Robert Devaney • April 23, 2015

Showing up for the fourth time at the Gridiron Club dinner, President Barack Obama proved himself a more than able comic-in-chief, joking about Hillary Clinton’s email snafu and D.C.’s partial legalization of marijuana. Also at hand were Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, doing stand-up for the Republicans and Democrats, respectively.

Put on by the Gridiron Club and Foundation, which was formed by newspapers and news services in 1885, the evening of fellowship demands that journalists and politicians call a truce and mock themselves or each other. There are also musical skits performed by the press members. The United States Marine Band is there, and everyone sings “Auld Lang Syne” at the end.

The 130th annual dinner was held March 14 at the Renaissance Hotel on 9th Street NW with photographers and onlookers waiting in the lobby to check out the specially invited and formally dressed arrivals. Men wear white-tie, while women go full-length. No formal reporting, recording or filming is allowed, but somehow notes from the tables make it out past the lobby and into news reports the next day.

While baseball great Hank Aaron, the new owner of the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos, and the new D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser were there among 650 others, top 2016 presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush were not.

Presidents (except Grover Cleveland) from Benjamin Harrison to Barack Obama have spoken at the dinner, an insider Washington tradition.

Herewith, gleamed from various press reports that include the Washington Post, Politico and National Public Radio:

From NPR: Obama commented, “This is my third appearance at this dinner as president. And I predict you will laugh harder than ever. I’m not saying I’m any funnier. I’m saying weed is now legal in D.C. I know that’s how you guys are getting through this dinner. That’s why you ate the food.”

From the Post: Walker said, “I really do have a lot of close friends who are Democrats. I even have Hillary’s private e-mail . . . It’s HillaryClinton@Wallstreet.com. You know the best part of that joke, Elizabeth Warren wrote it for me.”

From Politico, here are a few of Obama’s other jokes: “Just a few years ago, I could never imagine … being in my fifties. And when it comes to my approval ratings, I still can’t. (Laughter.) I mean, think about how things have changed since 2008. Back then, I was the young, tech-savvy candidate of the future. Now I’m yesterday’s news and Hillary has got a server in her house. (Laughter.) I didn’t even know you could have one of those in your house. (Laughter and applause.) I am so far behind. Did you know that? I would have gotten one. On the bright side, by the time I’m done with this job, I will finally have enough life experience for a memoir. (Laughter.)

“My Vice President isn’t here tonight. He told me, ‘If I want to hear people talking for five hours straight, I’ll just stay home alone.’ (Laughter.) And, by the way, this is just a quick aside — Joe rubs my shoulders too. … Despite a great performance tonight, Scott [Walker] has had a few recent stumbles. The other week he said he didn’t know whether or not I was a Christian. And I was taken aback, but fortunately my faith teaches us forgiveness. So, Governor Walker, as-salamu alaykum. (Laughter and applause.) . . .

“I got flak for appearing on a video for BuzzFeed, trying to reach younger voters. What nonsense. You know, you don’t diminish your office by taking a selfie. You do it by sending a poorly written letter to Iran. (Laughter and applause.) Really, that wasn’t a joke.”
[gallery ids="102016,135070,135073,135072,135068" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

“There will be no changes,” said Vanussa Mendes, who with her husband purchased Georgetown Hairstyling, the century-old barber shop business on 35th Street. Most of the staffers are women, who cut men’s hair only.

“It will be operated in the same way as before for our clients,” Mendes said. The men’s haircut spot has been a favorite of Georgetown residents and students for decades. Mendes bought the business from retired barber Rigo Landa, who sold it to his stepson Ed Lara a few years ago. The 55-year-old Lara died suddenly last June of a heart attack, leaving the future of the shop uncertain.

New owner Mendes takes over the barber shop with employees Veronica Corado, who has worked there for more than 20 years, Orathai Jaran and Nguyen Kha. Previously, Mendes worked at Aveda in Bethesda. She hails from Brazil and lives in Falls Church with her husband and 13-year-old daughter. [gallery ids="102054,134559" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

Carolyn Papetti is set to become the new general manager of the George Town Club by June 1. She will replace Christian Broder, who will depart by the end of this month. Both Broder and Papetti are working at the club during the transition. Papetti arrives from Nick & Toni’s in East Hampton, New York.

Robert Devaney •

Season 4 of HBO’s “Veep” premiered April 11 at Dog Tag Bakery on Grace Street. Hosted by Roy and Kelley Schwartz, the get-together benefited the non-profit bakery and social enterprise — co-founded by Connie Milstein and Rev. Rick Curry, S.J. — that helps veterans with disabilities develop leadership skills and business know-how in coordination with Georgetown University.

During the viewing party of the Washington show — which stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, a fictional vice president and now president — Curry told the crowd to help with whatever they could: “As Mother Theresa said of donations: ‘Not enough.’ ” Of the baked goods and hors d’oeuvres, he added, “You come to a bakery to be happy. And with my connections, there are no calories in here whatsoever.”

