The Georgetowner: May 10, 2023 Issue

Make no compromises. Balfour’s community life and unique design complements your active lifestyle. Featuring spacious one and two bedroom �oor plans, expansive wellness amenities and clinical care if and when you need it.

Come explore Balfour’s unique retirement lifestyle. Opening of 2024. Now Pre-Leasing.

Meet the Breast Medical Oncology Team at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

Every patient is unique, and so is their cancer. Our nationally recognized breast cancer specialists are here to diagnose and treat your cancer, offering a variety of treatment options that address your specific cancer.

Through our research partnership with Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center—the area’s only comprehensive cancer center designated by the National Cancer Institute—we are offering tomorrow’s treatments, today. Our multidisciplinary team prioritizes compassion, respect, and empathy through every interaction because that’s the kind of care we’d want for our family members.

Meet our team.

Seated: Elaine Walsh, MD; Beth Strand, NP. Standing from left: Theresa Harrington Stukus, NP; Candace Mainor, MD; Miriam Jacobs, MD; Joyce Slingerland, MD; Nadia Ashai, MD; Claudine Isaacs, MD

If you would like to schedule an appointment or consultation with a member of our breast medical oncology team, part of the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute, please call 202-444-2223.

PUBLISHER

Sonya Bernhardt

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

Peggy Sands

FEATURE EDITOR

Ari Post

FASHION & BEAUTY DIRECTOR

Allyson Burkhardt

Lauretta McCoy

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Troy Riemer

Laura Argentieri

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Philip Bermingham

Jeff Malet

Bill Starrels

DIRECTOR OF CONTENT & ADVERTISING

Kate Oczypok

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Robert Devaney

MANAGING EDITOR

Christopher Jones

CONTRIBUTORS

Mary Bird

Susan Bodiker

Allyson Burkhardt

Didi Cutler

Donna Evers

Michelle Galler

Amos Gelb

Wally Greeves

Kitty Kelley

Rebekah Kelley

Jody Kurash

Shelia Moses

Kate Oczypok

Linda Roth

Alison Schafer

Celia Sharpe

Mary Ann Treger

1050 30th Street, NW Washington, DC 20007

Phone: (202) 338-4833

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The GeorGeTowner is published in print monthly with an online newsletter supplement posted twice per week — On Mondays we highlight news and on Thursdays goings on about town. The opinions of our writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect the editorial and corporate opinions of The GeorGeTowner newspaper. The GeorGeTowner accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. The GeorGeTowner reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse material and is not responsible for errors or omissions. Copyright 2023.

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N ST. PROPERTIES LINKED TO JACKIE KENNEDY SELLING FOR $26.5 MILLION

BY ROBERT DEVANEY

Once owned by Jackie Kennedy, 3017 N Street is part of a package deal asking $26.5 million. Photo by Robert Devaney.

D.C. POLICE CHIEF CONTEE RETIRES TO JOIN FBI

BY PEGGY SANDS

MPD Chief Robert Contee discussed his impending retirement at this morning’s press conference with Mayor Bowser.

COMMUNITY FORKLIFT: REUSING BUILDING MATERIALS TO IMPROVE HOMES, PROTECT ENVIRONMENT

BY KATE OCZYPOK

Shoppers can find low-cost furniture, tools, lighting, bathroom fixtures, lumber, appliances, kitchen cabinets, and more at the reuse warehouse. Photo courtesy of Community Forklift.

Woolly Mammoth’s Maria Goyanes

Thursday, May 18

Doors open at 8 a.m. Talk begins at 8:30 a.m.

Four Seasons 2800 M ST , NW

Admission is $40

Special Thanks to: Long & Foster Balfour Palisades

Doyle

GEORGETOWN’S 20TH ANNUAL FRENCH MARKET ATTRACTS THRONGS, AS SKIES CLEARED

BY CHRISTOPHER JONES

13,368 PAGE VIEWS

7,749 PAGE VIEWS

‘PHILIP GUSTON NOW’ AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART

BY ARI POST

1,497 PAGE VIEWS

Despite a rainy Friday, joyous crowds delighted in this year’s Georgetown French Market. Photo by Chris Jones.

Despite a rainy Friday, joyous crowds delighted in this year’s Georgetown French Market. Photo by Chris Jones.

End of an Era: Booeymonger Closes

BIGGEST

The Lesser-Known Smithsonian Everyone Should Visit

Where to be This White House Correspondents’ Dinner

ANC2E’s ‘Elevator Presentations’ Helps Keep to Agenda

BY PEGGY SANDS

Faced with a huge agenda of important issues, news and announcements affecting Georgetown, Burleith and Hillandale, presented by dozens of officials, advocates and explainers, along with the memory of the last meeting running almost to midnight, ANC2E Chairperson Elizabeth Miller resorted to a simple solution: everyone on the agenda was to reduce their presentations to an “elevator speech” — the length it would take to explain your cause or pitch to someone in an elevator going between floors – max four minutes. For the most part, it worked.

Crime: The retirement of Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee was announced, effective June 3, along with some details of the new summer policing strategy: to concentrate police forces in the next few months on “hot crime spots” – neighborhoods, stores, public places and group gathering sites where data shows most trouble-making occurs.

New D.C. Budget: Public comments about priorities to be funded by the new 2023-24 city budget, could still be made in the next few weeks. The originally proposed 2024 budget had been greatly reduced due to the end of

50 YEARS

federal pandemic monies and a substantial decrease in city revenue from taxes and fees generated by thousands of federal workers not returning to city offices but working remotely.

In the Georgetown area, it seems budgets for renovations to Jelleff Recreation Center, Volta Park baseball field, the Duke Ellington track and field houses, Mt. Zion cemetery and the new high school on McArthur Blvd. appear confirmed. But demands for more renovations and remodeling of Hardy Middle School at 1819 35th St. NW were increasing as it became apparent the school would be at capacity enrollment next year. Of special concern, and not for the first time, is replacing the large apparently extremely noisy old HVAC system that starts up with the summer heat and about which neighbors have complained for years. But no one seemed to be able to get any numbers or even information from school and city officials from Mayor Bowser nor Council member Brooke Pinto’s offices about plans or budgeting for increased school safety protocols.

D.C.’s FEMA: Who knew? D.C. has an office that’s a combination of Homeland

Security and Emergency Services Management (HSEMA). Its enthusiastic director, Chris Rodriguez, gave a slightly longer elevator speech to explain its close “wrap around” with other city agencies such as DDOT that would be involved in emergencies. All city health and first responder services would be coordinated out of a centralized emergency response center run by HSEMA.

University Students: The two Georgetown University ANC members Joe Massaua and John DiPierri announced/warned that most college students would still be around during the summer months despite the academic year ending near the end of May. Summer classes and sports activities will abound. There will be move-out weekend for graduating seniors and others by 10 a.m. on Monday, May 22. G.U.’s Office of Neighborhood Life will not only remove all furniture, books and other items students have left on sidewalks and in front of dorms but will also take care of similar items left by Georgetown residents who let them know. According to the university commissioners, students on campus are also organizing activism in favor of the

controversial Transformers on Prospect Street. Medical Marijuana: A short elevator discussion was held by several ANC members about the new D.C. law tightening restrictions on marijuana “gifting” shops and loosening those for officially designated medical marijuana outlets. Commissioner Topher Mathews advised those who wanted to take a deep dive into the details and history of the initiative to check his Georgetown Metropolitan newsletter.

Two longer ANC Topics: The new transit planning process including the most likely rerouting of the popular Georgetown busses G2, D2 and D6; and a major retail and condo construction project being planned on 29th and M Streets, are reported in separate Georgetowner stories.

In-Person Meetings (Virtual, Also): Maybe the elevator analogy caused a stir, but ANC2E announced it was planning two in-person meetings in 2023 — most likely one in the summer, perhaps in June. The June meeting will be on May 30. (ANC meetings usually take place at Georgetown Visitation Prep.)

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

THE SALON SERIES FOR THOUGHT AND DISCUSSION

May 11, 6:30-9:00 p.m. City Tavern, 3206 M St. NW. Discuss, debate and consider key issues in foreign policy and the state of the nation over cocktails and dinner.

DO THE LOOP

May 12, 5-8:00 p.m.

AU Museum at Katzen Art Center, The Kreeger Museum, Dumbarton Oaks, Jackson Art Center, Addison/ Ripley Fine Art, and Klagsbrun Studios collaborate on a free day of indoor and outdoor art programming, with shuttle service between locations.

GEORGETOWN FLOWER TOUR

May 13, 12-4:00 p.m.

Georgetown Main Street invites you to receive a stamp for each participating small business you visit along Wisconsin Ave. NW.

TOUR HISTORIC CITY TAVERN

May 13, 2-3:00 p.m. 3206 M St. NW.

DUMBARTON AT DUSK: HAPPY 91ST BIRTHDAY!

May 18, 5:30-8:00 p.m. Dumbarton House, 2715 Q St. NW.

MEETING OF THE COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS

May 18, 5:30-8:00 p.m. 401 F Street NW, Suite 312.

CULTURE POWER BREAKFAST: WOOLLY MAMMOTH’S MARIA GOYANES

May 18, 8:30 a.m. (doors open at 8:00 a.m.)

The Georgetowner, Four Seasons Hotel, 2800 M St. NW.

MEETING OF THE COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS

May 18, 5:30-8:00 p.m. 401 F Street NW, Suite 312.

BIKE TO WORK DAY

May 19, 7-9:00 a.m.

Georgetown BID, Waterfront Park, K St. & Wisc. Ave. NW.

SPRING GARDEN PARTY

May 24, 6-9:00 p.m.

Tudor Place, 1644 31 St. NW.

MEETING OF THE OLD GEORGETOWN BOARD

June 1, 9:00 a.m. 401 F Street NW, Suite 312.

Georgetown BID’s Spring Projects

BY CHRISTOPHER JONES

As May flowers bloom, annual rites of spring often involve cleaning and decluttering the home, but for the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID), sprucing up Georgetown’s commercial district is a top priority. We spoke with BID CEO Joe Sternlieb about the sorts of projects the BID – a publicly chartered nonprofit “dedicated to protecting and enhancing the accessibility, attractiveness and appeal” of Georgetown’s commercial areas – has underway.

First, we were curious about the sudden turn of events surrounding Georgetown’s new C&O Canal boat. Earlier, Georgetown Heritage – the non-profit supervising the operations of the brand-new “Georgetown Heritage” boat – had announced the canal would be emptied for repairs through 2025, but recently they changed course to say the boat will be back on the water giving tours in early May. So, what gives?

