Latest News

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.

Gary Tischler •

Music, be it jazz or classical or pop, is the most adaptive of art forms. It can thrive in any setting.

Of course, it’s always nice to have a perfect setting, and that’s what the S&R Foundation and its Overtures Holiday Concert Series provided November 2 at the sumptuously and classically beautiful Evermay in Georgetown.

The S&R Foundation’s Holiday series —headed by President Sachiko Kuno and Honorary Chair Ryuji Ueno—kicked off last Friday with a sweet, energetic and eclectic turn by young Israeli jazz guitarist Yotam Silberstein. The jazz theme continues tomorrow with an appearance by top-notch jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut.

The two jazz concerts are being presented in conjunction with the DC Jazz Festival, with help from the DCJF Chairman Michael Sommenreich and his wife Linda. DC Jazz Festival executive producer Charlie Fishman (and son Moses) and Executive Director Sunny Sumter were on hand for the first concert.

Silberstein is an up and comer in the jazz world. At age 21, he was named Israel’s “Jazz Player of the Year.” He plays with a light, easy style, in which player, instrument and music all seem to be involved in a courtship as he moved from free-styling versions of old standards, through his own compositions and forays into lively Brazilian numbers.

The series switches to classical performers with violinist Tamaki Kawakubo on November 16 and pianist Yu Kosuge on November 23, followed by a return to jazz with Jeb Patton and Mike Rodriguez November 30, then back to classical music with violinist/violist Yura Lee on December 7 and pianist Ryo Yanagitani December 14.

The S&R Foundation was created to support talented individuals with great potential and high aspirations in the arts and sciences. The Overture Series—which will have a spring season as well—was created to showcase award-winning emerging musical artists in the splendid setting of Evermay estates.

For more information, visit www.sandrfoundation.org
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Nico Dodd •

Sports legends were on hand to open the new Nike store in Georgetown Oct 25. The Vornado-owned building that formerly housed Barnes & Noble is now a three-story, 31,000-square-foot store that carries a wide range of Nike’s athletic gear at 3040 M St., NW.

Homages to Georgetown University athletics are present in numerous areas of the store. Displays include gear from Georgetown’s track & field team and a display case of Georgetown University Air Jordans.

In the entrance of the building is a commemorative display honoring former Georgetown University men’s basketball head coach John Thompson, Jr., who coached at the school from 1972 to 1999. A neon-sign quotation by Thompson reminds athletes not to ignore life beyond the court. “Don’t let the sum total of your existence be 8-10 pounds of air.”

Before the event began, coach Thompson and former Hoya Patrick Ewing were on hand for a few words. “It’s a great store,” Ewing said.

Tim Hershey, head of North American retail for Nike opened the ceremony. Hershey manages Nike’s 202 stores in North America. He explained how the store received 4,500 applications to work there, which were eventually whittled down to 500 interviews, and finally, to 171 employees working in the store today. One employee said he was in three weeks of training for his sales position.

Michael Jackson, who played point guard on Georgetown’s 1984 NCAA championship team, is now Vice President and General Manager of Basketball in North America at Nike. Jackson remarked on the new store and presented Thompson with a one-of-a-kind, commemorative jacket honoring his career in the basketball.

Thompson, who is on the board of directors at Nike, was characteristically to-the-point. “I’d rather eat a bug than what I’m doing right now,” he said.

Thompson spoke about Nike’s commitment to Georgetown University’s basketball program when the team needed support. “Nike was one of the few corporations who jumped in when we needed help,” he said.

On his quote in the store, Thompson explained how he convinced his former player, Jackson, to leave the NBA to pursue a career off the court. He emphasized that there is more to life than basketball. “If that’s what defines you totally, you’re a damn fool,” Thompson said.

Current Georgetown University basketball coach John Thompson III also spoke about the new store.

After the ceremony, Thompson, Jr., was joined by his son, his two grandchildren, Michael Jackson, Tim Hershey and Jack the Bulldog for the ribbon cutting. Afterwards, eager shoppers poured in to see the new store for themselves. Along with sports gear in other sports, such as that of the Washington Redskins, the store will manage a running club.
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Hayley Markovich •

During all of the trick-or-treating and revelry in Georgetown on this quickly approaching Halloween, parking will be restricted on some of the roadways in the neighborhood from 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31, until 6 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 1.

