The Georgetowner’s March Through History . . . and Georgetown
• January 29, 2014

As The Georgetowner newspaper
closes in on its 60th Anniversary, it
seems fitting that your town crier
will be relocating to new digs, of
course, in Georgetown. Unlike other newspapers
that call Georgetown theirs, this is the only
newspaper that makes its home in Georgetown
— and has for six decades, albeit at 14 different
locations in the community.

The Georgetowner newspaper was the brainchild
of Ami C. Stewart, who at the age of 66,
began publishing it on Oct. 7, 1954. She knew
the newspaper business; she was a longtime
advertising representative for the Washington
Evening Star. Her sales territory was Georgetown
and its surrounding environs. She dreamed of
starting a newspaper for Georgetown for several
years when, with great encouragement from the
Randolph sisters, owners of Little Caledonia, a
small department store of delightful surprises at
1419 Wisconsin Ave., N.W. It was on the second
floor in Little Caledonia, where Ami Stewart created
Volume 1, Number 1, of the newspaper. It
was The Georgetowner’s first address.

Some of us still cannot get used to the idea that
there is no Little Caledonia in Georgetown. Then
again, most of the shops that existed here in 1954
are long gone: Neam’s Market, Dorcas Hardin,
Dorothy Stead, Baylor Furniture, Little Flower
Shop, Doc Dalinsky’s Georgetown Pharmacy,
Chez Odette, Rive Gauche, the French Market,
the Food Mart, Magruder’s, Muriel Mafrige, the
Georgetown University Shop and on and on. All
have left us. But The Georgetowner marches on.

Soon after its founding, Stewart moved
into 1204 Wisconsin Ave., NW. The building
was headquarters for the National Bank
of Washington. The Georgetowner occupied a
small room in the back, one desk, two chairs,
one window. Riggs Farmers & Mechanics Bank
was across the street. Both banks are long gone.
Our third location was 3019 M St., NW. We were
next to a funeral home. We, however, lived on.

Stewart finally found an office more to her
liking. It was situated at 1610 Wisconsin Ave.,
NW. Ami and her right-hand gal Sue Buffalo
ran the newspaper from these premises for close
to eight years. The staff also included Carol
Watson, a wonderful artist; Marilyn Houston,
who wrote many articles of historic interest;
and a young man, fresh out of the army, Randy
Roffman, my older brother. It was he who drew
me into the wonderful world of Ami C. Stewart.
I never would have guessed at the time that I
would spend the next 42 years with the newspaper,
but it happened.

In the early 1970s, with Ami’s health failing,
we moved to 1201 28th St., N.W. The lone brick
building at that corner was our home for the next
8 years. From our second floor windows, we
watched the construction of the Four Seasons
Hotel across M Street. We also witnessed the
mass arrest of the yippees who tried to shut down
the government in May 1971, protesting the
Vietnam War. They marched en masse down M
Street from Key Bridge. They were arrested and
put in huge detaining trucks right below our windows.
I remember a National Guardsman yelling
at us to get away from our window and quit taking
photographs. Protestors who were rounded
up were transported to RFK Stadium where
they were held for processing. (The May Day
1971 protests in Washington, D.C., provoked the
largest-ever mass arrest in American history with
more 12,000 individuals detained.)

Our sixth location was on the third floor
above Crumpet’s, a pastry shop in the 1200 block
of Wisconsin Avenue. John and Carol Wright
were the owners. This was when writer Gary
Tischler joined the staff. Britches of Georgetown
was a few doors away. Billy Martin’s Tavern
was across the street, as was Swensen’s Ice
Cream Parlor. (There was formerly Stohlman’s
Ice Cream Parlor, now memorialized at the
Smithsonian’s Museum of American History.)
Climbing those three flights of stairs was rough,
especially when balancing two cups of coffee
and four Danish. We survived.

A few years later, we moved across the street
to 1254 Wisconsin Ave., NW, to the third floor
above Swensen’s. It was the final years of disco,
and Michael O’Harro’s Tramp’s Discotheque
was closing. The Key Theatre, next to Roy
Rogers at the corner of Prospect and Wisconsin,
had them lined up around the block each weekend
night for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
After several years high atop Swensen’s, we had
to move again.

You might be asking yourself at this point,
why did you move so often? Usually, it had to
do with the landlord renting out the entire building
to a new tenant. Because we were second- or
third-floor occupants on short leases, well, we
had to go.

