Attorney General Appeals to FAA to Alter Noisy D.C. Flight Paths
• May 18, 2016

District residents in Foggy Bottom and neighborhoods near Georgetown University, Canal Road and MacArthur Boulevard have been seriously and adversely affected by aircraft noise from new flight paths implemented by the Federal Aviation Administration for Reagan National Airport in 2015, according to a letter D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine sent to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and FAA Easter Regional Administrator Carmine Gallo. The new low-altitude flight paths create early-morning noise and fly directly over neighborhoods and schools. Concerns about the noise have been expressed for several months.
Racine’s letter cites a precedent set in Long Island, New York, in 2013 in which the D.C. Circuit upheld an FAA decision to require helicopter flight paths to avoid residential areas, thus confirming that the FAA has the “authority to change flight paths in order to reduce the impact of aircraft noise on residents living below them,” according to the letter.
A coalition of community groups as well as Georgetown University have challenged the implementation of the flight paths in the D.C Circuit Court of Appeals. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland have also sent federal letters to the FAA demanding changes.

Zoning: Renting Out the Extra Room to Get Easier
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A new zoning code set to take effect Sept. 6 will allow property owners in low-density D.C. neighborhoods to create a rentable apartment within their house by right, rather than with a special exception as required under existing regulations. Deemed “accessory dwelling units,” certain other conditions must also be met in addition to standard building codes for safety and space, such as: no more than three occupants in the unit, in addition to three in the home; and the property owner must live there and obtain a Residential Rental Business License.

Accessory dwelling units may also be built out of new and existing accessory buildings, both attached and detached — another loosening of the previous regulation, which only allowed existing structures to be converted — but only with a special exception, which will allegedly be easier to acquire than the previous variance required (though neighbors could still possibly block the exception if during a zoning hearing they can demonstrate that the unit would place an undue burden on them). Units in accessory buildings must also have dedicated access to the street. In addition to the dwelling units, homeowners may also have another garage, art studio or storage area on their property.

The Latest Issue of The Georgetowner
• May 17, 2016

At Its 88th, Georgetown Garden Tour Impresses
• May 16, 2016

Nine gardens of Georgetown were open May 7, as neighbors, horticulturalists and the curious visited some spectacular back yards from the east side to the west side of town.

Each place proved its special worth — whether it was the Pyne household on 30th Street with its unexpected spaciousness so close to M Street and the Old Stone House, the Langhornes’ sweep of lawn and pool on 31st Street, next to the Tudor Place property or Connie Milstein’s classic pool and gardens on R Street.

Across from Milstein, the Terceks’ efficiently planned patio and garden delighted, too, as did the garden of Jackie Pletcher and Charlie Eisen on O Street. Especially surprising were the gardens of Jane Hannaway on Dumbarton Street and those of John Danielson on Scott Place — tucked away and carefully thought out but with a natural flow.

Newcomer Kevin Plank and wife Desiree impressed with a re-do of the gardens on 34th Street by Amy Mills, prompting the garden club to opine: “This house and garden have recently undergone a dramatic renovation, with great care in preserving original details while implementing the latest technology. A large ballroom and outdoor terrace overlook the formal lawn while, hidden around a corner, one discovers a long lap pool. A rare treasure, the home once belonged to Evangeline and David Bruce.”

Other garden club comments — some of which are from “Gardens of Georgetown” by Edith Schafer — included the following:

The Pyne residence: “Passing into this grand and stately garden takes you into another world: a charming latticed cupola/library full of garden books, a big swimming pool, levels and terraces, a playhouse, a small octagonal ornamental pool, a greenhouse, named varieties of boxwood, and a knockout vegetable garden planted like a parterre, designed by Adrian Higgins, garden writer for the Washington Post.”

The Langhorne house: “Artifacts of historical interest have been found in this spacious and handsome garden that was once part of Tudor Place. Clever aids are incorporated into the design to provide handicap access: a special lift for the pool and very soft walkways made of shredded tires. Gordon Riggle, landscape architect.”

The Milstein residence: “This handsome and imposing garden has a distinctly European feel to it emphasized by its formal statuary and fountains. But the formality is softened by the plantings: a riot of color and a variety of interesting flowers in unusual combinations – purples and lime greens for instance—are used to great effect.”

The Danielson home: “An utterly beguiling garden! A round pond with a round umbrella-shaped red Japanese maple and a circular patio are on the upper level from which the viewer looks down on a glorious mix of small shrubs and a continuation of the round theme. The result is marvelous!”
 
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Punk Rocker John Stabb Dies Day Before Cancer Benefit
•

John Dukes Schroeder, the hardcore punk rocker known as John Stabb, died Saturday of stomach cancer, age 54. ‘Boycott Cancer,’ Sunday’s John Stabb benefit show at the Black Cat, became a memorial.

