Georgetown House Tour: Benefiting the Georgetown Ministry Center
• April 20, 2011

According to longtime Georgetown House Tour chairwoman Frida Burling, the annually anticipated House Tour has chosen to benefit the Georgetown Ministry Center “for what seems like forever.” Burling admits that it is an organization she “just adores,” and for whose services she is greatly appreciative.

The Georgetown Ministry Center is a small organization that has quietly been making a difference in the Georgetown community for years. They are a unique social service continuing to better the neighborhood they serve, with one main goal: to get the homeless off the streets.

“We’re not content with just helping people be comfortable,” said Gunther Stern, Executive Director of the Ministry. “We are looking for ways to get people off the street, to connect with them with access to resources and a real intent to help.”

Wearing many hats at the Ministry, from administrative work to in- house barber, Stern stands clear on that mission.

And his mission is a difficult one. Many of the clients that walk into the Ministry, on Wisconsin Avenue, have a mental illness they often aren’t comfortable admitting. The Ministry sees between 30 to 50 people a day, seven days a week. Their hours are currently 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., but Stern hopes to complete some construction on the facility soon to allow the Ministry to stay open until 5 p.m.

During their drop-in hours the Ministry offers counseling, information and referral services. Showers and laundry are also available to clients and typically run between eight and 10 a day.

In addition, the Ministry offers computers for client use. The computers turn off after an hour of use and clients are generally happy to share. “People will be using a computer, but will get up and willingly offer it to someone else if needed,” Stern said. “Its really neat to see.”

In an effort to keep with the Ministry’s intentional helping hand, a psychiatrist lends professional help to clients daily. In addition to seeing people inside the Ministry, he also reaches out to those on the streets and in the alleys of Georgetown.

The Ministry has a unique outreach in which the staff literally hits the streets in effort to reach the most vulnerable and withdrawn of the homeless, lending an ear and a hand or, if nothing else, preventing hyperthermia in the colder winter months.

The Ministry’s Winter Shelter is a safe haven for the homeless who face living on the streets in harsh weather conditions. The program runs from November to mid-April, rotating semi-monthly among member congregations in Georgetown.

And the ministry’s presence in Georgetown has not gone unnoted. The community has given back to the Ministry with events such as The Spirit of Georgetown, The Taste of Georgetown and Help the Homeless, which was a great success this past year.

Help the Homeless, a walk to end homelessness, was put on by Fannie Mae this past fall, and according to Stern raised $176,000 for the Ministry. Proceeds from the walk and other events fund the Ministry’s general operations.

As the Ministry strives to continue to improve the community and move the homeless off the streets, Stern’s long-term goal is much different from other organization’s. “If we didn’t have any homeless on the street, and we were put out of business by this time next year, we’d be happy,” Stern said.

Until then, Georgetown Ministry Center will work towards their goal of ensuring everyone has somewhere to call home, and the House Tour is a wonderful community event to show off the homes of those more fortunate, while not forgetting those who are down on their luck.
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Jack Evans Report
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On April 1, Mayor Gray submitted his Fiscal Year 2012 budget proposal to the City Council.

The total budget for the District is $9.6 billion. Of that amount, 58% or $5.5 billion are locally raised funds, 27% or $2.6 billion are federal grants, and the remainder is enterprise funds raised and spent by entities such as the Convention Center and Water Authority. The federal money is the same amount proportionally that the states receive. I must stress that the federal government does not make any separate contribution to the District. This federal payment was eliminated in 1996.

The unique problem with the Mayor’s budget is that it calls for $300 million more in spending than the FY 2011 budget. The budget has grown by over 3% when budgets of cities and states nationwide are shrinking. The Mayor then intends to pay for this increase by cutting spending by $187 million and by raising taxes $127 million. The spending cuts are modest and do not have any measurable effect. It is interesting to note that the DCPS budget actually increases, the only school budget in the nation to do so.

The proposed tax increases are problematic. The budget increases the income tax on persons making over $200,000 from 8.5% to 8.9%, the sales tax from 5.75% to 6%, and the parking tax from 12% to 19%. It also extends the sales tax to live theatre events, implements combined reporting on corporations and doubles the Circulator bus fee from $1 to $2.

