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Robert Devaney • November 26, 2012

Musician and activist Bono will speak at Gaston Hall this evening to Georgetown University students as well as leaders in the corporate, nonprofit and political sectors. The Nov. 12. event is being hosted by the Georgetown McDonough Global Social Enterprise Initiative in partnership with Bank of America. Brian Moynihan, Bank of America CEO, and John DeGioia, president of Georgetown University, will introduce Bono.

According to the university, the Global Social Enterprise Initiative, part of Georgetown’s business school, “advocates for solutions to global challenges in health and well-being, economic growth, the environment and international development.” The Atlantic Monthly is the media partner for the event, which will be webcast live on Georgetown.edu.

“Beyond his fame as the lead singer of the Irish rock band U2 and winner of 22 Grammys,” according to the university, “Bono is also known around the world as an activist in the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty. He is the co-founder of ONE, a grassroots advocacy organization with more than 3 million members that urges policymakers to support effective programs, including the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Global Fund, which are saving millions of lives in the poorest parts of the planet. Bono also co-founded RED, a private-sector initiative involving some of the world’s most iconic brands. RED has channeled nearly $200 million to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.”

Gary Tischler •

In a country obsessed by sports—especially football—there’s been a lot of changes.

No one runs the wishbone formation much any more—at any level of football. There is no more Southwest Conference in college football. They ran it the other day for a play in a University of Texas game, honoring Darrell Royal, the legendary coach of Texas University of Texas at Austin, who invented the wishbone and succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 88 Nov. 7.

In boxing—well, well, what can you say about boxing that’s worth saying? Russians hold the heavyweight title. There’s no Friday night fights on television, and mixed martial arts seems to be gaining ground on boxing’s fan base.

And Carmen Basilio, the lean, wiry keeps-on-ticking former welterweight and middleweight champion, who fought two memorable battles with Sugar Ray Robinson, is gone, dead at 85.

Hard to say what if anything Royal said about this year’s annual slugfest between the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners—Bob Stoops’s Sooner Boomer swamped Texas 63-21. It’s fair to say that sort of thing wouldn’t have happened in Royal’s time—gritty running and tough defense were the hallmarks of Royal football. “You’ll never lose if the other guy doesn’t score” was one of the numerous and famous sayings attributed to Royal.

During his tenure—1957 through 1976—Royal rolled up ten Cotton Bowl Championships and three national titles, as well as holding a 12-7-1 edge over the Sooners in the Red River Rivalry. Football games under Royal tended to have a slugfest atmosphere about them—his favorite players were probably fullbacks and linebackers, who tended to meet head-on on the field.

He came late to integrating his teams, not having African-American players until 1969, a fact that he later regretted.

Still, Royal’s Longhorns rivaled the Dallas Cowboys in popularity and fan base—college football in places like Oklahoma and Texas tended to be bigger and sometimes more important than life itself—from Pop Warner to the pros. See “Friday Night Lights” for a references point, or read anything by Dan Jenkins (father of Sally) to get the feel of it.

Royal loved to play golf and coin phrases. His aversion to the pass—which he shared with Woody Hayes of Ohio State University—prompted him to say, “There are three things that can happen when you throw the ball, and two of them are bad.” He also described a runner as running faster “than gossip through a small town.”

Years ago—in the idyllic age of the 1950s—not only was high school and college football huge, but so was boxing at almost every level of the sport, but especially among the heavies where Rocky Marciano retired unbeaten in spite of Archie Moore. Among the welterweights and middleweights Sugar Ray Robinson ruled.

Until he ran into Carmen Basilio, a tough Italian fighter—and “fighter” is the word—out of Canastota, N.Y. Basilio and Robinson fought two brutal fights—there’s a picture of Basilio after winning the first fight on a decision and he looks as if a pickup truck had fallen on his face. The second fight was won by Robinson, a swirling almost elegant fighter with a knockout punch known for his graceful sparring—there was only one Sugar Ray, in spite of Sugar Ray Leoanard.

