Linnea Kristiansson • March 11, 2015

The 11th Annual Washington D.C. Travel & Adventure Show, a perfect event for travel lovers to get inspiration, information and interaction with other travelers, comes to town this weekend. The show is part of the largest series of consumer travel shows in the U.S. and takes place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on March 7 from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The event is also open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 8.

At the Washington D.C. Travel & Adventure Show, you’ll discover thousands of authentic travel experiences and speak directly to the travel experts who can get you there, give you the inside scoop, and save you money on exclusive travel deals.

The show will feature speeches from some of biggest names in the industry, including Rick Steves, Pauline Frommer and Travel Channel personality Samantha Brown, will be featured speakers at

Back by popular demand, the Destination Theater will feature location-specific seminars where travelers can draw inspiration and get information about the world’s most sought-after travel destinations like New Zealand and Alaska.

Attending Washington D.C. Travel & Adventure Show is like walking through a living guide book with thousands of world experts to talk to. You can spend countless days and hours searching the internet or thumbing through a book for this information or just make a trip to the Washington, D.C. Travel & Adventure Show/

For full event information about speakers, stage and seminar schedules, exhbitions, prizes, giveaways and more, visit travelshows.com/washingtondc.

Bon Voyage!

Linnea Kristiansson •

The Washington Harbour Ice Rink on the Georgetown waterfront will close for the season this Sunday, March 1.

The rink is the largest outdoor ice skating venue in the region. Open annually from mid-November until March, the ice rink at 3050 K Street NW transforms from a picturesque fountain in warmer months and is open for recreational skating every day, including holidays.

With a couple of days left in February, take the opportunity to enjoy a healthy activity right on the Potomac, with a warm beverages rink-side.

Go, before the season ends! See you on the ice.

Opening hours:

Monday-Tuesday 12:00-7:00pm
Wednesday-Thursday 12:00-9:00pm
Friday 12:00pm-10:00pm
Saturday 10:00am-10:00pm
Sunday 10:00am-7:00pm

Prices:

Adults: $10.00
Children/Seniors/Military: $9.00
Skate Rental: $5.00
Season Pass: $195.00
10 Admission Pass: $85.00
Socks/Gloves: $4.00

Helmets and penguin skate aids are available, free of use, first come first serve.

Weekly events:

College Night Skate: Each Thursday, Receive $2 off Admission with a Valid College ID
Cartoon Skate: Every Saturday morning from 10:00am — 12:00pm
Rock N Skate: Every Saturday night from 8:00 – 10:00pm

For more information on ice skating, signing up for lessons, and general questions call (202)706-7666.

Linnea Kristiansson •

Former Seattle Fire Chief Gregory Dean was named to head Washington, D.C.’s Fire Department on March 2. He led the Seattle Fire Department for 10 years before he stepped down in December.

Mayor Bowser made the announcement at a press conference, where she said she emphasized the importance of appointing someone with a strong EMS background to the position.

“The safety and well-being of District residents is my top priority and FEMS is at the frontlines of this effort. Chief Dean is a proven, collaborative leader who led a department with an international reputation for its fire-based EMS performance. I am certain that he will work with our emergency first responders and the community to move the department forward in exciting ways,” said Mayor Bowser.

Dean will replace Eugene Jones, who last took over as interim chief. Jones took over the job from Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbe, whose tenure was marked by complaints of poor service that endangered lives by firefighters and medical personnel. Bowser says Acting Assistant Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief Edward R. Mills III will serve as Interim Chief during the transition.

On Monday, Dean admitted to facing challenges in D.C. He told the crowd that he plans on spending the first six months of his new job learning how to do business in the District.

According to the Mayor’s office, “Dean has a proven track record of results. Under his leadership, Seattle and King County, Washington announced in 2014 that its overall cardiac arrest survival rate had reached an all- time high of 62 percent, up from 26 percent in 2002.”

