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Caitlin Franz •

The seventh annual Potholepalooza will begin in Washington, D.C., April 1 and continues throughout the month.

Major evacuation routes and federal aid roads will receive priority repairs, according to the District Deparment of Transportation (DDOT).

However, Potholepalooza creates a month-long series of repairs directed by requests made to the city. In that time frame, the crews will work as quickly as possible, including on nights and weekends.

Pothole repairs are considered to be an effective temporary repair to extend the life of the driving surface before repaving takes place.

You can request pothole repair services by calling 311 or by completing a service request online through DDOT’s website. All you have to do is indicate the pothole location (i.e., address, intersection) and describe the severity of the problem (i.e., depth, width, number of potholes in one location). A service request will be put into the tracking system with a service request number.

It is DDOT’s standard to fix potholes within three business days of the time they are reported.

If the pothole hasn’t been repaired by the specified date of completion, you are encouraged to call 311 or 202-727-1000 with your service request number.

Linnea Kristiansson •

Few people know that the Williams sisters weren’t the first African American siblings to take tennis by storm. Before Venus and Serena, Margaret and Roumania Peters were an unbeatable pair in the Jim Crow tennis era of the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s. Council member Jack Evans will ask the District Council to name Rose Park tennis courts at 26th & O Streets after the sisters.

Having begun playing tennis as young girls in Georgetown, the sisters were eventually offered tennis scholarships to Tuskegee University in Alabama. Due to segregation, the Peters sisters could play only in the all-black American Tennis Association. Established in 1916, ATA is the oldest black sports organization in the country.

During their time in Alabama and for a decade after leaving, the Peters sisters dominated the women’s game, winning 14 doubles titles between 1938 and 1941 and between 1944 and 1953. Roumania won ATA national singles titles in 1944 and 1946. Films of their ATA victories were shown at black movie theaters, including the Mott on 26th Street NW near P Street in Georgetown, where they were local heroes. The Peters also played matches in front of the British royalty on a trip to the Caribbean. Celebrities such as actor-dancer Gene Kelly practiced with them when he was in Washington.

Both Peters sisters earned master’s degrees in physical education from New York University and returned to Washington to work. The little-known predecessors of Althea Gibson, who, in 1956, became the first person of color to win a Grand Slam title (and went on to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals), their wider recognition is long overdue.

Sallie Lewis •

On a rainy Friday morning in April, a throng of visitors waited for their tour time inside the new National Public Radio headquarters at 1111 North Capitol St. A man in black skinny jeans wove through the crowd carrying a guitar case covered with stickers. In the entry, a massive LED media mosaic flashed large images while a ticker streamed the day’s top headlines in bright, bold letters.

Since 1973, NPR has been creating conversations. It’s a place where the stories of our day reach millions of radios across the nation, where curiosity and exploration come together. Reimagining a new home for this institution was no small feat. But today, the 440,000-square-foot LEED Gold landmark building has shown what can happen when a strong company mission teams up with a clear vision of sustainability.

In 2008, the Georgetown-based architecture firm Hickok Cole created the winning entry in a competition to design NPR’s new D.C. headquarters in the NoMa (North of Massachusetts Avenue) neighborhood. Hickok Cole was inspired by the building’s history, which dates back to 1926, when it was a warehouse and workshop for the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company, and later, a storage facility for the Smithsonian. NPR’s new home is made up of three main elements: the entry block, the old four-story warehouse building and a new seven-story office block.

Mixing old with new was an important priority for the firm. The design incorporates many of the building’s existing features, including pre-cast concrete, which references the original cast-in-place concrete facade. In the building’s entry, visitors can see the original mushroom-cap columns alongside new, modern interpretations. The team put a great deal of effort into restoring and exposing elements of the past while implementing fresh, forward-thinking, sustainably-minded designs.

“NPR was very focused on being sustainable,” said Robert Holzbach, who led the design team at Hickok Cole. “So much of sustainability is not visible, but they wanted to be visibly green too,” he added.

Completed in spring 2013, the building earned LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, and has a number of systems in place that helped it earn this accolade. One of the largest challenges faced in D.C. is storm-water collection. At NPR, the small plots of trees and plants that hug the edge of North Capitol Street are actually bio-retention ponds or rain gardens. Rainwater running off the streets is captured and steered into these ponds or gardens so it can percolate into the ground. The permeable paving along the main plaza also takes advantage of any excess rainwater.