Back in the 1950s, I used to watch something called “Friday Night Fights” on network television with my stepfather, a Serbian immigrant who worked in a steel factory. We listened to the familiar Gillette commercial bells, as Gene Fullmer, Basilio, Bobo Olsen, Tony Demarco and others would knock each other silly. The welters and middleweights were filled with normal-sized boxers, wiry and tough, like Jake LaMotta (of “Raging Bull” fame), who could take punishment and dish it out.

That was Basilio to the core—he pummeled DeMarco into submission twice in welter title fights, then lost to Fullmer. Basilio didn’t just win his fights—he survived them.

Thirty thousand people saw Basilio beat Robinson at Yankee Stadium. His dad, an onion farmer in upstate New York was a “fight nut.” His son became one, beginning with boxing in the Marine Corps. He eventually retiring, teaching physical education at Le Moyne College in Syracuse. A high school dropout, he received a diploma from Canastota High school in 2009 in recognition of his achievements. He was among the first inductees in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
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Emily Lindstrand •

The Wednesday meeting of the Georgetown Business Association saw the election of a new member to its executive board and gave new roles to existing officers.

Riyad Said of Wells Fargo Advisors, previously vice president of the Business Association, will now serve as president. Janine Schoonover of JSWGroup will now serve as vice president. Karen Ohri of Georgetown Floorcoverings will remain in her previous position as treasurer for another year. And Molly Quigley of Clydes Group, the Business Association’s new executive member, will fill the role of secretary.

During the meeting, Schoonover presented a list of goals for the next year. Among these goals are:

– Taking on more of a lobbying role

– Increasing benefits to GBA members

– Getting GBA members involved in the re-zoning of Georgetown and the parking pilot initiative

– Building upon Georgetown’s sense of community

– Having GBA become more civically involved and charity oriented

– Building upon communication between GBA, CAG, BID, ANC and OGB

Schoonover said that she was ultimately “honored and proud to serve with [her] fellow officers and [is] excited for the differences in leadership styles and communication.”

Also, on Dec. 12, the GBA will have its annual holiday meeting at the Dumbarton House. The 2012 GBA annual awards will be presented. These awards include the Jose Pozell Public Safety Award, the Art Schultz Communitarian Award, the Business Person of the Year, the Business of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Georgetown Business Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving and maintaining business in Georgetown. Their two principle goals are to “connect Georgetown businesses with potential customers, other businesses and Georgetown/DC leadership” and “advocate on behalf of the Georgetown businesses and professionals.”

Gary Tischler • November 21, 2012

In a plan announced reported Tuesday, District of Columbia Public School Chancellor Kaya Henderson has targeted 20 public schools for closure.

The closures affect some 3,000 students in six wards, mostly in Northeast Washington and East of the River. The schools slated to be closed are located in Wards 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. No closings are slated for Wards 3 and 1. Among the schools slated for closure is Spingarn High School in Northeast. Two middle schools are also slated to be closed and absorbed into high schools, which would create two 6-12 schools in the district.

The District Council has already begun to take up the matter in a meeting Nov. 15 and will do so again in the Wilson Building Nov. 19, 2 to 6 p.m. Community or shareholder meetings are also being planned.

Henderson said that some of the infrastructure involved could be rented to charter schools, which would mark another increase in these schools, which in turn are part of the DCPS but are run at the expense of public schools.

For a complete list of schools slated for close and the complete plan as put, visit the District of Columbia Public Schools Website.

Robert Devaney • November 19, 2012

The Georgetown Business Association announced its nominated 2013 officers at a board reception at the George Town Club Nov. 14. New year’s top officers are slated to be: president, Riyad Said of Wells Fargo; vice president, Janine Schoonover of JSWGroup; treasurer, Karen Ohri of Georgetown Floor Coverings; secretary, Molly Quigley of Clyde’s Restaurant Group.