Our next location was Hamilton Court, the
beautiful courtyard developed by Al Voorhees.
The courtyard was fronted by a row of new
storefronts which included the Old Print Gallery,
Cliff and Michelle Kranick’s gallery, an antiquarian
book store, and Ann Brinkley’s antiques
store. Behind it was a series of spacious offices,
of which we occupied one at the rear of the
courtyard. We enjoyed our stay here, the setting
was in the heart of Georgetown across the street
from our beloved, landmark post office. But we
had to leave when the architectural firm above us
had to expand … into our space.

We next occupied the top floor of the
Georgetown Electric shop on M Street, next to
Old Glory restaurant. Spacious quarters indeed,
and once again we climbed a lot of stairs every
day. But we were close to Harold’s Deli, the
Food Mart and Nathans. What more could we
ask for?

While running the newspaper from
these quarters, we also founded and ran the
Georgetown Visitor’s Center in Georgetown
Court off Prospect Street. Robert Elliott, owner
and landlord of the courtyard, gave us the space
rent free, the merchants chipped in and afforded
us the opportunity to publish brochures and pamphlets.
Robert Devaney joined our staff at this
point in the early 1990s.

When Duke Rohr closed the GE shop, we
moved once again. This time we returned to
familiar digs at 1610 Wisconsin Ave., NW, way
up the hill. We felt so removed from everything.
The block had changed drastically. There was a
7-Eleven at the corner of Que and Wisconsin,
the legendary French Market was gone and
Appalachian Spring crafts had moved down the
street. We felt like strangers up there.

We moved after five years, down to 1410
Wisconsin, another empty upper floor spacious
room, with no wiring. It dawned on us that we
had probably wired half the second and third
floor buildings on M or Wisconsin by this time.
Thank goodness for Randy Reed Electric.

While at 1410, Sonya Bernhardt joined the
staff at The Georgetowner. In 1998, Sonya
became the third publisher and owner of The
Georgetowner. Many offices, few publishers:
Ami C. Stewart, David Roffman and Sonya
Bernhardt.

The Georgetowner moved to its 13th location
in 2001. The building at 1054 Potomac St., NW,
had once been the home of Georgetown’s first
mayor. Now it housed “the newspaper whose
influence far exceeds its size” – as well as the
Georgetown Media Group, which publishes The
Georgetowner and The Downtowner newspapers
and their websites. From late 2001 until this
week, the offices were at this address.

Now, as we near our 60th anniversary, we are
in the process of moving once again, to the northwest
corner of 28th and M, the building which
once housed American Needlework and then
Schrader Sound — not to mention the Bryn Mawr
Bookshop and the office of Captain Peter Belin,
famed president of the Citizens Association of
Georgetown. Lots of history here. We hope to
see you there and all around town when we set
up our business office in February.

Find us at our new address:
Georgetown Media Group, Inc.
2801 M Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20007
202-338-4833
202-338-4834 (fax)
[www.georgetowner.com](https://georgetowner.com)
[editorial@georgetowner.com](mailto:editorial@georgetowner.com)
[advertising@georgetowner.com](mailto:advertising@georgetowner.com) [gallery ids="117064,117059" nav="thumbs"]

Neighborhood Crimes
•

Robbery – “with force and violence” – 1200
block of 27th Street, NW, 6:31 p.m., Jan. 16:
woman fought off female attackers near Rose
Park but her shopping bag was taken.

Armed robbery – 3400 block of N Street:
The Georgetown University Police Department
and the Metropolitan Police Department’s
Second District are investigating an armed robbery
of a Georgetown University student. The
student reported to GUPD that while walking
in the 3400 block of N Street N.W., he was
robbed at gun point, 1:50 a.m., Jan. 21, by three
black male suspects wearing pulled-up hoodies.
Taken was a backpack containing personal
property. The suspects were last seen running on
N towards 36th Street N.W. There were no
injuries. Call MPD at 202-715-7300, or contact
the university’s public safety department at 202-
687-4343.

On Jan. 25, both a burglary and a theft
occurred around 7 p.m., on the 3000 block and
the 3300 block, respectively, of M St., NW, MPD
reported.

Police Traffic Cameras Go Live, Feb. 1
•

After a month’s delay, 100 new traffic
cameras, controlled by the Metropolitan Police
Department, are set to issue drivers moving violation
tickets, beginning Feb. 1.