Green roofs are another design feature that assist with this effort. The team at Hickok Cole sees great value in their implementation.

“We love green roofs,” said Bryan Chun, the firm’s project architect on the NPR building. “They decrease heat-island effect and add insulation to the roof. The biggest component is storm-water retention, so the sewer facility doesn’t have to treat it,” he added.

NPR has three green roofs that cover everything except for the very top portion of the building, where the mechanical elements are. Hydrated purely by rainfall, these roofs are home to an ever-changing show of natural vegetation, not to mention active honey beehives.

From the street, a cluster of satellite dishes can be seen from the roof. These satellites are what beam out NPR’s content to all of the United States. Because of their obvious, symbolic importance, they became an integral part of the design, a means for passersby to visibly witness what the NPR mission is all about.

One of Hickok Cole’s main goals was to incorporate NPR’s vision and ethos into the project whenever possible. Along the exterior of the large glass office block there are waves of blue fins, long rectangular sheets of glass with a color fill sandwiched between them. This glass, though decorative and aesthetically pleasing, is also a subtle notion of NPR’s vision, expressed abstractly. Since NPR is all about sound, these fins are a stylistic representation of the nature of sound waves.

Fostering a positive, bright workspace was a key priority for the organization’s leadership. They recognized that the more natural light available, the more productive the work environment. Having natural light was also the number-one wish of NPR’s radio hosts.

As a result, there is a tremendous amount of natural light that filters through the building’s large glass walls and into the open offices.

“It’s like a glassy jewel box inside this concrete shell,” said Holzbach.

Light cascades through all the office windows on the upper stories in addition to pouring through a clerestory into the two-story, 100,000-square-foot newsroom on floors three and four. This addition lifted the office block up above the existing roofline, so that light could infiltrate the central part of the building. Even the studio rooms make use of small slivered windows, bringing in light whenever possible without jeopardizing the quality of the sound.

In a symbolic sense, the prevalence of glass is a great metaphor for the transparency that NPR strives for in all their work. With glass, however, came many important design decisions related to energy efficiency. At NPR, “Low-E” glass windows (referring to their low-emissivity coating) are used, reducing radiant heat.

One of the most impressive LEED features is the facility’s solar-shades system, which operates off of a central computer that gauges the location of the sun while monitoring heat gain. The computer controls the shades, mechanically lowering and lifting them to maintain optimal brightness in each room.

Even the emergency staircase is light and inviting. One of the main themes of the new design was fostering a collaborative spirit. This effort can be seen in areas such as the large stairwell landings, the office island blocks, the 30-minute meeting rooms and the large outdoor terraces.

No technology was spared in the making of NPR’s new headquarters. “It’s a building that was built for radio,” said Marty Garrison, vice president of technology operations, distribution and broadcast engineering.

Inside the Studio 31 Control Room, where many of the shows take place, it is apparent how many small but significant technical issues are involved in building a studio of NPR’s caliber. For acoustic reasons, no wall is shaped the same; the control boards, glass thicknesses and soundproofing all have to be designed and prepared with unparalleled precision. Advanced, state-of-the-art technology can be seen throughout the complex, from the master control systems to NPR’s renowned microphones, network operations and data centers.

This spring marks NPR’s second anniversary in their new location. It’s evident that fostering a healthy, productive environment is a key priority. On the top floor, with views of the Capitol and the Washington Monument, light floods over the white office space. Next to the windows are spin machines for employees to use after work. There are outdoor terraces on the fourth floor for working and relaxing during off-hours.

Each floor has its own kitchenette with free Peet’s Coffee. Downstairs, there is a fitness center with a full-time trainer and a cafeteria that serves both hot dishes and a full salad bar.

In the world of sustainability, even small decisions can have a large impact. There are many LEED accreditations within NPR that might surprise, for instance, its limited customer parking, which encourages more eco-friendly means of getting to work. The facility is located close to pubic transportation and has a bike garage for employees. Additionally, the bathrooms have low-flow toilets, the cafeteria has recyclable packaging and all the cleaning products are biodegradable. No effort is too small.

NPR is a place that seeks to inspire thought, encourage learning and develop an understanding of the world at large. The new headquarters is a beacon of great design and strong, transparent storytelling. Thanks to the large team of designers, architects, engineers and consultants who worked diligently on this project, NPR is housed in a building that will carry public radio forward in a thoroughly modern and sustainable fashion in the years to come.

