Latest News

Georgetowner • July 1, 2013

DDOT Streetcar Meeting

June 27th, 2013 at 06:30 PM | Event Website

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will provide updates and general information on various aspects of the DC Streetcar project. The format of the meeting will be an open house set-up featuring information stations staffed by members of the DC Streetcar team.

Address

Atlas Performing Arts Center – Great Hall; 1333 H Street, NE

WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath

June 29th, 2013 at 10:00 AM | Event Website

This landmark exhibition revolutionizes our understanding of this subject, immersing viewers in the experience of soldiers and civilians during wartime. WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY brings together images by more than 200 photographers from 28 nations and covers conflicts from the past 165 years. Epic in scope and ambition, WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY takes us from the home front to the battlefield and back again. It is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and arrives on the East Coast as part of a nationwide tour. Runs to September 29.

Address

Corcoran Gallery of Art; 500 17th Street NW

Drink the District: Red, White, & Brew

June 29th, 2013 at 12:00 PM | $35 | jake@drinkthedistrict.com | Tel: 202-618-3663 | Event Website

Drink the District is back and better than ever with our all-American Red, White, and Brew edition. Join us on June 29th and 30th at Yards Park for a patriotic party complete with unlimited beer and wine, brewed and bottled in the U.S.A.

Session 1: Saturday, June 29th, 12 pm to 4 pm

Session 2: Saturday, June 29th, 6 pm to 10 pm

Session 3: Sunday, June 30th, 12 pm to 4 pm

Address

Yards Park; 355 Water Street SE

Charlie Palmer’s American Fare

June 29th, 2013 at 06:30 PM | $150-195 | Event Website

American Fare is Charlie Palmer’s first ever Celebration of American Regional Cuisine, teaming regional Charlie Palmer Group chefs with top Washington DC-area chefs and restaurants, designed to uncover the many layers of American cuisine in a fun, competitive event in the heart of Washington DC. Each team will create a unique American themed dish representative of their restaurant grouping and will collaborate to produce the best signature drink to pair with their dish.

Teams will compete and be judged by our esteemed panel of judges based on two factors: 1) Best “American” Dish and 2) Best “American” Food & Beverage Pairing. Attending guests will also have the opportunity to voice their opinion by taking part in the People’s Choice vote. Event proceeds will benefit Share our Strength and the winning team’s charity of choice.

Address

Charlie Palmer Steak DC; 101 Constitution Ave NW

Independence Day Tea

June 30th, 2013 at 01:00 PM | $25-30 | Event Website

Where better to celebrate the nation’s birthday than at the home of early patriots? Get “a taste” of first first family by enjoying a delicious tea with scones, sandwiches, and sweets. After the tea, visitors will join docents for a Washington Collection highlight tour of the historic mansion.

Address

Tudor Place; 1670 31st Street, NW

Brainfood Burger Battle

June 30th, 2013 at 03:30 PM | $75.00

Guests enjoy 10 burgers from 10 of DCs chefs, desserts from Small Comforts, and all you can drink from Mad Fox Brewing.
Raises funds for Brainfood- an organization that teaches teens healthy life skills.

Address

Poste Modern Brasserie; 555 8th St NW

Fifteenth Annual Four Seasons of Oatlands Art Show and Sale

July 1st, 2013 at 10:00 AM | Free | marcia@bendurepr.com | Tel: 703.777.3174 | Event Website

The fifteenth annual Four Seasons of Oatlands Art Show and Sale will be displayed in Oatlands’ historic Carriage House from July 1 through July 31. The show is free and open to the public, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Oatlands’ Carriage House is air-conditioned for a pleasant and unique gallery experience.

Address

20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane; Leesburg, VA 20175

Gary Tischler • June 24, 2013

Meaning no disrespect—I mean, hey, you never know—I think we know what happened to Tony Soprano.

Remember that last, monastic, almost zen-like episode of “The Sopranos,” where it went to fade-to-blank as Tony was talking with his wife in Holsten’s restaurant? It set heads to scratching and left Tony hanging, so to speak, in terms of his ultimate fate. Was he about to be killed? Why did he pick “Don’t Stop Believing” on the jukebox, not even knowing that “Glee” was coming? Did he write his memoirs? Was he secretly running the Russian mob?