While drivers are used to getting tickets via
photo for speeding and going through a red light,
the new round of ticketing includes violations for
failing to stop completely at a stop sign or failing
to stop for pedestrians. Some drivers fail to
stop completely at the stop-sign white line that is
painted in front of the crosswalk. So, remember
drivers: no more Jersey bounces or California
rolls.

In its “D.C. StreetSafe” program, the MPD
says:
“Tickets will be issued when vehicles fail to
stop at a stop sign. The MPD has a total of 32
stop sign cameras to identify vehicles passing a
stop sign without coming to a full stop.”

The nearest locations in and around
Georgetown are: 35th and R Streets; Calvert and
39th Streets; 24th and N Streets.
Prices of fines are the same, as if a police
officer issued them to you.

Muth Guilty of Murdering His Wife, Viola Drath
•

Albrecht Gero Muth, accused of killing his
91-year-old wife Viola Herms Drath in August
2011 in their Georgetown home, was found
guilty of first-degree murder Jan. 16 in D.C.
Superior Court.

The jury deliberated less than one full day
before reaching its verdict. Muth will be sentenced
in March and could receive life in prison.
Drath was found dead in the third-floor bathroom
of her home on Q Street on Aug. 12, 2011,
after being strangled and beaten.

Medical examiners determined Drath’s death
to be a homicide – and not a result of falling, as
Muth first contended. There had been not forced
entry into the house. He was arrested a few days
later on P Street, after being locked out of the
house and wandering around the neighborhood
and sleeping in nearby Montrose Park.

A veteran journalist and married previously
to an Army colonel, Drath and Muth were married
in 1990 and known around town for their
dinner parties with a mix of political, diplomatic,
military and media VIPs. Drath was 44 years
older than Muth.

Prosecutors argued that Muth showed a pattern
of abuse against his wife and was motivated
by money, saying he had no steady job and was
not included in Drath’s will. “He was a good
little con man,” prosecutor Glenn Kirschner told
the jury.

During trial testimony, Drath’s daughters,
Connie and Francesca (from her first marriage),
talked about Muth’s money arrangements with
his wife and of his emails to them about items he
wanted upon her death.

Seen around Georgetown in faux military
garb, the cigar-smoking Muth was perceived by
neighbors and shopkeepers as an oddball. He
said that he was a member of the Iraqi Army —
which the Iraqi government denied.

Delays to the trial start date were due in part
to Muth’s failing heath because of his decision
to restrict his eating. He participated from his
hospital bed via video conferencing and was notat the courthouse. The jury did not see Muth in
his deteriorated condition nor did he testify.

Son Suspected in Stabbing of Parents Dies; Father Dead
•

The tragic story about a Jan. 19 double stabbing
in a Q Street home got worse.

Fifty-six-year-old Bradford Nelson Elliott
suffered a heart attack and died at a hospital
Jan. 20, according to the Metropolitan Police
Department, before being formally charged with
homicide.

Bradford Elliott was the only suspect in the
stabbing death of his 88-year-old father, Le Roi
Elliott, Jan. 19. The 81-year-old mother, Vaughn
Elliott, was also injured during the same attack,
which took place at the Elliotts’ home in the
3300 block of Q Street, NW, across from Volta
Park. They had lived there since the mid-1980s.

Bradford Elliott was reportedly mentally
ill and lived in the Q Street home with his parents.
It was Vaughan Elliott, who called 9-1-1
around 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 19. Bradford Elliott
answered the door with blood-soaked hands
when police arrived and was arrested, MPD told
the Washington Post. He was being treated at a
hospital, while in custody, and a Jan. 22 court
appearance had been scheduled.

Pop into Georgetown
• January 6, 2014

Georgetown—known for great shopping and dining year-round—is raising the bar for the holidays and proving to be a true shopping destination. New stores have moved in and the classics are still strong, but standing out this season is a new trend: pop–up shops.

Setting up on Wisconsin Avenue through Dec. 22 is a Richmond native, Ledbury. What began as an addiction to tailored shirts, Paul Trible and Paul Watson turned into a brand that has expanded to blazers, sweaters, ties and other accessories. Dedicated to a high standard of fit and quality, Ledbury defies the myth of one-size-fits-all. Meanwhile, in Cady’s Alley (located below the 3300 block of M Street), five online retailers have set up shop through Jan. 5.

