Robert Devaney • September 12, 2014

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E held its monthly meeting on Sept. 2, as a few problems concerning new construction were worked out to most neighbors’ satisfaction.

• Owned by Mark and Sally Ein, the house at 2920 R St., NW, also known as the Beall-Washington House, got its plans OK’d for a new smaller eastern addition and underground garage by the ANC as well as an approval from the Citizens Association of Georgetown. The Eins’ neighbors due east of their house — Jane and Calvin Cafritz — objected to the designs.

• Meanwhile, the Alexander Memorial Baptist Church condos will have a three-unit repurposed church and a single home for the rectory building. The idea of a newly built third building was dropped with an Italian-style garden planned for the west side and front of the property.

• Liquor license applications or change requests for J. Paul’s (3218 M Street, NW), Myia pizza parlor (1419 Wisconsin Ave., NW) and Yummi Crayfish (1529 Wisconsin Ave., NW) were protected by the commissioners to the Alcohol Control Board.

• Look for the new working intersection at 35th Street and Wisconsin Avenue with its blinking lights soon to be come operational.

• Finally, executive director Melanie Gisler has moved to a new job and is succeeded by Leslie Maysak.

Robert Devaney • September 10, 2014

Love locks, which have been showing up on the railing of Key Bridge that links Georgetown and Arlington, will be cut off the structure Thursday by the District Department of Transportation, the agency says.

While Washington, D.C., may not want to look like it is anti-romantic, the padlocks are seen as damaging to the bridge over the long term.

“We are all about love—a nice bridge is love, a working bridge is love—but we are going to have to take them down,” DDOT spokesperson Reggie Sanders told WJLA. “It is an aesthetic problem as well.”

While love locks have been around for a long time, love locks on bridges gained major popularity in Europe within the past 10 years. Locks are put on railings or fences with a special inscription for the two lovers. Locks have also been cluttering up the Brooklyn Bridge. In June, the love-famed Pont des Arts footbridge in Paris near the Louvre lost part of its fencing which collapsed under the weight of so many locks.

Sanders further argued to WTOP: “Locks are being removed because we don’t want to establish a precedence where our structures could become polluted with these types of campaigns. Also, it could jeopardize the functionality of the railings.”

Robert Devaney •

Besides the dumpsters and service vehicles lined up for house renovations across Georgetown, major projects have gotten underway that involve schools, parkland and an old theater.

Duke Ellington School of the Arts is closed until September 2016 for redesign, renovation and additions. It is surrounded by a painted plywood barrier. The $82-million project will expand the historic school — built in 1898 and originally known as Western High School — to 294,900 square feet. The interior of the school will contain an atrium and a new 850-seat theater. The rooftop will have a classroom along with limited-use space. The school’s main portico will be preserved.

Work on the addition for Hyde-Addison Elementary Public School is being set up. Here is what the D.C. Department of General Services has said, in part: “This project involves the construction of an addition to Hyde Elementary that will consist of approximately 9,500 feet of additional space as well as a Phase 1 modernization of the existing Hyde school. It is contemplated that the addition will house a ‘Gymatorium,’ a media center and building service space (i.e., additional bathrooms, custodial and circulation space). This project will NOT include interior renovations of the Addison building. Site work will be directed at conserving the existing parking availability, preserving existing playground areas and circulation management. Due to the historic significance of the school and surrounding neighborhood, this project requires presentation of the proposed design to the Old Georgetown Board, the Commission on Fine Arts and State Office of Historic Preservation.”

Part of Rose Park at 26th and O Streets is closed for reconstruction “until sometime in November,” says the D.C. Parks & Recreation Department and D.C. Department of General Services. The playground, tot lot, basketball court and recreation center, including restrooms, are closed. The tennis courts remain open as does the ball field along P Street. The tennis courts will close in late September for two weeks of resurfacing. For more details, contact David Abrams of the Friends of Rose Park at jake.chase@juno.com.

