Latest News

Suzanna Nelson • July 26, 2011

The Van Metre Polo Cup benefiting Capital Caring and the Alder Center was a success! A sunny day lit up the green polo field as guests enjoyed food and beverages under the tent, and the entertainment of the polo match. The auction raised not only money for the cause, spectators out of their seats in excitement. This video recaps the day’s events which were featured as our cover story June 15. click here to see video

Georgetowner •

“Innocent Spouse- A Memoir”
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May 22nd, 5-7PM

You’re invited to an evening with Carol Ross Joynt on the publication of her new book, “Innocent Spouse- A Memoir” Enjoy a reading, discussion/Q&A and a meeting with the author and have your booked signed! Music and Refreshments will provided. All proceeds from the sale and signing will benefit the new Georgetown Public Library under the direction of the D.C. Public Library Foundation. There is no charge for this event but seating is limited. To R.S.V.P call Anna 202 727 4943
Black Hall
At Potomac and O Streets in Georgetown
(Adjacent to St. John’s Church)

Venus in Fur
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May 25th, 2011 at 08:00 PM

A comedy-drama that explores the complex relationship between sex and power. Reality and fantasy, strength and weakness, pleasure and pain all blend together in one of the smartest and funniest plays in recent years.

The Milton Theatre
1501 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005

National Sporting Library & Museum Book Fair
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May 28th, 2011 at 10:00 AM

Saturday, May 28, 2011, 10 am – 5 pm, the Library will host the NSLM Book Fair. Six authors are scheduled to talk for 20 minutes then sign books, beginning at 11:00. The authors are: Rita Mae Brown, Kate Chenery Tweedy and Leeanne Ladin, Tim Rice, Bill Woods, and Norman Fine. Booksellers will be on hand and the authors’ books will be available for purchase. Check www.nsl.org for details in early May.

The National Sporting Library and Museum
102 The Plains Road
P.O. Box 1335
Middleburg, Virginia 20118-1335
Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m

Free Memorial Day Weekend Events at the Navy Memorial
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May 30th, 2011 at 10:00 AM | Free and open to the public

Memorial Day Weekend Events featuring Rolling Thunder, a performance by the Rock Band Fourmanchu, commemorative wreathlayings and a traditional Navajo dance
Address

United States Navy Memorial
Naval Heritage Center
701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004

Nico Dodd •

After seemingly perpetual delays and endless speculation, it can officially (hopefully) be said: Serendipity 3 will finally be opening its doors next week, according to a press release from the New York City eatery. Its location, on the corner of M St. and Wisconsin Ave., has had its windows boarded up since Nathan’s closed in July 2009.

In addition to Serendipity 3’s patently whimsical décor, the restaurant will feature an 8-foot+ Abe Lincoln statue and a clock from the historic Galt & Bros Jewelers.

The menu, which includes the famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate and Foot-Long Hot Dog, will also offer dishes exclusive to the District, such as the President’s Lobster Pasta, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, Pan Seared Virginia Striped Bass and the Red Velvet Sundae.

Temperatures are predicted to go back into the 80s next week. We can hardly wait to see one of these sundaes in action.

Charlene Louis •

Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates spring in Washington, DC, the gift of the cherry blossom trees and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan (something exceedingly important in Japan’s current crisis). The Festival produces and coordinates 16 days and three spectacular weekends of festivities, primarily free and open to the public.

One the best features during the Cherry Blossom season are the “Cherry Picks,” area restaurants offering savory menus items inspired by the cherry blossoms. Now in its ninth year, Cherry Picks has over 70 participating restaurants serve creative cherry-flavored, cherry-infused, or blossom-inspired entrées, appetizers, desserts, cocktails, or multi-course menus throughout the Festival. Check out this list of participating restaurants!

Mar 26, 2011 – Mar 26, 2011
Family festival featuring hands-on activities, interactive art exhibits, and exciting indoor and outdoor youth performances. Presented by Safeway and Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States Region.

April 9
National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade

Apr 09, 2011 – Apr 09, 2011
Enjoy this long-standing Washington tradition featuring lavish floats, giant helium balloons, marching bands, and other family entertainment.