If you’re looking to give back this season, The Georgetowner Holiday Pop Shop will be popping up in Tony & Joe’s at Washington Harbour to benefit the Georgetown Senior Center on Dec. 4. Here are some highlights of this season’s best:

A Bluemercury Exclusive
Trish McEvoy Brigitte Planner, $165
This pink suede planner includes 12 Trish McEvoy bestsellers reflecting the trends of the season, including the nude lip, in a collection curated by Bluemercury CEO Marla Malcolm Beck.
Bluemercury Georgetown
3059 M St., NW
202-965-1300 www.bluemercury.com

Drybar
Blowout In A Box, $220
Everything you need to create the perfect blowout at home, including Drybar’s famed Buttercup blow dryer.
Drybar Georgetown
1825 Wisconsin Ave., NW
202-609-8644
thedrybar.com

Georgetown Tobacco
District of Columbia Flag Cufflinks, $85
These silver-plated D.C. flag cufflinks are a great addition to any outfit. The largest tobacco shop in D.C., Georgetown Tobacco also has a wide variety of cigars, pipes and other eclectic goods.
Georgetown Tobacco
3144 M St., NW
202-338-5100
gttobacco.com

Keith Lipert Gallery
Georgetown Ornament, $20
Georgetown Tray, $55
A true Georgetown holiday keepsake. Keith Lipert features decorative art, fashion jewelry and accessories for men and women. The gallery also provides unique corporate and diplomatic gifts.
Keith Lipert Gallery
2922 M St., NW
202-965-9736
keithlipert.com

Jonathan Adler
Reversible Red Letter Throw Pillow, $125
These groovy, reversible pillows are a great way to personalize your space. All graphic pillows are hand-loomed in Peru by weavers associated with Aid to Artisans.
Jonathan Adler
1267 Wisconsin Ave., NW
202-965-1416

Ledbury
The Cognac Millington Dress Belt, $155
The result of a collaboration with Marcus Wiley, this chestnut colored belt was handmade in Charlottesville, Va. Cast, ground and polished by hand, this beautifully crafted brass buckle finishes this more formal look.
Ledbury Georgetown Pop-Up Shop
Through Dec. 22
1254 Wisconsin Ave., NW
202-333-9300
ledbury.com

Goorin Bros.
Mabel Rose, $140
Mabel Rose is an elegant 1920s-inspired asymmetrical cloche hat detailed with a thin leather band and belt loop with a ladies Goorin pin. Georgetown’s newest hat shop is an eclectic store with a huge variety of styles for both men and women.
Goorin Bros. Hat Shop
1214 Wisconsin Ave., NW
202-338-4287
goorin.com

American/Holiday
Mohair Throw, $88
Mohair throws, available in a variety of colors, are a great gift to keep those on your list warm all winter. American/Holiday is a whimsical boutique that started in St. Michaels, Md. Its Georgetown store holds many treasures for unique holiday shopping.
American/Holiday
1319 Wisconsin Ave., NW
202-684-2790
ahstmichaels.com

Billy Reid
Kentucky Cocktail Set, $600
Leather folding case lined in a custom jacquard print that conceals three leather-wrapped hand-blown glass flasks, two shot glasses, a folding bar knife, a cocktail spoon and fork and a cocktail napkin.
Billy Reid
3211 M St., NW
202-499-6765
billyreid.com

Chubbies
’Mericas, $59.50
According to their store, an online retailer, the guys of San Francisco-based Chubbies don’t do pants. Don’t do cargos. Don’t do capris. “We do shorts and only shorts.”
ChubbiesShorts.com

Tuckernuck
Trafalgar Monogrammed Cortina Leather Slimfold Wallet, $65
Tuckernuck is an online retailer known for preppy style and all-American lifestyle. Tnuck.com

Read Wall
Bradford Flannel Button-Down, $155
This signature flannel button-down has a tailored fit with higher armholes for a more flattering silhouette.
Read Wall balances form and function to make versatile American-made sportswear and accessories.
readwall.com
Cady’s Alley Holiday Bazaar
3330 Cady’s Alley, NW

Don’t miss these stores and products, available for one-stop shopping at The Georgetowner Holiday Pop Shop on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

Iris Grundler Pottery
L Square Platter, $120
Iris Grundler’s Spanish roots combine with her American influence to make some of the most beautiful and intricate hand-thrown pottery. Each piece, with expressive and bold style, will be a one-of-a-kind addition to your home décor. 301-768-7479