Sternlieb deferred to Christiana Hanson, chief of interpretation, education and volunteers for the National Park Service (NPS) to definitively answer the question. Turns out it was all about NPS procurement and contracting timeframes.

“At the end of the 2022 boat season, the park was in the early planning stages of a large-scale project to rehabilitate multiple historic structures in the D.C. area but did not have a set timeline for the work and did not have a firm idea of the potential impacts on the boat program in Georgetown,” Hanson wrote via email. NPS “anticipates an award for construction in calendar year 2023, allowing for the boat program to operate until construction begins. The rehabilitation project has not been rescheduled; we’re just going through the normal contracting process for large-scale projects. More information on the rehabilitation project will be shared through press releases and on the park’s website as it becomes available.”

Sternlieb is pleased that NPS found the funding for the refurbishment of the canal, however. “They’re doing super-important work for Georgetown so we can have water in the canal for many generations to come and they’re not just patching it together,” he said.

To spruce up Georgetown this spring, the BID has undertaken a variety of initiatives, Sternlieb told us. Out of its own coffers, its paying to paint light pole fixtures along M Street, to restore street boxes in the commercial district, and to hang flower baskets starting the second week of

May. They’re also calling for volunteers to help with graffiti removal and power washing. “Power washing is seasonal but we do a big spurt at the beginning of the season, especially in the alleys. But we [also] clean the brick sidewalks. And, we’ve cleaned up all the sidewalk extensions. We pick them up to get underneath and get any trash or garbage that’s fallen. We also clean the streets…. But our program involves trying to get as much of the graffiti as possible and to get everything painted up and spruced up.” The BID also conducts regular walks and discussions with store-owners to nudge them toward keeping their storefronts sightly and in compliance with city regulations.

We also asked for the latest scuttlebutt on how long Georgetown’s streateries and extended sidewalks might last.

“Unless the community lobbies the [Old Georgetown Board (OGB)] hard to keep the streateries, our permit expires December 31,” Sternlieb said. “... And we’ll go back to the days when there was no outdoor dining…. We don’t have a plan to put in a request right now for an extension because we’re waiting for the community to ask for it. Because we don’t want to have a fight with the community on this issue. We want to cooperate and collaborate and we’ve heard different things from different folks in the community.”

But Sternlieb credits the streateries program with helping revive Georgetown. “We think outdoor dining has been extremely positive,” he said. “It’s had a transformative impact on Georgetown and we think the reason the retail leasing has been so strong lately has something to do with the change in the vibe on the street because of the outdoor dining. And we’re very worried that [if it ends] that’s going to reverse the very positive activity that’s been going on… But we’d love it if the community would sort of rally and say we’ll get behind this and support it and then we’ll keep it. But that hasn’t happened yet.” Support from the Citizens Association of Georgetown (CAG) and the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) could help keep the streateries going, Sternlieb said.

Georgetown Heritage Chair Jennifer Romm and Kym Hall, National Capital Area Director for the National Park Service, and Georgetown Business Improvement District CEO Joe Sternlieb on the canal boat during the May 4 Spring Soiree. Photo by Bill Starrels.

District Funding Shortages Likely to Delay Free Metrobus Plans

BY PEGGY SANDS

Visions for a new transit plan in downtown D.C. share a common goal: easy flow of public and private vehicles, bicycles and scooters along with safe pedestrian experiences in crossing streets and accessing their vehicles in nearby parking areas and accessing stores and outdoor dining areas throughout the city. Various transit reform plans have been on the D.C. Council’s agenda for years. Plans have inevitably garnered various levels of support, often based on ideological concerns.

According to analysts quoted in the Washington Post recently, D.C. Mayor Bowser favors plans that will emphasize easing transit into the downtown in ways that will benefit the entire city and revitalize its “Comeback” economic recovery plan. This includes designated throughfares, such as K Street NW, that would be reconfigured to ease the passageway of various modes of transportation from cars to buses, trolley and cable cars, bikes and scooters – electric and other. Bowser’s “K Street Transitway” was in its final design phase and intended to alleviate traffic congestion on the mile-long corridor of K St. – some eight of its busiest blocks. The

parallel service roads along both sides of K Street are to be eliminated and public buses would be given an exclusive lane, perhaps down the middle of the street. Metro General Manager Randy Clark said the plan was a key part of Metro’s effort to redesign its bus network for the first time in 40 years.

But last week the D.C. Council’s transportation committee voted to pause the K Street Transitway project, shifting its funds instead to a “Metro for DC” project of targeted services for lower-income residents and workers. This plan includes free bus services for anyone from anywhere traveling on public transportation bringing them into the city. The idea made headlines throughout the D.C. Metro region. Who does not like freedom?

But Clark said the transitway and free bus service programs were competing projects. Turns out that when Mayor Bowser pointed out there was no longer enough money in the D.C. budget to fund free incoming bus service to everywhere in D.C., proponents including Ward 6 Council Member Charles Allen proposed shifting funds from the K St. Transitway project to the free Metrobus

project. Now the whole concept has gone regional, seeking support from jurisdictions outside D.C. in Virginia and Maryland. “It’s pretty clear we’re going to have to delay the free bus idea for a year,” concluded Council Chair Phil Mendelson.

On May 1, the Georgetown, Burleith, Hillandale Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC2e) spent almost a halfhour talking about the impact of the delayed K Street Transitway and free Metrobus projects. But their main concern was on proposed changes to the area’s Metrobus and Circulator routes. A new map showing changes to a

merged and more efficient routing of the D2, D6 and G2 buses was discussed. Changes in the routes of the electric-battery-operated city Circulator buses were also of concern. The buses currently transport Georgetowners to points west as far as Sibley Hospital and Arlington, and east to Union Station, and past the Capitol and the Senate office buildings and beyond. A proposed map shows most of the area covered by combining bus routes with fewer but more frequent stops. Fares – free or not – will be decided by the combined regional jurisdictions.

Photo by Sam Kittner. Courtesy of D.C. Circulator

Luke Russert’s Odyssey: ‘Look for Me There’

BY ROBERT DEVANEY

This is not a story about Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, who went in search of his wandering father.

But it is a personal story, an epic all his own, by Luke Orth Russert, son of Tim Russert, beloved TV journalist of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and Maureen Orth, also a renowned journalist of Newsweek and Vanity Fair. The elder Russert, who died too soon at the age of 58 in 2008, is central to a book just out this week by 37-year-old Luke Russert — “Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself.”

Mythopoetic insinuations aside, Russert tells an insightful, honest tale of his journey from here, the heights of the nation’s capital, around the world to arrive at home, seen anew — and to himself, maturing anew as well.

We talked with Russert at Boulangerie Christophe in Georgetown two weeks ago as he was about to set out on his book tour, which began in Buffalo, his father’s birthplace. Our casual conversation started — as does Chapter One in “Look for Me There” — with the day Tim Russert died. (The book title refers to a hot dog stand at Orioles Park, where the young Russert would find his father, if they got separated in a crowd.)

“We were partly insulated from the shock by being in Italy,” says Russert of his mother and himself. His father had been with them only a few days earlier but had returned to Washington, D.C. They were not quite prepared for the widespread sadness concerning the loss by so many people. A 22-year-old Russert gave the eulogy at the funeral Mass at Holy Trinity Church, where presidential candidates, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama sat together. “It was surreal,” he says.

Soon, because of his poise and words on that day, Russert was offered a job at NBC News, which turned into an eight-year gig. He hesitated at first. Yet, being steeped in American history, he says, and with journalist parents, he took the leap.

While he may have had misgivings of staying too long, it was a meeting with House Speaker John Boehner that was “a catalyst” for his next life chapter, Russert says. “I had not left the bubble” of Washington, being a reporter on Capitol Hill.

Russert’s retelling of his meeting with Boehner is one of the many highlights of his book. Here’s an excerpt:

“What are you doing here?” he asks. “Sir, you called me to your office.”

He cracked a smile. “No, Shithead, not here here.” …

“Look, you’re a young man. At one point you up and realize you’ve spent your entire life here and never once got out into anything else. … “I get it. It feels like the center of the world here, but there is more out there. It gets too easy here.”

… I stand to leave and look at him a final time, fingering his cigarette, a man who has it all. Yet he has one message for me — get the hell out of here.

As I walk out, I’m not angry at him. There is no rush of Don’t tell me what to do, old man. Instead — and it takes me a while to realize this — in his own unintentional way, Boehner channels the spirit of my father. He pushes me to think. A man who reaches the summit of Washington from humble means, just like Dad, is astutely aware of all the mountains he will never see.

So, before the election of 2016, the 30-yearold Russert chucks it all and sets out to see the world, to find his voice … and clarity.

His many travels (a selection in the book of the 67 places visited over three years) include Vietnam (“kind people”), Hiroshima, Easter Island (“a small dot in the wide, blue Pacific”) and China — the corporate party — as it were — along with South America and Africa. (See the book for more places.)

Finally, in the Holy Land, at the Wailing Wall or Western Wall in East Jerusalem, Russert inserts a prayer for his father. It is Second Timothy 4:7 and reads, “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.”

Back in Georgetown, where the family has a house on Prospect Street — next door to the house flaunting the Transformer statues — Russert enjoys the simple things: walking the dog to Volta Park (“yappy hour”). Favorite eateries? Martin’s Tavern, of course, “with Billy, and love the staff” and Apero’s on P Street.

As far as Russert views today’s journalism, he laments that it has “lost nuance,” settling for instant gratification and jumping to conclusions.

For now, he sees his future in storytelling, such as that of “Look for Me There.” This youngish, seemingly laidback man, mature beyond his years, is back in the neighborhood and nation — and offers all of us timeless advice, so personal and so well worth reading anew.

Luke Russert, author of “Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself.” Courtesy Luke Russert.

Letters to the Editor

Clotheslines Rock!

Georgetown’s Spring Cleaning Should Be for Everyone

As May flowers bloom, signs of spring cleaning abound in Georgetown.

The Georgetown Business Improvement District is painting light poles, power-washing sidewalks, hanging flower baskets and calling for volunteers to help remove graffiti and keep the commercial district fresh and vibrant. Sidewalks are bustling with shoppers and visitors excited for spring. The Georgetown Garden Tour is here, and the recent Georgetown French Market exceeded all expectations as enthusiastic throngs flocked up and down Book Hill past shops and businesses putting out their wares and delicious foods — all amid flower planters and creative, colorful design touches.

But a stroll along M Street these days also reveals that not every commercial business or establishment is contributing to Georgetown’s seasonal spirit with the same sense of community responsibility.

