News & Politics

Robert Devaney • February 14, 2013

Georgetown architect Marilyn Stern, who has patents on such things as balancing place cards and a pleat-pin drapery system, has branched out to personalized prescriptions as party favors. The product developer’s new small business division is called Scrip Tease Rx, and each container can have a label made personally for each individual at an event.

At a birthday party last summer, the creative Stern first decided to give each party-goer an individualized prescription label that played on their personalities. She wanted to keep things light and casual and make parties funnier, she said.

Now, the humorous labels just keep coming and include “Boost-a-cillin,” improved outlook, “Multitask-eral,” help for multitasks, and “Sinbalta,” cure for bad behavior. What’s inside the small containers? Something better than hard drugs: simple M&Ms or other candies.

Stern finds her small business at a crossroads: how to grow it faster to meet demand? For increased funding, she has turned to Kickstarter. com, where she wrote: “We can help you and your friends with your issues and make all your events fun and memorable. So, we’re hoping that you help us with our one small issue. In order to produce the Scrip Tease Rx labels in an efficient and reasonable way, we are in need of a real pharmaceutical label printer.” Stern’s deadline for funding is Feb. 24. Check www. Kickstarter.com — “Funny, personalized, fake prescriptions for modern life” — and also visit Stern’s own site, www.Sternscape.com. [gallery ids="101162,141668" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

Beasley Real Estate founder Jim Bell celebrated the firm’s first anniversary with a gathering to benefit Georgetown Ministry Center at one of Beasley’s best listings: a first-floor residence at the Residences at the Ritz-Carlton on South Street. The $4.65-million property is at a top-drawer location near all of Georgetown’s action and overlooks the Potomac River, Whitehurst Freeway and Washington Harbour.

Robert Devaney •

A student-run pub at Georgetown University’s New South Student Center was agreed upon by the university’s student affairs vice president Todd Olson and its student government Feb. 7.

According to the news blog, Vox Populi, “the new campus bar will serve beer, wine, and liquor on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and will include 18+ nights or a system of wristbands for underage students, according to the agreement. The vendor will also be required to hire Georgetown students for part-time positions in addition to creating a committee to guide the business.”

Confident of student involvement on many levels, such as menus, beverage selection, advertising, programming and scheduling, student association president Clara Gustafson told the blog, “We are confident [the location] will be a new hub of student life for underclassmen and upperclassmen alike, [and] will draw more students to the space.”

The new student center at New South will cost $15.5 million. The pub is part of the university’s campus plan, agreed upon by Georgetown residents, to keep more student activity on the main campus. It also recalls the beloved Healy Hall pub, began in the 1970s as a coffeehouse, that became a campus hang-out that served beer and sandwiches.

Gwendolyn Shearman • February 11, 2013

The current plan is vague and far in the future, but residents could see a Metro Rail station in Georgetown by 2040.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority released its latest strategic plan, “Momentum,” which describes a $740-million-per-year investment for the projected growth, including possible plans to separate and extend Metro lines. In addition, the report states that $1 billion per year is “necessary to continue to maintain safety and reliability of the system” as well as $500 million more to “maximize the capacity of the system’s core and prepare it for the transit projects that are coming on line in the region.”

The priority is to focus on the immediate needs of the transit system, but Metro is also looking into the future to prepare for the anticipated 30-percent increase in the area’s population in the coming years. Metro Rail is the second-busiest rapit transit system in the U.S. after New York City, according to the American Public Transportation Association.

The proposed plan is to separate the Orange and Blue lines, allowing more commuters into the city and alleviating strain on the Metro in Rosslyn. Doing so would connect Rosslyn to Georgetown by way of a tunnel underneath the Potomac River.

Once work on the Silver line — Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, connecting Loudoun, Dulles Airport and Tysons Corner to downtown Washington — is completed, the expected increase in traffic to Rosslyn is the reason for the suggested M Street stop. While the plan specifically mentions the tunnel, it doesn’t necessarily include a station in Georgetown.

Bob Starrels, an advisory neighborhood commissioner for the south of Georgetown where a subway station might be located, cautioned about expecting a Metro stop in the District’s oldest neighborhood. “If there were a possibility of a station it’d be orientated more towards Virginia Avenue or U Street most likely,” Starrels said. “Never say never, but the chances are slim.”

