How to Help Those Affected by Hurricane Sandy

November 9, 2012

There are several sources though which to get involved if you want to assist the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Many organizations have said that the best way to help is to donate money, and they made doing so as easy as a text message or a few clicks online.

American Red Cross: The Red Cross is accepting blood donations as well as monetary ones. There are a variety of ways to get involved. Text REDCROSS to 90999 in order to donate $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. You can also call 1-800-733-2767 for English and 1-800-257-7575 for Spanish. You can donate money (http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations) and find information about donating blood (http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood) online.
Also, there’s a link on the iTunes homepage to donate to the Red Cross via your iTunes account. According to Apple, 100 percent of your donation will go to the Red Cross.

Salvation Army: Salvation Army is working to provide meals and shelter to those in need after Sandy. A press release last Tuesday announced that “At this point, in-kind donations, such as used clothing and used furniture, are not being accepted for hurricane relief.” You can text STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation; to confirm the donation, reply with yes. You can also call 800-725-2769 or donate online (https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/disaster).

Habitat for Humanity: Habitat is doing its usual work of rebuilding homes. To make a donation, call 1-800-422-4828, and press 0 when prompted.

Catholic Charities: You can donate online by calling 1-800-919-9338.

Humane Society: The Humane Society’s Animal Rescue Team are working to rescue any pets in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast who were unable to go with their owners to safety. You can donate by calling 301-258-8276.

The Last Day of Obama’s and Romney’s Low Campaigns


So here we are: the eleventh hour, the last moments, the seal-the-deal times, the end of days, when it comes to the 2012 presidential campaign.

It’s generally conceded that there may by now and at last be more pandas in the world than there are undecided voters. If you haven’t decided by now, you’re probably lying to the last robo-caller and to yourself.

It will be Republican Mitt Romney or Democrat Barack Obama, the incumbent president. Or it may be the other way around. We will know by tomorrow. And maybe we won’t.

According to the polls—snapshot in time, folks, this time, this hour, this day, nothing more, but again, nothing less—the two men after wailing on each other with their own ads and those made by SuperPACs with generic, patriotic but altogether anonymous names are more or less in a dead heat in the popular vote, with some polls showing now a slight edge to the president. I don’t believe a percentage of it. Like exit polls, polls on the day before the election are the kinds of things—frown lines on a loan officer’s face, studying the centimeters of eyebrow raising on your spouse’s face after you came home a little late after the football game—that are iffy, they’re meant to allow news people to make predictions without fear or favor. Fat chance.

The playing field, in any case, has leveled. The toss ups remain, with perhaps the exception of Ohio for reasons not determined—unstable, volatile, fearfully unsettled—and in Florida’s case, as always, like a disturbance in a foreign land.

Almost everyone agrees that Hurricane Sandy has played its part—probably because President Obama could be President Obama and get a hug from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Christie, a Republican is still voting for Mr. Romney, but resented criticism of his let-us-now-praise-the-president, bipartisan mode. Romney had little to do, except to hand out food and dodge questions about what he would do with FEMA.

It is hard to figure out what’s going on in the sense of vox populi, because this has been a very dispiriting campaign on which enough money was spent to probably turn on the entire East Coast power grid, alleviate the damage and help every one that suffered a material loss. That, in and of itself, is dispiriting. Even Brian Williams of NBC News had a frown for the cost of the ad campaigns of the two candidates.

There is not a single phrase that I heard during the course of the campaign that was not negative in some way—that was rhetorically inspiring—not even “Forward,” which is, after all, the same phrase the commander of the Light Brigade used, according to Lord Tennyson. Of course, the suspicion remains that Romney has a hundred slogans, including a “Brighter Future,” “America Strong Again,” and so on, all pointing to 1955.

Even now, the two sides are still snarking and sparring—the president at one point in an aside to a reporter appears to have called Romney a b-ser, not the worst thing that’s been done in this campaign. And after there were boos in a crowd after hearing Romney’s name, the president reportedly said, “Don’t boo. Vote. Voting is the best revenge.” Romney promptly and often criticized him for urging voters to vote out of revenge.