Linnea Kristiansson •

No, it’s not the kind of club you were hoping for. The retail take-over of restaurant space continues. 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 Winston’s and the Shamrock.

Real estate broker John Asadoorian, who represented the landlord in deal, told the Washington Business Journal that the 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.

Club Monaco has changed its approach to casual wear in recent months, adding denim and other trendy styles to its shelves. To boost its rebranding, the company had a pop-up boutique in Noma restaurant — considered one of the best restaurants in the world — in Copenhagen, Denmark. The new location will also give shoppers a view into the preppy revamped appeal of Club Monaco.

Robert Devaney •

For the Washington Nationals, the future is now, as in this season, their 10th anniversary in the nation’s capital. They also announced that Nationals Park would host the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Yes, again the team is tagged to win the World Series, but it lost to the New York Mets, 3-1, in its home opener April 6.

Whether the place to see baseball or to take in a cool baseball social scene, Nationals Park has some new additions — besides the players — that include new Kentucky Bluegrass on the field, the second set of grass since the stadium opened — and food, lots of it, and luxurious stadium boxes.

As if there were not enough to eat taste-test at the stadium on South Capitol Street, new concession concepts include Throwing Cheese, “featuring decadent macaroni and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches, Virginia Biscuit Company (in May) with ham and friend chicken biscuits. Also expanded is South Capitol Sushi: “After a successful introduction last season, the sushi stand has been relocated to Section 217 in the Norfolk Southern Club. The stand will continue to offer fresh hand-­rolled sushi and seasonal rolls all prepared in-­house.”

There are many fan favorites to choose. For the whole food shebang at Nats Park, click here.

There are other cool add-ons for fans the team reports: “Norfolk Southern and the Nationals have teamed up to build and install an innovative scoreboard, mini?railroad and mural. The train-­themed scoreboard updates in real time by pulling feed directly from the official Nationals scoreboard located in the ballpark.”

Boxes have expanded, too: “Championship Boxes at Club 24, created to attract local business leaders. Club 24 allows companies to conduct business in an intimate, private setting, while enjoying a game at Nationals Park — inspired by the 1924 Washington Senators, the last team to win a World Series for Washington, D.C. Also, due to the high demand for Club 24 boxes, K Street Boxes are currently being constructed and will have identical amenities to Club 24.”

Still, it is about the future for the home team and baseball: the Nationals has donated baseball caps, T-shirts and jerseys to all D.C. Little League and D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation Rookie League players. Approximately 4,500 participants, ranging in age from 4 to 13 years old, will wear Nationals-branded apparel all season. Capitol Hill Little League, at Payne Elementary School, hosted its own Opening Day festivities March 28 with food, games, a “Parade of Teams,” featuring Nationals Racing President Bill Taft, along with several baseball games.

Robert Devaney •

The Citizens Association of Georgetown met March 25 at Malmaison at 34th and Water streets for “Talking Traffic, Transportation & Bridges” with the hopes of answering such questions as: “Can traffic congestion ever be reduced in Georgetown? Is there a solution to the nightmarish rush-hour backups on 34th Street? How will repairs on the Pennsylvania Avenue and Key bridges affect us? What happened to the crosstown bus service? And the perennial question: will Georgetown ever get a Metro stop?” CAG’s Christopher Mathews who chairs its transportation committee introduced a trio of experts on the subject.

Allison Davis WMATA, regional planning manager in the office of planning, began by discussing Metro rail service and its benefits: 54 percent of all jobs are half a mile from a station; job growth is four times in neighborhoods with a station.
Davis also noted how expensive rail gets and how long it takes. She spoke of the ambitions in 1960s for a monorail to the newly opened Dulles Airport. Rail, she said, “takes a lot of time.” By 1985, planner got serious about a Metrorail link to the airport. So, she said, it took 29 years for the first rides to begin on the Silver Line that will connect Dulles to downtown. “It is about matching modes and needs,” said Davis, who noted the flexibility of bus service.

As for Georgetown, a Metro subway station is in the future, as in the year 2040. “We’re looking 2040 or beyond,” she said. Long-term commitments are needed from Virginia, Maryland, the feds and the District, she said. She gave a piece of advice on transit choices: “Don’t focus so far in the future.”

