The Week Ahead…& Some Photos from the Past Week

The Week Ahead…& Some Photos from the Past Week

by Larry Janezich

Posted September 29

The honorary street naming commemorating the Eastern High School Blue and White Marching Machine was held on Tuesday afternoon in the triangle park at 13th and A Streets, NE.  Here, the Marching Machine arrives at the park. Earlier in the day they had received an invitation from the Ambassador to Great Britain to participate in the London New Year’s Parade.

Ward 6 CM Charles Allen and Sheila Bunn, COS, Office of Ward 7 CM Vincent Gray, present the sign commemorating the naming of the street to James Perry, Director, EHS Band.  Last April the city council passed a resolution naming of A Street from 13th through 17th Street “Blue and White Marching Machine Way,” commemorating the practice zone for the Eastern High Blue and White Marching Band. 

In remarks to the crowd, CM Allen said although the city council gets to pass this is it was actually the leadership of the ANCS that help really spurred this – Commissioner Brian Alcorn (ANC7D) and Commissioner Amber Gove (ANC6A) … when the opportunity came up to what renaming could look like …. I was able to reach out to CM Gray and … we were so proud to put our names on this legislation and move that forward to honor what you represent – to what those before you represented and what those who come after you are going to do.

Here’s the scene at 17th and A Streets, NE, prior to the scheduled unveiling of the Blue and White Marching Way sign.  Stakeholders posed for a photo, including, (left to right), Alma Cadelaria, Deputy Secretary of the District of Columbia; Commissioner Brian Alcorn, ANC7D;  Sheila Bunn, COS, Office of Ward 7 CM Vincent Gray; Eboni-Rose Thompson, Ward 7 representative on the State Board of Education; Commissioner Amber Gove, Chair, ANC6A; Jemes Perry, Director, EHS Band; and Steven Miller, Principal, Eastern High School. 

New signage across from Eastern Market at the former Radici announces the coming of Boulangerie Saint George. The last estimate on an opening date was sometime in December.

ICYMI Another Hill 7-11 Closes –this one at 15^th and Independence, SE.  7-11’s last Capitol Hill outlet will close.  The 15^th Street store will join the Pennsylvania Avenue store and close on Monday, October 7^th.  Employees at the store said they had “no idea” why the store was closing. 

Wednesday night’s meeting of the EMCAC after the election of Susan Oursler to fill a vacant seat on the committee.  From left, Brian Pate, Robyn-Hinson Jones, Monte Edwards, Chair Chuck Burger, ANC Commissioner Jerry Sroufe, Steve Hagedorn, Susan Oursler, Sam Pastore. 

The Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee met to elect a new community representative to fill the seat left vacant by the passing of long-time board member Tom Kuchenburg.  There were four candidates; Robert Clark, Erin Monju, Kirsten Oldenburg, and Susan Oursler.  The committee voted by secret ballot and Chair Chuck Burger announced that Susan Oursler had been elected.  Oursler had formerly served for eight years on the committee as a representative of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society. 

Mezeh Mediterranean Grill has installed a new sign at the space formerly occupied by Roland’s convenience store at 333 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.  The long-anticipated opening (since June 2023) is not imminent as shown by the photo below, but there’s hope.

Mezeh specializes in fresh food and natural flavors, made from scratch in-house daily with 100% olive oil halal protein, no hormones, no preservatives, and or additives. The restaurant targets young health conscious professionals, 21 – 45.  The most popular menu item is “create your own bowl” with some 65 toppings that fits any diet – vegetarian, vegan, Keto, gluten free, etc.

Here’s a photo inside from last Friday by Maggie Hall. 

“Mezeh” is the company’s twist of a host of similar Eastern Mediterranean words all of which mean some variation of taste, flavor, nibble or small plate.

The Week Ahead…

Monday, September 30

ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee will hold a virtual meeting* at 7:00pm. 

*Note: This meeting date has been adjusted to avoid conflicts with holidays, religious days, or other events.

Join Information: This meeting will be held virtually.  https://anc6b.org/

Among items on the draft agenda: 

• 633 E Street SE Rear.  Zoning adjustment application.  To construct two-story rear addition to an existing, semi-detached, two-story, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.
• 510 8th Street, SE.  Historic Preservation Application.  Project: To construct a rear addition and add a third story to an existing, attached row house.
• Zoning Application.  Text & Map Amendments to Create Navy Yard East (NYE) Zone.  Project: Text amendments to the Zoning Regulations that would establish a Navy Yard-East Zone on land that is currently un-zoned as “Federal”.  The recommendation would be to set-down (or not set-down) the matter before the Zoning Commission for a public hearing.

ANC6B Parks and Public Spaces Taskforce will hold an in-person meeting at 7:00pm

The meeting will be held on the second floor of the 700 Penn building – enter lobby adjacent to Trader Joe’s.

Among items on the draft agenda:

Presentation:

• Representatives of Throne Labs will address issues of usage and servicing of the Throne restroom on Eastern Market Metro Plaza and share their experiences at other locations to provide a comparison and to highlight potential issues for the community (e.g., there are two units in the Navy Yard). 
• Brian Ready, Director, Barracks Row MainStreet, will comment about impact observed by restaurateurs on Eight Street following the installation of the Throne.  
• A representative from Community Connections to discuss usage by their clients.
• Discussion:  Progress report on the creation of a Park Manager for the Eastern Market Metro Plaza Park.

