Living

Dr. Dorree Lynn • July 26, 2011

Wanna know a secret? Grownups, even some very grownup grownups, are playing…with sex toys! In fact, for couples and singles alike, there is a revolution occurring for people over 50. Adult sex toys, pornography, erotic literature, game playing, and other pleasure products and practices have become much more mainstream than ever before. This is good news for those in good health, as sex toys can add fun and excitement to adult life. And it’s even better news for those in ill health because of new products available to help make sex easier, possible, and more satisfying for those with health challenges—like eyeglasses and hearing aids for the bed.

You’re Never Too Old to Play with Toys. Whatever your situation or age, jazzing up your sex life with sex toys
and perhaps pornography can be a great way to feel vitally alive and sexy for all your years. Single folks
may find that a little help from a manufactured friend can be a welcome addition. And for couples in long-term relationships, some added spice is always nice. While no sex gadget can fix a broken relationship, experimenting with sex toys, erotic books, educational sex films, role playing, and perhaps even working with a sex or relationship therapist can be very helpful for lifting an otherwise good relationship out of a passion slump.

The Joys of Toys As We Age.

While vibrators are the most popular after-50 sex toys, there are many other passion playthings on the market today. Now that we are living longer, it’s the perfect time to incorporate adventure (and convenience) into your sex life. After all these years, we’ve finally arrived at the joys of sex unzipped. Adults of advanced years are grownup enough to enjoy their sex lives to the fullest, and they are going for it in droves.

Researchers attribute the widespread use of adult sex toys to easier availability and a cultural shift away from the bad boy, X-rated sex toy industry. New Internet sites for sex products aimed at mainstream couples now feature images of middle-aged models and realistic sex scenes. Women, as well as men, are buying more sex toys and pleasure products than ever before, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by the adult novelties industry. In fact, several companies now market exclusively to postmenopausal women. In many regions of the country, Tupperware parties have given way to adult toy sales gatherings, almost always attended and led by women. Not only are women buying and using more sex toys, but the sales of erotic novels are up, even in a slumping economy. An entire flourishing industry now markets erotica especially for older women.

Overcoming shyness and shame is part of the way to keep those hormones healthy. If you don’t know where to shop, you might be surprised by what you find in your local Target, Walgreen’s, or department store under body back massagers (Use your imagination.). Even local drug stores and supermarkets now carry vaginal lubricants. Read the label, and make sure to use one that’s water-soluble. This kind of between-the-sheets shopping can be useful as well as fun.

Try some of these toys as surprise stocking stuffers. There are hundreds of thousands of sex toys on the market today. With a little creativity and fun, you can come up with all kinds of ways to spice up your love life just in time for the holiday chill!

Dave Nyczepir •

Middleburg has long been considered the heart of horse and wine country, with plenty of antiquing to be had. The area has quietly become one of the premier travel destinations on the East Coast. Come December, more and more travelers fancy Christmas in a country village, and nowhere will you find a Christmas experience quite like Middleburg’s.

From the minute you enter Middleburg, the sense of community becomes evident. On Saturday, December 4, residents will flock to Middleburg Elementary School for breakfast with Santa and a silent auction. By 11 a.m., locals are ready for the Middleburg Hunt, where horseback riders and their hounds parade through the streets.

Once the Hunt is finished, the Middleburg Christmas Parade commences. Spectators line Washington Street (Route 50) to watch as floats, bands, and troops pass. Plenty of animals take part in the festivities. Antique fire trucks are always a staple of the parade, and make sure to stay for Santa, who closes the procession as he rides in on an ornate horse-drawn coach.

Throughout the day, visitors are encouraged to go on hayrides, enjoy choir performances, and take in the Craft and Garden Club’s Christmas Flower & Greens Shows. Middleburg offers a variety of local shops and restaurants to explore. At 2 p.m., local musicians can be found performing live Christmas music at the Middleburg United Methodist Church.

“Christmas in Middleburg is a wonderful tradition,” said Parade Co-Chairman and Middleburg Eccentric Founder and Editor Dee Dee Hubbard. “This year’s event will be especially exciting because the parade will immediately follow the kick off of the day, with the tradition of the horses and hounds parading down the main street. This will give families more time to enjoy the many activities taking place in Middleburg.”

