The Georgetowner: October 12, 2022 Issue

Leasing Center Now Open.

House on Wednesdays

ON THE COVER

A slight morphing of a famous scene from the 1973 horror movie, “The Exorcist,” which was filmed on location at Georgetown University and along Georgetown streets. The scene depicts Father Lankester Merrin, an exorcist, standing in front of the home at 3600 Prospect St. NW, where the possessed Regan MacNeil lived.

PUBLISHER

Sonya Bernhardt

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Peggy Sands

FEATURE EDITOR

Ari Post

FASHION & BEAUTY DIRECTOR

Lauretta McCoy

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Troy Riemer

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Philip Bermingham

Jeff Malet

DIRECTOR OF CONTENT & ADVERTISING Kate Oczypok

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Robert Devaney

MANAGING EDITOR Christopher Jones

Mary Bird

Susan Bodiker

Allyson Burkhardt Evan Caplan

Didi Cutler

Donna Evers Michelle Galler Amos Gelb Wally Greeves Christopher Jones Kitty Kelley

Rebekah Kelley

Jody Kurash Shelia Moses Kate Oczypok Linda Roth Alison Schafer Mary Ann Treger

1050 30th Street, NW Washington, DC 20007

Phone: (202) 338-4833

Fax: (202) 338-4834 www.georgetowner.com

“The Newspaper Whose Influence Far Exceeds Its Size” — Pierre Cardin

The

68th Anniversary

The Georgetowner would like to thank its supporters during this difficult time and during the newspaper’s 68th anniversary. You are indeed a special group with new supporters joining the effort each week — and we want to thank you

If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that newspapers and news gathering matter, more than we could ever imagine. Local newspapers continue to shrink or die. The old revenue model — print advertising — has shifted, which means producing the paper you hold in your hands is harder than ever

Again, thank you for supporting The Georgetowner — in operation since October 7, 1954 — so that we can continue to bring you the news you need. Please tell your friends to become a Georgetowner Stakeholder. Keep the presses rolling and the pixels going.

With a readership of more than 50,000, The Georgetowner is mailed to 7,000-plus Georgetown residents and businesses. The newspapers’ distribution covers parts of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. And, of course, its web site contains all that is in the print product along with additional stories and photos not seen in the paper — as it is happening.

So, as The Georgetowner celebrates its 68th birthday, it looks to its past, present and future. It is all there for you to read, both hard copy and digital. Visit www.Georgetowner.com, and look for us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Look for our survey and let us know what you think. Thank you.

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 2022.

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‘BEYOND KING TUT’ AT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BY RICHARD SELDEN

WOMAN’S NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CLUB AT 100 BY PEGGY SANDS

“Beyond

Richard Selden.

JUDGE RULES AGAINST DELTA PHI EPSILON, TERRENCE BOYLE BY ROBERT DEVANEY

David Maraniss discusses hi The former Delta Phi Epsilon frat house at 3401 Prospect St. NW, now a

Georgetowner photo.

book

by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe”

Festival. Photo by Jeff Malet.

Near Dupont Circle, the Whittemore House at 1526 Hampshire Ave. NW is home to the Woman’s National Democratic Club and WNDC Museum. Courtesy WNDC.

ANC Update: Parking, Water Bills, New School, Pickleball, CitizenM, Henle Village, 3601 M

BY CHISTOPHER JONES AND PEGGY SANDS

The Georgetown-Burleith-Hillandale Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC2E) met Oct. 3. All commissioners showed up except the two college representatives. No announcement when or if the meeting will go back to in-person, although Georgetown University announced last week that students no longer had to wear masks in classrooms.

Crime was reported to be way down in September. Only five burglaries of commercial establishments and only three thefts from vehicles — “maybe due to increased patrols,” according to the Metropolitan Police Officer at the meeting. MPD advised residents yet again: locks cars, no visible items, call 911 in case of any vandalism or sighted trespassing — and install video cameras on their property.

U.S. Park Police Captain Jonathan Hofflinger reported on the increased responsibilities of park police in Georgetown. He announced that there is now a lieutenant in charge of the waterfront and Rock Creek Park area station and at least one officer on duty at all times. In response to a question, the park police officer said that they work closely with several district and nonprofit organizations (NGOs) in encounters with homeless populations who camp out in the national park area. No increase in that population has been noticed since the widely reported arrivals of thousands of illegal border crossers from Texas bussed to Washington, D.C. by its governor.

District Council Chair Phil Mendelson’s representative updated the ANC on the tiff between Mendelson and Mayor Muriel Bowser over staffing of the two new departments created out of the Oct. 1 splitting of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory

Affairs into the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) and the Department of Buildings (DOB) — with the same personnel that had headed those reportedly dysfunctional departments before. Several of the commissioners seemed to agree with Commissioner Gwen Lohse that Mendelson “has our support.”

Ward 2 Council Member Brooke Pinto’s office reported on several events happening in October and the ever-present parking challenges for residents. “The statistical information gathered on parking is so low,” said ANC Chair Rick Murphy. “We’ll see if anything happens.”

The renovation of Safeway at 1855 Wisconsin Avenue NW has completed phase one of new shelving and floors. New departments will be added and popular old ones moved, such as wine to the front of the store next to the produce section with expanded organic offerings. The butcher section will also be expanded and the café renovated in the next year of remodeling, according to store manager Craig Gross.

The Office of the People’s Council encouraged residents to communicate with them about high utility, especially water, bills. “The OPC will have someone for Georgetown,” said Valerie Valentine. Call 202-727-2071.

The Four Seasons Hotel General Manager Marc Bromley updated commissioners on renovation ideas for the hotel, including expanded outdoor space, possibly on a rooftop terrace and more connection to the canal and waterfront — while presenting no specific designs. However, the biggest challenge at the outside hotel spaces are ... rodents

Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy is

now considering some large renovation and reconstruction projects of the gardens and back parkland that are 100 years old this year. Some of the restitution of Beatrix Ferrand’s ideals, however, need to be updated with new ecology and environmental scientific knowledge.

GEORGETOWN MAIN STREET

GMS Executive Director Rachel Shank reported on the Sept. 23 Art All Night festivities, tracking data to report approximately twice as much attendance over last year — approximately 5,300. Once again, GMS will be holding its fundraising Chicken Pot Pie-athon with chef Jenn Cravato of 1310 Kitchen & Bar on Oct. 14 with pre-orders now open. On Oct. 15 and 16, GMS will present the Georgetown Harvest Market, “similarly formatted” to the French Market with facepainting, pumpkin painting, sidewalk vendors and music. And — save the date — the Georgetown Cookie Tour returns Dec. 10.

MACARTHUR HIGH SCHOOL

Commissioner Kishan Putta reported both “good news and bad news” for the new public school. School construction has yet to begin, although the building need to be ready for students by September next year. However, the school may be able to offer students an International Baccalaureate (IB) course of instruction.

RESOLUTIONS

The ANC voted unanimously to support DDOT’s intention to create a no-parking zone along the 2400 block of P Street NW; continue to pressure the city to improve its 311 Reporting System; encourage the city to study the positive health benefits of pickleball and to seek to expand court opportunities for play; support Jelleff Recreation Center’s Halloween Roller Skating Party; and endorse DDOT’s efforts to improve the efficiency of the Circulator Bus system by eliminating some bus stops, while encouraging that stops between Georgetown and west towards downtown be kept as well as stops that stretch north to Whitehaven Street NW. One caller advocated keeping the “steep uphill or downhill” Circulator stops for elderly residents or those encumbered by child strollers.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL BOARD

The commission voted once again to unanimously endorse Tony & Joe’s yearly request for an exception to outdoor drinking rules, allowing customers to “walk around with their cocktails,” as one commissioner said, on New Year’s Eve. “I think we’ve passed this one every year since I’ve been on the ANC,” quipped Chair Rick Murphy.

Georgetown University - Henle Village.

PUBLIC SPACE: CITIZENM

A unanimous resolution was passed to endorse a public space application for CitizenM hotels for streetscaping improvements including “closing 3 curb cuts, adding a new loading area, a new sidewalk, new bike racks and greening of the public right-of-way” on Water Street at the site of their proposed hotel “adjacent to the K Street bridge.” Geoffrey Griffs of CitizenM pledged to have sidewalks evened out, to improve pedestrian areas approaching the C&O Canal, adding sidewalk bump-outs and expansions and “retaining walls for new plantings.” He said they would be “working with Georgetown BID” to enhance “green spaces up to the canal.” Commissioner Gwendolyn Lhose complimented CitizenM, saying she “wished more people who came in would do things like this.”

ZONING: HENLE VILLAGE

Chris Murphy, Georgetown University’s Vice President of Community Relations and Public Engagement, described the university’s Henle Village Project designed to demolish and reconstruct portions of the Henle dormitories to allow more students to reside on campus. The commission unanimously endorsed G.U.’s zoning application to continue with its construction plans and to provide “variance relief for height setback and exception relief for multiple roof structures.” Murphy reassured the commission that Georgetown will not be adversely impacted

by traffic or an increase in the number of students living off campus during the project. The Old Georgetown Board has also helped ensure more attractive designs than those of the current structures.

OLD GEORGETOWN BOARD: 3601 M

While the commission ultimately decided to pass through all applications to the OGB with “no comment,” a lively give-and-take took place over plans presented by Charles Keller of Altus Realty for approval of new exterior window designs to be presented to OGB for the residential project slated to come to 3601 M Street NW. The commission appeared poised to endorse the company’s proposals until some members objected to the plan for a dog park to be installed on the roof, instead of a swimming pool — and the number of rental units to expand considerably. Keller reassured commissioners that the proposed project’s ground, parking and height schemes had “not changed” since first approved and that no variances were required. Chair Rick Murphy reminded commissioners that the concerns they were raising were not pertinent to the OGB’s work and that they could object later to such issues. Nevertheless, the commission voted to support a resolution proposed on the spot by Commissioner Elizabeth Miller and supported vocally by Commissioner Lisa Palmer to issue a “no comment” to the OGB rather than any sort of endorsement at this time.