Dean is also member of the International Association of Fire Chief’s Terrorism and Homeland Security Committee. He was chair of the Region 6, Homeland Security Administration and Policy Group and was selected for the Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s Master’s Program at the Naval Post Graduate School.

Linnea Kristiansson • March 5, 2015

“This is a clear violation of the District of Columbia Whistleblower Protection Act,” said Metropolitan Police Department officer Hilton Burton, as he initiated a lawsuit against MPD Chief Cathy Lanier and the District in August 2012.

But two weeks ago, on Feb. 11, after less than a day of deliberations, a D.C. Superior Court jury rejected Burton’s whistleblower lawsuit.

Burton was demoted two ranks and transferred from his position in the Special Operations Division after he provided a police escort to actor Charlie Sheen nearly four years ago. Lanier and the department received numerous complaints about the escort, and Lanier testified in June 2011 before the D.C. Council that the officers involved in the escort acted outside of department regulations.

On April 19, 2011, Sheen traveled from Dulles International Airport to D.C. He received a police escort in order to make an appearance at an event at Constitution Hall. Sheen was so impressed by his escort that he tweeted with a photo attached: “In a car with Police escort in front and rear! Driving like someone’s about to deliver a baby!”

After the details of the Sheen escort were revealed, MPD released a statement informing the public that the incident was under investigation. The statement also said that it wasn’t departmental practice to utilize emergency equipment for non-emergency situations.

In the lawsuit, Burton claimed that MPD did not have a “clear policy in place to safeguard the health and safety to the public as it relates to non-dignitary escorts.” At the time of the Sheen incident, Lanier told the Washington Post that the department did not give escorts to celebrities.

“There are limited circumstances where we do police escorts,” Lanier said in April 2011. She explained that those circumstances are based on the need for security and that protocols are followed.

The two-week civil trial drew dozens of spectators. Lanier and other officers took the witness stand and testified about whether prior to the Sheen escort D.C. police had a long-standing policy of escorting celebrities. Lanier said that Burton’s demotion was performance-related and had nothing to do with Burton’s statement to the Council, but he believes it was retaliation for questioning the veracity of the chief.

“The police and the citizens of the District are hurt by this decision,” Burton said. “They are basically telling everyone that Lanier can do and say whatever she wants and get away with it.”

Lanier said in a statement released after the verdict that she appreciated ”the jury’s commitment to finding the truth.” “Although it was difficult to listen to attacks on my credibility, the truth came out in the end,” she said.

Linnea Kristiansson • February 23, 2015

The Georgetown Arts Show, hosted by Citizens Association of Georgetown, kicks off at the House of Sweden Thursday, Feb 12., during an evening reception, 6 to 9 p.m., and runs through Feb. 15.

The Georgetown Arts chair Laura-Anne Tiscornia has two of the largest pieces of art work — 40-by-40 inches — at the exhibit. Besides paintings, the show has both glass and mixed-media pieces. This year, the exhibit has one sculpture.

”Every year is surprisingly different and that is what is most interesting and exciting about this exhibit,” Tiscornia said. ”The show attracts new artists as well as reoccurring artists and to see all the different pieces come together and play off one another is remarkable.”

The arts show include art from a unique collection of artists. Some artists are young professionals while others are lifelong learners or teachers. A few of the artists exhibit nationally in other galleries. Attendees are in for a treat to see the vast artistic talent that Georgetown offers.

During Saturday and Sunday, there will be several Artist Talks. At 2 p.m. on Saturday, Peggy Sparks, owner of Artist’s Proof, a gallery on Wiscosin Avenue, will discuss the art scene in Washington, D.C., and highlight the art work displayed.

Artist Guy Fairlamb, Dariush Vaziri and Sherry Kaskey will be talking Sunday at noon. In the afternoon, you will also be able to listen to Andrey Bogoslowsky, Jane Lepscky and Ross Ruot during the Artist Talks.

Linnea Kristiansson •

D.C. Fashion Week is happening now and is the largest exhibition of fashion apparel in the District of Columbia. The designers are an electric group of talent who come from all around the globe.