Lead singer for ’80s band Government Issue, Schroeder was called the “Clown Prince of Punk.”

“We wanted to mix the anger with humor,” he told the Vinyl District. He was featured in the documentary “Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington D.C.”

The name Stabb came from the earlier incarnation of Government Issue, a band called the Stab. Schroeder performed solo and with others since G.I.’s 1989 breakup. His most recent band was History Repeated.

Bobby Polsky, who owned Smash Records when it was on M Street in Georgetown (it moved to Adams Morgan in 2007) told WTOP that when the singer came to the store with records and T-shirts, “he would ask about new bands. He was always interested in local bands.”

Schroeder had been diagnosed in February. He is survived by his wife, Mina Devadas.

Lots of Single Tracking in Metro’s ‘SafeTrack’ Plan
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On Friday, Paul Wiedefeld, general manager of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, announced “SafeTrack,” a plan to carry out three years of repairs to D.C.’s Metrorail system in a single year.

The planned work is to include repairs to rails, insulators, fasteners, ventilation systems, tunnel lighting and third-rail cables, boots and cover boards, as well as radio-system installation, debris cleaning and tunnel leak-mitigation and washing.

Starting Friday, June 3, according to the plan, extended weekend service will be eliminated, with the system closing at midnight every night. Over the course of the year, there will be 15 SafeTrack Surges, “long-duration outages on selected line segments,” the first to be on the Blue Line between Franconia and Van Dorn, from June 4 to 19.

The stated goal is to continue to provide a minimum level of service, with single tracking or “bus bridges” — shuttles of 40 to 50 buses — connecting stations, such as between Braddock Road and National Airport from July 5 to 12 and between Pentagon City and National Airport from July 12 to 19.

The draft plan awaits approval by the WMATA board, chaired by Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans. Wiedefeld, who started as GM last November, did not provide an estimate for the work’s total cost, saying that the funds will come from Metro’s capital-improvement budget, with some taken from future years.

Among those commenting on the “tough medicine,” in Wiedefeld’s phrase, was President Obama. “It is just one more example of the underinvestments that have been made,” he said. “We’ve known for years now that we are $1 trillion or $2 trillion short in terms of necessary infrastructure repair.” The president placed the blame on “an ideology that says government spending is necessarily bad.”

Weekend Round Up May 12, 2016
•

DC Goes Green: All-Day Tour
MAY 13TH, 2016 AT 09:15 AM | $180 | TEL: 202-633-3030 | EVENT WEBSITE

Bill Keene, a lecturer in history, urban studies and architecture, will lead this Smithsonian Associates tour, focusing on how Washington is becoming a greener city and spotlighting innovative approaches to the environment. Lunch is in the private dining room of Oyamel, a Jose Andres restaurant, where participants will view a rooftop gardening program.

Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW

After Hours at the Kreeger
MAY 13TH, 2016 AT 07:30 PM | $50 | TEL: 202-337-3050 | EVENT WEBSITE

The International Club of DC and the Kreeger Museum present an evening of art and jazz, featuring live jazz, appetizers and an open bar.

Kreeger Museum, 2401 Foxhall Road NW

Big Pants & Hot Flashes: Julia Scotti and Kevin Meaney
MAY 13TH, 2016 AT 08:00 PM | $20 | TEL: 301-581-5100 | EVENT WEBSITE

Comedians Kevin Meaney and Julia Scotti will give a hilarious once-in-a-nighttime experience, way over the rainbow, skipping back and forth across sexual and gender lines.

AMP, 11810 Grand Park Ave., N. Bethesda, Maryland

Spring Fest at Cathedral Commons
MAY 14TH, 2016 AT 12:00 PM | FREE | NEWS@ARTSOIREE.COM | TEL: 2024702642 | EVENT WEBSITE

Cathedral Commons celebrates spring with a street festival of art, music and food: 30+ vendors, five hours of live entertainment, outdoor workout class and flower-art installations.

3401 Idaho Ave. NW

Carousel Memories Gala in the Park
MAY 14TH, 2016 AT 06:00 PM | $200 PER PERSON | DMUELLER@GLENECHOPARK.ORG | TEL: (301) 634-2230 | EVENT WEBSITE

Glen Echo Park hosts its 2016 Gala in the Park from 6pm to midnight. The theme is inspired by the iconic Dentzel Carousel. The Gala will honor Carol Trawick, president of the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation, with the Visionary Award for her outstanding leadership and support of Glen Echo Park and the arts in Montgomery County.

7300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo, Maryland

DC Preservation League’s 45th Anniversary Celebration and Awards Gala
MAY 14TH, 2016 AT 07:00 PM | $125 – $500 | MM@THESTYLELOBBYIST.COM | TEL: 210-273-3231 | EVENT WEBSITE

45 years ago, the DC Preservation League marched on the Old Post Office to prevent its demolition. Since then, DCPL has served as the only non-profit solely dedicated to preservation in our nation’s capital.

