News & Politics

Garrett Faulkner • June 18, 2013

The Georgetown Library, ravaged by fire in 2007, is one step closer to its long-awaited capstone ceremony.

In a way, though, the capstone has already been laid in. The rebuilt cupola, the familiar tube-shaped dome crowning the library and a widespread collection of other federal and colonial buildings in the city, received its finishing touches last week, perhaps the surest sign that the library is on track for its reopening this October. The tower is nearly identical to the original structure, save for some slight modifications to the copper roof and other nominal changes.

“I’m thrilled beyond belief that the cupola has been recreated,” said Jerry McCoy, special collections librarian for the library’s Peabody Room, which houses historical documents and artifacts and sustained considerable damage during the fire. “It’s beautiful to behold.”

There was a little less pomp this time around, and certainly no formal celebration, unlike the cupola framework raising in January, which turned out dozens of Georgetowners, Mayor Fenty, Councilmember Jack Evans and the bulk of ANC 2E. But that was just the skeleton of the library’s most recognizable symbol, and though the crowd signed the cold piping in marker and waved their hard hats when it was finally plunked into position, there was still a feeling that the end was a long way off. The neighborhood needed a little extra levity.

Now, the end is in sight. The newly renovated library will feature an expanded children’s library and ample community meeting space downstairs. The Peabody Room will also be revamped, and McCoy will contribute its first new artifact: the burnt, twisted weathervane from the original cupola.

“[It] was bent by the 2000-degree heat,” he said. “It’s in two pieces and I plan to install it on the wall some place in the new Peabody room. It’s pretty dramatic looking.”

Garrett Faulkner •

Wisconsin Avenue restaurant and nightclub Third Edition was shut down temporarily for a liquor license infraction from Aug. 8 to 10 after a meticulous six-month investigation by the city. At press time, the doors were shuttered and chairs stowed with ABRA notification placards posted in the windows.

According to ABRA community resource officer Cynthia Simms, the popular restaurant, which draws substantial crowds to its upstairs dance floor in the evenings, received the three-day suspension following multiple violations of its security plan and voluntary agreement after a felony assault occurred on the property in February. The owners were also ordered to pay a fine of $1750.

Representatives from Capital Restaurant Concepts, the owner of Third Edition, did not return phone calls for comment.

Garrett Faulkner •

So long, Blue Bus — we hardly knew thee.

Actually, many of us knew it well, especially those with a penchant for riding Metro and who are so over the walk to Foggy Bottom. In that case, it’s a safe bet you’re pretty familiar with the slot-machine jingle of coins in the fare box and the bumpy, trundling ride of what sometimes seemed like a giant Advil mounted on axles. Whatever your thoughts on its aesthetics, though, you just couldn’t beat the shortcuts by which is swiftly ferried passengers to Rosslyn or Dupont stations.

But, lest anyone start to panic, let’s be clear: this is no eulogy. The Blue Bus, officially known as the Georgetown Metro Connection, is here to stay — it’s just enjoying a slight makeover. Beginning Aug. 29, the popular D.C. Circulator will take over the route, offering greater capacity, support for SmarTrip cards and, well, the little buttons that let passengers open the back doors (you have to admit, they’re pretty cool).

The biggest change, though, is behind the scenes: with the switchover the Georgetown BID, which has tenaciously funded the Blue Bus program since 2001 despite citywide slashes to transportation budgets, will relinquish control of the route to DDOT.

“The Georgetown BID is glad to see that bus service will continue to flow seamlessly through Georgetown between Dupont Circle and Rosslyn, via the new Circulator line,” said John Wiebenson, Deputy Executive Director of Operations for the BID. “The [Blue Bus] has served the community well over the past nine years and we’re happy that commuters and visitors alike will benefit from the integration of the Circulator into this bus line.”

It’s a transition that will, no doubt, be a load off for the BID, but carries with it the risk that the service could later be scrapped entirely if the transit agency deems it too much of a cash drain. Circulator’s route up Wisconsin Avenue, in fact, was given the chop last year before an explosive public outcry forced DDOT to backpedal and reinstate it.