Middleburg is a mere 45 minutes from Washington D.C., close to the Dulles International Airport. To get there take I-66 West to Route 50 West (toward Winchester) via Exit 57B. From there, Middleburg is a 25-minute drive.

Those interested in learning more about Middleburg’s holiday offerings should contact the Pink Box Visitor Center at 540-687-8888 or the Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association at 1-800-752-6118.

Christmas In Middleburg Events List

Friday, December 3

5:30 pm—Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Pink Box, music, refreshments

Saturday, December 4

8 am—Breakfast with Santa at Middleburg Elementary

9 am—Chrstimas Craft Show at Middleburg Community Center

10 am—Middleburg Garden Club Greens Sale & Bazaar at Emmanuel Episcopal Church

11 am—Hunt Parade, Christmas Parade with Santa immediately following

12:30 pm—Santa will visit with children on the porch across from Post Office

12:30 pm – 3:30 pm—Hayrides starting at the Pink Box immediately following the parade

11 am – 2 pm—Soup & ham & biscuit luncheon at Middleburg United Methodist Church

2 pm—Concert at Middleburg United Methodist Church, Trinity Choir, AGGE & Hill School

5:45 pm—Christmas Concert featuring the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra performing Mozart’s Requiem at Emmanuel [gallery ids="99567,104809" nav="thumbs"]

Katherine Tallmadge •

People are more successful at achieving their New Year’s Resolutions than widely believed. In fact, a study found the success rate of resolutions is ten times higher than the success rate of adults desiring to change without making a resolution.

Half of American adults make New Year’s Resolutions. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, researchers found half of the people who made New Year’s Resolutions to quit smoking, lose weight, or start an exercise program were still successful at their goals six months later. The study, which compared people who carried out their resolutions and those who didn’t, clarified a few important things about how people successfully change.

They found desire to change and introspection didn’t make a difference. What made the difference were actions. While unsuccessful resolvers talked a lot about their problem, successful resolvers actively worked toward their goal. They controlled their surroundings, avoided difficult situations and rewarded themselves for changing.

If you want to lose weight, find strategies you can easily work into your lifestyle. Don’t try to make sweeping overhauls that are doomed to fail. Your goals should be realistic, specific and simple. Try just a few of the 192 tips excerpted from my book Diet Simple:

Minesweep for Calorie Bombs

Get rid of the foods in your house that you have a problem controlling.

Bottom Line: If that saves just one 500 calorie binge per week, you could lose 7 pounds in a year.

Choose “Surf”

The numbers tell the story: 6 ounces of prime rib is 600 calories, sirloin is 450, salmon is 300, white fish is 180 calories. Choosing seafood over fatty red meat could save at least 300 calories per meal.

Bottom Line: Do it four nights a week and lose 18 pounds in a year.

Irritate the Waiter

Shake up the usual order of things in a restaurant by ordering a salad or soup first, eating it, then ordering your entree. This will take the edge off your appetite so that you’ll order more modestly. Count on saving at least 400 calories per night out.

Bottom Line: If you “irritate the waiter” just once a week, that adds up to losing 6 pounds a year.

Hit the Ground Running

Wake up in the morning. Yawn. Roll out of bed, go to the bathroom, have a drink of water, and slip on some exercise clothes. Don’t check e-mail or phone messages. Start moving. Now! Right away! Exercising first thing in the morning is one of the best things you can do for yourself. And it’s over with before you’re even awake!

Bottom Line: Do it for just 15 minutes a day, and lose 10 pounds in a year!

Get Sexy Lingerie

After accomplishing just one of these strategies, reward yourself—or ask your spouse to—with something that’s not a box of chocolates or an elaborate dinner out. Make the substitution just once a week and you’ll save at least 1,200 calories.

Bottom Line: Lose 18 pounds in a year.

Successful weight loss is a lot like being successful at anything in life. Set a goal or resolution, plan concrete steps which will take you there and anticipate and avoid pitfalls while rewarding yourself along the way. Above all: Know thyself and plan appropriately!

Regardless of Oscar Wilde’s belief that resolutions are “pure vanity; their result absolutely nil,” you can be successful at achieving your New Year’s Resolution!

