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Zachariah Weaver • October 13, 2011

Unlike the words Langston Hughes once used in his poem “Lincoln Theatre,” the movies won’t end.

For the past 24 months the Lincoln Theatre has struggled with financial sustainability and still does. Yet it will not be closing, but is in a state of dire financial struggle. At the press conference held Thursday afternoon, it was confirmed that the theatre is in need of operating funds from the District to keep the doors open past the end of the calendar year.

However, the theatre may not be getting the city funding that it needs and has scheduled a meeting with the mayor to resolve these issues.

Rick Lee, a board member of the U Street Foundation Board which operates the theatre, explained the frustration the theatre is going through.

“We found out that there is $89 million to be [divided] up across the city [for operation funding], and we’re not going to be getting any of it,” said Lee.

According to the board, the mayor has not responded to the request they put forth and the theatre must continue its struggle to maintain sustainability in the constant economic crisis affecting them.

Cynthia Robinson, another board member, stressed how important the resources they get later on in the year are. “In order for a public theatre owned by the District to operate effectively, it must have committed resources to support the operations,” Robinson said.

Robinson detailed how they have been getting the money in the past, saying that they receive their own revenue, rentals, fundraising and finally District funding for operations.

“Most of the money we get is going to go straight to keeping the doors open,” said Robinson. However, there is a staff that must be provided for and also monthly payments to be added in.

The average annual budget for the theatre is $1.7 million and their general monthly operating expenses come out to $60,000 per month. The cash on hand for them as of now is $50,000.

These problems could impact the theatre in different and drastic ways including: the ability to leave the doors open until the end of the year, the power to stage some shows and the inability to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Lincoln Theatre.

Council member Jim Graham of Ward 1 made an appearance at the conference and gave his assurance that the theatre will continue with its doors open. “We are hopeful that once we meet with the mayor, we can discuss a new system and new governance of reconsideration of these [funding] issues. That way we can assure the people that this theatre will continue to function,” Graham said.
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Robert Devaney •

The popular annual boat ride on the Potomac River, hosted by the Georgetown Business Association, brings business leaders, residents, colleagues and friends together for easy-going river sightseeing. The Sept. 21 trip, organized by the GBA’s Sue Hamilton, left Washington Harbour to view the monuments as well as Key Bridge. Captain Al Slaughter, who with his brother Eric owns Capital Yacht Charters, took the helm of the company’s Harbour Belle. D.C. councilman-at-large Vincent Orange greeted the group and went along for the ride. Food was provided by Chadwick’s Restaurant, drinks by Rhino Bar and desserts by Serendipity3 D.C. – and GBA logo cookies from Toute Sweets.

Robert Devaney • October 7, 2011

The completed transformation of Georgetown’s land along the Potomac River was celebrated with an official National Park Service ceremony Sept. 13 at Wisconsin Avenue and K Street. Friends and volunteers came together to salute the completion of Georgetown Waterfront Park and to honor former Sen. Charles Percy (R-Ill.), the park’s most influential advocate and longtime 34th Street resident, who is gravely ill.

The $24-million, 9.5-acre park was a project of the National Park Service, the Friends of Georgetown Waterfront Park and the District of Columbia government. The park was designed by Wallace Roberts & Todd of Philadelphia and completes 225 miles of parkland along the Potomac River’s shoreline, stretching from Mount Vernon, Va., north to Cumberland, Md. It is the largest park to be created in D.C. since Constitution Gardens was completed on the National Mall in 1976. Construction began in 2006.

Once the land of old Georgetown’s wharves and factories, the riverside had deteriorated into parking lots and empty land. In 1985, the District of Columbia transferred the waterfront land to the National Park Service. In the late 1990s, the Georgetown Waterfront Commission made the final, long push for completion, bringing together volunteers, residents, the rowing community, local leaders and the National Park Service as it highlighted the Potomac’s signature sport: rowing.