The city is unlikely to try such a bold reduction in spending for a while, at least within the borders of Georgetown. For now, residents can cash in their quarters for SmarTrip credits and ride to their heart’s content. The new Circulator will make stops every 10 minutes at the Rosslyn Metro station, the intersections of M Street and 33rd, Wisconsin and 31st, and several others leading up to Dupont Circle. For the full list, visit www.dccirculator.com.

Garrett Faulkner •

ANC 2E’s September meetings typically aren’t any more cantankerous or combustible than the other 10 neighborhood huddles it puts on a year (though it has happened), nor do the issues typically spark any greater controversy among neighbors (the Hurt Home and Campus Plan wrangles of this spring probably win that category). The September gathering’s notoriety — at least among Georgetown’s political set — is born of the sheer length of the darn thing, something akin to a constitutional convention colored by troublesome pizza parlors and bike communes and such.

All right, all right — it’s not that bad. (But hey, after a two-month pileup of to-dos and a three-hour slog through it, a little levity’s always in order.) To be honest, there was nothing truly fearsome staring down the ANC at the Aug. 30 meeting, not even, if 2008 was any indicator, the commissioners’ own upcoming elections. Still, though, that’s three hours of material to get through — whew, what a hike.

MPD Lieutenant John Hedgecock was happy to report that crime in Georgetown took a slight dip since his last report in July, which he attributed partly to the arrest of three individuals that month, one of whom was armed. Hedgecock was more tight-lipped about a sexual assault that occurred on Aug. 29 in Burleith, skimping on most of the details but saying that patrol routes have been modified to provide more thorough coverage of the area.

The big ticket item of the evening was bikes, or more accurately, where to find space for the brand-new clutch of the two-wheeled contraptions coming Georgetown’s way. The commission invited DDOT’s Chris Holbin to deliver the pitch for the four Capital Bikeshare stations planned for the neighborhood, which will serve as pick-up and drop-off points for subscribers to the program, one of the first of its kind nationwide.
Bike sharing goes like this: you offer subscribers, who pay an annual fee, access to a bicycle at dozens of locations across the District. Riders check out a bike for 30-minute increments (longer rentals cost extra), then return it to any drop-off station when their time is up. Take that, gas prices.

Commissioners gave their blessing to most of the locations proposed, with one exception. Holbin explained that the University’s bikeshare station, originally intended for the sidewalk outside the 37th Street gate before DDOT deemed it too tight on space, is now planned for a section of Prospect Street above Car Barn, near 1789 restaurant. Six of seven commissioners immediately hedged, citing the potential for noise complaints, and urged DDOT to find a new site, preferably on University turf.

Also on the docket was the glut of liquor license proposals (eight in all), none of which ruffled many feathers among commissioners. Ever since ABRA granted seven additional licenses earlier this summer to Georgetown — a wide swath of which is under a moratorium, or cap on permits — the neighborhood has seen a dramatic rise in applications for licenses, which, given the restriction, had become such a rare commodity that the average price tag of an existing license soared into the tens of thousands. When ABRA issued the handful of new licenses at the request of ANC, fledgling eateries answered the call in droves. On the night of the meeting, the commission gave a green light to Paul Bakery (opening this fall), Come to Eat (a tenant that’s actually moving into the Georgetown Park Mall) and Hu’s Wear, the popular local clothier who will set up a yet-unnamed Mediterranean establishment at what is now Bartleby’s bookstore on 29th Street. Another Mediterranean eatery, M Street’s Morso, was denied a request to install patio seating on its front sidewalk.

