You Can Help Duke Ellington School Get $50,000 Grant
• December 3, 2012

Here is your chance to play Kris Kringle for Duke Ellington students and help them get a huge Christmas present of computers — just be using your mobile phone or computer.

Students at Duke Ellington School of the Arts on 35th Street have recently been nominated for a $50,000 grant from the Clorox Company. Clorox’s Grants for Schools Program is called “Power A Bright Future” and is now in its fourth year. If the students are awarded the grant, they will gain much needed access to a mobile laptop cart with 50 new Apple computers.

To get the grant, Duke Ellington School must win the contest, which is determined by those voting (at no cost) via text message and online.

“We are the only D.C. public school that’s been nominated for this national grant contest,” says Seth Brecher of D.C. Public Schools. “The good news is that we are currently ranked 30 out of nearly 1,700 schools in our category. There will be multiple grants distributed, and we’re right in the hunt to win. It’s very exciting, and it’s a very important opportunity for Ellington’s scholar-artists.”

Here is how you, the reader, can help Ellington students win right now:

Those in Georgetown, Burleith and all of D.C. can support Ellington’s grant efforts by voting:

Via text: Text text 2258pbf to 95248 every 24-hours until Dec. 19.

Online: Visitpowerabrightfuture.clorox.com every 24 hours until Dec. 19 (keyword search: “Duke Ellington School of the Arts”).

Gant Opens M Street Store
• November 29, 2012

Gant has opened in Georgetown, marking the brand’s continued retail expansion outside of New York. The 2,000 square-foot store opened its doors at 3239 M St., NW, near clothiers J. Crew, Rag & Bone and AllSaints Spitalfields. The new location will sell a curated assort- ment from all collections including Gant, Gant Rugger and Gant by Michael Bastian.

“Georgetown, specifically M Street, has become a key shopping destination in recent years, especially for men,” said David Arbuthnot, chief executive officer of Gant USA. “Expanding into Georgetown was a natural step as Gant’s aesthetic is grounded in our authentic American East Coast heritage.”

Washingtonians may be familiar with the space that Gant now calls home. Once a popular live jazz bar called Saloun, the build- ing’s renovation maintained and upgraded key architectural elements of the original design, paying homage to the lounge that came before it.

Gant’s Georgetown location joins the brand’s existing seven retail locations, includ- ing Gant Rugger neighborhood shops and a Fifth Avenue global flagship in New York City, a Gant Campus Store at Yale University. It also recently opened Los Angeles and Boston locations. Gant plans to open four to five additional North American stores in 2013 and is also looking at several spots in the U.S. and Canada. The Sweden-based brand — with $1.23 billion in global sales last year — is owned by Switzerland-based Maus Frères SA. Gant was founded in New Haven, Conn., in 1949. For more information, visit Gant.com, or call its M Street store at 202-625-1949.

Tuckernuck Sets Up Showroom on Potomac Street
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On-line boutique Tuckernuck, named for an island off Nantucket, has established its first brick-and-mortar retail presence at 1052 Potomac Street, NW. Based on “a classic life- style that spans generations,” the clothing con- cern of American styles (some might call it preppy) promotes “a timeless look based on ease, traditional and American cool.” Founded in May 2012, Tuckernuck is a woman-run busi- ness: “Yes, gents, we’re all ladies, and we’re all willing to help with any styling questions you have.” (Three of the ladies went to the National Cathedral School.) For more info, visit www.Tnuck.com, or call 202-670-1265.

Jonathan Adler Finally Opens at N & Wisconsin
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After several delays, the Jonathan Adler store at 1267 Wisconsin Ave., NW, has opened. The maker and purveyor of pots, pillows, acces- sories and furniture is located at the corner, where the Kids Gap store used to be, across from Martin’s Tavern. The Adler whimsy and practicality are on full display throughout the large store, which shows off a Washington bust of sorts and D.C. pillows. Amid everything else, in time for Hanukkah, beginning Dec. 8, the store offers unique dreidels and menorahs. Visit www.JonathanAdler.com, or call 202-965-1416.

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Community Calendar
• November 28, 2012

Fri., Nov. 30 — Wreath-Making Workshop; 10 a.m. or 1 p.m.; create your own wreath using materials from the Tudor Place gardens; materials and instruction provided; mem- bers (per wreath), $38; non-members, $48. Tudor Place, 1644 31st St., NW; register at www.tudorplace.org.

Sat., Dec. 1 — Along the Potomac: Winter on the Water at Washington Harbour — and Swedish Christmas Bazaar at the House of Sweden; see details above.

Sun., Dec. 2 — American Boychoir: Family Christmas Concert; enjoy the holiday season with one of the country’s premiere boys’ choir performances, 5 p.m. Single tickets, $30 each; $15 for students/seniors. St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3204 O St., NW; call 338-1796 or pur- chase tickets at the door.

Mon., Dec. 3 — Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC 2E) Public Meeting, 6:30 p.m.; Heritage Room, Georgetown Visitation Prep; agenda available at www.anc2e.com; call 202-724-7098 for more information.

Wed., Dec. 5 — Kitty Kelley discusses her new book, “Capturing Camelot, Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the Kennedys,” 6 to 8 p.m.; $100 donation to attend benefits the D.C. Public Library Foundation, includes a signed copy of the book; Georgetown Library 3260 R St., NW.