Tuesday, October 1

ANC6B Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Committee will hold a hybrid meeting at 7:00pm. 

Join Information: This meeting will be held virtually.  https://anc6b.org/

Agenda:  TBA

ANC 6C Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee will hold a virtual meeting* at 6:30pm.  (Tuesday meeting (instead of Wednesday) to accommodate Rosh Hashanah.)

Join Information: This meeting will be held virtually.  https://anc6c.org/hot-topics/

Agenda: 

• 502 Constitution Ave. NE. Zoning Adjustment Application for a special exception, from the lot occupancy requirements and a special exception, from the rear-addition restrictions to construct a two-story plus basement rear addition to an existing attached three-story-with basement principal dwelling unit.
• 401 6th Street NE.  Historic Preservation Application for concept approval for partial rooftop addition and roof deck.
• 16 3rd Street NE. Historic Preservation Application for concept approval to remove existing 1-story and 2-story rear additions; construct new 3-story addition and new full basement at addition and under existing main house block; renovate interior of existing main house block; and replace existing windows and front door.
• 622 I (Eye) Street, NE.  Zoning Adjustment Application for a variance from the street frontage requirements to combine two existing lots into a single lot for purposes of converting an existing row dwelling into a 3-unit residential structure.

Thursday, October 3

ANC6C Transportation & Public Space Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm. 

Join Information: This meeting will be held virtually.  https://anc6c.org/hot-topics/

Agenda:  TBA

ANC 6C Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Committee Meeting

Canceled. No ABL business in October

Friday, October 4

CM Charles Allen holds community office hours.  9:00am – 10:30am.  The Roost, 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. 

• No formal agenda — just an open time for connecting.   Please RSVP here:  https://www.charlesallenward6.com/office_hours_oct_4?utm_campaign=ward_6_update_sept_28&utm_medium=email&utm_source=charlesallendc

CHC would also like you to know about:

Sunday, October 6

Literary Hill BookFest 2024

Where:  North Hall, Eastern Market, 225 7th St. SE.

When:  Sunday, October 6, 2024, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Poetry:  Open mic at Tunnicliff’s Tavern at 3:00 pm.

This year’s celebration of books and authors will feature more than 40 authors, poets, booksellers, publishers, literacy groups, including national bestselling novelist Louis Bayard, author of The Pale Blue Eye.  Other featured authors include former White House speech writer and comedian Sean O’Brien; nationally recognized anti-bias and antiracist author and educator Liz Kleinrock; award-winning author and Smithsonian Curator of Political History Jon Grinspan; National Book Award finalist and former editor-in-chief of the Washington Post’s Book World section Marie Arana; author, trailblazer and Smithsonian Ambassador Christine Platt; novelist, former investigative journalist and film and TV writer James Grady, whose novel Six Days of the Condor was famously adapted into the Robert Redford film Three Days of the Condor, and many more.

The BookFest is completely free and open to the public, with a popular poetry open mic immediately following the main event, where established and aspiring poets will entertain an enthusiastic crowd.  For more, go here:  www.literaryhillbookfest.org

Sunday, October 6

Hill Center Free Event – 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm.  Free.  In-person American Roots Concert Series: Leon Timbo.

For more and to register, go here:  https://www.hillcenterdc.org/event/american-roots-concert-series-leon-timbo/

Some write music as a creative release. Others feel compelled to perform. For country-soul singer-songwriter Leon Timbo, music is used as a form of growth and healing. Growing up the son of two pastors in Jacksonville, FL, music was integrated into his life from the very start, as a way to communicate spiritual experience. At sixteen, Timbo began singing and by age twenty, he began playing the guitar and performing in a serious way, inspired by artists Bill Withers, James Taylor and Tim Miner. Timbo’s country sound incorporates equal measures of vintage soul, gospel, folk, R&B and even modern blues making for a unique experience that some have described as ‘transparent soul.’

Ongoing: – now through October 25th. 

Capitol Hill Montessori School Launches First Ever On Line Auction

 “We currently have donations from more than 100 local businesses and CHML families, and more items are being added daily. Bidding is open on gift cards for a variety of restaurants, fitness classes, photography sessions, sports and theater tickets, apparel, camps, music lessons, and more. Exciting offerings include dinner for two at a Michelin starred restaurant, a weekend in the Shenandoah, an educational tour with Anacostia  Riverkeeper, sleepaway camp, and private soccer sessions. Bidders can also score gift cards for local casual dining great for families.

The auction runs through CHML’s Fall Festival on October 25th, where things will really heat up with a *live auction* for some seriously amazing prizes—think suite box tickets for Capitals games, a chance to see Cyndi Lauper, and *just in time for Christmas*… Mariah Carey tickets! We will also be hosting a silent auction featuring incredible classroom-wide projects that our students will be working on between now and the Fall Festival.”

Link to online auction:  https://new.biddingowl.com/AuctionLanding?QueryAuctionId=4297aac4-af2b-45c2-b8b8-6a9cd60302ca