Concerning zoning, the design concept for Serendipity 3, the New York ice cream icon and the latest store to create a sensation in Georgetown, earned an enthusiastic thumbs up from the ANC, which voted unanimously (with one recusal) in favor of the exterior awnings proposed by owner Britt Swann. The language of the committee’s written resolution, however, was a little less sanguine — drafted by 2E06 Tom Birch, the document urged the Old Georgetown Board to closely scrutinize the window awnings for any detriment to the neighborhood historic fabric. The OGB, a federally appointed panel of architects with authority over all building proposals in Georgetown, requested slight alterations to the window awning design, which will set the construction process back for at least another month until the next review meeting. Looks like that frozen hot chocolate will have to stay on ice a little while longer. Though Swann and his wife are staying mum about a firm opening date, rumors of an early to mid-fall opening persist — political hang-ups notwithstanding.

And, in the midst of the breathless race for the District’s mayoral seat, the ANC 2E itself will also be up for election this year — or reelection, as it seems to be turning out. With the exception of 2E04 Aaron Golds, who will graduate from Georgetown this coming spring, and 2E03 Bill Skelsey, who confirmed to The Georgetowner that he will not seek reelection, none of the incumbent commissioners are facing stiff competition, if any.

Skelsey, who has served on the commission since 2003, called his tenure a “fantastic experience,” but said balancing work, family life and his community involvement has proved an ever-growing challenge. Though he’ll be taking a breather over the next two-year term, Skelsey hinted he may run again in the future.

He also had a few nice things to say about P Street resident Jeffrey Jones, who will run against Michael Savage of O Street, calling Jones a “terrific candidate.”

Coming up in Georgetown:
—

September 10
The Georgetowner Mayoral Forum
Don’t forget The Georgetowner’s mayoral forum at Tony and Joe’s, hosted by Carol Joynt and featuring the big three — incumbent Mayor Adrian Fenty, Vincent Gray and Leo Alexander — vying for the District’s executive branch and answering questions by you, the general public. 12 p.m. Free admission, $10 box lunch courtesy of Tony and Joe’s. RSVP at rsvp@georgetowner.com.

October 9
Fashion’s Night Out in Georgetown
Be there or be square—yes, we’re serious—at the Georgetown BID-sponsored “Fashion’s Night Out” event, originally conceived by Vogue magazine to widespread acclaim in New York City. Over 80 Georgetown shops and boutiques will stay open after hours, offering up tantalizing deals for fashionistas of all stripes. 6-11 p.m. See page 28 for a list of participating shops.

September 20
CAG meeting, featuring Kitty Kelley
The famed Georgetown author will discuss her wildly popular — and controversial — novel “Oprah” at the Latham Hotel, 3300 M St., 7 p.m.

October 9
Taste of Georgetown, Wisconsin and M
Another event popular with locals, the BID is now an old hand at Taste, bringing in over 30 Georgetown restaurants to dazzle visitors with chef specials hot and cold, sweet and savory. Perfect for a fall afternoon. 11 a.m. $20.

Georgetowner •

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, they say. In Vincent Gray’s case, one way to decide to run for mayor of the District of Columbia included a Italian dinner in Georgetown – with some pretty persuasive women.

On February 20, at il Canale on 31st Street, the future D.C. mayor met with Virginia E. Hayes Williams (mother of former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams), civic activist Judith Terra, communications consultant
Janet Staihar, Barbara Hawthorn, designer of il Canale’s interior, as well as il Canale owner Joe Farruggio (who is apolitical). The women were there to convince Gray to run against Mayor Adrian Fenty in the September 14 Democratic primary.

After the three-and-a-half hour meal – with pizzas, pasta, fish, pasta e fagioli (Italian bean and potato soup), risotto with clams, and for dessert cannoli and tiramisu – according to Staihar, Gray left saying he would consider all they talked about. He would later joke during the campaign: “I will never forget the dinner with Virginia Williams, Judith Terra and Jan Staihar. Finally, I just said, ‘Okay! Okay! I give up. I’ll run!’ “ (The dinner was noted in the Feb. 22 Washington Post’s “Reliable Source.”)

“The purpose of the dinner was to encourage Vince to enter the race,” Staihar said. “Most people dining around us had no idea who Vince was at the time. We had two tables pulled together and sat right in plain sight near the bar. When we introduced Vince as the next possible mayor to a few of the diners, they looked at us like we had just landed from Mars.
”Which, of course, is not to say that Gray decided to run that night. He declared his candidacy several weeks later, in response to many issues, among them the growing concerns with Fenty’s abrasive, aloof style of management and the voiced feelings of neglect issuing from the less wealthy areas of town.