With small businesses struggling to pay the rent and find workers, it’s understandable that there’s little extra capital on hand for

spritzing-up. But, for those with ready capital, perhaps it’s time to step up your efforts.

How is it that PNC Bank at one of Georgetown’s most recognizable landmarks —the historic Riggs Bank, Farmers and Mechanics Branch at Wisconsin Avenue and M Streets NW, cannot slap a little more “gold” paint on the bank’s cupola? Why is the wooden trim work rotting away at the Truist Bank at 2929 M St. NW? How is the CVS at 2819 M St. NW allowed, day-after-day, to stack up unsightly crating material in front of their store windows near elegant restaurants? While the “shattered windows” may be a gestural nod to decay at Urban Outfitters at 3111 M, is there any reason to allow the metal store-fronting to rust beyond repair? Even the Old Stone House at 3051 M St. NW has a moldy and collapsing front gate right along the sidewalk.

We know times have been tough for many businesses in the past few years, but maybe it’s time to put some extra effort into freshening up your presentations.

Help! Bring Back Downtown.

In January, Mayor Muriel Bowser and thenDeputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio presented “DC’s Comeback Plan” to business and non-profit leaders amid much fanfare. It all sounded positive and fairly doable with downtown recovery key to the success of the overall plan.

Since then, Bowser’s chief advisor Falcicchio abruptly departed — a big loss to her administration. The slow return to office work by the federal government has not helped. Congress has become more a nag than a helper in supporting on the city. Converting office space into residential takes time.

Moreover, D.C. government is not on the same page. The District Council has proposed items in the budget that seem quite antidowntown: Adding a tax on for-hire vehicles traveling to downtown and defunding the K Street upgrade.

We agree with Mayor Bowser — and with Ward 2 Council member Brook Pinto, who stated: “As we continue to finalize the budget, I

am calling on my colleagues to reject proposals that will undermine our efforts to revitalize Downtown. During the budget process, some members of the Council have proposed (1) eliminating the funding to transform K Street and (2) imposing a surcharge on rideshare trips in and out of Downtown. Both of these proposals would disincentivize people from living, visiting, and working in Downtown –precisely as we are trying to do the opposite.

Compromising investments in Downtown is compromising our city’s economic future.”

Are there D.C. politicians who have not recognized that the downtown is in crisis?

Traffic may look like it’s back, but there are a lot of people no longer there who used to be there before the pandemic. With the continuing loss of people and businesses comes a decline in tax revenue for D.C.

Where is the common sense here — or even the common caring for everyday people and not some politician’s personal agenda?

To many readers, a clothesline is a totally alien thought as opposed to the high energy tool dryer. The thought of hanging up wet clothes to dry (inside or outside) seems a foreign process even though clotheslines were a standard tool for thousands of years. Somewhere along the way the clothesline achieved scorn and many suburban sprawl communities outlawed them.

Today, I am privileged to live in the heart of the historic Georgetown where I regularly “desecrate” this lovely space with a 25-foot plastic-coated clothesline. It is on this clothesline where I openly display my “unmentionables” in addition to towels,

sheets, robes and a wide variety of washable items. I proudly display my goods and hope my neighbors will mimic my behavior. The clothesline is a zero-energy conservation play. It is gentle on my clothes with endless pleasure of clean air scents, and I do not have to buy any fancy tool or take training to be clothesline certified.

For these reasons, I call on my fellow villagers to see the beauty/art of the clothesline. Let’s bring back the clothesline. Unleash your inner Christo, and show me your undies!!

— James F.X. Payne, 31st Street NW

Concerning Climate Change and Richard Jackson

The Georgetowner’s April 12, 2023, editorial — “Let’s Take Positive Steps This Earth Day, April 22” — sets forth a litany of recent adverse weather events and journalistic claims of “climate catastrophe” and then suggests that we in D.C. should take active steps to protect our “natural wonders.” In that regard, the reader is referred to your interview of Richard Jackson, the Interim Director of DC Department of Energy and Environment. Mr. Jackson describes D.C.’s Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) Program which, he says, is designed to have a “major impact in terms of our greenhouse gas production in the future.” i.e., that the city is “looking at [approximately] a 60-percent reduction in greenhouse gases compared to 2006.”

In other words, D.C. proposes to spend large sums of taxpayer money to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases from D.C. office

buildings, presumably to “combat climate change.”

The entire “climate change movement,” however, is based solely on the predictions of inadequate and defective computer climate models. Other than those model predictions, there is no scientific basis for the claim that man-made or anthropogenic greenhouse gases, i.e., carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, either have had, or will in the future have, any negative effect whatsoever upon the climate of the Earth. See, e.g., Petitionproject.org (31,000 scientists), Clintel. org (1,500 scientists), and co2coaltion.org. Fortunately, D.C. taxpayers will be spared this completely useless waste of money, at least for now, because Mayor Bowser has wisely decided to put that program on hold.

— Don W. Crockett

New D.C. Law to Change Pot Shop Rules

There’s a sea change on the horizon for how Washingtonians purchase marijuana, if they so choose. That’s due to new legislation that overhauls the legal structure for how the sale of cannabis is regulated in Washington, D.C.

After a series of voter referenda as well as Congressional interference in D.C., it’s legal to possess and use cannabis for recreational purposes, but not to buy or sell it. “Gifting” shops have emerged which pretend they’re selling you something like art and then give you cannabis “for free.” This new law — the Medical Cannabis Amendment Act — will end these types of shops and replace them with (fewer) fully licensed and legal medicinal marijuana shops. Applications to get a new retailer’s license from the city’s Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) will be open in November.

In essence, if you want to buy cannabis for recreational purposes, you’ll go from pretending you’re actually buying art to pretending you’re actually sick. But until Congress gets out of the Stone Age (and gets into the stoned age), this legal fiction will have to suffice.

Your Advisory Neighborhood Commission will play a role in overseeing these shops in a similar way to how it oversees liquor stores. For instance, we can protest a license and enter into an enforceable settlement agreement governing how the shop operates. Additionally, there are rules concerning shop concentration and their proximity to schools and recreation centers, whose enforcement I intend to press. We want to ensure that cannabis stays out of the hands of children. And in my view, the best way to do that in Georgetown is — with apologies to Bill Clinton — that the shops remain safe, legal and rare.

— Topher Mathews

Christopher “Topher”Mathews serves as a commissioner in Georgetown’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC 2E-02). He has written about the subject of the District’s marijuana laws in his blog, “The Georgetown Metropolitan.”

Digging Deeper at Dumbarton Oaks

FROM NOBLE TREES TO “GARDEN-MAGIC” TO DIGITAL PLANT HUMANITIES

BY CATHRYN KELLER

Spring in Georgetown means new blooms at Dumbarton Oaks in the enchanting garden on R Street, and new initiatives in environmental and digital humanities both online and on-site.

Although often said to be the best kept secret in Washington, the brick-walled Harvard University research institute is neither an ivory tower nor a truly secret garden. A global hub for advanced scholarship developed around its founders’ interests in Byzantine and PreColumbian art, rare books, and gardens. It may even be better known around the world than in its own neighborhood, where it offers public access to lectures, concerts, a jewel box museum, and architecture representative of three centuries within a masterpiece of American garden design.

Originating as a dream of a country house in the city, the story of Dumbarton Oaks is one of partnerships and transformations.

Diplomat Robert Woods Bliss (1875-1962) and his wife Mildred Barnes Bliss (1879-1969) chose Georgetown in 1920 when they planned to retire after three decades as ‘professional nomads.’ Their long marriage, productive relationships with architects and landscape

architect Beatrix Ferrand, and partnership with Harvard resulted in the transformation of a former farm into an elegant mansion and pleasure garden, and then into a haven for scholars and scholarship, sustaining their vision of ‘a home of the humanities’ within the framework of a larger institution.

The Blisses were sophisticated collectors and generous philanthropists, farsighted about the value and need for art and the humanities in uncertain times. Texts quoting Greek philosophers, Dante, and the Blisses’ testimonials to friendship and service are carved into the walls of Dumbarton Oaks. Etched in stone adjacent to the library is an excerpt from a letter Mildred Bliss wrote in 1942 to Paul Sachs, the Harvard art museum director: “If ever the humanities were necessary . . it is in this epoch of disintegration and dislocation.”

In the late 1930s, with war looming, the Blisses accelerated their plan to donate Dumbarton Oaks to Harvard, finalizing the gift of sixteen acres including house, grounds, collections, library, and garden, to the university in 1940 (along with the gift

of the 27-acre “wild garden” to the National Park Service). Robert Bliss was called back to government service during the war years, working with Harvard to make the house available to the National Defense Research Committee for offices and with the State Department on the 1944 Dumbarton Oaks Conversations, the diplomatic meetings that laid the groundwork for the creation of the United Nations in 1945.

In 2020, when Thomas Cummins started his term as director, the challenges of the Covid-19 lockdown required rapid adaptation. The Harvard art historian hit the ground Zooming, determined to sustain a sense of community among staff and fellows working remotely. His team created expanded virtual learning experiences for K-12 students and families; a collaboration with New York’s Metropolitan Opera that produced Renee Fleming in concert live-streamed from the Music Room; and programs including a series of online talks on Ukrainian art and culture and real-life help for displaced scholars. The need for mission-critical academic conferences to go virtual (and then hybrid) resulted in increased participation and higher visibility. Ongoing priorities for Cummins include greater collaboration across the three traditional study areas, as demonstrated in a symposium on humanities perspectives on climate change last fall and continuing in May with a symposium (open to the public) on “Environmental Histories of the Black Atlantic World: Landscape Histories of the African Diaspora. “This is our responsibility as historians,” said Cummins, “to give the full picture.”

Dumbarton Oaks may have been first to coin the concept of plant humanities according to executive director Yota Batsaki. “Putting plants in the center offers a wonderful window for understanding the human predicament today,” she said. Batsaki is leading a Plant

Humanities Initiative that includes a digital tool developed in collaboration with JSTOR, related research and scholarly programs such as a 2022 conference calling for new dialogue between humanities and science to research and communicate the fundamental importance of plants to human cultures.

Mildred Bliss died in 1969, a year before the first Earth Day, but was prescient in her conviction “that gardens have their place in the Humanist order of life; and, that trees are noble elements to be protected by successive generations.”