After the board meeting, the GBA held its monthly networking reception across the street at Sara Mokhtari’s T-square Loft above her Wisconsin Avenue boutique, Tara D.C. couture consignment.
The GBA’s next event is its Annual Reception and Holiday Party on Dec. 12 at Dumbarton House. Brian Armstrong of the George Town Club, Terry Bell and Deborah Bell of Ilo Salon and Zubair Popal of Cafe Bonaparte and Malmaison are up for awards at the annual meeting.

Announcement of the GBA Officer and Board of Director Nominees:

NOMINEES FOR GBA OFFICERS

President

Wells Fargo – Riyad Said

Vice President

JSW Group – Janine Schoonover

Secretary

Clyde’s Restaurant Group – Molly Quigley
Treasurer

Georgetown Floorcoverings – Karen Swarthout Ohri

PROPOSED GBA 2013 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

New Nominees (to be elected by Membership at Annual Meeting)
2013 – 2016

(1) Georgetown University Lauralyn E. Beattie

(2) Tony & Joe’s Dean Cibel

(3) Bank of Georgetown Tyisha Cottman

(4) Eastbanc Barry Greenberg

(5) Long & Foster Margaret Heimbold

(6) EagleBank Andrew Peters

(7) Cox Graae + Spack Architects Joanna Schmickel

(8) Capital Restaurant Concepts Representative Name TBD

(A few additional candidates were unable to confirm their participation by our deadline for notifying the board. If they express interest in the future, the board may hold a special vote to consider their nomination.)

Re-elect 2013 – 2016 (to be elected by Membership at Annual Meeting)

(1) Law Offices of Joel Bennett – Joel Bennett

(2) Clyde’s Restaurant Group – Molly Quigley

(3) Wells Fargo Advisors – Riyad Said

(4) Ilo Day Spa – Gary Walker

2012 – 2015 (No Action Needed)

(1) Georgetown Club – Brian Armstrong, GM

(2) HSBC – Rokas Beresniovas

(3) House of Sweden – Cecilia Browning

(4) Latham Hotel – Michael Damion

(5) Georgetown Resident – Edward “Chip” Dent
(6) Ginsberg & Helfer – Alan Helfer

(7) ReMax Allegiance/Georgetown – Tanya Sabel

(8) Wedding Creations – Ed Solomon

2011 – 2014 (No Action Needed)

(1) The Georgetowner – Sonya Bernhardt

(2) Tudor Place – Leslie Buhler

(3) Dumbarton House – Karen Daly

(4) Strasburger Attorneys – Kathy Darling

(5) Georgetown Floorcoverings – Karen Swarthout Ohri
(6) Café Bonaparte – Zubair Popal

(7) JSW Group – Janine Schoonover

(8) Wedding Creations – Hope Solomon

(9) James B. Wilcox, Jr., PLLC – Jim Wilcox

Ex-Officio (to be elected by Membership at Annual Meeting)
(1) CAG – Jennifer Altemus

(2) The Georgetown Current – Davis Kennedy

(3) ANC 2E – Bill Starrels

(4) Councilmember Vincent Orange – Elizabeth (Beth) Webster
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Georgetowner •

The Georgetowner’s Holiday Benefit and Bazaar 2012

November 29th, 2012 at 06:00 PM | $45 or $65 at the door | adra@georgetowner.com | Tel: 202 338 4833 Event Website

Join us for an evening of shopping and holiday delights, as we honor and give back to a shining community star:

THE GEORGETOWN SENIOR CENTER

Shop for unique gifts from select vendors. Warm your senses with seasonal cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Gather in the joy of giving this holiday season.
Advance tickets can be purchased for $45 or $65 at the door

Address

Historic Georgetown Club, 1530 Wisconsin Ave NW

Downtown BID 15th Anniversary

November 15, 2012 7:00PM

Web Address

Bring out the party hats and confetti! The DowntownDC BID turns 15 in November. Launched in 1997 with an initial and immediate goal to make Downtown Washington clean, safe and friendly, the BID is the oldest, and today remains the largest, BID in the city.

Several of our friends and founders will join us at the International Spy Museum as we celebrate and recap the wonderful transformation that Downtown has undergone.