Jelleff Halloween Party Plans

BY PEGGY SANDS

Big plans are afoot at the Jelleff Recreation Center at 3265 S St. NW. “The District finally has contracted with the DRL Architects Group to design the construction plans for the $37 million Jelleff Recreation Center and public pool renovation project,” Georgetown, Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Kishan Putta informed The Georgetowner on Oct. 7. “We hear that a team has already begun scanning and touring the site to determine engineering data for the construction plans.”

Putta’s announcement came just five days after he had complained at the Oct. 3 ANC meeting that it had been over a year since D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed in May 2021 that the city budget for the renovation of Jelleff had been vastly enlarged from $7 million to $37 million. The project feasibility study approved at the time showed that the current single well-used basketball court, presently accessible only by a staircase, would be expanded to two courts. New additions would include handicapped accessibility to the courts and modernized locker rooms in a vastly enlarged and redesigned building with room for a kitchen and community educational and recreational activities for all ages. The site’s swimming pool and parking lot would also be reconfigured.

“We had been promised to be kept in the loop when an architect was contracted and plan designs were begun,” Putta said at the meeting. “Now this is the first we have heard.”

In the year gone by, Putta and ANC Commissioner Elizabeth Miller have organized a Jelleff Community Friends group that has been meeting regularly and includes representations from Georgetown Village, Burleith Citizens Association, Citizens Association of Georgetown, ANC 2E, the Glover Park community, and others from the Girls and Boys Club as well as stakeholders who use the facility regularly. “A letter has been sent that a pre-construction plan approval meeting be set up for this group as the scanning process takes place and a citizens’ town hall is organized.”

A community roller skating and children’s Halloween costume party and parade are also being planned at the site on October 29 by the Citizens Association of Georgetown and the Jelleff Friends group. Refreshments, prizes and Fall games are being organized for the 3-5 p.m. event. The Friends group hopes such events will establish the Jelleff Center as a growing Georgetown area recreational and meeting resource.

Georgetown

BY CHRISTOPHER JONES

Disappointing news from the C&O Canal National Historic Park and Georgetown Heritage today: Georgetown’s section of the C&O Canal will be drained soon and remain potentially dry for as long as 30 months, through 2025.

At the celebratory April 2022 launch of the new C&O Canal boat, various officials had raised hopes that the winter months drainage for repairs of the Georgetown section of the Canal would only extend to next season’s warmer weather. Now, however, residents and visitors excited by the restored vessel’s historical navigations through water-filled locks will have to endure a sad and lengthy dry spell.

“You know, this is part of the Georgetown Canal Plan,” according to Christiana Hanson, Public Information Officer at the C&O Canal National Historic Park, reassuring the public that while the repair work may take many months, it’s vital to the overall restoration plan. “There will be impacts. We’re not sure what they are. But as always we will work to minimize impacts to the public. And it will

lead to a stronger and better looking Canal in the future… That’s the goal: to restore and enhance that first one mile of the Canal. ” Hanson reassured Georgetowners and visitors, however, that closures for repairs are par-for-the-course and don’t mean the Canal itself will be closed. “October is when we traditionally de-water the Canal. And we do that anywhere there’s water in the Canal. So that’s when boat programs up and down the Canal tend to wrap up because we’re protecting the Canal walls from freeze. Currently, [however] the park is planning a large-scale project to rehabilitate multiple sections and multiple historic assets along the Canal in the D.C. area. We anticipate that that construction will run from 2023 to 2025, but we don’t have any information about closures or really much more about that project since we’re still in the early planning stages for that.”

The repairs so far look to be extensive. “The repairs we’re looking at include Locks 1, 2 and 5, inlet Lock 1, the Guard Lock 1, Level 4, the north and south walls up stream on Wisconsin Avenue, that area, and then the wall at 34th Street NW. So, it’s a lot of stuff. Which is one of the reasons we say it’ll have a pretty long construction time. But some of that may

be able to happen at the same time. We don’t know,” Hanson said.

From an outsider’s perspective, however, prospects for quick repairs seem to be just trawling along at a mule’s pace. “This hasn’t gone out to any solicitations from contractors yet,” Hanson said. “So, we don’t know [our] timeline at this point.”

Meanwhile, at Georgetown Heritage, the nonprofit historical preservation organization that runs the C&O Canal Boat Tours and has exceeded all expectations in tour ticket receipts for The Georgetown Heritage this inaugural season, the repair work should perhaps not be seen as overly alarming. The C&O Canal Restoration Project, “made possible through funding and planning from the National Park Service (NPS)” will help “pave the way for The Georgetown Heritage boat tours to resume in Spring 2025,” said Georgetown Heritage.

The repairs will include a “major restoration of Locks 1, 2 and 5, as well as critical valve and wall repairs,” Georgetown Heritage said. “This will enable the Canal to continue to hold water and host the boat program for generations to come.”

NPS will be hosting a virtual public meeting this fall to share additional details, per Georgetown Heritage. Visit NPS’s website here for meeting announcements, “coming soon.”

“We’ve had an incredibly successful inaugural season for our new C&O Canal boat,” said S. Rex Carnegie, Director of Education and Partnerships for Georgetown Heritage.

“Ridership was twice as high as projected, and the feedback has been wonderful.”

“In addition to visitor accolades, the Canal boat has been featured in media outlets across the world over the past six months – most recently on “CBS Saturday Morning,” which reached more than 1.5 million viewers,” Georgetown Heritage reported.

“The inaugural boat season was designed with the restoration project in mind, as Georgetown Heritage took the first year to learn more about the vessel, test interpretive programs, develop operating procedures, and give visitors a first look at the new boat program.”

According to Hanson of the C&O Canal National Historic Park, Georgetown Heritage will still be holding educational and informational programming, even if there’s not water in the Canal. “Georgetown Heritage will be doing programming during this period. It may be on the boat. There may not be water for the boat to be floating on. But I know that they are looking at how to utilize the boat and all of their other assets during those times,” she told The Georgetowner.

Boat tours are estimated to return in April 2025, and future Canal boat seasons will run annually from April – October. During the 2023 – 2024 seasons, Georgetown Heritage will “partner with NPS to host an interpretive program while the boat is in dry dock near Lock 4 of the Canal – offering visitors a unique way to experience the boat,” they said.

Of course, this raises the question: Is having the Canal Boat in dry dock all that unique?

in the historic Georgetown district

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Canal Boat Season Ending as GLOW Returns

BY JOE STERNLIEB, GEORGETOWN BID CEO & PRESIDENT

Don’t miss the boat! If you’ve yet to expe rience a ride on Georgetown Heritage’s new C&O Canal boat, you only have a few weeks left. The 2022 season runs through October 30, offering one-hour guided historical tours that will teach you about the fascinating history, technology and culture of the Canal. Nancy Chen with CBS Saturday Morning even came out to film a story on the boat in August, which reached over 1.5 million viewers.

In 2023, a Canal restoration project will be underway – paving the way for Georgetown Heritage boat tours to resume, which we es timate will be in 2025. The Georgetown sec tion of the Canal will be drained for approx imately 30 months to allow for this major restoration work. This will enable the Canal to continue to hold water and host the boat program for generations to come. During the upcoming seasons, Georgetown Heritage will partner with the National Park Service to host an interpretive program while the boat is in dry dock near Lock 4 of the Canal. Visit georgetownheritage.org to stay up to date on future Canal news, and to buy your boat tick ets for the final two weeks of the season.

As we say goodbye to Canal boat season, we’re eager to welcome back Georgetown GLOW this winter. Set against Georgetown’s historic backdrop, GLOW is the region’s only free, curated outdoor light art experience. We’ve expanded this year’s exhibition, kick ing off on Small Business Saturday (Novem ber 26) and running through January 22, 2023.

Stay tuned for an announcement on this year’s installations and artists, and additional holiday programming, coming soon.

In retail and restaurant news, Glossier and Pressed both opened in the second half of the summer, and more than 17 new leases have been announced – including Fall openings of cashmere brand Naadam, Hobo Bags, Wolford, Hitched bridal boutique, Little Words Project bracelets, Build Design Center, yoga and co working space Alkova, and restaurant L’Avant Garde – helmed by French Chef Gilles Epie.

Transportation and traffic are also top of mind now that everyone is back in town fol lowing summer vacations and school breaks.

The District Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Georgetown BID, is kick ing off a one-year transportation access and circulation planning study to evaluate future changes to address challenges of getting to and around Georgetown. The study will consider long-term changes to improve safety, address traffic, and enhance the public realm on M St and other major Georgetown corridors. A pub lic meeting will be held later this fall. Addition ally, the BID is working collaboratively with ANC2E, CAG, and other community stake holders to continue the sidewalk extensions and streateries for 2023.

We look forward to a festive – and produc tive - end to the year in Georgetown. For more on upcoming events and commercial district news, visit georgetowndc.com and sign up for our weekly BIDness newsletter.

The Georgetowner Endorses…

While the Ward 2 election ballot may be thin, The Georgetowner shall weigh in on the Nov. 8 General Election, with mail-in ballots already arriving. Let’s deal with the cards we are dealt — therefore:

MURIEL BOWSER, MAYOR

In a prosperous city, hit by the pandemic and White House machinations, Bowser stepped up and got the job done.

PHIL MENDELSON, COUNCIL CHAIR

Phil Mendelson is steady at the helm of the District Council, and steady wins the race.

ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, D.C. DELEGATE

The District’s longtime non-voting delegate to Congress — 15 terms — Eleanor Holmes Norton keeps on working for our constituents.

BRIAN SCHWALB, ATTORNEY GENERAL

Brian Schwalb, well known in the city, is an activist in his own right and holds the classic Democratic values of fighting for the underdog.

AT-LARGE COUNCIL, ANITA BONDS AND KENYAN MCDUFFIE

For the At-large District Council race — remember you get to vote for two candidates — The Georgetowner endorses Anita Bonds and Kenyan McDuffie.

Council member Anita Bonds has been devoted to the city for decades and is a dedicated advocate for affordable housing among her efforts on behalf of public schools, violence prevention and senior citizens.

Council member Kenyan McDuffie is concerned and pragmatic, aware of the needs of small businesses, while understanding that “safe and equitable” can go hand-in-hand in a reasonable society. We acknowledge an honorable mention: Graham McLaughlin.

