New on M Street: DMV Center, DSW, Bhldn

April 17, 2014

Georgetown Park retail space is getting an upgrade with three new additions this month, including shoe retailer DSW, the shop-in-shop Bhldn and a new Department of Motor Vehicles service center.

DSW opened this morning in Georgetown Park at the entrance near Washington Sports Center. The 22,000-square-foot space offers discount shoes, accessories, and handbags for Georgetown shoppers to enjoy. The store will be open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 8pm and Sunday from 12pm to 6pm.

Bhldn, Anthropology’s sister brand, is opening their shop-in-shop within Anthropology tomorrow. Bhldn (pronounced “beholden”) is a bridal boutique focused on vintage inspired gowns and accessories. The shop-in-shop will have their wedding dresses to choose from as well as reception gowns, bridesmaid dresses, and accessories. The store will be open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m., Sunday.

While a ribbon-cutting with Mayor Vincent Gray is scheduled Monday, April 14, the DMV service center is slated to open April 29 at the Georgetown Park space. The center will share an entrance on M Street across from Dean & DeLuca with Washington Sports Club and DSW, but will actually be on the floor below. The new DMV comes just over two years after they shut own the previous Georgetown DMV center in 2013. “There will now be a D.C. DMV service center in every quadrant of the city,” said Vanessa Newton, DMV public affairs specialist.

Georgetown Park, originally an indoor mall, is now focused on retail space on the street.

It’s Also the Season of Potholes


With the beautiful weather and cherry blossoms in full bloom, it is easy to forget that “Potholepalooza” season is here.

For those unfamiliar, “Potholepalooza” is a month of the year, when the District Department of Transportation is totally dedicated to reporting and restoring potholes. While this is helpful and beneficial as it makes the road much more vehicle-friendly, it also infamously creates traffic jams and delays.

Due to the weather conditions, the start of “Potholepalooza, “which in past years begins at the end of March, was announced April 9. “The unusually cold winter coupled with the snow and temperature fluctuations have all taken a toll on our roads,” said Mayor Vincent Gray in a press release.

It has already been a very productive year for DDOT. The department has patched more than 9,000 potholes this winter alone — with crews patching up more than twice as many potholes this January and February as they did last year. DDOT has decided to step up its game in other ways as well. For instance, it added more patching crews and increased the goal for fixing potholes from 72 hours to 48 hours.

During “Potholepalooza,” Washingtonians are encouraged to report potholes to get in touch with the city through a number of avenues. For instance, one could call 311, tweet @DDOTDC, or email potholepalooza@dc.gov.

For more information, such as a map of the potholes that are closed, open, and pending is found on this website: [http://gis.ddot.dc.gov/potholeapp/](http://gis.ddot.dc.gov/potholeapp/)

DMV to Open April 29 in Georgetown; New IDs Coming


Mayor Vincent Gray and other D.C. officials cut the ribbon April 14 for the soon-to-reopen Georgetown service office of the Department of Motor Vehicles after its nearly two-year absence. As it was previously, the office is located in the Georgetown Park retail complex at 3222 M St., NW. Entry for the DMV center is the one at the western M Street entrance of the retail complex for DSW and Washington Sports Club.

The Georgetown DMV will open for business April 29: hours are 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. The new 12,000-square-foot space has 150 seats and is twice the area as the old center; it is on the lower level. On average, the Georgetown DMV has handled 500 persons per day; the new center will be able to handle at least 600 per day.

Speaking at the morning press conference were Gray, council members Jack Evans of Ward 2 (where the DMV office is located) Mary Cheh and advisory neighborhood commissioner Bill Starrels — along with Brian Hanlon, director of the D.C. Department of General Services, and Lucinda Babers, DMV director — and representatives of landlord Vornado Realty Trust and contractor Davis Construction.

Babers said she was grateful for all the teamwork to make the DMV office return to Georgetown after its May 2012 closing. Declaring it “a beautiful at the DMV,” Babers said, “It takes a village.” Meanwhile, she noted DMV workers were undergoing employee training.

Also coming are new requirements for DMV-issued identification cards. There are already newly designed driver IDs. On Oct. 1, updated federal IDs will be required for entry into federal buildings — a particularly acute need for those who work and live in D.C. The REAL ID Act will require revalidation of all driver’s licenses in the years ahead. By April 1, 2016, old IDs regardless of expiration date will not be acknowledged for air travel by the Transportation Security Adminstration.