Address

International Spy Museum, 800 F Street NW

Men Against Breast Cancer and Sip With Socialites Presents “MEN IN PINK AND BLUE THANKSGIVING SOIREE

NOVEMBER 15TH, 2012 AT 06:00 PM | FREE | BJSEVENTSDC@GMAIL.COM | TEL: 202 495 8515 Event Website

This event is open to 21+ and entrance is Free. Please RSVP BjsEventsDC@gmail.com . Please consider sharing this event with friends, family and network.??Please join Men Against Breast Cancer and Sip With Socialites for “MEN IN PINK AND BLUE THANKSGIVING SOIREE”.

Address

Opera Ultra Lounge?, 1400 I Street NW ?

An Even of Musical Oneness

NOVEMBER 15TH, 2012 AT 07:30 PM | $10 | TEL: 202-337-4825 Event Website

An Evening of Musical Oneness is a musical production presented by the Vocal and Instrumental Music departments of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. This performance features a special appearance by composer Richard Smallwood; The Duke Ellington Orchestra; The New Washingtonian Jazz Combo; Virtuosi (a string ensemble); Sophisticated Ladies; The Chamber Singers; The Duke Ellington Show Choir; The Duke Ellington Flute Ensemble; Dukes of Ellington; Mahogany Voices & Satin Dolls.

Address

Duke Ellington School of the Arts?3500 R Street, NW?Washington, DC 20007

Exquisitely Evil: 50 Years of Bond Villains

NOVEMBER 16TH, 2012 AT 10:00 AM | EXHIBITION INCLUDED IN MUSEUM ADMISSION. | TEL: 202.EYE.SPYU Event Website

The International Spy Museum is opening their latest interactive exhibit in honor of the newest James Bond film, Skyfall. The exhibition will commemorate 50 years of Bond and the villains we love to hate through more than 100 artifacts, interactive experiences and videos.

Address

The International Spy Museum, 800 F St NW ?

2012 Winter Contemporary Show Opening Reception

NOVEMBER 16TH, 2012 AT 05:00 PM | FREE | INFO@OLDPRINTGALLERY.COM | TEL: (202) 965-1818 Event Website

The Old Print Gallery’s 2012 Winter Contemporary Show will open on Friday, November 16, 2012. The show will be an assortment of works by both up-and-coming and established printmakers, in several mediums. Highlights include a series of charged photolithographic landscapes by Sylvie Covey, beautifully involved linocut reliefs by Karima Muyaes and Tenjin Ikeda, and boldly hued prints by locals Susan Goldman and Joan Krash. The exhibit opens with a nighttime reception on November 16, from 5-8pm.

Address

The Old Print Gallery?, 1220 31st Street, NW?

The Washington Home & Community Hospices Annual Gala, “Home Is Where The Heart Is”

NOVEMBER 16TH, 2012 AT 06:30 PM | INDIVIDUAL TICKETS FOR THIS FUNDRAISER ARE $500 PER PERSON | MRUSTIC@THEWASHINGTONHOME.ORG Event Website

This year’s Gala will recognize the 2012 Art Buchwald Award recipient, Gail Sheehy, bestselling author of 16 books and a Baby Boomer’s icon. Ms. Sheehy has changed our culture with her book, Passages in Caregiving: Turning Chaos into Confidence. The Art Buchwald Award honors someone who, like Mr. Buchwald, has helped others face end-of-life issues with courage and dignity.

Address

Chevy Chase Club?, 6100 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland

Ang Lee film series in DC — Nov.16-Dec.19

NOVEMBER 16TH, 2012 AT 07:00 PM | WYC1502@GMAIL.COM | TEL: 202-8951855 Event Website
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) will sponsor The Films of Ang Lee, a month-long celebration of the career of Taiwan-born, Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee. Co-hosted by the Freer Gallery and the AFI Silver Theatre, the film series begins Nov. 16 with the opening screening of 2007 Venice Film Festival Golden Lion recipient Lust, Caution at the Freer Gallery and continues through Dec. 19.

