Latest News

Eve Barnett • September 9, 2013

D.C.’s only female giant panda, Mei Xiang, may be pregnant, and the National Zoo has closed part of its panda house to provide quiet for her.

Fourteen-year-old Mei Xiang, who gave birth to Tai Shan in 2005 and a cub that died in 2012, is now experiencing behavioral and hormonal changes indicative of pregnancy. Zoo spokeswoman Devin Murphy explained that the panda has shown sensitivity to noise and is building a nest. Scientists have also noticed a rise in her urinary progesterone for the second time since her artificial insemination on March 30.

After natural breeding attempts were unsuccessful, a veterinarian performed artificial insemination two times. In the first procedure, semen from Tian Tian, the National Zoo’s male panda, was used. The second used a combination of Tian Tian and the San Diego Zoo’s male panda Gao Gao’s semen.

If Mei Xiang is indeed pregnant, then Washingtonians can expect to welcome a new cub in 35 to 50 days.

However, Mei Xiang may not be pregnant and instead is experiencing a pseudopregancy. Female giant pandas often experience false pregnancies when they ovulate but do not conceive. It is difficult to determine whether the pregnancy is real because the signs of actual pregnancies also occur during pseudopregnancies. Also, fetuses do not develop until the final weeks of gestation and are extremely small, and ultrasounds do not provide conclusive answers. Newborn cubs are only about the size of a stick of butter, weighing between three and five ounces.

Although the section of the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat nearest Mei Xiang’s den is closed to the public, panda enthusiasts can watch Mei Xiang online via the zoo’s panda cams at nationalzoo.si.edu.

Racquel Richards •

Upon the news of the George Zimmerman trial verdict, people took to social media in droves to express their feelings. On the night of July 13, a jury of six women in Sanford, Fla., delivered its verdict of “not guilty.”

Twitter was mobbed with millions of tweets about this high profile case. Some of the most popular hash tags were “#Zimmermantrial” and “#nojusticenopeace.”

Although most of the tweets were made in rage or sadness, many of them were in response to the future.

Trayvon Martin supporters were already in line to take further action. A multitude of tweets were posted to encourage others to keep fighting through nonviolent action.

Soon enough, several authorities and institutions weighed in on this high profile case.

President Barack Obama released a statement, saying: “We are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken. …I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis.”

At a recent social action luncheon, Attorney General Eric Holder spoke about the verdict.

“We are determined to meet division and confusion with understanding and compassion — and also with truth,” Holder said. “We are resolved, as you are, to combat violence involving or directed at young people, to prevent future tragedies and to deal with the underlying attitudes, mistaken beliefs and stereotypes that serve as the basis for these too common incidents. And we will never stop working to ensure that — in every case, in every circumstance, and in every community — justice must be done.

The president of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Benjamin Todd Jealous released a statement: “We are outraged and heartbroken over today’s verdict. We stand with Trayvon’s family and we are called to act. We will pursue civil rights charges with the Department of Justice, we will continue to fight for the removal of Stand Your Ground laws in every state, and we will not rest until racial profiling in all its forms is outlawed.”

Robert Devaney •

From 35th Street west to Wisconsin Avenue on O Street and P streets, there will be no parking on Thursday, Aug. 8, and Friday, Aug. 9, for a special street cleaning — one of the last pieces of work for the O and P Street Project by the D.C. Department of Transportation. So, yes, please read the signs: do not park your car there during those days. Again, this parking ban only affects the west side of Georgetown.

Advisory neighborhood commissioner Jeff Jones issued this alert on Georgetown Forum:

The Department of Public Works will be posting no parking signs on the entire length of the 3200, 3300 and 3400 blocks of O and P streets in Georgetown for manual sweeping of the cobblestone streets on August 8th and August 9th. DPW has informed me they will issue citations and tow cars if they do not comply with the no parking signs. I have requested that DPW close only O Street blocks on Aug. 8 and to close only P Street blocks on Aug. 9, and to start on the 3200 blocks first. Please refer to the no parking signs for the exact time they will be in effect on your street. This is not a regularly scheduled cleaning, and is for the final cleaning of the O and P street cobblestone dust.

If anyone has more questions about the temporary parking ban, contact Jeff Jones by email.

Robert Devaney •

A rash of burglaries hit Georgetown last week between Aug. 2 and Aug. 5, most of which involved garages with unlocked doors on the west side of town. It seems some residents have forgotten that individuals creep around, looking for easy opportunities to steal, and have gotten lax about locking up.

