ANC 2E Elections Set With No Opponents

August 10, 2012

While you are voting for president and vice president (or least the electors) Nov. 6, you will also be voting for your single-member district advisory neighborhood commissioner. This election, however, Georgetown’s and Burleith’s and Hillandale’s ANC offers candidates with no opponents. So, what are we voting for?

Except for two new names from the main campus, ANC 2E will contain the same members from last year:
2E01 — Ed Solomon (S Street, NW)
2E02 — Ron Lewis (Reservoir Road, NW)
2E03 — Jeffrey Jones (P Street, NW)
2E04 — Craig Cassey, Jr. (Georgetown University)
2E05 — Bill Starrels (31st Street, NW)
2E06 — Tom Birch (29th Steet, NW)
2E07 — Charles F. Eason, Jr. (Cambridge Place, NW)
2E08 — Peter Prindiville (Georgetown University)

More Restaurant Closings Downtown


Downtown’s restaurant scene is abuzz with openings and closings. Zola (800 F St., NW), the long-standing upscale dining establishment closed June 30, while Potenza (1430 H St., NW), the Old World Italian restaurant which opened in 2009 will close Aug. 18. Stir Food Group owns both restaurants and closes both to complete its transition out of the restaurant business. The company closed Zola Wine and Kitchen (505 9th St.), the wine shop and chef’s test kitchen, in May. Restaurateur Jeffrey Buben of Vidalia fame has already agreed to open a restaurant in the Potenza space, located in the historic Woodward Building. No word yet on who will move into Zola’s space. Meatballs, the casual restaurant that opened at 624 E St. last October, has also closed.

Native American Olympic Athletes Saluted in exhibition at Indian Museum

August 9, 2012

As the 2012 Olympics begin in London, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian has opened a special exhibit, “Best in the World: Native Athletes in the Olympics,” featuring Native-American athletes who have provided some of the most dramatic moments in Olympic history. It also happens to be the 100th anniversary of the 1912 Olympics in which Jim Thorpe (Sac and Fox ) won both the pentathlon and the decathlon (a feat not since accomplished), Duke Kahanamoku (Native Hawaiian) won the 100-meter freestyle, Andrew Sockalexis (Penobscot) placed fourth in the marathon and Lewis Tewanima (Hopi) won the silver medal and set an American record for the 10,000-meter competition. Tewanima’s record stood for more than 50 years until another American Indian, Billy Mills (Oglala Lakota), won Gold in Tokyo in 1964. Among the items on display are two gold medals won by Thorpe and the gold medal won by Mills. The exhibit is scheduled to run through Sept. 3. At Fourth Street and Independence Avenue, SW, the museum is located on the National Mall between the National Air & Space Museum and the U.S. Capitol. [gallery ids="100911,128530,128524,128505,128518,128513" nav="thumbs"]

Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum Reopens


After several months of remodeling, the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum reopened to the public July 30. Back on view at the museum is the popular exhibition, “Separate and Unequaled: Black Baseball in the District of Columbia,” which examines the history of African-Americans in baseball from Reconstruction to the second half of the 20th century.

Depart BWI with Connectivity

August 8, 2012

Baltimore-Washington International Airport has finally caught up with the technological demands of today’s passengers. Last month, the airport introduced free wireless Internet access for travelers waiting at its gates. Previously, Internet access was only available at BWI to people willing to pay one-day fees for a few hours of use. That level of service still remains as an option, featuring greater bandwidth, the airport said, but now there will be a free tier of service, too. For the price of sitting through a brief commercial, travelers will be able to enjoy 45 minutes of Internet access. The move brings BWI up to speed with its regional competitors. Reagan Washington National and Dulles International added free wifi last year. It should also help legitimize BWI’s standing in a PC World ranking of the nation’s “techiest” airports.

Comedy Club Gets a Makeover


Less than a year after opening, the Riot Act Comedy Theater (801 E Street), Downtown’s only comedy club, closed last month to retool and reopen as Penn Social next week. The new social club will still serve as a comedy club in its downstairs comedy club, but will also feature live music, karaoke competitions and games. The upstairs bar will get a new look and offer a medley of activities, and a sidewalk café will add to the social motif. The Riot Act featured both local and national comedians and an open mic night, a mishmash of amateurs, veterans and giveaways.

Play Mini-golf Inside


It’s tee time at the museum. Don’t let your summer get stuck in the rough—combine your love of the building arts with a putter, ball, and unique mini-golf course designed by some of the most creative minds around. For two glorious months, play holes inspired by the world that people design and build, created by area architects, construction firms, and others who influence the built environment. Challenge your friends and family to a round of mini-golf in air-conditioned comfort, packed with enough fun to make Augusta National Golf Club green with envy. Inside the National Building Museum, play miniature-golf holes inspired by the world of designers and builders that were created by area architects and construction firms. Located at 401 F St., NW, the course will be open through Sept. 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day at $5 per round per person, or combine a round with museum admission for an additional $3.

The Next Step in Street Cars Comes to D.C.


D.C. could form a public-private partnership to accelerate delivering the streetcar system. As a first step, the District Department of Transportation issued a Request for Information last month for responses, regarding a proposed future solicitation to deliver the 22-mile D.C. streetcar system — respondents will also include how they would deliver a non-regional bus system within the District, including the provision of buses and storage and maintenance facilities as required, and operate and maintain the system. The bus component would include the D.C. Circulator and local Metrobus service. The RFI is not a procurement request, but private sector input will help the District develop and plan the streetcar project, which will cost about $1.2 billion to build and equip and another $65 million a year to operate. The city is in preliminary talks with China, but all interested parties have until 2 p.m. on Aug. 28 to share their perspectives and feedback.

Heavy-hitters Spend Big Bucks on Real Estate


Last month, when New York-based Brookfield Office Properties purchased 799 9th Street for $106 million, or about $522 per rental square foot, the company said that improvements—including a full lobby and building entry renovation, a tenant fitness center with showers and lockers, a new roof terrace, and restroom upgrades—will be in place by the summer of 2013. Currently 96-percent occupied with all leases set to expire in December 2012 and January 2013, the LEED Gold-certified building is primarily occupied by General Services Administration tenants, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The 10-story, 203,000-square-foot building was erected in 2001 and traded hands in 2006 for $127.5 million.

Urban Essentials expands with move to 14th Street


After 12 years on U Street, Urban Essentials, a contemporary living home and design retailer that specializes in small-scale furnishings for urban lifestyles, announced that it is moving from 1330 U St., NW, to a larger space at 1401 14th St., NW, formerly occupied by Reincarnations Furnishings. The new, 5,700-square-foot Urban Essentials is scheduled to open on Sept. 5. Beginning Saturday, July 28, Urban Essentials will hold a moving sale with 20- to 60-percent discounts on all floor sample items. For more information on Urban Essentials, visit www.urban-essentials.com.