Town Topics

Georgetowner • June 18, 2013

-Georgetown Public Library Grand Opening Party, Oct. 23

The newly renovated Georgetown Library on R Street is open. On Saturday, Oct. 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the library will host a grand opening party. “Fun activities for all ages,” we are told by the D.C. Public Library System.

Discover neighborhood treasures at the Peabody Room. Peabody Room librarian Jerry McCoy will showcase items from the Peabody Collection. Play “Libropoly” on a life-sized board of Historic Georgetown, sponsored by the Friends of the Georgetown Library. There will be tours of the library, of course. Programs on drawings and opera as well as pumpkin decorating — mulled cider, too, and refreshments donated by Safeway and cupcakes donated by Baked & Wired Bakery.

Ward 2 Town Hall Attempts to Bridge Divides

At October 14’s town hall, Vincent Gray was well-received by Ward 2, despite only receiving
27% of their vote in the primary. Gray’s opponent, Mayor Adrian Fenty, garnered greater support from Georgetown’s precinct than any other in D.C.

Held at Foundry United Methodist Church, open discussion was scheduled to last two hours. In reality, after starting 45 minutes late and another half-hour of formalities, very little time was left for questioning.

The town hall meetings being part of Gray’s effort to find common ground with those who didn’t support him in the election, one would think he’d take plenty of time to talk about the number one issue on Georgetowners’ minds: education. Unfortunately, aside from stressing his commitment to educational reform and a question concerning special education standards, this was not the case.

Gray spent more time talking about his plans to combat unemployment in Wards 7 and 8, an issue that affects D.C. residents as a whole.

G.U. Business School Ranks #4

Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business was earned a fourth-best ranking for its master of business programs, according to the Princeton Review, which reported on its survey of 19,000 students, headlined “Best Career Prospects.” Preceding Georgetown University in business programs are number one Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), Harvard University and Stanford University. Georgetown’s location in Washington, D.C., its own international studies and School of Foreign Service, along with global perspectives in the city, such as the World Bank, as well as other NGOs and non-profits here, added to its high ranking in the student survey.

Philly Pizza Reincarnates As Go Fresh

By now, you know it: Philly Pizza and Grill is dead. The Potomac Street eatery, owned by Mehmet Kocak, will re-open as Go Fresh, a prepared food shop with restrictions from the D.C. Department of Regulatory and Consumer Affairs — such as . . . no pizza . . . ever again. And how about “no loitering”? It is part of the agreement. Go Fresh will use a vent-less oven and toasters. Can we throw in “no real cooking” as well? You got it. The eatery will close by 1 a.m., Thursday through Saturday. Advisory neighborhood commissioner Bill Starrels is still not happy about it.

Independent Art House Cinema Opens Oct. 29

West End Cinema, located at 2301 M Street, N.W., will open on Oct. 29 with “Howl,” “Gerrymandering”
and “Let Me In.” Josh Levin is the contact for the group: info@WestEndCinema.
com or 202-419-FILM. Ticket prices range between $11 and $8.

Vote Early or Often . . . But Vote

Early voting is now open at One Judiciary Square, 441 4th St., N.W. — through Oct. 30 (8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and Nov. 1 (8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.); closed Oct. 31. For more details, visit www.dcboee.org

D.C. Homicide Count Hits One Hundred

The Washington Examiner reported on Monday, October 18, that D.C. homicides officially reached the hundred mark — 103 to be exact. While this is an improvement from last year’s 109 homicides by the same date, District police have again failed to meet the police chief’s personal benchmark.

In the past, Police Chief Cathy Lanier has expressed her belief that limiting homicides to fewer than 100 a year would prove a “tipping point” for the city’s safety. Less vocal about the goal of late, the reduction in homicides is still commendable. In comparison with last year, it took an extra month to reach 100.

Halloween for Adults

For those looking for a Halloween plan on Friday, October 29, the National Zoo is hosting Night of the Living Zoo, a festive Halloween bash. For $40 ($30 for Friends of the National Zoo) you can enjoy a night of Halloween mischief at this 21 and over bash. Live music and live animals will set the scene while you mingle with other partygoers. Palm readers and fire eaters will give you the chills, so the Magic Hat beers served at the bar can warm you up. It’s sure to be a ghostly good time!

