National Christmas Tree Lighting with President Obama and the First Family in Photos
• December 12, 2013

President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters officially lit the National Christmas Tree on Friday, Dec. 6, at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the Ellipse in Washington D.C., just south of the White House in President’s Park. There were performances by Train, Aretha Franklin, Forte, Janelle Monae, Joshua Bell, Prince Royce, Renee Fleming, the Avett Bros., Arturo Sandoval and Mariah Carey. “Glee” star Jane Lynch emceed the event. Thousands attended despite cold, rainy conditions. This year’s ceremony marked the 91st annual National Christmas Tree Lighting, an American holiday tradition started by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923. It was the fifth time that the event has been hosted by the Obama family, since its first year at the White House for Christmas in 2009.

View our photos of the National Tree Lighting Ceremony by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="101570,148526,148522,148518,148514,148509,148504,148500,148534,148477,148495,148489,148471,148467,148462,148455,148483,148531" nav="thumbs"]

Remembering Pearl Harbor at the U.S. Navy Memorial (photos)
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This past Saturday marked the 72nd anniversary of the surprise attack against U.S. Navy installations at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by the armed forces of Imperial Japan. War was declared the next day. More than 2,400 Americans were killed and more than 1,200 wounded on Dec. 7, 1941.

On the anniversary of that “Day of Infamy,” ceremonies were held across the United States to honor those who perished. Here in Washington, a Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day was held at the U.S. Navy Memorial. Among the participants at the solemn ceremony were two Pearl Harbor survivors, Marine Major Albert Grasselli, who was stationed at Ewa Beach Marine Airfield; and Navy veteran STC (SS) Howard Snell who was stationed at the submarine base. Both men were also present at the Battle of Midway which later marked the turning point in the war in the Pacific. Ms. “Lou” Large, the National President of the Sons & Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors delivered the keynote address. Ms. Large and Rear Adm. Mark Rich, Commandant of Naval District Washington, laid a commemorative wreath at the Lone Sailor Stature. The famous Stanley Bleifeld 1987 bronze sculpture is a tribute to all personnel of the sea services.

The United States Navy Memorial is located at 701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, in Washington D.C. near the Archives/Navy Memorial Metro stop. The Navy Memorial welcomes visitors between 9:30am-5pm everyday except Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year’s.

View our photos of the ceremony at the Navy Memorial by clicking on the photo icons below.
[gallery ids="101571,148387,148401,148407,148412,148415,148421,148427,148433,148439,148444,148382,148378,148397,148373,148345,148351,148339,148355,148359,148364,148367,148450,148392,148452" nav="thumbs"]

District Council Votes for Big Minimum-Wage Raise
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The D.C. Council unanimously passed a bill to hike the city’s minimum wage. On Dec. 3, the 13-member council voted to increase it to $11.50 an hour by 2016; this would be one of the highest minimum wages in the country and much greater than the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

The bill, called the Minimum Wage Amendment Act of 2013, would work gradually, raising the wage to $9.50 on July 1, 2014, to $10.15 on July 1, 2015, and to $11.50 on July 1, 2016.

Lawmakers recently approved similar minimum wage boosts in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland. These counties aim to raise minimum wage in increments, ending in 2017.

One more vote is required before the D.C. bill falls into Mayor Vincent Gray’s hands. Gray has voiced his opposition, desiring a smaller increase to $10 an hour.
“The bill, in its current form, will harm District’s regional competitiveness,” Gray wrote in a letter to the council.

Gray already voted against particular minimum wages increases earlier this year. In September, he vetoed the Large Retailer Accountability Act -– or “Walmart Bill” –that would have forced large retailers to pay employees a minimum of $12.50 an hour. The Walmart Bill, according to Gray, was “not a true living-wage measure.”

With unanimous support within the council, however, the Minimum Wage Amendment Act of 2013 could move forward without Gray’s approval. The council only needs nine votes to override a veto from Gray.

In a related measure, the D.C. Council also voted unanimously to require tipped workers five days of forgiven sick time. Council members believe this will provide more job security for these workers, and will keep sick employees away from the restaurant environment.

Nelson Mandela: the Miracle of South Africa
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On Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, a 95-year-old man who had spent 27 years of his life in prison, and who had been frail and ill for some time, died surrounded by family, his wife, children and grandchildren.