This budget marks the first time the City has proposed raising the income tax in thirty years and will once again make the District the highest taxed in the region and the fifth highest in the nation. The other tax increases are also anti-business and not competitive. None of these tax increases are necessary.

If the Mayor wants to increase spending in certain areas, he should offset those increases by making hard decisions to spend less elsewhere. This has not happened.

Absent from the budget are any funds to increase the size of our police force to 4,000 sworn officers. Because of reductions in the public safety budget, the police force is in danger of falling below 3,800 officers that Chief Lanier believes to be necessary. The City needs at least $40 million to get back to the 4,000-officer level.

I will be working with my colleagues on the Council to eliminate these tax increases and to fund our police department. Last year for the first time, I voted no on the FY 2011 budget. We cannot afford to move forward another budget in which we don’t live within our means.

Weekend Roundup, April 14-17
• April 18, 2011

The spring weather is here to stay, and the city is buzzing with events. With the sun shining, there’s no reason not to hit the town. Here is what’s going on this weekend, straight from the Georgetowner’s online events calendar. And as always, we encourage you to get involved with your community by uploading your own events or any we may have missed.

TONIGHT: DC Zoning Commission Hearing on GU Campus Plan
April 14, 6:30 p.m.

Georgetown University will officially present its hotly disputed 2010 Campus Plan to the DC Zoning Commission tonight. For those who cannot make it to the hearing but still want to see the outcome, you can watch the meeting live from the DC Zoning Commission’s webcast on their website. Click here to go to the webcast page.

The hearing will take place at the DC Office of Zoning at 6:30 PM. The office is located just outside the Judiciary Square Metro Station. Office of Zoning Hearing Room 441 4th Street, Suite 220-S (Judiciary Square Metro).

Prima Materia: Vernal Matrix Opening Reception
April 15, 5 p.m.

The Old Print Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of Susan Goldman’s new show, Prima Materia: Vernal Matrix. Showcasing the amphora, Goldman’s woodcuts celebrate our connections to the natural world and ancient civilizations. Swirling and blossoming, her vessels mirror the female silhouette as it generates and nurtures new life. Using vibrant colors and dynamic patterns, Goldman’s prints are apt for spring’s arrival. Wine will be served. The Old Print Gallery is located at 1220 31st Street, NW. 202-965-1818

‘Miles of Hope’ for Wounded Warriors
April 16, early morning

400 bike riders will take part in “Face of America,” a 110-mile bicycle ride, starting April 16 at the steps of the U.S. Capitol and ending on the battlefield of Gettysburg, Pa., the next day. At least 80 of the riders will be military members who were wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan. (The first-day miles will take riders past the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington and over the Key Bridge to Georgetown and up Canal Road towards Frederick, Md.)

Look for the bicyclists coming over Key Bridge at M Street early Saturday morning—and salute some real American heroes. For the full article by Robert Devaney click here.

78th Annual Historic Alexandria House and Garden Tour
April 16, 10 a.m.

Six of Old Town Alexandria’s finest historic homes and gardens are open to the public in this highlight of Alexandria’s spring season. The tour is part of the 78th Annual Historic Garden Week in Virginia, the oldest and largest house and garden tour in the nation. 703-746-3309

Samuel Beckett at the Kennedy Center for this Weekend Only
April 14-17

Master director Peter Brook has assembled and staged a selection of Beckett’s one acts for a one hour event of avant garde theater at its finest. Titled “Fragments,” the show is in town only through this Sunday, so don’t miss it while it’s here. For more information visit the Kennedy Center online, or check out Gary Tischler’s exclusive interview with Brook.

An Easter Concert Celebration
April 16, 6 p.m.

The Kosciuszko Foundation presents Krystian Tkaczewski, Polish virtuoso and laureate of the piano, who has performed in competitions and festivals throughout the world. He is the founder of Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford, CT. The evening will feature works by F. Chopin, W.A. Mozart, and F. Schubert. Wine reception with Polish Easter treats will follow. The Kosciuszko Foundation is located at
2025 O Street NW. 202-785-2320

WIS Spring Bazaar
April 17, 11 a.m.

