[Update:] Titan Arum Watch at the U.S. Botanic Garden
• September 9, 2013

UPDATE: The Titan Arum has bloomed! The U.S. Botanic Gardens are keeping their extended hours, 10 AM to 8 PM, today Monday, July 22, so visitors can enjoy the sights and smell of the plant.

The flower has been named Mortimer and is continually updating his twitter: @DCTitanArum.

It opened fully between 5:30 and 7:30 PM on Sunday, July 21. On average, the plant has a 24-48 blooming time period. The Botanic Garden staff was worried Mortimer would close early, but so far he remains open.

As the tweets continue to come in, it seems the verdict is that this titan arum is not as stinky as expected, but still quite a sight and celebration!

Summer is in full swing, and noses are rejoicing in the sweet smells of chlorine, coconut and corpses.

Yes, corpses. The cause of this stench is the titan arum, a plant native to Indonesia. The U.S. Botanic Garden, however, has its own individual titan arum, and the garden is gearing up for the plant to bloom.

Titan arum does not have a routine blooming schedule. The last time a blooming one was on display was 2007, according the garden’s website. While it takes a while to open fully, the plant will stay open for between 24 and 48 hours and then quickly collapse into itself.

The plant’s stench is comparable to rotting flesh and strongest during the peak bloom from night to day, advises the Botanic Garden. Due to the heat, its odor travels farther than normal. In the wild, this stench attracts insects like the dung beetle from miles away.

Why does it take so long to bloom? The titan arum stores energy in its underground stem — the corm — and, when it reaches the energy threshold, begins to unfurl and bloom.

The Botanic Garden is extending its hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 16 and 17, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. to allow visitors to witness the slow-moving bloom. If any visitor is unable to make it to the garden, there is a live streaming video on the USBG website.



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National Nightout Marks 30th Anniversary, Aug. 6
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It has been almost 30 years since National Night Out — the neighborhood and police get-together that fosters cooperation and teaches safety awareness, how police departments work and how to fight crime — made its national debut.

D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department encourages the public to join neighbors and friends tomorrow, Aug. 6, for the 30th anniversary of National Night Out, America’s Night Out Against Crime. Meet the men and women of the public safety agencies that work hard to make our neighborhoods safe and the residents and businesses that work with them to make a difference.

National Night Out events will be held nationwide and citywide. Georgetown’s event will be at MPD’s Second District Police Station at 3320 Idaho Ave., NW, 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Aug. 6.

As MPD advises: Come out on Tuesday, August 6 for VIN etching, meet with Commander Reese and officers of the Second District, sign up for neighborhood watch, home burglary checks, and more. Visit community partners to learn about domestic violence prevention, safety tips, child safety seats inspections, child fingerprinting, drug prevention and emergency safety. Plus appearances by the K-9 and Horse Mounted units. Food, games and prizes. (Also; Bring your unused prescription drugs to dispose in DEA’s drop box.) For more information, contact Officer Rhonda Hardy, rhonda.hardy@dc.gov, 202-270-2286.

According to the National Night Out campaign, this special August evening “involves citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials from 9,500 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide. National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs; strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.”

Washington Post to Be Sold to Amazon’s Jeff Bezos
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The late Monday afternoon bombshell hit Washingtonians like a vengeful Washington Star.

The Washington Post, an icon of print journalism and of the nation’s capital, is to be sold to one of the internet’s first and biggest digital innovators.

The following is the surprise news from the Washington Post’s website:

“The Washington Post Co. has agreed to sell its flagship newspaper to Amazon.com founder and chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos, ending the Graham family’s stewardship of one of America’s leading news organizations after four generations.

“Bezos, whose entrepreneurship has made him one of the world’s richest men, will pay $250 million in cash for The Post and affiliated publications to the Washington Post Co., which owns the newspaper and other businesses.

“Seattle-based Amazon will have no role in the purchase; Bezos himself will buy the news organization and become its sole owner when the sale is completed, probably within 60 days. The Post Co. will change to a new, still-undecided name and continue as a publicly traded company without The Post thereafter.”

In an interview with his own newspaper, the Washington Post Co.’s chief executive Donald Graham told the paper Aug. 5: “Every member of my family started out with the same emotion—shock—in even thinking about [selling The Post]. But when the idea of a transaction with Jeff Bezos came up, it altered my feelings.”

“The Post could have survived under the company’s ownership and been profitable for the foreseeable future,” Graham told the Post. “But we wanted to do more than survive. I’m not saying this guarantees success but it gives us a much greater chance of success.”

The soon-to-be owner Bezos sent a letter to Post employees. It follows in its entirety, as reported at WashingtonPost.com on Aug. 5.

To the employees of The Washington Post: You’ll have heard the news, and many of you will greet it with a degree of apprehension. When a single family owns a company for many decades, and when that family acts for all those decades in good faith, in a principled manner, in good times and in rough times, as stewards of important values – when that family has done such a good job – it is only natural to worry about change.

