My Georgetowner Moments: 60 for 60 Years

Having been associated with The Georgetowner (assistant editor, editor, publisher) for 42 years of the publication’s 60 years, I have many memories of the village I served — its people, its places and its events. Here are at least 60 moments in Georgetown I recall with love.

— Fats Domino and his orchestra performing at the Crazy Horse on M Street in the 1960s.

— Stuart Davidson, opening Clyde’s Saloon.

— Sunday brunches at Doc Dalinsky’s Georgetown Pharmacy with the likes of Herblock, David Brinkley, Joe Califano, Ben Bradlee, Collins Bird .

— Celebrations at Wisconsin and M for Redskin’s, Hoya’s and Bullet’s championship wins.

— Parades down the length of Wisconsin Avenue as part of the annual Francis Scott Key Star-Spangled celebrations in the early 1980s.

— Louis Alexander Traxel, brandishing two antique pistols to keep order at a Citizens Association meeting.

— Oak Hill Cemetery caretaker George Kackley reciting to us the history of this famous resting place.

— Interviewing the likes of Kevin Kline, John Houseman, Stacey Keach, Jack Lemmon, Sissy Spacek and Mr. T at Howard Joynt’s Nathans Restaurant.

— Faithfully attending the monthly Advisory Neighborhood Commission meetings with Bill Cochran as chairman.

— Watching William Friedkin, directing a scene for “The Exorcist” at the Car Barn steps.

— Watching Iranians protest the Shah of Iran on Wisconsin Avenue.

— Attending opening night of Michael O’Harro’s Tramp’s Discotheque in 1975.

— Chatting with Edward Bennett Williams about George Allen’s Redskins at Harold’s Deli.

— Listening to Roberta Flack at Mr. Henry’s of Georgetown.

— Listening to Herbie Mann at Blues Alley.

— Listening to Billy Joel and Foreigner at the Bayou on K Street.

— Talking books with Mrs. Johnson at the Francis Scott Key Bookstore.

— Meandering through the maze of Little Caledonia, Georgetown’s Tom Thumb department store.

— Regularly lunching with Virginia Luce Allen at the Georgetown Senior Center.

— Experiencing the “Rocky Horror Show” at David Levy’s Key Theater.

— Breakfasting at Martin’s Tavern and Clyde’s Omellette Room.

— Dining with Richard McCooey at his 1789 Restaurant.

— Meeting Muhammed Ali at Chris Murray’s Govinda Gallery.

— Shopping at Neam’s Market, the French Market and the Food Mart

— Meeting David and Polly Brooks at the opening of their Appalachian Spring crafts shop.

— Visiting with J. Bernard Wyckoff and learning about the early days of Georgetown’s preservation movement.

— Listening to Eva R. Hinton hold court at CAG meetings.

— Conducting a walking tour of Georgetown for actor Eli Wallach and his wife actress Anne Jackson.

— Admiring CAG’s many presidents including Grosvenor Chapman, Charles Poore, Olcott Deming, Peter Belin and Juan Cameron.

— Seeing classic films at the Biograph theater.

— Watching Burt Lancaster filming a scene for “Scorpio” on O Street.

— Hosting Georgetown’s First Annual Physical Fitness Day at Volta Park.

— Joe Pozell’s funeral procession down Wisconsin Avenue.

— Christening the Francis Scott Key Park in Georgetown. The Georgetowner conceived the idea, and thanks to Randy Roffman, Robert Devaney, Jonda McFarlane, Norm Larsen and others for making the dream come true.

— The reaction to 9/11 in Georgetown.

— Vietnam War protests in the streets of Georgetown.

— The day Martin Luther King was killed and the mandatory curfew placed in Georgetown.

— The opening of Rick Hinden’s and David Pensky’s Britches of Georgetowne.

— Johnny Snyder and Sam Levy, Emil Audette and Lillian Harper, C. Millicent Chatel, the commercial realtors of Georgetown.

— Sizzling steaks at Dino’s Paramount Steak House.

— Ice cream cones from Swensen’s.

— Befriending John and Ginger Laytham.

— Working with Gary Tischler, the most versatile writer in D.C.

— Steak and cheese from Booeymonger’s.

— Having Grace Bateman, Rory Quirk, Bob Sellers, Debbie Dean, Suzi Gookin, and Mary Bird write for the newspaper.

— Profiling Rae Koch, hostess for years at The Old Stone House.

— Kibbitzing almost daily for 30 years with Scotty Feldman at Potomac Wines & Spirits.

— Interviewing Eva Marie Saint and Elizabeth Ashley at the Jour et Nuit.

— The legendary Cellar Door nightclub.

— Hardware men Jim Weaver and Frank Menahan.

— Interviewing author Kitty Kelley

— Averell and Pamela Harriman

— Katharine Graham

— Rev. Timothy Healy, S.J. (A.M.D.G.)

I could go on, but there are my 60 memories — a few combined into a single line item — for our newspaper’s 60th anniversary.