Demolition and rehab work has begun on the old Georgetown Theater property with its iconic “Georgetown” neon vertical sign. Owner and architect Robert Bell contacted the Georgetowner concerning the upcoming reconstruction on the building at 1351 Wisconsin Ave., NW: “I will be removing the old sign and having it rebuilt by the original manufacturer — Jack Stone Signs — who still has all the templates and parts. I expect to have it removed in September and returned renovated in October, during which time I will be removing the faux stone and stuccoing the front façade to return it to the 1940 design.”

Robert Devaney •

The D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation released the Outdoor Aquatic Facilities Closure Schedule for the 2014 summer season. DPR will implement the first phase of Outdoor Pool closures starting on Sunday, August 10. Below is information received from DPR.

• All Outdoor Pools will close in waves beginning on Sunday, August 10. Pools will close for the season at 6 pm on their respective Sundays.

• All Children’s Pools will close for the season at 6 pm on Sunday, August 17.

• All Spray Parks will close for the season at 7 pm on Labor Day, Monday, September 1. Please note that select spray parks will undergo renovations after September 1.

• East Potomac Outdoor Pool will close for the season at 6 pm on Sunday, October 19.

Below is the comprehensive closure schedule for the 2014 season. Pools are listed by type (Outdoor, Children’s and Spray Park) and then by date. Please call DPR’s Aquatics office at 202-671-1289 should you have additional questions or need further assistance.

2014 OUTDOOR AND CHILDREN’S POOLS CLOSURE SCHEDULE

– Closed August 10 for the season:

• Ward 5: Langdon Park Pool (2860 Mills Ave., NE)

• Ward 7: Kelly Miller Pool (4900 Brooks St., NE)

• Ward 8: Douglass Pool (1921 Fredrick Douglass Ct., SE)

– Closing at 6 pm on Sunday, August 17 for the season:

• Ward 1: Park View Children’s Pool (693 Otis Pl., NW)

Happy Hollow Children’s Pool (2200 Champlain St., NW)

• Ward 5: Harry Thomas Sr. Pool (1743 Lincoln Rd., NE)

• Ward 6: Lincoln Capper Children’s Pool (555 L St., SE)

Watkins Children’s Pool (420 12th St., SE)

• Ward 7: Benning Park Pool (5100 Southern Ave., SE)

– Closing at 6 pm on Sunday, August 24 for the season:

• Ward 2: Jelleff Pool (3265 S St., NW)

Volta Park Pool (1555 34th St., NW)

• Ward 5: Theodore Hagans Jr. Pool (3201 Fort Lincoln Dr., NE)

• Ward 6: Randall Pool (25 I St., SW)

• Ward 7: Fort Dupont Pool (830 Ridge Rd., SE)

• Ward 8: Anacostia Pool (1800 Anacostia Dr., SE)
Fort Stanton Pool (1800 Erie St., SE)

– Closing at 6 pm on Monday, September 1 for the season:

• Ward 1: Banneker Pool (2500 Georgia Ave., NW)

• Ward 2: Francis Pool (2435 N St., NW)

• Ward 4: Upshur Pool (4300 Arkansas Ave., NW)

• Ward 6: Rosedale Pool (1701 Gales St., NE)

• Ward 8: Oxon Run Pool (501 Mississippi Ave., SE)

– Closing at 6 pm on Sunday, October 19 for the season:

• Ward 2: East Potomac Pool (972 Ohio Dr., SW)

SPRAY PARKS CLOSURE SCHEDULE

– Closing at 7 pm on Monday, September 1 for the season:

• Ward 1: 14th & Girard Street Spray Park (14th & Girard Sts., NW)

14th & Park Road Spray Park (14th St. & Park Rd., NW)

Columbia Heights Spray Park (1480 Girard St., NW)

Harrison Spray Park (1330 V St., NW)

• Ward 3: Chevy Chase Rec. Ctr. Spray Park (5500 41st St., NW)

Friendship Spray Park (4500 Van Ness St., NW)

Macomb Spray Park (3409 Macomb St., NW)

Palisades Spray Park (5200 Sherier Pl., NW)

• Ward 4: Fort Stevens Spray Park (1327 Van Buren St., NW)

Lafayette Spray Park (5900 33rd St., NW)

Petworth Spray Park (801 Taylor St., NW)