The Washington International School’s (WIS) Spring Bazaar is a chance for the family to get out together and enjoy a variety of activities on the WIS Tregaron campus hilltop. Activities include carnival games, vendor tables and much more! Visitors should come hungry so they can enjoy the International Food Court with tasty choices, such as crêpes, samosas, high tea, or hot dogs and hamburgers. 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. 3100 Macomb Street NW 202-243-1800

Julliard’s Afiara String Quartet
April 17, 2 p.m.

The Afiara String Quartet debuts on the WPAS Kreeger String Series on Sunday afternoon. The quartet will be performing Hayden, Beethoven, and Berg at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Tickets $35

Premiere: Hardy School Band at Cherry Blossom Parade
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Georgetown’s Hardy Middle School Marching Band got its inaugural chance to shine and be heard toward the end of the shutdown-threatened National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, after a parade car had caught fire, and Bob Ryan, Fred Flintstone and Thomas Jefferson had moved by, waving along Constitution Avenue, April 9.

Considering the big boys, such as Ballou or Cardozo, it was a huge honor for the school’s marching band, organized only two years ago by director Joseph Chisholm. [gallery ids="99645,105278" nav="thumbs"]

DC Circulator Service Changes Take Effect April 1
• April 11, 2011

(Washington, D.C.) On April 1, 2011, the DC Circulator will implement service changes affecting the Smithsonian-National Gallery of Art route, the Union Station-Navy Yard route, and the Convention Center-SW Waterfront route. Public notice of these changes was made on March 2 and a public meeting was held to discuss them on March 17. Details of the changes are as follows:

All service will end on the Smithsonian-National Gallery of Art route. Last year, an average of 2,427 passengers per month – fewer than 11 passengers an hour – utilized this route. The District was subsidizing each passenger an average of $11.50 per trip and has decided to end the service because it did not meet ridership or financial targets. (All historic ridership metrics can be found on our performance measures dashboard located at circulatordashboard.dc.gov.) Visitors to the National Mall should consult GoDCGo.com or the Metro Trip Planner at wmata.com to discover alternative public transit options in the National Mall area.

Savings gained from ending the Smithsonian-National Gallery of Art route will be reinvested to extend hours on the Union Station-Navy Yard route, providing a great travel option for evening activities on Capitol Hill and in the Capitol Riverfront area. Beginning April 1 through September 30, 2011, this route will operate Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

On Nationals home game days, the Union Station-Navy Yard route will continue to operate later into the evening and on Sundays in order to transport fans to and from baseball games. A 2011 baseball schedule with Circulator service hours can be found at DCCirculator.com under the “Where We Go” tab.

In the Southwest Waterfront area, service will be moved off Water Street, SW and onto Maine Avenue, SW, a very short distance away. Circulator stops will move to Maine Avenue at 7th Street, SW and Maine Avenue at 9th Street, SW. This change is made necessary due to pending construction of the Washington Kastles stadium on Water Street that will narrow traffic lanes.

For more information about all of the Circulator routes please visit DCCirculator.com. You can also follow @DCCirculator on Twitter for alerts about service disruptions and other updates.

G.U. Drug Lab Students Get Suspended 6-Month Sentence; 3 Years’ Probation
• April 5, 2011

Two students arrested at Georgetown University in October 2010 for creating a drug lab in a Harbin Hall dorm room will spend three years on probation and perform community service, according to the Associated Press. Charles Smith and John Perrone were sentenced in federal court here, March 18. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced the pair to six months in jail, but suspended the sentence and ordered them to complete three years on probation and 200 hours of community service, the AP reported. The two pleaded guilty last month to manufacturing the illegal hallucinogen DMT. The sentence was recommended by prosecutors and the teens’ attorneys. At the time of their arrest, Smith was a freshman at Georgetown University, and Perrone was a freshman at the University of Richmond

Jack Evans Report
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It is that time of the year when everyone is giving their “State of the […]” speeches. The President delivered his State of the Union. The Mayor delivered his State of the City. Some of my Council colleagues even give “State of the Ward” speeches. So instead of a speech, I thought I would relate my own “State of the City” here.

I would not trade our situation in Washington for any other jurisdiction – city, county, or state. Financially, we are in a better position than every other city and state. Although we face serious budget shortfalls, they in no way impair our ability to provide for our residents and businesses. In fact, we will be spending as much in Fiscal Year 2012 as we have ever spent. Our problem is that we don’t spend our money wisely. We continue to spend over half of our revenues on social services and education without demanding high quality services.

