Weekend Round Up July 30, 2015
• August 17, 2015

Using DC by the Book — The App

July 30th, 2015 at 07:00 PM | Free | julia.strusienski@dc.gov | Tel: 202-727-0232 | Event Website

Join the Georgetown Neighborhood Library for a class on using the app element of DC by the Book, a DC Public Library resource designed to connect you with literature set in Washington, D.C.

Address

Georgetown Neighborhood Library; 3260 R St. NW

Middleburg Summer Sidewalk Sale

July 31st, 2015 at 10:00 AM | Tel: 540-687-5152

Middleburg, the quaint historic town in Virginia’s horse country, is cleaning out its closets and storage areas and moving onto the sidewalks, July 31 – Aug. 2, for the 9th annual Summer Sidewalk Sale. The sale, sponsored by the Middleburg branch of Union Bank & Trust, the Town of Middleburg, and the Middleburg Business and Professional Association, will be held on Fri. and Sat. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sun. as posted by shops. Look for balloons outside participating shops and restaurants!

Address

The Town of Middleburg; 12 North Madison Street; Middleburg, VA 20117

Pretty Chic Boutique: Garden Party

July 31st, 2015 | Free | Tel: 202-333-5477| Event Website

From French boutique labels to vintage high-end brands and elegantly modern Turkish jewelry, don’t miss Pretty Chic’s Summer Sale & Garden Party on Friday, July 31st. Wine and cheese will be served while you peruse racks of très chic vintage clothing for only $20. Everything inside is 50% off unless it’s consignment.

Address

1671 Wisconsin Ave. NW

“Above and Beyond: The Ultimate Interactive Flight Exhibition” Opening

August 1st, 2015 at 10:00 AM | Free | Tel: 202-633-2214 | Event Website

“Above and Beyond: The Ultimate Interactive Flight Exhibition” opens at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Aug. 1. Made up of 20 dynamic displays and immersive experiences, the exhibition focuses five key themes that define flight and space travel represented in five immersive “galleries” – Up, Faster, Higher, Farther, and Smarter. Designed primarily for kids ages 7 – 12, but open to visitors of all ages, the show features a multi-touch timeline, an immersive video experience and interactive simulations and design activities. Sponsored by Boeing, the exhibition will travel to several U.S. cities and international locations.

Address

Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum; Independence Ave at 6th Street, SW

Tony & Joe’s Seafood: Tacos and Tequila Tuesdays

August 4st, 2015 at 10:00 AM | Free | Tel: 202-944-4545 | Event Website

Tuesdays are the new Friday with ‘Taco and Tequila’ Tuesdays at Tony & Joe’s (3000 K St. NW). Back by popular demand, the lunch deal includes two tacos, with your choice of chicken, steak or fish, and a house margarita for $15. Offer is good at the bar only.

Address

Tony & Joe’s Seafood; 3000 K ST NW

Georgetown Theater Sign to Return July 29; Lighting Sept. 23
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A block of Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown will soon be getting it mojo back, according to architect Robert Bell. And, by mojo, we mean the iconic vertical sign — now being re-fitted to be re-lighted — which hung for years on the front facade of what was the Georgetown Theater.

Bell bought the old theater property in October 2013 and is renovating the building at 1351 Wisconsin Ave. NW for retail and residential space. The theater’s neon sign, which used to show the illuminated word, “GEORGETOWN,” was hauled away Sept. 16, 2014, to be re-done at Jack Stone Signs, which originally manufactured it in 1950.

“The target date for rehanging the sign is July 28, high noon,” Bell told the Georgetowner. “The target for turning the neon sign back on is the autumnal equinox, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. I hope to have the new front doors and windows complete and hopefully the canopy for the lighting.”

“The building itself should have all the exterior complete, including the brick garden wall in back in August,” Bell continued. “All of the windows which are solid mahogany have been delivered. So, all is moving ahead full speed.”