Far away in London, dignitaries, including Prince William and his wife Catherine, attended the premiere of a film about the life of that old man, two of whose daughters were also on the movie screening. Outside the old man’s home, people commenced to dance in celebration of his life, while weeping for the loss suffered by his country, which remains both triumphant and still troubled.

Tomorrow, thousands will pour into a 90,000-capacity stadium in Johannesburg for a memorial service, in the very same place the old man made his last real public appearance, officiating over the World Cup Soccer competition. There will be days of mourning leading up to the state funeral on Sunday.

The old man was Nelson Mandela, and he changed the world, as the world changed him. His death and the response to his death contain Homeric drama, the stuff of homespun legends and homilies, assessing the superior strengths of great men and the self-acknowledged weaknesses of these same men. Through Mandela’s life and life experience, the world got to witness the birth of a new country sprung out of the defeat of old oppression and injustice and the death of an evil system of racial separation, bringing something unique to a continent often seen through the prism of cliché.

If you look at the man through film, image, pictures, it is as if there were at least two persons in the heart and soul of Nelson Mandela—one of them a fierce, charismatic young scion of a tribal leader, filled to the brim with energetic passion, handsome and powerful, even intimidating, the other, after 27 years in prison, transformed into his people’s but also his nation’s political leader. This was the tall, white-haired sage, the composed world leader, stifling his anger and resentment, turning to the leader of the people who had oppressed the majority black South Africans with the stifling, separatist system of Apartheid to dismantle that very system.

During his life, Mandela had been branded as terrorist by many countries, including the United States, where he occupied a place on the terrorist watch list. He had concluded in the early fight against Apartheid that his African National Congress would abandon peaceful resistance and instead embark on a campaign of violence against the white South African government. He was arrested and tried for treason and sentenced to life imprisonment. In that forge of silence, during which one of his sons died, Mandela had been separated from the world even as his stature in it grew with every act of violence and suppression by the government. From his cell, he must have heard the rising clamor, the condemnation of the South African government by other nations, the sanctions, the rising cry for freedom and an end to apartheid.

One South African president had offered him freedom in exchange for promising to give up violent resistance. He refused. So, it came to be that a new president, F.W. De Klerk ended Mandela’s life in prison on Feb. 11, 1990, after De Klerk had legalized the ANC. Mandela entered freedom at a precarious moment, when his very presence could have incited a civil war. He chose instead to embark on cooperation, negotiation and forgiveness as a way of saving his country, a stance that was both humanistic and pragmatic but, above all, a heroic act of moral imagination made real.

Together, Mandela and De Klerk received the Nobel Peace Prize, for it was peace—as opposed to violence and civil war—that they had achieved. Shortly thereafter, Mandela was elected president of his country.

He had transformed himself with his tightly cropped white hair, into a kind of sage bristling with moral authority. He visited Washington a number of times, spoke at Howard University, and traveled the world thereafter preaching a kind of pragmatic idealism, and forgiveness, leading by example. He wore the South African colors of the country’s mostly white rugby team at the cup finals. Members of the old ruling government were part of his cabinet.

He inspired other world leaders, including President Barack Obama, who will be attending the memorial service with the first lady, and former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. A large number of world leaders will be on hand—but not the Prime Minister of President of Israel or the Dalai Lama. Bono, the rock star who lent his fame and beliefs to the anti-Apartheid movement, will be there as will the Spice Girls. The irony of Mandela’s political life were such that he may be the only political leader ever to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Order of Lenin. In his long life, he married three times, suffered the loss of children and took up the banner of fighting AIDS after losing another son to the disease

Although there can be no question that he must have harbored bitterness of the bleak, tortured years of imprisonment, he never showed it in public. He reached out in ways that the younger man would not have. He had charm and a sternness that could be intimidating. In the media, anchors and reporters reminisced about first meeting him and pondered the meaning of his life.

Here in Washington, the South African Embassy at 3051 Massachusetts Ave. NW, is holding prayer vigils through Tuesday at the statue of Mandela in front of the building. There is also a book of condolences the public may sign at the embassy. There is another condolence book, set up by the District of Columbia, at the Wilson Building at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, through Tuesday; it will be sent to the people of South Africa.