Well, now we know. He was in an elaborate Department of Justice Witness Protection Program, hiding in plain sight as a gifted, versatile, modest and unforgettable actor named James Gandolfini, who appeared in dozens of movies, television roles and voice-overs, looking always, but never quite, just like Tony Soprano. You could never pin the guy down.

Gandolfini, who was only 51 and the proud father of a young child with his second wife, died while in Italy—go figure—while at a film festival. Gandolfini was that rare acting persona, a character actor who disappeared into his characters and then became—for the lifetime of seven seasons—a huge television star playing—yeah, that’s right—the mobster, the husband, the parent, the adulterer and killer. That’s right: he did his own dirty work. Remember when he and a pal snuffed out Pussy? Goes to show you how smart he was for a mob guy. Here he was being this guy doing all these little parts because he had a knack for it, then coming straight out into the wide open, playing Tony Soprano. Pretty slick. I mean the only time you see these guys is when they’re doing a perp walk or when they’re ratting out their buddies on “Law & Order.”

It’s fair to say that Gandolfini will always be Tony Soprano, which, thanks to him and director David Chase had a huge following on HBO. “The Sopranos” was something of a pioneer in television series work, leading eventually to other conflicted hero-villains, good guy-bad-guy (and good and bad woman), including characters as diverse as “Dexter,” “Mad Men” and Julius Caesar (“Rome”) and Edie Falco—nee Mrs. Tony Soprano as “Nurse Jackie.”

It might have been frustrating for him—if you look at a list of those films he made where he slipped out of Soprano’s loud and big suburban men’s shirt. They’re small parts in smallish thrillers, or called indy films, many of them not particularly successful, but all of them memorable in a disturbing way, sort of like any single episode of “The Sopranos.”

If you look at the titles and the characters, they appear elusive, like refrains from songs you don’t quite remember but haunt you nevertheless, people that made you slow down in the middle of a crowded street or stories that never resolved themselves, leaving a question mark—oops, like the last of Tony. He played guys named Tony Baldessari, Angelo, Billy Coyle, Vinnie, Ben Pinkwater, Bobby Dougherty, Bear, Joey Alegretto, Willie “Woody” Dumas, Winston Baldry, Big Dave Brewster, Nick Murder (ya gotta be kiddin’ me) Tiny Duffy, Mr. G. and in a yet unreleased film, called “Nicky Deuce,” a character named Bobby Eggs. And let us not forget the CIA director (Leon Panetta) in “Zero Dark Thirty,” Juror No. 6, the Mayor of New York City, and an orderly in a 1987 movie called “Shock! Shock! Shock!”

Even the titles resonate: “Mr. Wonderful,” “The Mighty,” “Fallen,” “The Man Who Wasn’t There,” “The Last Castle” (he had Robert Redford killed), “Cinema Verite,” “Get Shorty,” an ultimate kind of sleaze ball in “8mm” and the dizzy, violent “True Romance.”

It’s fair to say he was an actor’s actor—everybody loved and respected him. Yet even at the height of Soprano dazzle, he avoided the dazzle. In “The Sopranos,” Tony Soprano took over—he became an icon like Marshall Dillon, Archie and Edith Bunker, Seinfeld in “Seinfeld,” Lucy, Maverick, Joe Friday, every character from which the actor could never quite escape, even Lennie Briscoe on “Law & Order.”

Gandolfini had never really aspired to being a television superstar. So, in a sense, he did escape but just working all the time—three movies in 2012, three this year already.

Or you could say that Tony Soprano and his gang took over—there’s an entire Wiki website separately from Gandolfini—on Tony Soprano his life and times—his parents (mom tried to kill him), wife, son and daughter, and, of course his girlfriends and his rivals and pals, his other family and, let’s not forget, his shrink Dr. Melfi. It’s like an alternative universe narrative, set in New Jersey.

James Gandolfini was lionized by his fellow actors and peers online and elsewhere. Chase, “The Sopranos” creator, said of him, “A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes.” James Gannascoli (Vito Spatafore on “The Sopranos”) said, “He came with his son and spoke at my wedding, came to my restaurant to meet fans sick as a dog in the rain and stayed for hours . . . Just a humble and gifted actor and person.”

And this from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie “He was a fine actor, a Rutgers alum and a true Jersey guy.”

The true Jersey guy—coulda been talking about: Tony Soprano, the guy who said, “With marriage, you’ll understand the importance of fresh produce” as well as “What use is an unloaded gun?”

Robert Devaney •

The Georgetown Business Association held its annual Leadership Awards Luncheon at Sea Catch Restaurant & Raw Bar June 19 to posthumously honor Jim Weaver of W.T. Weaver & Sons with its Lifetime Achievement Award. The Weaver family has run the Weaver Hardware business — founded in 1889 — at 1208 Wisconsin Ave., NW, for generations. Weaver’s widow Peggy Weaver accepted the award along sons Bryce and Mike Weaver and daughter Joan Weaver Inglesby.

Introduced by GBA president Riyad Said, Ward 2 councilmember Jack Evans was the first of several speakers. Evans had just arrived from the dedication of the Frederick Douglass statue at the U.S. Capitol and said, for D.C., “it’s a start.” Evans then listed a string of decade-long Georgetown successes and called Jim Weaver “a stalwart of the community.”

Bryce Weaver (James B. Weaver III) said that his father is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery on R Street and noted his parents would have celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago. “It is still raw for us,” Weaver said of his father, who died at the age of 81 on April 24 of cancer after being diagnosed only months earlier. “Our father was a wonderful gentleman.”

Weaver spoke of the business community’s “grand old parades,” put together by the likes of his father, Tim Jackson of Swensen’s Ice Cream Parlor, Arnie Passman of the Hallmark Gallery, Rick Hinden of Britches men’s store and David Roffman, retired publisher of the Georgetowner newspaper. (The parades in the 1980s were dedicated to “the Star-Spangled Banner” and its author Francis Scott Key, a Georgetown resident.)

Weaver said the business award was “a consolation to our whole family” and that he accepted “for our dad and all those who passed away.”

Councilmembers Muriel Bowser, Vincent Orange and Tommy Wells also spoke of the importance of local businesses — as well as keeping D.C. business dollars in D.C. — and saluted the Weaver family.

Kate Carr, president of Cardinal Bank, a major sponsor of the event, likewise praised the Weaver family and said that her company was excited to be coming to Georgetown soon, on Wisconsin Avenue near Safeway.

GBA vice president Janine Schoonover wrapped up the meeting and reminded all that D.C. is not just the president, Congress or monuments but has businesses with “regular folks.” She also noted that the next GBA networking reception would be on July 17 at F. Scott’s.
[gallery ids="101356,152762,152744,152758,152749,152754" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney • June 17, 2013

Paint, not manufactured for underwater use, has closed the public pool at Francis School at 2435 N St., NW, two blocks east of Georgetown. Seems it was getting on the swimmers, including infants in the pool. It took complaints by the public to get this safety issue addressed.

The Michiels-Markowski family from 30th Street visited Francis Pool June 2 and found a host of problems with the pool and its facility and contacted Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans and the Georgetowner newspaper.

As of June 7, the family received confirmation from Councilmember Evans that Jesus Aguirre, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, was aware of the problem. The department reportedly used the wrong paint yet kept the pool open. The pool closed June 9 and is scheduled to re-open June 22. “We are so glad that this will be remedied,” Megan Markowski said.

Here’s what Markowski first told the Georgetowner:

“Our visit on Sunday [June 2] was just shocking. It was our first visit this summer season. The exterior of the park entrance had trash strewn about. The insides of the facility were filthy. The ladies bathroom was disgusting — clogged toilets and no toilet paper in any stall.

“The pool and pool deck were horrendous. The zero-entry shallow end of the kiddie pool was marked off with caution tape because the blue paint in the pool bleeds onto your skin. Are you kidding me? How could this pool even be open? As the parent to a 20-month-old child, this is beyond unacceptable, it is unsafe. How could they have a pool open with its paint rubbing onto children’s and other users’ skin? There are bright blue foot prints in the pool. Unbelievable.

“In addition, there was only one lifeguard for the entire three pools. So, he was calling “all break” for all three pools. Only about half of the pool deck chairs were out. So, half of the users had to put towels down.

“As a D.C. resident family and taxpaying household, we are outraged. We contacted D.C. Parks & Recreation. We want other Georgetowners to know about the conditions at Francis Pool and that D.C. allowed this place to be open to the public as is.”

Thanks to attention by Evans, D.C. parks boss Aguirre wrote back to the councilman: “DGS [Department of General Services] has assessed the issue, and it turns out there are problems with the paint used in prepping for the season. The only way to repair is to drain the pool and that will result in a substantial shutdown. (For example, it takes at least two to three days to drain the pool and another two to three days to fill gain due to the volume of water.) Of course, DGS would also address the other concerns in the looker rooms and site during the shutdown.”

For her part, Markowski has one more thing to say the District government: “We need answers why this paint was used in the first place and why the pool was open for three weeks.”

The Georgetowner called the office of Jesus Aguirre for comment but did not receive a response in time for the posting of this article.
[gallery ids="101331,151513" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

The Georgetown Improvement District held its annual meeting June 11 at the Powerhouse building on Grace Street. Georgetown BID board president Crystal Sullivan welcomed the group and touted the BID’s “new era” under CEO Joe Sternlieb. Also recognized were new employees Jonathon Kass as the BID’s first ever transportation director and Joshua Hermias as its first ever economic development director.

The BID’s Clean Team under Bill Baker was applauded as well as “employee of the year” Andrew Gill. For its part in revitalizing Washington Harbour and establishing the popular ice skating rink, MRP Realty received the first ever Community Leadership Award, accepted by MRP’s Bob Murphy. The rink, which opened to the public in November, was “transformative,” Sternlieb said. MRP’s work made a big impact on Georgetown and has attracted new visitors.

The highlight of the meeting was an address by Mayor Vincent Gray, who likes to say that he loves to come to Georgetown and likes its Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E best. Gray complimented the BID for its 2028 plan and tacked about the District’s own five-year plan, which includes 100,000 new jobs and $1 billion in new tax revenue. Gray cited the ending of “retail leakage,” bringing businesses like Costco to the city, as well as regulation streamlining to make D.C. more business-friendly and adding new high-tech jobs — perhaps even Microsoft in Anacostia, he mused — thus allowing D.C. to be less dependent on the federal government for jobs. Gray also cited the medical industry and tourism as big employers, while he said D.C. was going after foreign investors, too.

Tonight, the Georgetown BID welcomes all to contribute to its 15-year plan, Georgetown 2028.
The Georgetown BID wrote: “The goal in doing such a plan is to help Georgetown maintain its status as a world-class commercial district, and ultimately continue to make it a thriving community for all. The process and final plan, which is set to be completed before Thanksgiving, focuses on transportation, economic development and public space issues. We value your opinion and invite you to take part in Georgetown 2028 by attending the first of two community engagement meetings.”

Again, the first meeting is tonight 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, June 13, at the Foundry Office Building, 1055 Thomas Jefferson St., NW, 5th floor. RSVP to: georgetown2028@georgetowndc.com

Georgetowner •

6th Annual Truck Touch

June 15th, 2013 at 09:00 AM

The DC Department of Public Works host their 6th annual Truck Touch at RFK Stadium (Lot 7). Government agencies will demonstrate how vehicles operate to repair the city, then afterwards Mayor Gray’s summer kick-off event will take place on Lot 6. Good fun for all ages.

Address

RFK Stadium Festival Grouds; 2400 East Capitol Street SE

9th Annual 2013 Pink Ribbon Polo Classic

June 16th, 2013 at 11:00 AM | $20 in adavnce, $25 at the gate | Event Website

This year’s Pink Ribbon Polo Classic will be held on Sunday, June 16th with all proceeds supporting breast
cancer programs at the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation and the Every Woman’s Life Screening
Program.

