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Robert Devaney • April 3, 2013

The Hoya basketball team–the No. 2 seed in the South Regional of the 2013 NCAA Tournament–is set to play Friday in Philadelphia against Florida Gulf Coast University.

For this March Madness, the Georgetown University men’s basketball team looks strong with coach John Thompson III and star player Otto Porter leading the way.

And, for good measure, there’s a “Jack the Bulldog” inflatable on top of the Prospect Street house of Jack Davies, who has placed Santa Claus and a hockey player atop his river view deck before.

“Yesterday afternoon with the assistance of three young men from Georgetown’s athletic department and my nephew Clarke Williams, we put up the bulldog,” said Davies, businessman and philanthropist, who is a founder of AOL International and part owner of the Washington Capitals and other sports teams. “We were nearly foiled by strong winds but Jack the Bulldog prevailed.”

At first unaware that he and the Georgetown mascot share a first name, Davies said of the high-sitting inflatable — which was provided by the university — “It’s better than an inflatable Jesuit.”

“The Hoyas are my neighborhood team,” Davies said. “I am a big fan of John Thompson III and his wife Monica and of the way Georgetown runs its program. I would like to see Coach Larranaga do well with Miami, but Jack the Bulldog shows my true favorite.”

It seems everyone has a favorite, religiously filling in their NCAA brackets. As he has done since his first year in office, President Barack Obama shared his picks with ESPN: Louisville, Ohio State, Florida and Indiana in the Final Four; Indiana beating Louisville in the April 8 national championship game.

Retired Georgetowner publisher Dave Roffman chimed in from Alabama: “My Final Four, Ohio State, Miami, Louisville and Georgetown.” Roffman commented: “Well, since I spent 42 plus years in Georgetown, I have to root for the Hoyas. But Michigan is definitely tough. I like Miami and Ohio State to reach the finals. They have the best point guards.”

Looking at the brackets, the coverage and marketing of the tournament, the conferences and the number of schools (not even counting play-in schools) and their often obscure names, you realize a lot has changed since March Madness officially became March Madness.

One thing you can practically say with certainty is that there is no clear-cut favorite this year. Indiana, for instance, has a number-one seed in this tournament, but hardly any hoops nut is picking them to win it all—except POTUS.

“Those great upset years with the great oddball schools forging into the regionals and NCAA finals by whooping up on the likes of Duke, Kansas or, yes, sad to say, Georgetown in early rounds may be over,” said Georgetowner arts & entertainment editor Gary Tischler, who began his career as a sports writer years ago in northern California.

“I’m not making a prediction here—bad enough that I filled out the bracket minus the eventual champion—but it looks impossible to try,” Tischler said. “Everybody’s a crap shooter these days even those who think it’s a game where you say crap(s) all of the time. Talk about the old, long-shot guys. Look who’s got a number-one seed—Gonzaga, a small school with a great basketball program which became so consistently good that it became a so-called mid-major.  VCU and Butler, giant killers of yore, are now legitimate contenders right up there with Georgetown, which is playing a school that beat another top seed, Miami, whose coach led George Mason to the Final Four in 2006.”

Tischler’s take-away? “Hate to go against the president: Georgetown and St. Louis in the final in a nail biter.  Don’t know who; just know when.”

Whatever the pick, Georgetown–and the entire Washington area–is enjoying the national attention of being a top seed in the NCAA basketball tournament. And Jack the Bulldog is staring down on D.C. and Virginia. Let’s hope he gets to sit and stay for a couple of weeks.
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Gary Tischler •

One of the really, really swell things about living where I do in the Lanier Heights of Adams Morgan is that I can walk to the National Zoo. Which meant that today, even though it was bitter cold on a day that is supposed to be a part of spring, I could walk over to the zoo to the press opening for the National Zoo’s new state-of-the-art Elephant Community Center, part of its Elephant Trail program that also includes an Elephant Barn which opened in September.

Walking over we ran into National Zoo Director Dennis Kelly who was headed in the same direction. “This is about saving the Asian elephant,” Kelly said. “Wait until you see. It’s not just an exhibit. It’s something we all care about passionately. There is a real threat here. This is about research, observation and study. It’s a great opportunity for us.” The Asian elephant is on the endangered species list.

“I know some people who remember this from way back,” he said. “I used to live near National Cathedral. I could walk here all the time. Sure, it’s a great thing to have as part of your neighborhood.”

The zoo’s chief veterinarian Suzan Murray is obviously passionate about the elephants. They number three now, although the zoo wants to build a functioning, familial herd of “maybe seven to ten elephants,” she said

Once you get in the new center—the former elephant house, which housed, back in the day not just elephants but rhinoceros, hippos and giraffes—you get an real sense of space and excitement about the future. And that’s before the three elephants Ambika, Shanti and Kandula actually arrive—well, two, because Kandula, who is Shanti’s son—has opted to stay outside. Kids are making elephant noises on an exhibit that lets them do it. There are press persons and parents and elephant keepers milling around with each other, looking at the new center, which has the look of something bigger, plenty of light, a sand (and heated) floor, lots of straw and branches and toys, which lets the elephant keep their minds bus and a pedal which lets the elephant turn on the shower.

If you want to talk about elephant passion—it’s hard to pick among Murray, Marie Galloway, the elephant keeper at the zoo for the past 26 years, or the three children who were the winners of the Washingtonian Magazine’s letter writing contest, Ethan Schipper, a kindergarten student at Westbriar Elementary School in Vienna, Sarah Price, a third grader at Woodacre Elementary School in Bethesda, and Tony Phonemany, a fifth grader at Crestwood Elementary School in Springfield.

The children were there with their families, high energy as you expect but when Shanti and Ambika ambled in, they—and everybody else—got quiet. Elephants of all ages and stages remain mysterious, proud animals. They’re tool users but also playful, slow and big—their weight runs into tonnage. Unlike, say, Pandas, who get by on unworldly cuteness, elephants get respect wherever they might appear—they’ve got majestic mojo, no question.

Maybe the most passionate and most excited person in the room was Galloway who tells you that Ambika was actually very shy about entering the new space, while Shanti raced toward it the minute the doors opened and her son opted for the cautious way. “He backed in,” she told the gathered press. “So, yes, elephants do walk backward.”

“I could talk about elephants all day if you let me. Elephant stories,” she said. “They are so very, very smart. So, we do things all over the enclosure—hide treats or food, let them figure things out. You’ll never get to the end of everything there is to know about them.”

Ethan Schipper wants to work with elephants. “I want to save your family,” he wrote in his letter. “He gave all the contents in piggy bank—$1.85—to help the elephants. “This is the woman who helped when Kandula was born. She caught him.” Ethan stood silent, one of those best-day-of-your-life moments difficult to articulate whether you’re five or 85.

The Elephant Community Center is part of Elephant Trails project, a $56-million effort which began several years ago and which now which totals 8,984 square meters. The community center features state of the art animal care facilities, space for socializing, training and playing, has climate control a wading pool and shower, and it is a complete green building.

Robert Devaney •

According to the National Park Service and DDOT Trees, Canal Road will close between Foxhall Road and Arizona Avenue, NW, beginning tomorrow, March 26, through Thursday, March 28, between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., for scheduled road work.

A longer project is also slated to begin this week, closing Canal Road between 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., Sundays through Thursdays: repairs at the trail bridge over the C&O Canal and Canal Road at Arizona Avenue, NW, by the NPS. Reconstruction of the bridge will also close the Capital Crescent Trail at times; bicycle traffic will be detoured over a temporary bridge. The NPS reported to cyclists and other users of the trail: “The contractor is working during a night time road closure of Canal Road from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Traffic is re-routed around this closure. If all progresses well, the contract should be complete with all repairs in June. The CCT trail is slated to remain open during most of this process. We required the contractor to install a temporary bridge to serve the commuting public. . . . It is our intention for the daily CCT commuter not to be impacted from 5 a.m. through 9 p.m. time frame.”

Georgetowner • March 25, 2013

HUGE USED BOOK SALE

March 22nd, 2013 at 10:00 AM | $1 or 25 cents | FriendsofPalisadesLibrary@gmail.com | Tel: 202-966-3291 | Event Website

For the benefit of DC’s Palisades Library,
Fri. March 22 and Sat. March 23, 10 am – 4 pm. 20,000 titles. Most books $1 or 25 cents each, discounted by the bag on Sat.
FriendsOfPalisadesLibrary@gmail.com

Address

4901 V St. NW (corner MacArthur Blvd.)

Artini 2013 @ The Corcoran

March 22nd, 2013 at 07:30 PM | $125 – $200 (VIP) | membership@corcoran.org | Tel: (202) 639-1753 | Event Website

8:30 P.M. TO MIDNIGHT (VIP SPEAKEASY OPENS AT 7:30 P.M.)

Presented by the Corcoran’s 1869 Society, ARTINI is a vibrant evening of art, cocktails, entertainment, and dancing.

General Ticket, Member and Non-Member Price: $125

VIP Ticket, 1869 Society Price: $169

VIP Ticket, Non-Member Price: $200

All proceeds benefit the NOW at the Corcoran exhibition and performance series.

Address

Corcoran Gallery of Art; 500 17th St NW

Tea with the Easter Bunny

March 23rd, 2013 at 10:00 AM | Begin at $15.00 | Event Website

Enjoy a festive spring tea with the Easter Bunny! Families will sample spring tea blends, sandwiches, petite desserts, and scones, while visiting with the Easter Bunny. After tea, families will partake in a scavenger hunt through Tudor Place’s 5.5 acres of gardens in search of the Easter Bunny’s favorite flowers and animal friends.

Address

Tudor Place; 1644 31st St NW

Easter Eggstravaganza

March 23rd, 2013 at 10:00 AM | Event Website

One of the most EGGciting Easter events in the area, this is a time for kids and families to come out and enjoy a fun-filled event. Come on out and enjoy the festivities with us!

Two Easter Egg Hunts

Life-size Easter Bunny

Face Painting

Games

Prizes

Hosted by National Community Church-Georgetown. NCC strongly believes in kids and families! We put a lot of effort into investing in kids lives and having events where they can have fun and learn valuable lessons.

Address

Rose Park; 2600 O St NW

The Giving Tree Band at Hill Country Barbecue

March 29th, 2013 at 08:30 PM | Free | info@hillcountrywdc.com | Tel: (202) 556-2050 | Event Website

Where: Hill Country Barbecue Market in Washington D.C.

When: Friday, March 29th, 2013

Doors: 8:30 pm

Show: 9:30 pm

Set time: 9:30 pm

Ages: All Ages

Price: Free

Address

410 7th Street NW

Georgetowner • March 18, 2013

Embassy Chef Challenge

March 14th, 2013 at 07:30 PM | $250 | emily@pivotpointcom.com | Tel: 202-661-7581 | Event Website

Cultural Tourism DC presents the 5th Annual Embassy Chef Challenge. Embassy chefs from DC show off their international culinary skills in this annual competition, judged by a panel of celebrities and over 400 guests. Guests can look forward to silent and live auctions, five star global cuisine, and a top shelf open bar.

Address

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Sea Catch Restaurant & Raw Bar: First Annual Mussels & Beer Tasting

March 15th, 2013 at 06:00 PM | 50 | afrancis@rbpropertiesinc.com | Event Website

On Friday, March 15th, join Sea Catch Restaurant & Raw Bar (1054 31st Street, NW) for their First Annual Mussels & Beer Tasting. From 6 to 9 p.m., enjoy a selection of beers, unlimited pours, PEI mussels, wings, house-made potato chips and raffles and giveaways. $50 inclusive.

Address

Sea Catch Restaurant; 1054 31st St NW

Machiavelli’s Prince Throughout The Centuries

March 15th, 2013 at 03:00 PM | Open To The Public | Event Website

On the 500th anniversary of the completion of “The Prince,” the Italian Cultural Institute of Washington, D.C., and the Department of Italian at Georgetown University are proud to present a symposium on Machiavelli’s enduring legacy. Specialists will illustrate the relevance of “The Prince” within their disciplines, while filmmaker Luca Verdone will talk about his film-in-progress on the writer’s life, seen both from a public and a private perspective.

Address

Georgetown University; ICC AUDITORIUM; 37th and O St., NW

Walk for Wishes

March 16th, 2013 at 12:00 PM | free | jhoffman@cvic.com | Tel: 202-232-6627 | Event Website

Make-A-Wish® Mid-Atlantic’s 2013 Walk For Wishes® is a community-wide celebration and effort to grant wishes for local children with life-threatening medical conditions. Walkers of all ages will come together in our nation’s capital and enjoy a day that includes the walk itself and ongoing family-fun festivities including; great music, face painting and balloon art, special guest appearances and other surprises.

Address

The National Mall

Get Schooled in AnaphylaxisTM: An Interactive Experience at NBC4 Health Fair

March 16th, 2013 at 09:00 AM | Free | acline@ccapr.com | Event Website

A life-threatening allergic reaction, or anaphylaxis, can happen anywhere, and at any time. Learn more about life-threatening allergies and your role in keeping your school and community educated at Get Schooled in AnaphylaxisTM: An Interactive Experience.

Come out to explore an animated tour through the community to discover where allergens might be hiding, take home educational materials and receive free giveaways.

WHEN: Saturday, March 16 & Sunday, March 17 from 9am-5pm each day

Address

WHERE: 20th Annual NBC4 Health & Fitness Expo; Walter E. Washington Convention Center – Halls B & C, Booth #1213

Choral Evensong

March 17th, 2013 at 05:00 PM | Free | Tel: 202-333-6677

Christ Church, Georgetown presents music of Richard Ayleward, Orlando Gibbons, and William Boyce. Sung by professional Choir of Christ Church.

Address

31st & O Street NW

PINOCCHIO. The Story of a Puppet

March 19th, 2013 at 07:30 PM | TICKETS ARE $30.00 | michele.giacalone@esteri.it | Event Website

One of the most renowned Italian books, Pinocchio: the Story of a Puppet, is often considered to be a children’s story, but actually it is more than this.
This performance combines literature, theater, dance, and music to bring to realization the most celebrated Italian “piece of wood,” through the story of the timeless work of a wood carver that teaches beauty and truth.

Address

Terrace Theater at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; 2700 F Street NW

Alex and Ani Georgetown: Meet Your Neighbor Event

March 20th, 2013 at 07:00 PM | georgetown@alexandani.com | Tel: 202.333.4195

Join Alex and Ani Georgetown (3068 M Street, NW) for a Meet Your Neighbors Event on Wednesday, March 20th. From 7 to 9 p.m., come on in to shop, network and enjoy lite bites and energy punch. Invite and share with vendors. RSVP: georgetown@alexandani.com. 202.333.4195

Address

3068 M Street, NW

Georgetowner • March 14, 2013

Harlem Globetrotters Ariel “Mighty” Mitchell and Herbert “Flight Time” Lang dribbled and spun pink basketballs over Key Bridge from Arlington, Va., to M Street and up 35th Street to Holy Trinity Catholic School, taking part in an anti-bullying program Feb. 27 — along with demonstrations of their basketball skills to the delight of elementary school students in the auditorium on O Street. Mitchell said the duo was carrying pink basketballs for breast cancer research.

“It’s a lot of traveling, but it’s a lot of fun,” Lang told ABC7 News. “If I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t be able to do it for so long.” Lang is right: he was twice on the CBS reality show, “Amazing Race,” in 2009 and 2011 with fellow Globetrotter Nate “Big Easy” Lofton. Only the 11th female Globetrotter, Mitchell will join other teammates next month for their tour in Great Britain. Another set of Globetrotters is in North Korea with Dennis Rodman. (Time out: What? Rodman sitting next to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un . . . ?) Now, that’s some serious sports diplomacy.

The Globetrotters will play three games here over the weekend — one at the Verizon Center, March 2; two at the Patriot Center on March 2 and 3.
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Georgetowner •

Jazz Piano Concert

March 7th, 2013 at 05:30 PM | Admission Free | churchoffice@firstuccdc.org | Tel: 202-628-4317 | Event Website

First Thursdays features Tim Whalen in a solo piano Jazz Concert. A highly versatile musician, Whalen has written & played with outstanding musicians in many different musical venues in the US, Japan & Europe. He writes music for everything from jazz trios to orchestras and plays with the likes of David “Fathead” Newman, Ambrose Akinmusire, Jon Hendricks, Vic Juris, Richard Davis, Dennis Irwin, Barry Ries, Clyde Stubblefield, Jackie Allen, Ben Sidran, Jorge Drexler & Marcus Belgrave.

Address

First Congregational United Church of Christ; 945 G St. NW (Near Metro Center Subway Stop)

Hickey Freeman, Yoana Baraschi & Allen Edmonds Trunk Show!

March 9th, 2013 at 10:00 AM | Free! | admin@otimwilliams.com | Tel: 2028022882 | Event Website

Join Everard’s Clothing as the latest collections from American designers Allen Edmonds, Yoana Baraschi and Hickey Freeman are unveiled. RSVP or simply pop in for this much anticipated Georgetown event.

Address

1802 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington, DC 20007

FREE Remodeling & Design Seminar

March 9th, 2013 at 10:00 AM | Free | dana@hopkinsandporter.com | Tel: 301-840-9121 X 17 | Event Website

Come join us in a relaxing atmosphere with a complimentary lunch to follow as you have a one on one time with our experts here at Hopkins & Porter. Get your questions answered and your concerns addressed.

Ways to Open Up Your Floor Plan to Fit Today’s Lifestyle

Your Checklist for a Successful Remodeling Project

How to Let the Light In

Kitchens & Baths: The Important Details

Additions – Affordable Solutions with Style

Address

12944-C Travilah Rd., #204, Potomac, MD 20854.

“A Taste of Puglia”

March 10th, 2013 at 05:00 PM | $65 Per Person | specialevents.aldentedc@gmail.com | Tel: 202-244-2223 | Event Website

Join Roberto Donna and Silvestro Conte of “Your Italia” Al Dente Sunday, March 10, 2013 5PM Prosecco & Hors d’Oeuvres, 6PM Dinner. Dinner is $65 a person. Please reserve, limited seating: specialevents.aldentedc@gmail.com

Wines served this evening are available for purchase at
MacArthur Beverages, with a special discount.

4877 MacArthur Blvd., NW Washington, DC 20007

Address

Al Dente

3201 New Mexico Ave. NW Washington, DC 20016

Washington Bach Consort presents “Honor and Remembrance”

March 10th, 2013 at 03:00 PM | Tickets $23-$65, Students 18 and younger $10, Pay Your Age 18-38 | contact@bachconsort.org | Tel: 202.429.2121 | Event Website

Rich sonority, sublime harmony, & complex instrumentation characterize this program that includes a deeply-felt funeral ode written to honor a beloved queen, & Schütz’s Exequien, a tribute to a friend & patron & one of the major works of the German choral repertoire before Bach. Bach looks back to the past w/ his arrangement of a motet originally attributed to his colleague Kuhnau, & the mood of reflection is carried over in the most introspective & beautiful of the Brandenburg concertos.

Address

National Presbyterian Church; 4101 Nebraska Avenue, NW

Organ Stops and their Origin

March 11th, 2013 at 07:30 PM | Free | musicinmclean@gmail.com | Tel: 703-356-0670 | Event Website

Tom Marshall and Ruth van Baak Griffioen, from the College of William & Mary, present European renaissance instruments that are used as stop knob names on pipe organs. Audiences will experience a variety of wind, brass, and reed and string instruments including gemshorn, viola da gamba, cornetto, cromorne, cornamuse, rauschpfeife, and recorders ranging from six inches to six feet. Sponsored by the American Guild of Organists

Address

Saint Luke Catholic Church; 7001 Georgetown Pike; McLean, VA 22101

Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital

March 12th, 2013 at 12:00 PM | FREE | helen@envirofilmfest.org | Tel: 202-342-2564 | Event Website

The 21st annual Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital, March 12 through 24, presents 190 documentary, archival, experimental and children’s films selected to provide fresh perspectives on environmental issues. The vital role of rivers and watersheds in the global environment is a special theme of the 2013 Festival, which features cinematic work from 50 countries and 110 D.C., U.S. and world premieres. Some 196 filmmakers and special guests will discuss their work at the Festival.

Robert Devaney •

The United States Postal Service has signed a contract with local developer EastBanc to sell the historic Georgetown post office on 31st Street, as first reported by the Washington Examiner. The price of the sale is more than $4.5 million.

Anthony Lanier, president of EastBanc, said a post office will remain on the first floor of the 19th-century building which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

According to the Examiner, “a spokeswoman for the Postal Service confirmed that it had formed a contract with a buyer and that a retail post office would remain on the premises after the sale.”