Also on hand was benefactor and Georgetown alum John Gossart, known for his Ride Scout app, who said that the Jesuits have gotten a lot of his money. “Not all,” Curry quipped. Of veterans, Gossart said that they “don’t know how to fail.”
[gallery ids="102063,134478,134476,134479" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

For the Washington Nationals, the future is now, as in this season, their 10th anniversary in the nation’s capital. They also announced that Nationals Park would host the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Yes, again the team is tagged to win the World Series, but it lost to the New York Mets, 3-1, in its home opener April 6.

Whether the place to see baseball or to take in a cool baseball social scene, Nationals Park has some new additions — besides the players — that include new Kentucky Bluegrass on the field, the second set of grass since the stadium opened — and food, lots of it, and luxurious stadium boxes.

As if there were not enough to eat taste-test at the stadium on South Capitol Street, new concession concepts include Throwing Cheese, “featuring decadent macaroni and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches, Virginia Biscuit Company (in May) with ham and friend chicken biscuits. Also expanded is South Capitol Sushi: “After a successful introduction last season, the sushi stand has been relocated to Section 217 in the Norfolk Southern Club. The stand will continue to offer fresh hand-­rolled sushi and seasonal rolls all prepared in-­house.”

There are many fan favorites to choose. For the whole food shebang at Nats Park, click here.

There are other cool add-ons for fans the team reports: “Norfolk Southern and the Nationals have teamed up to build and install an innovative scoreboard, mini?railroad and mural. The train-­themed scoreboard updates in real time by pulling feed directly from the official Nationals scoreboard located in the ballpark.”

Boxes have expanded, too: “Championship Boxes at Club 24, created to attract local business leaders. Club 24 allows companies to conduct business in an intimate, private setting, while enjoying a game at Nationals Park — inspired by the 1924 Washington Senators, the last team to win a World Series for Washington, D.C. Also, due to the high demand for Club 24 boxes, K Street Boxes are currently being constructed and will have identical amenities to Club 24.”

Still, it is about the future for the home team and baseball: the Nationals has donated baseball caps, T-shirts and jerseys to all D.C. Little League and D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation Rookie League players. Approximately 4,500 participants, ranging in age from 4 to 13 years old, will wear Nationals-branded apparel all season. Capitol Hill Little League, at Payne Elementary School, hosted its own Opening Day festivities March 28 with food, games, a “Parade of Teams,” featuring Nationals Racing President Bill Taft, along with several baseball games.

Robert Devaney •

The Citizens Association of Georgetown met March 25 at Malmaison at 34th and Water streets for “Talking Traffic, Transportation & Bridges” with the hopes of answering such questions as: “Can traffic congestion ever be reduced in Georgetown? Is there a solution to the nightmarish rush-hour backups on 34th Street? How will repairs on the Pennsylvania Avenue and Key bridges affect us? What happened to the crosstown bus service? And the perennial question: will Georgetown ever get a Metro stop?” CAG’s Christopher Mathews who chairs its transportation committee introduced a trio of experts on the subject.

Allison Davis WMATA, regional planning manager in the office of planning, began by discussing Metro rail service and its benefits: 54 percent of all jobs are half a mile from a station; job growth is four times in neighborhoods with a station.
Davis also noted how expensive rail gets and how long it takes. She spoke of the ambitions in 1960s for a monorail to the newly opened Dulles Airport. Rail, she said, “takes a lot of time.” By 1985, planner got serious about a Metrorail link to the airport. So, she said, it took 29 years for the first rides to begin on the Silver Line that will connect Dulles to downtown. “It is about matching modes and needs,” said Davis, who noted the flexibility of bus service.

As for Georgetown, a Metro subway station is in the future, as in the year 2040. “We’re looking 2040 or beyond,” she said. Long-term commitments are needed from Virginia, Maryland, the feds and the District, she said. She gave a piece of advice on transit choices: “Don’t focus so far in the future.”

Colleen Hawkinson of the District’s Department of Transportation said that it is important to recognize that DDOT not only oversees roads, curbs and trees but also runs the Circulator buses, Capital Bikeshare and the streetcar project on H Street.
Hawkinson said DDOT looks at the “big five,” as it sees them: “pedestrians, bicycles, transit, vehicles and freight. The streetcar has “no fatal flaw” in its system, according to a critical report, she said. Those in vehicles will feel the impact of upcoming projects on Rock Creek Parkway and Canal Road as well as the rehabilitation of Key Bridge.

Will Handsfield, transportation director at the Georgetown Business Improvement District, listed the increasing use of ride services, such as Uber and Lyft. He said that on-demand travel cost can be 30 to 60 percent cheaper and that entrepreneurs were jumping into the transportation sector. Some bus lines were privately run and owners like Leap Line in San Francisco. New companies like Flex Spot were trying to monetize shared parking of homeowners’ driveways. He also said the Bridj, a pop-up bus service, was coming to Washington.

Some of the techie and innovative ideas Handsfield mentioned may take the heat off some systems or streets in the years to come but this day. During the question-and-answer session, residents took their chance to voice frustration about backed-up traffic and potholes in Georgetown, a perennial issue, to be sure – almost as old as the question of what to tie up one’s carriage.