The park features pathways, granite artwork that tells the story of Georgetown as a port, a labyrinth, a bio-engineered river edge along with the newest and most popular attractions: a pergola, fountain and river stairs.

At the ceremony, Rock Creek Park Superintendent Tara Morrison greeted the crowd as it faced the Potomac, Roosevelt Island and the Kennedy Center and boats, helicopters and airplanes passed by.

“This is a grand day,” announced Robert vom Eigen, president of the Friends of Georgetown Waterfront Park, who thanked all those working for years to change unused industrial lots into parkland, now part of the Park Service.

“No one would have loved more to be here front row and center,” said WETA president and CEO Sharon Percy Rockefeller of her father, Sen. Percy, whose picture is on a park plaque. Revealing that he is ill at Sibley Hospital, Rockefeller choked up as she said, “He would be thrilled to see this magnificent setting. It is his fondest and last best work.”

On behalf of the District, Ward 2 councilman Jack Evans thanked the three most responsible for the final push to get the park done: Ann Satterthwaite, Robert vom Eigen and Grace Bateman.

Paraphrasing Frederick Douglass’s thoughts on visitors to the nation’s capital, Robert Stanton of the Park Service said, “When they visit Washington, D.C., they would be at home. For those who visit Georgetown Waterfront Park, they will be home as well.”

Afterwards, hometown architects Hugh Jacobsen and Arthur Cotton Moore, sitting together at the House of Sweden reception for the park after the ceremony, approved of the new work. Pleased to see parkland and businesses side by side, Moore joked, “Hugh and I are going down those steps [at the river] tomorrow in our swimming suits.”

Sculptor John Dreyfuss, also trained as an architect, summed up Georgetown’s newest creation: “It is a triumph.”

Georgetowner • October 4, 2011

Rebirth of the Cool

September 30th, 2011 at 06:00-9:00 PM| Event Website

Rebirth of the Cool represents a new incarnation of Kehinde Wiley’s popular annual fish fry from Art Basel Miami Beach. Both extravagant and casually hip, it offers guests the opportunity to experience the city and the artistic subculture in a way that Wiley describes as “a truer example of my lived life.” The event’s title refers to Birth of the Cool, an exhibition of works by Barkley Hendricks, an artist in 30 Americans, and is symbolic of the exciting programming coming up at the Corcoran.

If you haven’t already, buy tickets by clicking Here includes BBQ and two drinks.

The Initiative for Russian Culture-Film, Jazzmen

September 30th, 2011 at 06:00 PM | fedyashi@american.edu | Tel: (202) 885-6381 | Event Website

The founding of the Initiative for Russian Culture (IRC) invites you to come see the award winning and popular Russian film, Jazzmen (1983). The film is based on a music student, Konstantin, who gets expelled due to his love for jazz, which at the time was considered to be frowned upon in Soviet Union 1920’s. The student seeks two street musicians to form a band and together they attempt to make a mark on the Russian music scene. Director Karen Shaknazarov set this film during a time when, despite its widespread popularity, jazz was to be frowned upon as a debased form of capitalist art. The movie showcases great Russian jazz tunes as the band tries to prove that jazz music is a revolutionary and popular form of art.

To start the evening cocktails and a buffet will be served and the screening of the film will follow along with a discussion and Q and A. Afterward, Russian coffee and deserts will be served and Igor Bril will close the event with a live performance. Valet parking will be available and the attire will be business. There will be media availability starting at 5:45 PM and media credentials will be required.

Address

The Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building

10 First Street, SE Washington, DC

Art Code: Artworks by Edurne Esponda

September 30th, 2011 at 06:00 PM | gallery@callowayart.com | Tel: 202-965-4601 | Event Website

Susan Calloway Fine Arts is pleased to present ArtCode, a show by Edurne Esponda, which displays the artists’ colorful, playful, and thought provoking oeuvre. Born in Oaxaca, Mexico, Edurne Esponda has traveled the world as both an artist and fashion designer. Her latest work, ArtCode will be on view at Susan Calloway Fine Arts from September 30 through October 29, 2011. An opening reception will be held on September 30 from 6PM-8PM.