A living work of art created a century ago, acclaimed as one of the most beautiful gardens in the world, the Dumbarton Oaks Garden is the magnum opus of Beatrix Ferrand (18721959), one of the first women to be recognized as a professional landscape architect and the niece of Edith Wharton, the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for fiction and an authority on the “garden-magic” of Italian gardens. Ferrand and Bliss had been born into the world of “old New York” Wharton wrote about. They shared her passion for art, nature, and gardens, developing a deep friendship as they worked together, combining the influences of Italian and French formal design with American naturalism to create one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. Yet it is only with the rise of the environmental humanities and feminist art history that Farrand’s genius has achieved the recognition it merits, according to an essay by Therese O’Malley in “Garden as Art,” a recent Dumbarton Oaks publication edited by Thaisa Way, head of Garden and Landscape Studies. (A new edition of Farrand’s “Dumbarton Oaks Garden Book” is also essential reading for all Georgetown gardeners.)

The task of balancing the requirements of preservation and community falls on Jonathan Kavalier, head of gardens and grounds. He says the gardens may be understood as “slow performance art” and his role as that of a producer. While initiating a plan to rebuild century-old arbors and other infrastructure elements, he tries to hold to Farrand’s design intent, follow 21st-century horticultural practices, and raise services to the ecosystem. Kavalier believes that the garden is a place of collaboration and connection, where the feeling of magic contributes to magic in scholarship.

It was Ferrand’s good friend Henry James who wrote “Summer afternoon — summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” Had he visited the extraordinary gardens created by Ferrand and the Blisses, he might have written instead that the most beautiful words are “Spring afternoon — spring afternoon at Dumbarton Oaks.”

Dumbarton Oaks is located at 1703 32nd Street, NW. More information can be found at Doaks.org.

Photo courtesy of Dumbarton Oaks

INS & OUTS

BY ROBERT DEVANEY

1301 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Dig is on a mission of mindful sourcing for its ingredients — with bowls of salads or main dishes of chicken or meatballs with names like the Autumn Harvest or Lime Leaf Salmon. Adam Eskin opened the first Dig Inn restaurant in New York City in 2012. Among Dig’s investors is restaurateur Danny Meyer.

IN: VAN LEEUWEN, AS IN … ICE CREAM

Van Leeuwen, the Brooklyn-born brand known for its made-from-scratch dairy and vegan ice creams, will open at noon, Thursday, May 11, at 3245 Prospect St. NW.

IN: STREETS MARKET, NOW ON P

A new, well-stocked grocery store moved into the shuttered 7-Eleven space on the northeast corner of P and 27th Streets on April 21. It’s the seventh Streets Market store in Washington, D.C.

“I was elated the moment I walked into the new Streets Market,” educator and former advisory neighborhood commissioner Monica Roaché told The Georgetowner, reflecting the sentiment of many of her neighbors. “It’s an attractive, well-designed market full of all of my favorite cooking ingredients. I’m so appreciative that Streets management met with neighbors to hear what we would love to see in their market. Welcome to the neighborhood!”

Working with neighbors and the incoming business, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Gwendolyn Lohse (ANC 2E06) organized an April 4 meeting that Streets held with residents before the opening to hear their concerns on such day-to-day problems as trash removal and rodent control — as well as potential traffic dangers of having the front door on the corner of the store, as with the previous business. On hand for the cordial get-together at Apero’s across the street were Campbell Burns, vice president of Streets Market, along with Jessamine Lee and Dania Escalante of the company, who also took notes on neighbors’ favorite foods they’d like to see at the market. Streets will also sell beer and wine, when its ABC license is approved.

IN: DIG, AS … ‘IN’

Dedicated to “veggie-forward, seasonal comfort foods,” Dig opened in the last week of April. Long awaited at the old Paolo’s side space (once a Little Tavern hamburger joint) at

For the debut of its Georgetown outpost, the brand has partnered with neighborhood bakery Baked & Wired to create a limited-edition ice cream flavor –– Dirty Chai Cupcake. The new shop will feature more than 30 of the brand’s signature flavors –– including Honeycomb, Pistachio (made with pistachios sourced from Mount Etna in Sicily), Marionberry Cheesecake (made with vine-ripened berries from Oregon farm partner Stahlbush Island Farms), and Earl Grey Tea (made with Rishi Tea) –– along with sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, root beer floats, milkshakes and pints to-go.

To mark the opening, the Georgetown Van Leeuwen will be offering $1 scoops between noon and 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 11. The first 100 customers in line will receive free, limited-edition Van Leeuwen D.C. totes.

IN: EVER/BODY

Ever/Body — “a pioneer of a first-of-itskind approach to cosmetic dermatology that combines an unparalleled industry standard of medical expertise with a convenient and modern client experience,” the business tells us — opened at 1242 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

IN: FANGYAN IN JUNE

Fangyan is coming to 1057 Wisconsin Ave. NW in the ground floor space which once held the AT&T store. The clothing store will feature collections from more than 15 Asian designers and labels such as Mukzin, ZI II CI IEN and Fansilanen, in addition to its own brand of silk, wool and cashmere styles including, outerwear, swimwear, dresses and more.

“Currently, Fangyan is targeting a June 3 opening,” a company spokesperson told The Georgetowner.

Moving: Say Cheese!

The 2900 M project has forced the neighborhood favorite Say Cheese! at 1132 29th St. NW to move out because of major reconstruction to begin at the southern side of the 2900 block of M Street NW. Business owner Suzy Nabil is seeking a new place for serving her grilled cheese sandwiches, salads and soups. Nearby stores may also be emptying soon — including Ike Behar. Nabil is looking to move to Thomas Jefferson Street.

OUT: EAGLE BANK FLIES AWAY

The Georgetown Branch of Eagle Bank at 3143 N St. NW closed May 5. Accounts were transferred to and will be serviced by the K Street Branch located at 2001 K St. NW. If you have any questions, contact Francisco Benitez, former Georgetown Branch Manager, at 301-961-1191 or by email at FBenitez@EagleBankCorp.com.

OUT: OLIVE OIL CO. DRIES UP

Owners Emil and Hristina Merdzhanov — owners of the Georgetown Olive Oil Co. with its rows of bottles of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar — have shuttered their store at 2910 M St. NW, having moved five years ago from 1524 Wisconsin Ave. NW. The 2900 M project forced their move.

Streets Market executives, Campbell Burns, Jessamine Lee and Dania Escalante, met with concerned neighbors to discuss the new store on April 4. Georgetowner photo.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream at 3245 Prospect St. NW. Georgetowner photo.

Balfour Palisades: More Than a Place for Mom

When one learns of Balfour Palisades, they’re struck by its forward thinking about aging in place, its commitment to excellence on many levels — and its love of family.

The business of Balfour was begun by Michael Schonbrun, CEO of Balfour Senior Living, who has established a line of boutique senior living communities designed with his mother, Madeline, in mind. Madeline demanded the best for her golden years.

“My mother’s joie de vivre and life-long appreciation for the finer things in life have inspired us to meet her high standards in

creating beautiful communities and a lifestyle that fulfills and delights our residents,” says Schonbrun, a former hospital top executive.

Call it the “Madeline effect.” After all, mother was used to Park Avenue living. The company name comes from a New York summer camp Schonbrun’s father attended. Balfour itself is Scottish Gaelic for “the village by the pasture.” That’s appropriate for the luxe retirement building now rising on leafy MacArthur Boulevard amid the friendly, tranquil neighborhood and outdoorsy activities.

Balfour sees itself as a combination of home, country club and hotel. “It will be a fun place to visit,” says Schonbrun, who isn’t doing this all alone.

The company’s co-founder and general counsel Susan Juroe, Schonbrun’s wife, has been a Georgetown resident for more than 20 years. She likewise adds to the company’s design expertise but also works the numbers of the business. The two met in 1999 at a restaurant on K Street downtown during a housing conference they both were attending.

Founded 25 years ago, Balfour has entered the East Coast market in two places. Soon, Washington, D.C., and Brookline, Massachusetts, will join the Colorado-based company, which currently has 10 locations — nine in Colorado and one in Michigan.

Since its inception, Balfour has been a pioneer in providing quality Alzheimer’s care. Schonbrun has served as Chairman of the Colorado Alzheimer’s Association.

“We’re not looking to be the biggest,” Juroe says. “Our goal is to be the best and most admired in our category by creating unique environments that enrich the lives of the people who live and work there. We also feel strongly about offering our residents a beautiful and compelling destination where their friends and families can also enjoy Balfour’s amenities and hospitality.”

Balfour Palisades is currently preleasing for a wide selection of floor plans, including studios, one- and two-bedroom units, onebedrooms with dens and one- and twobedroom penthouse apartments. Of the 138 units, ten are income-restricted as part of D.C.’s Inclusionary Zoning Program, which requires most new residential developments include some affordable housing.

Residents will have the convenience of a range of services tailored to their lifestyle and needs from independent living to assisted living and memory care. The amenities include culinary meals in three dining venues, indoor saltwater pool, sauna, fitness center and yoga studio, hair salon, theater, a library, bar, housekeeping and home maintenance services, valet parking for residents and their guests, reserved covered parking and chauffeur service. Balfour Palisades is located immediately adjacent to the Palisades Farmers Market, a local institution that will be a weekly stop for residences looking to stock their full kitchens. “Not only do we want to work with the neighborhood, we want to belong here,” Schonbrun says.

In terms of architecture, Balfour Palisades

looks to the local vernacular, respecting “the genius of place” in architect-speak — and reflecting the art deco designs of the nearby former MacArthur Theater and Glen Echo Park up the boulevard. The company partnered with top-drawer creatives for this project — developer Trammell Crow, architecture firm Perkins Eastman and New York design firm Pembrooke and Ives for the residences.

Unique life-enrichment activities are a staple of the Balfour Way and a major reason why the company has enjoyed a quarter-century of success through changing times. Residents can enjoy book clubs, wine tastings, political discussions, painting and guest speakers. Having Memory Care in the building along with assisted living allows couples to live under the same roof.

It is the residents who will make Balfour Palisades unique, Schonbrun says. “Ours is a discerning clientele, who are still working — and still leaders,” says Schonbrun, well aware of the approaching demographic silver tsunami.

Together, Schonbrun and Juroe know they are ahead of the curve and say they are “on a mission.” And together, when all is said and done, this elegant couple is the best advertisement for choosing Balfour. One can see why it’s easy to join this family.

Balfour Palisades is expected to open in 2024. The leasing center is located at 4418 MacArthur Blvd., NW. For more details or to schedule a meeting at the leasing center, contact the leasing team at (202) 935-5250 or palisadesleasingteam@balfourcare.com

Balfour’s expansive Spa and Fitness Club is state-of-the-art in both equipment and design. It features a stunning saltwater lap pool and a fitness area equipped with Pelotons, also a yoga studio, private treatment rooms, men’s and women’s locker rooms and a beauty salon.