One 34th street resident, Ann Satterthwaite, with her neighbor complained about traffic on 34th street that is snarled from M street north to Q street and sometimes farther. Traffic used to back up later in the week, Satterthwaite said. Now, it is four days at least. A neighbor said his house vibrates with the increased traffic: “I wake up every morning at 5:30 to 7 [a.m.] with the house shaking.” DDOT’s Hawkinson said she would look into traffic signal changes made on M Street by the department in a few months to see if it causes delays up 34th Street. Satterthwaite said one solution would be to divert traffic off 34th Street during rush hour.

Robert Devaney •

“The public interest is our client,” said Attorney General for the District of Columbia Karl Racine to members of the Georgetown Business Association during its monthly networking reception at Das Ethiopian Restaurant April 15.

Racine met with business leaders to explain his view of a disagreement he has with Mayor Muriel Bowser. According to Racine, the mayor’s fiscal 2016 budget “contains provisions that would gut the Attorney General’s independent ability to review the city’s legislation, regulations and real-estate deals for legal soundness . . .” Racine is D.C.’s first publicly elected attorney general. His supporters handed out a petition that asked those in attendance to use and send to Councilman Jack Evans.

According to the GBA, “Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Ward 2 Community Liaison, John Fanning, was also in attendance to articulate the mayor’s continued support of GBA’s initiative in providing resources and support to the Georgetown small business community. GBA President, Charles Camp, is thrilled to have the support of the Attorney General and Mayor Bowser as the association continues to lobby for additional resources to support Georgetown’s small business community.”

Also stopping by to meet GBA members and guests was Steven Shulman of Cultural Tourism D.C., who spoke of Passport D.C., which makes the 31 days of May into “a month-long journey around the world highlighting D.C.’s thriving international diplomatic community and its lively and varied international culture.” It includes programming by 70 embassies and more than 40 of D.C.’s best cultural institutions.
[gallery ids="102051,134596,134599,134598,134594" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

The city’s largest women’s homeless shelter held its powerhouse annual gala, chaired by Jill and Nathan Daschle, March 24 at the Ritz-Carlton, raising more than $800,000 and bringing together Washington’s political women and neighborhood women. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi presented the Founder’s Award to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Nicole Boxer, who directed “How I Got Over,” a documentary about 15 women at N Street Village. White House advisor Valerie Jarrett presented the Steinbruck Award to three women who turned their lives around: Rachel Panay, Pertrina Thomas and Dorothy Young. [gallery ids="102043,134720,134723,134718,134722" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

On the occasion of Hillary Clinton’s official announcement to run for president, here is a look back to October 1991 outside Healy Building at Georgetown University, after newly announced candidate Gov. Bill Clinton gave his “New Covenant” speech at Gaston Hall. On the steps of Healy, the future 42nd president is seen in the center with G.U. president Leo O’Donovan, S.J., and Hillary Clinton.

The photo was assigned by editor and publisher David Roffman, who said, “Go see this guy, Bill Clinton, who is giving a speech at Gaston Hall, even though he’ll never make it.” Roffman was certain that Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., would get the 1992 Democratic Party nomination.

Both Bill and Hillary Clinton have visited and continue to visit Georgetown University for speeches and seminars. Hillary Clinton is an honorary co-chair of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, headquartered at Georgetown.

The Clintons own a home on Whitehaven Street NW, just east of Georgetown.

On Sunday, Hillary Clinton announced that she is a candidate for president.

Then, the former first lady, senator and Secretary of State left her home in Chappaqua, N.Y., and began a road trip to Iowa, where she is expected to arrive Tuesday.

Robert Devaney • April 21, 2015

One of the most historic houses in Georgetown and Washington, D.C., is on the market, after it was sold 10 years ago by Sen. Clairborne Pell and his wife Nuala to Ralph and Nancy Taylor. The 3425 Prospect St., NW, Federal-style house sits on the northeast corner of Prospect and 35th Streets and was built in 1798. It is also significant because of its occupants, who were active in local and national affairs.

The gray two-story brick house is for sale for $11 million by agent Russell Firestone of TTR Sotheby’s International Reality, which confirmed the listing to the Georgetowner. The asking price — $11 million — is the same amount which nearby Halcyon House sold for in 2012.

While neighbors on Prospect Street may call it the Pell house, the 6,433-square-foot house was called Quality Hill by its first owner John Thomson Mason, nephew of one of America’s founding fathers, George Mason. Prominent physician Charles Worthington lived there for 25 years. His family also owned the Leonard Mackall House on 34th Street. For a time in the early 20th century, Albert Clemons, owner of Halcyon House, also owned Quality Hill and used it for storage. To the neighbors, it was known as the “haunted house.” In the 1940s, the house finally got electricity during a major renovation by Sir Willmott Lewis and Lady Norma Bowler Lewis. In 1961, she sold it to the Pells, who sold to the Taylors for $3.9 million in 2004. The Taylors had the house undergo a restoration and rehabilitation that reportedly cost as much as the selling price.

The house has eight bedrooms. Thomas Jefferson is said to have dined there. Arches in the center hallway supposedly came from the Francis Scott Key House on M Street. The house is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.