Georgetowner •

-ANC2E: Too Many Events Closing Streets?

The Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E met Nov. 1 at Visitation Prep.

Commissioners spoke about the many street closures in Georgetown lately and said they would contact the Mayor’s Special Event Task Force as well as other DC neighborhood groups to see how things could be better coordinated.

Noting that the police probably needed some rest after such a busy weekend, Ed Solomon gave his crime report: “A spike in crime,” with nine thefts from Thursday through Saturday. Solomon also mentioned how M Street was jammed, making egress tough for residents.

Aaron Golds recapped the drug busts at the Georgetown University campus, adding that some alarms did not sound at the Harbin Hall dormitory as they should have.

The presenter for the Lawyers Have Heart 10K in June 2011, while supported by the commission,
was asked to keep the ANC informed of any last-minute changes to the race route because of traffic concerns.

With some 35th Street parking spots being lost for ease of turning lanes, the ANC said it would ask DDOT to examine if any spaces on the north side of the 3400 block of Dent Place could be allowed. It is currently a no-parking zone, as it lies directly across from the fire station.

In applying for liquor license renewal, the Third Edition (now run by Capital Restaurant Concepts) faces criticism for its backyard tiki bar. The bar’s noise disturbs condo dwellers at 3251 Prospect Street. Late-night rabble and nearby parking lot gatherings continue; additionally, Georgetown Court’s hang-out, George, seeks to increase its legal capacity to 200. Ed Starrels said he would set up a meeting with the residents, Third Edition and Paul Cohn of CRC.

Yet another restaurant is on the horizon: This one at 1010 Wisconsin Avenue, called the International House of Pong. Its owner is David Sakai, a table-tennis hall of famer. It will have a ping-pong theme, of course, with a capacity of 300 persons in 8,000 square feet, and may be also run by CRC.

Briefly noted: Hook and Tacklebox bought the old Champions building in the alley off Wisconsin Avenue near the Third’s tiki bar; Merriment of Georgetown will be on Dec. 5; signage approved for Camper at 3219 M Street.

Also, Karen Cruise of the Citizens Association of Georgetown was publicly thanked for helping
to represent the ANC at ABC hearings.

Drug Busts at Georgetown University Shocks Students and Neighbors

At 6 a.m., Oct. 23, authorities ordered an immediate evacuation of Harbin Hall, a Georgetown
University dorm, where an alleged drug lab was discovered in a room on the ninth floor. Freshmen Charles Smith and John Romano, both Georgetown students, along with visiting University of Richmond freshman John Perrone, were arrested early in the morning after officials found the suspected lab intended to produce DMT, a hallucinogenic drug, in Smith and Romano’s dorm room. Romano was released and cleared of all charges at a hearing on Monday, Oct. 25th, in U.S. District Court after Smith told officers that Romano was not involved in any illegal activity, according to The Washington Post. Smith and Perrone are facing federal charges for conspiracy to manufacture and possession with intent to distribute DMT. They were then released into the custody of their parents until their next court date in DC on Jan. 24.

Also arrested on Oct. 26 for possession of and intent to distribute marijuana was Georgetown freshman Kelly Baltazar, whose roommate wrote about her knowledge of Smith’s plans to make DMT, according to the student newspaper, The Hoya.

What is drawing equal criticism is the manner in which the police handled the dorm evacuation.
Police evacuated Harbin Hall room-by-room that morning, after the fire alarm system failed to go off, frightening many students initially, but worrying them further that their residence lacks a working alarm system. However, according to Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson, the residence hall’s alarms underwent an inspection the previous week and passed fire safety standards, which was confirmed by authorities.