The idea of a Metro stop in Georgetown has long grabbed the attention of the public. In fact, it is the lack of such a stop that has created an urban myth: At the very inception of Metro Rail, Georgetowners actively campaigned in the 1960s against a Metro station because it would bring in more of the city’s black population into the historic village. This is untrue. While there were a few residents who did voice opposition at that time to any additional visitors, especially blacks, most Georgetown businesses simply did not actively lobby the Metro board — which determined where subway stations would be built. Not filled with office workers like downtown D.C., Georgetown did not have the daytime business traffic to warrant a stop.

To read Metro’s “Momentum” plan, click here.

Robert Devaney •

What do you mean “Death is imminent”? That’s the voicemail for a reporter from a caller who sounded like Albrecht Muth, according to the Washington Post. Here’s the Post account on Feb. 1: ” . . . Muth, the eccentric German charged in the 2011 beating death of his elderly Georgetown wife, has been hospitalized as a result of a hunger strike, sources familiar with the case said Friday. Speaking on condition of anonymity because Muth’s case is pending in D.C. Superior Court, the sources said Muth was removed from the D.C. jail and has been in critical condition at a local hospital as a result of his hunger fast. It is unknown whether his trial, scheduled to begin March 25, will proceed. Muth, 48, is charged with first-degree murder in the August 2011 death of his wife of 22 years, Viola Herms Drath, then 91. Authorities said Muth beat and strangled his wife in their Georgetown home.” Drath’s birthday is Friday, Feb. 8; her Facebook page is still active.

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The D.C. Court of Appeals overturned the 2010 conviction of “an Arlington man accused of breaking into homes and sexually assaulting male Georgetown University students as they slept,” according to the Washington Examiner. The court ruled Jan. 31 that Todd Matthew Thomas “can get a new trial because prosecutors were allowed to tell jurors that he was previously convicted of sexually assaulting another man in Virginia.”
Thomas had been sentenced to 26 years in prison for burglary and assaults on five male Georgetown students between 2007 and 2008. The assaults occurred on 33rd and 35th Streets near the university’s main campus. During the trial, Thomas claimed another “Georgetown Cuddler” had committed the crimes, because there were similar attacke on female students — and he had been wearing an electronically monitored ankle bracelet at that time.

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Despite Feb. 1 reports in the Washingtonian and DCist blog, Georgetown Cupcake was happy to report that it has no outstanding tax bill to the District of Columbia. The hugely popular corner bakery at 33rd and M Streets had everyone wondering how such a bill of about $189,000 would convert into cupcakes. The problem was first reported by the Washington Business Journal. “Georgetown Cupcake has paid its taxes to the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue in full, and the Office of Tax and Revenue has acknowledged receipt of payment,” said Katherine Kallinis, co-owner with her sister Sophie LaMontagne. Kallinis also wrote to the Washingtonian: “The misunderstanding regarding the lien has been resolved, the lien is in the process of being terminated, and we expect confirmation of the termination later today.”

Georgetowner •

CAG: 4th Annual Georgetown Art Show

February 7th, 2013 at 06:00 PM | Tel: 202-368-5878 | Event Website

CAG (Citizens Association of Georgetown) invites all to celebrate and view the talent and creativity of Georgetown resident artists at CAG’s 4th Annual Georgetown Art Show. Free to the public, the show will launch with an opening reception on Thursday, February 7th from 6 to 9 p.m. and will be open from Friday, February 8th thru Sunday, February 10th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the House of Sweden (2900 K Street, NW). CAG’s unique show will feature artwork by local Georgetown residents and artists who have studios in Georgetown. Media will include oil and watercolor paintings, prints, sculpture and photography. Most works will be for sale, with a few on loan from private collections. Click here for more about the show.

Address

House of Sweden; 2900 K Street NW

Free Design & Remodeling Seminar: How to Fall in Love with your Home Again

February 9th, 2013 at 10:00 AM | FREE | dana@hopkinsandporter.com | Tel: 301-840-9121, #27 | Event Website

Hopkins & Porter will be offering “How to Fall in Love with your Home Again”, free design and remodeling seminar on Saturday, February 9,10 AM – 2 PM. Over lunch you will have the time to talk one-on-one with our professional designers.Some of the subjects will be:

Ways to Open Up Your Floor Plan to Fit Today’s Lifestyle

Your Checklist for a Successful Remodeling Project

How to Let the Light In

Kitchens & Baths: The Important Details

Additions – Affordable Solutions with Style

Address

Hopkins & Porter, 12944-C Travilah Rd., #204, Potomac, MD 20854

Mardi Gras Masquerade

February 9th, 2013 at 09:00 PM | $60 | Event Website

Hosted by Art Soiree Productions and Alliance Francaise DC. Dress up with playful masks to celebrate the French tradition. Performance by Blues Style Brass Band. Black Tie Optional.