Address

Susan Calloway Fine Arts

Book Hill, Georgetown

1643 Wisconsin Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20007

Wine in the Water Park

September 30th, 2011 at 07:00 PM | Free Admission | Event Website

Wine in the Water Park brings the mood-setting, ambient music of DJ Adrian Loving, wine and beer carefully selected by the Washington Wine Academy, and free snacks from Jaleo to the Crystal City Water Park (across from 1750 Crystal Drive). Taking place every Friday in September (September 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th) from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., the event gives residents, office workers, and visitors a great place to unwind after the work week.

Address

Crystal City Water Park (across from 1750 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA)

Bowen McCauley Dance at Dance Place

October 1st, 2011 at 02:00 AM | $22 General Admission $17 Members, Seniors, Teachers and Artists

$10 College Students $8 Children (1 | ricki@bmdc.org | Tel: 703-910-5175 | Event Website

Lucy Bowen McCauley, named by Washingtonian as among those “who have helped transform Washington into one of the nation’s liveliest centers for the performing arts,” brings her eclectic musical taste, creative artistic partnerships, and her company of “rising stars” to Dance Place. Audience favorite, Lucy’s Playlist, brings ’80s pop and rock tunes to life with an amped up performance. The energy is infectious!

Address

Dance Place

3225 8th Street NE

Washington, DC 20017

DC Walk for the Animals benefiting the Washington Humane Society

October 15th, 2011 at 10:00 AM | $15-20 | events@washhumane.org | Tel: 202-683-1822 | Event Website

DC Walk for the Animals (Benefiting the Washington Humane Society)

WHEN: Saturday, October 15, 2011

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

WHERE: Marie Reed Learning Center

2200 Champlain St. NW

Washington, DC 20009

CONTACT INFO: events@washhumane.org

202-683-1822

ADMISSION: $20 for adults, $15 for children ages 3-12, Free for children under age 3

Address

2200 Champlain St. NW

Washington, DC 20009

11th Annual Norton Wine and Bluegrass Festival

October 1st, 2011 at 10:00 AM | Admission is $20 per person at the door, $15 in advance |

kkinne@chrysaliswine.com | Tel: (540) 687-8222 ext. 206 | Event Website

Home to the world’s single largest planting of Norton, the Chrysalis Vineyards is hosting the 11th Annual Norton Wine and Bluegrass Festival on Saturday, October 1 and Sunday, October 2, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Celebrate Norton, The Real American Grape!® with tastings of America’s authentic premium wine – indigenous to Virginia. Listen to live bluegrass music, hop on a hayride and shop the food and craft vendors. A variety of Norton blends will be available including Mariposa, Estate Bottled Norton, Chrysalis’ ultra premium Locksley Reserve Norton and more. For more information and details, visit www.ChrysalisWine.com.

Address

23876 Champe Ford Road

Middleburg, Virginia 20117

Kyle Lundberg • October 3, 2011

In the midst of a society that is dominated by mass consumption and synthetic food substances, one D.C. organization is speaking up for organic food and the protection of the American farmlands that produce it.

Founded in 1980, the American Farmland Trust is a D.C.-based organization dedicated to protecting farmlands across America from destruction caused by urban development. On Wednesday, the AFT kicked off their second annual Dine Out for Farms week, which will take place Oct. 16 through 22. Various restaurants in the D.C. area and throughout the U.S. will participate in the event by informing customers about the importance of farms in providing them with the food they eat, and by donating to the AFT.

On hand at the kick off event, which took place at the Founding Farmers restaurant, was Mike Isabella, celebrity chef and owner of Graffiato, a participating restaurant in this year’s event.

“Working with local farmers supports their business and the economy, hopefully making it more affordable for more Americans to eat locally sourced, fresh and healthy food,” Isabella said in a press release.

AFT President Jon Scholl encourages restaurants to support local farms and cook their food with local ingredients.