Architect Robert Bell and his rejuvenation of the old Georgetown Theater were the subject of a Jan. 15, 2014, Georgetowner cover story.
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Club Monaco Returning to Georgetown
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Club Monaco is on its way to coming back to Georgetown. Four years after the Ralph Lauren-owned retailer left town, Club Monaco will return to 3295 M St. NW, an address which once held Rhino Bar & Pumphouse, which closed Feb. 28 after 18 years. The building for decades held a bar, more or less for college kids, such as Rhino or Winston’s.

The two-level store is aiming to open by early 2016. The new Club Monaco will mark the brand’s return to greater Washington. The company used to have stores in Georgetown and at Pentagon City. Also arriving at the block will be Peet’s Coffee & Tea next door.

Bowser Signs Synthetic Drug Act into Law
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Joined by law enforcement and other community officials, Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the “Sale of Synthetic Drugs Emergency Amendment Act of 2015” into law July 10, in a proactive step to cleanse Washington, D.C., of synthetic marijuana.

The new law allows the Metropolitan Police Department to enforce harsh penalties on businesses found selling the substance and comes on the heels of a dangerous spike in overdoses and links to violent crimes around the city, most recently a fatal stabbing aboard a Metro train.

Authorities are now granted the right to issue businesses caught selling the drugs a $10,000 fine and to be shut down for 96 hours as a first offence. Repeat offenders will be fined $20,000 and shut down for 30 days followed by the revoking of their license.
“The District will not tolerate the selling of these drugs,” Bowser said upon signing the law. “This is very important legislation that will help get synthetic drugs off of shelves of D.C. retailers and off the streets.”

MPD Chief Cathy Lanier praised the efforts made by city government officials to pass the law and added that law enforcement will be vigilant in stopping the sale of synthetic drugs.

“This drug is dangerous not only to those who use it, but everyone around them. The risk is just too high for us not to be aggressive,” Lanier said.

Synthetic drugs are packaged under brand names like “K2,” “Scooby Snax,” ”Spice,” and “Bizzaro,” with dangerous side effects like suicidal or erratic behavior, seizures and even death. The illegal hallucinogens also render users to be aggressive and disorderly. 
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Archaeology Day July 18 to Dig at Yarrow Mamout Site
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The fourth annual Day of Archaeology Festival will dig up both fun and facts at Dumbarton House Saturday, July 18.

Presented by the local non-profit organization Archaeology in the Community, the free event will feature family-friendly activities like face painting, live music and crafts as well as mock-excavations of artifacts.

To bring the festivities to life, the D.C. Historic Preservation Office will be nearby at 3324 Dent Place NW, the site where the current Yarrow Mamout Archaeological Project is underway. The project aims to answer the question of whether the man it’s named for, a freed Muslim slave, is buried on the Georgetown property which he owned following his 1796 emancipation. Mamout is believed to have been born in West Africa in 1736 before being shipped to Annapolis, Md., where he lived as a slave for more than 40 years.

Information sessions will be held at the property throughout the day to teach visitors about the local history behind the site and give them a glimpse into the hands-on archaeological investigation taking place, in addition to volunteer opportunities to help with the dig. The project has been in talks since 2012 and is now closer than ever to discovering the truth behind the local legend.  

The Day of Archaeology Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

U.S., Cuba Resume Diplomatic Relations
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At midnight July 20, the U.S. and Cuba resumed diplomatic relations after 54 years of broken ties. Amidst the celebration, the media went into a frenzy, creating copious Cuba content. Below are some of the more interesting pieces, on history, architecture, politics, gossip and more that came out of the day.

As part of the network’s coverage on Cuba, CNN looked at the fraught history of the Cuban Interests Section here and the U.S. Interests Section in Havana.

CNN also took video inside the Cuban Embassy on 16th Street, showcasing the property’s elaborate architecture, ornate stain glass ceiling, marble staircases and more.

The New York Times reports on the U.S. embassy opening from the ground in Cuba, and looks at the changes the country faces as diplomatic ties fade away.