Announcing that it has “increased uniformed police patrols in the residential area of Georgetown,” the Metropolitan Police Department listed the crimes online. They include:

= second-degree burglary (armed or otherwise), 3000 – 3099 block of N Street, residence/home, two (2) bicycles stolen, no signs of forced entry;

= second-degree burglary (armed or otherwise), 3400 – 3499 block of Prospect Street, parking lot/garage, unknown suspect(s) entered an unlocked garage (not attached to the residence) and stole a bicycle and electronic equipment from a parked vehicle (unlocked doors) in the garage;

= second-degree burglary (armed or otherwise), 3300 – 3399 block of Dent Place, NW, single-family dwelling, unknown suspect(s) entered an unlocked garage and stole a bicycle. (The suspects also rummaged through a parked vehicle in the garage. Nothing was reported stolen from the parked vehicle);

= second-degree burglary (armed or otherwise), 3300 – 3399 block of Dent Place, NW, single-family dwelling, unknown suspect(s) entered an unlocked garage and then rummaged through a parked vehicle stealing coin currency from the vehicle.

There was also a burglary reported at the Georgetown University dormitory on the 3600 block of O Street. Again, the police wrote down, “No signs of forced entry.”

Not all places were easy hits. An N Street resident on the 3400 block, whose garage shares an alley with garages from the 3400 block of Prospect Street, wrote on a town message board: “Last night, our garage was broken into. Although the cars were rifled through, limited property was removed. We have notified the police but wanted to let the neighborhood know and, in particular, residents of the south side of the 3400 block on N street, since the only way the thieves would have been able to enter the garage as they did (i.e, from the garden) would have been to go through other backyards on that block and jump the fences.”

One Prospect Street home-owner summed up the crime on his property: “We have a garage on the same alley (house on Prospect between 34th and 35th) and we had a garage break-in as well and did lose items both from within cars and a high-end racing bicycle. [Next door’s] garage was rifled through as well. It appears a bike was left behind in the alley and that my racing bike was used as an ‘upgrade’ for the thief. Due to the value of items stolen, a crime unit responded to take fingerprints but found no good, clean, untouched locations to take from. We have a tendency to not lock the door accessing the garage from the yard, because, well, the only way into the yard is to be hopping fences from a neighbor yard, but that appears to be what occurred here. Adding insult to injury, the bikes are typically locked within the garage but not that night, and we have the garage wired for video surveillance to trigger on motion, but it was not enabled. Lesson learned.”

If the reader cares to review crime prevention tips he most likely learned long ago, the following is timely and timeless advice from D.C. police.

Burglary Prevention

Have you ever been locked out of your home? Were you able to get in anyway? No w think about it…if you could break into your own home, it’s just as easy for someone else to break in, too. One out of 10 homes will be burglarized this year, and many intruders will spend no more than 60 seconds trying to break into a home. The best prediction of a future burglary is a past burglary. Therefore, it is important to take preventative measures now. Strong locks—and good neighbors who look out for one another—can be effective deterrents to burglars. Here are a few tips that can help you keep you—and your property—safe and secure.

Check Your Locks

• Make sure every external door has a strong, well-installed dead bolt lock. Key-in-the-knob locks alone are not enough.

• Sliding glass doors offer easy access if they are not properly secured. You can secure them by putting a broomstick or dowel in the inside track to jam the door or by installing commercially available locks. To prevent the door being lifted off of the track, drill a hole through the sliding door frame and the fixed frame. Then insert a pin in the hole.

• Lock double-hung windows with key locks or “pin” your windows by drilling a small hole at a 45 degree angle between the inner and outer frames, then insert a nail that can be removed. You should secure basement windows with grilles or grates (but make sure that they can be opened from the inside in case of fire).

• Never hide keys around the outside of your home. Instead, give an extra key to a neighbor you trust.

• When you move into a new house or apartment, re-key the locks.

Check Your Doors

While we all like to feel that once we close and lock our doors, we’re safe and secure, the truth of the matter is that a lock on a flimsy door is about as effective as locking your car door but leaving the window down with your wallet on the front seat.

• All outside doors should be metal or solid wood.

• Install a peephole or wide-angle viewer in all entry doors so that you can see who is outside without opening the door. Door chains break easily and don’t keep out intruders.

• If your doors don’t fit tightly in their frames, install weather stripping around them.
Check the Outside

Take a look at your home from the outside, and keep in mind the following tips to help make your home as safe as it can be:

• Burglars hate bright lights. Install outside lights and keep them on at night. Motion-detector lights can be particularly effective.

