Southwest Waterfront Breaks Ground for $2B Wharf
• March 31, 2014

Politicians, developers, architects and local residents got together March 19 at the Southwest Waterfront to celebrate the groundbreaking of $2.2-billion mixed use urban project, known as the Wharf, at the Washington Channel.

At 8th and Water Streets, SW, at least 20 persons sat in a stage placed on the Washington Kastles tennis court — to become the yacht piazza — under a tent during the rainy day. After 90 minutes of introductions and speeches, they put their shovels into the ground to start the construction of the first phase of the 40-month construction that will give Washington, D.C. new residences, offices, hotels, restaurants, movie theaters and a 6,000-capacity concert hall — and a marina.

Big names in local real estate and retail included Oliver Carr, Paul and Dan Hoffman, Tom Gilmore, Michael Jones and Dan McCann. Monty Hoffman of PN Hoffman acted as emcee along with David Brainerd of Madison Marquette. On hand was Mayor Vincent Gray, Victor Hoskins, deputy mayor for planning and economic development, and council members Tommy Wells (whose ward the project is in), Jack Evans and Muriel Bowser as well as advisory neighborhood commissioner Andy Linksy. Also in the audience were council members Anita Bonds and Vincent Orange.

Most speakers mentioned the superlatives of the project and how it was a game changer for the District of Columbia. “This is the largest crowd I’ve ever seen for a groundbreaking,” said Gray, who added, “The day will come when the Potomac and the Anacostia are fishable and swimmable.”

Via video, Rep. Darrel Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, complimented D.C. and called the Wharf project, its “58th crane.” Issa said the project would add to “the resurgence of the greatest city on earth.”

Praising the work of former Ward 6 council member Sharon Ambrose on the waterfront plans, Wells saluted the project’s “superstar team” and said it add a “great mix for a special neighborhood.” Hoffman then introduced Evans as having “served since the last century.” Acknowledging that the idea of the Wharf started years ago, Evans continued the joke and said that he had met with Pierre Lefant and George Washington about it. The longest-serving council member then threw in that he had also spoken with Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass about the project.

Next year, Hoffman said, there would eight new cranes along the mile-long waterfront. Hoskins noted that the total investment for the new waterfront neighborhood would be $6.8 billion. The first phrase should be completed in 2017, and Hoffman said the ribbon cutting would be in 40 months.

“We won’t need a casino to keep it afloat,” said the local ANC’s Litsky, referring to National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md.
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Business Group Hears From Mayoral Candidates
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Two mayoral candidates stopped by the Georgetown Business Association reception at the Georgetown Ritz-Carlton on South Street March 19. Reta Jo Lewis spoke to the crowd, reminding them of her government experience. The other candidate was well known to the group: Ward 2 council member Jack Evans, who is also running in the Democratic primary for Mayor of D.C. “The mayor will be indicted,” said Evan, referring to allegations concerning Mayor Vincent Gray. “We’ve been here before,” he said, adding that if the mayor gets re-elected and then indicted, D.C. “will be the laughing stock of America.” Despite such troubling news, the business types still managed to have a good fun at the welcoming Ritz-Carlton. [gallery ids="101679,144182,144161,144179,144185,144166,144170,144174" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetown House Tour Set for April 26; Patrons’ Party, April 23
• March 30, 2014

Celebrating its 83rd year, the Georgetown House Tour is the oldest, most prestigious house tour in the country. The tour gives locals and visitors the opportunity to view a selection of historic homes. This year’s Georgetown House Tour, hosted by historic St. John’s Episcopal Church, Georgetown Parish, is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, April 26. Nine historic residences will be on the tour.

Barbara Wolf and Colman Riddell are co-chairing this year’s tour. “This year’s highly informational walking tour will provide an opportunity to take in all the history and beauty of Georgetown,” Wolf said. “It provides a unique glimpse of Georgetown’s impressive architecture and the stories behind the bricks and mortar that make Georgetown so special.” Added Riddell: “This year’s tour showcases Georgetown’s distinctive homes, gardens and culture.”

A House Tour preview get-together was held March 19 at the 33rd Street home of Richard and Colman Riddell.