A new CBS poll shows that 58% of Americans support resuming diplomatic ties with Cuba while only 24% oppose it. In addition, 54% of Americans support ending the trade embargo between the two countries.

In a press conference today, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said that as diplomatic ties resume, so should the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba end. He added that the blockade “caused a lot of suffering to the Cuban people.”

The Washington Post’s Reliable Source theorizes that restored diplomatic ties will lead to more soirees at the Cuban Embassy, where an exclusive bar Hemingway’s serves the best mojito in town, according to one source.

In other U.S.-Cuba news, the U.S. Men’s national soccer team trounced the Cuban team 6-0 on Saturday to advance to the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Gold Cup Semi-Finals.

Professionals to Gather for Open House on K Street July 21
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Local business professionals will gather July 21 for an open house presented by Summit Commercial Real Estate. The event, sponsored by Georgetown Professionals as part of their monthly happy hour occurrences, will be held at 3255 K Street NW, formerly the Cycle Life building.

Beginning at 6:00 p.m., the evening will feature food and beverages provided by Rockland’s Barbeque and Grilling Company. The event presents an opportunity for community outreach by teaming with DistrictGolf, a non-profit organization that supports veterans through their “Hit with Heros” program, which they launched this year.

Georgetown Professionals offers opportunities for sponsoring events to coincide with their monthly Happy Hour gatherings, and reach out to over 2,000 local professionals as well as over 600 firms in the greater D.C. area.

MPD Cracks Down On ‘Johns’ With Prostitution Sting
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The Metropolitan Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit has arrested 41 men since July 14 for soliciting prostitution in Northwest D.C.

Starting in January, the MPD unit has conducted a number of sting operations at hotels around Thomas Circle not far from the city’s old Red Light District on 14th Street NW. Police lured johns online with fake advertisements, giving the men men hotel room numbers and arresting the ones who showed up.

Police were spurred by reports of street prostitution from local businesses and churches around Thomas Circle and along the bustling 14th Street corridor downtown. Prosecutors in the District have increasingly focused on prostitution cases of late in an effort to battle human trafficking.

The arrests come after Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans proposed new legislation that would crack down on johns by allowing police to tow and boot their cars. The “honey, I lost the car” bill, as Evans dubs it, is meant to embarrass johns and decrease prostitution in the city. He said recently there has been an “enormous increase in street prostitution” in the city.

His proposal comes from a long line of ideas the District has experimented with to crack down on prostitution since the early 1990s. Other ideas tested out by the city government to put a damper on prostitution include banning right turns on certain streets and starting a “John School” to shame and frighten men caught soliciting prostitutes.

Belgian Restaurant, the Sovereign, to Move Into Former Champions, Blue Gin Space
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The Sovereign, a bar and bistro to be located at 1206 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Georgetown, will open in the late fall, according to owner Neighborhood Restaurant Group. The restaurant will be in the building which once housed the famed Champions Sports Bar and later Blue Gin in an alley on Wisconsin Avenue, just north of M Street. The space has been vacant for almost four years.

“The two-story bar and bistro will be comprised of an 84-seat first floor dining room and 47-seat bar on the second floor,” according to the restaurateurs. “Known for his award-winning beer lists at Birch & Barley, ChurchKey, Rustico and more, beer director Greg Engert is curating and creating a Belgian beer list unlike any other at the Sovereign alongside a menu of classic Belgian cuisine from executive chef Peter Smith.”

“There is substantial talent behind this operation,” said investor and business partner Greg Talcott, who has been a Georgetown restaurateur for decades and was involved with Blue Gin and the Third Edition. Working with Mike Babin of NRG on some of the details to finalize plans for the bar and bistro, Talcott said, “Getting the process completed has taken a long time.”

The company noted its own serious authenticity: “The Sovereign will showcase the widest array of drafts and bottles from the very best Belgian brewers. With 50 drafts and 200+ bottles, the beer program will feature the work of Belgian brewers who embody the standards, techniques, and innovative spirit that underpins the fabled Belgian brewing culture.