Colleen Hawkinson of the District’s Department of Transportation said that it is important to recognize that DDOT not only oversees roads, curbs and trees but also runs the Circulator buses, Capital Bikeshare and the streetcar project on H Street.
Hawkinson said DDOT looks at the “big five,” as it sees them: “pedestrians, bicycles, transit, vehicles and freight. The streetcar has “no fatal flaw” in its system, according to a critical report, she said. Those in vehicles will feel the impact of upcoming projects on Rock Creek Parkway and Canal Road as well as the rehabilitation of Key Bridge.

Will Handsfield, transportation director at the Georgetown Business Improvement District, listed the increasing use of ride services, such as Uber and Lyft. He said that on-demand travel cost can be 30 to 60 percent cheaper and that entrepreneurs were jumping into the transportation sector. Some bus lines were privately run and owners like Leap Line in San Francisco. New companies like Flex Spot were trying to monetize shared parking of homeowners’ driveways. He also said the Bridj, a pop-up bus service, was coming to Washington.

Some of the techie and innovative ideas Handsfield mentioned may take the heat off some systems or streets in the years to come but this day. During the question-and-answer session, residents took their chance to voice frustration about backed-up traffic and potholes in Georgetown, a perennial issue, to be sure – almost as old as the question of what to tie up one’s carriage.

One 34th street resident, Ann Satterthwaite, with her neighbor complained about traffic on 34th street that is snarled from M street north to Q street and sometimes farther. Traffic used to back up later in the week, Satterthwaite said. Now, it is four days at least. A neighbor said his house vibrates with the increased traffic: “I wake up every morning at 5:30 to 7 [a.m.] with the house shaking.” DDOT’s Hawkinson said she would look into traffic signal changes made on M Street by the department in a few months to see if it causes delays up 34th Street. Satterthwaite said one solution would be to divert traffic off 34th Street during rush hour.

Georgetowner •

Cottage Conversation with Don Doyle and Sidney Blumenthal

April 9th, 2015 at 06:00 PM | $10-$20 | mmartz@savingplaces.org | Tel: 202-688-3735 | Event Website

Join us on Thursday, April 9, as historian Don Doyle, author of “The Cause of All Nations: An International History of the American Civil War,” examines international perspectives of the American Civil War. Dr. Doyle will be joined by Mr. Sidney Blumenthal, a widely-published journalist and former aide to President Clinton, for this program.

Address

Upshur Street at Rock Creek Church Road NW

2015 DC Design House Preview Day

April 11th, 2015 at 12:00 PM | $50 | dcdesignhouse@theloftatai.com | Tel: 301-807-0910 | Event Website

Be the first to see the 2015 DC Design House, a new country estate at 956 Mackall Farm Lane in McLean, VA. This is the 8th Annual DC Design House benefiting Children’s National Health System. The Preview Day offers the first look at the 27 finished spaces, designed by the area’s top interior designers and architects. Chef Bryan Voltaggio will prepare food for the event as well as signed copies of his new book, which will be for sale.

12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Address

956 Mackall Farm Lane; McLean, VA 22101

Blessing of the Fleets

April 11th, 2015 at 01:00 PM | Free | mweber@navymemorial.org | Tel: (202) 380-0723 | Event Website

The Blessing of the Fleets ritual is intended to safeguard crews and ships from the danger of the seas through a blessing given by a clergyman at the water’s edge. During the Navy Memorial’s ceremony, sailors from the U.S. Navy’s Ceremonial Guard proceed across the outdoor plaza’s “Granite Sea” to pour water from the Seven Seas and Great Lakes into the surrounding fountains, “charging” them to life and welcoming the spring season.

Address

The United States Navy Memorial; 701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

A Shakespeare Birthday Celebration

April 11th, 2015 at 01:30 PM | Free | julia.strusienski@dc.gov | Tel: 202-727-0232 | Event Website

Join the Georgetown Neighborhood Library as we honor the Bard in the month of his birth with a talk by a Folger Shakespeare Library docent and a group reading of the first act of “Hamlet.”

Questions? Interested in participating in the reading? E-mail julia.strusienski@dc.gov

Address

Georgetown Neighborhood Library; 3260 R St. NW

The Hoya 95th Anniversary Gala

April 11th, 2015 at 08:00 PM | gala@thehoya.com

Mark your calendars! The Hoya 95th Anniversary happens on April 11th, and you’re invited to take part in the festivities. Join for a night of fun and excitement.