ANC2E

For the Georgetown-Burleith-Hillandale Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC2E), our local ballot will show but one contest. It’s ANC single-district 2E02 with candidates Patrick Clawson and Topher Mathews. We’re split on this one. Both can represent their neighbors well and are quite in tune with our town. For single-district ANC 2E03, we have write-in candidate Paul Maysak. Yes, please write him in.

Vote ‘No’ on Initiative 82

The last item on your ballot is Initiative Measure No. 82 which reads: “District of Columbia Tip Credit Elimination Act of 2021.”

“Under current law, employers of employees classified as “tipped workers” may take a credit against tipped wages received by workers to satisfy the minimum wage guaranteed to all workers by law. If enacted, the Initiative would gradually eliminate the credit, such that the mandatory base wage (currently $5.05 per hour, indexed to inflation) paid by employers shall increase until 2027, when the mandatory base wage matches the minimum wage established by District of Columbia law (currently $15.20 per hour, indexed to inflation). Tips continue as property of employees and will be in addition to the statutory minimum hourly wage.”

The choice is yes or no. The Georgetowner advises you to vote “No.”

We agree with the “No” advocates that “the tip credit guarantees that servers and bartenders receive the minimum wage but enables tipped employees to earn well above that amount — about $26 per hour, on average. Initiative 82 would eliminate the tip credit and upend this system, harming servers and bartenders across the District.”

Additionally, “restaurants and bars are likely to institute a service charge and eliminate tipping, servers and bartenders would earn considerably less than they do now through an hourly wage and restaurants and bars would face major increases in labor costs and be forced to cut back employee hours and eliminate positions.”

As the Washington Post wrote, the initiative is “still a bad idea.”

Cars or Bikes: Right on Red?

Picture these scenarios. It’s 8 p.m. You’re stopped at the light at R Street and Wisconsin Avenue, heading east. No cars, bikes or pedestrians are in sight. You turn right and quickly are on your way down Wisconsin. No waiting.

It’s 3 p.m. You’re at the stop light on 29th and M Streets, headed north. You’re crammed behind two cars just inches from parked cars on the right. A large SUV turning left off M Street on the green light is jammed, stopped at the crossing, afraid to pass between parked cars on 29th and you in the lane. Traffic backs up on M Street. Drivers start honking on 29th. All because no one can turn right on the red light there.

It’s 8 a.m. You’re at the stop light on N St. and Wisconsin Avenue, headed east, jammed between the streatery barriers of Martin’s Tavern and cars turning right off M Street. You edge up a bit over the sidewalk to look north, making sure no one is coming south. So you start making your right turn on the red light. You almost hit the bicyclist and the pedestrian crossing north from Martin’s. Really a close call. Yikes!

Anytime on Georgetown’s residential streets, you come to a stop dutifully at every

corner at the red stop sign. The bicyclist whom you have been forced to follow at 5 mph. by peddling in the middle of the lane (his/her right), goes through the stop sign. But, as you proceed, you’re again slowed to a crawl behind the bicycle.

Last month, the District Council passed two new laws that prohibit turning right on a red signal anywhere in the District and allow bicyclists to peddle (or more often e-motor) through red stop signs everywhere as a yield. What say you? Should cars be able to turn right on red stop lights after a full stop?

Should bicyclists be required to stop at stop signs to at least let car traffic pass them?

The issues at hand are nuanced but not complicated. The Georgetowner believes drivers and bicyclists in our highly educated, aware and even woke city can handle the responsibility of proceeding prudently at red stop crossings. General prohibitions seem a bit tyrannical. People can make their own decisions — especially if they know that irresponsible decisions will be punished. Let your Ward 2 Council member know what you think. Contact Brooke Pinto at 202-724-8058 or bpinto@dccouncil.gov.

OPINION: The Coming D.C. Financial Crisis

BY JACK EVANS

Editor’s note: From time to time, The Georgetowner runs guest columns on issues of concern to our readers. We have decided to run this opinion piece by Jack Evans owing to his extensive experience with and knowledge of the District government’s budgeting and finances.

Fiscal Year 2023 for the District of Columbia starts on October 1, 2022. The D.C. Council just passed a $20 billion budget in June, the largest budget in the city’s history and several billion dollars larger than even two years ago.

During the 2020-21 pandemic, D.C. was treated like the other 50 states and was awarded $2.5 billion in federal funds to offset projected losses from tax revenue. Like most states, the projections were way off, and the city had all this additional one-time money. Like all governments, the Council spent it, mostly on reoccurring programs in education and human services.

In addition, the Council also raised taxes on individuals earning over $250,000 while cutting in half Mayor Bowser’s request for additional funding for our police force. This and other actions have left our police force with the fewest officers in several decades.

After unanimously passing the 2023 budget, the Council “celebrated” the authorized spending of all that money. But, as they say on Game of Thrones, “Winter is coming.”

The $2.5 billion is one-time federal money and is gone. Downtown D.C. has not bounced back and, if anything, is still largely deserted. The federal workforce is mostly

home, and the private sector is working in-person maybe three days a week. As a result, the downtown office buildings are empty.

Without workers, small businesses are struggling. In addition, tourism is off millions of people.

All this has resulted in a reduction in our sales tax collections. But, more important, because of the empty office buildings, we are looking at a $1 billion reduction in our commercial property tax collections.

If all this comes to pass, in 2024 the Council could be looking at a budget with spending of $21 billion and revenues of $17 billion. This is a gap that cannot be closed.

The Council will be faced with raising taxes — already the highest in the region — and making cuts. The city spends more than 80 percent of its budget in four areas: Debt services (which can’t be cut); Human Services (the underserved); Education (the children); and Public Safety (the police), make up the rest. The police are already short-handed and crime is at a 10-year high. And who wants to vote to cut education or human services? The city faced just this situation in 1995, and the result was a Federal Control Board.

Unless immediate action is taken, it’s likely that the city will face a financial crisis that cannot be solved — and with a Republican Congress, it’s… GAME OVER.

Jack Evans served on the District Council from 1991 to 2021 and served as chairperson of its Finance and Revenue Committee from 2001 to 2020.

Pick 2 for the District Council

Ward 2 D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto — who represents Georgetown — is not up for re-election during this election cycle, but two of four At-large Council candidates will be decided on Nov. 8. Take the time to check out the eight candidates and let go of partisan prejudices for the moment. All eight have an interesting life story to tell and want to be your public servant. At-large Council candidates — in the order they appear on your ballot — are:

ELISSA SILVERMAN — INDEPENDENT

Journalist turned politician, this reliable progressive does not take “a dime from corporations or PACs.” elissafordc.com

ANC 2E Elections: One Competitive Race

BY PEGGY SANDS

KARIM D. MARSHALL — INDEPENDENT

Government lawyer turned candidate, Marshall says, “Our rising crime rate is a reflection of the lack of will to address the problem.” marshallfordc.com

FRED HILL — INDEPENDENT

Businessman, veteran, cancer survivor and “champion of the District’s mosaic of culture and thought,” Hill tells us he’s “the real deal.” And we believe him. fredhill4councilatlarge.com

KENYAN MCDUFFIE — INDEPENDENT

Former mailman and Ward 5 Council member, McDuffie is seen as a sensible urbanist and balanced advocate for small businesses. mcduffiefordc.com

The Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E (ANC 2E) is a highly active quasigovernmental advisory group that covers Georgetown, Burleith and Hillandale. It meets monthly to update the community on District issues and make proposals in the area’s interests that are to be seriously considered by the D.C. Council and city agencies. ANC 2E has eight elected commissioners representing each of 8 distinct geographic areas. After the November 8 elections, there will be five new faces on ANC2E. So far, however, only one race is competitive. Two have candidates with no opponents, one has an active writein candidate and two have no candidates to date. The other three are being held by incumbent commissioners with no challengers.

Jenny Mitchell. Both candidates Christopher (Topher) Mathews and Patrick Clawson are long time active Georgetown residents who often throughout many years have attended and participated in ANC meetings and discussions. For many years, Topher has also produced an almost daily one-or-twoitem online newsletter called Georgetown Metropolitan. For decades Clawson has served as chairperson of various Citizens Association of Georgetown project committees and the Georgetown Community Partnership.

The bios and basic campaign positions of Mathews and Clawson as well as that of Lindner were reported in The Georgetowner on May 5.

ANITA BONDS — DEMOCRATIC

Council 10-year veteran and union-endorsed, Bonds chairs the Committee on Housing and Executive Administration and promotes the idea of “good government.” anitabonds2022.com

DAVID SCHWARTZMAN — DC STATEHOOD GREEN

Eco-socialist Schwartzman wants “to deliver a radical alternative to the trickle-down economic policies that have created shockingly high racial and economic disparities in our community.”

dcstatehoodgreen.party/candidates/David-Schwartzman

GRAHAM MCLAUGHLIN — INDEPENDENT

Health services executive McLaughlin says, “Even though D.C. government spends more per citizen than any other city in the country, our elected officials have not been able to unleash our potential.” grahamfordc.com

GIUSEPPE NIOSI — REPUBLICAN

Third-generation Washingtonian and Navy reservist Niosi says, “I aim to connect with local Washington, D.C., to help facilitate a movement to bring diversity of thought to the Council.” niosi2022.com

Commissioners staying on without opponents are Kishan Putta (01), Elizabeth Miller (07) and Gwendolyn Lohse (06). Mimsey Lindner is running unopposed to take the seat of Lisa Palmer (05). The write-in candidate to replace retiring ANC Chairperson Rick Murphy (05) is Paul Maysak, who decided to run too late to be on the ballot but has no opponents of his write-in campaign. The two seats representing Georgetown University (04 and 08) and surrounding residential and commercial areas, as yet have no candidates. “Usually, the two seats have been filled by ongoing students, some of whom become very active ANC commissioners,” Murphy told The Georgetowner. “Often recruitment is an informal process encouraged by the Georgetown Campus Outreach Center. But a candidate does not have to be a student.”

If the seats are vacant after the election Murphy confirmed there was a (“wonderfully complicated”) process put in place by the D.C. government to fill them.