Mar 23 2011
2011 Pink Tie Party

Mar 23, 2011
Kick off the “Season of the Blossoms” in style at the Festival’s Pink Tie Party fundraiser and auction, presented by Macy’s and Open Skies – The Unique All Business Airline. Tickets now on sale!

Mar 22 2011
Community Cherry Blossom Art Show at Union Station

Mar 22, 2011 – Apr 10, 2011
Blossom inspiration comes to life through the imagination of DC public and charter school students. Public exhibition presented by Sodexo.

Mar 26 2011
Music of Spring

Mar 26, 2011 – Mar 27, 2011
Alongside Eastern Market’s foods, arts and crafts, enjoy music throughout the grounds.

Mar 26 2011
Glorious Gardens Self-Guided Tour

Mar 26, 2011 – Apr 10, 2011
Experience nature’s beauty through a series of visits to several splendid gardens in Fairfax County.

Mar 26 2011
Cherry Blossom River Teas

Mar 26, 2011 – Mar 27, 2011
Enjoy a charming, full-service English ‘High Tea’ aboard a classic yacht while cruising along the blossoms.

Mar 26 2011
Lantern Walks

Mar 26, 2011 – Mar 27, 2011
Guided by the light of festive lanterns, rangers will guide you on an evening walk around the Tidal Basin.

Mar 26 2011
National Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony

Mar 26, 2011 – Mar 26, 2011
Official kick-off to the Festival features a dazzling line-up of classic and contemporary performances, with welcoming remarks by Washington dignitaries. Presented by Open Skies – The Unique All Business Airline.

Mar 26 2011
Performance Stage at Sylvan Theater

Mar 26, 2011 – Apr 10, 2011
The Festival’s primary stage features daily performances by recognized and diverse talent from around the region, country, and world.

Mar 26 2011
The Blossom Secrets Stroll

Mar 26, 2011
A walking tour recounting the story and sites of how the Japanese cherry trees came to Washington, D.C.

Mar 26 2011
Photo Safaris Around the Tidal Basin at Cherry Blossom Time

Mar 26, 2011 – Apr 10, 2011
Instructional workshops in cherry blossom and travel photography conducted around the Tidal Basin at sunrise and in late afternoon.

Mar 26 2011
Beyond the Tidal Basin: Introducing Other Great Flowering Cherries

Mar 26, 2011 – Apr 10, 2011
Enjoy a self-guided tour of different species and cultivars of flowering cherries. [gallery ids="99621,105126,105119,105123" nav="thumbs"]

Samantha Hungerford •

Elizabeth Taylor, beloved Hollywood actress and icon, died Wednesday at age 79 of congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.

Taylor was a blue-blooded Hollywood star, a darling of the silver screen since her breakout role in “National Velvet” (1944) at age 14. More than 70 years later, Taylor had appeared in 50 films and won two Academy Awards as Best Actress for her roles in “Butterfield 8” (1960) and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966) as well as being nominated for three others. Other films such as “A Place in the Sun,” (1951) “Giant,” (1956) and “Cleopatra” (1963) cemented Taylor’s fame. Upon her death, she hadn’t acted in several years.

Taylor was also heavily involved with various philanthropic efforts, raising support and awareness for AIDS since 1985, after the death of her close friend and fellow actor Rock Hudson. Her campaign to combat AIDS was monumental in the 1980s, as up until her involvement it was an issue largely ignored by the press and national government. Using her celebrity status, Taylor played a large role in bringing the AIDS epidemic to the forefront of America’s attention. She helped found the American Foundation for AIDS Research and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

The dynamic celebrity was also known for her larger-than-life personality and tumultuous personal life, with her illnesses, addictions and string of failed marriages (two alone to Richard Burton, the Anthony to her Cleopatra) a constant source of media attention. It often became difficult to tell where her public life ended and her personal life began.

Taylor had three children: two sons with actor Michael Wilding and one daughter with producer Michael Todd, who died after one year of their marriage in 1958.

Her seventh and final marriage to John W. Warner, a Republican senator from Virginia, also ended in divorce. During the six years of their marriage, Taylor brought Hollywood glamour to politics, standing by Warner through his first U.S. Senate race in 1978.