So, let me start with something critical. The values of The Post do not need changing. The paper’s duty will remain to its readers and not to the private interests of its owners. We will continue to follow the truth wherever it leads, and we’ll work hard not to make mistakes. When we do, we will own up to them quickly and completely.
I won’t be leading The Washington Post day-to-day. I am happily living in “the other Washington” where I have a day job that I love. Besides that, The Post already has an excellent leadership team that knows much more about the news business than I do, and I’m extremely grateful to them for agreeing to stay on.

There will of course be change at The Post over the coming years. That’s essential and would have happened with or without new ownership. The Internet is transforming almost every element of the news business: shortening news cycles, eroding long-reliable revenue sources, and enabling new kinds of competition, some of which bear little or no news-gathering costs. There is no map, and charting a path ahead will not be easy. We will need to invent, which means we will need to experiment. Our touchstone will be readers, understanding what they care about – government, local leaders, restaurant openings, scout troops, businesses, charities, governors, sports – and working backwards from there. I’m excited and optimistic about the opportunity for invention.

Journalism plays a critical role in a free society, and The Washington Post — as the hometown paper of the capital city of the United States — is especially important. I would highlight two kinds of courage the Grahams have shown as owners that I hope to channel. The first is the courage to say wait, be sure, slow down, get another source. Real people and their reputations, livelihoods and families are at stake. The second is the courage to say follow the story, no matter the cost. While I hope no one ever threatens to put one of my body parts through a wringer, if they do, thanks to Mrs. Graham’s example, I’ll be ready.

I want to say one last thing that’s really not about the paper or this change in ownership. I have had the great pleasure of getting to know Don very well over the last ten plus years. I do not know a finer man. Sincerely, Jeff Bezos

Likewise, a letter to readers of the Washington Post was sent by Post publisher and CEO Katharine Weymouth, who announced the sale:

This is a day that my family and I never expected to come. The Washington Post Company is selling the newspaper it has owned and nurtured for eight decades.
In addition to The Washington Post, the company is selling Greater Washington Publishing, the Gazette newspapers, Express, El Tiempo Latino and Robinson Terminal. . . .
The board of our parent corporation, including my uncle and company chairman Don Graham, made this decision with a heavy heart but with an absolute conviction that Mr. Bezos’ ownership represents a unique and extraordinary opportunity for The Washington Post and for you, our readers.

In Mr. Bezos we have found an owner who will continue the tradition that the Graham family started with the purchase of The Washington Post by Eugene Meyer in 1933. Since then, and most especially over the past four decades, The Washington Post has earned a worldwide reputation for tough, penetrating, insightful, and indispensable journalism. With the investment by Mr. Bezos, that tradition will continue.

Mr. Bezos is widely known, of course, as the founder and CEO of Amazon.com. He is a proven entrepreneur who, like the Graham family and this company, takes the long-term view in his investments. While he expects The Post to remain profitable, his focus is on the essential role that our journalism has on dialogue and the flow of information in our society.

Mr. Bezos knows as well as anyone the opportunities that come with revolutionary technology when we understand how to make the most of it. Under his ownership and with his management savvy, we will be able to accelerate the pace and quality of innovation.

Mr. Bezos has asked that I remain as Publisher and CEO of The Post. I am honored to continue in that role. Our mission does not change. Nor do the values that have been at the core of The Post’s enduring strength over many decades. Mr. Bezos shares the principles that have guided the Graham family’s proud stewardship of this great news organization. . . .

2 Rare Tiger Cubs at National Zoo a Victory for Conservationists
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Good news from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo on Connecticut Avenue.

No, Mei Xiang, the zoo’s female Giant Panda, isn’t pregnant, at least as far as anyone knows for sure.

But the Zoo’s four-year-old female Sumatran Tiger Damai was—since June.

Monday evening, she gave birth to two Sumatran Tiger cubs, the first at 6:15 p.m and the second at 8:23 p.m. Their sex has not yet been determined, although one observer indicated the first cub might be a boy, given he was very large.

The births were a triumph for conservationists and naturalists as well as the zoo. Sumatran Tigers are endangered with fewer than than 500 living tigers left in the world.

Great cats curator Craig Saffoe told National Public Radio, “All I can do is smile because the team has realized our goal of producing critically endangered tiger cubs.”

The mother is said to be doing fine, according to zoo officials and personnel. She came out of her enclosure the next day, leaving the cubs safely behind. They have not opened their eyes as of last report. Damai has spent time feeding and cleaning the cubs.

The cubs will probably not be on view until late fall, but everybody can watch the pair on the zoo’s Tigercubcam. There are black and white photographs on the zoo’s websites and videos on the net.

The father is 12-year-old Kavi . It was confirmed on June 21 that Damai was pregnant.

Zoo officials described the first-time mom Damai as “a natural.”

Apparently, Kavi and Damai had quite the relationship. According to Saffoe, “It’s taken more than two years of perserverance getting to know Damai and Kavi and letting them get to know each other so that we could reach this celebratory moment. Damia came to us as a young tiger herself. So, it’s really special to see her become a great mom.”

String of Burglaries Hits Houses and Garages
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A rash of burglaries hit Georgetown last week between Aug. 2 and Aug. 5, most of which involved garages with unlocked doors on the west side of town. It seems some residents have forgotten that individuals creep around, looking for easy opportunities to steal, and have gotten lax about locking up.