It’s worth looking back—not too much, else the strangeness of it all affect voter turnout—on the campaign. You could, for simplicity’s sake, break it down: Phase One, the Republican Nomination Campaign, which consisted of a series of primaries and a series of debates, in which Romney outlasted and outspent and made fewer mistakes than his many, many opponents, none of whom merited even the thought of measuring as presidential. In the second half of this phase, Romney earned a victory from his labors which consisted of bullying Newt Gingrich, trying to move to the right of Rick Santorum and thankfully never quite succeeding, outsmarting Rick Perry—how hard is that?—and ignoring everyone else, except for fellow Mormon John Huntsman for working in the Obama administration.

Phase Two were the Republican and Democratic conventions, the former preceded by Romney’s sage choice of Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan, the party’s budget whiz kid, as his running mate. The convention itself was not quite the super bowl event it could have been—Ryan wowed, everyone praised Ann Romney for her speech in support of her husband, and everyone talked about Clint Eastwood’s conversation with an empty chair. If Romney could not do that to himself, perhaps Clint did.

The Democratic convention was not a triumph for Obama, but it was a winning event, especially when former President Bill Clinton took the stage, doing more to explain and boost the achievements of the administration that had hitherto been managed by the candidate himself.

There was a bounce and then an apparent surge, which the president, at the start of Phase Three, the all-important-to-the-media debates, single-handedly threw away and turned the race into the deadlock that it is now by a still-mystifyingly poor, detached and passive performance in the first debate. The rest of the campaign has been spent with the president climbing slowly, but apparently successfully, out of the hole that had loomed as a total disaster.

Mind you, although news kept coming of the Middle East and the economy inched its way upward but not out of stagnation, it was a great television show—at least to the electronic media, which treated each debate (there were four), as the deciding factor in the election.

The economy was Obama’s burden to defend and Romney’s whip. Neither did enough to change the political climate, which was a barrage of negative ads across the country. There is now a worrisome feeling in the air, not exactly jump-for-joy, but a certain relief that it will be over.

Maybe. None of the great issues were discussed, and none of the more urgent lesser ones made it to the table in the debates, either. Everyone talked about the looming financial cliff; few offered a solution.

The campaign this year was conducted in a time of horrific, and consistently regular, mass shootings, using semiautomatic weapons, most dramatically at a midnight showing of a Batman movie in a Colorado suburb. The campaign was also conducted in a time when there were more unseasonable, dramatic and severe weather—a devastating drought, out-of-season and destructive tornadoes and wildly wind-filled and flood-inducing storms, forest fires spectacularly destructive, and most recently, Hurricane Sandy. Neither gun control nor climate change nor global warming came into the discussion in any significant way.

Romney made it a trademark to speak inelegantly, to struggle to define himself as a warm human being. That inelegance produced “$10,000 bet?” and most dramatically, the 47 percent and and the embrace/desertion of stands on issues that made flip-flop seem too elegant a phrase.

All notwithstanding, here we are. Tomorrow, we—all who choose to—get to have our say. Regrettably, there is no electoral box to check or click that can indicate: “We want our money back,” “None of the above,” “Abraham Lincoln” or “the Joker.”

After the Voting, the Election Night Parties Begin

November 8, 2012

Election Day is upon us. We should soon learn who will run the country for the next four years: Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. Make sure you cast your vote. To check for polling places near you, visit DCboee.org. After you vote, why not relax for the night cheering on your candidate of choice?

The Republican National Committee holds an election night reception at the Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, beginning at 7 p.m.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee hold an election night reception at the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel, 415 New Jersey Ave., NW. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., DSCC chair, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and DCCC chair, Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., are expected to attend.

At the Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown: Degrees Bar and Bistro will serve a Romney Massachusetts Cape Cod Cooler, and Obama Hawaiian Mai Tai. Both cocktails are accompanied by presidential cocktail pairings of New England clam chowder or Hawaiian Pineapple and Ham Flatbread. Bar snacks will include Garrett’s Popcorn from Chicago, and Cape Cod Chips from Massachusetts. 3100 South Street, NW.