From the high fashion capital of New York City, from New Zealand and from Belgium, designers are taking the nation’s capital by storm. D.C. Fashion Week started Feb. 18 and will continue showing Fall/Winter collections through Sunday, Feb. 22.

The Opening Night with Pop-Up retail shops, NextGen Designer fashion show and live entertainment is at 823 H St. NE. The admission is free and the event starts at 6 p.m.

During the second day of D.C. Fashion Week, Fashion Industry Networking Party featuring a Jewelry & Accessory Fashion Show will be held at Dirty Martini, 1223 Connecticut Ave. NW. The admission is free and the fashion show starts at 7 p.m.

On Friday, the Haute & Modesty Fashion Show will start at 8 p.m. Modest fashions from around the globe will hit the runways of D.C. Fashion Week. Tickets are required. Located at District Architecture Center at 421 7th St. NW.

M.E.D.I.A (Metropolitan Emerging Designers & Indie Artists Showcase) with emerging fashion designers from the U.S. will be showcased together at fashion week. Special music guests will perform. The doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

International couture collections will be presented at D.C. Fashion Week’s finale event on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. Tickets are required.

For further information, registration and to buy tickets visit their website.

Linnea Kristiansson •

Friday, Feb. 13

To mark the 150th anniversary of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, the Newseum will open its new exhibit, “President Lincoln Is Dead: The New York Herald Reports the Assassination” on Friday, Feb, 13.

The exhibit will include an unparalleled collection of New York Herald special editions from April 15, 1865. For the first time since 1865, the exhibit brings together all seven editions, beginning with the 2 a.m. edition, which contained the first Associated Press report that Lincoln had been shot.

*”When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom’d,
And the great star early droop’d in the western sky in the night,
I mourn’d, and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.”*

The poem was written by Walt Whitman in the summer of 1865 during a period of profound national mourning in the aftermath of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in April 1865.

The display will also include a recently discovered ”extra” that was one of the first newspapers to report the president’s death. Visitors will be able to view the newspaper’s complete coverage of the tragic event as it unfolded. The museum is located at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.

Monday, Feb. 16

Celebrate George Washington’s Birthday, Monday, Feb. 16, by visiting his Mount Vernon home and burial site. There will be a number of special events and displays, free of charge throughout the day.

Visitors will have the opportunity to mingle with costumed characters from George Washington’s world from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ”General Washington” is on the grounds to greet visitors and receive birthday wishes all day.

Mount Vernon, one of the nation’s most beloved historic sites, is open 365 days a year and located at 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, Va. 22121.

Other events celebrating Presidents’ Day

Sunday, Feb. 15

Presidential family fun day: a museum-wide patriotic day with a variety of crafts and performances dedicated to our nation’s famous past leaders, meet Presidents Washington and Lincoln, participate in arts and crafts, listen to a local a cappella group and more. 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. Free.

George Washington Classic 10K Race and 2K Fun Run: Certified course through Eisenhower Valley. Registration, 6:30 a.m. to 7:55 a.m.; race at 8 a.m.; $10 to $35. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 600 Dulany St., Alexandria, Va. 703-829-6640. www.washingtonbirthday.net

“Walking With Washington”: An hour-long walking tour of sites in Alexandria associated with George Washington. 2 p.m. Ramsey House Visitors Center, 221 King St., Alexandria, Va. 703-829-6640. Free; reservations required. www.washingtonbirthday.net

Monday, Feb. 16

Library of Congress: Presidents’ Day semiannual open house for visitors to the Jefferson Building’s Great Hall. Exhibitions, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Main Reading Room open. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. 202-707-8000. Free.

Madison’s Washington: A National Park Service ranger discusses what the city looked like at the time of President Madison’s administration. 2 p.m. Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Drive SW. 202-497-1397. Free.

George Washington Birthday Events: Features a Breakfast and Meeting of the Friendship Veterans Fire Engine Association, a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the Revolution and an Armed Forces Community Covenant Ceremony. For a complete schedule, www.washingtonbirthday.net. 703-829-6640; free.