The competitive ANC election race is for the 02 district currently represented by

In update interviews on October 7, both Mathews and Clawson reiterated their basic concerns: Matthews’s focus would be on constituent services for various groups including seniors and pedestrians, especially children; safer streets that might include some reconfiguration of driving patterns, and commercial revitalization that has to focus on working together with businesses. Clawson would focus on public safety including hazardous driving conditions, bikes and scooters as well as law enforcement staffing; quality of life issues including the challenge of students and restaurants residing and doing business right next to family and senior residences; and commercial development including cutting through the complicated permitting and licensing processes.

Both Mathews and Clawson reiterated that there’s only so much an ANC can do. But they both are adamant about the power of listening to all community members to discover the best common ground for solutions. Each will be visiting neighborhoods and welcoming discussions with constituents during this next month’s campaign season.

Topher Mathews

Patrick Clawson

GO

SEE

INTERVIEW WITH REPUBLICAN MAYORAL CANDIDATE STACIA HALL

INS & OUTS

BY ROBERT DEVANEY CONGRATS! NYT LAUDS LUTÈCE

Toutes nos félicitations! A terrific culinary shout-out — and well deserved for owner Zubair Popal and family — for the bistro at 1522 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Last month, the New York Times named Lutèce one of “50 Places in America we’re most excited about right now.”

The Times wrote: “At this charming Georgetown bistro, the chef Matt Conroy’s approach to French cooking is influenced not only by the progressive Parisian neo-bistros, but also at times by the cuisines of Mexico, the birthplace of his wife and collaborator, the pastry chef Isabel Coss.… You can leave your fate entirely up to the couple, who offer a surprisingly affordable four-course tasting menu.”

STREETS MARKET MAY MOVE INTO 7-ELEVEN SPACE ON P STREET

Oh, thank heaven. Georgetown’s east side neighbors will be happy to learn that Streets Market — a local chain of small grocery stores that operate in such neighborhoods as Adams Morgan, Cleveland Park, NoMa and West End — appears to be taking over the empty 7-Eleven space at 2617 P St. NW, according to sources familiar with the property.

Closed in May, the 7-Eleven convenience store was a favorite of residents, visitors and cops since 1964 — with longtime franchise owner Girma Hailu departing to run another 7-Eleven near NoMa.

Streets Market says it is “a local grocery store that offers a wide variety of organic, conventional, local, international and everyday practical goods all under one roof.” Word on the street: Expect a November debut.

DENT PLACE MARKET SEEKS TO TAKE OVER SARA’S MARKET

Dent Place Market, which opened in 2019, is bringing its vibe to 3008 Q St. NW and plans to reopen Sara’s Market, if the paperwork finally checks out. Renovations have already begun by John Kushner.

COMING: DIG, UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Long awaited at the old Paolo’s side space at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and N Streets, Dig is on a mission of mindful sourcing for its ingredients — with salads as well as 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 2011. Among Dig’s investors is restauranteur Danny Meyer.

COMING: ZZZZZ … SLEEP NUMBER

Minnesota-based Sleep Number, which makes the Sleep Number and Comfortaire beds, is setting up shop at 1239 Wisconsin Ave. NW. The adjustable bed company had revenues of $1.856 billion last year — and, as of 2018, employed 4,220 persons across the U.S. The building once housed the Loft and, before that, Ann Taylor.

COMING: SHOUK, TEL AVIV STREET FOOD

Shouk Food is coming to 1426 Wisconsin Ave. NW, the former space of Tugooh Toys, which moved only a few doors up the avenue. Shouk tells us it offers “chef-crafted street food made from plants and Middle-Eastern spices. Plant-based, earth-friendly food inspired by the markets of Israel. Kosher-certified.” Other locations include Mount Vernon Square, Union Market, Bethesda and Rockville.

OUT: RICCARDI FINALLY MOVES

Yes, they finally did it — really moved, as a storefront sign had warned for months. Founded in 1983, Riccardi Clothier at 1363 Wisconsin Ave. NW, a men’s clothing shop with Italian suits and more has closed. But, fear not, part of the retail business and inventory has moved across the street to 1404 Wisconsin Ave. NW, which also houses GT Vapes & More.

OUT: ERNESTO SANTALLA

The office of Ernesto Santalla PLLC has departed 3144 Dumbarton St. NW. The firm, which specializes in architecture and interior design as well as furniture and graphics, was founded by and named after architect and interior designer Ernesto Santalla. The address formerly held the Dumbarton Pharmacy.

COMING: LUGANO DIAMONDS

TO TAKE OVER ENO SPACE

Who knew that wine, cheese and charcuterie could lead to diamonds? Lugano Diamonds & Jewelry, designer and manufacturer of highend, one-of-a-kind jewelry, will be taking over the space once held by the popular Eno Wine Bar — with its wine flights paired with cheese, charcuterie or chocolate — closed since the pandemic hit. Next to the Four Seasons Hotel, the two-level building at 2810 Pennsylvania Ave. NW is under renovation for the luxe jeweler, founded in 2004 and purchased by investment holding company Compass Diversified last year for $256 million.

COMING: VILLA YARA IN FORMER LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN

They’re in the planning stages at 2815 M St. NW. The liquor license placard for Villa Yara reads: “New Retailer’s Class “C” Restaurant serving Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine. Seating Capacity of 102, Total Occupancy Load of 119, Summer Garden with 38 seats. The Licensee is also requesting to provide live Entertainment and Cover Charge inside the premises and for the outdoor Summer Garden.”

OUT: BERLINER GONE BY OCT. 23

The Berliner, the German beer hall at 3401 Water St. NW, will close Oct. 23, according to co-owner Zubair Popal, who also runs bistro, Lutèce, at 1522 Wisconsin Ave. NW and Lapis on Columbia Road.

The news was not unexpected. Plans call for the construction of hotel CitizenM at the property. The popular Georgetown waterfront spot opened in 2018, after operating as Malmaison, and will remain October-festive.

“While it’s too soon to know when we will reopen after construction, we want to spend our final days celebrating everything this space has meant to our family, our team and our guests,” said Popal in a statement. Check the Berliner’s Instagram page for updates.

IN: HOBO ‘THRILLED’ TO OPEN IN GEORGETOWN

The leather accessories brand, Hobo, announced it is “thrilled to expand into Washington, D.C., with the opening of a Georgetown store, which is its second retail location in the U.S.” The female-founded, family-run company opened Sept. 30 at 1265 Wisconsin Ave. NW in the former John Fluevog space.

“Georgetown holds a special place in my heart,” says Koren Ray, Hobo’s co-founder and chief visionary officer. “My lifelong love of craft was born in my mom’s iconic sandal shop in Georgetown in the 1970s. The new store will embody our brand’s ethos, creating an inviting environment that showcases our signature colors, textures and styles and celebrates our unwavering commitment to creating quality leather goods made to last. We are proud to be putting down retail roots in the heart of Georgetown.”

Hobo bags began in 1991 in Annapolis. In the ’70s and ’80s, Toni Ray worked at Georgetown Leather Design.

COMING: LITTLE WORDS PROJECT

Ask your kids about this business. Little Words Project, a pricey bracelet shop opening at 1246 Wisconsin Ave. NW, “aims to inspire and encourage people to be kind to themselves and to pay that kindness forward, one bracelet at a time.…” It’s under construction now.

OUT: PETIT SOEUR SHOP

Pâtissier Ashleigh Pearson’s Wisconsin Avenue boutique, Petite Soeur, which opened in October, has closed. Pearson’s bonbons can be ordered online but are no longer available at 1332 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

Pastry Chef Isabel Coss of Lutèce.

Chef Matt Conroy of Lutèce.

Koren Ray of Hobo.

Fall Fashion Recap: Italian by Design.

BY ALLYSON BURKHARDT

Italian designers have captivated the fall collections with their celebrated and sophisticated modernity. The major fashion houses continue to dig deep into iconic and archival looks that will satiate the “buy now-wear forever” approach to fashion. The sleek silhouettes and expert tailoring meet the increased demand for chic suiting options as we return to the office.

Fendi’s sharp-shouldered jackets are an ideal expression of female empowerment. The more traditional luxury brand, Agnona, maintains the standard for cool classics. Its exquisite selection of fine cloths allows for ease throughout the day but has adapted to the times with more forward detailing of leathered fringe. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t any go-big and go-bold presentations to be found.

Valentino’s ostrich-trimmed, shift in is a timeless template accentuated with creative elements; sure to attract a diverse clientele. Bottega Veneta & Gianvito Rossi are gaining recognition for statement-making footwear with mirrored sandals and stiletto booties. Max Mara leveled up their signature pant with a metallic textured brocade. Take these tenants to create your style identity. Build a modern mix of elegant fundamentals topped off with inspirational design. This is the moda italiana!

Allyson Burkhardt is founder of Let’s Get Dressed! Image & Style Services. Go to Www.letsgetdresseddc.com to put your best look forward.

VALENTINO Feather-trim Minidress $3,900. Bergdorf Goodman. DOLCE & GABBANA Floral Print Blouse $1,425. Lyst.

FENDI Structured Wool Jacket $3,290. Nordstrom.

ETRO Printed Crepe Maxi Dress $3,410. Farfetch.

AGNONA Leather Fringe Cashmere Poncho Jacket $5950. Moda Sense.

MAX MARA Gaeta Brocade Pants. $695. My Theresa.

BOTTEGA VENETA Mirrored Leather Slides $990. MODA Operandi.

PINKO Paloma Neoprene Split-Cuff Bootcut Pants $345. Bloomingdales.

MARINA RINALDI Plus Size Faux Leather Belted Vest $855. Olivela.

$1,595.

Oct. 29-30 – Halloween Tours: Death Comes to Tudor Place, Tudor Place, 1644 31st St.

– BellRinger, fundraising bike ride for Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Departing from Georgetown University.

Oct. 26, 6 to 7 p.m., Citizens Association of Georgetown Public Health & Safety Community Meeting, Christ Church, 3116 O St. NW.

Oct. 29, 3 to 5:00 p.m. – Citizens Association of Georgetown Halloween Party, Jelleff Recreation Center. Rollerskating, children’s costumes, dog costume contest and more.

