News & Politics

Robert Devaney • September 9, 2011

While Hurricane Irene spared the District and Georgetown from her full force, residents still felt the storm’s wrath from around mid-day Saturday, Aug. 27, to the early Sunday morning of Aug. 28, when they started cleaning up. Branches and debris were strewn around homes and yards. A few had to deal with downed trees or tree branches on fences and cars. Otherwise, by lunchtime, Sunday was bright and sunny with people out on the streets, visiting friends and going to restaurants. [gallery ids="100279,107227,107239,107232,107236" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

Rumors are spreading that the Georgetown Barnes & Noble will be closed by the end of the year. According to the Washington City Paper, the company is feeling the economic strain and the lower demand for printed books and has let its M Street lease run out.

What will take the book super store’s place is not yet confirmed, but the new tenants will allegedly be paying $65 per square foot in rent, which, although it’s an average price for Georgetown, is steep considering the stores three stories of space.

Gary Tischler •

I didn’t know there was so much to know about the ukulele , or how many people were crazy about it.

What I learned about the ukelele came later, on Wikipedia, where else. I learned that it had come from Hawaii, which I sort of knew, that it originated in the 19th century as a Hawaiian interpretation of the cavaquuinho or braguinha and the rajao, which meant nothing to me, but they were both small guitar-like instruments which came to Hawaii by way of Portuguese immigrants and that the name “ukulele” translates out to something like “jumping flea”. Queen Lili’uokalani, the last Hawaiian monarch said it meant “the gift that here.” Either way is fine by me.

I’ve never touched a ukulele in my life until last week when I went to the last concert in the annual free outdoor summer concert series held on the lawn by a gazebo at the Strathmore Mansion, adjacent to the Music Center at Strathmore, and now, it appears, a new and classy housing development down the way a bit.

This was Strathmore’s Third Annual UkeFest, and all I can say is, who knew? There were, by an admittedly very rough guesstimate on my part a couple of thousand people spread out on the Strathmore rolling law, near a thousand of them carrying ukes of all sizes and designs with them. Like I said, who knew?

Strathmore’s Shelley Brown handed me this little itty bitty thing that looked like a toy. “It’s easy, try it,” she said. “Play the C note.” I played the C note. The earth did not move—that was the day before. But I was pleased, in a silly, stupid sort of way, as if I had done something really cool.

A fellow by the named of Michael Al Rosson understood perfectly. He had a mighty beard and looked and overalls and looked exactly like a uke player to me, those that don’t appear to be Samoans. “I work in the mail room at a research center,” he said. “I took it up about six years ago, and I got the fever, the uke fever. Never stopped. It’s easy to play. You can play just about anything. It’s fun. It has history. You can entertain people including yourself. And it’s really great to be here.”
Now he bills himself as a singer/songwriter/charactervoice perfsormer and Ukulele Enthusiast.

Just about the spiffiest cool looking ukulele dude there was ChristyLez Bacon, a self-described progressive hip-hop artist, but also a ukulele player. He had a cool hat, suspenders, his clothes looked ready-made from London by way of some dude shop in LA. He was as thin as a reed, with energy to burn.

So did this kid about five years old, who handled his little ukulele like it was a Rick James rock and roll and funk guitar. His sister looked at him skeptically, but he struck the pose and vogued his little self and played: something.

It was one of those things in a week of earthquakes and hurricanes and the usual slew of politics that could make you forget your cares and woes and play “Bye Bye Blackbird”. You can on the uke. Rudy Vallee, when he wasn’t holding a megaphone, played the uke in the Roaring Twenties when it was mysteriously popular in the United States.

That ended with the Depression, but the uke has resurfaced in a big way in the aftermath when Hawaiian musician Israel Kamakawiwo’ole made it popular all again with uke renditions of “Over The Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World”, which went viral on the Internet in a good way, making people laugh and cry at the same time.

At Strathmore, they were trying to break the Guinness Book of World Record uke record for the largest Ukulele Ensemble ever, which stood at 851. The gathered thousand or more easily swept by that with well over 900, all of which raised high in the air, as if the night was the ukulele Agincourt, which it probably was.

That record lasted a little because news on the Guinness website said that some Swedes had set a new mark well over a thousand.

Silly Swedes

Such news, in the uke world, don’t mean a thing, because it don’t have that swing. Because the instrument produces sounds, plays songs, and music that make you in the dark of the night pretty happy or at least not lonesome.

It showed in the family-like sun-setting fervor of the Uke Setting, where the Riders, amateur musicians from the Riderwood Retirement Community showed up and played in Hawaiian shirts, and youngsters fromn the Piney Branch Kids Ukulele Ensemble layed as Gerald Ross, blending humor jazz and blues, the terrific ladies duo of The Sweater Set, and hosts Marcy Marxer and Cathy Fink led the crowd in a rendition of “This Land is Made for You and Me”, as the smell of fried chicken wafted in the air.

That magnificent C Note. If only we all had one. [gallery ids="100280,107237" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

As the 10th anniversary of September 11 is upon us, we remember another anniversary of a foreign power attacking the U.S. It was the War of 1812. Sept. 14 is Star-Spangled Banner Day.