Announcing that it has “increased uniformed police patrols in the residential area of Georgetown,” the Metropolitan Police Department listed the crimes online. They include:

= second-degree burglary (armed or otherwise), 3000 – 3099 block of N Street, residence/home, two (2) bicycles stolen, no signs of forced entry;

= second-degree burglary (armed or otherwise), 3400 – 3499 block of Prospect Street, parking lot/garage, unknown suspect(s) entered an unlocked garage (not attached to the residence) and stole a bicycle and electronic equipment from a parked vehicle (unlocked doors) in the garage;

= second-degree burglary (armed or otherwise), 3300 – 3399 block of Dent Place, NW, single-family dwelling, unknown suspect(s) entered an unlocked garage and stole a bicycle. (The suspects also rummaged through a parked vehicle in the garage. Nothing was reported stolen from the parked vehicle);

= second-degree burglary (armed or otherwise), 3300 – 3399 block of Dent Place, NW, single-family dwelling, unknown suspect(s) entered an unlocked garage and then rummaged through a parked vehicle stealing coin currency from the vehicle.

There was also a burglary reported at the Georgetown University dormitory on the 3600 block of O Street. Again, the police wrote down, “No signs of forced entry.”

Not all places were easy hits. An N Street resident on the 3400 block, whose garage shares an alley with garages from the 3400 block of Prospect Street, wrote on a town message board: “Last night, our garage was broken into. Although the cars were rifled through, limited property was removed. We have notified the police but wanted to let the neighborhood know and, in particular, residents of the south side of the 3400 block on N street, since the only way the thieves would have been able to enter the garage as they did (i.e, from the garden) would have been to go through other backyards on that block and jump the fences.”

One Prospect Street home-owner summed up the crime on his property: “We have a garage on the same alley (house on Prospect between 34th and 35th) and we had a garage break-in as well and did lose items both from within cars and a high-end racing bicycle. [Next door’s] garage was rifled through as well. It appears a bike was left behind in the alley and that my racing bike was used as an ‘upgrade’ for the thief. Due to the value of items stolen, a crime unit responded to take fingerprints but found no good, clean, untouched locations to take from. We have a tendency to not lock the door accessing the garage from the yard, because, well, the only way into the yard is to be hopping fences from a neighbor yard, but that appears to be what occurred here. Adding insult to injury, the bikes are typically locked within the garage but not that night, and we have the garage wired for video surveillance to trigger on motion, but it was not enabled. Lesson learned.”

If the reader cares to review crime prevention tips he most likely learned long ago, the following is timely and timeless advice from D.C. police.

Burglary Prevention

Have you ever been locked out of your home? Were you able to get in anyway? No w think about it…if you could break into your own home, it’s just as easy for someone else to break in, too. One out of 10 homes will be burglarized this year, and many intruders will spend no more than 60 seconds trying to break into a home. The best prediction of a future burglary is a past burglary. Therefore, it is important to take preventative measures now. Strong locks—and good neighbors who look out for one another—can be effective deterrents to burglars. Here are a few tips that can help you keep you—and your property—safe and secure.

Check Your Locks

• Make sure every external door has a strong, well-installed dead bolt lock. Key-in-the-knob locks alone are not enough.

• Sliding glass doors offer easy access if they are not properly secured. You can secure them by putting a broomstick or dowel in the inside track to jam the door or by installing commercially available locks. To prevent the door being lifted off of the track, drill a hole through the sliding door frame and the fixed frame. Then insert a pin in the hole.

• Lock double-hung windows with key locks or “pin” your windows by drilling a small hole at a 45 degree angle between the inner and outer frames, then insert a nail that can be removed. You should secure basement windows with grilles or grates (but make sure that they can be opened from the inside in case of fire).

• Never hide keys around the outside of your home. Instead, give an extra key to a neighbor you trust.

• When you move into a new house or apartment, re-key the locks.

Check Your Doors

While we all like to feel that once we close and lock our doors, we’re safe and secure, the truth of the matter is that a lock on a flimsy door is about as effective as locking your car door but leaving the window down with your wallet on the front seat.

• All outside doors should be metal or solid wood.

• Install a peephole or wide-angle viewer in all entry doors so that you can see who is outside without opening the door. Door chains break easily and don’t keep out intruders.

• If your doors don’t fit tightly in their frames, install weather stripping around them.
Check the Outside

Take a look at your home from the outside, and keep in mind the following tips to help make your home as safe as it can be:

• Burglars hate bright lights. Install outside lights and keep them on at night. Motion-detector lights can be particularly effective.

• Keep your yard clean. Prune shrubbery so it doesn’t hide windows or doors. Cut back tree limbs that a burglar could use to climb to an upper-level window.

• If you travel, create the illusion that you are at home by getting timers that will turn lights (and perhaps a television or radio) on and off in different parts of your home throughout the day and evening hours. Lights burning 24 hours a day signal an empty house.

• Leave shades, blinds, and curtains in normal positions. And make sure you don’t let your mail and/or newspapers pile up. Call the post office and newspaper to stop delivery or have a neighbor pick them up.