In terms of public safety, our city is safer than at any other time in the last 20 years. Violent crime is way down and still declining. Although robberies and theft are high so far for this year, we can and will address that. My major concern is to hold our police force at 4,000 officers. We are currently at 3,850 and losing 15 officers per month to retirement and relocations. I will be identifying funds and a plan to bring us back up to 4,000 officers.

Our public school system continues to struggle. The jury is still out on our progress over the past several years. We have done much in the area of school renovation, but not as much to reform education.

Finally, I am greatly concerned about the scandals surrounding Mayor Gray, Council Chairman Kwame Brown, and some of my fellow Councilmembers. The scandals have really hurt the District’s image over the past three months and have partially undone 10 years of hard work. The individuals involved need to bring these issues to a conclusion and act accordingly. We have too many challenges ahead of us for these distractions.

Overall the state of our city is good, but we still have a ways to go. I am committed to getting us there.

The Player: Lincoln Pilcher
• March 23, 2011

Next time you’re at Georgetown’s Rugby Cafe, say ‘Hi’ to co-owner Lincoln Pilcher, a former rugby player and Ralph Lauren model. The Australian native’s string of rustic restaurants spans the country: LA’s Eveleigh is the new “it” spot; NYC’s Ruby’s is a “cool college kid hangout”, and the West Village’s Kingswood is “an equally fun big sister” to the Rugby Cafe. Pilcher’s empire is even expanding to the Middle East – a Little Ruby’s recently opened in Kuwait City.

In 1999, 20-year-old Pilcher arrived in New York to model and shoot fashion photos. Last week, he shared beer and kangaroo with Australian Prime Minster Julia Gillard. This is Pilcher’s intriguing story.

Humble Beginnings – “My partner [Nicholas Mathers], who is my partner in all the restaurants, he decided he was going to start a cafe. And I told him he was crazy because we couldn’t get any good coffee in New York and we were sick of drinking Starbucks,” says Pilcher in his cool, candid manner. “He went ahead and signed a lease and did all these things and I still thought he was crazy. Eventually I jumped on board with him and became a partner with him in Ruby’s, which we opened in 2004. It just snowballed from there.

“We started with cupcakes, bizarrely enough—selling cupcakes and selling coffee—and then we went to paninis. Then someone said we should do pastas. We did pastas. Then at one stage we started cooking burgers off panini grills,” he says, summarizing the improvised first year and a half. “There wasn’t even an exhaust system at Ruby’s.

“You’d come to Ruby’s and eat burgers, and leave smelling like the burger you ate.”

“The Bedroom Effect” – “We exported the Sydney-style, the Melbourne-style cafe. Australia is a cafe society, it’s wake up, everyone meet in the morning and have panini and coffee,” says Pilcher, describing the ambience he and partners Mathers and Nick Hatsatouris sought to export.

“We try to make it about the vibe. One of the big things we’ve done over the years is trying to create the bedroom effect, the whole lounge effect so you feel comfortable. It’s polished food in a relaxed environment.”

Naming the Burgers – “The burger, that’s what’s really hit it off. The burger in New York is different from here. We change buns, we try to keep it alive. The Iggys burger, which is in the middle,” he says, referencing a chalkboard menu on the wall. “That’s the one that’s standardized. Every restaurant has that.”

“The [burgers] at Ruby’s are all named after the beaches in Australia. So Bondi, which is the famous Bondi, and the Bronte. Then these [Rugby Cafe burgers] are all the famous rugby schools in Australia. Scots is where I went to school.”

Pilcher’s Rugby Past – For seven years, Pilcher reveled in the nonstop, rough and tumble nature of the game. “It’s super tough.” Did he break anything? “Collarbones, split-open lips. You don’t wear pads, it’s intense but the game doesn’t stop, that’s why rugby’s such a great game.”

“Rugby, yeah,” he says with a rueful smile. “That was when I was younger.”

A Glamorous Modeling Lifestyle – Pilcher’s mother, a Pittsburgh native, was the editor of Australian Vogue for 28 years. Even as a young child Pilcher was always well dressed, often sporting Ralph Lauren. He started modeling as a pre-teen, landing a contract with Ford Models in his early twenties.