In a statement released by Sally Morrison, Taylor’s publicist, Michael Howard Wilding, 58, remembered his mother:
“My mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor, and love,” he said. “We know, quite simply, that the world is a better place for Mom having lived in it. Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts.”

Corrie Dyke •

Check out what’s happening around town this weekend with The Georgetowner’s interactive calendar. Looking for an excuse to get out of the house, or know of an event so exciting you just have to share? You can do both at the Georgetowner.com Calendar.

Hamtdaa: Together
April 1st, 2011
11:00 AM
703-875-1100

Hamtdaa: Together features the work of renowned visual artist and Arlingtonian Gankhuyag Natsag, whose Tsam dance masks, ceremonial costumes and paintings speak to Mongolia’s ancient traditions and contemporary experiences. Accompanied by a multi-faceted program of performances, workshops, films and community celebrations, this exhibition is made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
March 3- May 1,2011

Address
Terrace Gallery
1101 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22209

Save Bristol Bay In Washington, D.C.
April 2nd, 2011 at 11:00 AM
Tel: 202.331.2120

Trout Unlimited with the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association is bringing Bristol Bay’s salmon and story to our nation’s capital for a delicious weeklong celebration of our nation’s last great wild salmon fishery. Over 20 DC-area restaurants will be featuring wild Bristol Bay salmon on their menus from March 27 – April 2 as a way of showing that they value Bristol Bay’s salmon fishery and want to see it protected from proposed mining development in the Bristol Bay watershed.

Artini 2011
April 2nd, 2011
08:30 PM

Celebrate with the 1869 Society at the culminating ARTINI benefit, where your votes for D.C.’s favorite artini will be revealed. Taste the 12 artinis crafted by the competing mixologists. View the Corcoran’s collection, including the works of art that provided the inspiration behind each artini. Enjoy dancing and music by DJ Neekola, a beer and wine bar, and a cocktail and dessert buffet. Tickets and pre-registration required.
Address

Corcoran Gallery of Art
500 Seventeenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20006

The Royal Wedding Breakfast & Viewing Party
April 28th, 2011
09:00 AM
$40.00
Tel: 202) 974-5566

In celebration of the upcoming marriage of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales, K.G. to Miss Catherine Middleton, luxury bridal boutique Carine’s Bridal Atelier and The Ritz Carlton Washington D.C.will offer guests the opportunity to watch the “Wedding of the Century” in style at a Royal Wedding Breakfast & Viewing Party. Guests who wish to stay over, the night before can enjoy a Royal Wedding Overnight Package.
Address

The Lobby Café located in The Ritz-Carlton
1150 22nd Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20037

Corrie Dyke •

President Obama set ambitious goals for the future of America’s dependency on foreign supplies and moving the country in a more energy efficient direction. The President stated that the problem will not be solved with quick fixes, calling for a one-third reduction in U.S. oil imports by 2025.

Obama’s speech Wednesday at Georgetown University lasted nearly an hour as the President restated many energy solutions previously proposed.

President Obama looks to boost domestic oil production, noting his administration’s recent approval of both shallow and deep water drilling permits. Obama mentioned the ongoing effort of energy independency, which the country has struggled with for decades.

“Presidents and politicians of every stripe have promised energy independence but that promise has so far gone unmet,” Obama said. “That has to change. We cannot keep going from shock to trance on the issue of energy security, rushing to propose action when gas prices rise, then hitting the snooze button when they fall again.”

In his speech Obama set another dated goal, this time calling for government agencies to ensure that by 2015 all new vehicles purchased are alternative-fuel vehicles, including hybrid and electric. This accompanies Obama’s previously set a goal of putting 1 million electric vehicles on U.S. roads in the same year.

Obama’s expansion of oil alternatives include natural gas and advanced biofuels, fuels made from non-food sources such as wood chips, switch grass or plant waste.

According to administration officials, Obama’s plans would require significant spending on research and development, though no cost estimates have been made.

Lisa Gillespie •

On Monday evening, March 28, Mayor Vincent Gray delivered his first State of the District speech after three months in office and weeks of stormy resignations, allegations and negative approval ratings.