Stella & Dot
Pegasus Necklace, $198
A striking bib of intricate gold feathers hand-sewn to silk organza cascade. Made by hand in India. As seen on TV personalities Kathie Lee Gifford, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian and actress Shay Mitchell.
Stella and Dot, an Inc. 500 Fastest-Growing Company, is a San Francisco-based social-selling company that features boutique-style jewelry and accessories, available exclusively through in-home trunk shows by independent stylists and online.
Stelladot.com

Ibhana Boutique
Ribkoff Sweater Jacket, $225
Sweater Jacket by Joseph Ribkoff?Sizes: 2 to 22?
Ibhana Boutique retails high-end lines of women’s apparel, jewelry and accessories including hats, shawls and scarves. The boutique’s main apparel line is Joseph Ribkoff, official sponsors for the Miss America competition and recent recipient of the Draper’s award for Best in Women’s Wear.
7908 Cindy Lane, Bethesda, Md.
301-469-9472
ibhanaboutique.com

Style Etoile
Ali Sweater, $200
Get this complete look from Style Etoile
Launched in the fall of 2010, StyleEtoile.com offers the latest fashions hand-picked by seasoned stylists. They also provide complete looks and style guides, as well as fashion advice and blog commentary. Through these venues, they help you find the style étoile within yourself.
301-770-4218
styleetoile.com

Untucked
Peter Millar Chesapeake Nylon Quilted Jacket, $195
This all-weather, detailed jacket features snaps at sides, cuffs and bottom and plenty of pockets: two hand warmers and two deep interior pockets. Shown in Rust. Also available in Ultramarine, Navy, Brown and Black.
Untucked is a casual men’s lifestyle shop on North Carolina’s Outer Banks where clothing from craft manufacturers is approached with the joy one would approach a craft beer or whiskey. The shop stocks Raleigh Denim, Joe’s Jeans, Original Penguin, Peter Millar, Southern Tide, Salence, Helly Hansen, Wellen and Reyn Spooner, among others.
1240 Duck Road, Unit 108, Duck, N.C.
252-715-2553
untuckedobx.com

Evelyn Brooks Designs
Sterling Silver Red and Black Elegant Bracelet, $325
The bracelet is made with small huayruro seeds, rounded silver balls, and lobster clasp. The length adjusts from 6.5 to 8.5 inches.

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A Season of Giving
•

In this our town, in the year of Our Lord 2013, nonprofit is a year-round word. It’s a definition, in economic terms, in which institutions and organizations tell the world that their mission is not turn a profit. They’re doing what they’re doing to help those in need of homes, food, health care and education. In this our town, helping nonprofits do what they do is a major part of the social and political landscape. In a rich city, there are many who need much. Everybody can help, but we can’t help everybody and so have to choose. In our cultural scene, major organizations haves their donors, their subscribers, but others don’t always fare so well. This season, let’s see if we can’t spread the wealth among the smaller theater groups, the orchestra without a home, the theater without a stage, the dance company without a venue. We may be the culturally richest urban area around, but it doesn’t mean that culture is only for the rich.

We can’t help or even mention all the deserving groups and nonprofits in the DC area that need your help, but we have picked out a few that have held our interest enough to share them with you.

HOPE FOR CHILDREN UNITED STATES—Hope for Children-United States is a US nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and families in Ethiopia affected by HIV/AIDS. HFC-US works with HFC Ethiopia, which founded the organization in the capital city Addis Ababa in 2001 under the leadership of Yewoinshet Masresha. HFC-US offers child sponsorships with annual commitments of $350 for each child for food, shelter, clothing, school fees and uniforms and access to all HFC programs and activities until age 18. It also sponsors a youth center in Addis where sponsored children are educated to make the transition to independence. The center has been in operation since 2007. In addition HFC-US began awarding vocational school scholarships for older students, sponsored its first youth group home in Addis in 2011 and supports the St. Yared’s School, also in Addis, which is run by HFC-Australia.

This year, with T-H-E Talent Agency providing the fashion, Hope for Children United States held a dinner-fashion gala at the Embassy of Ethiopia, led by HFC-US Board President Carol A Rhees, to raise funds for HFC-US programs.