Please visit the Freer Gallery and AFI online for complete schedules.

Address
Meyer Auditorium, Freer Gallery of Art?, 1050 Independence Ave. SW ?

AFI Silver Theatre, ?8633 Colesville Road , Silver Spring, MD 20910

Afoot In Vienna

NOVEMBER 17TH, 2012 AT 08:00 PM | $50 PREMIUM TICKET WITH PERFORMANCE AND POST-SHOW PARTY $25 GENERAL, $20 STUDENTS/SENIORS | TEL: 703-910-5175 Event Webiste

Join us for an international world premiere! A multi-media collaboration between Viennese composer/visual artist WOLFGANG SEIERL and BMD’s artistic director LUCY BOWEN McCAULEY in a study of movement “from the ground up.”?Seierl filmed McCauley moving in a variety of unique spaces throughout Austria in 2011 and used the footage to create a musical score. McCauley developed choreography inspired by the music for her full ensemble of dancers.

Address

ARTISPHERE?, 1101 WILSON BOULEVARD, ARLINGTON, VA

Junior League of Northern Virginia’s 12th Annual The Enchanted Forest Holiday Extravaganza

NOVEMBER 17TH, 2012 AT 10:00 AM | $12, PREMIUM EVENTS: $25-$35 | TEF@JLNV.ORG | TEL: 703-442-4163 Event Website

Celebrate our 12th Annual TEF holiday extravaganza 11/17-18! Stroll through a forest of theme-decorated trees & handmade gingerbread homes, have Georgetown Cupcakes & Cocoa with the Snow Fairy or Breakfast with Santa, enjoy a wine & dessert tasting for adults! The weekend-long festivities, presented by the JLNV featuring the Children’s Science Center and Kids in Kitchen, cooking demonstrations, themed crafts for children,
gifts & holiday decorations for purchase, a live & silent auction, & more.

Address

The Westin Tysons Corner?, 7801 Leesburg Pike?

Home Buying in D.C.

NOVEMBER 17TH, 2012 AT 10:00 AM | $0 YMCCUTCHEN@SKYREALESTATEDC.COM | TEL: 202-630-2437 Event Website

November Home Buyer’s Seminar: “You Can Afford a Home in the District!”
Attendees will gain insight on:
Neighborhoods that have homes under $300,000
Down payment assistant programs
Affordable Housing Programs?Overview
Application process of HPAP and Manna programs

Address

1703 N. Capitol St. NE

Cantate Chamber Singers’ The Legacy of Fontainebleau: Students of Nadia Boulanger

NOVEMBER 17TH, 2012 AT 07:30 PM | $30, STUDENTS W/ID $15 | EXEC@CANTATE.ORG | TEL: 301-986-1799 Event Website

From her studio near Paris, Nadia Boulanger helped train some of the 20th century’s most unique composers. As part of Cantate’s year-long tribute to MUSICAL MENTORS, hear songs by Boulanger (Deborah Sternberg, soprano) and choral works of Aaron Copland, Irving Fine, Nicholas Maw, and more. Plus: a world premiere by former Boulanger student Robert Shafer—Grammy award-winning artistic director of the City Choir of Washington, and one of our region’s eminent musical mentors.

Address

St. Paul’s Parish?, 2430 K Street, N.W.?

Christ Church Choral Evensong Series

NOVEMBER 18TH, 2012 AT 05:00 PM | TEL: 202-333-6677

Georgetown’s Christ Church continues its Choral Evensong series on Sunday, November 18, with the music of Philip Radcliffe, Herbert Kennedy Andrews, and Gerald Near. Sung by the professional Choir of Christ Church, this series is free and open to the public as a gift to the community.

Address

31st and O Streets, N.W.

Victor Goldberg and Friends Chamber Music Concert

NOVEMBER 18TH, 2012 AT 03:00 PM | $20; STUDENTS $10 | MAGICLARPET@COX.NET | TEL: 540-899-2793 Event Website

Beethoven Violin Sonata in G Major?Schumann Quartet for Piano and Strings?Additional pieces?Reception and refreshments afterward

Address

Church of the Epiphany, ?1317 G Street NW? Washington, DC?