The tour includes two P Street homes on the west side and another on the east side as well as a home on 34th Street, two on O Street and one on Q Street. Also on the list is the George Town Club on Wisconsin Avenue, with club president Sharon Casey on hand. Homeowners include Stephany and Brewster Knight, Claire and Tony Florence, Soula Proxenos and Bruce O’Brien, Nelson Cunningham, Ambassador Jenonne Walker, Ann Goodman and Carrington and Jake Tarr.

The Patrons’ Party for the tour will be on April 23 at the Dumbarton Street home of Jeffrey and Elizabeth Powell. The tour’s main sponsor is TTR Sotheby’s International Realty.
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DMV Office to Open on M Street April 29
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A D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles service center will return to M Street in the Georgetown Park retail space.

“The opening is tentatively scheduled for April 29,” said Vanessa Newton, DMV public affairs specialist, who added, “There will now be a D.C. DMV service center in every quadrant of the city.” The new space will be larger than the previous center. The street entrance – also for the Washington Sports Club and DSW – will be at the M Street corner across from Dean & DeLuca. Visitors will go down one level to enter the center. The address that various businesses use at the retail complex is 3222 M St., NW.

Suspect in Rudd Disappearance Also Had Contact With Other Girls at Shelter
• March 28, 2014

Today’s updates on missing eight-year-old Relisha Rudd were released at a press conference held around 1:30 p.m., during which, Metropolitan Police revealed that it is now sure that Tatum had contact with up to four girls at the homeless shelter where he worked and where Relisha’s family had been living.

During a March 27 press conference near Kenilworth Park, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said, “We cannot ignore the possibility that he may have killed her.” Lanier was referring to janitor Kahlil Malik Tatum, the suspected abductor, who worked at the shelter, where Rudd and her mother lived. D.C. police also labeled their efforts “a recovery operation.”

The search at Kenilworth Park resumed this morning, after it was suspended Thursday night following 12 hours of inconclusive searching. Just after 7 a.m., D.C. Fire Department and Emergency Services, the Metropolitan Police Department and a K-9 unit conducted a “grid search” of the vast wooded 700-acre area.

After information was disclosed which tracked Tatum to the Kenilworth Park area, investigators began the search. Investigators also reported that on March 2, a day after Rudd was last seen, Tatum spent considerable time in Kenilworth Park. In addition, according to NBC4 News, on March 2 he had purchased suspicious items like garbage bags, a shovel, and lime, which can be used to speed up the decomposition of bodies as well.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Relisha Rudd or Kahlil Tatum is asked to call 911or the Command Information Center at 202-727-9099 or 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).

Commuter Alert : DDOT Shuts Down Part of Canal Road
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Commuters who plan to drive westbound on Canal Road, NW, can expect delays today because of a problem in road stability. Back-ups may also affect M Street, NW, traffic.

The District Department of Transportation closed the westbound lane of Canal Road, NW, between Foxhall Road and Reservoir Road around noon. A small indentation in the pavement at the intersection of Reservoir and Canal Roads near Fletcher’s Boathouse has DDOT engineers inspecting the road.

“It’s a grower,” said Paul Hoffman, DDOT project manager for Wards 3 and 4. Hoffman said DDOT was aware of the road depression earlier. One of its workers checked at the beginning of the week. The agency decided to call for the closure today.

During non-rush hours, westbound traffic on Canal Road NW was being directed west to Foxhall Road, NW, and then west onto MacArthur Boulevard, NW, and then south on Arizona Avenue NW to reconnect with Canal Road, NW.

Only one lane outbound for the evening rush towards Maryland will be now allowed. Commuters can also access Canal Road by driving west on Reservoir Road to the intersection at Canal Road.

DDOT will assess the problem, but expect road work at this intersection for some time.
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Student Arrested for Possession of Ricin
• March 27, 2014

Georgetown University student Daniel Milzman, 19, was arrested March 21 for possession of ricin, a highly toxic and sometimes fatal biological substance, which was found by police in his dormitory room at the university’s main campus. No one was harmed.

“If convicted of possession of a biological toxin, he could face up to 10 years in prison,” reported the student newspaper, the Hoya. Other excerpts: “… Tests at two labs, one run by the D.C. government and the other by the Department of Homeland Security, confirmed the substance was ricin. … In total, Milzman had 123 milligrams of the substance in his possession; within that, the concentration of toxin was 7.7 micrograms per milligram. According to the affidavit, a lethal dose of ricin is approximately three to five micrograms if the substance is inhaled or injected and 20 milligrams per kilogram if ingested. … The affidavit paints a picture of Milzman working alone in his room, wearing goggles and a dust mask, both of which were later seized by the FBI. Milzman produced the ricin a month ago and stored it in his room in plastic bags.”