Elizabeth McDavitt-Centenari,Vice President and Director of T-H-E Artist Agency, got involved after her daughter Madison, then a Senior at Maret School and now a sophomore at Skidmore College in Saratoga, New York, took up the HFC-US projects in Ethiopia as a Senior project in 2012. “We all went to Addis Ababa, Madison, her sister Isabella and my husband Paul, to see the programs, the school and the youth center there. It was an amazing experience for us,” McDavitt-Centenari said. “ I think Carol Rhees, the President of HFC-US is an extraordinary leader and human being. Her tireless and passionate effort is beyond extraordinary.”

Contributions to Hope for Children can be made at www.hopeforchildrenus.org

JOSEPH’S HOUSE—Joseph’s House in the residential heart of Lanier Heights in Adams Morgan opened in 1990 in response to the growing AIDS crisis in Washington. It began as and continues to be a remarkable welcoming community. It offers comprehensive nursing and support services to homeless men and women dying of AIDS and cancer.

Joseph’s House is a hospice, but operates and focuses on caring in a unique way with a clinical staff and trained caregivers working to create a home where the values of unreserved love and friendship are practiced. “Together, we nurture the living and accompany the dying, providing a depth of physical emotional and spiritual support that creates the possibility for profound healing and their restoration of individual diginity.”

Joseph’s House is an integral and familiar part of the Lanier Heights neighborhood, inviting neighbors into their healing community as volunteers and visitors and taking part in neighborhood activities. It’s motto: “Small acts, great loves”.
For information on donations, helping or volunteering, email info@josephshouse.org

THE CHANCE FOUNDATION—The Chance Foundation is operated by Country Club Kennels, a one-of-a-kind boarding and training facility. It has locations in Fauquier and Orange County, Virginia, and is an all-breed, no-kill rescue arm of the kennels.(See photos on opposite page of dogs needing adoption.)

The Foundation helps homeless, neglected, abused and abandoned dogs. The Foundation takes in as many dogs as it can afford at any given time. Currently, a number of dogs are still available for adoption, including Dusty, a wire haired fox terrier; Kyra, a hound; Pumba, a two-year-old rat terrier mix; Howard, an Anatolian Shepherd mix; and Adam, a two-year old long haired German Shepherd mix.

For information for adoptions or donations, call 1-540-788-3559 or e-mail at carlacck@aol.com. The Country Club Kennels are located at 10739 Bristersburg Road, Cattlett, VA 20119. The owner is Carla Namack.

THE GEORGETOWN MINISTRY CENTER—The Georgetown Ministry Center, an organization of diverse communities in Georgetown, is dedicated to guiding homeless individuals towards stability and housing. They offer a safe and welcoming environment where everyone is treated with respect. They also educate the community about homelessness. For information or donations, email info@gmcgt.org

PROJECT CREATE provides accessible arts education to promote positive development in children, youth and families experiencing homelessness and poverty. For donations or information go to www.projectcreatedc.org

THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR ADOPTION—The National Council for Adoption is an adoption advocacy nonprofit that promotes a culture of adoption through education, research and legislative action. NCFA works to give every child a nurturing, permanent home by meeting the needs of the broad spectrum of adoption. To see what NCFA is currently doing or to help, go to
www.adoptioncouncil.org.

THE DUMBARTON OAKS PARK CONSERVANCY is a nonprofit organization established in 2010 that seeks to restore one of Americas ten greatest garden landscape designs, namely the 27-acre Dumbarton Oaks Park, which was formerly part of the Dumbarton Oaks estate in Georgetown. It is a naturalistic, but intensely designed landscape of meadows, woodlands, bulbs and wildflowers and paths and ponds, offering recreation and quiet beauty for visitors. It has greatly deteriorated over time. The Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy, in partnershiop with the National Park Service, seeks to bring the Dumbarton Oaks Park back to its aesthetic splendor. If you would like to meet our board go to www.dumbartonoakspark.wordpress.com/about/board-of-directors/

HELPING OUT ON THE SOCIAL NETWORK—Often people are suspicious or afraid to explore giving to good causes on the Internet or through social media such as Facebook. Some of us, however, have found different ways to donate to different causes. We’ve seen people helping people by assisting a school get art supplies or helping an artistic youth create a web series. Best of all, social media isn’t just about money but about spreading the word. One such good cause caught our attention: a young woman, Courtney Valentine, who’s trying to raise money to remove a brain tumor. For more information, go here.
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Yes, ‘What About the Future?’ BID’s 2028 Plan
•

Now that the Georgetown Business Improvement District has formally delivered its “Georgetown 2028” plan, other media outlets are chiming it on it, while local news outlets, such as the Georgetowner, have been reporting on the ongoing Georgetown BID discussions for months.

