The Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC) met last Wednesday night, and Treasurer Chuck Burger reported on the early July meeting with CM Charles Allen, Capitol Hill business owners, and representatives from ANC6B, the two MainStreet organizations, and Champs. He said there had been a wide ranging discussion on quality of life concerns related to Capitol Hill business corridors around Eastern Market including Barracks Row. The group agreed to initially focus on three issues: street people and the homeless, amplified noise and buskers, and improving communications with police and each other. A follow up meeting will occur in the coming weeks.
Thursday afternoon on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. The former Newseum has been stripped of its inspirational First Amendment façade as the building is being remodeled to accommodate some of Johns Hopkins University graduate programs. The Newseum closed on December 31, 2019. Johns Hopkins University bought the building for $372.5 million.
Also on Thursday afternoon, a coalition of Native American tribes met on the National Mall to present a 5,000 pound 25 foot sacred Story Pole to the Biden Administration, sending a message about the importance of saving sacred tribal lands. The Story Pole was carved from cedar by House of Tears carvers from the Lummi Nation in Washington state. They were the group that carved the 13 foot pole commemorating the lives lost at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, which resides in Congressional Cemetery. The Story Pole will be at Rawlins Park at 20th and E, NW, for a month before moving to a to-be-determined permanent home.
Saturday afternoon, the National Park Service closed the triangle park at 2nd and Massachusetts, NE, across from the Heritage foundation. The park had been a homeless encampment since the beginning of the parnemic. The stated reason for the closure was to prune and possibly remove two hazardous trees posing a potential risk to public safety. The park will remain closed until the safety hazard and other resource damage is addressed.
It appears that some of the homeless may have moved down the street to the front of Union Station.
Seven Silent Songs is an animated video at the National Gallery of Art East Building. Starting and ending with animals, the piece reaises questions about immigration, climate change, and human nature. It opens with a long line of galloping white horses symbolizing wisdom, power, and freedom – here’s an excerpt. The video is even more striking than shown here, with the horses spread out across the venue’s 160 degree screen. By Avish Khebrehzadeh.
The Week Ahead …
by Larry Janezich
Posted August 1, 2021
It’s August, and the ANC’s and their committees have pretty much gone on vacation for the month. ANC6A is showing some committee meetings later in August, and we’ll see if those hold up. Otherwise, the community organizations which Capitol Hill Corner covers are dormant, and they will be back in September. There is one meeting this week.
Wednesday, August August 4
DGS is presenting a final briefing for Eastern Market Metro Park Advisory Taskforce on Wednesday (postponed from last Wednesday). It’s being billed as wrapping up loose ends on the renovation of the plaza. There may be some new information on installation of the public art projects. Info on how to access the meeting is distributed day of the meeting, which will be at 1:30pm.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 
Thanks for your comprehensive coverage