At Howard University, there will be a Mandela march and program, 6:30 p.m., Dec. 10, at the Cramton Auditorium 2455 Sixth St., NW.

There will be a service celebrating Mandela’s life at the National Cathedral at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Vice President Joe Biden will speak at the service.

On Thursday, Dec. 5, an old man died at the age of 95 after a long illness. He was Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, known as Madiba. People weep, people sing and dance in affirmation still.

Weekend Round Up December 5, 2013
• December 9, 2013

Holiday Wreath Workshop

December 6th, 2013 at 10:00 AM | $38-$48 | info@tudorplace.org | Tel: (202) 965-0400 | Event Website

Create your own holiday wreath from a variety of plant materials direct from the Tudor Place garden! Cedar boughs, magnolia leaves, berry-laden holly, pinecones, and boxwood offer opportunities for distinctive wreaths. All wreaths are medium-sized and all materials are provided.

Address

1644 31st Street, NW

Christmas in Middleburg 2013

December 7th, 2013 at 08:30 AM | Free | Organizer@ChristmasinMiddleburg.org | Tel: 540-687-8888 | Event Website](www.christmasinmiddleburg.org)

Come and get into the joyful spirit of the holidays in Virginia’s beautiful horse country as the Town of Middleburg celebrates Christmas on Saturday, December 7.

Address

Washington St.(Rt. 50); Middleburg, VA 20118

The Nutcracker – The Washington Ballet

December 7th, 2013 at 02:00 PM | 40 – 175 | info@washingtonballet.org | Tel: 202.362.3606 x605 | [Event Website](http://www.washingtonballet.org/

A holiday must-see! Septime Webre’s The Nutcracker transports you back in time to historic Washington with George Washington as the heroic Nutcracker. Glorious music, swirling snowflakes, magnificent sets and costumes have made this Nutcracker a DC tradition with raves from critics and sold-out crowds.

Address

The Warner Theatre; 513 13th St

A Service of Lessons & Carols for Advent

December 8th, 2013 at 05:00 PM | FREE | music.redeemer@verizon.net | Tel: 3012293770 | [Event Website](http://www.redeemerbethesda.org/music/documents/MARBrochure2013-14-Interior.pdf)

Modeled after the famed service held each year at King’s College, Cambridge, this festive liturgy, sung by the Redeemer’s Adult and Youth Choirs (Dr. Benjamin Hutchens, guest conductor), includes works by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Stanford Scriven, Richard Shephard, and Charles Wood. Reception to follow.

Address

6201 Dunrobbin Drive; Bethesda, MD 20816

Handel’s Messiah

December 8th, 2013 at 05:00 PM | Free | communications@nationalpres.org | Tel: 202-537-7553 | [Event Website](http://www.nationalpres.org/messiah)

The National Presbyterian Church Festival Choir & Orchestra present “Rejoice Greatly: Our Coming Savior in Handel’s Messiah.” No tickets required. A freewill offering will be received. A reception with light refreshments follows the performance. Ample free parking available; the campus is also easily accessible by public transportation via the Metro Red Line.
http://www.nationalpres.org/messiah

Address

The National Presbyterian Church; 4101 Nebraska Ave. NW

Holiday Teas at Tudor Place

December 10th, 2013 at 01:00 PM | $25-$30 | info@tudorplace.org | Tel: (202) 965-0400 | Event Website](http://www.tudorplace.org/calendar.html)

Enjoy a traditional Victorian tea complete with tea sandwiches, scones, delicious desserts and historic tea blends in a beautiful 1870s Georgetown house. After the tea join docents for guided tour through the 1816 National Historic Landmark mansion.

Address

1670 31st NW

It’s the Holdays: Simple Joys at Home and the City
• December 6, 2013

We used to think of the “The Holidays” as encompassing perhaps what we could call the advent period, those days leading up to the celebration of Christmas and running into New Years and the extension of the college football season and bowl games.
These days, in this town, in our town, it seemed to me that holidays have become cyclical—the media outburst—we contributed to it—on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK seemed to fold itself into the holidays, if not the holiday spirit, because of its commemorative and ceremonial aspects.

