Cops Catch 35th Street Robbers
• June 12, 2013

Two suspects involved in the April 20 robbery of a woman walking toward 35th Street and Volta Place were apprehended the same day. The Metropolitan Police Department had talked to the woman and posted a lookout for the suspects. MPD spotted two suspects shortly after the incident, and upon searching the suspects, found them in possession of the stolen purse. Within four days in April, there had been three robberies on 35th Street. MPD also arrested a suspect from an incident at 37th and O Streets. According to police, the suspect has an arrest history of thefts and receiving stolen property. MPD will determine if he is linked to other neighborhood crimes.

Movie Mystery: Loews Evacuated After Shouts in Theater, May 8
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Georgetown’s Loews Theaters on K Street were evacuated the evening of May 8, as fire trucks arrived on the scene, responding to an emergency call. According to NBC News and other news organizations, “D.C. Fire and Rescue said someone yelled something inside the building Sunday night at about 10pm. That caused a panic inside a theater, and everyone took off running toward the door. Emergency crews evacuated the entire building as a precaution. According to D.C. police, one woman was hurt during the rush to the door. Investigators said the person who caused the commotion may have been drunk and tried to pull off a prank. No one was arrested.”

Felicia Stidham: Most Happy Friend of Our Town
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Felicia Stidham passed away on April 24. Her career spanned from wholesale and retail apparel to owning her own boutique real estate brokerage in D.C. A memorial service was held May 2 at St. John’s Church on O Street. She is survived by her brother Steven Plerhoples of Philadelphia.

Awarded by the Greater Washington, D.C., Association of Realtors, Stidham received her local training with Begg/Long & Foster in Georgetown, where she was a top lister and top producer. Before that, she had sold co-ops and brownstones on the Upper East Side of New York. In 2002, with seven years experience in real estate sales, Stidham started her own firm, Felicia Stidham Real Estate, LLC.

At the time of her death, Stidham was working on two books: “Georgetown Reveries: a Social History of Georgetown” and “The Life of Mary Rogers.” She was an active volunteer in the community. She had served as a director on the boards of the Friends of Book Hill Park, the Georgetown Business Association and the Georgetown Ministry Center. She also served on the Trees for Georgetown committee and chaired the 2008 Greens Sales at St. John’s Church.

Georgetown University’s Graduation Gaff
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Georgetown University’s graduating class of 2011 marked the end of their collegiate journey with a ceremony last Friday, May 20, honoring the students who spent four years toiling through term papers, exams and some of the highest tuition rates in the country. The commencement book, part of the graduation package, listed the name and high school of every graduating senior, and the name, undergraduate school and discipline of every graduating graduate student, as well as various other tidbits and commencement-worthy information.

It also contained a rather unfortunate spelling error on the front cover.

The word University was spelled incorrectly on the cover of the book, which was handed out to thousands of students and their families. This is probably not what you want to receive after paying for four years of college tuition.

Georgetown’s registrar has apologized for the mistakes, offering corrected books to students and families upon request. Those who want a new, corrected copy of the commencement book should email mcevents@georgetown.edu.

Editorial flubs are unfortunate inevitabilities that we all must live with, especially in the world of new media, blogs and twitter. This paper is far from claiming to be free of editorial transgressions, and our hearts and sympathies go out to Georgetown University in their time of error.

Serendipity 3 Opens Its Doors to Customers
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You can stop asking when. On Memorial Day, Serendipity 3 officially opened its doors at the busy intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, May 30, to customers who quickly discovered they had to wait (some up to an hour or two at one point during the 95-degree Monday) to get a table in the packed restaurant, once home to the famed Nathans.

After months of prepping, co-owners Britt Swan and Rodrigo Garcia welcomed Georgetowners and other Washingtonians, along with the tourists in town, who dove into the frozen hot chocolates and shakes and snapped up burgers and hot dogs. There is a $1,000 sundae (no buyer yet as of press time) as well as a $69 hot dog. For this latest Serendipity 3, the extensive menu includes crab cakes, a D.C. exclusive.

Founded in 1954 by Stephen Bruce in New York City, Serendipity 3 has become a sweet tooth favorite, eclectic in its decor, and a favorite meeting spot. It has touted its celebrity connections, whether Andy Warhol, Jacqueline Kennedy, Bill Clinton or Sarah Palin, and provides the title and scenes for a romantic comedy film many guys cannot stand. Like the other New York and Las Vegas locations, the restaurant sells Serendipity 3 merchandise.

A few family members of the co-owners are involved in the eatery: hostess Katrina Rubin, whose mother Janine Schoonover, married to Swan, has been working on the debut for months, and Garcia’s brother Alexander Miguens, an investor.

On Monday, Twitter, Facebook and other websites held comments and photos on the opening. NBC4’s TV reporter Pat Collins stopped by and interviewed customers, and NBC4 news anchor Eun Yang brought her family.

“More than 500 covers went out opening day,” Garcia told us at the end of the first day. “Fro ho [Frrrozen Hot Chocolate] was the most popular order.”