Address

The Washington Club; 15 Dupont NW

Noche de Pasión 2013

February 9th, 2013 at 07:30 PM | $275 | ebunting@washingtonballet.org | Tel: (202) 274-4515 | Event Website

The Washington Ballet’s third annual Noche de Pasión (Night of Passion) will celebrate the creation of The Washington Ballet’s Latino Scholarship Fund at a glamorous Carnaval-themed party at the Brazilian Ambassador’s residence. The event will feature a VIP reception with Ambassador Vieira, a specially choreographed performance by The Washington Ballet, fabulous music and silent auction.

Address

The Residence of the Ambassador of Brazil

Reconciling Church Service

February 10th, 2013 at 11:00 AM | free | dumbartonpastor@yahoo.com | Tel: 202-333-7212 | Event Website

Dumbarton United Methodist Church will celebrate its 26th anniversary of being intentionally welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual persons and their families with our Reconciling Sunday Celebration on Sunday, February 10. “The World Is About To Turn” is the theme of the service, based on recent progress of these and transgendered people for equality. Rev. Vicky Starnes will be our guest preacher. After worship, we will have a festive pancake breakfast and Mardi Gras party.

Address

3133 Dumbarton St. NW

An Affair of the Heart

February 11th, 2013 at 11:00 AM | 125 | Kirsten.Baier@heart.org | Tel: 703-248-1787 | Event Website

The 65th Annual Luncheon and Fashion Show is one of the oldest annual fund-raising events of any nationally recognized non-profit group with proceeds earmarked to reduce death and disability from heart disease. The fashion show will feature MaxMara presented by Bloomingdale’s. .

Address

The Marriott Wardman Park Hotel; 2660 Woodley Road NW

Gary Tischler •

Listening to Mayor Vincent Gray give his 2013 State of the District Address Feb. 5 at the Sixth and I Street Synagogue, you wouldn’t guess that the mayor had had a day of trouble since he took office two years ago after defeating incumbent Adrian Fenty.

Gray’s speech—buoyed by news of a major surplus, and more immediately by the Revered Dr. Lewis Anthony’s rousing invocation—seemed more like a celebration, a kind of rolling up the numbers and pluses and big plans for the future, most notably a whopping $100-million commitment to create more affordable housing in the District of Columbia, where the real estate market is once again hot, along with figures for property prices, commercial construction and development and the population, all of which are rising. He also hinted that the long drought in pay raises for city employees—i.e, government workers, teachers, firemen and police—might be coming to an end in the future.

In fact, the speech, which touted numerous accomplishments, an economic surge, a 50-year low for the city’s homicide rate, could almost sound like the shaping of a record the mayor could run on, if he was to run again. But politics—and the still ongoing investigation into the mayor’s campaign, and other unsettling and unsettled problems—seemed so far from the mayor’s mind that he said nary a word about them. Politics, in fact, seems to exist only in the mind of the media in search of somebody that might flat out say he is running for mayor in 2014, although Ward 6 Councilman Tommy Wells has indicated he’s thinking about it.

It was a strange atmosphere for the speech—outside there were demonstrators protesting impending school closings in the District, and representatives and signs for candidates for the April 23 special election for the at-large council seat left open by Phil Mendelson, who is now the District Council chairman. Among the numerous candidates for the seat are former at-large councilman Michael A. Brown who lost a bid for re-election, interim at-large Councilmember Anita Bonds and Republican Patrick Mara, returning to the city-wide political arena.

Brown stood upstairs in the back, a man without a seat, for the moment.

Downstairs, officialdom of D.C. local politics mixed and mingled—most prominently Ward 8 Councilman Marion Barry, working the crowd as of old, along with Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans who has seen a lot of the downtown development now coming to fruition in his ward and former Mayor Anthony Williams, who spurred the initial effort to halt D.C.’s population decline. Much of the gains being touted on the dais by Gray had their roots in the two administrations of Williams, generally considered to be a success in the eye of the public. The big applause getters: the affordable housing announcement and former Mayor Williams.

If Gray has kept his political profile low, it’s plain to see that he’s been busy nonetheless. He and D.C. Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi announced a $417-million surplus for fiscal 2012 earlier. Gandhi also announced that he would be retiring in June. “Previously, we had been in a somewhat precarious position, partly because of the national economy in general, but also because in the past, the city’s rainy day fund was drained severely,” Gray said. “That’s not going to be the case anymore, we’re going to set much of that money aside.”