Balfour’s concierge arrival entrance will be a hub of activity. Concierge services are available to residents 24/7 and Balfour valet associates will manage all resident and guest parking in the underground garage.

Balfour’s Susan Juroe and Michael Schonbrun.

More Residences Added to 2900 M Project

BY PEGGY SANDS

At the May 1 meeting of the GeorgetownBurleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC2E), the major construction project at 29th and M Streets NW, known as 2900 M, was part of the Old Georgetown Board application discussions.

Chris Martin, head of leasing and construction for Martin Diamond Properties, co-owners of the properties at 2900-2922 M Street NW, told commissioners and the audience the project would offer more residential space.

The trend that converts office space, existing or proposed, into residential units is active in Georgetown as well as other downtown corridors. The other owner of the 2900 M properties is Meridian Group.

The project also includes 1132 29th Street, NW, occupied for now by the Say Cheese! eatery. The remade block does not include the buildings at Salon Omer & Spa (2924 M), Niccolo Giotto clothing (2928 M) and Angolo Ristorante (2934 M).

Martin, a board member of the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID), and whose company owns the Georgetown Theater property, where Compass Coffee operates, presented concept plans to “increase the size of the buildings to attract larger tenants.” Several times, he referred to existing offices and shops to be redone as “residences.”

While still in the concept stage, the commercial new development will make alterations to historic row houses which front M Street. Developers will reconfigure streetfacing existing buildings into two- and threestory “residences” with a five-story building hidden in plain sight behind in the alley portion of the property.

Martin said there would be 60 separate rentable units built — with 10 parking places in the lower-level garage. While he said the front of M Street buildings might be painted a similar color as now, the back five-story building — that would barely be seen from the street level — would be gray. Commissioners

questioned why the front surfaces wouldn’t be brick to fit the “historic” neighborhood.

The developer admitted one sticky element in this plan that was modified from past plans is the addition of a small rooftop or upper balcony garden facing 29th Street on the third floor from the back apartments. Some commissioners questioned the possibly unacceptable noise level of having an outside space.

It could take more than a year, depending on approved plans and permits, before construction begins. Already, established businesses such as the men’s clothing store Ike Behar and eatery Say Cheese! have been told to leave soon — perhaps in the summer. The 2900 M promotional material called for a late 2023 availability — “Delivering Fall 2023” — which looks like that’s not happening.

A rendering of the 2900 M development on M Street. Courtesy Chris Martin.

FOREST HILLS 2830 Chesterfield Place NW Washington, DC

$5,250,000

Tom Williams +1 202 255 3650 Monica Mastal +1 202 607 4843

GEORGETOWN 1523 31st Street NW Washington, DC

$3,400,000

Michael Rankin +1 202 271 3344

LOGAN 1459 S Street NW #2 Washington, DC

$1,795,000

Bo Billups +1 202 431 4052

WATERGATE EAST 2500 Virginia Avenue NW #907 S Washington, DC

$769,000

Stan Kelly +1 202 997 1872

$26,500,000

Jonathan Taylor +1 202 276 3344

WEST END 2501 M Street NW #717 Washington, DC

$3,975,000

Jonathan Taylor +1 202 276 3344

GEORGETOWN 3303 Water Street NW #2M Washington, DC

$2,495,000

Cynthia Steele Vance +1 703 408 1810

Joanne Sawczuk +1 703 328 5427

BERKLEY/FOXHALL CRESCENT 4603 Foxhall Crescent NW Washington, DC

$1,750,000

Jennifer Caterini +1 703 609 6258

WATERGATE EAST 2510 Virginia Avenue NW #910-N Washington, DC

$519,000

Stan Kelly +1 202 997 1872

Garden Tour Q&A

Tips from the Hosts

BY KATE OCZYPOK

In honor of the upcoming Georgetown Garden Tour, we spoke with three home owners hosting the tour this year. They shared their gardening inspirations, best advice and favorite gardens around the city.

MELISSA OVERMEYER

THE GEORGETOWNER: What led you to begin gardening (or like gardens if you don’t garden yourself)? Do you have any specific gardening inspiration? If not, what inspired you to create such beauty in your backyard?

MELISSA OVERMEYER : My husband and I both love gardening, but we come at it from two very different perspectives! Being an architect, he loves structure and order while I prefer organic chaos. Our garden is a mixture of both. The “Stumpery” in the back garden was inspired by King Charles III’s garden at Highgrove. I love the idea of taking stumps and things that would be discarded and turning them into something I can enjoy. It’a a bit akin to an elephant graveyard in a way, giving honor to our enormous fallen forest friends. It’s a peaceful home for birds and shade-loving woodland species. I’m also still a Girl Scout at heart! I love to pretend I’m on a campout even if for only a few moments

in the day. It’s my little secret getaway where I can have a cup of tea and watch the birds.

THE GEORGETOWNER: Can you share some advice on gardening for those who may be just beginning?

MO: Don’t be fooled when going to a garden center and thinking you can grow everything that’s on display! First, look and see if you have a sunny garden or a shady garden, if you have an irrigation system or if you’ll need to water constantly. Be real with yourself and your plants. Find what will work for your space, and your watering commitment level. Don’t try to put a square peg in a round hole because it will be very disappointing if they die because they’re in the wrong atmosphere. I have a collection of Myrtle topiaries that must be watered every other day! I must hire someone if I go away for a weekend because they take commitment. I call them my children. Only buy them if you’re willing to be committed to them, otherwise you will both suffer loss. If you find the right plants for you — indoor or out — they’ll bring you endless joy.

THE GEORGETOWNER: What are some of your favorite gardens in Georgetown (or the city as a whole)?

MO: We of course, love Dumbarton Oaks

as it’s at the end of our street! Just around the corner is Tudor Place Gardens. They’re wonderful examples of what can work well in this Plant Zone (7a). We go often to get inspiration and just to absorb the beauty. Of course, there are the Botanical Gardens downtown, but that’s more like a fantasy world. It’s like going on a tropical vacation the moment you walk in the door! I especially adore going to the orchid room in the dead of winter — nothing brightens my spirits like that room when it’s snowing outside. We love seeing the incredible models of famous buildings made from organic plant matter on display during the holidays — it’s a family tradition to visit that each year. We’re so very blessed in this city to have so many beautiful gardens only steps away.

BETH CROCKER

THE GEORGETOWNER: What led you to gardening?

BETH CROCKER: I enjoy being outdoors in nature, whether it’s a walk along the river, joining Earth Day cleanup efforts, or creating and nurturing my own garden. The Georgetown Garden Club, with its educational offerings and sharing of ideas, has also helped inspire me in my gardening. They’re a member of the Garden Club of America which

also offers educational opportunities and inspiration. The terraced design of my garden was originally laid out by Mrs. Paul Wayland Bartlett, who owned the house starting in the early 1940s. She had previously lived in Paris, so there was a hint of French design in it. When my husband and I renovated the garden about 10 years ago with completely new plantings we found photographs of her work taken around 1942 so we tried to make our changes consistent with the spirit of her designs.

THE GEORGETOWNER: Can you share some advice on gardening for those who may be just beginning?

BC: If you have no experience with gardening, it’s important to learn what works best in your climate. The different public gardens in our area have classes that are informative and will keep you from planting the wrong plant in the space you have. They’ll also help you determine your soil content and recommend soil amendments if needed. It’s a lifelong learning process for me.

THE GEORGETOWNER: What are your favorite gardens?

BC: My favorite public gardens in Georgetown are Montrose Park because of its history, Rose Park, and Volta Park. The Tudor Place gardens are also beautiful spaces with a rich

Star of the tour, the Evermay Estate on 29th Street.

history. In fact, all the Federal City gardens are spectacular, especially in the springtime. The magnificent trees around the Capitol, the White House and the Old Executive Office Building are inspiring. This area has the National Arboretum which is a treasure of open space and ongoing preservation of important trees, shrubs, and flowers.

FLORENCE AULD AND HER GARDENER, GUY WILLIAMS.

Guy is principal of DCA Landscape Architects, Inc. at 1315 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

FLORENCE AULD: My love for beautiful gardens first began when I bought my home on O St. NW, because of the garden that Gail Rodgers had designed. After looking for a home for more than two years (with no intention of living in Georgetown), I walked into the garden with its beautiful trees and koi pond and because of its serenity and beauty, made an offer that day. I lived there for 18 years and enjoyed the garden each and every day.

Our Georgetown homes can create real challenges regarding gardens because of their close proximity to our neighbors. When Frank and I decided we needed a larger home we looked at our home on N St. NW. For me it was a non-starter because of the apartment building which overlooked all of the gardens on the entire block of N St. It was only after our architect Doug Rixey suggested that we install a privacy screen with arborvitaes that we decided we could create the oasis we both desired.

I was fortunate to have such a talented landscape design professional in Guy Williams, who was able to create the serenity we were seeking. We had incorporated the garden into our home by adding opening doors from our home to the garden. We also had another challenge at our front door — the entranceway, which overlooked our neighbors’ trash cans. Joan from Cityscapes Landscaping suggested we solve the problem by creating a screen with greenery. It’s all about finding the solutions that work to create that special garden. I’ve been fortunate to have had extremely talented individuals who’ve created mine over the years.

Guy Williams’ Advice to Gardeners: Have patience. Gardens and plants do not always cooperate with your plans for them. Look and see and really notice nature and its details — look at what plants grow where, sun versus shade, moisture levels and soil types. Begin to see patterns and use that observation and knowledge in your plant selection and design.

Some of Williams’ Favorite Local Gardens: No list would be complete without Dumbarton Oaks. What a marvelous experience it is, one that I never tire of. I could not even begin to count the number of times I’ve been there, but I started going there in 1983 when I moved here after college. It’s a source of inspiration. The Bishop’s Garden at the National Cathedral is another favorite.

The Tour

Besides the stately, magnificent Evermay Estate, here’s a selection of the gardens that you can visit on the 93rd Garden Tour on Saturday, May 13.

3026 N ST. NW

The garden at 3026 N St. NW was originally part of the Rock of Dumbarton grant held by the Scottish emigrant and founder of Georgetown, Colonel Ninian Beal in the early 1800s.

The property now known as 3026 N Street NW consists of parts of three parcels of land: Lots 2 and 3 in the original 1752 survey of Georgetown and Lot 9 in Beall’s Addition.

The brick house as it exists now was constructed circa 1831 for the daughter and son-in-law of the then-owner of the Laird-Dunlop House at 3014 N St. NW next door. It was a two-and-a-half story dwelling with a pitched roof and attic dormer windows. The Victorian tower and façade and third floor were added in 1888.

