News & Politics

Shannon McGovern • May 3, 2012

IMAX is coming to a theater near you this fall, with the Sept. 9 premier of Contagion, a thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh starring Matt Damon, scheduled to appear via the “IMAX Experience” at AMC Georgetown 14 on K Street.

The IMAX Experience is a modified version of the IMAX theaters in the Museum of Natural History and the Air and Space Museum on the National Mall, and has been dubbed “IMAX-lite” by Ian Buckwalter of the DCist. Like Buckwalter, several local bloggers have expressed contempt and skepticism toward what would appear to be an advance for the theater experience.

But many would argue to the contrary: the IMAX Experience preserves IMAX”ssignature sound quality and involves the same dual digital projection as in the traditional IMAX theaters. The resolution of the projected images is classified as “2K,” making IMAX dual projection superior in quality to normal movie screens with 2k resolution, but sources report that most movie chains have begun to install to 4K resolution projectors in their theaters. If the transition is completed on schedule, the IMAX Experience at AMC Georgetown will have been trumped in terms of image quality in its first year.

Critics are wondering if the IMAX Experience will live up to its snazzy name, or if IMAX is better experienced through the traditional setup at the Smithsonian. We’ll just have to wait until Sept. 9 and see for ourselves.

Shannon McGovern •

The Georgetown Business Association invites the community to join them at this month’s reception, “Networking with a View… And a Salute to Furin’s.” The event will grant special recognition to Bernie Furin in honor of his retirement and the closing of Furin’s after 40 years of catering Georgetown events.

The reception will be held at the House of Sweden on the Waterfront from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 17. The GBA asks that those planning to attend RSVP by Monday, Aug. 15 to Sue Hamilton via email or she can be reached by phone at 202.333.8076.

Nico Dodd •

When Furin’s closed on July 31, Georgetown lost a landmark eatery. After 27 years, the family owned caterer and deli decided to close due to rising food prices and the economy. Over the years, Furin’s has gained the reputation of having some of the best baked goods in Washington. Chris Furin, son of Owners Bernie and Wendy Furin, is continuing to sell his signature-style cakes under his new business, Cakes by Chris Furin.

When Furin began working at the family business at the age of 13, the cakes were always more traditional, shaped like circles or rectangles. Over the years, shows like “Ace of Cakes” and “Cake Boss” inspired customers to ask for more exciting shapes.

“For example, one woman called and asked for a cake that looked like their dog. I’ve even made cakes that look like beer cans. If people have a favorite wine, I can make a cake that looks like the bottle. People’s requests get more outrageous by the week.”

Furin’s new business is based out of his home, which he has set up as a commercial kitchen in his house. He even has the bakery chef at Furin’s helping part time.

“You can get a cupcake on every block in Georgetown, or you can get a cake at Safeway, says Furin. “My cakes create memories.”

Furin says that closing the restaurant has been difficult, and will miss the neighborhood gathering place. “I’ve seen billionaires walk in the door and I’ve seen homeless people too.” [gallery ids="102539,120036" nav="thumbs"]

Shannon McGovern •

UPDATE: Albrecht Gero Muth was charged yesterday with the murder of his late wife, Viola Drath.

Muth was arrested by D.C. police Tuesday evening and charged with second-degree murder after police found he did not have a credible alibi at the time of Drath’s death and found no signs of forced entry into their Q Street home. Muth allegedly has a history of violent behavior toward Drath.

The death of 91-year-old Georgetown resident Viola Drath, originally credited to natural causes, is now under investigation as a homicide.

Drath died in a bathroom in her home on Q Street on Friday morning. In his obituary submission to The Washington Post the following morning, Drath’s second husband Albrecht Gero Muth classified the cause of death as “head trauma resulting from fall,” but the results of an autopsy have given the D.C. authorities cause to begin a search for Drath’s killer.

Police spent the weekend interviewing the family and collecting evidence from Drath’s home, but have not turned up any leads as of yet. The home shows no sign of forced entry, and the police have not named any suspects or discovered a possible motive for murder.

A native of Germany and reputed journalist, Drath is remembered as a former reporter for Handelsblatt, a German newspaper, and as a columnist for The Washington Times. She wrote several books and was actively involved in foreign policy, particularly affairs involving relations between Germany and the U.S.

Robert Devaney •

All politics is local – and sometimes hyper-local – as Georgetown University students and long-time residents experienced during the opening community comment of the September Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC 2e) meeting held on Aug. 29. The issue was the redistricting plan for the Georgetown-Burleith-Hillandale ANC that adds an additional single-member district (SMD) within the university campus for a total of eight in the ANC. Students had put forth a plan that included an additional eighth and a ninth district for students. A neighborhood group, which included students, voted nine to six for a new plan that keeps most SMDs the same but adds an eighth district for the campus. The role of the ANC at the meeting was neither to approve nor disapprove the proposal.

Commission chair Ron Lewis opened the discussion of the re-drawn ANC 2e boundary plan, saying it showed “respect for political geography” and chose to round down the student MSDs to two. He then asked those attending the meeting to limit their comments of pro and con to three persons who could represent the larger group. Students in attendance – who wanted three SMDs for the university area – expressed dismay at the time limitations but rolled with it, sending Georgetown University Student Association president Mike Meaney and president of the Graduate Student Association Paul Musgrave to the podium.