Katherine Tallmadge, M.A., R.D. is a weight loss and nutrition consultant with a 20-year private practice in Georgetown. She is a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and author of, Diet Simple: 192 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits & Inspirations (LifeLine Press)

Robert HigginBotham •

Thanksgiving is ancient history now. And as the trees shed those last few colorful stragglers refusing to join the pile, we’re forced to face the fact that fall is coming to an end, and the cold is here to stay. Nonetheless, DC transforms almost overnight into a city of lights, as the yearly holiday festivities begin with the immediacy of instant oatmeal.

The annual lighting of the National Chanukah Menorah is already in full swing, and a 40-foot spruce tree sits discretely on the side, waiting to be unveiled. There are parades, plays, concerts, cocktails, gift exchanges, gift returns, families and friends, cookie parties, party parties—just enough so that by the time the ball drops and the fireworks go off, you may well be writhing in bed at night, the sound of bells engrained within the hollows of your ears, trying to figure out where to put the extra 10 pounds you’ve tacked on.

As truly wonderful as it all is, it can (and will) get hectic and overwhelming. It’s times like these we can be grateful for, and truly appreciate, a peaceful countryside. Who can refuse a jaunt over the hills—or over the river and through the woods—for quiet views and great food? What better escape for you and your loved ones to flee the city for a couple hours and soak up the holiday spirit together in quiet relaxation?

If this is ringing a bell and you need a place to go, we’ve got a few in mind. Places like the Billard’s Patowmack Farm in Lovettesville, VA, just north along the river and west of Point of Rocks, are perfect for a respite from the holiday madness.

With views overlooking the Potomac and the Point of Rocks Bridge, Beverly Morton Billard and Chuck Billard started Patowmack Farm in 1986 as a place to grow fresh herbs and seasonal vegetables. In 1998 they opened their restaurant, championing—and in many ways, pioneering—the farm-to-table concept. The Farm’s well known “Chef Christopher” focuses on providing fresh, organic produce straight from the grounds, paired with sustainable seafood and wild, natural meats.

Helping to maintain an environmental balance using sustainable practices is of the utmost importance to Chef Christopher and the Patowmack crew, and it’s never compromised on the menu. Such items include Truffle Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke, incorporating burgundy truffles, black trumpet mushroom powder and a mushroom puree. Or, on the more savory side, choices include dishes like Duck A L’Orange served with caramelized endive, juniper spice pesto, candied orange peel and grand marnier. As for dessert, one can’t go wrong with the Maple Crème Beignet, a dark chocolate ganache combined with shaved white chocolate and Virginia peanut streusel.

Everything on the menu is available a la carte, or as part of a 5-course prix fixe menu with optional wine pairings. And of course, vegetarian options are always available.

The exquisite high-ceilinged glass dining room at Patowmack Farm is open Thursday night through Saturday, and brunch is served on weekends, mixing in organic breakfast dishes into their already healthy repertoire.

More recently, the Farm has cooked up what they call “Thursday’s on the Farm,” as a way for the curious (or the repeat offender) to sample the unique tastes, much like tapas. Dishes are smaller (and priced accordingly) and served with organically infused cocktail options. The menus for both change weekly allowing for a wide range of what the Farm has to offer.

The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm has joined an elite crew of the most renowned dining experiences in the area (DC included), and not only for serving food, but for giving back as well. Earlier this month the Farm teamed up with INMED Partnerships for Children in an event goaled toward helping to stop child hunger, disease, abuse, neglect and violence. More specifically, the proceeds of the “Chef’s Collaborative Event” went toward establishing a greenhouse organic gardening system at the Loudoun County Homeless and Transitional Housing Shelter. They are hoping the greenhouse will provide both education and food year-round to those in need. It isn’t just good food they’re serving up at the Farm, it’s Good, period.

And if you’re not sold yet, Patowmack Farm throws in some wonderful special events every month to help coax you away from the concrete jungle. Whether it’s a jazz brunch, a top notch cooking class, or simply holiday music and great food (this year provided by Music by Anthem’s string quartet hosted on Dec 17 and Dec 18), there always seems to be something going on at the Patowmack Farm to spice up a great day spent in the country. Sided with a view of the bridge among rolling hills, while leaning back in a quiet gazebo miles away from food trucks, bus stops, pay stations and buildings over three stories tall, you may realize that, occasionally, the city of lights needs to be beat—at least for an hour or two. [gallery ids="99578,104869,104873" nav="thumbs"]

Dr. Dorree Lynn •

Yes, you read that correctly! People always say communication is the key to improving your relationship, but clearly, that’s not true. We’re already always communicating. Yelling is communicating, abuse is communicating, the raised eyebrows of countless unsaid criticisms are communicating, unfulfilled sex is communicating, and bickering over who didn’t put the top on the peanut butter jar or why the toothpaste was squeezed the wrong way is communicating. And we can probably agree that little of any of that helps to improve relationships, feel close, or have great sex.

