Town Topics

Joseph Park • July 16, 2014

What would you do if you lost your dog? Janet Mihalyfi has not stopped looking for Havoc, her five-year-old, mixed-breed dog since he ran away Nov. 9, 2013.

Mihalyfi has searched around American University Park, Spring Valley, Wesley Heights, Palisades and Glover-Archbold Park – and near the Dalecarlia Reservoir, where Havoc ran away along the Little Falls Bike Trail.

Now Mihalyfi, who moved to Washington from Boston with her two dogs last fall, has expanded her search into Georgetown. Havoc’s image on posters can be seen around town. It shows he is a Lab-Rottweiler mix with mostly black and tan fur. He weighs about 50 pounds.

“I always like to go take my dogs for runs everywhere. It wasn’t until last November on an afternoon, where Raze [the other dog], Havoc and I went for a run and I let them off their leash,” Mihalyfi said. “I only did that because we were in a fenced area. They began chasing down a deer. Raze managed to come back but Havoc never did.”

Mihalyfi, who works in marketing, said that she has done everything she can to find her missing dog. Over eight months, she has spent an enormous amount of time and almost $30,000 searching for Havoc.

“From putting out thousands of posters to installing heat-sensitive cameras at eight different feeding locations, to hiring professionals with scent-tracking dogs, I have done everything I can do to find Havoc,” Mihalyfi said.

“The scent will remain for at least six months for these trained dogs to smell and track down where Havoc may be,” she said. “As long as Havoc is still alive and well, I’m hoping to find him soon with the help of technology and other volunteers.”

While she has been criticized by some for her overzealous posting of street flyers, Mihalyfi expressed gratitude to the community for the encouragement she has received in her search.

“People here in D.C. are just so nice,” Mihalyfi said. “Oftentimes, I have had many pet owners call to encourage me in my search and to just offer help where it is mostly needed. I wouldn’t have carried on this far with my search if it weren’t for the help of the volunteers.”

“I want to encourage locals in Georgetown to keep a look out for Havoc,” Mihalyfi said. “And if you do find him, do not call him or try to get him on your own because he will get scared and run away. Please call me and keep him in sight until I arrive.”

For more information, visit www.BringHavocHome.com, go to Facebook page, “Bring Havoc Home,” or call Janet Mihalyfi at 248-755-7594. [gallery ids="101806,139929,139932" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney • July 2, 2014

President Barack Obama brought his motorcade down K Street July 1 and delivered a speech at Georgetown Waterfront Park at 33rd Street, NW, about necessary infrastructure work across the U.S. and the Highway Trust Fund.

Using Key Bridge again as a backdrop, Obama accused Congress of not acting to get highway work rolling. “Middle-class families can’t wait for Republicans in Congress to do stuff,” he said. Referring to House Speaker John Boehner’s lawsuit threat, Obama added sarcastically, “So sue me. As long as they’re doing nothing, I’m not going to apologize for trying to do something.”

The president made a similar speech in the same spot in November 2011.

Below is the text of his July 1 speech, as provided by the White House.

Remarks by the President on the Economy

Georgetown Waterfront,
Washington, D.C.

2:22 p.m. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Well, hello, everybody. Have a seat, have a seat. It’s hot. (Laughter.) It’s hot out — Anthony, take off your coat, man. (Laughter.) It is hot and Team USA takes the pitch in a couple hours, so we’ve got to get down to business. (Applause.) We don’t have time for a lot of small talk — am I right, Mr. Mayor? We’ve got to get going.

Behind me is one of the busiest bridges in Washington. And, with the 4th of July on Friday — also Malia’s birthday, for those of you who are interested, she will be 16, a little worrisome — I would note that this bridge is named for the man who wrote the “Star-Spangled Banner” –- Francis Scott Key.

Three years ago, I came here to this very spot, to the Key Bridge, to talk about how two of the five major bridges connecting D.C. and Virginia –- including this one -– were rated “structurally deficient.” And with almost 120,000 vehicles crossing them every day, I said it was important to fix them.