Riggs LaSalle Spray Park (501 Riggs Rd., NE)

Takoma Spray Park (300 Van Buren St., NW)

• Ward 5: Joseph H. Cole Spray Park (1299 Neal St., NE)

Turkey Thicket Spray Park (1100 Michigan Ave., NW)

• Ward 6: Kennedy Spray Park (1401 7th St., NW)

• Ward 7: Fort Davis Spray Park (1400 41st St., SE)

Hillcrest Spray Park (3100 Denver St., NW)

• Ward 8: Fort Greble Spray Park (ML King Jr. Ave. & Elmira St., SW)

To contact DPR Aquatics Division, call 202-671-1289 or online at DPR Aquatics Activities or DPR Aquatics Facilities.

Robert Devaney •

The lively and delicious restaurant, Neyla, at 3206 N Street, next to Billy Martin’s Tavern, has lost its lease and will suspend operations on Sunday night, Aug. 17. Those involved with Neyla say they hope to find a new location.

Neyla is part of Capital Restaurant Concepts., Ltd. which owns nearby Paolo’s and its original place, J. Paul’s, on M Street as well as Old Glory and other spots.

Neyla — which means “fulfilled wish” — said this about itself: “the Mediterranean spirit of prosperity, abundance and success, is present in this urban caravanserai.” With its Lebanese and Near Eastern menus, Neyla was a welcoming spot for a simple meal or a VIP celebratory dinner.

The restaurant issued a statement on its website last week:

“Dear Neyla Friends and Family,

Thank you for letting us serve you over the past 15 years. Our lease at this location has come to an end. Our last day of business will be August 17, 2014.
Many of you are not just guests but friends and neighbors, and we will miss you.

It has been our please to serve each and every one of you our authentic Mediterranean cuisine.

We are actively looking a new location for Neyla. Let’s stay connected via Facebook, Twitter and our website for the news about Neyla.”

Robert Devaney •

A woman riding a moped died Aug. 15 after being hit by a truck on the 4900 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW, in the District, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

The accident occurred in front of Engine Company 31 around 8:30 Friday morning at Fessenden Street NW. D.C. Fire & EMS spokesman Tim Wilson told WTOP, “A witness came in and alerted the members that were inside. Immediately, the rest of the members of the fire house … ran out and assessed the situation and provided some medical care to the patient.”

The moped driver — 36-year-old Nadia Sophie Seiler of Wheaton, Md. — was taken to a local hospital, where she later died.
An MPD spokeswoman said that the truck driver stayed on the scene and that the incident was under investigation.

Robert Devaney •

Another Georgetown classic is about to vanish.

Mr. Smith’s — “the friendliest saloon in town” at 3104 M St., NW, since 1965 — will close within weeks, probably by Sept. 1, its general manager Juan Andino told several media outlets.

Andino told ABC 7 News and others that the Boston-based landlord is raising the rent to levels his business cannot afford. He also said that he hoped to relocate the restaurant elsewhere in Georgetown, just as those who ran the closed Neyla, due to a lost lease, have indicated.

Said local advisory neighborhood commissioner Bill Starrels: “Mr. Smith’s, a fixture on M Street since 1965, was one of Georgetown’s enduring establishments. It added a nice flavor to the scene, and its piano bar will be missed.”

Mr. Smith’s with its piano bar and sing-alongs amid vintage furnishings is known to many Washingtonians as a spot where they had some of their first dates. As the restaurant wrote on its website: “One customer summed up Mr. Smith’s quite nicely a few years ago when he said, ‘…with its faded Victorian elegance, Mr. Smith’s is the place to go for good food and great fun!’ ”

Robert Devaney •

Another Georgetown classic is about to vanish, and another Georgetown classic was about to vanish.

Chadwick’s on K Street — the friendly, classic hamburger joint where everyone knows your name — will close Aug. 31, according to former owner and Chadwick’s founder Michael Kirby, who has been assisting the Russo family with the business after the death of owner and restaurateur Tom Russo.

Kirby — who began Chadwick’s 47 years ago — also confirmed that Mr. Smith’s has purchased the business at 3205 K St., NW, which includes all licenses and leases. Kirby also said he believed that the Chadwick’s in Alexandria would continue.

As for Mr. Smith’s — “the friendliest saloon in town” at 3104 M St., NW, since 1965 — it will close within weeks, probably by Sept. 1, its general manager Juan Andino told several media outlets a few days ago.

Andino told ABC 7 News and others that the Boston-based landlord is raising the rent to levels his business cannot afford. He also said that he hoped to relocate the restaurant elsewhere in Georgetown, just as those who ran the closed Neyla have indicated.

Mr. Smith’s with its piano bar and sing-alongs along with its back patio and vintage furnishings is known to many Washingtonians as a spot where they had some of their first dates. On Sept. 1, expect to see Mr. Smith’s in its new location on K Street.

Robert Devaney •

Georgia Kirk Shallcross died suddenly at her home in Marshall, Va., near Middleburg, Va., August 25. She was well known around Washington, D.C., especially in Georgetown, where she had lived with her family for 22 years — and wrote a column for many years for the Georgetowner.

Shallcross leaves behind her two children, James Halsey Shallcross, 19, and Marina Kirk Shallcross, 15, with her former husband Jim Shallcross. She is also survived by her mother Barbara Copanos, better known to her grandchildren as “Ba Ba,” and by her fatherJohn Demitri Copanos and brother John Copanos. She was 51.

Her mother Barbara talked to the Georgetowner about her daughter, noting her intellectual curiosity, and said, “She was a wonderful mother. And with her love and knowledge of art history, she explained so much to her children.”

Born on Oct. 9, 1962, Shallcross grew up in Baltimore and attended the Friends School of Baltimore and Garrison Forest School. She earned a B.A. in art history at Hollins College and a master’s degree in English literature at George Washington University. She also studied briefly at the Sorbonne in Paris. After college, she was a fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and then worked at the nearby, private Wildenstein Gallery for two years.

In New York, Shallcross met her husband Jim Shallcross. They moved to Georgetown and had two children, James Halsey Shallcross and Marina Kirk Shallcross. Upon their divorce, Jim Shallcross moved to Greenwich, Conn., and the son Halsey attends the Riverview School in Sandwich, Mass. Georgia Shallcross moved to Middleburg, Va., where her daughter Marina attends Foxcroft School.

For 18 years, Shallcross was a contributing columnist to The Georgetowner newspaper. This year, she began a column, called “The Georgetown Insider,” for Washington Life magazine. She also had written for Capitol File magazine. Among her other work activities, Shallcross was a life coach and an advisor on astrology.

“I have known Georgia for more than 23 years,” said Sonya Bernhardt, publisher of The Georgetowner. “She was insightful, creative, articulate, lots of fun and a very good friend. Our mutual interest in art drew us together and never left us. I am saddened beyond words.”

“Georgia was full of energy and full of life,” said John Arundel, associate publisher of Washington Life. “What happened was a true tragedy. She was a beloved person in Georgetown and involved in everything. She wrote with punch and flair. She was a beautiful writer.”

Robert Devaney • August 28, 2014

Private car hire service Uber began a product delivery service Aug. 19, only in Washington, D.C.

Its “Corner Store” will be available, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, within certain D.C. neighborhoods. There is no service fee and no minimum-purchase requirement for products delivered to your door, as drivers make use of some of their down time.

Announced Uber on its blog: “No need to race to the store after a long day at the office — now you can request allergy medicine, diapers, toothpaste and over 100 other items through the Uber app. This limited-time-only experiment will run for a month.”

Uber’s grocery delivery area is limited and includes Georgetown, Foggy Bottom, Adams Morgan, Upper Northwest, downtown around the White House and Capitol Hill. (No fresh produce is expected to be delivered.)

Other companies that offer same-day delivery include Amazon’s AmazonFresh, a grocery service it offers in Seattle and California. Google offers its Shopping Express, another delivery service which pulls from Costco, Whole Foods and others and operates in San Francisco and being expanded to Los Angeles and New York.

Uber will see how its experiment goes and may later extend and expand the service.