Thur., Dec. 6 — Tudor Nights: Deck the Halls, 6 to 8 p.m.; members, free; non-members, $15 (21+). Enjoy spiced ginger punch and a historic holiday celebration at Tudor Place; www.TudorPlace.org.

Sat., Dec. 8 — Toys for Tots Drive, Rhino Bar, 1 to 4 p.m. Make a donation and have your holiday gifts wrapped by Rhino elves; take your photo with Santa. For more info, visit www.RhinoBarDC.com.

Wed., Dec. 12 — Georgetown Business Association Annual Meeting and Holiday Soiree, Dumbarton House, 6:30 to 10 p.m.; free. Celebrate Georgetown businesses with an eve- ning of awards, dancing, heavy hors d’oeuvres and seasonal cocktails. Cocktail attire; rsvp: hello@otimwilliams.com

New Ice Rink Celebrates Saturday With ‘Winter on the Water’ And Swedish Christmas Bazaar
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Washington Harbour will present “Winter on the Water,” a celebration of Washington, D.C.’s newest and largest outdoor ice skating rink, on Saturday, Dec. 1, 4 to 7 p.m. The Washington Harbour Ice Rink will be inaugurated with a fete of continuous strolling entertainers, ice skat- ing performances, choral singers, a St. Lucia procession, and creative lighting effects, along with special food and beverages served outdoors by Washington Harbour restaurants, including the new Farmers Fishers Bakers. Special guests include radio personality Tommy McFly who will emcee the event from 5 to 7 p.m., and will take the coveted opportunity to drive the ice resurfacing machine on the rink.

Winter on the Water complements the Swedish Christmas Bazaar being held at the neighboring House of Sweden from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at 2900 K Street, NW, on Dec. 1.

Winter on the Water – Special Performance Schedule
4 to 7 p.m.: Continuous entertainers and creative lighting effects; special food and bever- ages served outdoors
4:00 p.m.: Montana Ignacio – Ice skating performance
4:30 p.m.: Georgetown Phantoms – 30 minute a cappella performance
5:00 p.m.: The Gardens Figure Skating Club – Ice skating performance
5:15 p.m.: St. Lucia Procession from the House of Sweden
5:30 p.m.: Swedish Choir Performance
6:00 p.m.: Mini-Supremes Bowie ISI Synchronized Skating Team – Ice skating per- formance

M Street Water Main Work at Key Bridge Nears Finish
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For some residents of 35th, M and Prospect Streets, the news that D.C. Water’s Large Valve Replacement Project on M Street should be com- pleted by Dec. 15 is most welcome, especially the pounding sounds at 2 a.m. about two weeks ago. Ditto for drivers along M Street moving over the street plates.

“We are planning to install the valve on Dec. 7,” Mohammad Huq, D.C. Water project man- ager, Department of Engineering and Technical Services, told the Georgetowner. “It is expected that the work will be completed by Dec. 15.”

The water main work is part of a “Capital Improvement Program to improve the water system infrastructure. These efforts will improve water quality and system reliability, increase water pressure in some areas, and maintain ade- quate flows throughout the system,” says D.C. Water, also known as the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority. The work was scheduled to be completed during the summer but took longer because of added joint seal work so that the street would not be dug up again so soon

29th Street Canal Bridge Completed
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You can now drive on 29th Street between K and M Streets. D.C. Department of Transportation’s Three Bridges Project — begun in August 2009 ¬– has been completed.

The bridge over the C&O Canal along 29th Street was the third and last bridge replaced during the more-than-three-year job, which also replaced bridges over the canal at 30th and Thomas Jefferson Streets.

According to D.C.DOT’s Three Bridges’ website, “Monitoring of the canal walls and adjacent buildings is required for the duration of the project. Minor wall maintenance is included in the work as is roadway reconstruction work to tie into and transition the existing roadways and sidewalks into the new proposed bridges. Each bridge crossing includes extensive utility relocation and upgrade work involving water, electric, phone, and gas lines that will be coordinated with the respective utility companies.”

OSS Society Commemorates Liberation of the Hotel Ritz
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The Office of Strategic Services Society, which celebrates the World War II predecessor to the C.I.A. and the U.S. Special Operations Command, presented its William J. Donovan Award (named in honor of the OSS founder) to former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at the West End’s Ritz- Carlton Hotel Oct. 27. The occasion commemorated the liberation of the Hotel Ritz in Paris, France, by Ernest Hemingway, Col. David Bruce and a group of French Resistance fighters on Aug. 25, 1944. Upon their arrival at the Hotel Ritz, its manager asked Hemingway what the Ritz could do for them. Hemingway’s response: “How about 73 dry martinis?” At The OSS Society diner, each guest received a martini with an OSS logo etched on it. Sean Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway’s grandson, offered a toast to his father and his uncle, John Hemingway, who served in the OSS. [gallery ids="101074,137206,137190,137201,137197" nav="thumbs"]

Every Little Cupcake Helps: Sprinkles Red Velvet Fundraiser for Sandy Relief Today
• November 26, 2012

Today provides a good excuse — and a good cause — to go to Sprinkles Cupcakes, the Beverly Hills’s bake shop that started the national cupcake craze. On Nov. 12, Sprinkles Cupcakes Georgetown at 3015 M St., NW, will donate 100 percent of the proceeds from its red velvet cupcakes (which will be adorned with red crosses) to the Red Cross’s Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund. Similar promotions raised $25,000 in March 2011 for the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief Fund and $20,000 in January 2010 for the Haiti Relief Fund.