While some have speculated that Milzman might have wanted to harm another student, the FBI says it has no such information on motives. Milzman’s father works for MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and his brother also attends Georgetown.

S&R Foundation Launches Halcyon Incubator; Awards Gala on May 31
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The S&R Foundation has announced the set-up of its Halcyon Incubator, headquartered at Halcyon House at 3400 Prospect St., NW. The foundation is also celebrating its Washington Awards Gala at Halcyon House on May 31, when the freshly renovated 18th-century architectural gem will be reintroduced to the city after more than two years without a major public event.

The Washington Awards Gala highlights S&R’s musical programs and young artists at Evermay on 28th Street, NW. “We are proud to recognize this talented group of artists,” says Sachiko Kuno, president of S&R Foundation. We’ve had the pleasure of introducing past Washington Award winners to sold-out audiences through our Overtures Concert Series, and look forward to supporting the 2013 winners in furthering their careers.”

The foundation’s scientific side will get new prominence at Halcyon House, which Kuno and her husband Ryuji Ueno brought in 2012, after they purchased Evermay in 2011.

The ambitious goal is to empower talented social entrepreneurs, says S&R Foundation COO Kate Goodall. “The Halcyon Incubator pulls on the rich and diverse communities that define Washington, D.C., and engenders an unrivaled opportunity to incubate transformational social ventures in the nation’s capital.”

According to Goodall, the foundation will offer “a 12- to 16-month fellowship, including a four-month residency, eight months of rent-free workspace, complimentary strategic, legal and PR support, mentors, as well as access to a network of potential funders from all sectors.” Applications are due May 1 for the 2014 fall residency that starts in September.

Street Crimes Rattle Residents
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The number of robberies in Georgetown in 2014 is triple the number during the comparable period last year, according to the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District, which includes the historic district. The crimes have increasingly involved guns. MPD is beefing up patrols around town, police said.

In one of its reports, the Citizens Association of Georgetown deplored the bad news: “In the last few months, the idea that we can safely walk throughout our community during daylight hours and into the early evening has been challenged by criminals, sometimes with guns.”

The most blatant robbery and assault involving a gun was on March 14 around 10:30 a.m. on the 1400 block of 29th Street, NW. Other neighborhood incidents include:

= A residence on the 3200 block of Prospect Street, NW, was burglarized March 5. The door was forced open and jewelry was taken.

= On March 23, just after midnight on the 3100 block of N Street, there was a robbery with a gun.

= On Feb. 4, a female was robbed around 2 a.m. along the 1600 block of 28th Street, NW. The robber had a gun.

Also, on March 23 on the 2300 block of M Street, NW (near but not in Georgetown), there was a robbery by gun.

And, as previously reported in The Georgetowner, the new year brought new reports:

= On Jan. 16, around 6:30 p.m., a women was assaulted along the 1200 block of 27th Street, NW, near Rose Park, by two unarmed females.

= On Jan. 21, three persons mugged a man along the 3400 block of N Street, NW. One assailant had a gun.
= The TD Bank at 1611 Wisconsin Ave., NW, was robbed Jan 31 around 6:30 p.m., according to the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI.

= Domino’s Pizza at 3255 Prospect St., NW, was robbed after the Super Bowl, Feb. 3, with six men – most of whom were armed – demanding money from the register.

= The glass door of the Michael Kors store at 3105 M St., NW, was smashed at 3:49 a.m., Feb. 11. The thief took purses and other items.

Weekend Round Up March 20, 2014
• March 26, 2014

Hamilton College Choir to Perform in Washington on March 21

March 21st, 2014 at 07:30 PM | Free | Event Website

The Hamilton College Choir will visit Washington, D.C., during its annual March tour. The 78-member choir will perform a varied program that includes sacred and secular music: Handl’s “Pater noster,” Lotti’s “Crucifixus” and Josquin’s “Ave Maria;” Whitacre’s “With a Lily in Your Hand,” Carmichael’s “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville Overture.”