The drug busts took students by surprise. “It’s completely shocking. I would have never have thought that something like this would happen at Georgetown,” student Andrew Strunk told The Hoya. But for many Harbin residents left outside their dorm, The Hoya added, school considerations during a stressful midterm season were at the top of the agenda. “I didn’t get to get my homework and I have a midterm on Monday,” said student and Harbin Hall resident Erica Lin.

Indeed, the Hoya’s lead editorial on Oct. 29, headlined “Damage Control,” lamented the bad press and bad rap for Georgetown and expressed worry that the “drug busts have the potential to harm the long-term reputation of the university.”

Dimethyltryptamine—DMT—is an endogenous hallucinogen, which can be inhaled, smoked or ingested, resulting in dream-like sensations as well as feelings of a near-death experience. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, punishment may involve up to 20 years in prison and fines of $1 million.

Burleith Citizens Agitated Over G.U. Plans and Increased Crime

The Burleith Citizens Association met at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Oct. 28, to discuss Georgetown University’s campus plan, safety and noise issues, rat and trash abatement, as well community tree planting.

After a “Dream Girls” selection by Elliington students (performances begin Dec. 2), BCA president Lenore Rubino echoed her neighborhood’s frustrations at the university. Signs that read “Our Homes, Not GU’s Dorm” state Burleith’s position succinctly. “We want G.U. to reverse its trend of turning houses into dorms,” she said, citing best practices and adding, “We know G.U. can do better.” Even with the residential backlash, the campus plan might provide a 10-year opportunity for conciliation, Rubino said. “Together, we could do great things.”

Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans offered his view of the District’s budget woes. “We have enormous problems financially but are still better than most municipalities,” he said. While Evans said he opposed the university’s campus plans, he noted that the City Council “doesn’t have a role” in such zoning issues and directed residents to the D.C. Zoning Commission to fight the plans. As for the university’s request for $90 million in tax-free bonds, Evans said that because of the larger financing program for other institutions, he would leave it alone, adding that Congress would probably step in to fund it anyway. “I will never allow G.U. to build an 85-foot smokestack,” Evans said. Burleith’s neighborhood commissioner Ed Solomon has likewise stated his opposition to the university’s campus plan.

Lt. Hedgecock of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District addressed the group, saying he has seen “more violent and property crimes across the line.” Hopefully, more headway will be made in the near future.

Georgetown Public Library Shines Anew

The Georgetown Public Library on R Street held an open house for the Citizens Association of Georgetown, Oct. 25, as library officials welcomed a large, curious crowd marveling at the library’s rebirth, and its increased space from 19,000 to 26,000 square feet. Jerry McCoy, historian at the main branch as well, talked about the April 2007 fire and displayed fire-damaged objects such as the weather vane and the clock (stopped at 12:38 p.m.) and added that he needed copies of The Georgetowner and Georgetown Current newspaper from 2006 and 2007 to complete his sets. With an iPad on hand, Richard Levy of the D.C. Library Foundation asked the audience to “advocate for all the other libraries of the District.” During the presentation, Marcia Carter, owner of the renowned used and rare bookstore, Booked Up (now closed), donated two books from the 18th century to the Peabody Room’s McCoy. Friends of the Georgetown Library also joined CAG and seeks members and volunteers to help with programs and other events at the library. For more information, visit www.dclibrary.org/georgetown

‘Adopt-A-Block’ Catches On

Here’s the scoop from a worthwhile public effort: “Clean City’s Adopt-A-Block Program helps beautify our neighborhoods and allows citizens like you and your families to take an active role in cleaning and greening the District. As a part of the Clean City Initiative, Adopt- A-Block offers a hands-on project for people and organizations. The program allows participants to make a noticeable contribution to their communities.

Citizens said that the government must do its part to keep the city clean, but recognized that government can’t do everything. Teamwork between government and citizens is key. Success begins with one citizen and one community deciding to make a difference.”

Each group adopts a minimum of 2 square blocks of a residential or commercial area, agrees to conduct a quarterly, clean-up day and weekly litter pickup in the adopted area, and maintains this agreement for two years. Want more info? 202-724-8967 CleanCity@dc.gov, www.CleanCity.dc.gov

New Businesses in Town

The fun, elegant, perfectly constructed housewares of Alessi now have a showroom
in Cady’s Alley, right next to L2 and across from Leopold’s Kafe & Konditorei. (See the pages of Le Decor for more info.)