After the burning of public buildings in the new capital, Washington, D.C., in August 1814, the Royal Navy and British army prepared to attack the bigger city of Baltimore in the days before Sept. 14. Meanwhile, as the British roamed around Chesapeake Bay and Maryland, they had captured a town leader, Dr. William Beanes, from Upper Marlboro, prompting a presidential group to seek his release. President James Madison had asked Georgetown lawyer Francis Scott Key to meet the British and negotiate. While with British officers on their ship near Fort McHenry, which guarded Baltimore harbor, Key could not leave and witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry. After the British push on land to Baltimore City was stymied, the navy stayed out of range of the fort and hit it repeatedly but failed to pass its defense.

Ending an evening of terrible explosions, lights and sounds, the British gave up the fight and withdrew in the morning. As “the dawn’s early light” revealed that Fort McHenry had stood its ground, Key was elated to see “that our flag was still there.” A large American flag – the Star-Spangled Banner – waved atop the fort. It was a moment of profound relief for the Americans to know that their former rulers would not split the young nation in two with the demise of Baltimore. This war revealed one of the first times that Americans had acted as Americans – a fresh national identity – and not as Marylanders, Virginians or New Yorkers. Key wrote these sentiments into his poem, “The Defense of Fort McHenry,” quickly renamed “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It become an instant hit, an army musical standard and finally the national anthem.

Key lived with his large family in Georgetown, D.C., from 1804 to around 1833 with his wife Polly and their six sons and five daughters. Their land was across from what is now the Car Barn (3500 block of M Street) and their backyard went all the way to the Potomac River (the C&O Canal did not yet exist). The accomplished lawyer, truly a gentleman, scholar and fine orator, was involved in church and community in the small town of 5,000 Georgetowners. He was the district attorney for Washington under the Jackson and Van Buren administrations.

Years later, business leaders and the Georgetowner newspaper founded “Star-Spangled Banner Days” to celebrate the flag, the anthem and its author, a hometown hero. On Sept. 14, 1993, the Francis Scott Key Foundation paid for, completed and dedicated the park on M Street – one block from his famous home, demolished in 1947 – between 34th street and Key Bridge. The Francis Scott Key Foundation is still active providing additional maintenance of the park, such as a fresh flag periodically. It plans more events for the park, now part of the National Park Service, and history lessons for Mr. Key’s neighborhood.

Francis Scott Key Park and the Star-Spangled Banner Monument is a D.C. and national salute to the flag, the anthem and the man with its percola, bust of Key and a flag pole which flies a Star-Spangled Banner. That original flag, which inspired Key’s song, is on display about 25 city blocks away at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Passers-by can rest and meet at this Georgetown oasis and recall a time when a young city and country had confronted its own years of war and lived through it to thrive and create a great nation.

Robert Devaney •

Local and international designer, artist and furniture maker, Jan Marfyak has set up shop, Uncommon Furnishings, at 35th and N Streets. “It’s got a different buzz,” says Marfyak approvingly of today’s Georgetown. He has been around D.C. for years as well as the New York and L.A. arts scene and has worked with Krupsaw’s, Antony Childs, Miller & Armey and Muleh.

Displaying decorative objects for homes – polished petrified wood, calcium slabs and mill stones, to name a few intriguing pieces – Marfyak pulls from his warehouse in Montgomery County and his world travels. His designs involve unusual textures, forms and colors with residential and commercial applications. If you are looking for unique framings or yet-to-be-authenticated petrified crocodiles from China – or not – stop by and say hello to Marfyak. Each of his art pieces tells a story, and he can tell quite a few of his own. He is well worth the trip. Uncommon Furnishings is at 1301 35th St., NW, 202.422.6695.

Samantha Hungerford •

As it became clear that the rain clouds hanging over D.C. aren’t going to be blowing over soon, the C&O Canal Trust announced that emergency flood preparations are to be made this week. The towpath, Visitor Centers and all lockhouses will be closed and visitors are being warned about rapidly rising flood waters. The public preview of Lockhouse 10 is postponed until further notice.

The C&O Canal Trust has also issued a call for emergency volunteers to help sandbag around Lockhouse 6 this Thursday afternoon. For assignment details, call the Trust at 301-714-2233. More information about closures and further updates will be available at CanalTrust.org and on the Trust’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.

According to the Trust, this year’s flood is expected to cause more damage than the flood of 2010 and they urge people to use extreme caution.

Georgetowner • September 7, 2011

Town Hall Moving to Replace Blue Ridge
Town Hall, formerly of 2340 Wisconsin Ave., will move in to the Blue Ridge space at 2218 Wisconsin Ave. in the coming weeks, according to the Glover Park Gazette. The owners of Town Hall will acquire the building, which includes a large patio space and bar, and the property’s liquor license. According to the Gazette, the owners of Blue Ridge, Eli Hengst and Jared Rager, were unable to complete their plans for opening a coffeehouse and diner in the space because of ongoing complications with Mendocino Bar & Grill. Hengst and Rager subleased the M Street property to the Grill, which was forced to close last spring due to back taxes.