Nov.

Nov.

Nov.

401 F St. NW, Suite 312. Filing deadline: Oct. 13.

Sargent and Spain at NGA

BY ARI POST

Evidently, John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), the American expatriate and demigod of paint, had a kind of love affair with Spain. From 1879 to 1912 — nearly the entire span of his professional life — he visited the country seven times, enamored with its dance and music, its architecture, its people and landscapes, its mystery, tradition and spirit. (There was also Velasquez, Goya and El Greco.)

At the National Gallery of Art, “Sargent and Spain” is the first exhibition to reveal the artist’s affinity for Spain and the approach he adopted in depicting the rich life and landscape he encountered there. The country inspired Sargent’s art from the beginning through the end of his career, reminding us of the powerful and lingering influence of travel—a lovely little coda to the (relative) end of a global pandemic defined at its edges by burnout and cabin fever. The exhibition is, of course, much more than that sentiment, but it’s impossible to ignore the familiar shiver of wanderlust as you walk through these galleries. It emanates from Sargent’s paintings — the salty, arid whisper of seawater and olive groves, the sultry darkness of a dance hall, the burble of an old stone fountain, the bleached heat of a rocky beachside. It’s really lovely.

Sargent is best known as one of the most prominent painters of the Gilded Age, frequently lauded as the leading portrait painter of his generation for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. Nearly every scrap of paper he touched suggests the man was graced with a kind of divine virtuosity. Pure instinct, precise observation and withering intellect working together at all times to produce masterful, expressive and immersive paintings that feel somehow as if they were painted effortlessly and in a single instant with just a few swipes of a brush. He frequently captured the soul of a person, object, or even an entire architectural heritage, with no more than a handful of perfectly placed marks.

At the core of that is observation. Sargent was very good at looking — at seeing — which makes him the perfect kind of artist to interpret the visual language of a new environment. This is profoundly evident in the first gallery of this exhibition, which displays astonishing copies he made of Velasquez paintings at the Prado in Madrid while on his first trip to Spain when he was still a student.

Throughout the exhibition, there are revealing glimpses of Sargent’s working methods, as well as in-depth studies of particular sites he explored through his work — most notably, the Alhambra.

A Spanish fountain, a garden vase, studies of windows in Majorca and the Renaissance architecture of the island’s capital, Palma. They’re almost too perfectly rendered. No painter should be able to articulate the play of light and shadow when sunlight reflects from a stone fountain’s water basin back onto itself — let alone do it in watercolor, the most unforgiving medium in the history of art.

Sargent seemed to prefer depicting small sections of buildings rather than showing entire structures. He painted architecture the way he encountered it — a distant doorway through a courtyard, the arc of a loggia that opens into a garden.

A major revelation produced by this exhibition, however, is that Sargent also painted architecture the way one sees it through the lens of a camera. Newly discovered photographs belonging to Sargent — some commercial but others that he may have actually taken himself — depict the same architectural subjects as his paintings. It is unmistakable once you

see it that Sargent often painted “snapshot” views of architecture—less panoramic, more fragmented, close up and at unusual angles. In certain instances, it even looks like he may have used these photographs for occasional reference.

All this offers a beguiling deep dive into Sargent’s work on architectural themes, and the newly discovered photography opens a fascinating window into the early but immediate, tectonic influences of the camera on fine art.

But the sensory experience of Spain is the true focus—and joy—of this exhibition. And perhaps no artist captured it as deftly as Sargent. To see his work is to be transported.

“Sargent and Spain,” is now at the National Gallery of Art, through Jan. 2, 2023.

John Singer Sargent, “Spanish Roma Dancer,” c. 1879–1880, oil on canvas, Private collection. QuickSilver Photographers LLC.

John Singer Sargent, “Women at Work,” c. 1912, oil on canvas. Private collection, Seattle, Washington. Image courtesy of A.J. Kollar Fine Paintings, LLC; Seattle, Washington.

Georgetown Haunts

“Halloween Reigns in Our Town,” The Georgetowner headlined several years ago for a cover story on the town’s love affair with the spooky holiday. Our decorated homes certainly show that. From the stories of the Indian maidens at Three Sisters Island to the dying priest at the bottom of the Exorcist Steps, Georgetown owns Halloween — or does Halloween own Georgetown? Your ghost is as good as ours.

FOR HALLOWEEN, WE SPOKE WITH A REAL-LIFE EXORCIST

BY KATE OCZYPOK

At first glance, Father Vincent Lampert, 59, seems to be a typical neighborhood parish priest. He’s assigned as the pastor of St. Peter and St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Churches in Brookville, Indiana. Ordained on June 1, 1991, he grew up on the west side of Indianapolis, briefly studying political science before transferring to Saint Meinrad Seminary to study for the priesthood. He received his Master of Divinity degree from the Benedictine monks who own and operate the Saint Meinrad Archabbey.

What makes Fr. Lampert unique, however, is that he’s an exorcist.

And he’s been one for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis since 2005. Back then, there were only 12 exorcists in the United States. Today, there are well over 100 working to help expel evil spirits from the possessed, in the name of Christ. “My role as an exorcist is to investigate cases of possible extraordinary activity of the devil and to make the determination if the Rite of Exorcism needs to be called into play,” he said.

Lampert received his exorcism classroom training at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. In practice, he has assisted in over 40 exorcisms with Father Carmine de Filippis, who mentors exorcists in the Diocese of Rome.

While most exorcists remain silent regarding what they do, Lampert has been one of the most outspoken real-life exorcists

of the modern era. As an expert on the topic, he has spoken out about differences between exorcisms authorized by local bishops versus fee-based, “private exorcists” who work independently from the church. True exorcisms are conducted by the church and have no monetary costs involved (the church sees exorcisms as a ministry of charity to help anyone in need).

A particularly famous case Fr. Lampert was consulted on involved a house owned by paranormal investigator Zak Bagans of The Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures. Fr. Michael Maginot, pastor at St. Stephen Martyr Church in Merrillville, Indiana had permission from his Bishop Dale Joseph Melczek to work with Fr. Lampert. Despite multiple prayers and blessings, the house was demolished in 2016. You can read more about that home at Catholicnewsagency.com.

“Demons play on a person’s memory and imagination,” Fr. Lampert said. “They strive to instill fear in all those involved in an exorcism so that the focus will be on them and not on the power of God at work in this particular prayer of the church.”

Fr. Lampert has witnessed what he called “many theatrics of the devil,” like eyes rolled to the back of the head, foaming at the mouth, movements of a serpent, levitation, and countless bodily contortions. “The tricks of the devil do not scare me because I know that

the power of God is greater than the power of the devil,” Lampert said.

When Lampert gets called to perform an exorcism, he follows the Seven Steps of the American Protocol for Exorcism, which include:

1. A thorough physical exam by a qualified medical doctor with appropriate specialists consulted as needed.

2. A thorough exam by a qualified clinical psychologist or psychiatrist, identifying all areas of concern (note: the experts offer opinions but it’s ultimately up to the exorcist about final determination if an exorcism should be performed).

3. A life history of the person affected, identifying where the entry point of evil may have originated.

4. Normalize the spiritual and sacramental life of the energumen (which means a person believed to be possessed by the devil or spirit).

5. Inventory of the four extraordinary signs of demonic possession from the Rite of Exorcism.

6. Careful compliance with diocesan legal and canonical processes.

7. Compiling the case and sending a letter to the bishop requesting permission for

a major exorcism. The governing spirit rests with the local bishop and he will make the final decision as to whether a major exorcism should be performed.

Dealing with so much evil, Lampert tries to stay balanced. “I don’t think it is a good idea for a priest to do this ministry exclusively,” he said. However, “pastoring two churches and being involved in the lives of my parishioners helps me maintain a positive outlook on life and to be filled with joy.”

In case you’re worried about the devil creeping into your life, Fr. Lampert identified eight ways a person can open a doorway to allow evil in: occult ties, entertainment, curse, dedication to a demon, abuse which creates emotional wounds that may cause a person to seek help from the wrong sources, a life of habitual sin, inviting a demon in and broken relationships.

Given we are The Georgetowner and the movie The Exorcist was shot in our own backyards, I had to ask Father Lampert how accurate the 1973 film was. He called it “fairly accurate,” but said “the main deficiency is that it, like most programs about exorcism, focuses on the devil.”

Fr. Lampert ended our chat saying, “People have a great fascination with the devil because he represents the dark side of the spiritual world — the true focus must always be on the power of God.”

IN SEARCH OF THE WITCHES OF GEORGETOWN

BY EMILIA FERRARA

I have a pretty modern view of witches: women who were ahead of their time, women who were healers, women who had minds of their own, women who were powerful. And those are some of the qualities I thought earned you the slap of “witch” in days of yore. But I’m not sure any of those attributes fit the witches we can claim historically as Georgetowners. Living in a home that would have stood in the place where 3327 N Street NW stands today, Margaret Ann and Belle Laurie were a mother-daughter spiritualist duo – and, indeed, the only women ever to be known as “the witches of Georgetown.” While these psychic mediums sure did spooky things, their reputations were defined less by girl power and more by the inconsolable grief of a widow and mother.

Georgetown is no stranger to mysterious women, however. Decades before the Lauries haunted the 1860s, three veiled ladies stepped off a boat at the port of Georgetown turning more than just a few heads. Refugees from the French Revolution, the mysterious women were rumored to be blue-blood, aristocratic, royals fleeing under the disguise of Sisters of The Poor Clares. Mother Marie de la Marche, Sister Celeste Le Blond de la Rochefoucault, and a third only known as Sister St. Luc opened a school in 1798 at Third and Fayette. But, other than their exotic accents and pet parrot, nothing proved particularly witchy about them.

What made the Lauries so intriguing, however, was the sheer magic they reportedly performed. Margaret Laurie summoned the spirits of the deceased, transmitted messages, and used “magnetic” techniques for healing. Belle played pianos and made them levitate. Their powers lit up the Laurie home night after night in storied séances, made famous by attendees who weren’t Georgtowners at all: President Abraham Lincoln and first lady Mary Todd Lincoln.