#TheHoya95th @TheHoyaGala

Address

CITY TAVERN CLUB; 3206 M St NW

Salomé Chamber Orchestra

April 11th, 2015 at 08:00 PM | $35 adults, $30 seniors (65 and up), $30 students | office@dumbartonconcerts.org | Tel: 202-965-2000 | Event Website

Dumbarton Concerts’ season comes to an electrifying close with the Washington debut of Salomé Chamber Orchestra–New York City’s sensual, conductor-less orchestra formed by the three dynamic Carpenter siblings. The program includes Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet, “Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla, showpieces by Alexei Shor, and “La cumparsita”, one of the most famous tangos of all time, by Matos Rodríguez.

Address

3133 Dumbarton St. NW

Victory Road- The World Premiere

April 11th, 2015 at 07:30 PM | $40-45 | dance@bmdc.org | Tel: 703-910-5175 | Event Website](http://www.bmdc.org/victory-road)

Bowen McCauley Dance unites with Jason and The Scorchers to transform their songs into movement. Featuring music from their deep collection, the band joins BMD on stage for an exhilarating performance.

Enjoy an evening with revolutionary artists: The Washington Post named BMD “DC’s premier contemporary dance company” and Rolling Stone Magazine credited Jason and The Scorchers with “rewriting history of rock-n-roll in the South.”

Address

The Kennedy Center Terrace Theater; 2700 F St. NW

Washington Bullets Legends Kevin Grevey & Phil Chenier Team Up to Help the Casey Cares Foundation

April 11th, 2015 at 05:30 PM | Monique@MaroonPR.com | Tel: 443.864.4246 | [Event Website](http://caseycares.org/index.cfm?page=news&id=1240.)

The exclusive event benefiting the Foundation, which provides ongoing, uplifting programs with a special touch to critically ill children and their families, will include a conversation and Q&A session with the former Washington Bullets teammates, who will share insights on basketball’s rich history in the district and their outlook on the Washington Wizards. NBC Sports anchor, Steve Buckhantz is set to emcee the event.

Address

Grevey’s Restaurant & Sports Bar in Falls Church, VA

DC’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry

April 13th, 2015 at 06:00 PM | 120-225 | sdenafo@strength.org | [Event Website](http://ce.nokidhungry.org/events/taste-nation-washington-dc-0)

Residents of our nation’s capital can enjoy the most celebrated food in the DC area on April 13, when DC’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry returns to the historic National Building Museum. The annual tasting event will feature the city’s top chefs, sommeliers and mixologists united for a cause: making sure all children in this country get the healthy food they need, every day. Proceeds from the event benefit No Kid Hungry’s work to end childhood hunger in America.

Address

National Building Museum;401 F Street NW

Upperville Garden Club Daffodil Show

April 14th, 2015 at 02:00 PM | Free | stephybates@aol.com | Tel: 5405927086 | [Event Website](http://www.uppervillegardenclub.org/)

This American Daffodil Society accredited horticultural competition will amaze you. View thousands of daffodils of all sizes, colors, and forms, posed and submitted by amateur daffodil growers. All amateur growers are invited to exhibit. There will also be artistic arrangement divisions to enter.

Address

Buchanan Hall; 8549 John Mosby Highway; Upperville, VA 20185

Caitlin Franz •

A second person was arrested on Wednesday morning in connection with the stabbing death of lawyer David Messerschmitt, who was found dead at the Donovan hotel in Washington, D.C. Feb. 10.

A 19-year-old woman, Dominique Johnson was charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery, according to a statement released by the Metropolitan Police Department.

Last week, Jamyra Gallmon, 21, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. She allegedly went to his hotel room after answering a Craiglist ad Messerschmitt had placed for a sexual encounter with a man

Gallmon and Johnson were reportedly roommates.

Messerschmitt was found dead Feb. 10 at the Donovan Hotel in a fourth-floor room. He had stab wounds in his abdomen, groin and heart.

According to court documents, Gallmon acknowledged that she intended to rob Messerschmitt, but pulled a knife from her sweatpants, which she used to stab him. She then took his cash and Metro card.

Johnson’s initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court was Thursday, and Gallmon is due in court on Friday.