It’s back to the future for at least one business category in town. Evoking memories of the long-gone Georgetown Coffee, a new shop, The Spice & Tea Exchange of Georgetown, offers many scents. It is on Wisconsin Avenue (near Blues Alley), touting, “A huge selection of gourmet spices…including a huge selection of chili powders, cheese powders, smoked powders and more. Our selection of fresh gourmet spices is second to none. If you can’t find it here, it probably does not exist.” And there are bags of tea, too. Also available: mortars, pestles, spice racks, mills, grinders and other kitchen items for tea. Check with owner Keith Campbell-Rosen at: georgetown@spiceandtea.com, 202-333-4540.

Wait, there’s another back-to-the-future feeling coming on. Remember Maison de Crepes? A new crêperie has opened, right next to Spice & Tea on Wisconsin Avenue—Muncheez Mania. Its interior is electric with street art and music, serving up crepes, wraps and other low-priced snacks with American and Lebanese tastes, especially those wrapped in saj, and window service, too. Beginning next week, closing times on Thursday, Friday and Satursday will be 4 a.m. As this eatery is part of Capital Restaurant Concepts, Neyla’s executive chef Abdul Hash Housh is involved along with Muncheez’s founder David Nammour. www.MuncheezMania.com

Commander Salamander Gone by Year’s End

With its going-out-of-business signs getting faded, Commander Salamander, that funky clothing and accessories shop on Wisconsin Avenue, will indeed close soon—for real. Chris Peterson, a store manager, told the Washington City Paper that Commander Salamander employees got word of the closing last week. “There were lawyers going in and out of the store all week,” Peterson told the City Paper.

Robert Devaney •

-More than the usual number of Metropolitan Police Department squad cars and Georgetown University police have been traveling around 35th & Prospect streets as well as parked there, neighbors report. Here are a few crime notes:

After Georgetown University’s Department of Public Safety set up new security measures after a series of burglaries in the dormitory known as Village A, according to The Hoya, a student reported Nov. 9 that upon returning to his apartment at 9 p.m. he found that it had been burglarized and his laptop stolen. Between Oct. 16 and Oct. 31, four burglaries and an attempted burglary occurred in Village A, the newspaper reported. “Following the incidents, campus police increased night patrols and monitoring of overnight vehicular access to campus. DPS has also promised to provide personal safety consultations for Village A residents and set up brighter lighting features.” Village A is the dorm on the western end of Prospect Street between Lauinger Library and the New South building.

Highlighting the issue of students’ carelessness regarding the threat of crime, it was also reported that one Hoya left his room unlocked in Copley dormitory and an Xbox was stolen.

Seeming to say, “We are here,” Metropolitan Police questioned a neighborhood regular on Nov. 11 for fraudulent panhandling. He had been telling passers-by at 35th and Prospect streets that he was collecting donations for the Boys and Girls Club of Washington. A resident had called the 2nd District to complain, according to officer on hand, prompting the individual to be put in the back of the squad car. After letting
this “person of interest” go along his way, one neighbor said that the panhandler, dressed in a peacoat wearing a traditional skullcap, had a house arrest ankle bracelet on, and that his step brother, walking around with him, had an expired arrest warrant.

Also in crime news: The District of Columbia Crime Policy Institute, published through the Urban Institute, released a report showing crime levels for each census block in the city. The worst spots are well known: the center of the city and the eastern end of the District. According to the report, “More than one-fifth of the blocks in the District did not experience any crimes, and more than half saw fewer than five crimes in any given year. On average, then, these blocks saw crime occur less frequently than once every other month. Most crime is concentrated in a relatively small number of blocks in the District—in any given year, more than one-quarter of the crimes occur in just five percent of the blocks.” As for Georgetown, its less-than-best blocks were indicated in the report: around Wisconsin and M, below the C&O Canal to the Potomac, and within the Georgetown University campus.