• Make a list of your valuables, such as VCRs, stereos, computers, and jewelry. Take pictures of the items, list their serial numbers and description. This will help police if your home is burglarized.

• Ask your District police station for a free home security survey.

• When getting work done on your vehicle, leave only the vehicle key for the service personnel. The same goes for car park attendants and valets.

• If you are having work done on your vehicle, give the service station your business address – not your home address.
Burglars Can Do More Than Just Steal

While most burglars prefer to strike when no one is home, intruders can commit other crimes such as rape, robbery, and assault if they are surprised by someone entering the home, or if they pick a home that is occupied.

• If something looks questionable – a slit screen, a broken window or an open door – don’t go in. Call the police from a neighbor’s house, a cell phone, or a public phone.

• At night, if you think you hear someone breaking in, leave safely if you can, then call the police. If you can’t leave, lock yourself in a room with a phone and call the police. If an intruder is in your room, pretend you are asleep.

• One other important note – never leave a message on your answering machine that indicates that you may not be at home, or that you live alone. Instead, say “We’re not available right now.”

D.C. Residents to Request Free Visitor Passes for Street Parking
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Free visitor passes will be available on request for D.C. residents, but officials such as Ward 3 councilmember Mary Cheh fear that such passes may be misused.

Some believe passes may be sold to the highest bidder for coveted parking spaces. Temporary visitor parking permits have been regularly obtained from local Metropolitan Police Department precincts.

Through a previous pilot program, free passes were mailed to all households in certain neighborhoods. Now residents of all areas that are required to buy a street-parking permit will be able to request a free visitor pass from the department. Those who want a visitor pass must request it.

“The whole thing was supposed to be thought through. That has not happened,” Cheh told The Washington Post.

While not all details regarding the new passes have been released, the D.C. Department of Transportation has said that they will be valid from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2014. They must be used inside the boundaries of the passholder’s advisory neighborhood commission.

Cheh requested a delay in the expansion of the free parking passes from the transportation department. She believes, “We’re not ready to make this change, and the change we’re making doesn’t link up with…how we deal with parking in general.”

Illuminations Closing
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Illuminations, Inc., has specialized in contemporary lighting since 1982. The company currently has two showrooms in D.C. but will be closing its Georgetown location in Cady’s Alley. Illuminations carries contemporary commercial and residential lighting products. The company’s Downtown showroom at the Lansburgh Building in Penn Quarter will remain open, displaying products from more than 40 manufacturers.

Illuminations’ sales consultants and designers support clients through all phases of product selection and lighting design, including the planning of full-scale architectural lighting projects.
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Weekend Round Up August 29, 2013
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Fourth Annual Monty Alexander Jazz Festival to Deliver Lineup of Acclaimed Artists

August 29th, 2013 at 03:00 PM | Please Visit ChesapeakeJazz.org for pricing | info@chesapeakechambermusic.org | Tel: (410) 819-0380 | Event Website

The Monty Alexander Jazz Festival will take place in Easton on Labor Day weekend from August 29 -September 1st. This year, legendary jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli will open with an intimate night club-style concert at Easton’s Academy Art Museum. The Festival will continue through the weekend with performances at Easton’s historic Avalon Theatre with returning jazz and gospel vocalist, Dee Daniels.

For further information on the Monty Alexander Jazz Festival,visit ChesapeakeJazz.org.

Address

Easton’s Academy Art Museum; 106 South St, Easton, MD 21601

Cyber In Securities

August 30th, 2013 at 06:00 PM | free entry, cash bar | bmurphy@wpadc.org | Tel: 202-234-7103 | Event Website

Washington Project for the Arts presents CYBER IN SECURITIES, an exhibition exploring contemporary data collection and imaging surveillance practices, highlighting artists whose work makes visible experiences of tracking and being tracked in a digital age. The exhibition is part of WPA’s Experimental Media 2013, the eighth installment of WPA’s Experimental Media program.

Address

Pepco Edison Place Gallery; 702 8th St, NW

Paddle for Humanity at the Washington Harbour

August 31st, 2013 at 07:00 AM | Prices start at $50.00 | Tel: (202)333-9749 | Event Website](http://www.paddleforhumanity.org/html/Events-WashingtonDC.html)

3rd Annual Paddle for Humanity and you are invited to join in the paddle sports community and festivities. Founded in 2009, the Paddle for Humanity (PFH) is a grass root paddling event series with the stated purpose to bring the paddling community together to support a common cause. It’s easy, fun and accessible to all ages and skill levels and you can compete against friends or simply paddle for the pleasure of it. You may register online or in person by Friday night on August 30th at Sequoia. While this is a mainly a SUP (Stand Up Paddle) event, all paddle sports are welcome. No rowing, sailing or non-human motors, but the rest is fair game.

Pre-registration is $50/one event or $80/two events. Add $15 for event day sign-up. Online registration is closed.

Register in-person at our Pre-Party at Sequoia on Fri, 8/30 from 6pm to 8pm OR on event day near Sequoia (on the boardwalk in front of Washington Harbour) from 7am to 8:45am. Credit card, cash or check payable to SUP ATX.