• Keep your yard clean. Prune shrubbery so it doesn’t hide windows or doors. Cut back tree limbs that a burglar could use to climb to an upper-level window.

• If you travel, create the illusion that you are at home by getting timers that will turn lights (and perhaps a television or radio) on and off in different parts of your home throughout the day and evening hours. Lights burning 24 hours a day signal an empty house.

• Leave shades, blinds, and curtains in normal positions. And make sure you don’t let your mail and/or newspapers pile up. Call the post office and newspaper to stop delivery or have a neighbor pick them up.

• Make a list of your valuables, such as VCRs, stereos, computers, and jewelry. Take pictures of the items, list their serial numbers and description. This will help police if your home is burglarized.

• Ask your District police station for a free home security survey.

• When getting work done on your vehicle, leave only the vehicle key for the service personnel. The same goes for car park attendants and valets.

• If you are having work done on your vehicle, give the service station your business address – not your home address.
Burglars Can Do More Than Just Steal

While most burglars prefer to strike when no one is home, intruders can commit other crimes such as rape, robbery, and assault if they are surprised by someone entering the home, or if they pick a home that is occupied.

• If something looks questionable – a slit screen, a broken window or an open door – don’t go in. Call the police from a neighbor’s house, a cell phone, or a public phone.

• At night, if you think you hear someone breaking in, leave safely if you can, then call the police. If you can’t leave, lock yourself in a room with a phone and call the police. If an intruder is in your room, pretend you are asleep.

• One other important note – never leave a message on your answering machine that indicates that you may not be at home, or that you live alone. Instead, say “We’re not available right now.”

Gary Tischler •

Good news from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo on Connecticut Avenue.

No, Mei Xiang, the zoo’s female Giant Panda, isn’t pregnant, at least as far as anyone knows for sure.

But the Zoo’s four-year-old female Sumatran Tiger Damai was—since June.

Monday evening, she gave birth to two Sumatran Tiger cubs, the first at 6:15 p.m and the second at 8:23 p.m. Their sex has not yet been determined, although one observer indicated the first cub might be a boy, given he was very large.

The births were a triumph for conservationists and naturalists as well as the zoo. Sumatran Tigers are endangered with fewer than than 500 living tigers left in the world.

Great cats curator Craig Saffoe told National Public Radio, “All I can do is smile because the team has realized our goal of producing critically endangered tiger cubs.”

The mother is said to be doing fine, according to zoo officials and personnel. She came out of her enclosure the next day, leaving the cubs safely behind. They have not opened their eyes as of last report. Damai has spent time feeding and cleaning the cubs.

The cubs will probably not be on view until late fall, but everybody can watch the pair on the zoo’s Tigercubcam. There are black and white photographs on the zoo’s websites and videos on the net.

The father is 12-year-old Kavi . It was confirmed on June 21 that Damai was pregnant.

Zoo officials described the first-time mom Damai as “a natural.”

Apparently, Kavi and Damai had quite the relationship. According to Saffoe, “It’s taken more than two years of perserverance getting to know Damai and Kavi and letting them get to know each other so that we could reach this celebratory moment. Damia came to us as a young tiger herself. So, it’s really special to see her become a great mom.”

Jordan Hellmuth •

Free visitor passes will be available on request for D.C. residents, but officials such as Ward 3 councilmember Mary Cheh fear that such passes may be misused.

Some believe passes may be sold to the highest bidder for coveted parking spaces. Temporary visitor parking permits have been regularly obtained from local Metropolitan Police Department precincts.

Through a previous pilot program, free passes were mailed to all households in certain neighborhoods. Now residents of all areas that are required to buy a street-parking permit will be able to request a free visitor pass from the department. Those who want a visitor pass must request it.

“The whole thing was supposed to be thought through. That has not happened,” Cheh told The Washington Post.

While not all details regarding the new passes have been released, the D.C. Department of Transportation has said that they will be valid from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2014. They must be used inside the boundaries of the passholder’s advisory neighborhood commission.

Cheh requested a delay in the expansion of the free parking passes from the transportation department. She believes, “We’re not ready to make this change, and the change we’re making doesn’t link up with…how we deal with parking in general.”

Corrie Dyke •

Illuminations, Inc., has specialized in contemporary lighting since 1982. The company currently has two showrooms in D.C. but will be closing its Georgetown location in Cady’s Alley. Illuminations carries contemporary commercial and residential lighting products. The company’s Downtown showroom at the Lansburgh Building in Penn Quarter will remain open, displaying products from more than 40 manufacturers.