Meanwhile, it looks like this restaurant can live up to its definition: “ser•en•dip•i•ty (n) the art of making happy discoveries, or finding the unexpectedly pleasant by chance or sagacity.”
Serendipity 3 will be open 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to 3 a.m., Friday and Saturday. Later, it will also have a carryout counter.

Citizens Honor Community Achievers at Annual Meeting
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The Citizens Association of Georgetown met May 17 at Dumbarton House on Q Street to elect its officers, hand out its community awards and hear from Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans, who discussed the Mayor’s proposed budget and his own opposition to tax increases. Nevertheless, citing the rebuilt public library and continuing work on the streets and utility connections, Evans told the citizens that Georgetown is doing great with all of the improvements and investments coming to fruition in the neighborhood, home to many active residents worthy of awards. CAG honored a few of them specifically at the annual meeting.

Brenda Moorman received the Bill Cochran Award for her work in conservation and neighborhood beautification. Toni Cherry of the D.C. State Historic Preservation Office received the Charles Atherton Award for her work in creating a preservation compliance programs among other city efforts.

The Hays family—John, Sharon and daughter Samantha—was awarded the Martin-Davidson Award for its longest surviving retail store, The Phoenix on Wisconsin Avenue, which opened in 1955.

A Special Award was given to Officer Mark Lee of the Metropolitan Police Department for his years of service in the town. The historic George Town Club, with general manager Brian Armstrong accepting, grabbed the Ratatouille Award for rat abatement. The Peter Belin Award will be presented during a September meeting to Richard Hinds, CAG’s legal advisor.

Hardy Middle School Chooses New Principal After Revolving Door of Administrators
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This Friday, Hardy Middle School announced in a letter that a new principal has been selected. Dr. Mary Stefanus comes from St. Louis, Missouri, where she was principal at Hixson Middle School in Missouri for 11 years, according to Georgetown Patch. She has more than 30 years of experience in education and a track record for success.

Dr. Stefanus will be the fourth person to serve as Principal at Hardy in just over a year. At the end of the 2010 school year, Principal Patrick Pope was removed by then Chancellor Michelle Rhee and replaced by Dana Nerenberg. Nerenberg was removed at the end of this January after reports of increased fighting among students and disrespect to administrators by Acting Chancellor of DC Public Schools Kaya Henderson, and replaced by interim principal Daniel Shea.

Vornado Realty Trust flexes its muscles at Georgetown Park
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After six months of renovation and only five months of business, the National Pinball Museum in the Shops at Georgetown Park will be closing this July. According to a letter from Executive Director and Curator David Silverman, mall owners Vornado Realty Trust informed him on May 18 that he has 60 days before he and his pinball machines must vacate the premises.

Silverman says he spent $300,000 renovating the space, which included a custom dinosaur mural and nine-foot flippers in the 14,000 square foot space. The museum contains hundreds of pinball machines and displays chronicling the history of the game.

Before moving his collection to Georgetown Park, Silverman’s pinball machines were kept at his home in Silver Spring. Silverman has amassed a collection of over 800 machines over the past 15 years.

For now, the museum is located on the third floor of the Shops at Georgetown Park, formerly occupied by FAO Schwarz. Silverman is determined to find a space to move his collection, and is looking as far away as New Mexico. The museum is also accepting donations. To encourage visitors, the museum has lowered its admission rate from $13.50 to $3, and has implemented new summer hours. The museum will remain open through July 4.

Potomac River Rescues
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During the past few days, Washington D.C. Fire and Rescue crews have been busy with a series of rescues from the Potomac River. This Tuesday, a man fell into the river from a ten-foot ledge at Georgetown Waterfront Park. The man was reportedly taking photos over the ledge, fell into the water, and was unable to climb out by himself.

According to Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, a call was made around 9:15 p.m. The District’s Fire Boat rescued the man from the water. After being evaluated by EMS at a nearby boathouse, the man was found to be uninjured.

The second rescue occurred on Sunday night, when three teenagers were rescued after trying to swim across the Potomac. DC Fire-EMS and U.S. Park Police crews used thermal imagery to find two of the teens on Theodore Roosevelt Island, where they were hiding. One male was found by the Georgetown waterfront and treated for hypothermia. The others, a male and a female, were transported. The teens may face charges, as swimming is not allowed in the river.

According to Georgetown Patch, three people drowned in the stretch of the Potomac from Great Falls to Georgetown last year.

Second District Crime Sees Sharp Increase from Last Year
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According to Second District Commander Michael Reese, burglaries and automobile related theft rates rose in the Second District during May. Four burglars have been arrested, though, and Reese expects to see a decrease in the number of burglaries, according to Georgetown Patch.

Property crime was up 5 percent overall in the second district in May compared to last year, but violent crime was down 29 percent. The overall crime rate has increased by less than 1 percent.

Four burglars have been arrested recently, and the Commander expects to see a decrease in the number of burglaries.