DMV will notify those whose IDs will become obsolete, Babers said, and assign appointment times to come into the DMV center to revalidate. Baber said DMV has issued 541,000 driver or non-driver IDs.

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Celebrate D.C. Emancipation Day on April 16


On April 16, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery in the District of Columbia. This act marked an important moment in American history, preceding Lincoln’s more famous Emancipation Proclamation, and is celebrated in D.C. with citywide events.

During the Civil War, D.C. was a common place of escape for slaves running from the slave states of the South. There was a lot of pressure on the president to abolish slavery in the city. In 1862, with the help of Henry Wilson of Massachusetts, Lincoln signed the D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act, a unique law by Congress that abolished slavery in the District and allowed compensation to the former owners.

The black community of the city organized a parade to celebrate the anniversary in 1866. After an absence of 100 years, the parade returned in the 21st Century as part of an annual tradition – and a heightened awareness by citizens of this important step in the march of freedom. Several additional events around April 16 have come along since then.
The D.C. Emancipation Day Parade will run 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, April 16, along Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, between Third Street and 13th Streets. The parade will feature public officials, government agencies, community organizations, D.C. schools, the military, churches and universities. Since 2005, April 16 has been an official public holiday in the District of Columbia; local government offices will be closed.

At 3 p.m., Wednesday, there will be a free concert near the end of the parade location on 13th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. The concert will include performances by Talib Kweli, Dough E. Fresh, DJ Kool, J Ivy, and D.C.’s own Black Alley Band. There will be vendors with food and drinks to add to the celebration.

To end the day of celebration on a more contemplative note, go the Walter Pierce Park on Calvert Street, NW, at the Duke Ellington Bridge. There will be a luminaire to honor the 8,428 African Americans who are buried in the park.

For more information on Emancipation Day events and the history of the holiday, visit: http://emancipation.dc.gov/

Photos below are from The Emancipation Day Panel; Celebrity Town Hall Discussion at the Lincoln Theatre, April 13.

Centric, a BET Network, the Office of Cable Television, the office of District Council member Vincent Orange and Howard University’s WHUT partner to present the Emancipation Day Panel, a town hall-style discussion focused on important topics affecting youth and the African-American community. Topics involved education, employment, closures of hospitals and healthcare facilities, anti-violence, prison reform and other social issues. Moderated by TV host, reporter and producer Robyn Murphy, the event’s panelists included actress and recording artist Toni Blackman, hip hop artist MC Hammer, Public Enemy’s Chuck D, social and political correspondent Michael Skolnik, president of Russell Simmon’s GlobalGrind.com, and recording artist Monie Love, founder of the Ladies First Women’s Empowerment Organization. The town hall will air as a one-hour television special, complemented with highlights from all official D.C. Emancipation Day celebrations, for future broadcast on CentricTV and WHUT Television.
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April 9 Crime Report: Mugging Near Volta Park

April 11, 2014

As previously reported, street crime in Georgetown has increased. On 11 p.m., April 2, a robbery – police added that it involved “fear” – occurred at 33rd Street and Volta Place, NW. At the ANC meeting, Lt. Hedgecock of the Metropolitan Police Department said that it seems one unidentified male has mugged women in four different incidents. Most of these crimes have happened on the east side of Georgetown.

ANC Report: Hyde-Addison Plans Look to Be Approved; Latham; EastBanc Condos


The Hyde-Addison Elementary School at 3219 O St., NW, has revised plans to expand its school and play areas, as it presents designs before community reviews groups like the Georgetown Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

The addition of a third building – with a playground on top – on the O Street side of the school property will house a cafeteria, gymnasium and extra classrooms, leading to an additional 25,000 square feet. The new building would be partly underground. While another plan adds a section to the back of Addison School, most favored is the O Street building with its greater use of light and smart connection to the old school. Hyde’s School Improvement Team expressed its frustration with approval delays for the start of construction at the overcrowded and popular school.

At the March 31 ANC meeting, commissioners approved the O Street concept. The Old Georgetown Board will look again at the concept.

During the March 31 ANC meeting, other decisions included:

• While the ANC supports 150 new apartments at the old Latham Hotel, 3000 M St., NW, it disapproved of the facade’s designs, especially the reconstruction of the retail building in front of the hotel.