Gary Tischler •

Former City Council Chairman and once promising politician Kwame Brown got his day in court and received a day in custody. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon sentenced Brown to one day—that’s 24 hours or less—in detention for being convicted of bank fraud and six months of home detention and 480 hours of community services. That was just one more round of public embarrassment for Brown, who gave up his council chairmanship earlier and more than likely a once promising political career in the district.

The Washington Nationals may not have made it to the World Series this year, but honors keep floating their way. They come as a tribute to the phenomenal year to the home team, which went from a losing streak to having the best record in the major leagues and getting into the playoffs before bowing to the St. Louis Cardinals. Veteran manager Davey Johnson was named National League Manager of the Year. Big-hustle phenom Bryce Harper, who ignited the Nats after being called up early in the year, was named NL Rookie of the Year. All in all, we’re already looking forward to next season.

Gary Tischler • November 16, 2012

Even today, we don’t know how much hope there is, but we do know that we have a lot of change in these United States of America.

President Barrack Obama’s focused, convincing and hard-driving victory over Republican challenger Mitt Romney did more than secure a second term for him. It revealed a country that is visibly, noticeably changing in its electorate and its electoral makeup, and it was that country—diverse, not so retrograde and dissatisfied as the opposition might have imagined, fluid, multi-layered, mult-racial, and, well, multi-multi-that the president managed to engage in ways that his opponent did not.

In the end, it was the economy, stupid, but more so it was also all those other things, as well as Obama’s well-noted efficient “ground game,” the get-out-the-vote success of his varied constituencies which won the long night for him.

As predicted—while predictable results on the red and blue sides emerged throughout the night—it was the so-called battleground states which decided the issue. The longer Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia remained “too close to call,” the harder it looked for Romney, because Obama was grabbing up some other potential tossups—including Colorado, Nevada, New Hampshire and Gov. Scott Walker’s wonderland, Wisconsin, as well as Minnesota and—predictably—Pennsylvania, where Romney had spent some time late in the game.

These things, in retrospect, sometimes look inevitable, but that wasn’t the case here. What was the case was that we didn’t know what was going to happen until very late in the night, and by then the floodgates opened for some revealing results. Everyone, in some way, behaved predictably—when the call for Ohio came in, ending the race, for instance, the Romney forces insisted that Ohio was still in play, and Karl Rove got into an argument on the air with Fox News anchors who had also called it. In short, somewhat sullenly, the Romneyites, perhaps thinking there was another Florida fiasco in the air, fought longer than they should have.

It’s always interesting to watch the networks at work on such an occasion—there was NBC News, for instance, turning Rockefeller Plaza’s ice rink into a giant blue and red map of the United States, but for now it was the closest thing to a hockey game we can get. Rumors floated in tweet-land that ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer was inebriated because she slurred some words, another instance where the Internet is some kind of circus in attendance to the more serious matters going on. One famous singer tweeted, “I’ll have what she’s having.” This kind of thing—tweeting anything you feel like tweeting—is another sign that we are in a modern version of the latter days of the Fall of the Roman Empire. So is Donald Trump, who called the Obama victory a sham and a travesty, an injustice, and called for revolution.

Romney, who had written only a precisely counted victory speech, was not at a loss for words, although they were few. He graciously conceded, said the president was in his prayers, and visibly disappointed, exited the public stage for now. During his acceptance speech in the wee hours, Obama promised to speak with him at some length in the near future.

In the end, Obama won the popular vote and the electoral vote (handily, with 303) and had some coattails to spare. It’s hard to say who helped whom in Virginia, where Tim Kaine caught up with and barreled past George Allen in a hotly contested senate race and where Obama finally caught Romney.

Two of the more notorious Tea Party candidates running for the U.S. Senate—Todd Akins in Missouri and Richard Mourdock in Indiana, lost, after sounding off on abortion and rape in a way that deeply offended just about most reasonable people, but especially women. Tack on a win by Elizabeth Warren over Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., and that led the way to the Democrats slightly widening their margin in the Senate although the GOP maintained their hold on the House.