The current owner grew up as a child on the property in the 1950-60s and returned with his family after an absence of many years. Among the several surprises discovered in renovating the property was a previously unknown (but vacant) 18th or 19th century brick vault beneath part of the garden and fire insurance maps showing that where the pool is now stood a wood- frame alley dwelling bouse during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

1330 30TH ST. NW

This handsome frame house was built circa 1840. One of its earliest owners was George F. de la Roche, a civil engineer who, among other projects in Georgetown, designed Oak Hill Cemetery for William Corcoran in 1850. Another prominent owner was architect and preservationist Wynant D. Vanderpool.

2911 O ST. NW

This charming late 19th century house and garden was transformed by previous owners to reflect their interest in Haiti and New Orleans. The landscape firm of Oehme van Sweden installed the water feature and a variety of plants and trees that still remain; the former garage was turned into a studio and garden room with a Haitian inspired facade that mirrored the rear facade of the house. The current owners and Amy Chaffman, of the Pampered Garden, have retained aspects of the Oehme van Sweden design while adding color and other elements to the previously all-green garden.

1570 34TH ST. NW

The Federal style house was built in 1938 along with surrounding houses. The charming side garden was recently reworked by Fritz & Gignoux, incorporating a fountain purchased in an antiques store in New Orleans.

3265 N ST. NW

This is a fine example of a Federal row house, part of an intact row of six nearly identical houses, known as Smith’s Row. Built circa 1811-1815, the block, during the 19th century, was once said to be “the finest street in town.” Prominent residents of this house include Henry M. Sweeny, the last mayor of Georgetown before it was incorporated into the District in 1871. In the late 20th century, the house served as a location for the film “Dave,” starring Kevin Kline as fictional President Bill Mitchell. The garden was recently redesigned for the current owners by Guy Williams, DCA Landscape Architects. This renovated home needed a garden design that could provide a living backdrop ripe with visual interest. The garden created is an extension of the interior, supporting great functionality and displaying an ever-changing play of light, texture, layering of details, and seasonality in its plantings. The garden is 28 feet wide by 37 feet deep, with a carriage house at the back.

THE COMPLETE LIST IS, AS FOLLOWS:

S&R Evermay Foundation, Evermay 1623 28th St. NW

Florence Auld and Frank Marshall 3265 N St. NW

Kathleen Butler 1570 34th St. NW

Anne Emmet 1330 30th St. NW

Beth and Tom Crocker 3026 N St. NW

Melissa and Dale Overmyer 3264 S St. NW

Robert Luskin and Charlotte Fallon 2911 O St. NW

Matt Talley and Ricky Hamilton 1512 34th St. NW

An aerial view of Florence Auld and her husband’s backyard gardens, which are featured on the Garden Tour.

Summer Arts Preview

BY KATE OCZYPOK

The D.C. area is full of wonderful ways to spend your summer hours, soaking in all the culture and arts scene. Check out these noteworthy events this May, June, July and August.

MAY

JXJ FESTIVAL

MAY 11-21

Various locations

The annual festival is presented on stages and screens throughout the DMV. It’s one of the biggest and most respected Jewish film festivals in the North America.

BOURBON & BLUEGRASS

MAY 20 AND MAY 21, 1-5 P.M.

140 Rock Creek Church Rd. NW

The most rollicking fundraiser of the year, Bourbon & Bluegrass, returns with delicious food, lawn games and tours of the cottage.

JUNE & JULY

“DOLLY” WITH THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF WASHINGTON, D.C.

JUNE 3, 8 P.M. AND JUNE 4, 3 P.M. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. closes out their season celebrating Dolly Parton. With Parton’s career spanning decades, attendees can look forward to hits like “Jolene,” “Islands in the Stream,” and “Here You Come Again.”

KUMANANA! AN AFROPERUVIAN MUSICAL REVUE

JUNE 7-25

GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW Kumanana shines a spotlight on the wealth of artistry in the Afro-Peruvian community.

FRANK STEWART’S NEXUS: AN AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER’S JOURNEY, 1960S TO THE PRESENT

JUNE 10-SEPTEMBER 3

The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW

Explore the powerful exhibit featuring Stewart’s photography that centers on his spontaneous yet sensitive approach to showcasing world cultures and Black life.

2023 ANNUAL MARTHA WASHINGTON LECTURE

JUNE 13, 7-8 P.M.

This event features Holly A. Mayer and Lorri Glover, contributors to the new book “Women Waging War in the American Revolution.” They’ll be in conversation with fellow historian Graham Hodges about women’s struggles for security and independence during the Revolutionary War. Post-lecture, enjoy a reception with wine and beer and a book signing.

Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway

Umm Saeed uses homemade henna harvested and prepared from her own trees. Learn the meanings of her traditional designs for hands and feet at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Photo by Jeff Malet.

THE SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL

JUNE 29-JULY 4, JULY 6-9

National Mall

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival was established in 1967 and honors the contemporary living cultural traditions and celebrates those who sustain and practice them. The festival has featured participants from 50 states and over 100 countries. This year’s festival highlights the culture of the Ozarks and explores creativity and spirituality in the U.S.

AUGUST

MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL

AUG. 2-SEPT. 24

The Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW

The glitzy, glittery world of Paris’s Moulin Rouge is brought to life in the touring version of the Broadway musical.

THE 19TH ANNUAL DC JAZZFEST

AUGUST 30-SEPTEMBER 3

Various locations

The festival celebrates jazz with over 100 concerts in over 30 venues citywide. It’s one of the premier musical cultural institutions in the nation’s capital, having recently announced the start of a three-year partnership with the nation of Cuba “through a series of in-person and virtual exchanges.” Expect to see performances at Arena Stage, The Anthem, The Wharf and more.

Coming up at ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO

Thu, June 15

STRATHMORE & STEP AFRIKA! PRESENT STEP XPLOSION

Mon, June 19

OCTAVIA

Music & Lyrics by Toshi Reagon & Bernice Johnson Reagon

Co-Directed by Signe V. Harriday & Eric Ting

Wed–Sat, June 28–July 1 COLIN

THE

Sat, Aug 26, 8pm

Robert Houle: Red Is Beautiful

Artists’ Conversation | June 3, 11 a.m.

Organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario, Canada. Generous support provided by the Canada Council for the Arts and Ameriprise Financial. AmericanIndian.si.edu

Parable of The Sower by Ehud Lazin, Angélique Kidjo by Fabrice Mabillot, Step Afrika! by Jati Lindsay, Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood

Jazz artist Melvis Santa performed at the Charles Fishman Embassy Series at the Cuban Embassy on April 21. The DC Jazz Festival announced a collaboration with Cuba after the show. Courtesy DC Jazz Festival.

Summer Arts Outdoors

BY KATE OCZYPOK

This spring and summer, take advantage of the countless outdoor arts opportunities in and around town. Here are just six of the many options to enjoy performances, outdoor movies, outdoor art exhibits and more.

WOLF TRAP

1551 Trap Rd.

Vienna, VA 22182

https://www.wolftrap.org/

Wolf Trap is gearing up for a jam-packed season. Enjoy a show – and a picnic -- under the stars from big names like The Avett Brothers, John Fogerty, Brandi Carlile, James Taylor and more.

SUMMER AT STRATHMORE: LIVE FROM THE LAWN

5301 Tuckerman Lane North Bethesda, MD 20852 Strathmore.org

The Strathmore’s popular “Live from the Lawn” concert series is back this summer, beginning July 5. This year, the venue added a new companion concert series just for kids called “Cool Concerts for Kids.” Shows begin at 7 p.m.

JAZZ IN THE GARDEN

Constitution Ave. NW and 7th St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20408

https://www.nga.gov/calendar/concerts/jazzin-the-garden.html

The popular summer concert series is back with musical performances including jazz, Latin fusion, bluegrass and more. New this year: a lottery system (free) so that anyone interested in attending has an equal chance. Each concert will have its own lottery, which opens one week before on Monday at 10 a.m. and will close the following Friday at noon. Results will be emailed to all entrants of the concert Monday at 10 a.m. Registration is required for those ages 2+.

THE KENNEDY CENTER’S REACH

2700 F St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20566

https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/ millennium-stage/2023/05-may/indiana-jones/

Don’t miss The Kennedy Center’s outdoor film screenings on the REACH Video Wall. A highlight is May 26 with “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Films start at sundown (or around 8 p.m.) The film screenings are free and first come, first served.

HILLWOOD ESTATE, MUSEUM AND GARDENS

4155 Linnean Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20008

https://hillwoodmuseum.org/events/divasoutdoors-moonstruck-1987

Don’t miss Hillwood’s Divas Outdoors event Thursday June 22. The evening begins at 6 p.m. with the opportunity to explore Hillwood, followed by a picnic spread contest, then at 8:45 p.m., enjoy the classic movie “Moonstruck.” Guests are encouraged to dress in 1980s style costumes from the movie and have themed picnic spreads that coincide with the film.

SUMMER BLOCK PARTY AT THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM

401 F St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20001

https://www.nbm.org/

The National Building Museum’s Summer Block Party installations have been delighting since 2015. This summer, Suchi Reddy, founder and principal of Reddymade Design Studio, will be transforming the museum with a new installation titled “Look Here.” Reddy is the first BIPOC woman to partner with the museum on this annual exhibit. A special outdoor display will be unveiled later this month — stay tuned!

Wolf Trap has a huge lineup of concerts this summer.

Jazz in the Garden is back with a new lottery system.

The Strathmore’s Live from the Lawn series is a great way to spend a beautiful summer evening.

The Kennedy Center’s REACH is offering outdoor movies this summer.

The Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens is hosting a “Moonstruck” night.

The Summer Block Party is back at The National Building Museum.

FOOD & WINE THE LATEST DISH

CULINARY DELIGHTS FROM AFRICA, MEXICO, EGYPT, THAILAND

BY LINDA ROTH

Maia Shanklin Roberts, Nick Hall, Imani Shanklin Roberts, Tau Shanklin Roberts, and Camille Hall are the creative force founders behind Shanklin Hall, a social club slated to open mid-Q2 2023 where Columbia Station was as 2325 18th St. NW in Adams Morgan. The menu will feature “ancestral bites” inspired by the African Diaspora and curated by Chef Myra T. Briggs, a 20+ year hospitality industry veteran. It will offer food pop-ups highlighting local chefs on the rise, as well as a Sunday Supper series. The bar program will be managed by UK native, Chai Lee, most recently of D.C.’s 600 T

Agave Room opened at 2446 18th St., NW in Adams Morgan where Jug & Table wine bar was, on the first level of the building that also houses Roofer’s Union. It features a curated list of Mexican spirits. General manager Dave Delaplaine pointed out: The Agave Room is to mezcals and tequilas what Jug & Table was to wines.