And today, that’s exactly what we’re doing. So, soon, construction workers will be on the job making the Key Bridge safer for commuters and for families, and even for members of Congress to cross. (Laughter.) This is made possible by something called the Highway Trust Fund, which Congress established back in the 1950s, and which helps states repair and rebuild our infrastructure all across the country. It’s an example of what can happen when Washington just functions the way it was supposed to.

Back then, you had Eisenhower, a Republican President; over time you would have Democratic Presidents, Democratic and Republican members of Congress all recognizing building bridges and roads and levees and ports and airports — that none of that is a partisan issue. That’s making sure that America continues to progress.

Now, here is the problem. Here is the reason we’re here in the heat. If this Congress does not act by the end of the summer, the Highway Trust Fund will run out. There won’t be any money there. All told, nearly 700,000 jobs could be at risk next year. That would be like Congress threatening to lay off the entire population of Denver, or Seattle, or Boston. That’s a lot of people. It would be a bad idea. Right now, there are more than 100,000 active projects across the country where workers are paving roads, and rebuilding bridges, and modernizing our transit systems. And soon, states may have to choose which projects to continue and which ones to put the brakes on because they’re running out of money. Some have already done just that, just because they’re worried that Congress will not get its act together in time.

Now, earlier this year, I put forward a plan not just to replenish the Highway Trust Fund, I put forward a plan to rebuild our transportation infrastructure across the country in a responsible way. And I want to thank Secretary Anthony Foxx, who is here today, for his hard work in putting this plan together. (Applause.) Because we are not spending enough on the things that help our economy grow, the things that help businesses move products, the thing that help workers get to the job, the things that help families get home to see their loved ones at night. We spend significantly less as a portion of our economy than China does, than Germany does, than just about every other advanced country. They know something that I guess we don’t, which is that’s the path to growth, that’s the path to competitiveness.

So the plan we put together would support millions of jobs. It would give cities, and states, and private investors the certainty they need to plan ahead. It would help small businesses ship their goods faster, help parents get home to their kids faster. And it wouldn’t add to the deficits –- because we’d pay for it in part by closing tax loopholes for companies that are shipping their profits overseas to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. Seems like a sensible thing to do. (Applause.)

It’s not crazy, it’s not socialism. (Laughter.) It’s not the imperial presidency — no laws are broken. We’re just building roads and bridges like we’ve been doing for the last, I don’t know, 50, 100 years. But so far, House Republicans have refused to act on this idea. I haven’t heard a good reason why they haven’t acted — it’s not like they’ve been busy with other stuff. (Laughter.) No, seriously. (Laughter.) I mean, they’re not doing anything. Why don’t they do this?

Now, Republican obstruction is not just some abstract political stunt; it has real and direct consequences for middle-class families all across the country.

We went through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, we’ve climbed back. Since then, we’ve created 9.4 million new jobs over the past 51 months. Corporate profits are up, stock market is up, housing is improving. (Applause.) Unemployment is down. The deficits have been cut in half. We’re making progress, but we still have a situation where those at the top are doing as well as ever but middle-class families all across the country are still struggling to get by. There are people who are working hard, they believe in the American Dream — it feels sometimes like the system is rigged against them.

And they have good reason to think that way. So far this year, Republicans in Congress have blocked or voted down every serious idea to strengthen the middle class. Not ideas that are unique to me, they’re not — this isn’t Obama bridge. (Laughter.) It’s Key Bridge. But the Republicans have said no to raising the minimum wage, they’ve said no to fair pay, they’ve said no to extending unemployment insurance for over 3 million Americans looking for a new job.

And this obstruction keeps the system rigged for those who are doing fine at the top. It prevents us from helping more middle-class families. And as long as they insist on taking no action whatsoever that will help anybody, I’m going to keep on taking actions on my own that can help the middle class — like the actions I’ve already taken to speed up construction projects, and attract new manufacturing jobs, and lift workers’ wages, and help students pay off their loans. (Applause.)