Pre-party Check-in and Bag Pickup at Sequoia

6:00- 8:00 PM Friday, August 30th, 2013: Come enjoy a cold beverage, check-in for the event or just hang out and talk story with others from the paddling world.

Address

Washington Canoe Club (WCC); 3700 Water Street NW

Pray. Eat. Love.

September 1st, 2013 at 10:30 AM | FREE | communications@nationalpres.org | Tel: 202-537-7494 | Event Website](http://www.nationalpres.org/PrayEatLove)

All are welcome to a morning of worship, fun, and service! A casual, music-filled worship service kicks off the morning at 10:30 a.m. Stay after the service for a complimentary buffet lunch with games and activities for all ages. There will also be family-friendly service projects to help those in need in our community. Ample free parking is available, or take a short walk from the red line metro.
Address

The National Presbyterian Church;4101 Nebraska Ave. NW

Mystique Pop-Up Store on Capitol Hill

September 5th, 2013 at 05:00 PM | free | emandros@mystiquejewelers.com | Tel: 703 | [Event Website](http://www.mystiquejewelers.com/)

Mystique Jewelers is bringing its sophisticated and chic fine jewelry to Capitol Hill. The Old Town Alexandria based jewelry store will host a three day pop-up store on Capitol Hill Thursday, September 5th through Saturday, September 7th.

Guests will enjoy champagne and a private showing of bridal designs from Andrew Meyer, as well as, every day wearable jewelry designs. Free pearl earrings with any purchase.

Thursday Cocktail Party from 5-7pm

Friday & Saturday open 10am to 5pm

Address

Tabula Rasa | event and meeting space; 731 8th Street SE

Vintage Poster Sale

September 6th, 2013 at 10:00 AM | FREE | GALLERY@CALLOWAYART.COM | Tel: 202-965-4601 | [Event Website](http://www.callowayart.com/)

Vintage Poster Trunk Sale with Mark J. Weinbaum Fine Posters and Prints, who works out of New York City, will exhibit up to 100 works over the September weekend. The collection focuses on decorative and rare historical posters, with a wide variety of categories and time periods available. All of his posters and prints represent the best quality available on the market place.

Address

Susan Calloway Fine Arts; 1643 Wisconsin Ave NW

50th Anniversary of the March: Beyond the Dream
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The 50th Anniversary March on Washington—and all the attendant events, commemorations, celebrations leading up to Wednesday’s fewer than 100,000 gathering on the National Mall—was not the 2013 equivalent of the Aug. 28, 1963, March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

There was no way it could have been because that march and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech made history and changed history. The anniversary accomplished no such thing, nor was it likely to.

But Wednesday’s march and marchers, and singers of freedom songs, and speechafiers — from Hollywood actor Jamie Foxx to many members of the King family, to President Barack Obama — they all came together to recall, to memorialize, to remind us of just what a unique, epochal event the 1963 march was, and of the the dangerous, contentious, seriously unequal and unjust world and country in which it took place, the parameters of which are difficult to imagine today.

What happened on the National Mall and at the Lincoln Memoria this week was a kind of bearing witness, and forms of truth-telling about a time-and-place, it was a salute not only to the principal heroes of the civil rights movement but to everyone who marched, who shouted out, who spoke and wrote, and stood up arm in arm with others on that day, to everyone, really, who was there.

The anniversary march and its participants resurrected the first march, a march and gathering, followed by a searing, soaring speech by King, both of which were events and achievements notable for their total and transforming originality. People did not always know or fully understand what had happened that day, and this anniversary march and the presence and words of the memorializers, the surviving witnesses, the children and grandchildren, the offspring of that day and time present on the mall made sure we understood, hitched that day to this day, and tried to re-ignite some of its aspirational spirit into the unfinished and unfulfilled business of King’s dream. This went on, even as those trying to enter through the one access point on 17th Street to the reflecting pool area waited for hours.

President Obama in a speech that in no way matched King’s, nevertheless, made the best case for King’s speech and for the events of 50 years ago, as did Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., the only survivor of the so-called Big Ten members, organizers and speech makers of that day. “You could not sit at lunch counters, you could not sit in the front of the bus, you could not drink out of the same water fountains,” Lewis thundered. “All that is gone. Those signs that read whites only, those signs are gone,” he reminded us.

The president, too, noted the tremendous effect of that day—that it came amid the violent upheavals of the push-back from Southern politicians against the surging efforts of the civil rights movement. He noted that Medgar Evers had been assassinated two months earlier in 1963, and that only weeks after the march, there came the bombings and killings of four young girls at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala.

“Much has changed, and they accomplished incredible things,” Obama said. “Don’t ever say anything different. To say that the dream is unfulfilled in no way diminished the achievements of Dr. King.”

Yet, that polling of dissatisfaction persisted into many of the speeches, most of which were full of calls to action, and the climate of the times, about the grievous wounding of the Voting Rights Act, about Treavon Martin, about the widening gap between the poor and the rich and the closing of doors to the middle class, about, about crime and incarceration, about frisk and search and stand your ground laws. There was a note that was both plaintive and angry, as if, because aspects of racism and injustice remained, that it was all in vain. “The marchers, Dr. King, the Kennedys, Medgar Evers, those girls, did not die in vain,” the president said. He suggested that everyone pick up their marching shoes—teachers, workers, laborer and envisioned a time for marching now.