If the evolving electorate and a steady but slightly improving economy might have led the way to an Obama victory, it was a victory that left Obama in place, facing a debt crisis —the famous “fiscal cliff”—against what appears to be a still intransigent House of Representatives if Speaker John Boehner’s remarks about taxes were any indication. The president has to find a way to end the deadlock, the partisanship, the blue and red mentality, the conservative mentality of deep divide and enmity that now exists, without feeling the need to capitulate or be so combative as to turn off conciliation. The other side—the House tea partiers, Boehner, the crafty majority leader Eric Cantor, et al., need to come to the table with something to offer besides what they’ve offered in the past—which is nothing. Maybe New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Bruce Springsteen, minus Meat Loaf, can show the way.

Still, as there always is in an election, there’s something exhilarating about the process, however cumbersome, sometimes inefficient, difficult and gigantic it appears. Here we are on a Thursday, the numbers are all in. While Florida is still somehow not official—not that it matters—we know who won, with a certainty that won’t be reversed.

We can debate and talk about what it all means, but little national elections went off all over the country with their own secret meanings. It’s remarkable in New Jersey, in New York, in Connecticut and here in Washington, D.C., people flocked to the polls despite the fact that Obama was a lock in all of those place. There appeared a great, unquenchable desire to be heard and noted. I felt it when I voted, I felt part of a place and a country—and that was a good thing.

Here in D.C., things remained much the same—Councilman Vincent Orange retained one of the at-large council seats as a Democrat, but incumbent Michael A. Brown lost to David Grosso. Both ran as what can only be called faux independents. Everywhere else, it was status quo—Yvonne Alexander buried newly minted Republican Ron Moten in Ward 7, Jack Evans won Ward 2 unopposed, and Marion Barry was returned to the council from Ward 8. Phil Mendelson remained District Council Chairman.

In Maryland, the gay marriage proposition—the first passed at the state level—won, as did the Dream Act proposition and the gambling proposition. In Colorado, the people passed a proposition legalizing marijuana—period, not just for medicinal uses. Let me be the first to use “Denver, the Mile High City really is” and “Rocky Mountain Highs”.

Wrestling rich lady Linda McMahon lost yet again in an effort to gain a U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut, spending enough money to undo a good part of the damage done by Hurricane Sandy. This was a case where it would have been better to give the money away as opposed to throw it away.

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., won her congressional race in Minnesota by a little more than 3,000 votes, which may be a harbinger of things to come for the Tea Party two years from now.

For now, we the people have spoken—in many tongues, registers of timbre and note, sometimes verging on celebration and song, sometimes delivering forecasts and warnings and displeasure, but always in the spirit of what we remain, which is a democracy of all the peoples—the 100 percent.

Gary Tischler • November 15, 2012

Well into his second year of being Mayor of the District of Columbia, things remain troubled for Vincent Gray. According to polls, a majority of the city’s residents want him to resign, not to mention a few members of the District Council. Aides from his 2010 election campaign have confessed to election improprieties to U.S. District Attorney Ronald Machen. The investigation remains ongoing. Everywhere he goes, Gray is plagued with questions about his role in a so-called “shadow campaign,” involving developer Jeffrey Thompson. Everywhere he goes, Gray says little or nothing, on the advice of his counsel.

Yet, he soldiers on. July 27 was almost what you could call an upbeat day for the mayor as he led a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Adams Morgan, celebrating the high-style completion of the neighborhood’s 18th Street Streetscape project, which has transformed the long stretch of the area’s commercial and nightlife district.

“This is the sort of the thing we should be paying attention to. It’s something positive, a project that going to help transform the Adams Morgan neighborhood, bring business to the areas and make a dramatic difference,” Mayor Gray said, trailed by reporters, local business and community leaders and officials from D.C.’s Department of Transportation.