“The restaurant community’s support of local farms is crucial, given that the Mid-Atlantic States have been losing more than 200 acres of farmland a day to sprawling development,” Scholl said in a press release. “Between 1982 and 2007, that totaled about 2 million acres, or an area bigger than the entire state of Delaware.”

Also on hand at the kick off was Bev Eggleston, owner of EcoFriendly Foods, a Virginia-based network of buyers and growers that supports family farms and small businesses. According to Eggleston, a lack of farmland leads to a lack of farmers, which makes it more difficult to buy locally.

“Ninety percent of the farmers I knew when I moved back to Virginia in 1990 are no longer farming,” Eggleston said. I’m working with ten percent of the original farmers.”

According to Chef Isabella, buying local is not just an issue of being green, it’s an issue of quality as well.

“The more we help the farmers out, the better product we get at the table,” Isabella said. If the product is local and seasonal, the flavor is there.”

During Dine out for Farms week, participating restaurant owners will promote local farmers by serving special dishes, donating a percentage of sales or making straight donations to AFT. Isabella believes the best way to show customers the benefit of fresh food is not through rhetoric, but through the food itself.

“My way of teaching them is by evolving my menu,” Isabella said, “and not just being at the table explaining to them why, but them tasting it and understanding. I think that’s the best way for me to do it.”

In addition to Graffiato and Founding Farmers, other D.C. restaurants participating during the week include America Eats Tavern, Café Milano and Pinkberry. For a complete list of participating restaurants, go to FarmLand.org/Dineout.

Georgetowner •

As you pay low prices for your favorite end-of-season pieces and some upcoming season looks at the District Samples Sale, you help Washington Empowered Against Violence.

Sept. 26, M Street will fill up with bargain hunters as DSS arranges its semi-annual charity event. DSS features over 20 top designer clothing and shoe boutiques, according to DistrictSampleSale.com. They also entice Georgetown shoppers with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from participating restaurants. At this event, designer pieces are sold at liquidation-level prices. Though you can often find good prices at online retailers, “what is unique about the DSS is the experience that we offer. People can actually try on the clothes and interact with the boutique owners…” said DSS co-founder Jayne Sandman in a news release, as quoted in the Georgetown Patch.

DSS is an all-volunteer organization, and 100 percent of its profits go to charity. This fall’s charity event will benefit WEAVE, an organization that works to eliminate partner abuse and gender-based violence through holistic service and empowerment. It offers legal representation, counseling and case management among other services, according to WeaveInCorp.com, which also states that its empowerment model emphasizes the clients’ ownership of their own cases.

WEAVE recently changed its name from “Women Empowered Against Violence” to “Washington Empowered Against Violence” in an effort to eliminate any possible barriers between genders, according to WeaveInCorp.com. Also, there are no income restrictions on clients, making its services available to more people. The organization was founded in 1996 and will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year, which makes this the perfect time “for DSS to select us as their charity,” said executive director for WEAVE, Jeni Gamble, to the Georgetown Patch. She furthers explains that this event might benefit between 50 and 200 victims, depending on the turnout they get.

Tickets for the event are available at DistrictSampleSale.com.

Robert Devaney •

Well, my little cupcakes, make some room. Pie Sisters – a.k.a. O’B.Sweet – will open its much-anticipated first store at 3423 M St. in early November.

Bakers and businesswomen Alli, Cat and Erin Blakely, who hail from Great Falls, Va., and are parishioners of St. John’s Church on O Street, are known for their pies for weddings and social and charitable events. They and their baking talents, a lifelong family affair, have been pitched as a “reality” show on a cable network. The sisters said they chose the site because of its closeness to Georgetown University and its visibility – you can’t miss it turning off Key Bridge from Virginia – and that “the location is not too small and not too big.”

“Their product is irresistible,” said Richard Levy, the new shop’s landlord and managing principal of the Levy Group, a real estate investment and property management company, which runs Regency Row on M Street at Key Bridge. “These three very energetic sisters convinced me. They have a lot of business savvy.”