The real key is honest, positive communication that renders your relationship better for both of you, so that you feel more understood, appreciated, connected, bonded, trusting, and/or turned-on. However, honest, positive communication does not always mean being nice. It does mean learning how to be truthful about your own needs without purposely being hurtful, and actively listening to what your partner has to say without getting wounded every time he or she tells you something you would rather not hear.

Truth and authenticity are never easy to achieve–they require a fairly good understanding of yourself and the courage to reveal your inner workings. Everyone wants to feel understood, especially by his or her lover. But since few of us understand ourselves all of the time, how do we learn to help our partners understand us, no less learn how to better understand them? It is a process that requires practice and possibly help. If this were something you could learn in ten easy steps, everyone would be doing it overnight. The truth is that honest, positive communication takes much skill, awareness, effort, and sometimes also the help of a good counselor or therapist; most new learning takes some guidance.

Georgia Shallcross •

A beguiling print of Benjamin Franklin hangs in the powder room of The Fox’s Den Tavern, in Middleburg, Virginia. Why is Benjamin Franklin hanging in the loo? As it happens, one of the owners of the restaurant, Charlie Carroll, is a direct descendant of Franklin and three other signers of the Declaration of Independence. There are countless other surprises at the Fox’s Den Tavern, which Carroll recently opened with his longtime companion Christie Knoff. If lighting is everything, this cute couple has brilliantly succeeded with a sophisticated ambiance worthy of any great dining establishment. While the Fox’s Den Tavern has the inviting atmosphere and comforts of a private club, the comparison ends there.

“We wanted the best,” said Knoff of their decision to hire Vi Nguyen, a highly accomplished chef trained in the classical French tradition. Nguyen has created a superb menu of fine American cuisine, including pan seared rainbow trout with beurre blanc, lobster and truffle macaroni and cheese, and the enormously popular fried oysters. Parts of the menu change daily, so one will never tire of this magical spot, which even makes the famously temperate founding father smile.

The Georgetowner sat down to speak with Charlie and Christie (C&C) about their new establishment and discuss the joys of being countryside restaurateurs.

GT: How did you decide to decorate in an elegant Edwardian fashion? The objects are lovely and seem to have a rich provenance.

C&C: That is because they are our own belongings! We had many things in storage. We wanted to create a space that was inviting and makes you want to stay.

GT: The Burgundy walls have magically transformed the space. Who chose the color?

C&C: We did, despite some skepticism about a dark color. We found the color and tripled the hue to bring out the texture and warmth.

GT: What other structural changes were made to the space?

C&C: We refinished the bar using old wood with a beautiful patina and we utilized the wall to make a long banquet with comfortable pillows

GT: You have created a sumptuously elegant interior, which makes people want to stay for hours.

C&C: Yes, thank you. That’s also why we have different seating areas. The bar and a casual lounge with sofas are separate from the tables and banquette room, which makes it easy to accommodate large groups.

GT: What inspired you and helped you prepare to open the Fox’s Den?

C&C: We were the general managers of the Charlotte Inn on Martha’s Vinyard for thirteen years. Every aspect of the inn was impeccable and set a great example.

GT: Before we get to the food, how did you select the staff?

C&C: We wanted a familial feeling. We have Noel Ryan tending bar and Jamie Plaskitt, a fourth generation Middleburg native, and other wonderful staff members.

GT: How did you find your chef?

C&C: Before we met our chef we knew that we wanted a classic comfort food. Our chef, Vi Nguyen, is classically French trained. He worked at the Ritz Carleton and in his family’s restaurant. We wanted the best, and I’m pretty sure we got him.

GT: What distinguishes your restaurant from others?

C&C: Good Service, good food, and an elegant, but casual atmosphere.

GT: How do you like being in Middleburg?