Meaney asked that the re-districting be reconsidered, seeing it as a dilution of students’ voting power and suggested that his group might “appeal to the Committee of the Whole” of the D.C. Council. He reminded the current ANC of its 2002 affirmation “to full representation.” Saying that Georgetown University students make up “45 percent of the ANC’s population,” Meaney maintained that “equal rights mean equal votes.”

Musgrave, a doctorate student from Burleith, called the situation “disingenuous” for its “extreme malapportionment” and said the ANC must “be a truly representative body.” “Representation means representation by person.” He condemned the plan as “unfair” and “unjust,” and stated so “as a resident, a political scientist and a voter.”

In contrast, Nan Bell of Burleith and Cynthia Howar of Hillandale stood up and succinctly said they supported new re-districting plan.

Undergraduate Robert Biemesderfer went to the podium and dramatically held up his D.C. voter registration card and declared: “I am a full participant, I am not a second-class citizen.” Student Ruiyong Chen stood up to add that councilman Phil Mendelson does not support this plan.

Ed Russell, a Burleith resident since 1954, asked debaters to “consider permanent residents who pay property taxes.” Karen Cruise contended that 1,200 students live off campus and thus can run in their own district if they wish. In the hallway, later, the young Biemesderfer and Allan Wendt of Volta Place had a lively and civil conservation about the issue.

Next week, the plan will be passed along to the Ward 2 redistricting group, headed by Tom Birch, and will be likely approved.
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Robert Devaney •

The ANC approved the voluntary agreement and a new application for a liquor license for Malmaison, a restaurant – soon to open at the corner of 34th and K Streets – from the owners of Cafe Bonaparte. The new dessert cafe’s name is a reference to Napoleon’s Château de Malmaison; it can translate into “naughty house” or “ill-fated domain.” The Alcohol Beverage Control protest meeting is scheduled for Sept. 14.

In other design requests, commissioner Jeff Jones showed annoyance at the owner of 3254 O Street. The design for a second story above a back garage was denied, as Jones said that this scheme has bounced around for 10 years. Neighbors of the residence in question left the meeting smiling. Five Guys restaurant was asked to redesign its new awning with fewer “Five Guys” logos (not five) on the umbrella fabric. Designs for a planned four-story condo at Grace Street and Cecil Place was opposed as being out of size and out of whack with the secluded neighborhood.

Samantha Hungerford •

Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, died late Sunday in a Nairobi hospital at age 71, ending a long battle with cancer. She is survived by her three children.

Maathai, an environmental and political activist, was the founder of the Green Belt Movement, an organization that aimed to stop political injustice through creating a healthy environment. Her idea was that healthy forests made lives easier by providing necessary elements for survival such as clean water, thereby lessening people’s need to fight for such resources.

Her ambition lead the Green Belt Movement in the planting of some 30 million trees, prompting the U.N. to pick up her torch in a worldwide movement that saw 11 million trees planted.

She earned degrees from Mount St. Scholastica College in Atchison, Kansas, and the University of Pittsburgh before going on to become the first woman to receive a doctorate from the University of Nairobi in 1971 where she later became a professor.

Maathai was both beaten and praised for her determination, fighting for the environment, democracy and women’s rights.

She was on the board of several organizations including the UN Secretary General Advisory Board on Disarmament, The Jane Goodall Institute, Women and Environment Development Organization, World learning for International Development, Green Cross International, Environment Liason Center International, the WorldWIDE Network of Women in Environmental work and National Council of Women in Kenya, according to the website of the Nobel Prize.

Maathai also served as a member of Parliament beginning in 2002 and was soon after appointed Assistant Minister for Environment, Natural Recourses and Wildlife in Kenya’s ninth parliament.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

Kyle Lundberg •

After years of success selling meat at local farmers markets, Jamie and Josef Stachowski, the father-son team behind Stachowski Brand Charcuterie is preparing to open a butcher shop in Georgetown on the corner of P and 28th Street.

The deli-style market shop, tentatively titled Valentine Meats, will reside in the former location of Griffin Market, which closed down and moved to South Carolina last February due to a spike in rental rates.

Josef will be the owner of the shop, taking the reins from his father Jamie, an acclaimed sausage maker who was recently featured on Discovery Channel’s “Meat America.”

“We’ve thought about doing this for a long time,” Josef said as he took a break from grilling sausages at the Rose Park farmers market last Wednesday. “The markets are always busy, and people are always asking ‘where is your store?’ For the longest time, I’ve had to say that we don’t actually have one.”

According to Josef, the Georgetown location was not specifically selected in advance, but he does think it will be a good fit.

“Georgetown is a nice place to be,” he said. “It’s got a homey kind of local feel to it, something you definitely wouldn’t get at a place like H Street. It gives it a more authentic feel.”

Tom Papadopoulos, a real estate agent and restaurant broker who helped the Stachowskis obtain a 10-year lease on the property, said he thinks the Georgetown location is ideal, and that “people in Georgetown would really love it.”