ClotureClub.com at George, 8 p.m. to midnight: By responding to its Facebook event, from 8 to 9 p.m., patrons may enjoy the open bar. Sam Adams products will be served, as well as signature drinks, Stoli-Obama and Romney Lemonade. George is located within Georgetown Court at 3251 Prospect Street, NW. Visit ClotureClub.com/calendar for more information.

At the National Press Club, you can spend election night in a nonpartisan atmosphere. The event will be open to club members in the Truman Lounge and open to the public in the First Amendment Lounge. Admission is $10 for club members; $15, for non-members. Hors d’oeuvres will be served. 529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor.

Election Night Jam at the Grand Foyer of the Kennedy Center: Join the jazz party, beginning 6:30 p.m., and spend Election Night with Jason Moran & the Bandwagon Welcoming those of all political stripes, the Kennedy Center presents a free election night Jam, complete with large-screen monitoring of the election results. Dance the night away regardless of whether your candidate wins or loses. 2700 F Street, NW.

Election Night Party at the historic Howard Theatre for a historic night. From 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., enjoy two levels with two large projection screens and multiple flat screens, while enjoying a full menu and happy hour drink specials. 620 T St., NW.

At Lincoln Restaurant, Vermont Ave., NW., the election night reception will announce the winner of its cocktail election: will be the red Elephant or blue Donkey drinks? At the menu are Mitt’s Meatloaf and Kahula Pork Belly. 1110 Vermont Ave., NW.

At the Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.: Lobby Lounge & Bar, serving their own signature drinks, with half-priced Red or Blue cocktails (depending on the outcome) as state results come in. The Blue Bourbon Baracks can be paired with a Vice Presidential slider of Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre and Delaware Rockfish Sliders for Vice President Joe Biden. The Romney drink will be a Grand Old Fashioned of bourbon, with a Paul Ryan menu of Leinenkugel “Leinie’s” IPA beer and Beer Bratwurst Sliders from Wisconsin. 1150 22nd St., NW.

At Morton’s the Steakhouse, 1050 Connecticut Ave., NW, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.: A Victory Party sponsored by the Susan B. Anthony List and National Organization for Marriage.

Liberty on the Rocks D.C. at BlackFinn: Election Night Watch Party at BlackFinn, 1620 Eye Street NW, from 6:30-11:00 p.m. There will be free giveaways, free drink tickets to a select number of attendees, live updates of the election results, and drink specials. BlackFinn will be running earlier for patrons who wish to grab something to eat before the party begins

D.C. Latino Caucus at El Rincon Espanol, 7:30 p.m.: The Election Victory Party will serve complimentary hors d’oeuvres and non-alcoholic drinks. A cash bar and special menu will be available; this event is free and open to the public. 1826 Columbia Road NW, visit dclc.org for more information.

Georgetown University will host an Election Night Watch Party and Forum sponsored by Electronic Media and Politics and gnovis, two online research journals associated with the university’s Communication, Culture and Technology graduate program. The Election Night Watch Party and Forum takes place in the CCT Lounge, CCT Studio and Room 317 of the Car Barn (3520 Prospect St., NW), For more information, contact Jennifer Young, managing editor of Electronic Media and Politics at 202-818-4409 or jen.oldyoung@gmail.com

American University Watch Party, 7:30 to 11:30 p.m.: American University’s School of International Service will host its Election Watch Party, featuring complimentary food and drink, a jazz duo, an on-site coffee spot and a balloon drop. Located at the intersection of New Mexico and Nebraska Avenues, NW; parking is free.

George Washington University will hold election night watch parties, beginning 7 p.m. The G.W. Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) “Elections 2012” class hosts an election night viewing party. (Students in the class have been tracking the presidential race and key congressional races. Students “will be able to provide analysis and insightful commentary as results come in.” Tonic Restaurant, 2036 G St., NW, Washington, D.C. GSPM students will host another watch party at the Elephant & Castle restaurant, 1201 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. G.W. College Democrats and College Republicans host election night viewing parties at the Marvin Center, 800 21st St., NW. (College Democrats will be in the Grand Ballroom; College Republicans will be in the Continental Ballroom.)