• Concerning condos planned by EastBanc at 3601-3607 M St., NW, the ANC disliked the stark boxy look and also wanted the developer to lower rooftop fixtures. It asked that the stability of the hillside property of Prospect Street homeowners above be checked out.

•The ANC wants the D.C. Department of Public Works to work out a better way of picking up old trash cans when new trash and recycling containers are given out during the summer.

• Flexi-Pave material that overlies tree box space on crowded sidewalks along the commercial corridor of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street was approved. The special plastic protects the trees’ roots, while allowing water to penetrate and flow through the dirt to roots.

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Search for Rudd in Kenilworth Park Ended


Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier announced April 3 that the weeklong search for missing eight-year-old Relisha Rudd in Kenilworth Park in Northeast Washington, D.C., has ended.

“We came here expecting the worst, a grave site,” Lanier said. “We’re relieved that we did not find that . . . We’re always hopeful. Children are found years after they disappear.”

While the search was unsuccessful in finding Rudd or evidence of what might have happened to her, it did result in the discovery of the body of Rudd’s suspected abductor, Kahlil Malik Tatum. The search of the 700-acre park has been exceptionally thorough with police looking through trash bins, digging large holes and using flashlights to look into storm drains.

The search for Rudd has been described as a recovery operation, but many people disagree. For instance, although the search in Kenilworth Park has come to a close, different conclusions have been posited by other organizations investigating the case. The most recent speculation was by a National Missing Persons Organization called the Black and Missing Foundation. This organization believes Rudd’s disappearance is the result of a human trafficking network. WUSA 9 News reported that co-founder of the organization Derrica Wilson said, “I’m pulling at everything in me and there’s nothing in my gut that tells me we’re in a recovery operation. I feel that we’re searching for a live person.”

Wilson co-founded the Black and Missing Foundation with her sister Natalie Wilson to raise awareness and efforts in locating missing persons of color, a segment of the population far overlooked. For instance, according to the foundation in the last year more than 200,000 persons of color were reported missing. Compared to other cases, Relisha’s serves as an exception as it has gotten a great deal of media coverage, which many people believe is because she is so young.

“This case has really rocked me to the core,” Derrica Wilson told WUSA-9 News. “I personally feel that this little girl was sold. I think her mother sold her to Tatum and I think Tatum has sold her in this worldwide industry of trafficking.”

Wilson says that she believes the investigation needs to expand far beyond D.C. and incorporate more than just police. “She could be anywhere and we need to help find her,” Natalie Wilson said. “We would like the public to get involved. Again, somebody knows something.”

Weekend Round Up March 27, 2014


Holocaust Survivor to Present Memoir

March 27th, 2014 at 10:00 AM

Holocaust survivor and author Margot Friedlander will visit the German School Washington, D.C., to read from the new English translation of her memoir,”Try to Make Your Life,” the 2009 winner of Germany’s Einhard Prize for an outstanding autobiographical work. The reading will be followed by a discussion with students.

Address

German School Washington D.C.; 8617 Chateau Dr.; Potomac, MD 20854

Future Is Here Festival

March 27th, 2014 at 10:00 AM | Event Website

A fun weekend full of events open to the public feature Actor George Takei, NASA’s Mars Rover Engineer Adam Steltzner, Cosmologist Brian Greene and other visionaries and experts. Also featuring advance screening of X-MEN: Days of Future Past.

Address

See website for more information on location.

Twentythirtysomething Book Club (T.T.B.C.) with the Georgetown Neighborhood Library

March 27th, 2014 at 07:30 PM | Free | Erika.Rydberg@dc.gov | Tel: 202-727-0232 | Event Website

Are you a local D.C. reader between the ages of 21 and 35? Looking for a more casual book club experience? Then, join the Georgetown Neighborhood Library for Twentythirtysomething Book Club (T.T.B.C.), a new book group for younger adults.
In our first selection, “The Love Song of Jonny Valentine,” author Teddy Wayne (McSweeney’s, The New Yorker) tackles fame and the music industry with the story of Jonny Valentine, a preteen pop superstar already in the midst of his first professional transition.