Everyone wondered what Dr. King might have done and often imagined what he would say. But that was, in the end, difficult to know. He was among the absent and missing and what was left, even the presence of three presidents seemed not to match the mountain that was Dr. King.

It seemed, seen on television, an occasion that was muted, the bells tolled at 3 p.m. for sure, and there were songs heard and impassioned pleas and word for action in an attempt to tie the days of 1963 to the present day. The crowd, seen from scanning cameras seemed more diverse, and was in actuality, less so. In 1963, moderate Republican leaders showed up for the march, but on this occasion, in keeping with the stalemate, oppose-oppose climate of the Senate and the House, GOP members were noted for the absence, as if commemoration and the accomplishments of 1963 were a partisan occasion. By their absence, they made it so, at least for themselves.

The times are and were different. “Change came,” Obama said, “It came in state legislatures in the south and city halls. It came to Congress and, yes, it came to the White House,” as evidenced by himself.

President Bill Clinton recalled the day 50 years ago—it impressed and inspired and moved everyone in the whole country, “including a 17-year-old young man alone in a house in Arkansas.” He also noted the temperament of the times, and wondered “how some politicians want to make it so hard to vote and so easy to buy an AK-47.”

They all had their say—they marched, sometimes like ghosts, or like a member of a chorus where not everybody sang on key—Carter, Clinton and Obama, or Jimmy, Bill and Barack, not exactly like Martin, Bobby and John. The surviving members of Peter, Paul and Mary, (less Mary), sang “We Shall Overcome” in the company of Treavon Martin’s parents. Caroline Kennedy and Lynda Robb invoked their fathers, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.

It drizzled all day long, in sharp contrast to the heat, and the fire of August 28, 1963. Everybody there today, made everybody then seem to move among us in spirit. On this occasion, we realized that while Dr. King had a dream, it was not just a dream.

Busy ANC Meeting: Ellington, Halcyon, Heating Plant
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Tonight, 6:30 p.m., the Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E will meet at Georgetown Visitation Prep on 35th Street.

Top items to be discussed include the renovation of Ellington High School (and its temporary closing), an ABC agreement for the new El Centro restaurant (the former Third Edition), visitor parking passes, S&R Foundation use of Halcyon House and an update on the reconstruction of the West Heating Plant next to the C&O Canal and the Four Seasons Hotel.

The following is the agenda for tonight’s meeting, as released by ANC2E:

We will be meeting this month at the Georgetown Visitation School, 35th and Volta Place, Heritage Room, first building on left by gatehouse, 2nd floor

Approval of the Agenda

Approval of September 3, 2013, ANC 2E Public Meeting Agenda

Administrative

Approval of July 1, 2013, Meeting Minutes

Public Safety and Police Report

Financial Report

Transportation Report

DPW Report

Community Comment

Update on the West Heating Plant

Duke Ellington School renovation/addition

Georgetown Community Partnership Cookout – September 14

New Business

DDOT proposed regulations for visitor parking

1900 37th Street, NW, DDOT Tracking No. 84460, Glover Park Citizens Association application to occupy public space for the purpose of paving sidewalks and install benches

DDOT/UFA Female Ginko Removal Policy

ABC

El Centro (formerly Third Edition), 1216 Wisconsin Avenue, ABRA -__, proposed Settlement Agreement

Zoning

Halcyon Georgetown LLC, 3400 – 3410 Prospect Street, NW, BZA No. 18604, Application for a special exception to establish a non-profit, Hearing September 10, 2013

Back Alley LLC and Ellsworth T. Simpson Trust, 1063 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, BZA Appeal No. 18610, Appeal for a variance from the nonresidential floor area ratio restrictions to subdivide and use all of the existing buildings on the property for nonresidential uses, Hearing September 17, 2013

3128 P Street, NW, BZA No. 18645, Application for special exception relief to construct an addition to the building which will extend the currently nonconforming lot occupancy, Hearing September 24, 2013

Old Georgetown Board

PRIVATE PROJECTS:

1. SMD 07, 1644 31st Street, NW, OG 13-295 (HPA 13-517) Tudor Place, Alterations to west entrance, fence and sliding gate, Concept

2. SMD 07, 2823 Q Street, NW, OG 13-282 (HPA 13-501) Residence, Replace wood garden gate with steel gate, Permit

3. SMD 02, 1632 32nd Street, NW, OG 13-315 (HPA 13-538) Residence, Alterations to rear, Concept For review by Historic Preservation Review Board

4. SMD 02, 1516 33rd Street, NW, OG 13-269 (HPA 13-488) Residence, Re-grading of rear yard, retaining walls, terrace, Permit For review by Historic Preservation Review Board

5. SMD 02, 1634 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, OG 13-304 (HPA 13-526) Commercial, Signs and awning for “Sleepy’s,” Permit