The sale to EastBanc has been years in the making. EastBanc’s design and use for the building was reviewed by the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission, the Old Georgetown Board and D.C.’s Board of Zoning. Future use of the post office building calls for offices, a back addition with much of the new space below grade, according to the Georgetown-Burleith ANC.

Lanier’s EastBanc group owns and has redeveloped many M Street retail buildings. It is known for its development of Cadys Alley and the adjacent stores. Another EastBanc development is in the works for condos at Wisconsin Avenue and the C&O Canal to be built on the Verizon parking lot, next to Grace Church
The United States Postal Service has signed a contract with local developer EastBanc to sell the historic Georgetown post office on 31st Street, as first reported by the Washington Examiner. The price of the sale is more than $4.5 million.

Anthony Lanier, president of EastBanc, said a post office will remain on the first floor of the 19th-century building which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

According to the Examiner, “a spokeswoman for the Postal Service confirmed that it had formed a contract with a buyer and that a retail post office would remain on the premises after the sale.”

The sale to EastBanc has been years in the making. EastBanc’s design and use for the building was reviewed by the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission, the Old Georgetown Board and D.C.’s Board of Zoning. Future use of the post office building calls for offices, a back addition with much of the new space below grade, according to the Georgetown-Burleith ANC.

Lanier’s EastBanc group owns and has redeveloped many M Street retail buildings. It is known for its development of Cadys Alley and the adjacent stores. Another EastBanc development is in the works for condos at Wisconsin Avenue and the C&O Canal to be built on the Verizon parking lot, next to Grace Church
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Gwendolyn Shearman • March 13, 2013

Georgetown’s well-known seafood spots, Nick’s Riverside Grill and Tony and Joe’s, are teaming up to present their first ever photo contest, “Sunsets by the Water.”

The only guideline for entry is that the photo must be of a sunset scene on Washington Harbour.

The K Street restaurants hope to highlight their waterfront location and encourage D.C. residents and tourists alike to enter their snapshots of the popular spot, which hosts one of the best views of the sunset in the city.

The competition will begin accepting submissions this Friday, March 1, through April 20. Winners will be determined by the public through Tony and Joe’s and Nick’s Riverside Grill Facebook pages from April 22 to May 1, with winners being announced May 2.

All applicants will receive a $10 gift card accepted at Nick’s Riverside Grill or Tony and Joe’s. Contest winners will receive two airline tickets to the place of their choosing in the continental U.S. Second and third place cash prizes will be awarded, as well as brunch for four to two honorable mention winners.

For complete contest rules and photo specifications, visit nicksriversidegrill.com or [tonyandjoes.com]http://tonyandjoes.com/)

Robert Devaney •

“The NPS violated the federal judge’s restraint order,” Jack’s Boathouse owner Paul Simkin told the Georgetowner March 4. “Our lawyer has filed an emergency motion for sanctions against NPS for violations.”

The same day the National Park Service announced that B&G Outdoor Recreation of Boston would be awarded the contract to operate at the site of Jack’s Boathouse at 3500 K St., NW, it also handed an eviction notice to Simkin March 1.

In the announcement about the new contract, the NPS said bids for the property “were accepted through February 6, 2013, but Jack’s Canoes and Kayaks did not respond.” Simkin told Fox 5 News: “That’s because they had a restraining order from federal court giving them more time to sort things out. He says the letter states in part, ‘The NPS indicates its agreement not to take any action against the plaintiff until March 31, 2013. So that’s why this is all the more confusing, March 1, to be given an eviction notice.’ ”

“We’ve filed in Federal court,” said Simkin, whose eviction by the National Park Service in December was changed last month to a wait-and-see. “The following is a statement I’ve put out to supporters.”

“. . . We are suing the NPS and National Park Foundation to stop them from taking Jack’s—and to have the court determine whether the NPS or the NPF even have the right to try to get rid of Jack’s. . . . All of this legal stuff goes against our primary philosophy of providing a laid-back experience where you can paddle, use the grills, and maybe just lower your blood pressure a little.

“While this may not be the fight of the century, it sure is a big deal to our employees and customers and is likely to take several years to resolve unless the NPS and the NPF come to their senses. . . . In the meantime, enjoy the water, enjoy Jack’s and we will do our part by making sure the experience remains one worth fighting for.”

“We are not going to abandon the community or our thousands of supporters,” Simkin said.