Address

King Family Vineyards; Crozet, Virginia

Concerts in the Park Father’s Day Reggae Fest

June 16th, 2013 at 05:00 PM | FREE | Event Website

Take part in the 11th annual Georgetown Concerts in the Park this 2013 season. The Father’s Day Concert is the second of three scheduled events. Treat Dad to an evening Reggae Fest in Volta Park.

Address

Volta Park Recreation Center and Pool; 1555 34th St NW

Stamp Stampede

June 18th, 2013 at 12:00 PM | Event Website

Join Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s at Union Station West Porch as he gives away stamped dollar bills to promote an amendment to get corporate money out of politics. Anyone else can stamp their dollars and every stamp is a free Ben & Jerry’s cone. Every stamped bill reaches an average of 875 people.

Address

Union Station West Porch; 50 Massachusetts Ave NW

Miniature Masterworks – Small Works of Art

June 19th, 2013 at 11:00 AM | Free | art@liveanartfullife.com | Tel: 540-253-9797 | Event Website

June 19 – July 7, All Day Celebration Saturday June 22, Opening Reception 5 – 8 PM, “Miniature Masterworks” Small Works of Art. A celebration of small paintings, sculpture and artisan works! Miniature Masterworks brings you affordability and fun! Regional artists and artisans! Gem sized art for those nook and cranny spaces, with paintings limited to 108 square inches or less (think 9” X 12” max). Evening wine reception with Delaplane Cellars on June 22!

Address

Live An Artful Life Gallery; 6474 Main Street; The Plains, VA 20198

Rachel Scola •

The official first day of summer will soon be here, but before we start celebrating the new season it’s time to celebrate fathers. Not sure what to get dad this year? Check out the following and find the perfect gift. Maybe even stray away from a tie this year.

Sprinkles Cupcakes: Sprinkles is running a special promotion for Father’s Day, “the Dad box.” It contains a dozen cupcakes in four flavors: peanut butter chip, red velvet, black and white and vanilla milk chocolate. The box has Sprinkles’ signature stars and sugar decorations, making it a delicious and unique gift for this year.

Apple: We all know the Apple store can be a go-to place when a new computer is needed. But the accessories it has piled together for Father’s Day offer selections, such as headphones, speakers, and even a cooking thermometer that’s compatible with an iPhone or iPad, that make perfect gifts for this holiday. Even if dad isn’t the most tech-savvy guy, these Apple accessories are easy to use and will make a memorable and useful gift.

Georgetown Tobacco: Find a unique gift from an assortment of tobaccos, pipes, and cigars. Even if the father you’re buying for doesn’t smoke, Georgetown Tobacco also offers other gift ideas, like mugs and cuff links. It’s the perfect place to find something a little different and out of the ordinary for this year.

Clyde’s & the Tombs: Clyde’s offers both gift cards and gift coins which make a perfect gift for dad to enjoy later in the future. The gift card gives him the option of taking you out to thank you for the gift or it could let him enjoy a night out with old friends. If the Tombs is already a favorite for him, a Tombs shirt, hat or beer mug would make a simple and thoughtful gift.

Vineyard Vines: With its well-recognized whale logo, you can’t go wrong with anything from Vineyard Vines to spruce up a man’s wardrobe. VV started as a tie business though, so if you really can’t resist buying dad a tie this year, any from their collection will last him for a good time and is sure to bring in compliments. This year, with any $300 purchase, you can get a free limited-edition Father’s Day tie. Hurry before they run out!

Gary Tischler • June 13, 2013

And now there are three.

Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans, the longest serving member of the District Council and a Georgetown resident, made it official by announcing his candidacy for Mayor of Washington, D.C., way ahead of the Democratic primary on April 1, 2014. Evans spoke in front of the 14th Street entrance of the new Le Diplomate restaurant, a hot new place on a hot site very characteristic of the city’s booming reputation as an urban hot spot.

Evans had been dropping hints and pretty positive signs that he would be running for some time now—his talk at the Downtown Business Improvement District’s state of downtown report several weeks ago sounded very much like a campaign speech touting the many project’s and development game changers of which he has been a part: the Verizon Center, the new Washington Convention Center, the coming of the Washington Nationals baseball team to the District, legislation creating business improvement districts and more.