Join Boqueria, 1837 M Street, NW, for an Election Night & Unlimited Tapas and Drinks. enjoy a menu of unlimited tapas and drinks for $40.00 per person plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required for menu and seating in the official screening room is limited. The menu will be available from 7:30 to 11:30PM/ Please call 202 558 9545 for reservations.

A Night at the C&O Canal, Oct. 13

November 6, 2012

Residents and visitors will have a rare opportunity to view the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal by twilight this Saturday, Oct. 13. The canal is sponsoring its second annual Park After Dark fundraiser. With proceeds supporting the Canal Trust, the park’s official nonprofit, the event will allow visitors to spend a night in the park, which traditionally closes at dusk.

Last year’s benefit was a sold out success and brought 250 guests to the C&O Canal. Around $60,000 was raised to support programs at the park, including Canal Quarters and Canal Discoveries. This year’s benefit is shaping up to be another big event – attendance now allows for up to 300 guests. The event will feature stargazing, live music, chili and cornbread, beer and wine, live and silent auctions, campfires and a Civil War encampment.

The C&O Canal dates back to the 19th Century with a groundbreaking ceremony in 1828 by President John Quincy Adams signaling the start of construction. One of its primary purposes was to carry mail between the District of Columbia and West Virginia. The canal was taken over by the National Park Service in 1971 and receives more than 3 million recorded visitors per year.

Tickets to this year’s Park After Dark fundraiser are $150 each and must be purchased in advance; $115 of this price is tax deductible. Tickets can be bought online at www.canaltrust.org.

The event will take place at the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center, 11710 MacArthur Blvd., Potomac, Md — 301-767-3714 — Oct. 13, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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Early Voting Resumes in D.C.; Hours Extended to 9 P.M.


Hurricane Sandy has posed a problem for early voters along the East Coast, delaying absentee ballots from reaching their destinations and preventing polls from being opened. D.C. was no exception, closing its polls because of the bad weather.

The D.C. Board of Elections re-opened its early voting, opening polls on Oct. 31. The board has extended voting hours until 9 p.m. at every early voting location and has provided additional equipment in preparation for a heavy turnout. Each voting site’s hours of operation will run each day through Nov. 3, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“We want to ensure that every voter has the opportunity to cast a ballot in this General Election. We have added extra voting machines at every vote center and extended the hours of operation,” said Clifford Tatum, the Board of Election’s executive director. “We also want to remind voters that if there are long lines at the Early Vote Center in their home ward, that they can go to any other early voting site to cast a ballot in shorter lines or can go to their polling place on Nov. 6.”

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6. If you have not yet registered to vote, you still can sign up to make sure your vote is heard. Citizens can register to vote at early voting sites or at their Election Day polling place. Polls in D.C. will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. To find a location, visit the D.C. Board of Elections website, dcboee.org.

Weekend Roundup November 1, 2012


AIA of DC 125th Anniversary Party

November 2nd, 2012 at 06:30 PM | cdenby@markitectureconsulting.com | Tel: 703-665-1311 | Event Website

Attendees to the Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects will have the opportunity to explore the District Architecture Center, win door prizes, toast the Recognition Award Winners, and enjoy custom made cocktails. All proceeds will fund AIA DC’s educational and public service programming.

Address

District Architecture Center 421 7th Street NW Washington DC 20004

Montpelier Hunt Races

November 3rd, 2012 at 12:30 PM | Begin at $15.00 | education@montpelier.org | Tel: (540) 672-2728 | Event Website

Experience the thrill of steeplechase horse racing at the 78th running of the Montpelier Hunt Races on the historic grounds of James Madison’s Montpelier.

Montpelier Hunt Races always hosts seven races. The first race post time is 12:30 PM and the last race usually begins between 4:30 and 4:45PM.

Address

James Madison’s Montpelier, Orange, VA

The Bayou: DC’s Killer Joint

November 3rd, 2012 at 07:00 PM | Adult $12 Senoir $10 | Event Website

World Premiere. The Bayou Documentary, directed by David Lilling, chronicles the club’s unlikely rise, changing faces, jaunty anecdotes, gaudy on- and off-stage high jinks and mystical allure. The 13-year project culls nearly 100 hours of interviews with prominent performers, impresarios, employees and patrons, and exclusive musical footage in a playful, poignant and revealing homage to a musical icon.