C&C: We love it. It’s such a small and friendly community. We were inspired to open the Fox’s Den while we were visiting family in the area. It’s a perfect place to have a restaurant like ours. We are thrilled about the restaurant and being in Middleburg.

The Fox’s Den Tavern is located at 7 W Washington St, Middleburg, VA 20117. Call the restaurant at 540 687 4165 for reservations and more information. [gallery ids="99581,104900,104894,104897" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

The National Sporting Library Benefit Polo Match and Luncheon on September 19, sponsored in part by The Georgetowner, was not only an incredible success, but a gorgeous event spectacle and a delightful afternoon. As the sun shown gently from above and the cool breeze whisked through the summer tent, guests and donors gathered around to take part in a silent auction of equestrian-themed merchandise, delicious food, fine company, and world-class polo at the Virginia International Polo Club, located at historic Llangollen in Upperville, Virginia.

The luncheon was in the English garden party tradition, and it could not have been more true to form. The event sold out, attracting an international audience with its champion polo players from across the globe. The polo match, featuring prominent players from Argentina, Chile, and the United States, was a riveting display of athleticism and endurance.

“We are thrilled to be celebrating country pursuits, and in particular, polo as the oldest
team sport in the world, at Llangollen which has its own place in local history,” said Manuel H. Johnson, Chairman of the Board, and Jacqueline B. Mars, Vice Chairman.

A vintage silver trophy to commemorate the match has been generously donated by Jacqueline B. Mars. The “National Sporting Library & Museum Polo Cup” will be a perpetual trophy and will be on display at the Library.

All contributions for the day were to benefit the National Sporting Library & Museum. The National Sporting Library & Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the literature, art, and culture of horse and field sports. Its 17,000-book collection includes equestrian sports, polo, foxhunting, horseracing, steeplechasing, shooting, and angling. The John H. Daniels Fellowship program supports the research of visiting scholars. The Library hosts temporary art exhibitions and holds many fine works of sporting art in its permanent collection. The Museum will open in 2011 on the Library campus, with 11 galleries featuring exhibits of American and European fine sporting art. Thanks to all those who attended, it would not have been nearly as successful (or fun!) without you [gallery ids="99198,103399,103394,103389,103384,103379,103408,103374,103412,103369,103416,103420,103404" nav="thumbs"]

Amos Gelb •

If conventional wisdom and all the pundits are correct, studying journalism or communications in university these days renders you nuts or divorced from reality. After all, if the media is dying, as so many seem to say, how will any student get a job when they graduate? Or, at least, how will they get a job that they can survive on?

And pity the poor college educators who are valiantly striving to make sure they are educating their students to compete in tomorrow’s media. That is virtually mission impossible when new media trends grows old over the course of a single semester. Twitter goes from hot to old-hat. Facebook surpasses Google in hits. Blogs rapidly morph into old media.

I had a recent conversation with a former student who works in new media for NPR. She told me that I now need to teach a new form of writing: “writing to the swipe.”

The reality is that mobile news requires yet another nuance in how tomorrow’s journalists are going to have to cater to both old demands (no, print is not dead yet) and new ones from technologies not yet even invented.

Which all makes DC a new frontline in media education for so many of those who will make tomorrow’s media. New York may have Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart and a wealth of magazines, but DC has the news. And politics. And documentaries. Local journalism. New online news enterprises. Non-profits now putting out their own content. The government.

And DC has the interns.

Welcome to journalism education circa 2011, where the turnover in media is so rapid that a 25-year-old at the new media meteor known as Politico considers himself one of the old guard. The tradition of working your journalistic way up the ladder has largely disintegrated. For many, there is no ladder any more – just a large boulder to try and hop on. And many media companies are using internships today, even more than in the past, as a preferred recruiting tool for good jobs, often new jobs with a future.

“Some places may still have students push paper and get coffee, but the ones that understand what internships can be use it strategically to identify talent. For new media companies it also helps us understand the mentality and ideas of the next generation,” says Brittany Cooper, Director for Recruitment and Corporate Culture for New Media Strategies, one of the fastest growing social media marketing companies in the world.

With one estimate that there are as many as 40,000 interns a year in DC (although in many areas besides media) and many more on the way, DC has become the world’s capital for experiential education, a bridge between traditional media education and the work place, and the passport to that first real job.

