**Turning Out For (and Against) Trump**
D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency was expecting 800,000 to 900,000 people to attend the Jan. 20 inauguration of President Donald Trump. Turns out there were fewer — about more than half a million — but not according to the Trump team, which claims about a million and a half. The 1.8 million who came out for Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009 is the record. For the Women’s March, on the next day, estimates run from more than 500,000 to beyond one million in D.C.
**Inauguration Rioters May Face 10 Years in Prison, Fine**
More than 200 men and women protesting at the inauguration of President Donald Trump were arrested when their demonstrations turned violent Friday, Jan. 20. Those protesters charged with felony rioting will face up to 10 years in jail and a $25,000 fine, the Daily Mail reported. The protests occurred just outside the security zone for the ceremonies, near McPherson Square, particularly around 13th and K Streets NW. Rioters vandalized a Starbucks and other businesses, set a limousine on fire, threw rocks at a Secret Service vehicle and smashed car windows, including those of TV and radio host Larry King’s hired SUV, shaking up his driver (King was in his studio at the time).
**Capitol Hill Burglary Suspect Nabbed**
A 21-year-old man was arrested Jan. 11 and charged with a string of break-ins in the Capitol Hill neighborhood — from Lincoln Park to Eastern Market to near Union Station — from last September to December, the Washington Post reported. The burglar used unlocked doors or windows to gain entry, sometimes while homeowners were sleeping. Credit cards, SmarTrip cards, passports and a car were among the items reported stolen.
**Johns Are Don’s, But Not That Don’s**
DCist reported last week that someone was covering up the company name on thousands of port-a-potties stationed on the National Mall for Inauguration Day. “Don’s Johns” was being blocked out systematically while the names of other companies, such as “Gene’s Johns,” were not. Robert Weghorst, COO of Virginia-based Don’s, told DCist he hadn’t had to deal with anything like the name issue before. According to the company’s website, “Don’s Johns, Inc. was established in 1964 by Thelma and Don Rainwater as a small septic company.” At press time, the identity of the potty-defacers remained obscure.
**Wheelchair-Bound Woman Killed in Shooting**
68-year-old Vivian Marrow was killed in a daytime shooting Jan. 16 outside her apartment complex on Elvans Road SE, the Washington Post reported. Marrow, a mother of three and grandmother of 11, was struck while in her wheelchair. She was apparently on her way to the corner store when the shooter, who was not identified or apprehended, approached and fired, also striking a man.
**New Housing for Homeless Veterans, Others**
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Bob McDonald and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser opened the John and Jill Ker Conway Residence at North Capitol Commons earlier this month. The 14-story building — named after World War II veteran John Conway and his Australian-born wife, an author who was the first female president of Smith College — contains 60 units of permanent supportive housing for homeless veterans and 64 units for District residents who meet income requirements.
**New Chef at Hay-Adams**
The Hay-Adams Hotel on Lafayette Square has hired Brian Drosenos as its chef de cuisine. In his new role, Drosenos will lead the culinary team in creating fare for the Lafayette restaurant and Off the Record, the popular downstairs bar. Formerly executive sous chef at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, Drosenos also has worked at a multitude of dining establishments within the Commune Hotels group.