Robert Devaney •

-The Georgetown Senior Center, founded by the late Virginia Luce Allen almost 30 years ago and located in the Parish hall of St. John’s Church on O Street, will close on Nov. 24.

Allen and her seniors met for years for lunch prepared by residents or donated by local restaurants. Educational or musical programs followed the Monday, Wednesday and Friday lunches. Once a month, there was usually a field trip to a museum or historic home. The seniors, who were regularly picked up and dropped back at their homes by the center’s bus, had visited the Washington Nationals several times this year.

The future of the non-profit, maintained by Allen for many years, was in question immediately
following her death in October 2009. She was the energy and spirit of the place, many of her friends said. With declining membership and its most persuasive fundraiser gone, the center decided to close and will meet one last time for a lunch to be prepared by 1789 Restaurant.

Robert Devaney •

-John E. Olsson, founder of the beloved and once-famous Olsson’s Books and Records, died Oct. 28 at the age of 78 in Silver Spring. He started his stores in Dupont Circle, eventually controlling a chain of nine shops, the best of which was on Wisconsin Avenue at Prospect Street (near the site of the Apple Computer store).

A graduate of Catholic University, Olsson made the merchandising leap to combine the love of music and reading in one place. His stores were popular for years, known for the ease of just walking along the aisles, of getting knowledgeable answers from the store staff and of possibly spying a famous politician or celebrity perusing the shop.

Bookstore chains, Internet shopping and downloadable tunes led to the demise of the Olsson’s empire, with the Georgetown store falling in 2002. Its last five stores closed two years ago.

Robert Devaney •

-A Burleith neighborhood group is checking properties for illegal rentals. It has reported what it believes are 134 illegal basement rentals to the DC Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs. Property owners without a proper occupation license may face a fine.

According to a comment on the website Urban Turf, Mike Rupert, DCRA communications manager, advised, “This effort is in direct response to concerns of neighbors. Like we have seen in basements across the District—and most publicly when a student at Georgetown died just a few years ago—some of these apartments are unsafe and potentially deadly.”

Earlier this year, The DCRA contacted 125 Georgetown landlords who had allegedly rented properties without a valid license. At the time, DCRA stated: “We have sent letters to each of the property owners identified on the list asking them to please respond. If you are renting your property, please contact us immediately and we can assist you in getting your property licensed and, most importantly, inspected. We will not assess fines if you voluntarily come in and begin the licensing and inspection process.”

Robert Devaney •

-Advisory neighborhood commissioner Bill Starrels seems to be a verb, according to a Nov. 11 Georgetown Voice headline. In an editorial, the student newspaper cited the eagle eye of Bill Starrels, who challenged student voters’ eligibility at American University. The newest phrase to enter our lexicon is “Starrelled Down.” Hey, if Sarah Palin can get listed in the Oxford English Dictionary for “refudiate,” why not our own Bill Starrels? “Starrelled Down” just might catch on, but we’re not sure if something
like “Solomoned Up” would.

Robert Devaney •

-Georgetown’s ANC 2E held its monthly meeting Nov. 29 at Visitation Prep. Here are some results:

The Metropolitan Police’s Lt. J. Hedgecock reported on “out-of-control” students, especially those who held off-campus parties near 33rd and O streets last weekend. Hedgecock acknowledged the attempted abduction of a student in the early hours of Nov. 21 near the corner of 34th and Prospect Streets (See story below). The Bikeshare program appears so successful that other locales are being sought, especially in the east village. E-mail suggestions to anc2e@dc.gov.

The commission expressed the community’s mixed feelings about the many running events held along M Street or nearby. Traffic and shop openings can be delayed if not gridlocked. The operator-owner of the National Triathlon (Sept. 11, 2011) and the D.C. Triathlon (June 19, 2011) left disappointed after failing to explain the percentage of charitable proceeds to total revenue. The commission unanimously tabled the motion to approve the routes of the triathlon, though other ANCs affected have approved the races’ routes.