Cynthia and Jeffrey Higgins opened Elaine’s, featuring Middle Eastern cuisine in Old Town Alexandria, at 208 Queen Street where Bilbo Baggins used to be. Alexandria, Virginia to Alexandria, Egypt -- hence, the food is

Egyptian. Elaine’s is named after Cynthia’s Egyptian grandmother. It seats 120 on two floors. The upper floor is full of books, a nod to the owners who are also published authors.

Isaiah Walker, Zach Coles and Lloyd Bramble (all UVA grads) opened Krave Restaurant & Lounge where Le Mirch used to be at 1736 Connecticut Ave. NW in Dupont Circle. Featuring southern food, it’s open for lunch, dinner and brunch. Krave is a salute to iconic Black entertainers, entertainment and food of the ‘90s. Barry Scruggs, formerly at Four Seasons Hotel and MGM National Harbor, is the executive chef.

Quick Hits: Atlas Brew Works will open in 2025 in The Douglass, a mixed-use project near Anacostia Park in the Bridge District. There’s space for Atlas to expand its production facility within the District…. Lebanese restaurant, Villa Yara, opened at 2815 M St. NW in Georgetown…. Andre McCain plans to open an affiliate of HalfSmoke at Skyland Town Center, in Q3 2023. It will seat 200 with bar seating for 20 and a 40-seat outdoor patio. Another is planned for Rockville Town Center in early Q3 2023… Mark Furstenberg will open a Bread Furst Cafe inside the

Phillips Collection at 1600 21st St., NW that will be open to the public, so no admission ticket to the museum is necessary to buy coffee, baked goods, sandwiches or salads at the walk-up café.

New York-based Dig eatery opened at 1301 Wisconsin Ave, NW where Paolo’s Ristorante used to be. Chef David Saffell works with locally sourced, small artisan farms and purveyors. He previously worked at the Gaylord Hotel in National Harbor, True Foods Kitchen in Merrifield.

Bo Blair plans to open another Due South in Chevy Chase in Q4 2023, in addition to the one at Navy Yard. Another Due South is slated to open at 5708 Wisconsin Ave. NW near Jetties, another of Bo’s concepts with chef/ partner Rusty Holman.

Middleburg-based Thaiverse expanded to where Darlington House was at 1610 20th St., NW in D.C.’s Dupont Circle. It has 222 seats plus a 20-seat outdoor patio. The location will once again offer music in the downstairs space where Childe Harold once featured rock n’ roll music. (Yes, Bruce Springsteen played there.) It will be re-named “StepChilde Harold.”

Linda Roth is Founder & CEO of Linda Roth Associates (LRA), a D.C.-based public relations and marketing firm that specializes in the foodservice and hospitality industries. Follow her at: @LindaRothPR, #LindaRothPR, or www.lindarothpr.com.

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CHEVY CHASE FLOOR WAXING SERVICE

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HANDYMAN SERVICES

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PUBLIC NOTICE

THE EMBASSY OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA IS ACCEPTING BIDS FROM QUALIFIED COMPANIES FOR THE FOLLOWING:

• Removal of old waterproofing; Supply, and install of new waterproofing, and repair of parapet wall of the Embassy’s building at 601 New Hampshire Ave., NW Washington D.C. 20037.

• Replacing, supplying, installing of ceiling and ceiling lighting at the Embassy’s Building at 601 New Hampshire Ave., NW Washington D.C. 20037.

• Replacing, supplying, installing and commissioning of emergency power generators.

CONTINENTAL MOVERS

Local and Long-Distance Moving · Free Boxes · Junk Removal Services

• Replacing, supplying, and installing a chiller unit.

• Replacing, supplying, and installing a Fire Alarm System.

PLEASE CONTACT THE EMBASSY AT ENG.WASEMB@MOFA.GOV.SA

OR AT (202) 342-3800 EXT. 3021 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR INQUIRIES BY APRIL 15, 2023.

SERVICE DIRECTORY (202) 438-1489 · (301) 340-0602 cmora55607@msn.com · www.continentalmovers.net

Farm to table eatery, Dig, opens on Wisconsin Ave.

Cocktail of the Month

‘I Shall Return’ to The MacArthur

BY JODY KURASH

Drinking rum conjures up images of Caribbean islands, private yachts, jerk chicken, calypso music and treasure chests. But what about live crucifixions, eating fertilized duck eggs, tricycles for public transportation and coffins hanging from jungle cliffs?

There’s no doubt the West Indies is the epicenter of rum, whether your referring to fruity and aromatic Jamaican rum, the earthy cane-pressed Agricole spirits of the French isles or its birthplace of Barbados, where its origins date back to 1650. Today’s worldwide behemoth brands of Bacardi and Captain Morgan are also based there.

But what about the Philippines, an archipelagic country in the Southwest Pacific, that most Americans associate with the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, his wife Imelda and her 3,000 pairs of shoes?

While I was able to experience all the above-mentioned oddities on an Easter road to trip around the main island of Luzon, I was also able to learn about the rum culture there. Having previously traveled to the popular islands of Cebu, Boracay and Palawan, I was already familiar with the full-bodied taste of Filipino rum and was looking forward to

enjoying some cocktails on my holiday.

However, I was quite surprised when Gareth Johnson, a part-time Manila resident and founder of Young Pioneer Tours, told me that the world’s best-selling rum was Tanduay from the Philippines. Utterly remarkable, because this brand is little known in the rest of the world.

According to the latest data from July 2022, “Tanduay continued to outsell other global rum brands for five years in a row,” according to Drinks International Magazine. “The leading Filipino rum sold more than 23.7 million 9-liter cases last year.”

When I asked Johnson for advice on where to find the best cocktails, he took me to the Hotel Manila, a local landmark with a rich history all it’s own.

When it opened in 1912, it was the first five-star hotel in the country. It became known as the “Address of Prestige” in the Far East for presidents, royalty, public figures and rock stars. Despite suffering major damage, it survived the Japanese invasion of World War II and served as the official residence of General Douglas MacArthur.

When we arrived, the grand lobby exuded old-world glamour and grandeur with ornate

chandeliers, a sculpture exhibit, arched entranceways and wood-paneled ceilings. Tucked along the side was an intimate bar decorated in hushed tones of burgundy and gold.

One of their signature cocktails, which is named after Gen. MacArthur, boasts two types of rum, a white spirit from Tanduay and aged rum called Don Papa. Since I was unfamiliar with latter, I asked to sample it on its own. Don Papa, is a relative newcomer to the rum market, but it’s been growing significantly over the last five years and has even been gaining popularity in the U.S.A. The molasses-based, Spanish style rum is aged in sherry casks and has a multi-layered nectar-like flavor.

In addition to rum, the MacArthur cocktail also includes Cointreau, egg white, bitters and calamansi, a small green skinned orange citrus fruit. Bartender Kay Santos carefully concocted my drink and poured the frothytopped mixture into a chilled martini glass.

The result was extraordinary. The cocktail had a perfume-like flowery aroma. The flavor was bold but smooth, with orange candy notes. The egg-white lent it a creamy texture, which along with the vanilla hints from the rum gave it a rich dessert-like feel. Although there was no chocolate at all, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was drinking a liqueur-filled Godiva truffle.

For someone who abhors overly sweet drinks, this was an anomaly. It invoked the

flavor of an exquisite confectionary treat but with a complex sophistication of a rare cognac. It’s truly a sweet cocktail for people who hate sweet cocktails.

While the exact recipe was not disclosed, after close observation, I came up with a copycat version. Both Tanduey and Don Papa rum can be bought online and delivered to D.C. Some good substitutes would be Flor de Cana white rum and Mount Gay Extra Old. Tangerine or kumquat may be used in place of the calamansi juice. If you’re interested in seeing any the attractions in this article you can visit https://www.youngpioneertours.com/.

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTION

Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker until frothy. Pour into a chilled martini glass.

In Full Bloom

INFUSE YOUR WARDROBE WITH THE BLOSSOMS OF SPRING 2023.

BY ALLYSON BURKHARDT

Spring

Fashion has arrived and it’s bursting with botanical charm. Designers have taken the season’s favorite motif and infused it with lively adornments. Silhouettes are ultra-feminine and designed with enchanting elements, such as delicate embroidery, shimmering sequins, or most notably 3-D detailing. There’s a specialness to the collections that demonstrates florals are in full bloom.

T he elevated vision renews the importance of Spring Holidays by offering a variety of

statement-making styles perfect for weddings, garden parties or any swanky soirée. Dramatic flower formations are bursting from the bodices of formalwear. Laser-cut appliqués are blooming across seasonal separates. You can celebrate the trend by selecting serene pastels for a soft romantic vibe. Make and entrance in a dazzling micro-mini or simply add a floral note through a standout accessory. Whatever your look, you can bring life to your wardrobe with vibrant botanical prints.

MANOLO BLAHNIK Pink Satin Floral Print Pumps. $775. Nordstrom.

P.A.R.O.S.H. Floral-appliqué Pleated Dress $600. Italist.com.

CULT GAIA Calla Pearl-Detailed Faux Floral Earring $128. Bloomingdales.

SOPHIA WEBSTER Butterfly Meadow Satin Sandals $950. Farfetch.

LUISA BECCARIA Blooming Roses Printed Chiffon Midi Dress $3.540,00 LuisaBeccaria.it

JENNIFER BEHR BRIELLE Floral-appliqué headband $695. Farfetch.

LOVE SHACK FANCY: Sophia Webster Margaux Bag. $880. Moda Operandi.

HESTIA JEWELS: Joie Diamond Flower Ring. $3. Hestiajewels.com.

EMILIA WICKSTEAD: Romina FloralPrinted Strapless Dress. $1,630. My Theresa.

BRANDON MAXWELL: The Esme Floral Sequin Minidress. $2,995. Saks Fifth Avenue.

DRIES VAN NOTEN: Blur Floral Jacquard Single-Breasted Blazer. $1,995. Neiman Marcus.

The biggest obstacle to good gardening is the desire to know the answers and not the questions,” said English master gardener Monty Don.

As Georgetowners delight in the buds of May, brightly-colored flower boxes and baskets, and the arrival of the Georgetown Garden Tour, it’s time to reap the myriad health benefits of tilling, pruning and taking joy in our gardens. Seasoned gardeners have long understood the physical, mental and spiritual health benefits sowed from devoted attention to cultivating the beauties of their garden spaces. But for those who don’t think they have a “green thumb,” this may be the time to take up potting, planting or visiting garden spaces, simply for the powerful health payoffs scientific researchers have identified for those who stop and smell the gardenias.