Address

Gypsy Sally’s Vinyl Lounge; 3401 K St. NW

Open Reception: Interactions: Rodgers Naylor

March 28th, 2014 at 06:00 PM | FREE | gallery@callowayart.com | Tel: 202-965-4601 | Event Website

Interactions, by Rodgers Naylor, on view from March 28 through April 26. In these recent works, Naylor explores the capacity of paintings to express or imply a human story, while keeping his strong focus on the abstract arrangement of light and dark shapes in a composition.

Address

Susan Calloway Fine Arts, 1643 Wisconsin Ave., NW

Taste of the Nation DC

March 31st, 2014 at 07:00 PM | $120-$225 | areddy@strength.org | Tel: 202-734-3536 | Event Website

Tickets are now on sale for Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation® Washington, DC. This year’s event will be held March 31, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m, at the National Building Museum. The highly anticipated annual tasting event, which supports Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry® campaign to end childhood hunger in America, will feature the District’s top chefs, sommeliers and mixologists united for a cause: making sure all children in this nation have the healthy food they need, every day.

Address

National Building Museum; 401 F Street NW

2014 “For the Love of Sight” Visionary Awards Dinner

April 1st, 2014 at 06:00 PM | $1000.00 | Dinabeau@aol.com | Tel: (202) 530-4672

The Foundation Fighting Blindness will hold the 12th Annual “For the Love of Sight” Visionary Awards Dinner on Tuesday, April 1, 2016 at the Ritz-Carlton on 22nd and M Streets in downtown Washington, DC. There will be a 6:00 pm reception and 7:00 pm dinner and awards program.

Address

Ritz-Carlton, Washington, DC

Craig Gildner Trio at Twins Tuesdays Jazz Appreciation Month

April 1st, 2014 at 08:00 PM | $10 | Event Website

The Craig Gildner Trio brings the unique and full sound of a big band with the combination of stride piano filling out the bass (reminiscent of the styles of Teddy Wilson and Fats Waller), chordal and harmony lines as in a big band, a reed player who knows how to swing with fire and compassion, and a drummer with extensive knowledge of Gene Krupa’s style and a vintage calfskin drum set.

Address

Twins Jazz Club; 1344 U St. NW

Weekend Round Up April 3, 2014


Fashion For Paws Online Fundraiser, “I will match your contribution! ”

April 3rd, 2014 at 10:00 AM | Event Website

Today begins a 2-day Challenge: Robin Waugh will match donations (up to $5,000) made over the course of the next two days. Fashion for Paws is a nationally acclaimed, one-of-a-kind luxury brand event to benefit the Washington Humane Society. Please help us make a difference in our community by sponsoring Robin Waugh in the Fashion for Paws® 8th Annual Runway Show. Please visit http://support.washhumane.org/goto/RobinWaugh, then click on either of the bright pink buttons to make a contribution.

Address

All over DC.

7th Annual Penn Quarter on the Block: Cocktail Party and Auction Benefiting StreetWise Partners

April 3rd, 2014 at 06:00 PM | $30 in advance; $40 at the door | savannah@streetwisepartners.org | Tel: 646-705-0028 | Event Website

StreetWise Partners is partnering with Weschler’s Auction House to host an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and silent and live auctions. 100 percent of the proceeds raised will support our signature Career Ventures program– a unique 3-month program that delivers high-impact 2:1 mentoring and professional development services to motivated low-income individuals in the DC area.

Address

Weschler’s Auction House; 909 E Street NW

JT3 Art Short Film Happy Hour

April 4th, 2014 at 06:00 PM | $20-$35 | dtrigg614@gmail.com | Tel: 6098656451 | Event Website

Enjoy short films created by JT3 Art grant recipients, 1 complimentary glass of wine, and appetizers! We will also screen the top 6-second films submitted by young filmmakers ages 16-24 and guests will vote on their favorite. This event benefits the JT3 Art grant program, which provides unrestricted grants to aspiring filmmakers ages 18-34.

Address

City Club of Washington; 555 13th Street, NW

The Pimps of Joytime

April 4th, 2014 at 09:00 PM | $15 | info@gypsysallys.com | Tel: (202) 333 – 7700 | Event Website

Pimps of Joytime’s infectious “Janxta Funk” connects audiences with the funky side of Brooklyn live on the dance floor. Critics from NPR to BBC Radio have come to love their eclectic musicality, and the group is currently on tour with a brand new single and new album to be released later this year.