Tuesday, Feb. 17

Abraham Lincoln’s life in music: Pianist Elizabeth Smith Brownstein performs pieces from the Civil War, offering insights into rarely considered aspects of his temperament and leadership. 7 p.m., Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-549-4172; $20, in advance $15.

Linnea Kristiansson • February 11, 2015

Georgetown University will begin converting the second and third floors of the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center, 3800 Reservoir Rd. NW, into student dorms in May. Almost half the rooms in the hotel will be converted. The renovation will provide housing for 140 students.

At the same time, the reconstruction of the former Jesuit Residence on the university’s historic Quadrangle will accommodate 148 students.

Student Kristen Sullivan told the student newspaper, the Hoya, that the rooms, although useful for providing space, may create a fractured campus. “Not only would the hotel be an isolated living space, but more people would filter through the hotel area and the food court, and I’m not entirely sure how that would impact the hospital crowd,” she said.

According to Vice President for Planning and Facilities Management Robin Morey, the renovation will have minimal impact on the layout and architecture of the hotel. For student safety, they want to minimize the amount of interaction between the hotel guests and their students, he told the Hoya.

Linnea Kristiansson • February 9, 2015

The Georgetown-based luxury beauty company Bluemercury will be acquired by Macy’s for $210 million in cash, the company announced Feb. 3.

Macy’s, Inc., has signed an agreement to grow its beauty business and enhance customer offerings in stand-alone Bluemercury specialty locations, in digital channels and in Macy’s stores.

“We are excited to continue our aggressive expansion of Bluemercury, while simultaneously leveraging Macy’s leadership in omni-channel technology, supply chain and retail operations,” said Marla Beck, Bluemercury’s co-founder and CEO.

Marla and Barry Beck co-founded Bluemercury in Georgetown in 1999. Bluemercury has been recognized as the largest and fastest-growing luxury beauty products and spa services retailer, in the U.S. Beside its online business, the company operates 60 stores in 18 states.

The Becks and their business were profiled in a Sept. 24th Georgetowner cover story.

Bluemercury products include well-known luxury brands, as well as Marla Beck’s own proprietary skincare brand, M-61, all supported with personalized assistance from a team of beauty experts. Most locations include in-house spas.

“With the full weight of Macy’s resources, we will be able to accelerate our store penetration across the United States, bringing our specialty store format to urban and suburban markets throughout the country,” said Barry Beck, co-founder and COO.

“Keeping Bluemercury as a stand-alone business, while adding new expertise, will enable us to fulfill our mission of being the best at giving beauty advice and helping our customers make their way through the often complex process of purchasing beauty products,” explains Marla Beck.

The company will remain headquartered in Georgetown, with Marla Beck remaining as chief executive officer and president and Barry Beck remaining as chief operating officer.

Its team of approximately 600 associates will remain in their current roles operating stand-alone Bluemercury specialty business.

”With Bluemercury, our company can access a new channel to reach additional customers, add new dimensions to our product offering and apply our expertise in omnichannel retailing,” said Terry Lundgren, Macy’s chairman and executive officer.

Linnea Kristiansson • February 5, 2015

The annual Georgetown Arts show will return next week. Sponsored by the Citizens Association of Georgetown and hosted by the House of Sweden, the visual arts exhibition is a chance to see some favorite local artists — and to discover new ones in Georgetown.

As in previous years, the House of Sweden at 2900 K St. NW has made space available for the CAG show in its embassy building on the Potomac River, next to Washington Harbour.

The opening reception will be 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 12. The show will continue through Feb.15, opening 11 a.m to 5 p.m., daily. During Saturday and Sunday, there will be several Artist Talks. The show is free and open to the public.

Last year, the show set a record with more than 800 attendees. Most works will be for sale; a few were on loan from private collections. The CAG show is chaired by Laura-Anne Tiscornia. For more details, contact CAG at 202-337-7313.