In his book, Lincoln and the Fight for Peace, John Avalon explains that even though Mary Todd Lincoln was a spiritualist, her husband wasn’t always along for the ride. “His faith grew,” writes Avalon, after “losing his beloved eleven-year-old son Willie.” And the tragedy threw grieving Mary Todd into a binge of psychics, mediums, and metaphysics.

Also known as “the ladies in gray,” due to their nursing uniforms during the Civil War, the Lauries became intimates of the Lincolns (according to Smithsonian Magazine), and were eventually even invited to the White House for several private séances. The Laurie family home’s activities even drew high government officials (some of whom were sent to investigate).

While the President himself was “never a believer”, according to another medium Nettie Colburn Maynard in 1891, on the evening of February 5, 1863 Lincoln arrived in a long

REAL-LIFE GHOST STORIES HAUNT CITY’S HISTORIC LANDMARKS

BY COMPILED BY KATE OCZYPOK

Now that it’s spooky season, ghost stories abound. We set out to explore stories of apparitions that haunt the halls of our local museums and homes, many of which are hundreds of years old. Enjoy three stories from area employees — if you dare!

FROM MARY LESHER, DUMBARTON HOUSE PROGRAMS MANAGER:

We have a ghost story at Dumbarton House! In 1806 a young girl named Eliza Denison visited Dumbarton House with her aunt and

uncle. One night a thunderstorm woke her up and she remembered that the window on the stair landing had been left open. She walked down to the landing to close the window against the storm and walked back to her room. As she reached the bedroom door, she looked back at the landing. At that exact moment a flash of lightning brightened the room, illuminating a person standing on the landing — an older Black woman in a white dress.

Thinking the woman had also come to close the window, Eliza called out that she had already done so before going into her room. Eliza thought it odd that the woman had not answered her and ventured back into the

cloak for a “circle” or séance detailed in a letter by Jack Laurie. His advisors at the time, of course, kept the soiree well out of the public’s gaze.

Should the President have paid more attention to the witches for a different reason, perhaps because of their acquaintance with Charles Colchester and the rumors he circulated about his drinking buddy, the infamous John Wilkes Booth? Historians and writers, like Terry Alford, have wondered provocatively whether the Lauries could have prevented Booth from shooting Lincoln.

We do know, however, that it was the sad

1. 3226 N Street stands in the place of 21 First Street where “The Witches of Georgetown” lived during the 1860s and what became a hub for spiritualist activity. Photo courtesy of Compass Real Estate.

2. Nettie Coburn Maynard, author and Linconera medium who helped make The Witches of Georgetown famous. Photographed from miniature, 1863.

3. Belle Laurie reportedly had the eerie power of levitating pianos while she played them, helping her earn with her mother the title “The Witches of Georgetown”. Photo courtesy of Lincoln Memorial University Archives / Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum.

4. Illustration of Abraham Lincoln at the home of Margaret Ann and Belle Laurie known as “The Witches of Georgetown” the night of a séance. Courtesy of Was Abraham Lincoln A Spiritualist 1891 by Nettie Colburn Maynard.

Mrs. Lincoln who, after her husband’s death, “was almost frantic with suffering” according to Michelle Hamilton. Two women, “poured into her ears pretended messages” and the First Lady was, “so weakened that she had not force enough to resist the cruel cheat” eventually causing Robert Lincoln to throw them out of the White House. It’s Hamilton’s guess that these two women were indeed the witches of Georgetown, casting a possibly sinister legacy on the Laurie’s parlor tricks. In the end, we can believe in “the good witch” or we can simply support Georgetown’s women-on-the-cusp.

FULL ARTICLE ON GEORGETOWNER.COM.

hallway to see why. When she did, Eliza saw the woman standing perfectly still in silence on the landing with her arms outstretched.

Upon seeing this ghostly apparition, young Eliza fainted. The next morning, when asked about the incident, Eliza shared what she had seen and was assured that there was no one matching that description living or working at Dumbarton House.

This story was passed through the generations of Eliza’s family until her granddaughter sent it to us in the 1930s. No one else has ever seen the ghost, that we know of. If anyone else has seen the woman on the landing, we’d love to hear their story.

Dare to Try a Ghost Tour of Georgetown?

GEORGETOWNER.COM

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Real Estate: ‘The Ever-Changing Plans of the Key Bridge Exxon’

BY PEGGY SANDS

The Exxon gas station site on the western edge of Georgetown has gone through more development plans than Liz Taylor had husbands. Over the last decade, the site located at 3601 M St. NW had plans to become condos, a gondola stop, an EV charging station, and now the latest — graduate student housing.

Altus Realty has submitted a plan to build a structure that would house around 50 graduate students. The project plans were recently given to the DC Historic Preservation Office for construction. PGN Architects, who designed the potential structure, envision the building in line with previous concepts for 3601 M St. NW.

Over 10 years ago, Eastbanc had submitted plans for a 35-37 unit, five-story development while the Exxon station was still open. The plans went through design iteration after iteration, with size changes off and on over the next few years.

About six years ago, the site was a frontrunner for the D.C. stop of the aerial gondola that would connect Rosslyn and Georgetown. You can find more about that project in our August 2021 story at Georgetowner.com. Last year, D.C. Council member

Brooke Pinto included in her budget priorities a request for $14 million to take the gondola a step closer to being a reality.

In 2017, Altus Realty

Group took over from Eastbanc and pitched a 21-unit development that has been in just as much limbo as the other ideas.

Given the stream of possibilities floated for the site, the graduate student housing will probably not be the last news for the former Exxon at 3601 M St. NW. In fact, this evening’s ANC Agenda does include a note about the site. It’s currently sixth on the list.

See our ANC Notes in this issue for the latest iteration of this ever-elusive project.

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Military Rd

St

LOGAN CIRCLE

CLEVELAND PARK

TENLEYTOWN

END

CHEVY CHASE

FOREST HILLS

FOGGY BOTTOM

CHEVY CHASE

VALLEY

CHEVY CHASE

$4,850,000

$4,150,000

$1,975,000

$1,395,000 $1,462,690

$1,425,000 $1,425,000

$1,450,000 $1,350,000

$1,200,000 $1,150,000

$975,000 $1,007,500

$995,000 $950,000

$599,000 $590,000

$535,000 $515,000

$385,000 $395,000

$5,295,000 $5,295,000

$4,495,000 $4,250,000

$2,695,000 $2,695,000

$2,795,000 $2,616,750

$2,600,000 $2,550,000

$2,495,000 $2,500,000

$2,385,000 $2,385,000

$2,595,000 $2,250,000

$2,125,000 $2,125,000

$2,099,999 $2,099,999

$2,000,000 $2,000,000

$2,150,000 $1,950,000

$1,995,000 $1,875,000

$1,795,000 $1,800,000

$1,999,900 $1,800,000

$1,795,000 $1,800,000

$1,879,000 $1,795,000

$1,795,000 $1,745,000

$1,575,000 $1,665,000

$1,695,000 $1,650,000

$1,649,900 $1,600,000

$1,450,000 $1,575,000

$1,595,000 $1,570,000

B

AT HOME: WINDOWS

BY MICHELLE GALLER

Over the last several years, many of us retreated to our spaces and existed largely within the four walls of our homes. The sudden change in our daily routines affected our relationships with our homes and the objects, systems, architecture and decorative elements within them. No matter the style of the architecture, the building that houses our home roots us to our family’s history and our collective past and impacts how we lead our lives both inside and outside of our homes.

All houses have windows. Their patterns establish the facade of a home – the outward expression of the architectural style of a home. They’re a basic unit of architecture that add character, provide insulation and are a source of natural light. In the very earliest homes, the window began as a small opening with no cover or membrane. Romans, in around 100 A.D., were the first known to use some form of window glass. In colonial America, windows consisted of small slits covered in waxed paper or of thin membranes of animal horn scraped thin enough to be translucent and set within a wooden frame.

Although plate glass was introduced around 1700, it would not become dominant until the 19th century. Before then, crown glass was used in windows, which involved a blown glass bubble flattened, reheated then rotated to create a dome. It could then be cut into shapes or filled in as appropriate. Window frames were made of timber and windows were small to suit the available sized glass. It was a cheap and efficient way of making glass for windows.

In early America, windows were typically casements – sashes that rotated out on hinges – and often were framed of either wood or iron, featuring diamond-shaped leaded panes or rectangular ones. Windows were small and few, due to the cost of glass, which mostly had to be imported, and used in northern climates, for greater protection against the harsh winter weather.

In the 17th century, a new window development arrived: vertical sliding sash. The earliest versions were single-hung: the top sash was fixed and the bottom was moveable via pins and holes in the frame. By the early 1800s, the American Regency period, known as the Georgian period in England, doublehung sash windows became the dominant

When it came to the houses of the wealthy classes, the rule became “the bigger the better.” As technology improved, panes of glass could be made to be larger and flatter. Windows were arranged according to social status –servants’ quarters had the smallest windows and buildings designed to house the poor often had no windows. Then, in 1798, the so-called “window tax,” a nickname for the US Direct Tax, taxed dwellings valued at more than $100 and on 2 acres or less. It used the number of windows as one measure of property value, meaning that the more windows a house had, the more money the occupants had to pay. As you walk the neighborhoods in Georgetown, you can still spot bricked-up windows in some houses.

Glass manufacturing became more efficient during the Industrial Revolution in the midto-late 1800s, when an engineer named Henry Bessemer invented an early form of “float glass,” which involved pouring glass onto liquid tin. This process evolved into the cylinder method of glass manufacture, widely used to create sheet glass, glass rolled into flat sheets, rather than creating a dome and crown glass windows. Also,

during that time, major advances in rolled steel permitted the mass production of steel windows. These frames and sashes were fire-resistant and became the standard for commercial buildings, but wood windows continued to dominate single-family residences.

Massive changes in construction technology dramatically shifted the boundaries of the window in American homes. Window glass and frames were the very first domestic construction components to be assembled in a factory. Glass block and curtain walls were all popularized after World War II and windows could become as big as a wall or become a wall itself.

During the middle of the 20th century, wood had dominated as the most affordable and easy-to-obtain material for window frames, but timber framed windows fell out of fashion, as many homeowners in the 1950s replaced the original windows on their turnof-the-century houses with vinyl, both for its inexpensiveness and for its promise of minimal maintenance.