As for the arguments put forth during that meal, the women are tight-lipped, preferring to talk upGray’s positive attributes. “We needed someone to unite the city,” Terra recalled this week, staying with the Gray slogan: “One City.” The long-time Georgetown resident and philanthropist who now resides on Colorado Avenue, N.W., added: “We need a statesman. I watched this man. He is the best chairman of the city council we have ever had. He is a prince of a man. He is going to be a great mayor.”

Gary Tischler •

By Tuesday, you might’ve been deceived into thinking nothing had changed in Washington, D.C.

Vincent Gray was still sitting in his accustomed Chairman’s seat as the DC Council returned, preparing to tackle ticklish and problematic issues including a looming budget deficit reported at $100 million.

At Large Councilman Kwame Brown was in his old seat, and so was Democratic At Large Councilman Phil Mendelson and every other member of the council who had stood for re-election. Everyone, including Mary Cheh (Ward Three), Jim Graham (Ward One), David Catania (At large), Harry Thomas Jr. (Ward Five), and Tommy Wells (Ward Six), was there, no worse for the wear and tear of campaigning. Michael A. Brown was in his seat, not confused with the likes of Michael D. Brown.

Mayor Adrian Fenty was still Mayor Adrian Fenty. When last heard, Michelle Rhee was still Chancellor of the District of Columbia Schools.

Everything was the same.

Except that it wasn’t.

Gray was now something else, in addition to being Chairman of the City Council. Gray was now the presumptive mayor of the District of Columbia—the sixth and oldest in its history—having just knocked off the youngest elected mayor in D.C.’s history in the Democratic Primary, September 14. He had done this in an election that revealed a deep economic and racial divide in the city.

The vagaries of the District electoral makeup being what they are, he has still to endure a general election in November. But this, as it has been in the past, should be a mere formality, with Democrats in the District outnumbering Republicans or anything else by an overwhelming margin.

Kwame Brown, as it turned out, easily bested Vincent Orange in the race for Chairman, in spite of some difficulties with financial revelations during the campaign. Phil Mendelson, with a determined effort to make sure voters knew who the real Michael Brown was, managed to fend off an odd challenge from Shadow Senator Michael D. Brown, and a lesser one from Clark Ray.

But Gray’s victory over Fenty still sent a shockwave through the city. For one thing, nobody knew who had won until the wee hours of the morning because of major difficulties at the Board of Elections, where it took a long time to count the votes what with same day registration and new technology.

In the end, Gray carried Wards Eight, Seven, Five and, perhaps most telling, Fenty’s home turf, Ward Four —the same ward where Fenty had first been elected to the council, upsetting long-time veteran Charlene Drew Jarvis. Gray even beat Fenty in Brentwood, the precinct where Fenty made his home. On the other hand, Fenty decisively carried Wards Three and Two, the most white wards of the District, as well as Wards Two and Six, if less decisively.

Early in the campaign, Gray had observed that, “The city was never as divided as it is now.” At the time, that sounded a little like hyperbole, but he was absolutely right. He said the divide was not merely racial but economic — which is to say it was both.

Fenty’s fall was a steep one, and it was based almost solely on the way he ran the government — on the way he conducted himself. Large parts of the city, especially the blacker and poorer parts of the city, felt abandoned, ignored, and left out of the process. This was especially true of the big changes that were begun under Fenty and Chancellor Michelle Rhee in the school system, a system Fenty had vowed to change when he ran the table in the elections of four years ago, winning all wards and precincts. He was seen as arrogant, high-handed, petty and aloof.

Fenty ignored the warnings revealed in two polls, which showed a big disconnect between accomplishment and character, substance and style. He insisted that his accomplishments would carry the day, and during the latter parts of the campaign he did not change. He blasted Gray for his tenure as DHS director under Sharon Pratt Kelly, while praising himself and Chancellor Rhee for making tough decisions.