You started thinking in those days about the coming holidays, about birthdays, about time and reunions and remembering, which is as much a part of “The Holidays” as turkeys, family get togethers, punch and finding a gift-wrapped car in your driveway, snow on the ground, sleighs and thousands of frequent flyers in the air, and the faint odor of ongoing local, state, country and world affairs bearing both hope and the scent and sense of unreality.

Maybe it was my birthday falls in December, maybe it was the nuttiness about the—excuse the expression—breakout of the affordable care act, but I wasn’t so interested in the news. Instead, I found myself touched every now and then by a simple and heartfelt fact—I have been a part of Georgetown through the Georgetowner for longer than I care to admit, as well as admitting that I care. This was brought home to me when I attended a CAG meeting at the City Tavern as old as Gerogetown itself, where Steve Kurtzman and the graceful Barbara Downs told tales of of Georgetown and of being former CAG presidents, along with Chris Murray, who gave the village an electric, edgy touch with his Govinda Gallery and rock and roll connections, as well as Pie Friendly, sharp-minded and full of memory.

I was reminded again being at the Georgetown Seniors Center for Thanksgiving lunch as festive as any I can recall, an occasion full of songs.

On Thanksgiving, we watched the Macy’s Parade, and the National Dog Show, but not football. We celebrated the day with friends, and we went to the Downtown Christmas Market. I used my Barnes and Nobles Gift Card to buy Doris Kearns’ latest gift to the history of America, a tome on Teddy Roosevelt, Taft and the crusading muckrakers of the turn of the century.
Things happened: Former Treasury secretary Tim Geitner was seen giving a dollar to a homeless man in Georgetown, according to the Washington Post. Someone robbed the buckets from a Salvation Army office. Pope Francis told the world that he was not happy with the gap between wealthy and poor, with rampant consumerism, sounding more and more like he was preaching parts of the Sermon on the Mount.

We went to see “The King and I” in Olney. I saw a grown old man cry at the end of this terrific production which overcame the memory of Yul Brynner and stands up in its own right.

And so it goes. Or, as the King of Siam would say, right on both counts, “It is a puzzlement,” and et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. The holidays remain still bright and beckoning.

Last Chance to View Santa Claus Overlooking the Potomac?
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Georgetown’s best-known Santa Claus is back on the rooftop of Jack Davies’s Prospect Street house, which overlooks the Potomac River, and welcoming all with a big “Merry Christmas” wave. It may your last chance to see him.

For several years, Davies has been putting up his 20-feet-tall, inflated Santa Claus on the back of his house with its grand vista of the Potomac River. Those entering D.C. from Virginia on Key Bridge easily see it, especially when it is illuminated at night. Davies — a philanthropist and businessman who is part owner of the Washington Capitals, Wizards and Mystics as well as founder of AOL International — said he is happy to bring a little yuletide cheer to people.

The rooftop of Davies’s house has something new this year: a for-sale sign on the railing. Yes, the house has been on the market since spring, and there is a good chance this will be the last time to view this not-so-secret Santa. (Perhaps it will convey to the new owner, if he wants to continue this new Georgetown Christmas tradition.)

And what about that Santa inflatable up on the deck? “The best $700 I ever spent,” Davies told the Georgetowner in 2011. As for that house at 3618 Prospect St., NW, check with Washington Fine Properties.

It’s Official: Mayor Gray Seeks Re-election
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Mayor Vincent Gray made it official Dec. 2: He will seek re-election as Mayor of the District of Columbia. Gray signed forms at the Board of Elections and picked up papers to be signed by at least 2,000 registered voters for the April 1 Democratic Party primary.

In a Dec. 2 letter to supporters, Gray wrote: “We are better off today than we were just three years ago. . . . I am running for re-election to build on the progress and achievements of our first term. We are accomplishing what we set out to do. Step by step, we are moving our city forward. We have built strong foundations. But our work is not done.

?“We will formally launch ‘Gray 2014’ next year. This is not the season when people want to hear from politicians. Now is the time for family, friends and celebration.?”

ANC Questions G’town Theater; Names Ellen Steury Commissioner; Sets Dec. 19 Meeting
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The Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission met Nov. 2 at Visitation Prep and focused on Wisconsin Avenue traffic, Metrorail in Georgetown, new designs for the former Georgetown Theater, the Georgetown Business Improvement District’s “Georgetown 2028” and the first annual report for the 2010-2017 Georgetown University Campus Plan.