And they criticize me for this. Boehner sued me for this. And I told him, I’d rather do things with you, pass some laws, make sure the Highway Trust Fund is funded so we don’t lay off hundreds of thousands of workers. It’s not that hard. Middle-class families can’t wait for Republicans in Congress to do stuff. So sue me. (Laughter.) As long as they’re doing nothing, I’m not going to apologize for trying to do something. (Applause.)

And look, I just want to be clear — Republicans in Congress, they’re patriots, they love their country, they love their families. They just have a flawed theory of the economy that they can’t seem to get past. They believe that all we should be doing is giving more tax breaks to those at the top, eliminating regulations that stop big banks or polluters from doing what they want, cut the safety net for people trying to work their way into the middle class, and then somehow the economy is going to get stronger and jobs and prosperity trickle down to everybody. That’s their worldview. I’m sure they sincerely believe it. It’s just not accurate. It does not work.

We know from our history our economy doesn’t grow from the top down; it grows from the middle out. We do better when you’ve got some construction workers on the job. They then go to a restaurant and they buy a new car. That means the workers there start doing better. Everybody does better. And we could be doing so much more if Republicans in Congress were less interested in stacking the deck in favor of those at the top or trying to score political points, or purposely trying to gridlock Washington, and just tried to get some things done to grow the economy for everybody. We could do so much more if we just rallied around an economic patriotism, a sense that our job is to get things done as one nation and as one people.

Economic patriotism would say that instead of protecting corporations that are shipping jobs overseas, let’s make sure they’re paying their fair share of taxes, let’s reward American workers and businesses that hire them. Let’s put people to work rebuilding America. Let’s invest in manufacturing, so the next generation of good manufacturing jobs are right here, made in the USA. (Applause.) That would be something to celebrate on the 4th of July. (Applause.)

Economic patriotism says that instead of stacking the deck in the favor of folks just at the top, let’s harness the talents and ingenuity of every American and give every child access to quality education, and make sure that if your job was stamped obsolete or shipped overseas, you’re going to get retrained for an even better job. (Applause.)

Economic patriotism says that instead of making it tougher for middle-class families to get ahead, let’s reward hard work for every American. Let’s make sure women earn pay that’s equal to their efforts. (Applause.) Let’s make sure families can make ends meet if their child gets sick and they need to take a day off. Let’s make sure no American who works full-time ever has to live in poverty. (Applause.)

Let’s tell everybody they’re worth something. No matter who you are, no matter what you look like, where you come from, who you love, if you work hard, if you’re responsible, you can make it here in America. That’s what this country was founded on, that idea. That’s why I ran for this office. I think sometimes about what we could be accomplishing, what we could have accomplished this past year, what we could have accomplished the year before that. And typically what gets reported on is just the politics — well, you know, they’re not doing this because they don’t want to give Obama a victory or oh, well, we don’t want to do this right now because maybe the midterm election is coming up and, oh, well, what’s happening with the polls. People don’t care about that. People just want to see some results. And objectively, if you look at the agenda I’m putting forward, the things that we’re trying to get done like just fixing bridges and roads, it really shouldn’t be controversial. It hasn’t been controversial in the past.

And so part of the reason that I’m going to be spending a lot of time over the next several weeks and months getting out there with ordinary folks is just to report to you it’s not as if I don’t know that you could use some help. I know. It’s not as if we don’t have good plans to put more people back to work and raise their incomes and improve the quality of education. We know how to do it. That’s not the reason it’s not happening. It’s not happening because of politics.

And the only folks that can fix that are going to be you — the American people and voters. Sometimes in our culture right now we just get cynical about stuff and we just assume things can’t change because nothing seems to change in this town. But that’s not true. It can change as long as everybody gets activated, as long as people still feel hopeful and we don’t fall prey to cynicism.