Address

3401 K St NW, Washington, DC 20007

26th Annual Potomac River Clean-Up

April 5th, 2014 at 09:00 AM | volunteers@accokeek.org

This is a great volunteering opportunity for families, service-learning students, as well as Boy/Girl Scout and corporate groups. Trash bags and gloves will be provided; please wear sturdy shoes and clothing appropriate for slippery and wet conditions. All volunteers should check in at the Visitor Center before being directed to a cleanup spot on-site.

Address

3400 Bryan Point; Accokeek, Maryland 20607

GNP’s “Scandal Tours”

April 5th, 2014 at 01:00 PM | $30 | Event Website

Gross National Product, the comedy group that created the “Scandal Tour” is celebrating its 26th year and pushes the satirical pedal to the metal with the latest Scandals, including but not limited to: Ready for Hillary, Secret Service counter assault team “blackout” incident in Amsterstam, Gov. Bob McDonald, Chris Christie and continues with the Obama, IRS, AP, and a special appearance of some “Putinmania” as we Crim-ea a river, as we roll out a new stop at the Russian Embassy.

Address

Old Post Office Pavillon; 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Contemplative Yoga in Nature

April 6th, 2014 at 09:30 AM | Suggested $20 cash donation (40% of the proceeds goes to Oatlands) | dtsumuki@aol.com | Tel: Aimee Eddington at 703-777-3174 | Event Website

Experience the restorative power of classic yoga in nature’s exquisite beauty!

Contemplative Yoga will focus on the essence of Yoga: the complete practice of the Eight-Fold Path in order that we may be more fully awake and engaged in our everyday lives.

Bring yoga mat, water, walking shoes and any props that are helpful to you.

Offered every first Sunday of the month at 9:30am

This specially designed, all accessible Contemplative Yoga practice will take place in the beautiful circa 1810 greenhouse at Oatlands in the winter months. In warm weather, the class is held in the breathtaking garden, or the historic Carriage House in case of rain.

Address

20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane; Leesburg, VA 20175

Choral EvenSong

April 6th, 2014 at 05:00 PM | Free | Tel: 202-333-6677

Christ Church of Georgetown continues its Choral Evensong series with the music of Philip Radcliffe, Healey Willan, and Christoph Willibald von Gluck. Sung by the professional Choir of Christ Church, this series is free and open to the public as a gift to the community.

Address

31st and O Streets, N.W

Constellation Dinner

April 7th, 2014 at 07:00 PM | $ 175.00 | thegrillroom.dc@capellahotels.com | Tel: 202-617-2424 | Event Website](http://www.thegrillroomdc.com/)

The Constellation Dinner offers the opportunity to learn about the amazing world of astronomy as part of a continuing change of exclusive experiences & perks curated specially for Capella’s guests & Washington, D.C. locals. The evening includes a 3-course dinner & wine pairing in The Grill Room’s private dining room, complimentary use of superb telescope and equipment further enhancing the viewing experience, dessert, and hot beverages on the rooftop.

Address

The Grill Room at Capella Washington DC; 1050 31st Street NW

Channel 9 Debate Is Over; Time to Vote April 1


It was billed by WUSA-9 as the last mayoral debate, as in “D.C. Debate: Now or Never.” If only.

The so-called last debate featured the top four candidates in the D.C. Democratic mayoral primary—the election is April 1—circled around moderator veteran TV journalist Bruce Johnson: Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans, incumbent and under-fire Mayor Vincent Gray, Ward 6 council member Tommy Wells and Ward 4 Council member Muriel Bowser, who is the current front-runner in at least two different and very recent polls.

Johnson sat facing them, tossing out questions a little like a lion tamer tossing out meat to the lions, because at times, the “debate” sometimes resembled a circus where four different acts were running at the same time. There were several times, in fact, when Wells kept challenging Evan’s claims to experience by repeating, “What did you run, Jack?” over and over again, even as Johnson tried to ask another question, and Gray was talking at the same time.

With everyone speaking full-throated at times, a great debate never materialized, although the sometimes prickly nature of the hour-long event, followed on Twitter live, certainly didn’t lack for drama or interest, if not coherence.

Johnson, to his credit, tried to draw the candidates into a meaningful discussion on race, prompted by Ward 8 council member Marion Barry’s remarks when he endorsed Mayor Gray.