“I can say the city is doing extremely well, better than what is normal nationally in terms of growth, and other economic activity,” the mayor said. But he saw a mixed blessing and a danger in the prosperity, in the sense that not all have shared in it: “We are in danger increasingly of becoming a city of haves,” he warned. “We need affordable housing, and I’m going to commit $100 million to affordable housing as a one-year effort.”

Gray echoed Rev. Anthony in his invocation, when Anthony said, “Yes, we must support the growth of business, but we also have to make sure that business doesn’t’ give the rest of us the business.”

That call to make sure that the city could take care of, find jobs and housing for the middle class and below, take care of the needy, the sick and the homeless, dotted a good portion of Gray’s speech, when he wasn’t peppering it with sports phrases, including the words “home run” and “touchdowns,” which appeared often. He noted that this past season both the Redskins and the Nationals became winners and play-off contenders. Significantly, he said nothing about “draining threes” or “dropping the puck,” given how the Wizards and the Capitals are doing.

Gray also touted improvements in the D.C. Public School System and also noted the surge in the number of charter schools, which was perhaps not necessarily a part of the master plan of school reform. He touted the District’s huge strides in growing Early Childhood Education and the modernization and renovation of many of the District’s remaining public schools.

He touted such economic development achievements as CityCenter D.C., moving apace in the center of downtown, CityMarket at O Street and Costco/Shops at Dakota Crossing and the Skyland Shopping Center in Ward 7. He also cited what he called an ambitious economic development strategy announced last fall to create 10,00 new jobs and grow revenue by $1 billion. He noted that he proposed and signed into law the Technology Sector Enhancement Act of 2012.

Point by point, the mayor seemed confident, pleased with the present and planning the future: the economy is booming, the homicide rate is at a 50-year low, D.C. is gaining a little more than 1,000 new residents every month, school enrollment is growing and the rainy day fund is set to contain $1.5 billion, assuring safety against the pressures of the national economy and the continued fiscal battles between the administration and congress.

Listening to Gray, the investigation of the campaign, the departure of Chairman Kwame Brown and Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas, and a host of ethical problems in the city government seem almost a distant memory. News of prosperity can put a little spring in your walk, and that’s what appears to have been the case with a resurgent Mayor Gray.

Gary Tischler • February 7, 2013

“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

That’s the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution that everybody talks about every time shots are fired in schools, in the workplace, at a movie theater or down the street down on the corner.

National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre — in the aftermath of the shootings at Newtown, Conn., were 20 grade school children were killed along with several teachers — proposed arming teachers and said, “The answer to a bad man with a gun is a good man with a gun.” At Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on gun violence Jan. 30, he objected even to the idea of enhanced background checks, saying that “Universal background checks, which sounds, whatever, ends up being a universal federal nightmare imposed upon law abiding people all over the country.”

LaPierre’s answer appears to be to arm more people, to have zero restrictions on automatic weapons, to just leave gun owners alone lest the Second Amendment be somehow destroyed.

At the same hearing, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., who was critically wounded by a gunman in 2011 pleaded eloquently, testified. Her speech slowed to a powerful pace whereby every word acquired the quality of thunder.

“This is an important conversation for our children, for our communities,” Giffords said. “For Democrats and Republicans. Speaking is difficult, but I need to say something important. Violence is a big problem. We … must … do … something. It will be hard. But the time is now. You must act. Be bold. Be courageous. Americans are counting on you. Too many children are dying. Too many children.”

Giffords’s husband, a retired astronaut and U.S. Navy captain, declared his support for a background check, noting that both he and his wife were gun owners.

Giffords’s presence in the chamber was a powerful moment, but it was also impossible not to note the mostly friendly reception from many senators for LaPierre, a familiar figure on Capitol Hill as chief lobbyist for the NRA, for which he is paid an annual base salary of more $800,000 plus other compensation.

The Second Amendment has come up often in hearings held across Connecticut, where some of the parents of slain children, education officials, gun owners and police leaders spoke. One parent talked about his child and called for gun control while some members in the audience shouted “Second Amendment, Second Amendment.”

It should be pointed out that none of the proposals heard so far from legislators and the administration—from universal background checks, to banning military style automatic weapons—actually punish gun owners including those who rushed out to buy thousands of weapons after the Dec. 14 shooting. Rather, they’re intended to make it more difficult to purchase certain weapons, a development which would hurt gun manufacturers and gun shows—i.e., makers and sellers, not owners. Anybody who needs a gun—especially an automatic weapon—desperately, badly, immediately, urgently should get an automatic—there’s that word again—spot check.