A Chinese proverb holds that “Life begins

H I C KO R Y T R E E FA R M

The Plains, Virginia • $7,950,000

304 acres | Main house, stunning guest house w/ garage, 2 tenant houses, manager’s house, apartment complex, pool, 5 barns, approx 60 stalls, 3/4 mile all weather sand track, pond & extensive paddocks, fencing & sheds | Panoramic views of Bull Run Mountains & the Blue Ridge Mountains | Original home site still surrounded by towering trees, garden & stone walls

Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

C AT E S B Y V I N E YA R D

Upperville, Virginia • $1,300,000

the day you start a garden.” But, there’s no need to feel intimidated by the practice. You can always start small with easy houseplants such as low-water shade plants and succulents, work your way up to potting outdoor plants and flowers needing more attention, and then start experimenting with planting-in more ambitious flower beds, fruits, vegetables, bushes or trees in your outdoor spaces. Just remember, the results are always unpredictable. “The biggest obstacle to good gardening is the desire to know the answers and not the questions,” said English master gardener Monty Don.

And what are the vaunted health benefits of getting “soily” in the garden?

Professor Charles Hall of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M has “done extensive research on how plants and gardening can improve both physical and mental health.” In an article published in the Journal of Environmental Horticulture, he outlined the benefits, including: “attention deficit recovery, decreased depression, enhanced memory retention, improved happiness and life satisfaction, mitigation of PTSD, increased creativity, productivity and attention, reduced effects of dementia, and enhanced self-esteem.”

In “Why Gardening Makes You Happy and Cures Depression,” published by the

O U T W E S T Warrenton, Virginia • $3,000,000

Gracious home w/ renovated kitchen | Hardwood floors, substantial millwork & fine finishes & 4 FP| Perfectly sited to enjoy the views | 5 BR, home office, large family room, newly resurfaced tennis court, pool w/ cabana and 4 BR guest house w/workshop/3 stall stable | Large field for turn out, 1 paddock & hay field | 32 acres in 2 recorded parcels

Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

Permaculture College of Australia, Robyn Francis cited recent research explaining how immersing one’s self in garden soils can help relieve stress and anxiety and alleviate depressive illness. Such benefits accrue by means of “key environmental triggers for two important chemicals that boost our immune system and keep us happy – serotonin and dopamine,” he wrote. “Getting your hands dirty in the garden can increase your serotonin

levels – contact with soil and a specific soil bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, triggers the release of serotonin in our brain…. Serotonin is a happy chemical, a natural anti-depressant and strengthens the immune system.”

THE FULL ARTICLE ON GEORGETOWNER.COM.

Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

info@sheridanmacmahon.com www.sheridanmacmahon.com

Lovely

F U LT O N R U N

Middleburg, Virginia • $2,982,250

Middleburg Hunt location | House built in 2020, frame exterior | 3 BR, 3 1/2 BA, 11 ft ceilings, moldings | Antique french doors | 50 acres are gently rolling & useable | 40 fenced acres | 4 large paddocks & 3 small holding fields | 24x48 barn/farm structure w/ tack room, 24x14 run in shed, 12x36 2-bay run in shed w/ feed room, 12x14 tack room

Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

Brian MacMahon (703) 609-1868

H U G H E S V I L L E R O A D Leesburg, Virginia • $1,995,000

99.33 acres in prime Loudoun Hunt country location, easy access to Leesburg, Purcellville & Lincoln | Property is in conservation easement | Mountain and valley views | Rolling acreage | Approximately 65 acres of pasture, 35 acres of woods, major creek frontage | | Very protected location.

Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

Brian MacMahon (703) 609-1868

C T O R T O W N R O A D Marshall, Virginia • $1,250,000

E

1 0 4 & 1 0

6 P E N D L E T

Rare opportunity | 2 recorded lots with C-3 zoning in the town of Middleburg | 2 separate buildings with 8 offices, 5 storage bays and ample parking | All buildings are in excellent condition

Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

O

L

Hard to find 10 acre parcel between Purcellville and Middleburg | No HOA/covenants | Partly open, some mature woods, creek frontage, possible pond site | Potential building site is now closer to Otley Road

110 East Washington Street Middleburg, Virginia 20117

(540) 687-5588

BY CHRISTOPHER JONES

“IN THE SPRING, AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU SHOULD SMELL LIKE DIRT.” ~ MARGARET ATWOOD

‘The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy: A Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village’

HONORING THE HEROES OF A LITTLE-KNOWN EPISODE FROM WWII

REVIEWED BY KITTY KELLEY

“The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy” could be a magnificent film under the direction of Steven Spielberg with a script by Robert Rodat (“Saving Private Ryan”). Right now, it’s a sprawling narrative report — factual and prosaic — written by Stephen G. Rabe, a retired history professor and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, that documents an important part of D-Day history.

In this, his 13th book, Rabe focuses on “new information” he unearthed about what happened to the 12 planeloads of paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions, including his father, Staff Sergeant Rene E. Rabe, who were dropped hopelessly off-target on June 6, 1944, and landed in the marshy waters of northwestern France. It was the worst mis-drop of any U.S. airborne unit on D-Day.

Yet the 900 residents of Graignes, a small Catholic village, saw the billowing white “silk from the sky” as God’s deliverance from German occupation. They embraced

the paratroopers with warm hearts and heroic hands, particularly the women and children, who cooked around the clock to provide two meals a day for the 182 paratroopers — Allied troops deemed “the enemy” by the Nazis. The people of Graignes opened their barns and stables to hide the airmen; scouted the area to gather covert intelligence regarding German troop movements; and hauled wagonloads of equipment salvaged from the muddy swampland of the marais, where the men had landed 18 miles off-target.

After six harrowing days holding off the advancing Germans, most of the paratroopers had to flee after running out of ammunition. Villagers provided nighttime water transport for the remaining soldiers to move on to Carentan — the port town between Utah and Omaha beaches — which remained liberated thanks to the courage of those in Graignes. Such heroism deserves the majestic narrative it gets in these pages.

Most of the valiant men in the village ultimately lost their lives to marauding Boches, who also murdered U.S. medical personnel who’d stayed behind to tend the casualties. Ignoring all protocols of the Geneva Conventions, the Nazis slaughtered the medics, bayoneted the wounded, and shot the local priest, his religious associate, and two elderly housekeepers. Some villagers were forced to dig their own graves and then stand in them while the Nazis put a bullet in the back of their heads. The Germans then torched the village, burning all but two of its 200 structures, and ordered those remaining to evacuate.

The villagers returned on July 22, 1944, when U.S. forces liberated Graignes, and attended Mass on that day to commemorate the military and civilian victims of the attack and occupation. Years later, Graignes brides would wear wedding gowns made from the white “silk from the sky” of the Allies’ parachutes.

Rabe does a fine job describing the mystique of paratroopers as military rockstars whose rigorous physical training earned them elite status. Drill instructors — notoriously merciless in their schooling methods — maintained that a single paratrooper was superior to five soldiers.

Led by the charismatic Gen. James M. Gavin, the men of the 82nd Airborne were “a special kind of animal … their first impression …overwhelming physical presence.” Each was “as finely trained as a champion boxer.” Once a week, Gavin led his charges on a 30-mile forced march, warning them, “If you fall out, you ship out.” A sign on the shed where the parachutes were packed read: “Through these portals pass America’s finest troops. Pack well, and jump again.”

Most of the paratroopers had rough childhoods, came from broken homes, excelled at sports and volunteered for jump school for the extra $50 a month (equivalent to $846.62 today) it offered. All of them were tough. Those who survived the war lived long lives

back home; the last one died in 2020 at age 99. Particularly moving in the book is the photograph of General Dwight D. Eisenhower meeting with members of the 101st Airborne on the evening before D-Day. “The confident paratroopers reassure the anxious general,” writes Rabe. “They promised Eisenhower that they would accomplish their missions.”

In 1952, as he campaigned for the presidency, Eisenhower spoke to a veterans’ group about the Normandy invasion and was visibly pained by the memory of soldiers and paratroopers dying as a direct result of his command decisions. Overwhelmed by grief, Rabe writes, the general covered his face with a handkerchief.

Twelve years later, Eisenhower returned to Normandy on the 20th anniversary of D-Day and was filmed walking among the 9,000 Christian crosses and Stars of David at the American Cemetery in Colleville-surMer near Omaha Beach. The former president recalled the men who’d sacrificed themselves in the name of global peace, lamenting that they never had a chance to live full lives. It’s impossible to put down “The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy” without feeling a huge debt of gratitude for all they gave up.

Georgetown resident Kitty Kelley has written several number-one New York Times best-sellers, including “The Family: The Real Story Behind the Bush Dynasty.” Her most recent books include “Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the Kennedys” and “Let Freedom Ring: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the March on Washington.” She serves on the board of BIO (Biographers International Organization) and Washington Independent Review of Books, where this review originally appeared.

Good Deeds & Good Times

Spring Soirée Kicks Off 2023 C&O Canal Season

Washington Ballet Gala

The Phillips Collection Gala: Threads of Connection

Smithsonian Craft Show

Honorary Chair and Director of the National Museum of the American Indian, Cynthia Chavez Lamar, of this year’s Smithsonian Craft Show, Celebrating the American Spirit, launched on May 3 with an opportunity to meet the artists and shop their work.

WHCA: A Weekend of Many Events

Georgetown Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Mimsy Lindner, Georgetown Business Improvement District Vice President Nancy Miyahira, Georgetown Heritage Chair Jennifer Romm, Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto and Commissioner Gwen Lohse at the May 4 Spring Soiree, celebrating the 2023 C&O Canal Season in Georgetown. Photo by Bill Starrels.

Kara Swisher, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Craig Newmark at the 30th Anniversary White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch on R Street April 29. Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Haddad Media.

At the NBC after party on April 29: Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Doug Emhoff and Jen Psaki. Courtesy NBC Universal.

Nancy Cordes, Norah O’Donnell and Cecilia Vega, all of CBS News. Courtesy Norah O’Donnell.

At the Washington Ballet Gala April 21 at the National Building Museum: Lois H. England Philanthropy Awardees Jean-Marie and Raul Fernandez. Photo by Tony Powell.

Jeweler Reiko Ishiyama

At the May 5 Phillips Gala: Donald and Mera Rubell, Vradenburg Director and CEO Jonathan P. Binstock, Director Emerita Dorothy Kosinski, Darren Walker, gala chair Judy Pomeranz and awardee Klaus Ottmann. Photo by Jordan Tovin.