Address

The Center Stage at Reston Community Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston, VA 20191

Atheist’s Paradise

November 3rd, 2012 at 08:00 PM | $15.35 | UniversePlayers2@aol.com | Tel: (202) 355-6330 | Event Website

With performances from November 3rd through November 25th, the play follows the story of “Doc” Johnson, a philosophy professor and football coach who dedicates most of his time to teaching critical thought. Conflict ensues when a new college president pressures “Doc” to create a winning football team and scale back his teachings. Along the way, “Doc” mentors students Sheila and Bob, who both come to his defense when his role at the college is jeopardized.

Address

Melton Rehearsal Hall, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004

American Girl Fashion Show

November 4th, 2012 at 11:00 AM | $55-75 | communications@youreyes.org | Tel: 202-234-1010 | Event Website

Presented by the Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington. Fundraising event perfect for families. Fun and entertainment for everyone. For more information, or to buy tickets, visit www.youreyes.org.

Address

9600 Newbridge Drive, Potomac, MD 20854

Washington Bach Consort presents “The Virtuoso Bach” featuring Elizabeth Futral

November 4th, 2012 at 03:00 PM | Tickets $23-$65, Students 18 and younger $10, Pay Your Age 18-38 | contact@bachconsort.org | Tel: 202.429.2121 | Event Website](http://www.bachconsort.org/index.php)

Bach famously wrote that music is an agreeable harmony for the honor of God and the permissible delights of the soul. Allow your soul an afternoon of delight with an all-Bach program featuring some of the master’s most virtuosic and challenging writing for solo singers and instrumentalists. Concertmaster Andrew Fouts and guest soprano Elizabeth Futral, who performs two of Bach’s most brilliant Cantatas for solo soprano, join other supurb performers in this showcase of musical treasures.

Address

National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Avenue, NW

Freshfarm Markets 2012 Farmland Feast

November 12th, 2012 at 05:00 PM | $250 and up | Tel: 202.362.888 | [Event Website](https://freshfarmmarkets.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/FRESHFARMMarkets2012FarmlandFeast/tabid/349514/Default.aspx)

10th annual Farmland Feast showcases our Chesapeake Bay farmers and producers. Local chefs will prepare a spectacular six-course anniversary dinner with local food and local wine pairings. Our mission driven, selective auction takes place during the seasonal cocktail hour; a live auction is held during the dinner. This benefit is a prominent part of the local-food movement in the Washington, DC area, and was named “the locavore party of the year” by DC magazine in 2010.

Registration closes: Friday, November 09, 2012.

Address

The Ritz-Carlton, 1150 22nd St NW

Tricks and Treats: Stress, a Super Storm and an Election


A long time ago—sometime in the previous century when we were just starting to figure out that we were not in Kansas anymore—when people got worried about things like jobs, the weather, storms, and strikes and health, they said they were worried, or nervous, and sometimes they might have a drink or two—on the sly, of course—to soothe those very same nerves.

Parents—not always, but usually—would never own up to it, even if they were home and not working, even if they cursed whoever was president, or not, even if they were clearly not feeling good, even as we were heading down to the basement in our home in Ohio because a tornado was coming. My stepdad liked Ike, he liked his Pontiac Bonneville beyond reason, he took care of us without ever loosing his air of steadfast good naturedness, at least in front of anybody. My mom was the nervous one—about just about everything.

These days, we’re not nervous any more. We’re certainly worried and concerned and afraid, but all of that now comes under the heading of stress, as in “I’m so stressed,” or “She’s really stressed out.” Me, I got the most of all possible worlds—I worry, I’m nervous—I pace and not just for the exercise—I try to put a stoic face on things, and I’m, well, you guessed it, stressed.