Illuminations’ sales consultants and designers support clients through all phases of product selection and lighting design, including the planning of full-scale architectural lighting projects.
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Robert Devaney •

Frye, the oldest continuously operating footwear company in the United States, will open its third United States location in Washington, D.C., in a few weeks in a building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Georgetown store, at 1066 Wisconsin Ave., NW, will occupy the former space of Papa-Razzi Restaurant. Frye’s 2,700-square-foot store will be located in the historic Vigilant Firehouse, the oldest extant firehouse in D.C., which first housed Engine 5, now located on Dent Place.

The Georgetown store will open early September, a company spokesperson said. It will join Frye’s Boston and New York City stores. The Frye Company — known for boots, shoes, handbags and accessories — also plans to open a store in Chicago this fall.

Founded in Massachusetts in 1863, Frye is celebrating its 150th anniversary with a collection of footwear of its most iconic styles. With its boots, worn by soldiers, sailors, singers and actors, the company has fans that have ranged from Sarah Jessica Parker to General George Patton to John Lennon. A pair of Frye boots is even on exhibit on the Smithsonian.

Corrie Dyke •

Water infiltration at Metro’s Friendship Heights and Medical Center stations on the Red Line could cause future major repair and closings at those stations.

The Red Line, one of the oldest on the Metrorail system, is suffering from water damage that will take longer than a weekend to repair. Water seeping through the walls at the stations is due to the geology surrounding the Red Line tunnels between Friendship Heights and Medical Center, according to a statement from Metro deputy general manager Rob Troup.

News4 reported the two stations could see complete closures for weeks, even up to a month and a half. However, Troup’s statement on WMATA.com said no decision has been made on the nature of repairs or the timeline and effect on service.

Troup also stated that the issue is not a safety concern, but a long-term reliability of the aging section of Metrorail.

“Currently, we are advancing the engineering work to determine the best course of action,” Troup said. “Once the engineering work is finalized, we will be able to tell you more about future plans to improve Red Line reliability.”

While Friendship Heights and Medical Center wait for repairs, the Red and Green lines will see work this weekend.

Red Line (this weekend)

Buses replace trains between Rhode Island Avenue and Forest Glen stations.

Brookland, Takoma and Silver Spring stations will be closed with No Red Line service at Fort Totten. Work at the stations includes platform reconstruction, new emergency trip station boxes, tie and insulator renewal and joint elimination.

Green Line (this weekend)

Buses replace trains between College Park and Greenbelt stations. Greenbelt station is closed. However, trains will run on Labor Day.

Labor Day Closings and Schedules

Offices, transportation and more change schedules in observance of Labor Day on Monday.
Closed —

Most banks, all federal and local government offices, Post Office (No USPS mail delivery except for Express Mail), courts (excluding adult arraignments and new juvenile referrals in the District), schools, libraries.

Parking

District: No city parking enforcement (except in National Stadium neighborhood). Maryland: Meters not enforced in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties (except for New Carrollton garage and National Harbor). Meters enforced in Howard County and Annapolis. Virginia: HOV restrictions lifted. Meters not enforced in Alexandria and Arlington County.

Trash & Recycling

District: No pick-up, collection slides to next-day for remainder of week. Transfer station closed. Maryland: No pick-up. Anne Arundel and Montgomery counties, collection slides to next day. Prince George County pick-ups are on next scheduled day. Anne Arundel Calvert, Charles, Frederick and Howard landfills and Montgomery transfer stations closed. Virginia: Arlington and Fairfax counties and Fairfax City, regular pick-up. No collection in Alexandria as pick-up slides one day through end of week. Landfills closed in Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William counties.

Transportation

Metrorail runs on a Sunday schedule, beginning at 7 a.m. until midnight. Track work on Red Line between Forest Glen and Rhode Island Ave. stations will cause shuttle buses to replace trains. Orange Line trains run every 24 minutes between Vienna and New Carrollton stations. Metrobus on Sunday schedule. Metro Access on regular schedule (subscription calls are cancelled). CUE, Ride On, Dash, and Fairfax Connector all on Sunday schedule. ART (routes 41 and 51 only) on Sunday schedule. MTA Commuter Bus (route 201 only running) on weekend schedule. PRTC Omiride, Loudoun Bus, MARC and VRE not running.