His 8,000 word speech did not address the recent firing of former health administration employee Sulaimon Brown who accused Gray of a pay-to-play and nepotism and D.C. City Council’s probes into those allegations, nor did it address repercussions for City Council chairman Kwame Brown’s two fully-loaded SUVs that ended up being illegally procured.

However, after a reporter asked about the admittance in a press conference after the speech, Gray said, “I wanted to talk about the issues affecting the city. The reason I ran in the first place was to advance the educational outcome for children and provide opportunities for self improvement.”

He also mentioned that he had not wanted the main topic of headlines to be his troubles, but the “real” issues affecting the city, and that there would be accountability to those who violate the public trust: “If people violate the public trust they will be fired. There are missteps that have been made and at the end of the day I’ll take responsibility for them. And if I’m going to take the weight for them, I intend to bring the weights back to where it belongs.”

The speech, titled “One City…Rising to the Challenge,” did focus heavily on unifying the city, and Gray addressed the challenges that he’s faced since taking office. Last week, for instance, the Census released statistics that showed the District’s African American population down to 50 percent.

“The facts are troubling, but they bear acknowledging: there are parts of this city where over half of our high school students do not graduate. In some neighborhoods, one out of every three adults is unemployed.”

Tammy McKinney, 41, attended the speech and said she felt he’d addressed the issues facing her home in Ward 6.

“We’ve seen the development on H Street Northeast and a few good things come through, but we don’t hear as much about Wards 6, 7 or 8 than we do the others,” said McKinney, who was born in DC. “Why would people come out here? There are not restaurants and no shopping. I’m hopeful, but unsure.”

Gray spoke of the dividing line between the Anacostia River and the hope that it would one day resemble other notable rivers in the world: the Thames in London, the Charles River in Boston or the San Antonio River Walk in Texas.

“At its widest, the Anacostia River spans barely half a mile —but when you pass over it, it can feel like you’ve left one continent for another…it should be a unifying force between the east and west.”

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton praised the Mayor for not glossing over the $322 million budget gap that will lead to budget cuts, to be released on Friday.

“I appreciate that he didn’t gloss over the tough issues. People will be very disappointed when they see these cuts, though we’ve seen it come worse to other parts of the country.”

Gray delivered his speech at Eastern High School in Ward 5, where the poverty rate stood at 20 percent in 2009.

“If I have been repetitive on this topic, it’s because it is vitally important for us to be honest about how things will change,” Gray said. “Some of the agencies that we depend upon will be asked to make do with less. We cannot and will not use budget gimmicks to close the gap.”

He compared the city government after the cuts to, “a lean athlete after a period of intense training: with a government that is leaner, but also one that is stronger.”

Samantha Hungerford •

In a box, in a corner of an office, in the Tudor Place in Georgetown, an antique collection of wax figurines lays largely untouched and unseen by visitors to the historic home.

The 228-year-old dolls, once the treasured belongings of first First Lady Martha Washington, were brought to their home at Tudor Place by Martha’s granddaughter and looked after for two centuries by her descendants and then museum curators.

Years of heat, mishandling and bugs have obviously gotten to figures; many are missing legs or arms, and the silk clothes are torn and faded of their color. But Leslie Buehler, the executive director of Tudor Place, believes that there is life yet to breathe back into these charming wax characters, and she is currently working to restore them.

The figurines make up a tableau set that was a gift to Martha Washington from Samuel Fraunces in 1783. The scene depicts the story of the military hero, Hector, and his wife Andromanche, whose romance was endearing to George and Martha, mirroring their own story of love and separation during wartime.

The scene was removed from public display in an effort to conserve the figurines and spare them any further damage.

The steps taken by Tudor Place to make the figurines more aesthetically pleasing have been more challenging than expected. The pins and dowel rods that hold the dolls together are from unidentifiable years, making it difficult to determine which ones are the originals, and details such as what the faces and clothes originally looked like are unknown. Buehler stated that it will be at least another year before the figures are ready to go back on display.

The restoration is being funded by private donors, including a remarkably generous donation which covered the initial analysis of the figurines.

“All of these objects tell extraordinary stories that relate the times these people lived in a visceral way,” Buehler said to the Post. “The more one understands about the beginnings of this country – how people lived, how they spent their time – it just informs our sense of history.”
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