Although as in some modern art, much of modern architecture has completely abandoned the frame, the window does not exist in isolation. It needs a particular situation within a wall. It is the transition between the outside world and our interior world. Perhaps after reading this, you’ll take a moment to look at your home’s windows instead of just looking through them.

Michelle Galler is a realtor with Chatel Real Estate (mgaller@chatel.us), representing buyers and sellers in both Washington, D.C. and Rappahannock County, VA. She is also an antiques dealer and columnist.

In colonial homes, casement windows had small, diamond-shaped panes. Courtesy BuildingConservation.com.

Crown glass created uneven thicknesses of glass, with the edges being much thinner than the center of the disk. Courtesy Corning Museum of Glass.

Early 18th-century casement window features a sash that opened inward toward the room and hand-forged hardware. Courtesy Christian Duryea House, New York.

THE LATEST DISH

BY LINDA ROTH

A second sportsbook location will open in the next year by Brian Vasile of Grand Central Restaurant, Sportsbook and Bar, in partnership with Elys Game Technology. It will be located in another quadrant of Washington D.C. and have less square footage.

Kyojin will open in Georgetown’s Cady’s Alley where the late, great L2 nightclub used to be. The 130-seat Japanese restaurant is brought to you by Jeff King and Peter Kannasute, of Yume Hospitality Group. They also own Arlington’s Yume Sushi. The expanded space will allow for a sushi bar (advanced level prep sushi) and sake tasting counter as well as a dining area that features chef’s specialty omakase menus. They’ve tapped Andrew Lamkin, from The Graham Hotel further down M Street in Georgetown, to be mixologist. The opening is targeted for Q1 2023. NYC-based Tom Colicchio’s Craft Hospitality (Craft, Temple Court, Vallata) plans to open a restaurant in 2023 where 701 Restaurant used to be at the Market Square building at 701 Pennsylvania Ave, NW. Craft Hospitality also operates the fast-casual Root & Sprig at Children’s National Hospital in Northwest.

Michael Mina’s MINA Group will open two restaurants at City Ridge development near Tenleytown: an Italian-themed restaurant and a pool club rooftop bar and cafe serving tropical small plates. His footprint in D.C.

began with Bourbon Steak at Georgetown’s Four Seasons Hotel.

Enrique Limardo and Ezequiel VázquezGer of Seven Restaurant Group plan to open The Saga, a Spanish-Latin fusion restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Washington DC where West End Bistro used to be, by the end of Q1 2023. They’ll also operate Quadrant, the hotel’s cocktail bar and lounge, as a FrenchAmerican restaurant.

Quick Hits: Guapo’s will open where Chevys Fresh Mex used to be at 3052 Gate House Plaza in Falls Church. It will be their 10th Guapo’s in the DMV…. Silver Diner will open a free-standing location at Loudoun Crossroads shopping center in Chantilly, in Q3 2023…. Chef Elias Taddesse ( Mélange) plans to open Doro Soul Food, a fast-casual eatery serving Afro- American soul food with Ethiopian flavors at 1819 7th Street, NW, not far from Howard University, in Shaw, in Q4 2022…. Baton Rouge-based Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers will open Q4 2022 at 4545 Dulles Eastern Plaza in Sterling, VA, part of its significant expansion plans into the DMV.

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.

BY JODY KURASH

Cocktail of the Month

LOOKING FOR AN ESCAPE? TRY THIS BAHAMA MAMA

BAHAMA MAMA

1 oz. dark rum

1 oz. light overproof rum

½ oz. coffee liqueur

¼ oz. crème de coconut

¾ oz. lemon juice

3 ½ oz. pineapple juice

“Mama… Bahama Mama… you tropical charmer… you stole my heart….” croons George Symonette in this traditional Bahamian folk tune. Known as the “King of Goombay,” Symonette reigned supreme in the 1940s and 1950s and played the leading clubs in the Bahamas and eventually the U.S.A. He may have also inspired the name of a notable cocktail – the Bahama Mama.

The origins of this famed elixir are hazy. According to the book “One More Drink,” Bahamian bartender Oswald “Slade” Greenslade contends he invented the cocktail while working at the Nassau Beach Hotel in 1961. However, its appearance seems to date further back. Some people say that it became popular during Prohibition when the Bahamas were used as a rum smuggling base and it’s also been spotted on menus from the 1950s.

As for the name, Greenslade says it’s named after Dottie Lee Anderson, a Caribbean dancer and performer who also went by the stage name “Bahama Mama.” Others claim the title comes from the 1930s song mentioned above.

This tune takes me back to a Bahaman adventure years ago. My partner and I were eager to soak up the sun and sea on Cable Beach.

The first drink I ordered was the eponymously named Bahama Mama at an outdoor all-in barbecue on our first day. I can’t remember if I had tried this particular cocktail before, but the tang of rum and fruity swirl lifted my spirits as I danced in the sand to a calypso band. By the end of the night I had lost count of my tally and realized I had overdone it when my head pounded as the sun peaked in between the curtains the next morning.

Common sense should have told me not to overdue drinking at an “all-inclusive” festivity, knowing that they’re often forged from cheap spirits and pre-made mixers. All Bahama Mamas are NOT created equal. The name of the drink conjured up a vague image of a colorful tipple with a paper umbrella but I had no idea of what I drank the night before. It turns out that the term “Bahama Mama” has become a generic moniker for a number of rum-based tikki concoctions.

Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until the pineapple juice is frothy. Strain into hurricane glass filled with ice. Garnish with fresh fruit.

That version took me back to another song called Bahama Mama by American country ballad singer Marty Robbins. “Say, Bahama mama, Limbo with me”?

She work me over like Hurricane Shirley.”

So the next evening as we prepared to dine in a snazzy restaurant with a proper bar, I decided to redeem myself and order top-shelf Bahama Mama. I smartly asked the bartender about the ingredients and I was a bit surprised by his reply. The recipe included some usual suspects such as rum, pineapple, lemon and coconut. But one component stood out – coffee liqueur.

The smack of java gave this drink a unique depth that was missing from the fruity punch I guzzled the night before. A mixture of light overproof and dark rum provided a multilayered flavor. The pineapple’s rich sweetness tempered the bitterness of the coffee while its acidity complimented liqueur’s earthy notes. The dash of coconut tied everything together with a balmy vibe. It was refined and delightful.

I was quickly reenergized and ready to dance again. This time to the Bony M’s 1979 disco smash, “Bahama, Bahama mama, You should all be looking for Bahama mama, Bahama, Bahama mama, And I’m sure you will adore Bahama mama…” The song was right… I did adore THIS Bahama Mama.

For the rest of the holiday, we played in the sea, soaked up the local culture and stopped at every tikki bar we passed by. I enjoyed several more Bahama mama variations. Most contained differing combinations of rum types and/or additional mixers like orange juice or grenadine syrup.

On the last night we went for a nightcap at our hotel’s open-air bar and I savored a wellcrafted rendition of this motherly cocktail. As the Atlantic breeze rustled through my hair and I inhaled the salty ocean air it became apparent — this tropical charmer did steal my heart.

L’Avant-Garde Coming to M Street by Way of Michelin-Starred Chef Gilles Epié

BY OLGA BOIKESS

Michelin-starred chef Gilles Epié’s soonto-open L’Avant-Garde at 2915 M Street NW will serve “le vrai” (real) French cuisine in a suave setting. Epié is excited to have moved to a four-season climate, “like Paris,” he says, after years helming lauded restaurants in Los Angeles, Hawaii and Florida. His eagerly awaited new venture will serve dinner at a “not too expensive” price point ($55$95). Considering the luxury ingredients, he is confident of its appeal to the area’s cosmopolitan clientele.

Simplicity is the keynote of his cooking. It’s a style based on the “best ingredients” sourced from around the United States and Europe. For example, sea bass will be flown in from France. The “oceans are different, so the flavors are different,” he explains. Sourcing, he says, is “80 percent of the job.” Then one must “cook it well, season it well” – sometimes, only with salt and pepper. Inexperienced chefs too often “cover ingredients with spices and herbs.”

Scrambled eggs topped with caviar is dramatically presented in an eggshell, while a foie gras beignet glazed with a caramelized

port wine sauce is another Instagramready composition. Epié plans to source the “authentic” fish for his bouillabaisse from Marseille. He also will be making the most of our nation’s bounty. One of his signature dishes is a beautiful salad based on the babysized leaves of a lettuce called Salanova. The dressing is a “simple” combination of baguette breadcrumbs, vinegar, oil and parmesan cheese. Epié hopes to find a local source for this California crop. Happily, he tells us, Georgetown’s Boulangerie Christophe will be baking a “delicious country bread (old tradition)… only for us.”

Diners can look forward to dishes like steamed codfish with caviar, a provincial beef in a Bandol wine reduction covered with black olives, stuffed tomatoes with goat cheese, grilled prime rib and frites cooked in butter. There will be porcini and truffles in season, of course. Desserts, like a white chocolate panna cotta with a seasonal granita, olive oil and honey, will look as lovely as they taste. “Presentation and simplicity” rule his kitchen.

Diners can expect well-chosen wines and classic cocktails. The restaurant is slated to open in late October or early November.

TO SEE OUR EARLIER ARTICLE PROFILING CHEF EPIÉ GO TO GEORGETOWNER.COM.

Top: Seafood sourcing will depend on different regions of ocean waters. Courtesy L’Avant-Garde.

Right: Michelin-starred chef Gilles Epié’s soon-toopen L’Avant-Garde on M Street will serve “le vrai” (real) French cuisine in a suave setting. Courtesy L’Avant Garde.

FALL GALA GUIDE: MUST-ATTEND EVENTS AND BALLS

BY KATE OCZYPOK

Fall gala season is upon us! Here are the must-attend events, balls and galas from now into early November.

OCTOBER 2022

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19

THE SPIRIT OF GEORGETOWN 2022

Georgetown Ministry Center honors the John Dickson House, hosted by Pamela and Byrne Murphy at 1312 30th St. NW, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCT. 20 HALCYON AWARDS

6 p.m., The Schuyler, 1001 14th St. NW

The Halcyon Awards recognize & honor change makers and trailblazers who dedicate their lives to positive social change.