The biggest attention-grabbers about Georgetown’s possible future have been: a Metrorail station, a aerial gondola or cable car from the Rosslyn Metro stop to M or Prospect Street and streetcars along K Street and to Georgetown University. The BID plan is wide-ranging and ambitious — and required reading by Georgetown residents.

The Georgetown BID writes: “Georgetown 2028 – the eight-month-long initiative that led to this plan – was conceived as a strategic approach for the community to envision and plan for Georgetown’s business district evolution over the next 15 years. This plan ensures that today’s leaders can be certain of delivering this historic district to future generations and feel confident that Georgetown remains a world-class commercial district and one of the nation’s most desirable destinations. Simply put, the 2028 vision is to build an economically stronger and more sustainable Georgetown commercial district while bolstering the residential community by preserving what is great about Georgetown, fixing what is broken and creating what is missing.”
“This Action Agenda will be the basis for much of the Georgetown BID’s work in the coming years. The BID will use this plan to develop its five-year renewal plan in 2014, anticipating that BID staffing and budget decisions will align with the 2028 action items it is agreeing to spearhead.”

Herewith, 75 proposed action items by BID for your consideration. For the complete “Georgetown 2028” PDF — which we recommend that you take the time to read — visit Georgetowner.com for details.

Georgetown 2028 Action Agenda

Key: Major milestones in 3, 7 and/or 15 years
Priority Milestones

Canal: Restore, preserve, and activate the C & O Canal
1— Launch a multi-stakeholder planning process for the Canal’s future
2— Fundraise for a new canal barge
3— Demonstrate new programs, activities and designs for public feedback
4— Supplement and enhance the NPS Visitor Center to support more activity
5— Design educational programs that inform the public about the Canal
6— Implement Canal plan and well received demonstration projects

Wayfinding (signage): Enhance visitor’s sense of arrival and ease of navigation
7— Install previously approved wayfinding system from DDOT
8— Explore physical and mobile expansions for wayfinding in commercial areas
9— Develop and implement a gateway strategy for major access points to the commercial district

Improved streetscapes: Maintain a historic and charming character in the 21st Century
10— Develop design and material guidelines for street furniture and landscaping
11— Pilot temporary sidewalk widening programs
12— Identify and improve pedestrian choke points on commercial corridors
13— Create active pedestrian links through alleyways and side streets
14— Install parklets on commercial side streets
15— Improve the safety and convenience of pedestrian crossings
16— Improve pedestrian connections between Georgetown University and M Street

Wisconsin Avenue renewal: Foster engaging retail activity from M Street to Book Hill
17— Create a forum for property owners on 1300 and 1400 block to plan for the future
18— Establish a community-owned building for a bookstore

Waterfront District: Develop new retail, restaurants and programs south of M Street
19— Create frequent, recurring programs that promote street life
20— Explore policies to limit the holding of liquor licenses in safekeeping
21— Pilot parklets adjacent to retailers and restaurants
22— Promote the conversion of ground floor space into retail and restaurant destinations
23— Improve and expand pedestrian connections between M Street and K Street
24— Leverage small public spaces for seating, public art and games
25— Explore artistic installations and lighting that add interest to Whitehurst Freeway and Key Bridge
26— Improve street and bridge lighting to enhance safety
27— Integrate streetscape improvements with major transit initiatives

Office vacancy: Align with D.C. government development priorities
28— Integrate Georgetown into District’s tech sector initiatives
29— Conduct a feasibility study on ubiquitous wi-fi and high-speed internet
30— Market unique office stock to start-up and creative companies
31— Identify incentives for building renovations that increase sustainability

A Better Connected Georgetown: Improving the Transportation Experience
32 Bring a Metro Station to Georgetown by 2028
33 Bring fast and reliable downtown streetcar service to the Georgetown Waterfront
34 Study and potentially construct a gondola lift linking Georgetown to Metro
35 Form a Georgetown Streetcar Partnership to coordinate advocacy
36 Explore streetcar extensions west to Georgetown University and beyond
Transforming K Street into a Successful Gateway
37 Study a bicycle/pedestrian bridge connecting Georgetown with Rosslyn via Roosevelt Island
38— Support more water taxi service through better dock management
39— Pilot a taxi stand to serve the Waterfront District
40— Coordinate commuter shuttle services from nearby Metro stations
41— Examine limited-access vehicle crossing and other connections to Water Street
42— Improve the safety and ease of walking to/from Foggy Bottom Metro