And so I just want everybody here to understand that as frustrating as it may be sometimes, as stuck as Congress may be sometimes, if the American people put pressure on this town to actually get something done and everybody is looking at some commonsense agenda items that we should be able to do because Democrats and Republicans were able to do them in the past, we can grow our economy, we can lift people’s incomes, we can make sure that people who are fighting hard can get into the middle class and stay there. But it’s going to take you. It’s going to take you. This is not going to happen on its own. And I’m confident if that’s what we do, if all of you are fighting alongside me every single day instead of just giving up on this place, then we’re going to make America better than ever. That’s a promise.

Thank you, everybody. God bless you. God bless America. Go Team USA! Let’s build some bridges!

END

2:37 p.m. EDT
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Robert Devaney •

Jack, Jr., the bulldog, celebrated his first birthday June 29. The mascot-in-training has taken over the job of Jack the retired bulldog, who still lives on campus. Jack, Jr., also stepped in, when another mascot-in-training could not cut the rigorous public duties at Georgetown University sporting events and other attention-grabbing gigs. Nicknamed “J.J.,” the lovable, little guy attended several birthday parties over the weekend.

Robert Devaney •

Das Ethiopian Restaurant at 28th and M Streets held its Ethiopian coffee ceremony June 21 on the outside patio of the restaurant. Invited dinner guests sampled the Das Ethiopian Exclusive roasted Sidamo coffee, which was introduced to the group and is available for sale. Guests delighted in the unique coffee ceremony. After all, coffee originated in Ethiopia.

Georgetowner • June 30, 2014

Second Chance Employment
Services Last Kiss of Summer Gala
Thursday, September 23, 6:30 p.m. – Midnight

Join special guest of honor Katie Hinda, activist and author, at the Four Seasons for cocktails, dinner, dancing and silent and live auctions to benefit Second Chance Employment Services. Second Chance Employment Services provides free employment placement services and training to battered and abused women in the Washington metropolitan area.

Black Tie optional
Ticket price: Individual tickets beginning at $400 For more information contact 703-356-3099 or visit scesnet.org

“It was from my frustration with the lack of employment services for battered women that I decided to found Second Chance Employment Services in 2002. I witnessed too many women coming out of domestic violence shelters return to their abusers because they couldn’t find a job that would support themselves and their children.
Despite the daunting facts about abuse victims and their inability to find and maintain good jobs, Second Chance Employment Services has spent the past nine years overcoming the obstacles these women face. To date, we have secured over 700 career-track jobs with health benefits for victims of domestic violence.
— Ludy Green

Wolf Trap Ball: Canada
– Keep Exploring
Friday, September 24, 7pm

Join honorary host, Ambassador of Canada Gary Doer, in celebrating the culture and grandeur
of Canada. Dance on the stage of Wolf Trap’s Filene Center to close this year’s summer season. Proceeds from the Ball benefit Wolf Trap Foundation’s renowned arts and education programs.

For more information about Wolf Trap Special Events, please call (703) 255-4030, or email events@wolftrap.org.

Living in Pink
Friday, October 8, 10:30 – 2:30pm

Support Breast Cancer research and enjoy an afternoon of boutique shopping and a luncheon at the Fairmont Washington Hotel. This year’s honorees include Marilyn C. Jerome, M.D. and Jennifer Griffin, FOX News Correspondent.

Hosted by Living in Pink founder and two-time breast cancer survivor, Michele Conley, with emcee Greta Kreuz, Anchorwoman of ABC 7/WJLA. Ticket price: $135 per person

“Most people who are diagnosed with cancer don’t look at it as a gift, but in my case I did. I was probably the least likely to ever have a health issue and at 35 had breast cancer. The journey was one that was an amazing learning experience. I often feel that the purpose of my diagnosis was so that I could help others who were diagnosed as well. That is how Living in Pink was born. I wanted to help find a cure so that the next generation of women would not have to endure the treatments and issues that we currently face during the battle with breast cancer.” — Michele Conley

Meridian Ball
50th Anniversary Celebration
Friday, October 1, 9:30 p.m., Preceded by dinner at an ambassador’s residence or Meridian’s White-Meyer House.