The performance is free and open to the public.

Address

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church; 4900 Connecticut Avenue NW

Jimmy Miracle: Yantras

March 22nd, 2014 at 12:00 PM | Free | neptunebrowngalleries@gmail.com | Tel: 2023380353 | Event Website

Neptune Fine Art is pleased to present Jimmy Miracle: Yantras.

Jimmy Miracle’s new body of works entitled Yantras refer to diagrams often used in meditation, sometimes said to possess mystical or magical powers. Miracle’s sculptures are composed of simple geometric shapes organized to form complex diagram of symbols. Through the use of repetition and accumulation of ordinary objects and materials, Miracle approaches Yantras with philosophical questions of spiritual aspiration and knowledge.

Address

1662 33rd Street, NW

Open Kitchen’s Italian Journey Cooking Class

March 22nd, 2014 at 11:00 AM | $89 | holly.camalier@openkitchen-dcmetro.com | Tel: 7039428148 | Event Website

Join us in this hands-on cooking class as we take a culinary tour of some of Italy’s influential cuisine.

ON THE MENU:

Crostini con Pure’ di Carciofi, Mozzarella Pomodorini (crostini with artichoke Paste, mozzarella, and roasted tomatoes); Risotto alla Zucca (Risotto with Butternut Squash) Maiale Brasato al Vino Rosso con Olive (wine-braised pork with olives), Dadi Saltata di Pino e dell’Indivia (sauteed escarole with pine nuts), and Tiramisú

Address

7115 Leesburg Pike #107; Falls Church, VA 20043

Cathedral Sings!

March 23rd, 2014 at 07:30 PM | $10

Singers of all abilities are invited to join Cathedral Choral Society music director J. Reilly Lewis for Cathedral Sings!

Address

Washington National Cathedral; 3101 Wisconsin Ave NW

Dumbarton House: Walking Tour – “Mr. Nourse’s Neighborhood: Georgetown c. 1800”

March 23rd, 2014 at 11:00 AM | $10 per person; free for ages three and under | Event Website

Join Dwane Starlin, member of the Guild of Professional Tour Guides, for a delightful meander through Georgetown’s East Village streets. View Georgetown the way Joseph Nourse – first resident of Dumbarton House – would have viewed his neighborhood in c.1800. The walk will be 60 minutes. Comfy walking shoes are a must! The tour will begin promptly at 11 a.m. at the corner of Q and 27th streets NW.

Address

Dumbarton House; 2715 Q St. NW

Kevin Eubanks at Blues Alley

March 23rd, 2014 at 08:00 PM | $35 | [Event Website])http://www.instantseats.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.venue&VenueID=3)

A favorite of music fans nationwide and known most for performing on the Tonight Show bandstand, Kevin Eubanks returns to Georgetown to perform live at Blues Alley from Thursday, March 20 through Sunday, March 23. Tickets are on sale now for the 8 and 10 p.m. shows.

Address

Blues Alley; 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW

Free Diabetes Workshop with Neal Barnard, M.D., and the Physicians Committee

March 25th, 2014 at 06:00 PM | Free | tkemp@pcrm.org | Tel: 202-527-7314 | [Event Website](http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/ffl/classes/class-detail/?classID=3364)

Washington residents who struggle with type 2 diabetes can attend a workshop with PCRM president and GWU professor Neal Barnard, M.D., on 3/25. Dr. Barnard’s free seminar will show participants how to use a plant-based diet to prevent & treat type 2 diabetes. Family members & health care providers are welcome.

Kara Blank-Gonzalez will guide a free weekly follow-up April 1-22 about low-fat cooking, food to steady blood sugar, and how to read food labels.

RSVP 202-527-7314 tkemp@pcrm.org

Address

PCRM Headquarters; 5100 Wisconsin Avenue NW; Suite 400

JT3 Art Benefit Happy Hour & Trivia Night

March 25th, 2014 at 08:00 PM | sammystratton@gmail.com | [Event Website](http://www.jt3art.org/)

Guests will be able to enjoy music, movie trivia and drink specials at District 2. A portion of the proceeds will fund JT3’s Artist Awards Program, a competition for emerging screenwriters and directors, ages 18 to 34, who reside in New York City or the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Address

District 2 Bar & Grille; 3238 Wisconsin Ave., NW