This week, everyone had a lot to be (pick one): 1, nervous; 2, worried; 3, afraid; 4, have a drink or two; 5, stressed or so stressed. You can’t think of a more stress-nerves-fear-double-shot-of-bourbon inducing combination than to have a thousand-mile storm, part northeasterner-part hurricane-part Frankenstorm approaching during the last days of a presidential campaign, about which just about everyone is already (pick one): 1, nervous; 2, worried; 3, stressed out, really stressed; 4, bored out of our minds; 5, wanting to become a Mayan, if not a Mormon, over.

Here, in Washington, D.C., it was bizarre at the center of the world, but not quite in the eye of the storm—aptly named Sandy—we watched everything play out on television, or on blogs, or on your phone, for as long as they lasted, because we had no choice. Until Sandy came along and passed by, everything in the Washington area was shut down: schools, the government, local and federal, any and all transportation, including planes, trains and Metro rail and buses.

We all hunkered down along most of the Eastern Seaboard as Sandy approached: we bought generators, we bought bourbon, we bought books and candles and batteries and food (non-perishable) and gasoline, and we checked out our insurance, which, for most of us, didn’t cover flooding.

We all hunkered down, in the towns next to the Atlantic, in Alexandria, where it always floods, in our neighborhoods, waiting for wind and rain, of speeds and amount never seen in the history of mankind, or trolls. Everything we heard from the weather folks suggested: to hell with stress, nerves and worry, be afraid, be very afraid.

And so it came to pass we hunkered down in our domiciles in fear, and we watched every five minutes to check the rain fall and its rate. We heard the wind howl through the treetops, and we viewed soaked reporters from beach fronts in Rehoboth, Dewey, Ocean City, and New York and New Jersey, as the storm mugged them. Sometimes, we turned the channel to a 2009 rerun of “Law & Order SVU” or “The Mentalist,” or watched horror movies about zombies.

We watched another sort of horror movie, the endless parade of political attack ads—Romney’s and the GOP Superpac ads of worried small business men, worried women—so many, so suddenly many women in GOP ads—we watched the grizzled old workers saying (about Romney) that “He’ll give you what he gave us—nothing,” and the women worried about four more years of Obama, and Romney and his 47 percent and two ex-governors of Virginia running for the U.S. Senate seat, and the Independent millionaire (is there such a thing?) in Maryland and the back and forth over casinos in Maryland, and Julian Bond in his God-voice mode, pushing same-sex marriage.

If you wanted to get weather info, you got Romney and Obama, you got the woman who isn’t going to survive the next four years, you got them all, millions of dollars worth. It was a twofer—a perfect storm of another sort.

In the end, our region, our city, our neighborhood, our house was spared, and that’s exactly what it was. The waters not only receded, but did not come. Our worst fears were not realized. What happened in New Jersey, and the Jersey shore, in Atlantic City and in lower Manhattan and parts of the biggest city in our country, was not merely stress but a tragedy. It made you pray for people you did not know.

Being a print journalist, I normally don’t have kind things to say about the folks who work in television. But I did not envy the reporters in the field, their sleepless nights, their hours of getting soaking wet, while the anchors did not.

I have a special word for NBC 4’s Jim Rosenfield, reporting for days from the town of Keansburg, N.J., which has been devastated by Sandy and became, for much of its expanse, a sand city. This historic town was virtually destroyed, and that included a legendary amusement park. Rosenfield, the only reporter on site, reported the tragedy and suffering, the devastation of the town in a way that was muted, strong, factual, direct and powerful, with self-evident feeling that was miles from maudlin. Here’s my Emmy to him.

In the end, around here, we continued, and waited for the election. But on Wednesday on Halloween, the children, young and tiny and in-between showed up in their cowboy suits, their batman outfits, the girls dressed as Dorothy from Kansas and Alice from Wonderland. They came door to door in our neighborhood of Lanier Heights, once again, as if they hadn’t gotten the memo that there might not be a Halloween here. There was—our neighbors covered their yard in spiders, spooks and spun spider webs, our yard once again became a bloody cemetery, and pumpkins, goblin, Gotham at St. Joseph’s House, where the Joker was on a bloody poster. Georgetown’s Wisconsin and M intersection was once again festive and ghoulish. It seemed like a trick, this welcome treat.

And now, today, on a Thursday, the polls say the presidential race is tied, and the election is Tuesday. We are, of course, stressed.