In announcing his candidacy, Evans sounded a richer theme than merely being a high profile mover and backer of major developments, of being a finance and numbers wiz on the council as chair of the finance committee, of being able to claim a large part of the credit—along with the council and three mayors—for the changing physical, demographic changes of D.C. and its budget surplus. On Saturday, surrounded by his wife Michele and other family members, he preached the gospel of inclusion mindful of what many observers still see as a divide in the city, especially as evidenced in several recent council election and the last mayoral elections.

Evans has been serving effectively as a councilmember since 1991, when then Ward 2 Councilman John Wilson moved on to become Chairman of the City Council. His first race was close, the closest in fact that Evans has had since being re-elected time and time again.

“I came to Washington from Pennsylvania a number of years ago as a young attorney,” he said. “I put down roots here, I’ve raised my children here, and have been fortunate to be able to serve this city on the city council.”

This marks the second time that Evans—who has periodically over the years mused out loud about possible runs for mayor or chairman—has run for mayor. In 1998, he entered the race in a field that included Kevin Chavous from Ward 7, at-large council member Harold Brazil, and eventually the city’s chief financial officer, the very able Anthony Williams, who wound up winning and being re-elected four years later. Evans, in spite of running a skilled campaign, finished a distant third behind Williams and Chavous. That year, Marion Barry ended his mayor-for-life status by not choosing to run again.

Now, Evans joins a field that so far includes Ward 4 Council member Muriel Bowser and Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells.

Wells made ethics an emphatic part of his campaign. Evan’s announcement came with the background noise of the news that former councilman Michael Brown had been charged with bribery in the wake of an FBI sting. Brown had lost a bid for re-election to an at-large seat on the council last year. He was the third council member to be indicted for wrong doings—former Ward 5 councilmember Harry Thomas, former Council Chairman Kwame Brown and now Michael Brown. All of them were considered to be talented, gifted future political leaders of the city at one time.

The big question in the mayoral race remains Mayor Vincent Gray. He hasn’t said one way or the other whether he plans to run. Gray’s 2010 campaign remains under federal investigation. As long as questions remain about the campaign, it will be difficult for the mayor to run for re-election.

All of the candidates—Evans, Bowser, Wells—were part of the city’s annual Gay Pride Parade Saturday, a boisterous, but also much changed event which has become more and more mainstream every year. It’s still an enormous amount of high-spirited fun, and a required show-up for city politicians, whether they’re running for something or not.

For Evans, who rose to prominence as an ANC commissioner from Dupont Circle and got his political start there, it turned out to be a big—and surely exhausting—day. He might have noted that while the mayor was not as yet a candidate in the field, he was part of a big and energetic “One City” contingent.
[gallery ids="101330,151516,151493,151512,151499,151508,151504" nav="thumbs"]

Jordan Hellmuth • June 10, 2013

The 1973 film “The Exorcist” has come back to haunt Georgetown University. William Peter Blatty, class of 1950 Georgetown graduate, and author of the 1971 same-name novel “The Exorcist” is filing a lawsuit against Georgetown University in regards to its supposedly fading Roman Catholic identity.

According to Blatty, his alma mater has not been adhering to its Catholic identity. Georgetown University, founded in 1789 and the oldest Catholic and Jesuit University in the U.S., is having the rug pulled out from under it by a well-known alumnus. The Catholic university, Blatty and others contend, has defied church doctrine on issues such as homosexuality and abortion.

Blatty is speaking for 1,200 university alumni, parents, students, faculty and other Catholics through his petition, calling for Georgetown to comply with Ex Corde Ecclesiae in defending the university’s Catholic roots. Blatty is calling for more Georgetown University Catholic students and alumni alike to arms in the form of a canon suit against the university.

Georgetown University officials disagree with the allegations by Blatty and other of not being as true to Catholicism as it once was. “Our Catholic and Jesuit identity on campus has never been stronger,” said Rachel Pugh, university spokesperson.

The university maintains its academic standards of requiring theology and philosophy courses. Students of Georgetown University have numerous ways to expand their knowledge of Catholicism and strengthen their faith, including the opportunity to attend one or more of as many seven Masses on Sundays in Dahlgren Chapel, which is only one among the five Catholic chapels Georgetown campuses.