‘Uncommon Furnishings’ Comes to Town
Local and international designer, artist and furniture maker, Jan Marfyak has set up shop, Uncommon Furnishings, at 35th and N Streets. “It’s got a different buzz,” says Marfyak approvingly of today’s Georgetown. He has been around D.C. for years as well as the New York and L.A. arts scene and has worked with Krupsaw’s, Antony Childs, Miller & Armey and Muleh.

Displaying decorative objects for homes – polished petrified wood, calcium slabs and mill stones, to name a few intriguing pieces – Marfyak pulls from his warehouse in Montgomery County and his world travels. His designs involve unusual textures, forms and colors with residential and commercial applications. If you are looking for unique framings or yet-to-be-authenticated petrified crocodiles from China – or not – stop by and say hello to Marfyak. Each of his art pieces tells a story, and he can tell quite a few of his own. He is well worth the trip. Uncommon Furnishings is at 1301 35th St., NW, 202.422.6695.

Liquor Store Hours Extended to Midnight
Neighborhood liquor stores can now stay open until midnight instead of 10 p.m. D.C.’s new law which raises alcohol taxes – from nine to 10 percent – also includes extending hours for retail liquor sales to offset losses for the businesses involved. Already, liquor stores such as Wagner’s and Dixie Liquor, are open until midnight Thursday through Saturday.

Georgetowner • September 6, 2011

Free For All: Julius Caesar

September 2, 2011

Shakespeare Theatre Company’s annual free play revisits the Bard’s tragedy, which it staged during the 2007-2008 season.Tickets for each performance of Julius Caesar will be made available to the public on the day of the show by visiting Sidney Harman Hall as well as through an online lottery system. for more information visit Shakespeare Theatre Company’s website.

Shakespeare Theatre Company – Harman Hall

610 F St. NW

Washington, DC

Uptown Deli Announces First Annual Matzo Ball Eating Contest

September 5, 2011 at 03:00 PM | $50 Tel: (301) 961-5787

The First Annual Uptown Deli Matzo Ball Eating Contest to be held on Labor Day, September 5th. While matzo ball eating contests are not new, Howard Wasserman (Bethesda’s source for all things delicatessen) says that his contest will be the first in the DC area and will feature his own special matzo ball recipe that has been in his family for generations. Wasserman is a bit secretive about his recipe but he says, “There’s no question that my matzo ball is by far the best around. I make my version light and fluffy, they’re called “floaters”…and they’re not heavy like so many of them. Our contestants will have no problems eating my matzo balls.” Contestants will have 8 minutes to see who can eat the most matzo balls. Proceeds will benefit The Children’s Inn at NIH.

Address

Uptown Deli

7905 Norfolk Avenue

Bethesda, MD 20814

Author Susan McCorkindale at Barnes & Noble

Wednesday September 07, 2011 7:00 PM

Meet Susan McCorkindale and get your signed copy of her new book, 500 Acres and No Place to Hide. Critics are calling it “Self-deprecating and funny.” (Publisher’s Weekly), “Serious girl-crush material; McCorkindale’s humor and wit are brilliantly funny.” (Blog Critics), and “500 Acres will just as easily make readers laugh as wipe tears from their eyes.” (Kirkus) It’s the perfect read for a fall weekend get-away!

Address

3040 M Street NW,

Washington, DC 20007

202-965-9880

Fashion’s Night Out is Coming Back to Georgetown

September 8, 2011

GET READY! FNO Georgetown DC is coming back – bigger and better than ever! On September 8, 2011, Fashion’s Night Out Transforms Georgetown into a Fashion Playground with Over 90 Epic Style Celebrations! check out the FNO Georgetown DC 2010 video with highlights from last year’s exciting evening! for more information Visit Fashion Night Out](http://www.fashionsnightoutgeorgetowndc.com/)

Address

All of Georgetown DC

Shannon McGovern •

SlutWalk marched through D.C. on Saturday as one of many recent marches organized by women to raise awareness and reduce the blame put by society on victims of sexual abuse.

Women and men gathered at Lafayette Square and processed down 15th Street to the Washington Monument. Some marchers woreonly in a bra, several painted “Slut” across their chests, others carried signs declaring “My Dress is Not a Yes” and “Even Sluts Have a Right to Say ‘No’.” All conveyed the same message: Consent is not granted by the way a woman dresses or acts, and victims are never responsible for sexual violence committed against them.

SlutWalk D.C. defines its principle goal as onethat “specifically aims to challenge ‘rape culture’ which excuses sexual violence through messaging such as ‘Don’t Get Raped’ – instead the message should be ‘Don’t Rape!’”

SlutWalk D.C. follows a series of marches that began with a small movement in Toronto in April, after a Toronto police officer who suggested that women could better protect themselves by not dressing “like a slut.”

Since Toronto, SlutWalk has not only taken Chicago, Austin, Philadelphia and Seattle by storm, but also gone international with marches in Brisbane, Australia and London, England.

For more information about SlutWalk, its principles and its history, visit slutwalkdc.org
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