6. SMD 03, 3400 O Street, NW, OG 13-297 (HPA 13-519) Residence, Replace / repair box gutter, Permit

7. SMD 03, 3132 P Street, NW, OG 13-302 (HPA 13-524) Residence, Brick wall, gates and re-grading of side yards, Permit / Concept

8. SMD 03, 1305 and 1313 Potomac Street, NW, OG 13-265 (HPA 13-477) Residence, Fence screens off alley – existing, Permit

9. SMD 03, 3338 Volta Place, NW, OG 13-293 (HPA 13-515) Residence, Extension of front wing, Concept

10. SMD 03, 1328-1330 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, OG 13-288 (HPA 13-510) Commercial, One-story rear addition with basement, Permit/concept For review by Historic Preservation Review Board

11. SMD 03, 1332-1336 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, OG 13-289 (HPA 13-511) Commercial, One-story rear addition with basement, Permit/concept For review by Historic Preservation Review Board

12. SMD 05, 1025-27 31st Street, NW, OG 13-317 (HPA 13-540) Commercial, Alterations to rear, outdoor seating terrace, Concept

13. SMD 05, 3211 M Street, NW, OG 13-226 (HPA 13-382) Commercial, Sign for “Billy Reid” – existing, blade sign, light fixtures, Permit

14. SMD 05, 3213 M Street, NW, OG 13-301 (HPA 13-523) Commercial, Alterations to storefront, awnings, signs for “Pandora,” Concept

15. SMD 05, 3206 Grace Street, NW, OG 13-318 (HPA 13-541) Commercial, Roof top addition, alterations, replacement windows, awnings, blade sign, flagpole, Concept

16. SMD 05, 3255 Grace Street, NW, OG 13-291 (HPA 13-513) Commercial, Sign for “The Power House,” Permit

17. SMD 05, 1200 Potomac Street, NW, OG 13-285 (HPA 13-505) Residence, Stockade fence and timber retaining wall – existing, Permit

18. SMD 05, 3302 Prospect Street, NW, OG 13-272 (HPA 13-491) Residence, Demolition of brick garden wall (completed), metal gate and repaving of rear yard, Permit

19. SMD 05, 3104 M Street, NW, OG 13-306 (HPA 13-528) Commercial, Rear addition, Concept

20. SMD 06, 3009 M Street, NW, OG 13-305 (HPA 13-527) Mixed use, Rear addition, Concept

21. SMD 06, 1306 27th Street, NW, OG 13-268 (HPA 13-487) Residence, Replacement windows and doors, Permit

22. SMD 06, 3030 P Street, NW, OG 13-256 (HPA 13-446) Residence, Partial demolition of rear ell, 1-story rear addition plus basement, Concept

23. SMD 06, 3062 Q Street, NW, OG 13-284 (HPA 13-504) Residence, Alterations to openings on rear façade, Concept For review by Historic Preservation Review Board

No Review At This Time by ANC 2E: The following additional projects, which are on the upcoming September 4, 2013, agenda of the Old Georgetown Board, have not been added to the ANC meeting agenda for OGB-related design review and we do not propose to adopt a resolution on them at this time. If there are concerns about any of these projects, please contact the ANC office by Friday, August 30, 2013.

1. SMD 01, 3800 Reservoir Road, NW, O.G. 13-309 (HPA 13-531) Institution (MedStar Georgetown University Hospital – Pasquerilla Center), Communications antennas on penthouse for Verizon, Concept

2. SMD 02, 1511 33rd Street, NW OG 13-152 (HPA 13-251) Residence, Replacement windows at rear – existing, replacement front windows, Permit

3. SMD 02, 1566 33rd Street, NW, OG 13-308 (HPA 13-530) Residence, Replace vinyl windows, Permit

4. SMD 02, 1638 33rd Street, NW, OG 13-173 (HPA 13-296) Residence, Replacement windows and alterations to rear, Permit

5. SMD 02, 1622 34th Street, NW, OG 13-292 (HPA 13-514) Residence, One-story rear addition to replace one-story covered porch, Permit

6. SMD 02, 1661 35th Street, NW, OG 13-150 (HPA 13-249) Residence, Three-story rear addition, in-fill areaway, one-story side addition, alterations, Concept – revised design

7. SMD 02, 3247 Q Street, NW, OG 13-278 (HPA 13-497) Office, Replacement windows, Permit – revised design

8. SMD 02, 3247 R Street, NW, OG 13-286 (HPA 13-506) Pool House, Raze existing structure at rear, new building at rear, Permit – revision to permit

9. SMD 02, 1611 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, OG 13-190 (HPA 13-332) Commercial, Replace rooftop antennas with stealth canisters for Sprint, Permit

10. SMD 02, 1621 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, OG 13-298 (HPA 13-520) Commercial, Replacement windows at rear, Permit

11. SMD 03, 1417 31st Street, NW, OG 13-232 (HPA 13-411) Residence, Replacement windows, Permit

12. SMD 03, 3301 N Street, NW, OG 13-290 (HPA 13-512) Residence, Additions and alterations, Permit

13. SMD 03, 3210 O Street, NW, OG 13-283 (HPA 13-503) Commercial, Blade sign for “Bloomers”, window graphics – existing, Permit