Establish Georgetown as a Bicycle Friendly Destination
43— Connect Capital Crescent Trail with Rock Creek Parkway trail on or beside K/Water Streets
44— Install in-street bicycle parking corrals throughout commercial areas
45— Connect bikeways on Georgetown’s periphery all the way into Georgetown
46— Install at least 4 new Capital Bike share stations in commercial areas

Better Roadway Management
47— Allow direct evening rush hour access to Rock Creek Parkway from K Street
48— Improve the performance of the Canal Road, M Street, Key Bridge intersection
49— Improve the performance of intersections at the ends of the Whitehurst Freeway
50— Position traffic control officers at major intersections
51— Improve Wisconsin Ave. road allocation in Glover Park to reduce congestion & improve safety
52— Deploy automated enforcement cameras to improve flow and safety
53— Assess and improve signal timing for safety and efficiency of all modes
54— Evaluate and adapt the use of existing peak period lanes to improve efficiency
55— Establish routine meetings with traffic control officers and MPD to prioritize enforcement

Better Parking Management
56— Use pricing and hourly limits to improve availability of commercial on-street parking
57— Improve information on parking availability
58— Coordinate off-street parking resources to make off-peak capacity available
59— Improve the design and enforcement of loading zones
60—Implement shuttle services to and from off-street parking facilities
61— Improve motorcycle and motor scooter parking
62— Improve tour bus parking options
63— Study new parking options if management of existing supply is inadequate

Increasing the Efficiency and Usage of Bus Service
64— Pilot a real-time bus arrival information system
65— Advocate changes outside Georgetown to improve efficiency of Georgetown routes
66— Study options to improve bus speed and reliability within Georgetown
67— Study a free hop-on/hop-off shuttle option within Georgetown and to Metro
68— Adjust Circulator and Metrobus routing to improve efficiency and reliability
69— Pilot tip-based small electric vehicle shuttles
70— Create more welcoming places for people waiting for the bus

Ongoing Data and Analysis and Promotion
71—Assess commercial corridors and other considerations in light of streetcar and Metro status
72— Survey Georgetown visitors to understand travel preferences and behavior
73— Identify plan actions that would be impacted by Whitehurst Freeway deconstruction
74— Develop Georgetown program promoting alternatives to single occupant car travel
75— Conduct ongoing review of Georgetown 2028 pilot & feasibility studies & take appropriate steps

Norman Tolkan, Door Store Founder, Dies at 87
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Door Store founder Norman Tolkan died Dec. 8 from pneumonia at the age of 87.

Tolkan’s Door Store was on M Street next to Georgetown Tobacco and had a warehouse at Wisconsin Avenue and K Street. The furniture was famous for its Breuer-style chair (cane back and seat with a tubular metal frame). Many still have some of those household items, precursors to the likes of Ikea. Tolkan and his late wife Constance founded the Door Store in 1954. At its height, the business had 75 stores and then declined and finally closed in 1995. Tolkan still ran a business — Homeward, Inc. — which specialized in replacement pieces for those famous chairs. He had worked for the State Department before his retail business, knew several foreign languages and graduated from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. He is survived by his son, Victor K. Tolkan, his daughter-in-law, Julia A. Springer, three grandchildren and his sister, Helen T. Greenwald.

Dave Roffman, retired editor and publisher of The Georgetowner, wrote to his old publication about Tolkan: “He was one of the founders of the Georgetown Business Association, along with Rick Hinden of Britches, Arnie Passman of Georgetown Lamp Gallery and John Laytham of Clyde’s. They held their first meeting in the upstairs office of Britches of Georgetown. I attended that meeting as the only member of the press.”

In a New York Times obituary, Tolkan was called “his own man, self-made, colorful, idiosyncratic, intensely private and honorable.”

Ellen Steury Sworn in as Commissioner
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Ellen Steury was sworn in by Council member Jack Evans as the advisory neighborhood commissioner for single-member district 7 (SMD 07) – on the east side of Georgetown, north of P and Q Streets, including Evermay, Oak Hill Cemetery, Dumbarton Oaks, to Whitehaven Street. Steury succeeds Charles Eason who retired last month.