Join Honorary Chair First Lady Michelle Obama, 50th Anniversary Celebration Chairs Mrs. A. Huda Farouki and Mrs. Frederic V. Malek, and White-Meyer Chairs Amanda Smith Hood and Elizabeth Miller at Meridian House for a special evening of dessert, dancing and cocktails.
Black tie.
$650 per ticket for dinner at Ambassador’s residence and Ball
$400 per ticket at White-Meyer dinner and Ball
For ticket information visit www.meridian.org/ball/tickets

Harman Center for the Arts Gala
Sunday, October 3, 6pm

Spend an evening with His Excellency the British Ambassador and Lady Sheinwald at the annual
gala inspired by Shakespeare’s Italy. The Shakespeare Theatre Company will host the evening’s
festivities, beginning at Sidney Harman Hall for cocktails and followed by the Gala performance. The evening will culminate at the National Building Museum with dinner and dancing in a Venetian setting. The Harman Center for the Arts Annual Gala benefits the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s artistic programs including the Free for All — two-and-a-half weeks of free Shakespeare presented by the Company.

Black Tie
Ticket price: Individual tickets and tables to the Harman Center for the Arts Annual Gala range from $750 to $50,000.
For more ticket information contact Joanne Coutts, Associate Director of Special Events, at 202.547.3230 ext. 2330.

The DC Jazz Festival Annual
Benefit Dinner
Tuesday, October 5, 7:30 p.m.

This year’s DC Jazz Festival Annual Benefit Dinner is hosted by the Ambassador of Italy to the United States, H. E. Giulio terzi di Sant’Agata and Ms. Antonella Cinque, along with Michael Sonnenreich, Chairman of DC Jazz Festival. There will be a special performance by Grammy and Tony-award winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater. This year’s 2010 DCJF John Conyers Jr. Advocacy award goes to Thomas Hale Boggs Jr., chairman of Patton Boggs LLP.

Cocktail Attire
For more information call 202-457-7628

“We are proud to honor Mr. Thomas Boggs with the John Conyers Jr. Jazz Advocacy Award for the role that he has played in supporting arts, especially Jazz in DC.”
—Michael Sonnenreich, Chairman of the DC Jazz Festival

Georgetown Gala
To Russia with Love
Sponsored by Citizen’s Association
of Georgetown
Friday, October 15, 7 p.m.
Embassy of the Russian Federation

Hosted by the Ambassador and Mrs. Sergey Kislyak, enjoy an evening of cocktails, a dinner buffet, a live auction and dancing to the music of the Right On Band.

Black Tie
For more information call 202-337-7317

I got involved in CAG this year to give back to the neighborhood I love so much – Georgetown. I feel like this community gives me everyday and historical communities that don’t exist on their own. We need trees planted, architecture preserved, safe streets and a healthy balance between commercial and residential.
— Nancy Taylor Bubes

National Italian American Foundation 35th Anniversary Awards Gala
Saturday, October 23, 7 p.m.
Dinner and Awards

Join Giuliana DePandi Rancic, anchor/managing editor of E! News and emcee for this year’s NIAF Anniversary Gala at The Washington Hilton. Rancic will be joined by sports greats Yogi Berra, Daryle Lamonica, and Mike Piazza, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Hon. Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hon. Samuel A. Alito Jr., culinary notable Lidia Bastianich and Bill Rancic of the Style Network show “Giuliana & Bill.”