“We had a great, great time, literally traveling the world and making enough money to go to the next place. It was a vagabond style of life but it was definitely fun.

“We traveled around do to shows in Paris, Milan, New York; a lot of advertising, Abercombie and print magazine editorial.”

They did let him smile, he assures me – his modeling career wasn’t about “pulling a Zoolander,” making the same face in every photo. “That movie kind of changed everything: ‘blue steel’ that’s it,” he snaps as he remembers the name for Ben Stiller’s pouty model pose. “Fun, fun, fun.”

A big budget shoot for Australian GQ was particularly memorable. “We went to this amazing island. It was three guys and three girls,” he recalls. “We were there for four days. We shot for like an hour a day because we’d shoot sunrise and sunset. We were all surfers, we were surfing. Those were the kind of trips that I liked.”

Ultimately the narrow focus of the industry wasn’t a comfortable fit. “You’re judged purely on one thing – what you look like – so it wasn’t really my thing.”

On the Restaurant Business and Life in DC – The restaurant industry seems to be a better fit, though Pilcher does enjoy keeping up with some aspects of his former life. “Broken dishwashers and beer taps, that’s Monday through Friday, and then on the weekends you can do what you want to do,” he says. The former rugby player embraces an active lifestyle of tennis, running and surfing, but his true passion is high-end photography.

“I still love taking pictures, it’s my hobby, it’s my passion,” he says, becoming energized by the turn in the conversation. “I have my studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for my pictures. It’s kind of like my little Warhol sanctuary to do what I want to do on the weekends.”

His hobbies help to offset the more trying aspects of being a partner in such a successful set of restaurants. On negotiating with providers for his businesses, Pilcher notes that “Consistency is the biggest thing in restaurants. It’s the hardest thing to do. If you are consistent, you’ll be successful.

“Avocados can be a dollar, all of a sudden there’s a flood then they’re $5 … Fish is the worst. Providers call us and they say, ‘This has gone up to this much.’ Some of the theories I’ve gotten from providers over the years,” he marvels. “It’s like, ‘You’re pulling my leg. China’s buying it all and they’re freezing it? That’s a good excuse. You just can’t get any fish and you want to charge me more for it.’”

While negotiating with providers and finding alone time for his photography isn’t always easy, Pilcher clearly enjoys his new career. His favorite aspect of the restaurant business? “The interaction with people, making people feel happy and at home.” He gets to know his DC customers particularly well, he says. “Loyalty is the big thing down here.”

Jack Evans Report
• March 22, 2011

It’s springtime, and one’s idle thoughts turn to baseball. March 31 is opening day for the Washington Nationals. At 1:05pm, the Nats take on the Atlanta Braves in the season opener at Nationals Park.

Since the Nationals started playing baseball in RFK stadium in April 2005, I have attended every opening game. Although I had never attended an opening game for any team before and had been to very few baseball games, I have come to look forward to baseball season. This year, the Nationals should be better. Having finished in last place every season since 2005, we are all hoping for some improvement. Certainly, the team has acquired a lot of talent during the offseason. The question is how improved our pitching rotation is.

Little is heard anymore about the decision to bring a baseball team to Washington and to build a new stadium. The stadium has worked out better than anticipated. The District borrowed $584 million to build the stadium and identified other sources of revenue to pay off the loan: 1.) a 1% increase in the commercial utility tax; 2.) a tax on businesses with gross receipts of over $5 million; and 3.) revenue generated from the stadium itself, including rent and sales tax on concessions, tickets and apparel.

Together, these taxes raised $14 million more than is necessary to pay the debt service. All contingency funds have been fully funded and the excess revenue will be used to pay off the bonds early. This stadium financing method is used as a model by other jurisdictions.

Development around the stadium has occurred but has been slowed by the recession. Recently, with credit markets becoming more accessible, development is proceeding. I stated at the time that it would take ten years to build out the area. Keep in mind that it took that long to develop the area around the Verizon Center, a part of town which was much more commercially developed than the baseball stadium area.

So as we look forward to another season, if you are a baseball fan, make sure to run over to a game after work or on a sunny weekend. Play ball.