“Just as the Sovereign will be championing brewers that use simple, true recipes and let technique and patience yield complex flavors, so will the menu feature rustic ingredient-driven dishes of Belgian cuisine, which draws from French, German and Dutch cooking traditions. Executive chef Peter Smith of PS7 and Vidalia has developed the menu –which will be available throughout the restaurant and bar– by combining his French training with experience gained while traveling through Belgium with Engert.”

The new place looks like it will be more than beer heaven. It will include many old-world favorites, such as Dutch-style mussels, anchovies and pickled onion or gruyere with caraway seeds. Expect old-world wines as well.

Weekend Round Up July 9, 2015
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Grace Church 22nd Annual Bach Festival

July 5th, 2015 at 03:00 PM | $20 | Event Website

Visit Georgetown’s historic Grace Church to experience Bach’s most iconic works as they come alive. Starting Sunday, July 5, at 3:00 p.m., the festival will include a series of concerts for $20 admission, concluding on Friday, July 10, with a final concert at 7:30 p.m.

Address

Grace Church; 1041 Wisconsin Ave NW

Pink Martini

July 10th, 2015 at 08:00 PM | Event Website

The self-described “little orchestra” has become an international phenomenon, “mixing glamour and sophisticated easy listening with multilingual songs and the unexpected” (The Guardian)—see them on tour for hits like “Sympathique,” “Amado mío,” “¿Dónde estás, Yolanda?” and more.

Address

Filene Center; 1551 Trap Road; Vienna, VA 22812

House + Walking Tours: Tudor Place and the Civil War Home Front

July 11th, 2015 at 10:00 AM | $8-$15 | press@tudorplace.org | Tel: 2029650400 | Event Website

Civil War brought uncertain times for Tudor Place and surrounding Georgetown. Learn in a unique house tour how owner Britannia Peter Kennon saved her family home by boarding Union officers. See where they dined, learn what they ate, and hear about the landlady’s special precautions to avoid charges of espionage. After breaking for lunch on your own, join the expert guided walking tour of historic Georgetown.

Address

Tudor Place Historic House and Garden; 1644 31st Street NW

National Ballet of China

July 14th, 2015 at 08:30 PM | Event Website

Fusing classical western ballet with traditional Chinese dance, this spellbinding performance tells the story of star-crossed lovers through luscious costumes and poetic staging.

Address

Filene Center; 1551 Trap Road; Vienna, VA 22812

Author Debriefing: The Billion-Dollar Spy

July 15th, 2015 at 12:00 PM | FREE | lhicken@spymuseum.org | Tel: (202) 654-0932 | Event Website

While getting into his car on a February evening in 1978, the chief of the CIA’s Moscow station was handed an envelope by an unknown Russian. Its contents stunned the Americans: details of top secret Soviet research and development in military technology that was totally unknown to the United States. From David Hoffman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Dead Hand, comes the riveting story of the CIA’s most valuable spy in the Soviet Union.

Address

800 F Street, NW

Jane Austen Film Festival Presents: Emma

July 15th, 2015 at 07:30 PM | Free | marketingintern@dumbartonhouse.org | Tel: 2023372288 | Event Website

There is no shortage of outdoor movies to choose from in Washington, D.C., this summer, but what sets the Jane Austen Film Festival apart is the picturesque backdrop of Dumbarton House, which The Georgetowner calls “a perfectly historical fit” for the romantic stories of the author. Dumbarton House will host the 4th Annual outdoor film series screening popular adaptations of some of the most beloved Jane Austen novels. Bring a blanket, bring a date, bring friends and family and come watch under the stars!

Address

2715 Q St NW

Cheers or Jeers

July 15th, 2015 at 07:30 PM | $10 | media@dcshorts.com | Tel: 202.393.4266 | Event Website

For 12 years, the D.C. Shorts Film Festival has presented the best short films from around the globe. Now, watch the ones that did not make the cut in an interactive evening of jeering in misery — and cheering for victory.

Address

Penn Social; 801 E St NW