A Happy Halloween 2012 in Georgetown


It was a calm night with D.C. thankful for being spared the full force of Hurricane Sandy. Accompanied by their parents, adorable little trick-or-treaters dominated the residential streets, east side and west side, in the early evening hours. Then, it was time for the adult parties and the increasingly crowded scene radiating from the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department were out in force with cruisers, a mobile commander center parked next to Serendipity 3 and officers on horseback. Halloween celebrants walked along the sidewalks, happily meeting and taking photos of any interesting ghoul, monster or fake celebrity. Except for a small Occupy D.C. protest in front of Councilman Jack Evans’s house on P Street around 10 p.m., no other incidents were reported. [gallery ids="101047,136418,136424,136430,136436,136443,136450,136456,136463,136469,136411,136406,136496,136491,136374,136485,136380,136481,136387,136393,136399,136474" nav="thumbs"]

Sandy Is Smacking Washington, Georgetown


Hurricane Sandy hit the Washington area today, as if you didn’t know. Georgetown was mostly closed and empty. There were cars on the streets, and it is important for pedestrians to be alert. Many drivers think no one is walking in this weather.

A least through mid-day, a few eateries remained open, including Booeymonger’s, Bourbon Steak, Clyde’s, Cafe Milano, Dean and Deluca, Marvelous Market, Peacock Cafe, Bistrot Lepic, Bistro Français, Wisey’s and Wisemiller’s. The two CVS pharmacies were open. Some businesses boarded up like Lululelon and Papyrus; other threw down sandbags or taped their windows.

The floodgates are up at Washington Harbour. With Tony & Joe’s and Nick’s Riverside Grill just re-opening after 18 months after an April 2011 flood, there was concern for the revamped restaurants and the soon-to-open ice skating rink at the Potomac River complex.

Schools and universities are closed. D.C. schools are closed Tuesday. Also, the C&O Canal is drained. Tonight’s advisory neighborhood commission meeting has moved to Oct. 31.

Sandy is expected to bring rain and high winds today through Tuesday evening. Winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour are predicted from 8 a.m. Monday and will eventually increase to hurricane force wind gusts 60 to 70 miles per hour from noon until early Tuesday morning. Significant tree damage is predicted. Several warnings pertaining to the hurricane have been issued.

The National Hurricane Center recommends staying indoors and being prepared for extended power outages. If you live near large trees, they recommend staying in your home’s lower level or finding shelter somewhere else.

Metrobus and rail service will be suspended until further notice beginning today.

D.C. Water recommends having containers full of frozen tap water to provide additional cooling during power outages. Additionally, they noted that clogged storm drained can be reported by calling 202-612-3400.
The American Society of Civil Engineers will be available to provide information regarding the hurricane and its impact. The contact person is Jim Jennings at 703-295-6406.

Ready.gov, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has extensive guidelines for hurricane preparedness.

Other handy phone numbers:

•Pepco: 1-877-737-2662

•Dominion Power: 1-866-366-4357

•BGE: 1-877-778-2222

•Potomac Edison: 1- 800- 255-3443

•NOVEC: 1-888-335- 0500

•SMECO: 1-877-747-6326

•Rappahannock: 1- 800-552-3904

•Verizon: 1-800-837-4966

•Comcast:1-800-XFINITY (1-800-934-6489)

•RCN: 1-800-RING- RCN (7464-726)

•Cox: 703-378-8422
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Annual Living In Pink Luncheon & Boutique, November 2, 2012


The Living in Pink Annual Luncheon will be held on Nov. 2. This annual luncheon and boutique is a fundraising event to raise money for breast cancer research.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, except for nonmelanoma skin cancers. The chance of developing invasive breast cancer at some time in a woman’s life is about 1 in 7 (13.4 percent).

The mission of Living in Pink, founded in 2004 by two-time breast cancer survivor and mother of four, Michele Conley, is to help find a cure for breast cancer so that the next generation of women will not have to endure the emotional and physical pain of breast cancer surgery and treatment.

To purchase tickets and learn more about Living in pink, visit livinginpink.com