A resolution to appeal the zoning decision for GoFresh on Potomac Street was approved. The voluntary agreement with Lapis, a new restaurant planned by the owners of Cafe Bonaparte, in the 1000 block of Wisconsin Avenue, was approved unanimously, despite neighboring business owner Karen Brooks, who said that the exterior display of the liquor application was placed too late on the building.

License renewals for the Saloun and Nathan’s (now the building housing the upcoming Serendipity3, run by Britt Swan, whose Georgetown establishments include Modern and Rhino’s) were approved. The New York-based Serendipity3 has pushed back its opening at Georgetown’s most famous intersection—Wisconsin and M—to mid-January.

The commission found no opposition to the design concept of an addition of a new building to the rear of the soon-to-be rehabed Georgetown Post Office (its second floor has been vacant since 1971, according to Core Architects). The EastBanc project, which creates several floors of office space along with a 18-car garage, has been in the works for a while and has tried to contact the property owner of the house just North of the 1215 31st Street historic structure (built in 1856 as a custom house by the architect of the U.S. Treasury) for one year, developer Anthony Lanier said. The U.S. Postal Service will serve the neighborhood and maintain the first floor as before.

Robert Devaney •

-The Citizens Association of Georgetown met at Letelier Theater within Georgetown Court on Prospect Street, Nov. 22, for a show-and-tell on the proposed far-reaching changes to D.C. zoning rules. The packed house heard from D.C.’s Office of Planning’s Travis Parker and Nancy MacWood of the Committee of 100 on the Federal City.

“It is an immense undertaking,” said CAG member Richard Hinds. DC zoning code has not been revamped since 1958.

Parker said that the changes aimed to make regulations easier to look up and understand. He noted that the goals of zoning are to create “a successful place to live” and saw Georgetown as such an example. “We want to allow other neighborhoods to emulate Georgetown’s success,” he said.

Parker spoke of “a more flexible system” in the new zoning proposals and said that “two-thirds of Georgetown buildings are non-conforming.” By today’s rules, for example, if a non-conforming building, such as an old corner business, were lost to a fire, it could not be rebuilt as such. He said localized, flexible zoning would keep places like Sara’s Market. “Georgetown is the model for zoning everyone wants to be,” Parker said.

The changes in height and outside space dimensions are numerous. Public review of the zoning draft text continues through summer 2011. For details, visit www.DCzoningupdate.org.

“Ask questions now or plan to be surprised,” urged MacWood about the changes. The Zoning Commission has the sole authority to write regulations,

she noted and asked about saturation limits. “Zoning regulations must be consistent with the comprehensive plan.”

While some of the proposed changes would allow for more added useable space for institutions — like Georgetown University — residential homes would be even more effected. Also, the 2010 Georgetown University campus plan remains under the current rules. Some attendees wanted to discuss the campus plan. That did not happen.

Robert Devaney •

-Early Sunday morning, Nov. 21, three unknown men attempted to abduct a male student near the corner of 34th Street and Prospect Street, reported Georgetown University’s Department of Public Safety.

According to the DPS alert, “at approximately 2:15 a.m., a student reported to MPD that while walking in the vicinity of 34th and Prospect Streets, three suspects approached him and attempted to engage him in conversation. One of the three unknown suspects then grabbed the student’s arm and began to pull him toward a black SUV that was parked nearby. He was released and the suspects fled when an MPD [Metropolitan Police Department] police car appeared. The three suspects are described as Hispanic males wearing black clothing. One of the suspects wore his hair in a ponytail.”

The Department of Public Safety says it has increased East Campus patrols after the attempted abduction, according to the Georgetown Voice news blog. “We are stepping up patrols of the East campus area in search of the suspects,” wrote Joseph Smith with university public safety. “I think this case demonstrates how important it is to walk in groups or pairs whenever possible and to report suspicious activity to the police.” He added: “To my knowledge, nothing of this sort has occurred in recent years within the campus vicinity.”

As indicated by Lt. Hedgecock, the Metropolitan Police Department and the university police are conducting an ongoing investigation into the crime.