Construction of the pie shop is underway, and it is expected to open before Thanksgiving, according to Levy. Another new business, a small eatery, is planned for next door.

As for that cable show, Erin Blakely said, “We put that on hold. It’s still possible. We want to get the store open.”

The sisters sell pies in three sizes, the hand-held “cuppie,” seven-inch and nine-inch, and flavors include apple caramel crunch, pecan, key lime and banana, coconut or chocolate cream. They will also be offering gluten-free pies for the first time. The big pie can cost up to $35, but return the glass plate for $5 off next purchase – which appears inevitable. Georgetown surely has a sweet tooth.

“The manager at Revolution Cycles is psyched,” Levy said. “She loves pies.”

Visit PieSisters.com for more information.

Georgetowner • September 26, 2011

Every Sept. 22 on World Car-Free Day, the world is supposed to be a little bit cleaner. “We don’t have to accept our car-dominated society,” according to WorldCarFree.net, the organizers behind this annual event.

The local organizer, Car Free Day Metro D.C., gives you tips on how to be car free or car-light in the Washington Metropolitan Area, listing several optional recourses like Washington Area Bicyclist Association and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority on their website CarFreeMetroDC.com.

Organizers in the Washington area say that more than 9,000 people have pledged to participate in World Car-Free Day on Thursday, according to Associated Press, published in The Washington Post. On CarFreeMetroDC.com, everyone, including those who never use a car, can pledge to be car free by submitting a form. By pledging, you get a chance to win prizes like an Apple iPad. Pledging deadline is 5 p.m.

This annual event, which started in 2000, builds on the tradition of ad hoc car free days organized around the world since the 1970s. The World Carfree Network is now a global organization, encouraging and helping local organizations organize car free activities.

Robert Devaney •

It’s never a good thing, especially in our post-9/11 world, to be accused of threatening to “kill all Americans” and “bomb Georgetown.” So continues the weird tale of the alleged killer of Viola Drath, who lived on Q Street.

Albrecht Gero Muth, 47, charged with the second-degree murder of his 91-year-old wife Viola Drath, was ordered to remain in prison by D.C. Superior Court Judge Gerald Fisher during a Sept. 9 hearing. Muth’s next hearing is set for Nov. 18.

There was “ample circumstantial evidence” which connected Muth to Drath’s Aug. 11 death, reported The Washington Post, which also cited the judge’s observation that Muth held “prior animosity toward his wife of 22 years and would benefit financially from her death.” The judge also concluded the the murder suspect was dangerous and likely a flight risk. Muth was arrested Aug. 16 by Metropolitan Police.

Muth protested during the hearing, claiming that he was a officer in the Iraqi Army and that his imprisonment was a violation of the Geneva Convention. The Embassy of Iraq has stated that Muth is in no way associated with any governmental agencies of Iraq.

Then, a new twist was revealed, as reported in the Washington Post: “The new allegations against Muth came from James Wilson, one of the lead homicide detectives investigating the case. Wilson said that Drath spoke with a lawyer about having Muth removed from her will about nine months before her death. She also solicited help from various people to have Muth deported because he repeatedly threatened and abused her and had threatened to ‘kill all Americans,’ Wilson said. In April, Wilson said, Drath told a witness that her husband had planned to ‘bomb Georgetown.'”

During the hearing, Muth’s defense lawyer Dana Page argued that there was no hard evidence against her client. The motives of witnesses were questioned as well as those of neighbors who had heard of domestic abuse and did not call police.

Georgetowner •

Toni Morrison at Hay-Adams Author Series

September 23rd, 2011 at 12:00 PM

$85 includes 3-course lunch, wine, tax and gratuity

rsvp@hayadams.com | Tel: 202-220-4844 | Event Website

Join the Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning author for a three-course lunch, talk, and book signing in celebration of her receipt of the Library of Congress’ 2011 National Book Festival Award for Creative Achievement.