SATURDAY, OCT. 22

ROCK CREEK CONSERVANCY GALA

5-7:30 p.m., Rock Creek Park Nature Center, 5200 Glover Rd. NW

Rock Creek Conservancy has hosted an annual gala every fall since 2015, celebrating the Rock Creek community and all who make their work possible. All the proceeds of the Gala go towards the mission of the Conservancy, helping fuel the people-powered restoration that helps to protect the forests, keep our water clean, improve the park visitor experience, and increase equity of access to the park.

CITIZENS ASSOCIATION OF GEORGETOWN ANNUAL FALL FUNDRAISER & COCKTAIL PARTY

6 p.m., Ukraine House, 2134 Kalorama Road NW

Enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and entertainment, while celebrating the vibrance of CAG and the vitality of our Georgetown neighbors.

TONY & JOE’S SHUCK IT! OYSTER & BEER FESTIVAL

1-5 p.m., Tony & Joe’s, 3000 K St. NW

The ninth annual festival is back with all things oysters and beer.

SATURDAY, OCT. 29

THE NATIONAL ITALIAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION GALA

5:30 p.m., Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St. NW

Each year, NIAF hosts events and activities that help the Foundation raise funds in support of its mission to build unity in the Italian American community nationwide.

HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN NATIONAL DINNER

5:30 p.m., Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW

The support generated from this event will help fuel the work for equality.

BLUE HOPE BASH

8 p.m., The Ritz Carlton, 1150 22nd St. NW

Chaired by Avi Benaim and Karen Paris and Estee and Elliott Portnoy, the bash makes its full return on Saturday, October 29, 2022.

NOVEMBER 2022

SATURDAY, NOV. 5 BUTTERFLY BASH: A NIGHT WITH THE STARS

6 p.m., The National Portrait Gallery, 8th and G Streets NW

Fair Chance strengthens the sustainability and performance of community-based nonprofits to achieve life-changing results for children and youth experiencing poverty.

JDRF 2022 HOPE GALA

6 p.m., MGM National Harbor

This year’s event will take place at the MGM National Harbor and features seated dinner, fantastic silent and live auctions, Fund A Cure opportunities, and an exciting after party.

SOME ANNUAL GALA

6-11 p.m., Grand Hyatt, 1000 H St. NW

Break The Cycle: SOME’s Annual Gala, is held annually to celebrate the successes of our work at So Others Might Eat, the triumphs of our clients, and recipients of SOME’s highest honors.

SATURDAY, NOV. 12 PORTRAIT OF A NATION GALA

The 2022 Portrait of a Nation Gala (previously the American Portrait Gala) will take place at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Guests will enjoy cocktails, a private viewing of the Portrait Gallery’s “Portrait of a Nation: 2022 Honorees” exhibition, a seated dinner, awards presentations and a special performance. Honorees include José Andrés, Clive Davis, Ava DuVernay, Marian Wright Edelman and Anthony Fauci ,M.D., Serena Williams and Venus Williams.

Rose Park’s 100th Birthday Celebration

BY PEGGY SANDS

On Sept. 21, the Friends of Rose Park hosted a party at the farmers market with music and cupcakes for hundreds of Rose Park fans — included were the many regular vendors. On Sept. 22, the Friends of Rose Park organized an elegant evening reception and fundraiser — with Champagne and a birthday cake — at the home of board member Bill Dean on P Street a few blocks from the park. “We celebrate this wonderful park that has offered so much to the Georgetown community and guests since 1922 as one of the first integrated parks in the District,” said Co-Presidents Sarah Leonard and Gail Daubert in their toasts and remarks at the reception.

‘In Bloom’ Wolf Trap Ball Raises $1.8 Million

Wolf Trap Ball co-chairs Alka and Sudhakar Kesavan and Kevin and Kate Robbins welcomed more than 750 guests to celebrate the end of Wolf Trap’s summer season on Sept. 23. The annual Wolf Trap Ball was held onstage at the Filene Center for the first time since 2019 and raised $1.8 million in support of Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts’ arts and education programs. The theme for this year’s celebration was “Wolf Trap In Bloom.” Guests and décor filled the space with vibrant colors and illustrious florals. Wolf Trap Opera alumna, Ann Toomey, soprano, accompanied by Christopher Cano, piano, opened the program with renditions of “America the Beautiful” and “Everything’s Comin’ Up Roses!”

Magical Sunset Dinner at the Washington Canoe Club

BY ROBERT DEVANEY

The Sunset Dinner at the Washington Canoe Club Sept. 17 truly lived up to its name. Raising funds for the boat club established in 1904 through auctions and donations, the gathering under the tent between the boathouse and the Potomac River was magical — with paddlers and rowers who care about their club (listed in the National Register of Historic Places) as well as our rivers and waterways. Sponsors, donors and partners included Sarah Minard Residential at Compass, Kathy and Tim Summers, Jennifer Touchette, Senior Vice President, Compass, Elaine Ewing and Christopher Viapiano, Kevin Rooney, Joel Clement. Guests enjoyed an Eastern Mediterranean menu by Kirby Club, soon to open in the Mosaic District, from the team behind Maydan and Compass Rose.

THERE’S MORE TO ALL THREE OF THESE STORIES — AND MORE PHOTOS — AT GEORGETOWNER.COM.

Wolf Trap Ball co-chairs Sudhakar and Alka Kesavan, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts President and CEO Arvind Manocha, Gideon Malone, Wolf Trap Ball co-chairs Kate and Kevin Robbins. Photo by Tony Powell, copyright 2022.

Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Gwen Lohse, Friends of Rose Park Co-President Gail Daubert, Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto, Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio, Friends of Rose Park Co-President Sarah Leonard and former Council member Jack Evans. Photo by Andy Cline. Courtesy FORP.

The sunset along the Potomac in Georgetown during the Sept. 17 Washington Canoe Club dinner. Photo by Bill Starrels.

The

Nancy Shahin Itteilag

Fine

Town,

Chris

‘Manifesto: On Never Giving Up’

THE BOOKER PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OWES IT ALL TO TENACITY. AND TALENT.

REVIEWED BY KITTY KELLEY

If “perseverance is genius in disguise,” then Bernardine Evaristo is a 22-carat gold, diamond-encrusted genius. She is the patron saint of persistence and proves it with her ninth book, “Manifesto: On Never Giving Up.” Having received the 2019 Booker Prize for her novel “Girl, Woman, Other,” Evaristo was the first Black woman and the first Black Brit to win the prize in its 50-year history. So she now has a global audience for her gospel on persevering.

In this “Manifesto,” she offers insights into her biracial heritage (white English mother and Black Nigerian father), her “lower class” childhood (number four of eight children) in London, where she was considered by the British class system to be “inferior, marginal, negligible,” and her personal relationships (10 years living as a lesbian followed by a heterosexual marriage).

Whether homosexual or hetero, she was always a feminist and approached her struggle for success with a winning strategy: persistence — no matter what. “I’ve always felt myself to have an inner strength, by which I mean that I’m not needy or clingy. I don’t crave approval all the time… a tough inner core has been essential to my creative survival.”

In a chapter entitled “The women and men who came and went,” Evaristo expends several pages on what she calls her “lesbian era,” because she feels the problem is not with same-sex attraction but with a homophobic society that requires queer people to justify their existence. “Put it this way: my lesbian identity was the stuffing in a heterosexual sandwich.” In 2005, on a dating website, she met her husband, whom she describes as “a white middle-class man.” She portrays their

marriage as a life preserver that freed her to get on with her most important work — writing.

Readers might wince as they read of Evaristo growing up Catholic, biracial and brown-skinned in an overwhelmingly white Protestant area, enduring the name-calling of neighbors and the dismissals of the “unholy men… the half-drunk priests” who heard her confession every week:

“In my family, we had no doubts about the hypocrisy of the Catholic clergy, and as we each reached the age of fifteen, after ten years of attending Sunday Mass, my siblings and I were given the choice whether to continue or not. One by one we left the church never to return; as did my mother in due course.”

Evaristo began her creative journey by writing poetry; after college, she started writing and acting in the Theater of Black Women, Britain’s first such company. To survive, she lived on the dole and by her wits:

“I moved into slummy old properties, ready for demolition… A futon served as both sofa and bed. Boxes for clothes. Planks of wood and bricks became a bookcase… I prided myself on being able to stuff the rest of my meager possessions — clothes, books, bedding, kitchen utensils — into a few black rubbish bags.”

Leaving the theater in her 30s, Evaristo concentrated her creative energies on writing with London as her muse, having lived so many years in the city’s various districts. Finally, at the age of 55, she bound herself to a mortgage and settled into a life of writing, writing, writing. “I had become unstoppable with my creativity… writing became my permanent home.”

Now 63, Evaristo is unsparing about her own racism. As a child, she was ashamed of her father’s very dark skin. “I remember crossing the road when I saw him walking towards me. It was internalized racism, pure and simple… Black was bad and white was

good. As a child I’d have killed to be white, with long blonde hair.”

She addresses “colorism or shadism,” and notes that, “sadly,” some people choose to pass because they’re light enough to be racialized as white, such as the Hollywood stars Carol Channing and Merle Oberon.

Throughout her life, Evaristo believed in herself and her talent, even when others did not. “[This] self-belief… is the single most important thing a writer needs, especially when the encouragement we crave from others is not forthcoming.”

The last section of her book, entitled “The self, ambition, transformation, activism,” echoes the principles of “Psycho-Cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz, M.D., which was published in 1960 and sold more than 30 million copies. The biracial British writer and the late Jewish American physician share the same philosophy: Envision the goal, believe you can accomplish the goal and then achieve the goal.

When Bernardine Evaristo wrote her first novel “Lara,” in 1997, she wrote, in part, an affirmation about winning the Booker Prize. Twenty-two years and eight books later, she finally received it. Dreams really do come true.

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.

FOREST HILLS

$10,500,000

Michael

BERKLEY

GEORGETOWN

$4,200,000

Bo

WALNUT HILL