Pennsylvania Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets NW

Romantic Reflections: Songs and Serenades
MAY 14TH, 2016 AT 08:00 PM | $20 IN ADVANCE; $25 AT THE DOOR; $15 SENIORS, STUDENTS, GROUPS. | TALUKACH@GMAIL.COM | TEL: 703-731-4957 | EVENT WEBSITE

Peter Trofimenko and the award-wining American Balalaika Symphony present Romantic Reflections, an evocative collection of songs and serenades that echo the passionate intimacy, aspiration and optimism of the Romantic Age, with special guest performance by guitar virtuoso Serge Khrichenko.

Schlesinger Concert Hall, NVCC, 3001 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria, Virginia

Ariel Quartet with Pianist Alon Goldstein
MAY 15TH, 2016 AT 03:30 PM | FREE | TEL: 202-737-4215 | EVENT WEBSITE

Formed in Israel when its members were young students, the Ariel Quartet was recently awarded the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award. The program will include works by Mozart and Brahms.

National Gallery of Art, 401 Constitution Ave. NW

Cathedral Choral Society: Fantastic Beethoven
MAY 15TH, 2016 AT 04:00 PM | $25-77 | LSHERIDAN@CATHEDRAL.ORG | TEL: 202-537-2228 | EVENT WEBSITE

Energetic and fiery, the “Leonore” Overture is heroic Beethoven at his best. Lyrically grand, the virtuosic “Choral Fantasy,” with piano soloist Brian Ganz, foreshadows Beethoven’s famous Ninth Symphony “Ode to Joy” theme. Surprisingly gentle and humble, the Mass in C Major approaches its subject with deep sincerity and power.

Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW

Comedy at the Kennedy Center: Brooks Wheelan
MAY 15TH, 2016 AT 06:00 PM | 18:00 | TEL: 800-444-1234 | EVENT WEBSITE

On the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage: Brooks Wheelan, a self-proclaimed “chill dude from Iowa” who got a biomedical engineering degree from the University of Iowa before pursuing comedy.

Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW

DMV Warns of D.C. Parking Ticket Scam
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The District of Columbia’s Department of Motor Vehicles is alerting people to an email scam that demands money for unpaid parking tickets from unsuspecting car owners.

DMV adds in its alert that it does not issue tickets. That job is left to the D.C. Department of Transportation and police departments operating within Washington, D.C. — including the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Capitol Police, the U.S. Park Police and the U.S. Secret Service Police, among others. Neither is there a so-called “D.C. Parking Authority.”

The following is the message D.C. DMV issued to the public:

Residents of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area are cautioned to be aware of a phishing scam to collect money from past due tickets. With this scam, customers receive an email that has “Notice of Overdue Parking Violation(s)” in the subject line. In the email, customers are asked to pay the past due fines and a late fee immediately with the threat of their vehicle being impounded; then, they are directed to a dot com website.

DC DMV contacts customers via email if they have registered for DC DMV’s email ticket alert system. Then, they will receive an email notifying them to log into their account when there is an update.

Additionally, legitimate Notices of Unpaid Parking Tickets from the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles are mailed to customers via the United States Post Office. The notice contains specific information on how to contest the ticket by submitting a request for adjudication and includes the agency’s website address, which is dmv.dc.gov. Also, customers are encouraged to carefully read the letter for other clues that it is a scam. For example, the scam letter is supposedly issued by the “DC Parking Authority.” There are more than 30 agencies that issues tickets, and there is not an established “DC Parking Authority.” Correspondences issued from DC DMV will not be signed, “Y.U. Parcthar,” and they do not have the tag line, “We Ticket, You Pay,” as DC DMV does not issue tickets.

Customers who receive this email notice should report it to the Federal Trade Commission, which has detailed information for consumers on how to handle phishing scams.

World War II Veterans Mark 71st Anniversary of Victory in Europe (V-E) Day (photos)
• May 11, 2016

The Friends of the National World War II Memorial and the National Park Service paid tribute to the Greatest Generation during a special Mother’s Day event at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., May 8, commemorating the 71st anniversary of the Allied Forces Victory in the Atlantic and the end of World War II in Europe.

As part of the ceremony, nearly a dozen World War II veterans laid wreaths at the “Freedom Wall” of the Memorial in memory of the more than 400,000 Americans and 60 million people killed worldwide during the deadliest military conflict in human history.

Approximately 60 WWII veterans were in attendance, all in their 90s, including veterans visiting the memorial with the Puget Sound Honor Flight. The Civil Air Patrol, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, took part during the ceremony as well. Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Valeriy Chaly presented a special memorial wreath on behalf of his country. Leon Harris of ABC7 News Channel 8 served as master of ceremonies.