Gray looked and sounded upbeat, as he moved up and down 18th Street, dropping into shops and restaurants along the way. Still, faced with reporters with notebooks, he often looked a little wary. This is part of his daily routine now, even when it’s not the central piece of a particular event, as it really wasn’t here. Locals helped him celebrate, including Ward One Councilman Jim Graham, members of the Adams Morgan Business Improvement District and harried business owners, many of whom applied for interest-free loans from the city to alleviate costs caused by construction noise and disruption.

“If you have not been to Adams Morgan recently, you might not recognize it,” Mayor Gray said. “18th Street has undergone an extreme makeover and the results are remarkable. The new roadway, the wider sidewalks, the safer crosswalks—all of the upgrades support the local businesses in this great community and will help attract new customers.”

The project began February 2011, going up and down the sides of 18th Street from Columbia Road to Florida Avenue, a half-mile stretch. There were days and nights when the street looked like a war zone, with gaping wounds and craters along streets and sidewalks, not to mention the constant noise of drilling. The street, famous for its bar and night and entertainment and restaurant life, was in the past often congested, colorful and sometimes dangerous.

The result of the streetscape, similar to other projects in the city (there’s one about to begin on U Street and in Columbia Heights ) have made a remarkable difference at first sight. The $6.8-million project includes 32 Washington Globe street lights, 16 pendant pole lights at intersections, 47 ADA-compliant sidewalk wheelchair ramps, wider bump-outs and pedestrian gathering islands, a reconfigured intersection at 28th Street and Florida Avenue, 4,868 feet of granite curbs and brick gutters, new garbage cans and recycling cans and solar-powered compactors and larger storm-drain inlets. There are also 71 new bike racks, signs for bikers, and 59 new trees. The streets and sidewalks are wider, giving the area a new, urban, cosmopolitan look it didn’t have before. Shop owners on the whole appeared pleased with the new digs, and already there’s been an influx of new restaurants that appear an upgrade from the double-decker bars prevalent in the area. [gallery ids="100926,129531" nav="thumbs"]

Emily Lindstrand •

D.C. is rich with history soldiers helped create, and this weekend the District, as well as the rest of the country, will honor these veterans. Veterans Day weekend in D.C. will feature a wide range of events to honor those who have served the country.

On Saturday, November 10:

The American Freedom Festival will feature rock bands Chicago and Kansas. The concert will honor veterans and Armed forces; proceeds will benefit organizations that serve and support our veterans, active duty military service members, and injured soldiers. The event will also feature a Veterans Career Hiring Event. Tickets: Ticketmaster.com

The National Marine Corps Museum will celebrate the both Marine Corp’s birthday and Veteran’s Day with a ceremonial sword cake cutting.

The Manassas Veterans Day Parade at 11:00 a.m. features military and high school bands, pipe and drum corps teams, military units from the various Armed Services, and military vehicles.

On Veteran’s Day, Sunday, November 11:

The National Veterans Day Service will take place at Arlington National Cemetery at 11:00 a.m. featuring a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Seating is limited and visitors are encouraged to arrive at least a half hour prior to the event.

From 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the Boston University CDIA is sponsoring a walkabout for photographers of all ages. Participants will visit places of historical interest, such as the Iwo Jima Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, The Air Force Memorial and the Vietnam and Korean War Memorials. RSVP to 202.625.1110.

The World War II Memorial will have a wreath laying ceremony at 9:00 a.m.
The Air Force Memorial will have a wreath laying ceremony and a two-minute moment of silence on at 11:00 a.m.

The Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial will have a color guard, speakers, and a wreath-laying ceremony in honor of all who served during the Vietnam War. 1:00 p.m.

The ceremony at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial will feature stories of veterans from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, as well as their children, told firsthand. The event will take place from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and 2:00 p.m.to 4:00 p.m.

Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens will have many special activities, including a concert by the all-veteran barbershop chorus at 11:00 a.m. and wreath laying at the tomb of George Washington at 2:00 p.m. Active duty military personnel and veterans get in free of charge; the concert wreath and laying ceremony are included with regular Mount Vernon admission.