I looked it up. There is the famous Second Amendment. It seems puzzling that we should get from there in the aftermath of the American Revolution to here. That lead-in statement about a well regulated militia suggests to me that citizens ought to have the right to bear arms in order to maintain a militia to protect us from . . .

I’m not on the Supreme Court. Nevertheless, Thomas Jefferson, the smartest man in the Western World outside Voltaire, Diderot and Benjamin Franklin, surely had the answer and just didn’t tell us.

It is, as the King of Siam said, a puzzlement. No. It’s much more than that. It is a shame and a tragedy that we talk about the death of not just children, but people in the line of fire, innocents, really, as some kind of collateral damage sacrificed at the altar of the Second Amendment. The founding fathers, the fathers and parents among them, at least, might have found that idea appalling.

Sara Gilgore •

The Washington Humane Society will host its 12th Annual Sugar & Champagne Affair Thursday, Jan. 31, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, recognizing community activists against animal cruelty and raising funds for the District’s homeless pets.

Washington Humane Society’s humane law enforcement officers, humane educators and animal care and control officers are among the evening’s honorees. The popular, canine-friendly Sugar & Champagne Affair welcomes guests to bring their dogs to the event. Not many other galas in the city allow that.

New components have also been added to this WHS tradition. “The Golden Ticket” invites guests to enter a drawing, the winner of which will receive a tasting at RdV Vineyards for ten people and dinner at Market Salamander.

Guests may also participate in the “Cake Walk Challenge,” another new addition to the evening’s activities, in which cakes – created by five notable chefs – will be auctioned to the highest bidders.

The main event, which begins at 7 p.m., will feature Washington, D.C.-area pastry chefs, as well as champagnes and wines, to celebrate supporters of WHS efforts to fight animal maltreatment. Chef Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray of Equinox Restaurant and Muse at the Corcoran Gallery of Art are the reception’s hosts.

The VIP Chefs’ Tasting Room, “an exclusive savory gathering prepared by the finest chefs of the national capital region,” begins at 6 p.m. before the main event, according to the WHS website.

Tickets for both the VIP event and general reception may be purchased at sugarandchampagne.org.

According to WHS, reception proceeds “directly benefit the animals and programs of the Washington Humane Society.”

WHS has served the Washington, D.C., region since 1870, working to ensure the well being and protection of animals through various services, such as adoption, sheltering, rehabilitation programs and humane law enforcement, among others.
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Sara Gilgore •

Following last week’s announcement that 15 Washington, D.C., public schools have been scheduled to close, Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools Kaya Henderson testified before the District Council’s education committee Jan. 23 to discuss the rationale behind the plan that has sparked opposition from community members and local organizations.

“For the first time in a long time, people have hope about the District of Columbia public schools,” Henderson told the council.

D.C. Public Schools finalized the changes that will take effect at the end of this academic year, including the consolidation of 13 of the identified schools – the other two of which are slated to close the following year – and “several expanded quality program offerings.”

The initial proposal to close 20 schools was altered after DCPS received enormous feedback and eliminated five schools from the list. The revised and current plan will affect more than 2,400 students and 540 employees, as first reported by the Washington Post.

Some people are opposed to Henderson’s plan — but not simply because it will force students to relocate to different schools.

Empower D.C., a local grassroots organization, believes Henderson’s plan is discriminatory, “blocking the school doors for hundreds of black and brown students,” according to attorney Johnny Barnes.

Barnes is working with Empower D.C. to combat the school closings plan. Its litigation strategy was announced at a press conference Jan. 23 in front of the Wilson Building on Pennsylvania Avenue, during the chancellor’s meeting with the council.

“We intend to vigorously and zealously pursue those legal avenues available to the parents and children affected so that all young people in Washington, D.C., have the same access to quality education,” Barnes said in a Jan. 18 statement.

Another feared consequence of Henderson’s plan is that DCPS will struggle to compete with the public charter schools that already serve more than 40 percent of public school students in the District, according to the Washington Post. Many worry closing 15 schools could exacerbate the problem, driving students to these charter schools rather than other conventional public schools.

However, DCPS says it believes the plan will ultimately prove to be advantageous, as funds and resources from the under-enrolled schools can be reallocated and more efficiently utilized.

“We’ve spent the last two months combing over every single comment, data point and proposal,” Henderson said in a Jan. 17 statement. “Now, it’s time for us to look to the future, for us to plan for the best ways that we can support our students.”