Georgetowner •

Fourth Annual Monty Alexander Jazz Festival to Deliver Lineup of Acclaimed Artists

August 29th, 2013 at 03:00 PM | Please Visit ChesapeakeJazz.org for pricing | info@chesapeakechambermusic.org | Tel: (410) 819-0380 | Event Website

The Monty Alexander Jazz Festival will take place in Easton on Labor Day weekend from August 29 -September 1st. This year, legendary jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli will open with an intimate night club-style concert at Easton’s Academy Art Museum. The Festival will continue through the weekend with performances at Easton’s historic Avalon Theatre with returning jazz and gospel vocalist, Dee Daniels.

For further information on the Monty Alexander Jazz Festival,visit ChesapeakeJazz.org.

Address

Easton’s Academy Art Museum; 106 South St, Easton, MD 21601

Cyber In Securities

August 30th, 2013 at 06:00 PM | free entry, cash bar | bmurphy@wpadc.org | Tel: 202-234-7103 | Event Website

Washington Project for the Arts presents CYBER IN SECURITIES, an exhibition exploring contemporary data collection and imaging surveillance practices, highlighting artists whose work makes visible experiences of tracking and being tracked in a digital age. The exhibition is part of WPA’s Experimental Media 2013, the eighth installment of WPA’s Experimental Media program.

Address

Pepco Edison Place Gallery; 702 8th St, NW

Paddle for Humanity at the Washington Harbour

August 31st, 2013 at 07:00 AM | Prices start at $50.00 | Tel: (202)333-9749 | Event Website](http://www.paddleforhumanity.org/html/Events-WashingtonDC.html)

3rd Annual Paddle for Humanity and you are invited to join in the paddle sports community and festivities. Founded in 2009, the Paddle for Humanity (PFH) is a grass root paddling event series with the stated purpose to bring the paddling community together to support a common cause. It’s easy, fun and accessible to all ages and skill levels and you can compete against friends or simply paddle for the pleasure of it. You may register online or in person by Friday night on August 30th at Sequoia. While this is a mainly a SUP (Stand Up Paddle) event, all paddle sports are welcome. No rowing, sailing or non-human motors, but the rest is fair game.

Pre-registration is $50/one event or $80/two events. Add $15 for event day sign-up. Online registration is closed.

Register in-person at our Pre-Party at Sequoia on Fri, 8/30 from 6pm to 8pm OR on event day near Sequoia (on the boardwalk in front of Washington Harbour) from 7am to 8:45am. Credit card, cash or check payable to SUP ATX.

Pre-party Check-in and Bag Pickup at Sequoia

6:00- 8:00 PM Friday, August 30th, 2013: Come enjoy a cold beverage, check-in for the event or just hang out and talk story with others from the paddling world.

Address

Washington Canoe Club (WCC); 3700 Water Street NW

Pray. Eat. Love.

September 1st, 2013 at 10:30 AM | FREE | communications@nationalpres.org | Tel: 202-537-7494 | Event Website](http://www.nationalpres.org/PrayEatLove)

All are welcome to a morning of worship, fun, and service! A casual, music-filled worship service kicks off the morning at 10:30 a.m. Stay after the service for a complimentary buffet lunch with games and activities for all ages. There will also be family-friendly service projects to help those in need in our community. Ample free parking is available, or take a short walk from the red line metro.
Address

The National Presbyterian Church;4101 Nebraska Ave. NW

Mystique Pop-Up Store on Capitol Hill

September 5th, 2013 at 05:00 PM | free | emandros@mystiquejewelers.com | Tel: 703 | [Event Website](http://www.mystiquejewelers.com/)

Mystique Jewelers is bringing its sophisticated and chic fine jewelry to Capitol Hill. The Old Town Alexandria based jewelry store will host a three day pop-up store on Capitol Hill Thursday, September 5th through Saturday, September 7th.

Guests will enjoy champagne and a private showing of bridal designs from Andrew Meyer, as well as, every day wearable jewelry designs. Free pearl earrings with any purchase.

Thursday Cocktail Party from 5-7pm

Friday & Saturday open 10am to 5pm

Address

Tabula Rasa | event and meeting space; 731 8th Street SE

Vintage Poster Sale

September 6th, 2013 at 10:00 AM | FREE | GALLERY@CALLOWAYART.COM | Tel: 202-965-4601 | [Event Website](http://www.callowayart.com/)

Vintage Poster Trunk Sale with Mark J. Weinbaum Fine Posters and Prints, who works out of New York City, will exhibit up to 100 works over the September weekend. The collection focuses on decorative and rare historical posters, with a wide variety of categories and time periods available. All of his posters and prints represent the best quality available on the market place.

Address

Susan Calloway Fine Arts; 1643 Wisconsin Ave NW