That’s one question almost all of the candidates tried to throw back like it was a hand grenade with the pin out, all of the them noting in various ways they had tried to deal with income inequality, affordable or low income housing.

Evans noted that he had done well in his various elections in the mostly black, but now gentrifying Shaw neighborhood of Ward 2, which he represents. In point of fact, when Evans ran for mayor for the first time, he carried exactly one precinct, and it wasn’t in Georgetown but in Shaw.

Gray had to spend a lot of time dealing with questions about the plea bargain deal made by businessman Jeffrey Thompson, in which he alleged that the mayor knew about the “shadow campaign” run for the Gray campaign by Thompson. “I did not do anything wrong,” he insisted. “I’ve answered this question 428 times or so,” he said. “It’s the same answer.” Chided by Wells for not talking about problems with the city in his state-of-the-District address, Gray said, “Were you there, Tommy?”

Johnson tried to ask Gray’s rivals if they believed his assertions. “I believe Ron Machen (referring to the U.S. Attorney for D.C., who is leading the investigation of the 2010 campaign),” Bowser said. “The facts so far have been put out there. “

Evans said that he believes that we still have a system where you’re innocent until proven otherwise. “But we shouldn’t be just focusing on what’s happening with the mayor. We need to focus on who’s best qualified to be mayor.” Both Bowser and Wells, at various points in their campaign, have called for the mayor to resign.

Gray challenged the notion that he cannot take credit for the city’s prosperity. “Mayor Fenty dipped into our savings and left us without much of anything,” he said. “We were in a precarious situation because of that. We built it back up to a point where we have a big surplus, that’s what happened. “

Gray also reiterated that he would not resign if he should be indicted.

The debate came after several polls, all of which showed Bowser gaining on, then overtaking ,Gray for the first time in a Washington Post poll — 30 to 27 percent — although Gray insisted that this was “a statistical dead heat.” “It shows that voters want a fresh start and our message is getting through,” Bowser said. Wells surged into third place, with Evans dropping into single digits.

Bowser, by keeping her head down and remaining calm, showed a quality that she’s built on throughout the campaign. She stays on message, appears strong and deflects criticism, without going into great particulars and specifics on particular promises or policies. She did say, not for the first time, however that she has not made up her mind about keeping on D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson, who took over the schools after the ever-controversial Fenty appointee Michelle Rhee left. She remains both confident and elusive.

Gray spent some time on the defensive, but it was a strong defensive mode, which basically touted his experience, his innocence of any wrongdoing and his accomplishments as mayor.

Wells again touted his strong stance on ethics and repeated again that he would not take corporate donations.

Evans repeatedly insisted that, even at this late date, the debate should be not just about fresh starts or the mayor’s and the city’s problems, but about the shape of the future, and who is best qualified to lead.

Johnson sometimes contributed to the free-flow, chaotic, four-persons-talking-at-the-same-time atmosphere by interrupting the debaters so that he could inject another question. On television, the questions tend to be of the yes-or-no variety, or questions that elicit some drama. Thus, we have the “Do you believe the mayor?” question, which, without saying so, gives opponents a chance to call the mayor a liar. To their credit, nobody said words to that effect. There’s also the ever-present “Who would you think could be mayor, if you don’t win?” questions. “We think we will win on Tuesday,” Bowser said, “but I do believe that Mr. Wells and Mr. Shallal share some similar concerns and views.” She was referring to Andy Shallal, the Iraqi-born owner of the area’s string of Busboys and Poets restaurants, who is also running.

The mayor, while saying he would prevail, indicated that Evans was the only other person in the race who was experienced enough to be mayor. Given legal problems surrounding the mayor, this may not be a coveted endorsement and has its problems, like the Barry endorsement of Gray.

Commenting on Barry’s comments in his endorsement, Gray said, “First of all, Marion has his own views. I have always been a person who wanted to bring people together.” Bowser said the city was more divided under Gray.

So, who won? There was a WUSA call-in opportunity for viewers, the results of which showed that 42 percent of those who called said Wells was the winner in the debate, followed by Evans with 36 percent. Gray finished third at 14 percent, and Bowser was fourth with 8 percent. This was, by the way, the opposite order of things in the most recent polls. Nearly 4,000 people called in or texted. Is it fair to ask if those people will show up to vote? It means something to Wells, whose campaign immediately posted the results.