The event will co-hosted by Hay-Adams President Kay Enokido and Marie Arana, Writer at Large for The Washington Post and a member of the Scholars’ Council at the Library of Congress.

Morrison’s books BELOVED and A MERCY will be available for purchase.

Address

The Hay-Adams

Sixteenth & H Streets, NW

Washington, DC

New Student Showcase: Almost Me and Outta Here

September 23rd, 2011 at 08:00 PM | $10 regular admission, $5 AU community and seniors |

auarts@american.edu | Tel: 202-885-2787 | Event Website

American University’s Department of Performing Arts showcases the talents of new students.

Follow the lives of incoming freshman students as the face the trials and tribulations of their first year in a higher education institution. Experience the “drama” that happens on and off stage as a group of freshman theatre and music theatre majors not only get acclimated to their new surroundings but prepare for the season’s big musical.

Book by Caleen Sinnette Jennings and Javier Rivera

Featuring music by Rob Rokicki

Lyrics by Rob Rokicki and Michael Ruby

Cara Gabriel and Carl Menninger, co-directors

Kristen Lee Rosenfeld, music director

Address

Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theatre

4200 Wisconsin Ave. NW

18th Annual Fall Pumpkin Harvest Festival

September 24th, 2011 at 11:00 AM | lisa@tuckerpr.com | Tel: (214) 252-0900 | Event Website

This month-long festival begins Saturday, September 24 and will be open until Monday, October 31. After you pick your pumpkin off the vine, cheer on the swine at the Oinkintucky Derby Pig Races. Check out P-Rex – the pumpkin crunching dinosaur – and take in the panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains as you zip down the 60-foot Saddlehorn slide. Other family-friendly activities include a farm animal barnyard, shopping at the ‘Roosteraunté’, hay mazes, and new giant rope swings. For times and more information visit www.greatcountryfarms.com.

Address

Great Country Farms

18780 Foggy Bottom Road

Bluemont, VA 20135

Andy Warhol: Shadows

September 25th, 2011 at 12:00 PM | Event Website

This fall, the Hirshhorn will present Shadows (1978–79), the monumental painting installation by Andy Warhol (American, b. Pittsburgh, 1928; d. New York, 1987), marking the first time all 102 canvases have been shown at once. Installed edge-to-edge as the artist intended, Shadows will extend nearly 450 linear feet around the outer perimeter of the museum’s curved second-level galleries, offering the public a unique opportunity to view the work in its entirety. Associate curator Evelyn Hankins is coordinating the Hirshhorn’s presentation of Andy Warhol: Shadows, which is organized by Dia Art Foundation. The foundation acquired the work in 1979. Through Jan. 15, 2012.

Address

Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden

Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

Show Up and Count for the Georgetown Ministry Center

September 25th, 2011 at 12:00 PM | $20 to $30 | info@gmcgt.org | Tel: (202) 338-8301 | Event Website

SHOW UP AND COUNT on Sunday, September 25, 2011 at Grace Church from 12:00-3:30 p.m. for Georgetown Ministries Community Mini-walk in conjunction with Fannie Mae’s Help the Homeless. Georgetown Ministries hopes to reach a goal of 350 participants so Fannie Mae will donate more money to help the homeless of Georgetown. To register for this event, go to www.helpthehomelessdc.org or call (202) 338-8301. To learn more about the Help the Homeless Program, please visit www.helpthehomelessdc.org.

Address

1041 Wisconsin Avenue

NW Washington, DC 20007

Ironman triathlete Brendan Brazier Speaks

September 26th, 2011 at 07:30 PM | rachel@trentandcompany.com | Tel: 212-966-0124

Join Ironman triathlete Brendan Brazier, author author of diet and fitness books Thrive, Thrive Fitness and Thrive Foods, for a discussion about his unique approach to nutrition and exercise, including a lecture on Vega, his own line of plant-based foods.

Address

Georgetown University Law Center, Hart Auditorium