“All undergraduate students, for example, take two semesters of theology and two semesters of philosophy before graduation,” said Pugh. “Georgetown supports the largest ministry in the country.”

Georgetown University has not yet seen the petition delivered to Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington. Blatty has not yet received an official response from the university.

As for how the lawsuit will go, time will only tell if the suit will “purify” Georgetown or if Blatty will tumble down the stairs.

See previous Georgetowner article

Georgetowner •

Alex’s Lemonade Stand

June 7th, 2013 at 11:00 AM

The Westin Georgetown will host its 3rd Annual Alex’s Lemonade Stand as part of the National Lemonade Days weekend.

Lemonade Days is a three-day event held every June. Proceeds benefit childhood cancer research.

The stand will be at the corner of 24th and M St., NW, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Address

2350 M St., NW

Friends of Volta Park Cocktail Party Fundraiser

June 7 at 7 p.m. | 125 | friends@voltapark.org | Tel: 202-258-4732 | Event Website

This annual event brings Georgetowners together to raise funds for the landscape and maintenance of Volta Park. FOVP is in partnership with DC Department of Parks and Recreation; together they maintain the beautful park. Friday, June 7, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Georgetown Visitation Prep. $125 individual ticket; $200 for two, walk-ins welcome

Address

Georgetown Visitation Prep, 1524 35th St., NW

Young Professionals in Foreign Policy 6th Annual Affairs of State Gala & Fundraiser

June 7 at 8 p.m. | $69-80 | shelly.zhao@ypfp.org | Event Website

Kick-off summer with YPFP! This year’s event will feature music from DJ Neekola, a silent auction, casino room, open bar, complimentary cigar rolling and much more! For more information please visit: https://ypfp.org/event/6th-annual-affairs-state-gala-and-fundraiser-6.

Address

City Tavern Club, 3206 M St., NW

Address

National Building Museum; 401 F St., NW

Casbah Belly Dance Theater by Saffron Dance

June 8 at 5 p.m. | $30 – $35 | info@saffrondance.com | Tel: 703-2762355 | Event Website

Join Saffron Dance for its spring dance theatre production: Casbah. More than 90 dancers will perform a full spectrum of classical, modern, fusion, folkloric and tribal belly dance set in the elegance of the Gonda Theatre. Casbah will feature spectacular choreographies by Saffron’s Resident Dance Companies and performance companies as well as Saffron faculty soloists.

Two shows available: 5 p.m and 8 p.m.

$30 by June 2. $35 after June 2.

Address

Gonda Theater, Georgetown University Davis Performing Arts Center, 37th & O Streets, NW

Old Fashioned Picnic for IEF

June 8 at 2 p.m. | $70 per person, $150 for family | cbaerveldt@iefusa.org | Tel: 1-240-290-0263 ext 118 | Event Website

Kick off Summer with IEF for an Old Fashioned Picnic. Coming up Saturday, June 8, from 2 to 5 pm, the picnic will be held at the beautiful farm of Dr. and Mrs. Raymond Pilkerton outside of Potomac, Maryland. Listen to the foot tapping music of King Street Bluegrass while enjoying hearty picnic fare. There will be hay rides and games for the children. Bring the whole family. Support the sight saving programs of the IEF with your reservation or sponsorship.

Address

Dr. and Mrs. A. Raymond Pilkerton, 15111 River Road, Potomac, Md.

For the Birds

June 9 at 1:30 p.m. | $10-15 | [Event Website] (http://www.nbm.org/)

Learn about reusing unwanted materials and making a difference in your neighborhood. Bring recyclable containers or use what the museum has collected to create unique objects.

GBA Yoga in the Park

June 12 at 06 p.m. | Free | info@­gtownbu­siness.­com | [Event Website](http://www.gtownbusiness.com/)

Every Wednesday through the month of June, join the Georgetown Business Association for Yoga in the Park at the Georgetown Waterfront Park. Instruction provided by Down Dog Power Yoga teachers. Serendipity3 will be giving out complimentary Frrrozen Hot Chocolate drink cards to attendees.

Address

Georgetown Waterfront Park, 3100 K St., NW