Stachowski Brand sausages are made fresh straight from the source. The butchers use pork raised by Amish farmers and season their products with special herbs and spices. They plan on serving an array of their famous sausages including chicken, Wisconsin bratwurst, duck, turkey and sweet Italian pork sausages, as well as a small menu of sandwiches.

Despite some reservations, Josef is looking forward to running his own shop.

“Right now, I’m excited,” he said, “but like everything else, I might get bored with it before too long. “But,” he continued, “it’ll be more personal than what we do now. I’ll get to interact with people more.”

Josef said that running a family business with his dad leads to some unique workplace dynamics.

“I really don’t have a traditional boss,” he said. “I have space and freedom. But, at the same time, it’s a lot harder to hear your dad tell you what to do. It’s a power struggle for sure, but we keep each other in check.”

Josef hopes that Georgetown and the wider D.C. community will flock to
their shop in the same way they flocked to the popular Griffin Market.

“Hopefully, we can serve the community and they will embrace us,” he said.

Although the shop does not have an official opening date, the Stachowskis hope to have the operation up and running “in the next couple of months,” Papadopoulos said.

Until then, curious foodies can try out the unique Stachowski Brand at local farmers markets, including the Rose Park, Palisades and Falls Church markets. For more information on Stachowski Brand Charcuterie, visit http://stachowskibrand.com.

Georgetowner •

Next month, Georgetown will play host to the 18th annual Taste of Georgetown food and wine festival. The festival will provide visitors a chance to sample fine cuisine from 30 local restaurants, including Bangkok Joe’s, Clyde’s, Muncheez, Café Bonaparte, 1789, Mie N Yu, Serendipity, Neyla and Pinkberry, which will be opening in Georgetown soon. More traditional favorites, such as Chipotle and Georgetown Cupcake, will be on hand to serve up their familiar fare. The event will also feature wine tastings and local jazz talent at Blues Alley.

Past favorite tastes at the festival have included such diverse dishes as JPaul’s cheeseburgers, Hook’s campfire s’mores, Tony & Joe’s macadamia shrimp, Muncheez’ falafel wrap, Clyde’s pork belly sliders and Café Bonaparte’s crepes.

Taste of Georgetown began as a bake sale on the lawn of Grace Church to help raise awareness and money for Georgetown Ministry Center, a homeless ministry that began in 1987 to provide services ranging from housing to psychiatric assistance. According to Debbie Young, marketing manager of the Georgetown Business Improvement District, the event has raised more than $100,000 for the GMC since 2004. Last year alone, the festival raised $38,000 for the GMC, Young said via email.

Taste of Georgetown will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 15 at Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, NW. Tasting tickets, good for one tasting, are $5 and can be purchased in advance online at TasteofGeorgetown.com or at the event.

Kristin Sørumshagen •

After some delay, the construction of The Capella luxury hotel can begin, funded by a joint venture, Castleton Hotel Partners, according to a press release from Capella Hotels and Resorts in early September.

Construction of The Capella Georgetown has been on the agenda for quite some time; the original plan was to open by Jan. 2012, according to a press release from Capella Hotels and Resorts in March 2010. “The developer experienced some difficulties with the funding,” said John Drake, vice president of marketing at Capella Hotels and Resorts, “but now we have secured funding and we would love to open by the end of 2012.” Castleton Holdings and ICG Properties is partnering with Point Ford Management Limited, a South Asian based investment firm, to secure funding for construction as well as management of the luxury hotel, according to the latest press release.

Robert Warman, executive vice president of West Paces Hotels, told USA Today that the Capella Georgetown will compete with Georgetown’s other luxury hotels, the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons. Drake, however, is not afraid that this will be difficult for the Capella Georgetown. “I don’t want to sound arrogant but our hotel is a notch above the other hotels in the area,” Drake said, explaining that the Capella Hotels and Resorts offer personal service and assistance to their guests and adapts to their guests’ needs.

The Capella Georgetown, situated at 1050 31st Street, will feature 49 rooms and suites with “unmatched levels of customer service and room finishes,” according to a press release which says that the hotel will offer the pre-arrival services of personal assistants, luxury car service, 24 hour room service and a guest only spa and fitness center. The Capella Georgetown also entices guests with immediate access to the upscale shops and restaurants of Wisconsin Avenue and M Streets.

There will also be a restaurant and bar with outdoor seating along the C&O Canal, a private rooftop lounge and a rooftop indoor and outdoor pool overlooking the Potomac River and several Washington landmarks. The rooftop, however, might be “wishful thinking” as the Advisory Neighborhood Commission and the Old Georgetown Board previously have hesitated on similar matters, according to the Georgetown Patch.

Regardless, there is no question whether the Capella Georgetown will be a high-end place. “The hotel is purposely very small in number of rooms,” says Drake, “and we will cater to top corporate managers, CEOs, diplomats and heads of state among others.” And the caliber of the hotel certainly matches that of the event that serves as an unspoken deadline for the project, the next presidential inauguration, Jan. 2013.