Another V-E observance followed, this one by the Russian community of the U.S. on behalf of the men and women who defended Russia against Nazi aggression. After marching past the White House, dozens descended on the World War II Memorial holding signs carrying placards with photos of ancestors who died in WW II. Organizers hope to make this an annual event.

View our photos from V-E Day at the World War II Memorial by clicking on the photo icons below. (All photos by Jeff Malet)
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Weekend Round Up May 5, 2016
• May 9, 2016

Reception for ‘Coded Marks in the Geographic Landscape
MAY 6TH, 2016 AT 06:00 PM | FREE | TEL: 202-331-7282 | EVENT WEBSITE

An opening reception for an exhibition, on view through May 28, of works by Sandra Gobar, in which she uses fragments of topographic vintage maps and texts to draw connections between natural and constructed systems.

Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St. NW

Asheru
MAY 6TH, 2016 AT 06:00 PM | FREE | TEL: 202-444-1234 | EVENT WEBSITE

Asheru is a hip hop artist, educator and youth activist. He has won a Peabody Award, released several singles and collaborations with international producers, and is famously known for writing the opening theme song of the popular TV series, “The Boondocks.”

Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW

Embassy Series
MAY 6TH, 2016 AT 07:30 PM | $150 | TEL: 202-625-2361 | EVENT WEBSITE

Young French cellist Edgar Moreau and pianist Jessica Osborne perform works by Bach, Chopin, Franck and Schnittke.

Belmont Mansion, 1618 New Hampshire Ave. NW

‘I Love You Mom’ Art Book Workshop
MAY 7TH, 2016 AT 10:00 AM | $40 | TEL: 301-634-2226 | EVENT WEBSITE

In this workshop, children ages 6-10 can express their feelings through writing, drawings and imagination. Supplies are included.

Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, Maryland

Pianists Yuri Shadrin and Tian Lu
MAY 7TH, 2016 AT 02:00 PM | $48 | TEL: 202-785-9727 | EVENT WEBSITE

Identified by pianist Leon Fleisher as two rising stars, husband-and-wife duo Yury Shadrin and Tian Lu will present a program conceived as a journey, progressing from solo piano to four-hand piano to two pianos.

Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW

Second Annual Kentucky Derby Party
MAY 7TH, 2016 AT 03:00 PM | TEL: (202) 955-6400

The art deco-inspired Melrose Georgetown Hotel invites guests to attend its second annual Derby Day viewing party. The event will offer party-goers and racing enthusiasts the live screening of the Kentucky Derby races, classic derby cocktails and a chance to place their bets on this year’s top thoroughbreds at no cover charge.

Melrose Georgetown Hotel, 2430 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

29th Annual Evening of Comedy
MAY 7TH, 2016 AT 09:30 PM | $25-$28 | WOLFTRAP@WOLFTRAP.ORG | TEL: 703-255-1900 | EVENT WEBSITE

The nation’s funniest performers keep audiences in stitches with this hugely popular evening of raucous stand-up comedy.

The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, Virginia

Festa della Mamma
MAY 8TH, 2016 AT 12:00 PM | 59 | IRICCHIEVENTS@GMAIL.COM | TEL: 202-835-0459 | EVENT WEBSITE

We are opening for the first time to celebrate mothers at our Mother’s Day Sparkling Celebration – Festa della Mamma! Enjoy our 3-course menu for $59 (exclusive tax and gratuity) or order a la carte. Children’s menu also available. Piazza dining, free valet parking.

Ristorante i Ricchi, 1220 19th Street NW

Rocket Ahead Wooden Kaleidoscope Class
MAY 8TH, 2016 AT 01:00 PM | $155 | TEL: 301-581-5100 | EVENT WEBSITE

Jim and Rita Duxbury launch participants on a mission into the next 200 years with the construction of a turned wooden rocket ship kaleidoscope with a two-mirror, five-point image, a dry cell, a 225-millimeter glass eyepiece and a clear polished turned acrylic nose cone.

The Mansion at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Maryland

‘Capital C Is for Color’: The Washington Color School
MAY 8TH, 2016 AT 02:00 PM | FREE | TEL: 202-633-4844 | EVENT WEBSITE

Art historian Lisa Lipinski talks about the artists involved in this Washington-centered art movement of the 1970s, including Gene Davis, Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, Sam Gilliam, Thomas “Tom” Downing, Paul Reed and Howard Mehring.

Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place SE

Portrait Story Days: Isamu Noguchi
MAY 8TH, 2016 AT 02:00 PM | FREE | TEL: 202-633-8300 | EVENT WEBSITE

Young visitors and their families are invited to drop by to listen to a story about sculptor Isamu Noguchi and complete an art project.

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW