The Perpetually Delayed Waterfront Park Turns to Community for More Money
• August 10, 2011

 

-After ongoing delays and skyrocketing leaps over the original budget by over $2.2 million, Waterfront Park is still about where it has been for the past six months: over budget and delayed. Delays were largely a result of previously undetected foundation debris associated with the former Capital Traction Company Powerhouse that was located at the spot of the park. The building was demolished in 1968.

Additional costs were then incurred to redesign the underground pumps for the fountain, the centerpiece of the plaza. Though Councilmember Jack Evans, with support from Mayor Fenty, was able to obtain $950,000, which was matched by money from the National Park Service’s Centennial Initiative Fund, phase two of the construction was still asking for an additional $150,000 from private
sources — again to be matched by the Park Service, bringing the total to $300,000 — to complete the park.

On October 7, the Georgetown BID presented Bob vom Eigen from the Friends of the Waterfront Park with a $50,000 check to assist in the completion of phase two of construction. The donation again will be matched by the National Park Service and will apparently, along with Pepco’s recent $50,000 donation, finalize the necessary fundraising for completion of phase two of the Park by June 2011.

But the Friends of Georgetown Waterfront Park continue to turn to the local community to come up with the rest of the funds, with the promise that every dollar donated will be matched by the National
Park Service.

According to Councilman Jack Evans, our local government is facing a shortfall of $100 million in declining revenue and $75 million in various spending pressures. Is this troubled park currently worth the efforts and resources of an ailing economy? We present no argument against the importance of public spaces, and the positive effects of community parks and recreation areas, but the plans for this park far exceed necessary expenditures for community development.

Plans for phase two of the Park, which stretches from Wisconsin Avenue to 31st Street, include a low arcing fountain lined with benches and steps laddering down to the river. A wide walkway will be continued along the river with an area with benches and a pergola for river viewing. An interactive
fountain will be added, and an arbor will be constructed above the new benches. Below the arbor, river stairs will descend to the water, forming an amphitheater where people can view activities in the park and watch the finish line of the boat races. For more information about Georgetown Waterfront Park construction, visit www.georgetownwaterfrontpark.org. Keep your fingers crossed.

The Mama Grizzlies Are Coming – But Will They Eat Their Young?
•

 

-Grr. Swat. Intimidating pose.

A new political animal may be coming to a town and statehouse near you: mama grizzlies. They combine a protective maternal instinct with the power of a large angry animal.

This could be excellent news for kids who have suffered greatly in the recession. Their college funds have been decimated, their homes foreclosed and taken away, their families impoverished from extended periods of under- or unemployment. The innocence of these citizens does not earn them the power to vote, so champions for their wellbeing (beyond their mothers) are more than welcome.

Throughout history Moms have symbolized compassion and self-sacrifice, from renaissance images of the Madonna to the life and works of Mother Teresa. Through their collective efforts to help the world’s children, mothers represent a bridge from a present replete with potential (and problems) to a bright future.

So, Moms log millions of unpaid hours volunteering in schools. Despite incredible hardship, impoverished mothers choose daily to prioritize the health and education of their children and receive a helping hand from microfinance organizations and charities. Neighborhood moms organize drives for disaster victims. Personally and collectively, mothers are a driving force in transforming their communities and the world at large.

This emergence of a potentially powerful and committed ursine species should bode well for kids struggling from the effects of this recession. Republican and Tea Party Senate candidates Carly Fiorina (California), Sharron Angle (Nevada), and Christine O’Donnell (Delaware), as well as South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley – and all of the others anointed “Mama Grizzlies” by Sarah Palin and her followers – claim they will fight for children in their states.

But these “mama grizzlies” seem more like their cousins the black bears, a species known to sometimes abandon their cubs.

“Mama grizzlies” aren’t making children’s health a priority. Many advocate repealing a deficit-neutral
health care reform package that specifically targets benefits for the nation’s youth. The new law prevents insurance companies from excluding preexisting conditions for children and adults alike, extends the period youths can stay on parents’ insurance, and funds state programs for poor children. Advocates of repeal fail to say how they will replace the many provisions that promise to keep kids healthy.

“Mama grizzlies” also support businesses that have been responsible for recent recalls of poisoned
peanuts, spinach, and eggs, as well gross negligence in allowing toxic chemicals into toys. And beyond even these deplorable business practices, our children’s future employment is imperiled by the exodus of manufacturing jobs overseas (one-third alone left during the Bush presidency). But generally these mamas are avidly pro-business. Haley has described placing private sector executives into state regulatory agencies as “a beautiful thing” and suggests wiping out the corporate income tax. These candidates have fallen short in describing how the candidates would build the next generation of jobs and ensure kids eat and play with only what’s safe.

These mamas do not seem particularly concerned about childhood’ education. America has dropped from first to twelfth in college attainment and ranks in achievement close to the bottom of Western nations in math, science and reading. Senate hopeful Sharron Angle once called for abolishing the Department of Education. Others call for performance-based pay and more private schools – piecemeal and ineffective approaches to our children’s education crisis.

These same “mama grizzlies” rarely discuss environmental and public health considerations, despite the asthma and obesity epidemics. One telling example is that Angle dismissed the escrow account for BP’s spill, a monumental disaster that has wreaked havoc on children’s mental health, breathing, and bodies, as a “slush fund”.

The approaching election offers a prime opportunity for moms with a grizzly bear’s strength of will to rise up and whack the oversized bullies that have left our children less healthy and poorer. This is an opportunity to do what Mothers should do: set up strict rules and punishing consequences for those who prey on their brood.

But insurance corporations, Big Oil, and too-large-to-fail banks seem to have co-opted the protective instincts of these potentially influential politicians. These “mama grizzlies” rise up. They grab a microphone to speak to the public, but they have little to say on the issues affecting our children. More than anything their message is, in effect, “Hey! Hands off the big guy.”

Voters have the duty to campaign for and elect candidates who put our kids first, who demonstrate
that they will fight to ensure a better future for the children of the country. While the roar of the mother grizzly is deafening, be sure not to mistake its tenor with the lesser snarl of the black bear.

DMV Amnesty Program
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In this economy, breaks are a tough thing to catch. But starting Aug. 1, the DMV will be offering just that: amnesty on all overdue parking and moving violation tickets issued before Jan. 1, 2010, meaning that late fees on outstanding tickets will be waived.

The Amnesty Program, which will be in effect through Jan. 27, is applicable only to District residents and does not waive the whole fee, only late charges. The DMV also won’t assess points on moving violations and hearings will not be granted for amnesty tickets. Tickets must be paid within the six-month grace period to receive the waiver.

The program is a method of inciting District residents to pay long overdue tickets. According to The Washington Post, Mayor Gray (D) said that the city expects to collect $6.3 million over the course of the program.

Do you have overdue parking tickets?

visit the DMV’s Website and enter your license plate number to find out.

Leaky Pipes Cause Clogged Roads
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D.C. Water and the District Department of Transportation begin an overhaul on a two-part repair project today on the eastbound side of Canal Road, near Georgetown University.

DDOT anticipates traffic delays, as the first phase of the project confine traffic to one lane of Canal Road during construction. DDOT will to close the lane from the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Drivers may want to use George Washington Parkway as an alternative. Crews may also need to work 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

The project will revive a 48 inch water main that helps deliver drinking water around the city. The main has been leaking persistently creating poor conditions along the surrounding roadway.

In the second phase of the project, crews will be working to seal a pipe along M Street between 26th Street and New Hampshire Avenue.

The project should be completed by September 1.

Dog Days of August
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If a dog is a man’s best friend, then he’s going to want to spend his outings and vacations in the company of his favorite companion. These restaurants, hotels, attractions and shops cater to DC dog lovers and offer pet-friendly events and services.

HAPPY HOURS:

The Helix
1430 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
Every Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. the Helix Lounge hosts “Doggy Happy Hour” on its outdoor patio. The happy hour menu features a selection of filtered ice water, fortified vitamin water and assorted treats for dogs, and $3 and $5 drinks for their owners. The restaurant is located in the Hotel Helix at 1430 Rhode Island Ave., which also welcomes pets and provides amenities for its furry guests such as treats, feeding bowls, bottled water, beds and pick-up bags.

Cantina Marina
600 Water St., SW
This outdoor patio located at the Gangplank on the Potomac offers a menu full of great finger-food and famous fish tacos any day of the week, but during happy hour on Monday evenings from 5-9 p.m., dog owners can enjoy $2 beers on the waterfront in the company of their pets.

Union Pub
201 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Dogs are always welcome on the patio at Union Pub at 201 Massachusetts Ave., and upon request will be served water while their owners enjoy the pub’s famous burgers and beer.

Pat Troy’s Ireland’s Own
111 N. Pitt St.,?Alexandria, Virginia 22314
From the patio at Pat Troy’s Irish restaurant and pub, owners can treats their dogs to a hearty Irish supper from a menu that includes chicken, chopped burger, lamb stew and beef stew, all of which comes with a bone on the side.

The Argonaut
1433 H St., NE
Argo-Mutts Happy Hour takes place on the restaurant’s patio every Saturday from 12-5 p.m. The Argonaut has formed a partnership with Metro Mutts, which will bring treats and other giveaways for dogs attending happy hour.

Art and Soul
415 New Jersey Ave., NW
Art and Soul serves dog meals and treats every day of the week from its “Pooch Patio Menu.” Beverages include water, nonalcoholic “Bowser Beer” and “Vitapaw” – a vitamin enhanced water, and frozen raw bones, three ounce or six ounce grilled steak and beef tips with sauce and rice are among the entrée selections. The restaurant also serves homemade dog biscuits and granola treats.

Jay’s Saloon and Grille
3114 10th St. N, Arlington, VA 22201
Dogs are always welcome on the Arlington restaurant’s patio, but in addition, the Jay’s Saloon and Grille hosts “Yappy Hour” from 1-4 p.m. one Sunday each month. Pets can enjoy water, treats and games while their owners chill with a two-dollar bottle of beer, a $1.50 draft or $2.95 glass of wine.

Hotel Monaco
480 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
The hotel’s locations in DC and Alexandria are both pet-friendly, and deliver bottled water, food bowls, a treat and a map of popular dog walks to the rooms of guests accompanied by a four-legged companion. The Alexandria location advertises Doggy Happy Hour in the courtyard every Tuesday and Thursday from 5-8 p.m. between the months of April and October, where dogs receive complimentary treats and water and guests can order from the Jackson 20’s Bar Menu.

JUST FOR FUN:

Potomac Riverboat Co. Canine Cruise
3 Cameron Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Canine Cruises depart from the Alexandria City Marina every Thursday at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. between June 16 and September 15. For $15, dog owners can take their pets on a 40-minute tour of Alexandria’s waterfront.

Doggie Style Bakery
1825 18th St NW
This bakery caters exclusively to any dog’s sweet tooth, with custom-designed dog cakes for any occasion, “Mutt Licks” – the bakery’s ice cream for dogs, fresh baked treats and cookies and a variety of all-natural dog snacks. Owners can treat their dogs to a day of pampering in the shop’s boutique and spa for professional grooming and shampooing.

GROOMING:

Chateau Animaux
524 8th St., SE
This pet store on the Hill sells pet supplies and professional grooming services, but also strives to make pet care easy for owners. For $15 dollars pet owners are given access to a tub and the supplies they need to bathe their pets themselves, or the busy pet owner can arrange for food and other supplies to be delivered straight to his or her home on a regular or occasional basis.

Metro Mutts
508 H St., NE
In addition to selling pet supplies, Metro Mutts provides dog walking and dog sitting services in the Capitol Hill area. Pet owners can select from a variety of packages to meet their pet’s walking and feeding schedules, and will receive records of their pet’s daily activities. Metro Mutts offers to take care of small household tasks during visits, including bringing in the mail, watering plants and the like.

Fur-Get Me Not
1722 Florida Ave, NW
This shop has everything a dog could need, from treats and toys to training, boarding and walking. The doggie daycare strives to meet the individual needs of each dog, and customers can take advantage of daily scheduled or overnight dog sitting services.

The Big Bad Woof
117 Carroll St NW
The Big Bad Woof carries pet gear and supplies for “the socially conscious pet,” selling Fair Trade and eco-friendly products. Their food selections are based on a holistic approach to pet health and wellness, and many products are made from organic materials.

While there are a lot of great things to do with your best buddy in the city, everyone needs a break from the bustle sometimes. Now is a great time of year to head off on a road trip with your pooch by your side. Check out this dog-friendly getaway:

Keswick Club
701 Club Drive, Keswick, Va. 22947
This stately retreat offers not only a challenging golf course, tennis courts, fine dining and well-appointed rooms, but it also extends its hospitality to its guests’ canine companions. Dogs are welcome all over the grounds and in the rooms. Beloved pooches are even incorporated into the lavish weddings that the Club often hosts with the rolling hills of the Virginia countryside as their backdrop.

Jack Evans Report
•

Is it just me, or is this summer even hotter than the last? As I mention every year during the dog days of summer, I hope you will take a moment to check in on your elderly or ill neighbors who might need a little assistance. Weather like this can effect even the healthiest of us.

This year, similar to years past, has proven to be entertaining in terms of Washington’s No.1 spectator sport – politics. With a number of primary contests heating up, local news coverage is already keeping track of fundraising achievements and other campaign-related news.

As I write this, I am reading reports of the recent deal between Congress and the President to raise the federal debt ceiling. While this would seem to be a national issue, any change in federal spending patterns always has a dramatic impact on the District since we are not recognized as a state. Much like with the potential federal government shutdown earlier in the year, the threat of a federal government default has placed the District government on high alert and necessitated the preparation of contingency plans in the event of a catastrophe.

Though this latest crisis has been averted, the fall Council session will soon begin and we have many challenges ahead. Certain aspects of our financial health are improving; however, while we were concerned about revisiting the fiscal year 2011 budget last year at this time due to declining revenue projections, I am hopeful now that our Chief Financial Officer will identify further new revenue and give us an opportunity to repeal some more of the Mayor’s proposed tax increases. I believe ultimately we must right-size the District government to match our actual revenues. Failure to do so will cause individuals and businesses to restructure their investments or even leave the District if their tax burdens continually rise.

Make sure to let your at-large Council representatives know where you stand on these issues and have a great summer!

Sweetgreen Celebrates Four Years
• August 8, 2011

In celebration of four years of business, Sweetgreen on M Street is giving customers free frozen yogurt with the purchase of any salad.

The store, which was opened four summers ago by three freshly-graduated Georgetown University students, has expanded from its original location to have eight storefronts in D.C., two in Philadelphia, and one roaming location – a food truck.

The founders left this message for their patrons on their website:

“Since our first shop on M St, we’ve changed and expanded, from new locations in Washington D.C., to introducing our very own food truck – Sweetflow Mobile, to expanding into Philadelphia, to throwing a music festival with the Strokes.

“We would never have been able to take these steps without the support of all the sweet people in our lives and our dedicated employees. To thank all our friends for taking this journey with us we’re giving away a free sweetflow with the purchase of any salad at Georgetown today. – Jon, Nic, and Nate”

Ice Rink Could Come to Washington Harbour
•

MRP Realty, the company that purchased Washington Harbour last year, is planning a $30 million renovation that includes updated offices, new restaurant space and a rebuilt outdoor plaza featuring an outdoor ice-skating rink.

At 11,000 square feet, the proposed ice rink would be the largest in the city, according to MRP’s Robert J. Murphy. During the warmer months, the rink would be replaced by a 7,000 square foot fountain.

The plans are still being looked at by neighbors and community leaders, but once the plans are ok-ed, work could begin early next year, with completion in the spring of 2012. Work to renovate Washington Habour’s office space has already begun.

After April’s flood, Washington Harbour could sure use a boost like this. Several of the bars and restaurants located there are still waiting to reopen.

Hottest July on Record in D.C.
•

According to the Washington Post, this July was the hottest month in Washington on record. The average temperature was 84.5 degrees, more than one degree hotter than the previous hottest month, July of 2010. The hottest day of all was July 29 at 104 degrees, the hottest temperature in 13 years. The hottest ever was 106 degrees, on July 20, 1930. Over the whole month, the temperature reached 90 degrees 25 times.

The month also had eight record days for warm low temperatures, including seven when the temperature failed to fall below 80 degrees, four of which came consecutively (from July 21 to 24). On July 23 and 24 the District tied for its warmest all-time low temperature of 84 degrees.

August is not showing any signs of relief, as today’s high was 98 degrees.

The Player: Richard Goldberg
•

Dr. Richard Goldberg is a 21st Century Renaissance Man. The Georgetown University Hospital President explores next-generation technology and psychiatry by day, rides motorbikes on his vacations, and reads the classics for fun. At RIS last week, he shared insights that he has gained during 42 years at Georgetown.

From Psychiatrist to President

When asked about his career path, going from mind doctor to hospital president, he gave a sigh of appreciation. “It’s an interesting journey because psychiatry is frequently at the bottom of the food chain,” he said.

His choice of a psychosomatic specialty brought him to other hospital physicians and their patients, aiding a progression from resident to faculty member to department chair. And in the financially challenging times of late 1990s he became (simultaneously and for the same salary) dean of clinical affairs, dean of graduate medical education, chair of psychiatry, and president of the 450-doctor faculty practice group, the last that lay the groundwork for promotion.

His practice area may not have the reputation as a hospital power broker, but it often confers leadership ability. “As a psychiatrist—as long as you don’t behave like a psychiatrist—you have a certain degree of emotional intelligence about people and how they best work together…It’s very helpful in managing a hospital, managing a physician, managing people.”

In 2000, Medstar bought the Georgetown University Hospital and faculty practice, and Goldberg began overseeing hospital quality and safety as vice president of medical affairs, a position he jokingly compares with serving as an assistant principal in a high school with wayward physicians. He’s held the hospital presidency for two years.

Over the last decade the hospital has changed deficits into surpluses, gained leverage with equipment suppliers through Medstar, and earned the number 3 ranking among the 57 DC Metropolitan hospitals, as well as the only “Magnet” status (for nursing excellence).

Goldberg’s DC life is a far cry from his childhood along the New York shore. The Long Beach resident played basketball and baseball with Billy Crystal (who showed Oscar promise even as high school variety show MC) and frolicked by the bay, but according to him the island life was insular. “I thought everyone was from Brooklyn. It turns out that’s not the case.”

Along with his worldview, this city and hospital have transformed over several decades. Visiting DC in the 1950s, he admits being shocked by the Washington Monument’s separate restrooms and water fountains for blacks and whites. Georgetown Medical School in the late 1960s was likewise wholly different from today: 98 men were paired with two women per class, there were no CAT scans and head scans, doctors mixed their own IVs, and psychiatry focused on psychotherapy. He relishes many of the changes, describing 50/50 student ratio as “humanizing” and new technology and drugs as “outstanding” in their potential impact.

The Future of Health Care

Goldberg believes computers will shape our future through nanotechnology, robotics and genetics, trends emerging in medicine. In a new era of personalized medicine, he explains, doctors will use genetics to identify the likelihood of developing a disease and the best medications for an individual. It will be possible to inject patients with nanorobot sensors, which will float around the blood system and organs, giving feedback to detection devices to indicate if an illness has occurred or tell about a treatment’s progression.

Robots like the da Vinci Surgical System will allow doctors to operate easily and intuitively for prostrate and thoracic cancer, and other ailments treated at the Lombardi Cancer Center.

Viruses packed with chemotherapy will use receptors to find and join cancer cells and release the chemotherapy while sparing normal tissue, increasing the survivability for a broad range of cancer disorders.

Yet there is a huge paradox in health care. The underserved population and Jesuit traditions contrast with a depersonalized and potentially costly high-tech future.

The hospital relies on its heritage for guidance. While Jesuits, a Catholic order that stresses lifelong education, are less visible than in the past, they guided the mission adopted in 2007. “Cura personalis” (meaning care of the whole person) is a reminder that pills and technology must serve the broader goal of satisfying emotional, spiritual and physical needs.

The giving nature of the order also prompts charity care for the poor. A children’s van goes out to the most underserved areas of Washington DC, treating kids who wouldn’t ordinarily get medical care, and the hospital offers free cancer screenings to adults.

Goldberg sees many gaps in the health care system but says he is optimistic that a country as great as ours can meet them.

“We need to have more accessible care for individuals,” he says. “We need to cover more individuals. We need to have more emphasis on wellness than sickness.

“We need to be more aware of care as not just a single episode, but a continuity of care. We need to be safer and higher quality in terms of or care.”

But as with most things, he understands that progress will be incremental. “I don’t think can be created de novo out of somebody’s head. It has to, like any good system, evolve.”

From Motorcycles to Mahatma Gandhi

One way he deals with work pressure is to exit his element. For 25 years—starting with a Harley Sportster, now on a BMW 3 Touring Bike—he has cycled the country. His fascination with human narrative is given broader play, meeting people like those recently out of prison that would otherwise be unlikely confidantes. He also enjoys communing with the environment, whether the national parks of the Southwest or the seascape of Key West.

“There’s something about being on a motorcycle that is relaxed concentration,” he says. “You have to concentrate all the time, but you’re in this zone, you’re participating with the road and nature rather than observing it.”

If motorcycling is a social and spiritual quest, his literary projects are an intellectual journey. His free time is not occupied by friends, restaurants and movies. Rather, he has taken on a sort of literary project. He reads classics and listens to biographies (currently Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography) while he exercises on his Octane seated elliptical machine. The biographies have provided personal instruction, including two major life lessons.

“Every person no matter how successful or how much we idealize them has incredible unevenness. They can have great contributions in some areas and weaknesses in other areas,” he says.

“And they have been down and out at various times in their life,” he adds. “The path to greatness is not a straight line. Its really enduring and learning how to get out of those troughs in your life, whatever they are.”

“Aging well is about being adaptable, learning how to find meaning in activities that you might not have been interested in before, but that you can now do.”

He summarizes with a common phrase given deeper resonance by his inspiring example in psychiatry, literature, and leadership. “That’s what life is about – meaning.”

To Listen to interview, click here