisfac-tion 100%. ask about organic cleaning. Excel. Ref’s. Solange 240-478-1726.

HOUSECLEANING SERVICE: weekly and bi-weekly, excellent customer sat-isfaction. Good references. Please call (202)345-2267 or 240-464-8348.

MGL CLEANING SERVICE 15 yrs. exper. • Same Team Everytime

Lic. Bonded, Ins.Excellent DC References,

Free Estimates Our customers recommend us25% off your first clean!

202-491-6767-703-798-4143

Computers

Computer problems solved,control pop-ups & spam,upgrades, tune-up, DSL /Cable modem, network,wireless, virus recovery etc.Friendly service, home or business. Best rates.

Call Michael for estimate:202-486-3145

www.computeroo.net

New computer or smartphone?Over 15 years’ experience tutoring adults on all types of technology. I can help you with PCs or Macs as well as iPhones/iPads, Kindles, and all other de-vices. I also provide technical support, help choosing, purchasing, setting up, and troubleshooting devices. Call Brett Geranen at (202) 486-6189 or email [email protected].

COMPUTER PROBLEMS?Professional, Yet Affordable

PC • MAC REPAIR BY EXPERTApple TV • iCloud • Photos Backup Personalized, hands-on trainingSMARTPHONES•Tablets•Printers

$65 No Fix-No Charge!(most repairs)

Microsoft® Certified References IVAN BABINOTO 202-285-0887

[email protected] www.pcsave.us

Handyman

Cunningham 202-374-9559 Handyman• Drywall • Carpentry• Interior/ Exterior Painting • Deck & Fence Repair and more

Ask for Cliff (202)374-9559

Help Wanted

Administrative Asst. (Jan - April)Small tax and estate law firm seeks tech savvy employee with organiza-tional skills, attention to detail, and a pleasant phone manner. $15/hr.

Resume [email protected]

WASHINGTON INTERNATIONALschool is seeking a boys Varsity Tennis Coach for Spring 2016.

Some experience recommended.If interested, pleasee-mail resume to

Tom O’Mara. [email protected].

Housing for Rent (Apts)CUTE, FURN., small bedroom + office for rent in quiet, private Georgetown rowhouse. Includes, util’s, laundry, storage, kitchen and cat. Amazing lo-cation, female grad student pref. $1,000/ mo. Avail Feb/ March, Ref’s req’d. Sarah, 202-337-0398.

Misc. For SaleFOR SALE: Volvo Car-top Carrier, with cross-bars. $200.00 cash. Excel-lent condition, minimal use, ideal for XC 70 or similar. Call Allen 202-641-4715, evenings 7-9 PM.

Misc. For WantedSEEKING FLYER distributors for Washington, Bethesda, Chevy Chase. $9/hour. Also seeking driver to deliver. Please call (301)-237-8932.

Moving/Hauling

CONTINENTAL MOVERSLocal-Long Distance

Great References • Free 10 boxes Deliveries and Hauling available. 301-340-0602 • 202 438-1489

www.continentalmovers.net

GREAT SCOTT MOVING,Inc.

Local & Long Distance, PianosCall us for a great move

at a great price. 301-699-2066Highest rated in Consumer Check

Book, Better Business Bureau, Yelp & Angie’s List.

www.greatscottmoving.com

Personal Services

Get Organized Today!Get "Around Tuit" now and organize your closets,

basement, home o!ce, kids' rooms, kitchens, garages and more!

Call today for a free consultation!Around Tuit, LLC Professional Organizing

[email protected]

Personal Services

Educated, personable, middle-age Man-Friday/Companion in NW, good references, available. for transport, shopping, home & gdn work,swim les-sons, other help. Ross 202/237-0231.

PetsEXPERIENCED PETSITTER/ House-sitter available. Responsible 32/F, seeking long or short-term opportuni-ties. Employed non-smoker with car, can provide multiple references. Call 703-772-8848 or email [email protected] for more details.

PhotographyPHOTOGRAPHY AVAILABLE for family photos, events, pets, seniors and loved ones. Call (301)540-5402.

Senior CareCAREGIVER AVAIL: also companion-ship. Weekdays, and nights and week-ends. 25 years experience. CNA cert., CPR and first Aid. Life-support train-ing, Oxygen trained. Can drive, light hskeeping/ cooking, groceries, er-rands, etc. Please call (240)277-2452.

Page 19: Gt 12 30 15

The CurrenT wednesday, deCember 30, 2015 19

among key D.C. officials, whose input could influence the ruling. Proponents of the merger, as now constituted, include Mayor Muriel Bowser, the Office of the People’s Counsel, D.C. Department of Energy & Environment director Tommy Wells and seven of the 13 D.C. Council members. They argue that the updated merger proposal adequately addresses the issues that made the first one unsustainable, setting D.C up for a healthy future of elec-tricity. In particular, they point to benefits in reliability and costs from uniting Exelon and Pepco’s resources for power generation and distribution.

Mayor Bowser has expressed frustration with hearing the same people who com-plained about Pepco while she was a D.C. Council member now railing against the merger and, at least implicitly, praising the virtues of Pepco. She said at a recent Dupont Circle advisory neighborhood com-mission meeting that she’s satisfied with the negotiations that took place after the first proposal fell through.

“We worked on improving what we had on the table,” Bowser said. “I feel very strongly that [the new settlement agreement] meets the goals we have for the District of reliability, affordability and sustainability.”

Outspoken opponents of the merger include Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh, who launched a vigorous public cam-paign this fall to highlight a variety of con-cerns about the merger. Cheh has attended numerous neighborhood meetings and held

several public forums, urging the commu-nity to fight against a proposal she believes could drastically threaten the District’s environmental and economic fortunes in the long term.

“I find it hard to even decipher the moti-vations of any one particular player, much less of all of them,” Cheh said of the merger supporters in a recent interview with The Current. “It adds up to a bad deal for the people of D.C.”

Fellow council opponents include Ward 6 member Charles Allen and at-large mem-bers Elissa Silverman and David Grosso. Along with Cheh, that group submitted a letter to the Public Service Commission on Dec. 7 arguing that the new deal is better than the old one but still not sufficient.

“Pepco and Exelon have spent many thousands, perhaps millions, of dollars on a public relations campaign to convince the public and the PSC that this settlement deal is good for the District,” the letter reads. “But saying it’s so, and repeating it loudly, doesn’t make it true.” The full letter is avail-able at tinyurl.com/CouncilMergerLetter.

Cheh has focused part of her energy on illuminating inconsistencies in merger sup-porters’ public comments about the deal. She notes that the deal allows the mayor to put money into long-term funds that can later be diverted for purposes other than utilities, and that many of the promises Exelon has made about increasing solar energy and committing to sustainable prac-tices are already in the works under Pepco and through council initiatives.

Pepco president Donna Cooper has

emphasized that the merger includes provi-sions for 100 megawatts of wind power, $10 million dedicated to green buildings, $3.5 million to renewable energy, and $3.5 mil-lion in energy efficiency.

Cheh alleges that the settlement agree-ment doesn’t go far enough on environmen-tal initiatives. Moreover, repeated attempts to rebrand the image of Exelon as an “envi-ronmentally friendly” company after years of low public approval ratings strike Cheh as disingenuous. “It’s enough to make you gag,” she said in the interview.

Exelon representatives have committed in recent months to presenting themselves as a company striving for and capable of sustaining environmental friendliness. At a recent Chevy Chase neighborhood commis-sion meeting, Exelon vice president of fed-eral government affairs David Brown described his company as “extremely clean” and “the largest clean energy producer in the country.” Cheh fired back, calling the company’s track record “dismal.”

Newsweek ranked Exelon 61st in envi-ronmental friendliness among Fortune 500 companies in its annual ranking this year, fifth out of 25 utility companies on the list. Meanwhile, the Maryland Public Service Commission ranked Exelon’s subsidiary Baltimore Gas & Electric well below Pepco in terms of efficiency in 2014.

Cheh has also argued that the promise of no rate increases before 2019 is only a short-term stopgap in what could become large rate hikes. She has also used harsh words in response to recent news that Exelon hired the head of the pro-Bowser

political action committee FreshPAC as a lobbyist on behalf of the merger in Septem-ber. “It feels like we’re being taken advan-tage of, sometimes in ways we don’t even know,” Cheh said.

Several advisory neighborhood commis-sions, Chevy Chase among them, have adopted resolutions opposing the amended merger. The Spring Valley/Palisades com-mission issued a letter to the Public Service Commission arguing that keeping the city’s power local with Pepco allows for easier communication between customers and the power company. A coalition of D.C. resi-dents also hand-delivered letters to the Pub-lic Service Commission on Dec. 23.

In spite of her efforts, Cheh believes the Public Service Commission is unlikely to deny the merger a second time. The com-mission’s previous decision came as a 2-1 vote, and one of the top complaints cited by the majority was that Pepco and Exelon hadn’t adequately negotiated with oppo-nents to reach a compromise.

“I’m pessimistic,” said Cheh. “If they do disapprove the settlement, I will be deliri-ously happy and a little bit surprised.”

If the merger does goes through, Cheh thinks two main courses of action are pos-sible for the skeptics. If anyone had the money and stamina to organize a coherent lawsuit, Cheh said the merger could be investigated for being “procedurally irregu-lar or arbitrary or capricious.” More likely, though, Cheh said it will be up to the D.C. Council to enact legislation that hold the companies accountable for their promises and legal obligations.

PEPCO: Stakeholders, advocates awaiting panel’s upcoming ruling on Exelon merger dealFrom Page 1

his predecessor, Muriel Bowser. He said the city agencies made the recent fixes after an on-site meet-ing he convened, with Maryland officials also attending. All parties agreed there’s more to be done. “It’s very confusing, and it just doesn’t work well,” Todd said of the circle’s layout. “There are accidents there weekly, and it’s just been a long-standing issue.” D.C. Department of Transpor-tation spokesperson Terry Owens said his agency is eager to address the concerns. “The 16th Street Circle is a critical gateway to the District of Columbia and we are committed to ensuring it is safe for residents, pedestrians, motorists, and everyone who travels through that area,” he wrote in an email.