Proceeds benefit NIAF educational programs.
Black Tie
Tickets begin at $400 per person
For tickets contact Jerry Jones at 202-387-0600 or jerry@niaf.org

“With great excitement and anticipation, NIAF will celebrate its rich Italian heritage and the contributions of Italian Americans during the 35th Anniversary Gala Weekend, on October 22-23 in our nation’s capital. The star-studded weekend will be packed with conferences,
speakers, receptions and parties, all culminating with NIAF’s black tie 35th Anniversary
Gala Dinner. Visit www.niaf.org for the latest updates!”
— Robert E. Carlucci, NIAF Gala Dinner Chair and member of NIAF’s Board of Directors

Arena Stage Opening Gala
Monday, October 25, Red carpet and tours beginning
at 6:30 p.m. Special performance starring
Brian Stokes Mitchell at 7:30 p.m. with dinner to follow.

Join Honorary Chairs President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as co-chairs Adrian and Michelle Fenty, for an inaugural black tie gala to celebrate the grand opening of the Mead Center for American Theater. This special evening will include cocktails throughout the Mead Center, an exclusive one-night-only performance featuring Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell and dinner in the evening glow of the spectacular glass-encased Mead Center.

Black Tie
Tickets and table prices range from $1,500 – $50,000, For more information, contact April Irwin at amirwin@arenastage.org or 202-600-4022.

“The opening of Arena Stage at the Mead Center
for American Theater will mark a new milestone
in the national theater world. Encasing the historic Fichandler and Kreeger Theaters and adding the new, stunning Kogod Cradle within this magnificent modern building creates
not only a new Washington landmark but establishes Arena Stage as the premier theater dedicated to American work.”
—Beth Newburger Schwartz and Michele Berman, Co-Chairs of the Executive Committee for Arena Stage’s Opening Gala Celebration

Knock-Out Abuse
Thursday, November 11
6:30pm Silent auction and reception
8:00pm Dinner

Join co-founders Cheryl Masri and Jill Sorensen, along with Dinner Chair Sarah Guinan Nixon, at the Ritz-Carlton Washington, DC for the biggest girls night out of the season. Celebrate the 17th anniversary of this event with an evening of dinner, dancing and entertainment. Knock-Out Abuse has raised more than $6.5 million to aid women and children whose lives have been shattered by abuse, poverty, and homelessness.

Cocktail Attire
Tickets are $500 and are available by calling Ellen Blankenstein at 202.725.5604, email at ellen@knockoutabuse.org or by visiting www.knockoutabuse.org.

The Lab School of Washington’s 26th Annual Outstanding Learning Disabled Achievers Awards Gala
Wednesday, November 17
6 p.m.

Celebrate the Lab School’s 26th Anniversary Gala at The National Building Museum, Co-Chaired by Hilary Rosen and Elizabeth Birch and Emceed by CNN’s Candy Crowley, as they honor outstanding achievers with learning disabilities. The evening begins with cocktails at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and awards at 7:30, with dancing to follow.

Black Tie
Ticket price: $250 per ticket
For more information visit: www.LabSchool.org/content/gala

Capitol City Ball
Saturday, November 20
8pm-1am

Since 2007, the Capitol City Ball has brought people together for a night of fun including an open bar, heavy hors d’ oeuvres, assorted desserts, a live auction and a band to benefit charities devoted to ending human trafficking. This year’s ball will benefit Courtney’s House, FairFund, and the Polaris Project.

Black Tie
Ticket Price: Tickets begin at $125
For more information visit www.CapitalCityBall.
org/index.htm

The Lombardi Gala
Saturday, November 6
6pm

Celebrate the 24th anniversary of the Lombardi Gala and the 40th anniversary of the Lombardi Center at the Washington Hilton. This year’s theme is “Color the Cure” to recognize all the people who have helped in the fight against cancer. The Honorable John F. Potter, M.D., founding director of the Lombardi Center, will be honored this year for his ongoing dedication. The 2010 awardees for the Margaret L. Hodges Leadership Award are Mr. and Mrs. Ronald and Carol T. Crawford.

Black Tie
Ticket price: $400
For more information contact Elena Jeannotte, 202-687-3866