Those streets affected are K Street, NW, from 30th Street to Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Water Street, NW from 33rd Street to the Capital Crescent Trail, 1000, 1100,1200, 1300 Blocks of Wisconsin Avenue, NW, M Street NW, from 25th Street to Key Bridge, 1100 block of 26th Street, NW, and Thomas Jefferson Street – 1000 block (from the canal, north to M Street).

Residents, visitors and employees of businesses in these areas will have access to these streets. Additional streets may be closed or opened as well. To gain access to these streets, citizens must present proof of work or residence to gain access to these streets. The restrictions will be in effect on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m., until Thursday, Nov. 1, 4 a.m. The streets affected by these closures
are:

• 1000 block of Grace Street, NW

• 1000 block of Thomas Jefferson Street, NW

• 1000 through 1500 blocks of 29th Street, NW

• 1000 through 1500 blocks of 30th Street, NW

• 1200 through 1300 blocks of Potomac Street, NW

• 1200 through 1500 blocks of 27th Street, NW

• 1200 through 1500 blocks of 28th Street, NW

• 1200 through 1600 blocks of 33rd Street, NW

• 1200 through 1700 blocks of 34th Street, NW

• 1500 32nd Street, NW

• 1200 through 1700 blocks of 35th Street, NW

• 2600 through 3100 blocks of Dumbarton Street, NW

• 2600 through 3100 blocks of P Street, NW

• 2600 through 3600 blocks of O Street, NW

• 2700 through 3600 blocks of N Street, NW

• 2700 block of Poplar Lane, NW

• 2700 through 2900 blocks of Olive Street, NW

• 3100 block of Blues Alley, NW

• 3100 block of Oak Alley, NW

• 3100 block of South Street, NW

• 3200 through 3400 Q Street, NW

• 3200 block of Cecil Place, NW

• 3200 through 3600 blocks of Prospect Street, NW

• 3300 through 3400 blocks of Dent Place, NW

• 3300 block of Cady’s Alley, NW

• 900 block 30th Street, NW

Motorists are encouraged to exercise extreme caution when traveling in these areas. In addition, those who will be in the area on Halloween are encouraged to use public transportation.
Georgetown will be holding many events on and around Halloween to celebrate. Thunder Burger and Bar will be holding a Halloween Costume Contest. You can come at any time; costume judging begins at 10 p.m. Titles up for grabs are best male and best female costumes. Winners receive a $50 gift certificate to Thunder Burger and Bar.

The Annual Boo Cruise will be taking place on Saturday, October 27. Guests 21 and over can come aboard and enjoy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar all night long. Halloween costumes are encouraged and the best costume will win 4 free tickets on the Spirit of Washington during the costume contest by the end of the night! Boarding will begin at 9:00 pm, and the cruise will last from 9:30 p.m. to 12:05 a.m.

On Oct. 28, the Georgetown Theatre Company will be communicating with the spirits and reading poems and short stories by Edgar Allan Poe including “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee.” After the show there will be a “Horrors d’oeuvre Reception” with the cast.

In Cady’s Alley on Oct. 27, starting at 9 p.m., L2 Lounge will host an Angels & Demons party. Doors are open until 11 p.m.

Bandolero will be hosting its Wake the Dead Party at 10 p.m. on Nov. 2. It will feature a DJ on the first floor and a popular-vote costume contest from 10 p.m. until midnight. Prizes include gifts of lunch or dinner at Bandolero.

Paul Bakery has taken a different spin on Jack-o-Lantern making. It will carve bread rather than pumpkins. You are invited to join the fun at the Georgetown bakery and café. Cost is $15 per person; this includes a large pumpkin-shaped loaf of bread, a stencil to carve a design and a drink and treat. To reserve a spot, email paulb03@paul-usa.com. Oct. 22 and Oct. 29, 10 a.m. to noon; 1078 Wisconsin Ave., NW.