Tucker Carlson, of Crossfire/MSNBC/Dancing with the Stars fame, and founder of the newest new media news organization The Daily Caller, admits he was never an intern himself. However, he says, “depending on the office they’re in, they’re apt to learn a lot. Maybe more than in class. Interns have been great for us, not necessarily for the work they do, but because we watch them carefully and hire the smart, hardworking ones. We’ve hired a bunch so far. “

The price for this entrée is that, unfortunately, most DC media internships are unpaid, today often out of financial exigencies but previously out of competition among applicants for these opportunities. The Labor Department’s rules governing internships date back to the 1930’s; they frown on unpaid internships, although there is an ambiguous exemption for internships with academic purposes. But it is a catch-22 where federal regulations would otherwise prevent the very goal of experiential learning and the kind of job creation that students might not otherwise get.

The smartest students often find the best opportunities in less obvious choices. Sirius/XM Radio offers one of the best internship programs in the country, with a program that ensures students get the training and support they need. Nature’s Best Magazine, a private version of National Geographic, offers its interns a magazine experience that will define a career. This very newspaper and its effervescent publisher Sonya Bernhardt have nurtured a decade’s worth of young journalists who have gone on to media success.

Ross Herosian is the Manager of College Programs and HR projects at Sirius/XM, and a former intern himself. “What traditional collegiate academia provides,” he says, “is a very strong base foundation, skills and practices that are ever present, no matter how much media changes. We can build on that and find and nurture the best talent. Today we have a good number of employees who are former interns, who are now mentoring themselves. From my perspective, it is completing the circle and a strong part of our culture.”

So then, perhaps college journalism programs should not even try to keep up with a media evolving so fast that their professional columnists can’t keep up. Instead, no matter how much it changes, the media will always need from their interns what Universities do best: a solid foundation of a well-rounded education. That is something no internship, no matter how good, can provide.

Corrie Dyke •

The One City Youth Employment Summer Program, a product of the Department of Employment Services, has a tougher twist.

Offering a more individualistic work experience, with a heavier focus on youths being matched to appropriate jobs, the number of employees accepted to the program for the coming summer has been scaled down.

“We have put cap of 12,000 [students] for this summer to give the young people a more enriching experience,” said Neville Waters, Communication Director of the Department of Employee Services (DOES).

The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) received 12,000 applications in the first three days they were available at the end of February. The deadline closed March 11 when more than 20,000 applications had been received.

The SYEP team, including Program Director Gerren Price, has been hosting a number of Eligibility Certification Events at area high schools and the DOES office.

The Certification Events are an opportunity for the youth to turn in their eligibility documents. According to Waters, the overwhelming turn out at the events caused the applicant certification hours on the final Saturday, March 19, to be extended.

“We wanted to make it as convenient as possible for folks,” said Price.

According to Price, the program is going to be “very solid” this year.

The program was revamped when Dr. Rochelle Webb was recruited as Employee Services new director. Along with Mayor Gray’s administration, Dr. Webb made reorganizing the program a high priority.

In effort to enhance the program, half the number of students would be selected to participate as were accepted in previous years. For the first time in the program’s 32-year history, applicants had to complete a more rigorous application process. After applying, the employee hopefuls had to be certified. This included submitting picture I.D., social security card, proof of residence and a submitted resume or online profile.

This is much different than the previous operations, where the students effectively registered and received a paycheck, and which included 22,000 youth employees. The students will now be matched to jobs more suitable to their interests, while learning the actual steps involved in obtaining employment.

“For the first time we’re going to be doing a lot of work to make it more of an individual experience,” said Price.

The program is open to District youths between the ages of 14 and 21. The hope of Employee Services is that students can gain real work experience and applicable skills throughout the summer. Younger ages experience their first job and learn the basic skills of what is expected. The older students are placed in positions where they can utilize these skills and potentially carry the job beyond the summer.

“I feel really positive about the future and what we’re doing,” said Waters.

A DC native himself, Waters’ first job was through the SYEP. His summer working with the public school payroll was a valuable experience, which has now come full circle, as he offers a similar experience to the District’s youth 30 years later. According to Waters, a large responsibility for DOES is also to supply a well-trained work force for employers.

Employers offering jobs though the program include CVS, Georgetown University, Howard University, Cardinal Bank, Wachovia Bank, Madame Tussaund’s and the DC government.