14. SMD 03, 3210 O Street, NW, OG 13-263 (HPA 13-458) Commercial, Blade sign for “Bloomers”, window graphics – existing, Permit

15. SMD 03, 3615 O Street, NW, OG 13-312 (HPA 13-535) Residence, Replacement fence at rear, Permit

16. SMD 03, 3129 P Street, NW, OG 13-287 (HPA 13-507) Residence, Alterations to garage opening in front of house, Concept

17. SMD 03, 1365 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, OG 13-203 (HPA 13-359) Bank, Light fixtures for ATM at BB&T Bank, Permit

18. SMD 04, 3700 O Street, NW, OG 13-307 (HPA 13-529) Georgetown University – Athletic Training Facility, New construction, Concept –design development

19. SMD 04, 3700 O Street, NW, O.G. 13-310 (HPA 13-532) Georgetown University – Leavey Center, Communications antennas and equipment penthouse for Verizon, Concept

20. SMD 05, 2934 M Street, NW, OG 13-279 (HPA 12-498) Commercial, Awning and sign for “Pier 2934 Cajun Seafood,” Permit – revised design

21. SMD 05, 3125 M Street, NW, OG 13-300 (HPA 13-522) Commercial, Signs, light fixtures, replacement door, screen for rooftop equipment, Permit

22. SMD 05, 3222 M Street, NW, OG 13-294 (HPA 13-516) Commercial, Alterations to east and south elevations, sign for “Pinstripes,” Permit

23. SMD 05, 3222 M Street, NW, OG 13-296 (HPA 13-518) Georgetown Park, Alterations to storefront in-fill, Permit – additional information

24. SMD 05, 3320 M Street, NW, OG 13-299 (HPA 13-521) Commercial, Banner for “Maxalto” at third floor facing alley, Permit

25. SMD 05, 3508 Prospect Street, NW, OG 13-274 (HPA 13-493) Residence, Replacement slate, membrane and copper roofs, Permit

26. SMD 05, 1251 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, OG 13-280 (HPA 13-499) Commercial, Sign for “Reebok,” Permit

27. SMD 05, 1211 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, OG 13-270 (HPA 13-489) Commercial, Storefront alterations, sign for “Tory Burch,” Permit

28. SMD 05, 1218 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, OG 13-199 (HPA 13-355) Commercial Sign for “El Centro D.F.” Permit

29. SMD 06, 1354 27th Street, NW, OG 13-192 (HPA 13-344) Residence, Rear addition at fourth floor, Concept – revised design

30. SMD 06, 1354 27th Street, NW, OG 13-273 (HPA 13-492) Residence, Rear addition at fourth floor, Permit

31. SMD 06, 1600-1602 28th Street, NW, OG 13-277 (HPA 13-496) Residence, Alterations to planter curb – in progress, Permit

32. SMD 06, 1215 31st Street, NW, OG 13-271 (HPA 13-490) Georgetown Post Office, Rear addition at basement level, Permit

33. SMD 06, 1215 31st Street, NW, OG 13-267 (HPA N/A) Georgetown Post Office, Excavation, sheeting and shoring, underpinning, Permit

34. SMD 06, 3001-3007 M Street, NW, OG 13-276 (HPA 13-495) Mixed-use: retail / residential, Exterior exhaust duct, Permit

35. SMD 06, 2725 N Street, NW, OG 13-319 (HPA 13-545) Residence, Alterations to dormer at rear (change original gable dormer to wider shed dormer), Concept

36. SMD 06, 2912 N Street, NW, OG 13-313 (HPA 13-536) Residence, Rooftop mechanical equipment – existing, screening, Permit

37. SMD 06, 3040 O Street, NW, OG 13-183 (HPA 13-306) Residence, Enclose rear porch and alterations – existing, Permit – revised design

38. SMD 06, 3044 O Street, NW, OG 13-275 (HPA 13-494) Residence, Alterations, addition, shutters, replacement windows, swimming pool, construction entrance on stone wall, Permit

39. SMD 06, 2803 Dumbarton Street, NW, OG 13-314 (HPA 13-537) Residence, Two- story rear addition, Permit

40. SMD 06, 2718 Poplar Street, NW, OG 13-167 (HPA 13-290) Residence, Replace windows – existing, Permit

41. SMD 07, 1699 31st Street, NW, OG 13-311 (HPA 13-534) Residence, Relocate driveway, relocate curb-cuts on public space, Permit/concept

42. SMD 07, 3053 Q Street, NW, OG 13-316 (HPA 13-539) Residence, Rear addition at fourth floor, alterations, Permit

43. SMD 07, 3001 R Street, NW, OG 13-269 (HPA 13-488) Cemetery, Chapel Roofing Permit

44. SMD 07, 3245 S Street, NW, OG 13-281 (HPA 13-500) Institution, Handicapped access ramp at Guest House, Permit

45. SMD 07, 2516 East Place, NW, OG 13-303 (HPA 13-525) Residence, Alterations to rear, Permit

46. SMD 08, 3700 O Street, NW, OG 13-249 (HPA 13-439) Georgetown University, New construction – residence hall, Concept – additional information on site selection

{posted August 26, 2013, 5 p.m.}