But there was a failure in leadership. Fenty and Rhee never felt they had to persuade people to come along with the tough decisions, or to show empathy with those most affected by the them; the unemployed, teachers left jobless after two large firings, and so on.

The end result was a 56 to 45 percent Gray margin over Fenty, or 62,174 votes for Gray and 52,000 for Fenty. Kwame Brown won over Orange by a 55 to 39 percent margin. Mendelson beat back Michael D. Brown by 64 to 28 percent margin.

In his first statement after his election victory, Gray promised to bring unity back to the city — in effect, to recreate the “One City” platform he once ran on. “I know this city remains divided, and I promise to do everything in my power to bring this city back together,” he said. “We face grave challenges. Now is the time to move forward. Let now be the time for this city to unite.”

Gray attempted to allay fears on the part of many people that, “I will not turn back the clock,” to earlier political times in the District. He also said he would continue with school reform, making it broader and more inclusive while placing greater emphasis on early childhood and vocational education. He also promised to hold town hall meetings in every ward, to sound out to the entire city. Only a week before the election he had said at a Penn Quarter breakfast that he might resurrect former Mayor Anthony Williams’ Citizens Summit, in which residents from all wards were invited. “We might tweak it a little, but it’s another way to bring the city together.”
Both Gray and Fenty have shown considerable class while planning for a smooth transition,
a process that could prove difficult. At a Democratic Party Unity Breakfast, Fenty hugged Gray and vowed to use all the resources available to him to make for a smooth transfer of power.

No personnel decisions have been made yet, including the one that everyone is most interested
in: the fate of Chancellor Rhee.

If Gray and Fenty have shown grace in victory and defeat respectively, Rhee seemed bent on making things more difficult, whether as an exit strategy or a ploy to give herself room to stay and finish the job she started — an idea floated by some council members. “RHEE IS LIKELY TO HEAD FOR THE DOOR,” the Washington Post front page trumpeted on Friday. This was after comments she had made at a glitzy Newseum premiere of “Waiting for Superman,” a documentary film about education reform in which she was one of the heroines quoted on camera as worrying about the children going to “crappy schools.” More harmful may have been the comment she made at a post-screening panel discussion, in which she said “yesterday’s election results were devastating. Devastating. Not for me, because I’ll be fine, and not even for Fenty, because he’ll be fine, but devastating for the schoolchildren of Washington.” In an e-mail she sent out later, she backtracked saying she meant that if reform were discontinued it would be bad for the children.

Rhee has not been shy in her approach to her job. She made a controversial appearance on the cover of Time magazine bearing a broom she intended to use. She fired principals, closed schools, instituted two large teacher firings, and negotiated a complicated contract with the Washington Teachers Union that included a loosening of tenure rules and some merit pay, as well as the installation of a teacher evaluation system. Under Rhee, test scores went up and infrastructure improved, but school is still out on the overall effect of her tenure.

Gray said he and Rhee would be sitting down and talking soon, although it hasn’t happened
yet. During the campaign, he consistently refused to discuss her fate. “We will talk,” he said the day after the election. “I put in a call to her, although I haven’t heard back from her. I imagine she is busy running the schools.”

An Oprah Winfrey show aired recently (taped before the election) that had Oprah calling
Rhee a warrior woman for turning the D.C. School System upside down.

If Rhee, who did not call to congratulate Gray on his victory, has shown a certain lack of post-election grace, so did Courtland Milloy, the Washington Post columnist, with a column entitled “Ding Dong, Fenty’s Gone. The Wicked Mayor is Gone” — a blast of vitriol. “People who need more time to gloat and wave their fists, take it,” he urged.

Probably not the kind of comments Gray was looking for. On the other side, in addition to Rhee, national journalists warned that reform itself took a hit; school reform was in danger because of the election results.

Yet Gray repeatedly said education reform was his top priority. What he also said during the campaign was that education reform was not about any one person. [gallery ids="99196,103363" nav="thumbs"]