Owens said it would be “pre-mature” for him to discuss the longer-term concepts except to say that new traffic signals could be installed on the Maryland side. Owens also didn’t say how soon proposals would become avail-able, though Todd said he expects the agency to present two to three medium-term options in the com-ing weeks to stakeholders on both sides of the border. The Maryland State Highway Administration is currently reviewing traffic modeling infor-mation it recently received from D.C. transportation officials, according to David Buck, spokes-person for the Maryland agency. Council member Todd said the District has struggled to catch the state agency’s interest in the past, but Buck said Maryland officials

have looked repeatedly at the cross-jurisdictional spot over the years. The Maryland side of the circle received improved cross-

walks and lane striping back in 2011, and the State Highway Administration followed up with traffic and engineering studies in 2013 and 2014, spending about $100,000, according to Buck. In the meantime, some commu-nity leaders in the Shepherd Park area want to see more short-term improvements at Blair Circle. The

local advisory neighborhood com-mission voted 3-2 on Dec. 1 to request traffic cameras and a police presence there, and to ask the D.C. Department of Transportation to conduct a safety-related survey. Todd said he is pleased with the recent changes, and he noted that the Department of General Ser-vices has established a schedule for trimming shrubbery so it doesn’t become overgrown again. But he’s also eager to help usher in the big-picture fixes. “Obviously I want to see zero accidents there, and I want to see pedestrians walk safely across 16th Street,” said Todd. “Defi-nitely making sure that our neigh-borhoods are safe, whether you’re driving or walking or in your home, has always been a priority for me.”

CIRCLE: Officials seek to improve safety at critical 16th Street gatewayFrom Page 1

issues that are before this board,” she said. The board voted unani-mously to dismiss the appeal. The Board of Zoning Adjust-ment reviews cases where a proj-ect needs relatively minor flexibil-ity from land-use rules. The Zon-ing Commission, meanwhile, takes on more major topics includ-ing regulatory changes. For Lanier Heights, that com-mission will next year hear a com-munity request to require more scrutiny for projects with more than two housing units, heights of more than 35 feet and certain large rear additions. Those proposals would be mandated to go before the community and the Board of Zoning Adjustment before pro-ceeding. The change would shift row-house properties from the current R-5-B zoning category — which includes an automatic right to build small apartment buildings — to R-4, which has stricter caps. The new restrictions are in already place on an interim basis until the case can be decided, at which point either the R-4 restric-tions would become permanent or development could again proceed under the previous R-5-B. At the Dec. 14 consideration of that case, commissioners were sympathetic to pop-ups’ neighbors but also expressed concern about dialing back long-held property rights.

ONTARIOFrom Page 3

g

❝It’s very confusing, and it just doesn’t work well.❞

— Council member Brandon Todd

THE CURRENT Classified AdsSenior Care

KIND, TRUSTWORTHY caregiver/ companion available FT/PT. Refer-ences avail. Call 240-462-8528.

LICENSED RN in DC and MD is avail-able for priv. duty. Rotat shifts. 40 yrs exper., Ref’s avail Call (301)346-8859.

Slip Covers

CUSTOM SLIP COVERSEnd of year Sale

Customer Own Material or our fabricWe also do upholstery, draperiesCall A Slip Cover Studio Today

240-401-8535 • [email protected]

Upholstery

THE CURRENTTHE CURRENT

Page 20: Gt 12 30 15

20 Wednesday, december 30, 2015 The currenT

[email protected] 3201 New Mexico Ave. NW • Washington, DC 20016 202 966-2598 direct • 301-580-0540 mobile • 202-363-1800 office www.ElizabethRussell.info Call Elizabeth for a confidential consultation

P l e a s a n t • P r a c t i c a l • P e r s i s t e n t

If you have a friend, family member, or neighbor who might benefit from my services, please let them know it would be my pleasure to work with them; and give me a call so I recognize your kind referral and support of my business.

I Want To Be Your Realtor

Chevy Chase HomesDC sold* 197/ available 15MD Sold* 141/ available 18

Crestwood & Colonial Village54 homes sold*6 available

Y.T.D. 2015

Georgetown & Foggy Bottom 161 homes sold*20 available

American University Park96 homes sold*

3 homes available

Cleveland Park & Woodley100 homes sold*4 available

Wesley Heights & Spring Valley75 homes sold*14 available

Kalorama &Mass Ave Heights

38 homes sold*16 available

Dupont/Logan55 homes sold*7 available

Forest Hills & Wakefield34 homes sold*8 homes available

!!!!! 2016 WELCOME 2016 !!!!!Hoping your household has experienced all the blessings of this

season of light and wishing you the Happiest of New Years!

Metro DC Real Estate Market starts the New Year with a more BALANCED picture- rising inventory reaching out to ease frustrated clients' pent up demand for choices in both locationand pricing. High end market leads the way with much more inventory!! $1.5m and above!!