Alexandria Symphony Orchestra Garden Party
• July 2, 2013

The weather was glorious on June 20 as Isin and George Ludlow entertained supporters of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra (ASO) at the Tenth Annual Garden Party. Guests enjoyed a buffet provided by La Bergerie Restaurant and Del Ray Café in their newly built poolside gazebo. ASO Music Director Kim Kluge said “I am not here to thank you but to honor you.” Craig Dyson conducted a live auction benefitting the ASO’s performance and outreach programs. Lest anyone doubt commitment, a battery operated fish swimming (too fast for my camera) in the Ludlow’s pool, fetched a whopping $500. [gallery ids="101369,153184,153156,153181,153161,153177,153166,153172" nav="thumbs"]

Eleventh Annual “For the Love of Sight” Visionary Awards Dinner
• May 22, 2013

The Foundation Fighting Blindness, a nonprofit founded in 1971 to fund sight-saving retinal research held its annual dinner at the Ritz-Carlton, Washington, DC, on Apr. 16. Alison Starling of ABC7/WJPLA-TV emceed the event which honored former Ambassador Tom Korologos, former Secretary of Labor Ann Korologos and Dr. Hendrik Scholl a clinician-scientist at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Guests viewed a poignant video of young children dealing with impending vision loss. The Foundation has raised more than 500 million as the leading non-governmental funder of retinal research.
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U.S.News & World Report Celebrates 80th Birthday
• May 10, 2013

Who knew that U.S.News & World Report (where the editor of this newspaper once worked) is as old as Martin’s Tavern? It was an 80th anniversary and a homecoming as staffers, current and former, met at U.S. News headquarters on Thomas Jefferson Street May 2 to remember the past and affirm the future. The magazine, founded by David Lawrence in 1933, evolved to become one of the three big newsweeklies of America beside Time and Newsweek during the heyday of print journalism. For decades, U.S. News was headquartered on N Street in the West End. While its last print issue was in December 2010, U.S.News & World Report continues in the digital world of news along with its printed and popular best-of directories which rank universities, hospitals and other institutions. [gallery ids="101289,149595,149589,149577,149583" nav="thumbs"]

Loews Madison 50th Anniversary
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Andrew, James and Jonathan Tisch were in Washington May 1 to celebrate the golden anniversary of the Loews Madison Hotel and Washington Life Magazine’s A-List. The landmark property established by Marshall Coyne was opened in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy and has hosted presidents, celebrities, tastemakers and diplomats. [gallery ids="101293,149763,149756,149777,149749,149782,149787,149742,149793,149771" nav="thumbs"]

Trust for the National Mall Annual Luncheon
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Philanthropists, business leaders, government officials, diplomats and some of the best dressed and behatted guests converged May 2 to admire the ongoing restoration of what Trust for the National Mall Chairman Chip Akridge called “the crown jewel of America” that had fallen into disrepair. To great applause, keynote speaker Jonathan Browning, president and CEO of Volkswagen USA, announced that VW was donating $10 million to ensure that the grass will be green for the 25 million visitors to the National Mall each year. [gallery ids="101290,149631,149585,149626,149592,149620,149599,149614,149605" nav="thumbs"]

Swanky Graham Opens on Thomas Jefferson Street
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Georgetown’s latest hotel — The Graham — opened to the public May 3, after a series of top-drawer opening receptions. The 57-room boutique hotel boasts the only rooftop lounge — the 3,000 square-foot Observatory — in Georgetown that is open to the public. The hotel named its signature restaurant A.G.B. After all, Georgetown is the neighborhood where inventor Alexander Graham Bell once called home. The Volta Bureau, the non-profit he founded, is on 35th Street. Generating lots of favorable buzz, the Graham’s rooftop Observatory lounge has already gotten on a Forbes list of rooftops to check out.
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Celebrating the Investiture of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
• May 7, 2013

Among the numerous events which they hosted to celebrate the investiture of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, Ambassador Rudolph Bekink and Mrs. Gabrielle de Kuyper Sheshunoff Bekink hosted a press open house and luncheon at their residence on Apr. 30. The breathtaking arrangements of over 5,000 flowers flown from the Netherlands were elegantly styled by designer David Kurio of Austin, Texas. Guests heard journalist and author Charles Groenhuijsen speak on the role of the monarchy in the Netherlands, stressing that the Dutch monarchy “is not static” and proudly stating that “today is Holland at its best.” In October, The Phillips Collection will open the exhibit Van Gogh Repetitions, which will travel to the Cleveland Museum of Art in March 2014. [gallery ids="101278,149275,149270" nav="thumbs"]

2013 Night of Vision
• May 6, 2013

“Building New Visions” was the theme of the Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington’s March 2 gala at the Four Seasons Hotel. Mayor Vincent Gray issued a proclamation naming the date “Better Vision Day.” Stacey Chan of CNN Newsource emceed. The DC Fire & Emergency Medical Service Honor Guard trooped the colors. Georgetown Cupcake received the Community Service Award and Dr. Maxwell Helfgott accepted the Professional Service award saying, “Thank you for helping the city to see.” Live auction items included the opportunity for six people to participate in “the majesty and mess” of the cupcake making process at Georgetown Cupcake. Bob Jenets Upfront provided the very danceable music. [gallery ids="101202,143873,143868,143857,143864" nav="thumbs"]

Patron’s Party for House Tour: the Lively Place to Be
• May 1, 2013

The annual Patron’s Party for the Georgetown House Tour was held April 24 at the home of Tom Anderson and Marc Schappell with House Tour chair emerita 97-year-old Frida Burling holding court in the sitting room. A delightful evening added to the easy grace of the party and happy, talkative crowd at the historic P Street home. Anderson, Schappell, their home and the house tour make up the latest Georgetowner cover story, now also a town tradition. Past Georgetowner cover stories on the house tour and patrons’ party include some of the first ones, Kitty Kelley, Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn. The Georgetown House Tour is on Saturday, April 27. [gallery ids="101269,148045,148023,148040,148030,148036" nav="thumbs"]

2013 Helen Hayes Awards
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Washington honored its thriving theatre community at the 29th Annual Helen Hayes Awards at the Warner Theatre on Apr. 8. Actress Ellen Burstyn, the first woman elected president of Actors Equity Association, accepted the Helen Hayes Tribute, sponsored by the late beloved Jaylee Mead to the AEA. Capital Fringe and Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Review received special awards. Metro Stage’s Jacques Brel garnered several awards as did Imagination Stage and the Washington Ballet for their collaboration on The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. Folger Theatre’s Taming of the Shrew took the evening’s final award for Outstanding Resident Play. Following the presentations everyone proceeded to the JW Marriott Hotel to “party hearty.” [gallery ids="101252,147574,147566,147560,147554,147587,147593,147547,147598,147603,147580" nav="thumbs"]