Weekend Roundup

-ANC News

On Monday, November 1, ANC2E held its November session. At the meeting, Commissioner Ed Solomon acknowledged a crime spike in Georgetown, which includes nine thefts, two assaults and one assault with a deadly weapon in recent weeks. Furthermore, Solomon stressed caution in granting a liquor license to USA Table Tennis Hall of Famer David Sakai’s planned restaurant/bar, “International House of Pong” (IHOP). Sakai intends for the bar to hold up to 300 people—a cause for concern should the establishment fail to curb noise.

The ANC tabled the renewal of Third Edition’s liquor license for similar reasons, citing numerous neighborhood complaints. Amplified music at its open-air Tiki bar has become a continual disruption because of the establishment’s failure to monitor entrance and exit properly. While the ANC assures it is not trying to put Third Edition out of business, it expects bar management to renew its agreement to ensure peace and quiet.

Additionally, the ANC expressed support for Georgetown hosting the Lawyers Have a Heart 10k race in June 2011, despite it requiring the closures of K Street, the Whitehurst Freeway, and Canal Road. The 10k raised over $500,000 last year. That being said, events of this nature will face greater scrutiny going forward due to resident complaints surrounding last-minute closings.

As for November 2 voting, two new commissioners were elected to Georgetown’s ANC. Jeff Jones and Jake Sticka were the new additions, with GU student Sticka receiving a mere 6 votes (his own included). Sticka plans to promote GU’s Campus Plan and improved student safety measures, mainly in Burleith. Jeff Jones promises a more evenhanded approach, balancing resident and student concerns regarding zoning discrepancies and university expansion.

Heart to Hart Tennis Experience

The Recreation Wish List Committee, in partnership with the DC Department of Parks and Recreation, has invited several local politicians to participate in its 12th Annual Heart to Hart Tennis Experience. Among the politicians in attendance will be former mayors Marion Barry and Anthony Williams, Mayor-Elect Vincent Gray, Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas Jr., and Ward 7 Councilwoman Yvette Alexander. On Saturday, November 6, they will join tennis celebrity Zina Garrison, area youth, and their families for a full day of tennis, community and fundraising.

The event will feature a day-long junior-adult doubles tournament, a rematch between defending champion Marion Barry and Anthony Williams, clinics, an awards ceremony, and a silent auction. A portion of the proceeds will be forwarded to a scholarship fund established in memory of Velma Love Nellum, a RWLC founder who recently lost her battle with cancer.

Heart to Hart will run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, at 701 Mississippi Avenue, SE. Adults may register online through Friday, November 5, at a discount ($100) or onsite at 8 a.m. that Saturday ($125). The senior fee is $55 to enter, and general admission is $50.
Nightvisions: Portraits in the Night

From 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., on November 6 and 7, FotoWeek DC will be presenting Nightivisions. The all-night photo creation event challenges amateur and professional photographers alike to recruit a subject and produce a digital portrait. Each photographer may submit up to 10 images, in person, to FotoWeek DC’s Satellite Central at 3333 M Street, NW.

Following delivery, a team of renowned photo editors, art directors and gallery curators will select one image from each batch of submissions. This image will be printed and displayed as part of a weeklong slideshow projected on Satellite Central’s walls. Meanwhile, participants can enjoy the snacks and music offered at the all-night photo party for $10.

Synetic Theater’s “King Arthur”

This weekend offers a final chance to see Synetic Theater’s visually stunning production of “King Arthur”. Presented at Synetic’s new home, Crystal City Theater, the play is the latest installment in the company’s repertoire of wordless movement dramas. Add to this the fact that the troupe is performing on a liquid stage, one covered in a few inches of water, and the choreography will seem as fluid as the floor on which the actors splash. Showings will occur at 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The $30-$50 ticket cost is a small price to pay to see such a physically-charged spectacle.

Ravi and Anoushka Shankar at the Kennedy Center

Legendary sitarist Ravi Shankar will return to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on Sunday, November 7. As India’s best-known living musician, the virtuoso has attained worldwide notoriety. Now, in celebration of his 90th birthday earlier this year, Ravi will perform alongside his daughter, acclaimed sitarist Anoushka Shankar. The concert will take place at 8 p.m. that evening. Tickets range from $25-$77.