During the meeting, Ellen Steury was named the commissioner for single-member District 7 – on the east side, north of P and Q Streets, NW—including Evermay, Oak Hill Cemetery and Dumbarton Oaks—to Whitehaven Street. There was no election, as no other citizen applied for the position.

The Georgetown ANC is in agreement with the Glover Park ANC that the District Department of Transportation return Wisconsin Avenue traffic (just north of Georgetown) to six lanes. Sidewalks have been widened only in a few spots.

The ANC also supported bringing subway stations to town. It has passed such a resolution before. All major community groups want Metro. No one in the room expressed opposition.

Owner and architect Robert Bell’s plan for the former Georgetown Theater property (1351 Wisconsin Ave., NW) got another look. The ANC again voiced its concerns – “unprecedented large footprint” – about rear-addition designs that have gotten neighbors’ complaints. This week, Bell will be before the Old Georgetown Board, which also questioned his designs for the rear of the property, which is in the center of the block. The ANC also worried about the “loss of privacy” with the rear addition. Bell replied that the designs offered an upgrade to “a derelict situation.”

Georgetown BID CEO Joe Sternlieb presented a lightning-round version of the BID’s ambitious “Georgetown 2028” concepts. He said the BID “wanted a stronger commercial district without negatively impacting the residential district.” Sternlieb listed transportation, physical improvements and the economy as the top categories. He also wants to see Metrorail in Georgetown within 15 years by 2028. Also mentioned was the idea of a gondola or cable car from the Rosslyn Metro over the Potomac River to a station within (perhaps) the Car Barn – and also easier access to Roosevelt Island, whether or not a pedestrian bridge is built over the river from Georgetown. A final report from the BID task force on “2028” will be made public Dec. 12.

As for the university’s campus plan and community partnership, ANC Chair Ron Lewis complimented all involved, saying, “The partnership has worked as a true partnership.” It helped to have a detailed road map, he added. Georgetown University’s Lauralyn Lee noted that 450 beds had been added to on-campus housing, with a new dormitory planned as well as the renovation of space within the Quadrangle. (The Zoning Board has not yet approved these projects.) Also important to note, Lee said, was the Office of Neighborhood Life – for students as well as lifelong residents of Georgetown – at 36th and N Streets. She invited residents to call 202-687-5138 or email NeighborhoodLife@Georgetown.edu anytime (Cory Peterson is the director). The annual report will available on the university’s website in about a week.

The next ANC meeting will be on Dec. 19 – and count as its January meeting. Why meet then? Because the Old Georgetown Board plans to meet Jan. 2, leaving the ANC few dates before Christmas or after New Year’s Day. It usually meets a few days before the OGB monthly meeting.

Jack Evans Report: Be Thankful Every Day
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I always enjoy the holiday season. Last week, I attended a number of Thanksgiving gatherings both in the Wilson Building and around the city. I think this is a good time to focus on gratitude for what we have and to engage in service to those in need.
For example, one event I really enjoy is the Feast of Sharing at the Convention Center. This event is a great way to help someone in need during the holidays. I joined fellow community members and the Salvation Army in preparing and serving a festive Thanksgiving meal to over 4,000 D.C. residents. There are typically two separate prep shifts that volunteers can sign up for, morning and afternoon, so you may want to consider adding this event to your calendar in future years. Volunteers help our local chefs prepare the meal and assist in setting up the event venue.

My office participated in the Council’s nonperishable food drive and we were excited to collect the most canned goods of any office in the building. (Well, technically speaking, Phil Mendelson’s office is claiming victory. But since his staff includes the Committee of the Whole and has about 30 people versus my eight, I think we can claim our share.) On a more serious note, it is always a satisfying feeling to give to families in need. This is another thing I always look forward to doing every year.
Let me end on this note: While Thanksgiving is but one day of the year, I have to say I am truly thankful every day. Thankful for my family and friends. Thankful for my colleagues and staff. Thankful to have the opportunity to make a difference every day in what I do.

So, don’t let the holiday season go by without a little reflection—and hopefully a nice meal with family and friends, too!